A day of Firsts

I've recently become a team member at Homeschool Blog Awards. My assignment is to interview a past winner and post that once a month. I've posted my first interview - it's with Mama Archer and you can read it here. If you've not visited HSBA recently, you should visit. We have a whole new look, focus has changed to "Encouraging, Informing and Connecting the Homeschool Community". To that end there are now daily posts full of all sorts of helpful and/or interesting homeschool "things". Hey, I even have an About Me page. I know this is silly but involved stepping out of my comfort zone and learning how to use Word Press. ::snort::

I already blogged my first WFMW post.

Today I will meet a cyber friend and her family for the first time.

Jamin has published his first online article. If that link doesn't take you directly to an article titled "Are you Shy; The Corner", scroll down.

I realize I've not blogged "life" in a couple of days, but I'll try to have photos and such before the day is out.

Conquering the Sock Chaos


This is my very first Works For Me Wednesday entry. If you'd like to read 200 or so other helpful tips on literally any topic under the sun, hope on over to Rocks in My Dryer to read what works for others today.

Hey, I just realized I can turn this into a Big Family Myth entry as well. ::snort:: Myth: With a family of 11 laundry is a chore and most assume that I have piles of laundry spewing from every corner of the home. This is not so. I've learned a few tips to manage Mt. Neverrest (though I do 3 - 5 loads a day). One simple trick.....

Turn this:


To this:


Yes, I've trained my family from Dad - 6 yo to pin their socks at the toes before throwing them in the hamper. This saves me TIME - no tedious sock matching and folding. This saves me money - my dryer seems to balk at eating socks in pairs. At one point in time, I had a different color pin for each family member - but we outgrew the color scheme provided for diaper pins. Our young men and my husband were frustrated by having socks mixed up - so now the boys pin at the top and Dad at the toe....

I enforce this system by telling all that those who do not match up their socks are the ones who will have to tame the sock bag (sort all the unpinned socks in the sock sack).

Do Hard Things Blog Tour & Giveaway

Released today! This book is well worth the purchase price of $11.55 at Amazon.com if you have teens; click here. To win a free copy, leave your name in the comment section of this entry. A winner will be picked on 25 April after noon. Be sure there is a way for me to contact you. I would like to give "first" consideration to those who are currently raising teens or to teen readers...so please leave that info with your comment. I would not have picked up this book until I'd heard other's comment on it. I'm glad I had the opportunity to review it - which nudged me to actually read it before I commented. *See update below.

Author Bio:
Alex and Brett Harris founded TheRebelution.com in August 2005 - at the age of 16. The twins are frequent contributors to Focus on the Family’s Boundless webzine, serve as the main speakers for the Rebelution Tour conferences, and have been featured in WORLD magazine, Breakaway, The Old Schoolhouse, and the New York Daily News. Sons of homeschool pioneer Gregg Harris and younger brothers of best-selling author Joshua Harris (I Kissed Dating Goodbye), Alex and Brett live near Portland, Oregon.

My Take: For 15 years I've been recommending, talking about, telling any who would listen about an article that directed the course of our parenting as our children entered their youth. The article was called Myth of the Teenager by Dr. Michael Platt and can be read here.

Alex and Brett have taken the same message and speak it to TEENS - the very people that NEED to hear the message. They are out to lead a rebelution (rebellion against low expectations of teens). I believe that if this message catches fire in this generation it will change our society. It's that strong and powerful of a message. This book is written in an easy to read style and is filled with concrete illustrations and helfpul advice to motivate teens to Do Hard Things. I'm about 2/3 of the way through this book, but I am confident in recommending it to to you and your teens. In fact, along with a few other books (I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Not Even a Hint, Don't Check Your Brain at the Door, The New Tolerance..), Do Hard Things has become "highly recommended" reading for our teens. We haven't had to require these books, but we suggest them and then have great discussions with our young adults about said book. We like this one enough to put it on our "list".

The authors begin by leading us to rethink the teen years. They go on to mention 5 kinds of HARD things we should do: things that take us outside of our comfort zone, things that go beyond what's expected or required of us, things that are to big to do alone, things that don't pay off immediately, and hard things that go against the crowd.

Though this message is written by teens and for teens, I found myself encouraged and excited as I read. In fact *I* have been prodded to Do Hard Things. That multi-generational Bible Study that's rattling around in my head? Just last night Jamin encouraged me to write it again. I told him that there is no market, others write better than I, someone else has had the idea or will have the idea and be a known name etc. Then I picked up this book and read, "God works through our weaknesses to accomplish His big plans." As a side note, we had this discussion, Mike shared his thoughts, I went to our room to watch some Veggie Tales and unwind and there was "Gideon" saying, "If you wanna hear God say 'well done', you gotta do what he tells you to do." I've been hammered. You and your teens may be as well if you read this book. ::snort:: I'll have to write a seperate "hard things" entry. This IS a book review! ::snort::

I feared this book would be boastful or arrogant; honestly it doesn't come across that way. The authors continually give the honor and glory for their fruit back to God - where it belongs. I also feared I wouldn't like the book. I don't like most books written on how to parent teens or written to teens. I LOVED this book. I felt like these young men were saying the same things we've been saying for lo these many years to our teens.

Summary:
With over 10 million hits to their website TheRebelution.com, Alex and Brett Harris are leading the charge in a growing movement of Christian young people who are rebelling against the low expectations of their culture by choosing to “do hard things” for the glory of God.
Written when they were 18 years old, Do Hard Things is the Harris twins’ revolutionary message in its purest and most compelling form, giving readers a tangible glimpse of what is possible for teens who actively resist cultural lies that limit their potential. Combating the idea of adolescence as a vacation from responsibility, the authors weave together biblical insights, history, and modern examples to redefine the teen years as the launching pad of life and map a clear trajectory for long-term fulfillment and eternal impact.

Written by teens for teens, Do Hard Things is packed with humorous personal anecdotes, practical examples, and stories of real-life rebelutionaries in action. This rallying cry from the heart of revolution already in progress challenges the next generation to lay claim to a brighter future, starting today.

This is part of my 2008 reading list. Remember, if you'd like to review books for Multnomah or Waterbrook press send me an email and I'll send you the next offer I receive so you can get the contact info.

*This book came with a postage paid mailer for me to use. Because of this I can't offer to ship this book outside of the 48 contiguous states. I'm sorry. I've been sending all other books all over on my dime. LOL My real life and now cyber friend, Trish, is also offering a copy of this book free this week. Go here to read about how she'd like you to enter.

Weekly Fitness Goals (click button for more info)

Weekly Goal - 240 Minutes (40 minutes most days)
Totaly Weekly Minutes - 240 Minutes
Annual Goal - 11,700 minutes (2900 by end of March)
Minutes to Date - 3,262

Monday - 80 Minutes (30 min Elliptical, 30 min reccumbent bike, 20 min Cybex weights)

Wednesday - 80 Minutes (60 min recumbent bike, 15 min cybex weight machines, 5 min hand weights)

Thursday - 80 Minutes (45 minutes elliptical, 35 min recumbant bike)

Hrumph! I got the 240 minutes in but it certainly wasn't spread over "most days of the week" and I didn't get the 3rd strength training in. 2 hours out of my day is getting tough to maintain...but with the drive....still thinking. Maybe I'll do the walk video once or twice this week so it is only 45 min for working out and no drive time....but that's significantly less cardio time than I do at the gym. Hrumph!

To read accounts from more participants - click here. To join us, click the icon above.....

Bragging on Young Men

Jared (14) fulfilled his last requirement on Thursday night at CAP. They have to wait 60 days from his last promotion to submit a new promotion. At the end of this month they'll submit his package for promotion to Staff Sgt. It was his goal to make this rank in his first year of membership. He did it.

Josiah (19) is nearing the end of his freshman year at the University. Last week he turned in a research paper for history. He was to write on a controversy in History and chose to write on FDR and the suspician that he knew about Pearl Harbor in advance of the attack. Josiah cited that FDR did not know; another classmate took the opposite view. Friday, Josiah had to give an oral presentation representing his stance in his paper. This was the last assignment in this class. He'll still have the final. ANYWAY - he says he wasn't nervous - but he left here saying "this is lame" (speaking of his slide show and presentation). We had planned for him to practice in front of us - but he had to work lots of extra hours last week and that didn't happen. In fact, he didn't even run through it before class. Josiah was homeschooled all his life. He doesn't liken nor has he practiced, speaking in front of groups. We told him we'd pray. We did. He texted us....he made ***100%***on his presentation! WooHOO! It's hard to believe that just a few short months ago I was stalking him on his first day at college.....He's done well.

Ode to DIRT!

Mike and I went on a date. To Lowe's Building Supplies. It was wonderful. He picked out carpet pad, a yard storage container, and a pond kit. I walked through the garden area and felt my spirits soar.

I remembered living in Hardin, MT. Every year my Uncle and Grams would ask the children and I to drive them to Billings to buy DIRT, and seeds, and plants. My uncle would spend hours during the winter pouring over seed catalogs. I had a HUGE garden in Hardin, and lots of flowers. Those are good years to remember. My Uncle died the day Arielle was born, 10 1/2 years ago. Some days I just miss he and my Grams intensely....and the dirt took me back in time.

Our family went military....Mike built some gorgeous flower beds for our first base house. Then we moved....and we realized that we had to leave all the landscaping behind. We could never get the hang of gardening in TX. We moved to Alaska and there aren't a lot of gardening months. We're back in TX again...... I did not inherit the green thumb of my mom's family. I kill things. It didn't make sense to spend $$$ on temporary gardens and beds et al. We quit buying houseplants (of which I had zillions when we were civilian) because we have to leave them every few years....

BUT a little over a year ago, when Mike was deployed, Debbie gave me a little plant to care for. It lives. On Valentine's Day Mike gave me another plant. It lives. I've been dreaming of a small palm for the entry......and I asked Mike about a garden. I was shocked when he thought it would be a good idea. We'll be planting the back yard next spring before we move......

As I sauntered through the plant section, smelling the dirt, examinging petunias.....I got very happy thinking of planting a garden. I know we're LATE but we think we CAN garden year round with a bit of planning down here.....so it will be o.k. I bought a bag of potting mix to replant my little houseplants. I bought a few hanging baskets for the front yard.

I came home and googled "square foot gardens" as we have a very small yard. I'll have to plant some things in pots. I found steps, pictures and more here. I was talking about my square foot garden plan at chapel fellowship today. Ivey said she has the book and wondered if I'd like to look at it. SO....I'm going to find vermiculite, peat moss, and compost (and hope to start my own).....build a bed and go for it. Have any of you planted a garden with this method? Do you have tips to share? Did you use the little grids for the top of the bed? The best luck I ever had with a garden was the year we did it all in raised beds.....I just sort of threw it all in...and it grew. LOL

Of Concrete and Carpet

The day began well.

Then we began to work...and all the furniture et al from the little boys room ended up in the living room.

New pad....


But finally the boys have CLEAN carpet and new pad in their room. I wouldn't recommend this method of cleaning carpet for an entire house but it sure worked. I love knowing it hung in the sun for a good long time - killing germs. We decided to reinstall the carpet rather than paint the concrete. Today we'll organize their room.