Kristen Blog

It's Potty Time! Thursday, December 1, 2011 Happy December!  We've had a crazy November. As usual, I've taken on more projects than I can handle. So, I'm having to re-assess and ask God which ones are from Him, and which of them I can let loose. I had to give up leading a women's small group that I've lead for several years. Sad...especially since we had such an amazingly productive year last year. (We actually saw people healed in the context of a small group of women in my home!) However, it leaves the door open for God to move in my life, and I am sensing change. For one, I am taking on the missions webpage for our church. A Little Homie has really brought out the geek in me. Yes, I can now admit it, "I am a geek!" And I'm actually kind of proud of it. Missions has been very strong on my heart. The kids and I are even learning French...just in case. We may branch into several other languages, too. (Espe...

The Joke Is On Me November 16, 2011 These are the kind of moments that make it all worthwhile: Xander was having a rough morning. She didn't understand her math, and I couldn't help her. I asked her to sit and think until I could get to her. Since I had my hands in bread dough, she knew it would be awhile. She grew anxious. On the one hand, she HATES waiting. She likes to get things done, and she lacks patience. On the other hand, she assumed she would get it all wrong if she started the page, and she REALLY hates having to redo her work. We had a near crisis at one point, when she thought she had indeed completed half the page in error. At that point I was able to spare the time to help her. She hadn't been wrong, after all. I calmed her down and set her going again with confidence. She eased into a comical sarcasm and continued on with her homeschool work. I told her it was time for spelling. "Oh great!" she blurted, alon...

Our Homeschool Routine I'm feeling a bit spoiled, since The Hub has been off for about 12 days! He's getting more diligent about taking time off, and I love it. Unfortunately, I know that it is soon coming to a close, and I am going to have to face reality again. I'll admit...this homeschooling thing can be pretty overwhelming at times. This is probably the hardest year I've had, since Dillon is little enough to need constant supervision (and attention) and old enough to have a LOT of very dangerous or damaging ideas. I figured out today that he really needs to be challenged. I spent some time with him on starfall.com . I've decided I'm going to start "teaching him to read," because I need him to have something other than Super Mario Brothers (yes, he's 2!) and The Wiggles to keep his interest. I have no idea what benefit this will bring as far as speeding up the reading process. The girls both learned late......

Halloween November 3, 2011 We had a great Halloween! We had debated not participating this year, given that the tradition seems to be so solidly rooted against our faith. However, I had this tug at me to let the kids have fun. I really had to spend some time in prayer about it. I didn't want to allow the pull of the culture to force me into misleading the kids. So, we printed off a little Halloween history , read it together as a family (and counted it for credit), and prayed together. Then, Matt and I prayed together, without the kids, and discussed what we felt God was speaking to us about our participation. We concurred. As for our participation in Halloween, we make it very clear that evil is evil. Our children are not allowed to wear blatantly scary costumes. They are not allowed to watch scary movies, and we openly discuss the difference between human imagination and reality. Our focus is to avoid dramatizing what is real and co...

Ahhh...a Good Day! October 18, 2011 I had a bad day yesterday. I'm not sure if it was the weather, which was quite dreary...our first taste of fall...or the fact that we had to drop $675 on car repairs (UGH! I was really looking forward to my brew-your-own wine kit).I have no idea the cause. I just felt completely unmotivated and gloomy. I cancelled a women's small group I coordinate because only a couple of us were able to meet...it makes me wonder if maybe I wasn't the only one feeling a bit dreary. I'd spent all day cleaning to get ready for the meeting (another reason I may have been in a foul mood), but it was kind of nice to just get cozy and hang mellow with the fam. I took a bath in my jetted tub and read a book. Worked like a charm! I went to bed in a much better mood, and I woke up quite pleasant (which made for a much better day today). I have a hard time admitting that some days are just going to BE like that. I ...

Ahhh...a Good Day! October 18, 2011 I had a bad day yesterday. I'm not sure if it was the weather, which was quite dreary...our first taste of fall...or the fact that we had to drop $675 on car repairs (UGH! I was really looking forward to my brew-your-own wine kit).I have no idea the cause. I just felt completely unmotivated and gloomy. I cancelled a women's small group I coordinate because only a couple of us were able to meet...it makes me wonder if maybe I wasn't the only one feeling a bit dreary. I'd spent all day cleaning to get ready for the meeting (another reason I may have been in a foul mood), but it was kind of nice to just get cozy and hang mellow with the fam. I took a bath in my jetted tub and read a book. Worked like a charm! I went to bed in a much better mood, and I woke up quite pleasant (which made for a much better day today). I have a hard time admitting that some days are just going to BE like that. I ...

Dillon's First ER Visit August 28, 2011...happy birthday, broghan! Ugh! So, so, so, so tired. Little Man fell off the back of the wagon yesterday, and though I was cautious about concussion and anything else that he might have damaged, I determined that he was okay...as he remained his bouncy, daring self for the rest of the day. But my anxiety returned when he woke up this morning crying and in obvious pain. I trekked the kids all the way to church, hoping he just needed to wake up...but when he was still whining as we arrived, and he started to hold his head and shoulders funny, I thought I'd better call his doctor. We ended up in the ER...an extremely long wait later...and several emotionally traumatic moments for the little guy (and a completely draining physical and emotional experience for me)...and we are in the clear. His doctor (Hoffman, who completely ROCKS, by the way) said it was just like whiplash after a car wre...