Ye Old Party Animal Hat

When I mailed Mike's birthday package today, I began to think about family traditions. This is our party animal hat. It is worn by each of us on our birthday. He's been to chapel, skating, work, VBS, Bible Studies, movies, moves.....these pictures were taken several years ago. I'm currently using the computer that belonged to BreAnne and Krista...I KNEW they would have pictures of the pig hat. ::snort:: Bre's computer does seem to highly favor Arielle. WOW...seeing pictures of Bre at 13 holding Arielle at 6 months.....realizing they are now 21 and 9...{sigh}

The hat is wearing out. Birthday season is approaching our household. We have 7 birthdays between now and the end of Feb.

I have googled and searched and I'm not finding another party animal hat like this...if any of you happen to see such a thing....please let me know. LOL It just won't be the same covered in duct tape.

I'm thinking we need to begin sending him around the world on birthdays....

Yes, you are in the right spot. {g}

I sat up the blog on a lark...I'd thought about having one but really didn't know about any of the various hosting sites, how a blog worked and hadn't thought much about a title. I literally clicked blogspot and set up a blog the first time I'd visited. I grabbed the name that's been our email address for years. I like it...it's fine.

I've wanted something a bit more "something" and this seemed natural...trying it on for size...may still go back to not2many doins. LOL The new title is a visual reminder of a work God has accomplished in my life over the past few years....it's meaningful to me. LOL

Couple of Photos:


Zander said, "Hey mom - look at me"...what a character. I suppose if one set of mouse ears is good - two must be better. I thought he was so funny I'll post the picture even with the closed eyes. LOL

Beatrix gets into the "mouse mood".

WOW - I woke up with a terribly sore back. It was one of the 8 Minute moves...and I've done that exerise lots and lots...not sure what I did wrong. I am wearing a microwave bread basket insert (the kind you heat and put in the sleeve to keep bread warm) in my pants. ::snort:: It's very painful - my back not the bread warmer. ::snort::

Well, no ticker movement because it's too COLD to go biking this week. I should have gotten an elliptical machine earlier. I have been doing 8 Minute every a.m. On the second ticker....hmph!!! Lost 2 lbs the first week, 3 lbs the second and none last week. Here's hoping to move it THIS Tuesday.


My spices arrived! I had heard how MUCH I would get so got smaller packages of some things that I think I should have ordered more of...but HEY they are way cheaper than in the store. In case any of you are interested and have forgotten you can order them from Monterrey Spice Company.

I needed to run to the post office, return my costume and run to the mall today. I didn't really run...sort of creeped and slithered and groaned and moaned. LOL I got to our Post Office at 11:00 and discovered it is CLOSED on Saturdays. I had already clicked "books mailed" on 8 books at PBS so went to find another one. I mailed out the books and Mike's birthday gift. The lady at the 2nd post office couldn't figure out the PBS confirmation add .14 extra thing...she was being very slow about it. Finally I told her that since she couldn't meter it to sell me stamps and I'd stamp them. LOL

When I returned the costume the lady told me they didn't TAKE returns. I told her it was a rental but I'd be happy to keep it. ::snort::

At the mall I needed to buy a gift for our worship leader's daughter. I found a cute game. I also bought a second set of Ruckus cards (because the game is for 2 -4 and we have 7 of us playing). I picked up a dinosaur bingo and Apples 2 Apples too...those I may keep for Christmas...but I am terrible about saving gifts. I KNOW that many of you begin buying in January for the next Christmas. I know I should. I know it would alleviate stress. My mom does this. I don't. In fact...I NEVER shop early because Mike and I have discovered that if there is a gift to give... I must give it! NOW! I have a terrible time keeping those gifts secret - so it works out best if I don't buy them early. I thought maybe since Christmas is only 2 months away.....we'll see if I make it.

It made me very sad to be in the mall with all the holiday bustle. We miss Mike and the girls.

Jared had a friend over today. Jamin took them ALL to a nearby school to play baseball. How wonderful. That gave me quiet here to work on portfolios. I now have the yearly summary sheets and transcripts done for Josiah and Jamin. I'll mail them off on Monday. Do NOT be impressed...these are LAST YEARS!!! I have until Dec 31 to get them in.

I asked on SHS if anyone knew of a free Thanksgiving lapbook that was good. Thanks to Brandy for sending me to Live and Learn Press
and to Jodi for helping me figure out HOW to log in. I can be so dense...I simply couldn't find the spot to put the password and get my free Lapbook. This is a great lapbook - 76 pages. Wow. Instructions and all....I printed the first 24 pages so I can overview. I'm bummed not to have a color printer to do this with...not sure if I'm going to print it out black and white or what. We'll see. Thanks ladies. I'm now trying to figure out if I want to add this to our studies...which I think I should do....or do it and no other history until Thanksgiving. The problem is that we are totally NOT studying this time period....I may do an abbreviated version of the project. I think Arielle and Nolan are the perfect age to be aware of the history of the holiday....

Stacia LOVES that "deeper than ever tater, turnip and beet root pie". I like it. Jamin says it would be better if I left out the beets and added some of my turkey sausage. He may have a point. I'll have to try it. LOL I gave the last pie to Adrienne....I wonder if her children will give the same review. LOL

We're going to watch *Curious George*. Josiah ended up working from 9 - 10:30 or 11:00 tonight. I think this means he has overtime this week.

BOOK CLOSE OUTS

Jodi recommended this site to me and it's great. You have to be willing to wait for books...but sometimes you find great deals. I just ordered $112.00 of books for $31. I've been waiting for a preschool book from Amazon that is supposed to be awesome since September....they keep telling me the shipping date is delayed...was supposed to be here in September...that's come and gone. I found one here on literary lessons from picture books that I'm going to try. LOL

I was surprised to find the National Geographic book that I've checked out from the library repeatedly for 3 years on sale for $9. My best deal was a $45 book for $5.99. Yippee.

Strange Child rearing issue - care to give input????

Has anyone ever had an older child begin to chew on his thumb and fingers? Zander has NEVER taken a pacifier or sucked his thumb etc. This past week he constantly has either thumb or fingers in his mouth.

He's old enough for me to talk to him about it (4). I've told him he'll get sores on his fingers. I've told him it looks slobbery and gross. I've told him he'll get germs in his mouth and no one wants to hold his hand when we pray. He says "I like to do it".

Obviously, I'll keep working on it but has anyone else ever seen this? Things that make me go hmmm.....I guess all children are unique. LOL

Parenting in I John 3

*We're still working through I John in PWOC. Obviously, these verses have a much wider application but as I prepare for Tuesday I DID contemplate how they apply to parenting - because I'm now jotting down every verse that shows me Scriptural parenting in my little composition book - right after the Rod study.

3:16 - "We kow love by this, tht He laid down His life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren."

Brethren would certainly include my husband and children. Why do we think that we can treat those closest to us any different than we would treat any other Christian brother or sister?

Am I laying down my life for my children? For my husband? I've got to honor Mike here and say that when we discussed our family ways 5,6,7 (24 family ways), we all spent some time talking about how well he does this. Mike takes seriously the verses about loving me as Christ loves the church. I freely confessed to my children that his selflessness puts me to shame. God is gladly working on this ongoing issue in my life.....I tend to think about ME most....and even when laying down my life/wishes/schedule for my family I can have an attitude - you know deep sighs, rolling eyes......God has done a huge work this past year in this area....and I know it will be ongoing....I often joke with people when they ask "Why do you have such a big family?" "Because I'm very selfish and God knew the only thing I would love enough to allow that to break in my life is children....and I need lots of lessons." LOL


3:17 - "Whoever has the world's good and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?"

Are my children in need? I must resist closing my heart to my children's needs. Honestly, my needs can often wait...a child's needs are often very urgent. If I neglect their training now, if I neglect to give them attention now, it may follow them the rest of their lives. Thank God for grace to cover my parenting mistakes.

3:18 - "Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth."

Love is not only the nicey nicey words....but actions...deeds and loving in truth sometimes involves tough love. Most often I need to remember, however, that love involves deeds (giving up my computer, cooking that meal, taking that walk, having that talk - when I want to READ). I aim to imitate Christ in being full of grace AND truth.

**For a little blurb on this same topic see "A Mother's Love" under parenting in the side bar.

Parenting/Discipline in Proverbs - Chapter 4

*Remember that there are many applications that I am NOT sharing - I'm specifically looking for verses that speak to me about how to parent and mentor my children.

4:2 a "For I give you sound teaching."

4:4 "Then he taught me and said to me, "Let your heart hold fast my words, keep my commandments and live."

4:5 "Acquire wisdom, acquire understanding"

4:11 "I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths."

4:20 - 22 "My son, give attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart form your sight; Keep them the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them and health to all their body."

Great verses follow addressed to son (who could be any of us about guarding your heart)....

~We are teaching our children all the time. Sometimes the things that are "caught" speak louder than the things we think we've "taught". Are my unspoken attitudes about my "work" and "calling" - mothering, keeping a home, doing the laundry, paying the bills, day in and day out teaching, mirrored in my child's attitude when he is asked to work? I've got to work on ME.

~Can I say that the things I'm teaching my children are sound?

~Are the things my children learn and catch from me bringing life and health to them? BTW, this could be in the spiritual sense and in the very physical sense as well. Are my children learning how to take care of their God-given bodies from me? Am I teaching them patterns of eating and excercising that will lead to physical health? Am I showing them a heart of forgiveness or do they see bitterness taking root in my life? My children will follow me....where am I leading them?

~Will imitating my life - walking as I walk - bring life, health, wisdom, understanding to my children?

Father, help me to walk humbly before you with integrity. Show me any areas in my life where my attitudes will lead my children to a path of folly. Draw me ever closer and deeper into a passionate, extravagant relationship of love with you and help my children to learn and catch a wholehearted passion for you as they see it walked out in me. Draw them into a relationship of honor and obedience with Yourself and with their father and I. Father, most of all I desire to see Your miraculous, redeeming act of Grace in their lives. May each of them become wholehearted followers of Yours at the earliest possible age. (Oh and while I'm hear Godly spouses and Godly grandbabies would be nice, too.)