Wednesday night ramblings

I am sitting here past my bedtime waiting for my family to get home. Marc went to men's meeting at church, McKenzie went to visit with friends and Matthew was at church for Scouts. I enjoy Wednesday evenings with my younger children. We try to get chores done, the baby boys to bed and then we do something fun. I was giving Myles a bath and I heard buzzing around in the kitchen. When I came out the girls had the kitchen spotless and this was taped to the door.

We usually have some sort of a treat and watch movies. They told me tonight that I could pick the movie. :>) They gave me some suggestions though! :>) I went in the kitchen to put our ice cream cups in the dishwasher and Mariah hollered out, "Mama, you aren't working are you?" They rubbed my feet with lotion while we watched Little House on The Prairie. They are both so sweet.

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All of us like to read books together. For the last couple of weeks we have been reading a true story called The Perilous Journey of The Donner Party. Three years before the Gold Rush, 87 pioneers took a shortcut westward to California, only to get caught in the snows of the Sierra Nevada. The emigrants' fateful journey culminated in death and cannibalism. The story was awful but fascinating. They talked about some of the descendents of the families involved in the journey. One girl was taunted at school by other children. They would say, "Don't sit next to Ann, she might eat your arm." My kids thought that was so funny. I am sure it wasn't funny to Ann!

Last night after we finished the last chapter of the book we had "Donner fingers" for supper. I know....... pretty sick! :>)

Well, I am about to fall asleep at the keyboard. I think I will go get in the bed and wait for my family there!

~Goodnight!~

So happy...

he is finished with this book!!!



Biology... Looking at four different pond water samples that were "fed" four different things. Thankfully, Matthew and Marc both love science. Apologia is the best! It is written to the student. Marc helps when needed and does the testing.

"Let's drink it and see who gets sick first!" ha ha ha

Hmm... and we have to eat on this table in the morning! When it comes to school... there is no place like home! :>)

Just For Today...

Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.
Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.

Just this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.Just this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.
Just for this afternoon, I will take you to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both of the toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.

Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.

Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours and miss my favorite TV shows.

Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

I will think about the mothers and fathers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore.

And when I kiss you goodnight I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask Him for nothing, except one more day.......

Author Unknown

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Marc brought that home to me several years ago and I came across it the other day. Yesterday was the anniversary of Mariah's horse accident. It was kind of on my mind all day yesterday. Looking at her, I was so grateful that she is alive and whole. Not many people can say they were kicked in the head and the abdomen by a horse and they lived to tell it! The Lord definitely had His hand on her. Pondering that accident brought back the memories of last fall and the car accident that happened a month later. We were driving down the interestate last night on our way home and came upon a horrible car accident. The truck had flipped and it didn't appear that the person driving it survived. I just wanted to cry thinking about the fact that someone was going to get a phone call that would change their life forever. I am so thankful for the Lord's protection over my family. I guess one thing I learned from all of that is that you can't take life for granted. It is so easy to get caught up in busyness and "to do" lists. I am very much a goal oriented "list" person. Our pastor told me a few weeks ago that at the end of the day my "lists" weren't going to be the ones giving me a hug. I thought those were wise words.

So, not "Just for today", but for everyday, I pray that I keep that balance in my life!

*Pictures above McKenzie took of the kids playing in the huge sprinkler in the cotton field!

Sunday afternoon walk...

I took the two little guys for a walk this afternoon. It was hot, but they had so much fun. Malachi talked non-stop and Myles just sat there and looked around.

He is so sweet with Myles. He wanted him to have a drink first.

We have a litter of kittens. Malachi got to see them be born, and he has had so much fun with them. He decided Myles needed to play with them too!Poor little kittens... they were worn out when they got finished with them.

He liked them, but he didn't want them in his face!

We had a very busy first week of school last week. We took an overnight trip to my parent's house. One of my sister's brought our 91 year old aunt for a visit. It was so much fun talking to her and hearing stories from my dad's childhood. I hope to have a chance this week to write a blog post about it. Another busy week ahead. I guess I better get to bed!

Goodnight!

School days...

Today was a bittersweet day. It was the first day of McKenzie's last year of "home schooling". It seems like just yesterday we were starting her first day of school. I was so structured back then and I wanted everything perfect. We even did the Pledge and The Lord's Prayer in the morning! That just cracks me up now! Not that it was necessarily a bad thing, just that my life is so incredibly different (and a whole lot busier) now. Our day today started bright and early. I nursed the baby and was out the door for a run by 7:00. The children were all up doing chores and getting dressed for the day while I was out running.

When I arrived back close to 8:30 I was greeted by this sign made by Mariah on the door. (It says, "Welcome to school. Have fun teaching me.")

By 9:30 I was showered, dressed, laundry started, floors mopped and breakfast done. The children all had their outside and inside chores done and we were on with our first day! I SO badly wanted it to be a perfect day! (What is that verse about "we plan our days, but the Lord orders them?!")

Mariah and Madeline worked in the office. I am teaching them History and Science together, so I thought this would be a good set up. Who knows... I may have everything different next week! It is always hard to know who will work best where. Some are more distractable than others!

She wanted to know if this was just for me, or was I going to put it on my blog. Of course not! :>)

Matthew's first day of high school! When did THAT happen!? He was so happy to pose for his picture.

"Mom, would you PLEASE quit!?"

Only if you will give me one good smile!

Dilligently studying...

Hmm... Is he studying, or daydreaming about baseball?

Well, my perfect first day kind of unraveled. Within a five minute period I had Malachi whining, found a certain teenage boy reading a Boy Scout magazine (I mean come on, that Biology book HAS to be better than a Scout magazine!), realized the upstairs ac was leaking on our ceiling, Myles bit my shoulder and I heard Mariah screaming to the top of her lungs outside. (I imagined her getting kicked by a horse. de ja vu from last August! Thankfully it was only hornets!) I wish I could tell you that I handled it all with grace and patience, but I did not. I was asking for forgiveness during family Bible time this evening for my lack of patience with the children. Mariah said, "You didn't do nothin' to me. You are a sweet mommy!" Bless her heart! :>)

Poor little Malachi. All of his playmates were tied up today. I started the day off spending time with him. We read lots of books together. When it seemed he just wasn't going to be happy, I sent him for a rest. Within minutes I went back and found him sound asleep under the blanket!

After a much needed rest. Sundays are long and hard on this little guy!
Myles was content to eat, sleep, and play!
Well, it is late. The dishwasher is running, laundry put away, the house sort of picked up, and children are asleep. I guess I better go to bed so I can do it all again tomorrow! This job of mine is exhausting, but I really wouldn't trade it for the world!

Good night!