13

Happy Birthday to my beautiful, loving, helpful, and brilliant daughter - who today becomes a teenager!

We are so proud of who you are and who you are still becoming. We look forward to all God has in store for your teen years. I am so excited that you and I are headed to Honduras together for a mission trip in the not too distant future. You've always had a servant's heart and I can't wait to see how God will use you in the days and years to come.

We thank the Lord you're living your "namesake" verse: "Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold, for wisdom {sophia} is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her (Proverbs 8:11).

We love you, Bobo! Happy 13th...

One of the many special notes you've written over the years,
this one a few weeks ago for my 40th birthday.

Bonne Fête Des Méres

In honor of my own mother being in Paris on this Mother's Day, I'm wishing all my friends and loved ones a "bonne fête des méres!"

My day started with cards, cards, and more cards (plus some wine and chocolate, two mom necessities):

(I didn't actually open the chocolate and
wine before church, just so you know)

Another sweet, not to be forgotten, note from my oldest

And from my budding 7 year old writer
(I'm hoping he meant "cheerful," when he said, "cheepful?")

After me taking everyone else's picture, one of
my children said - "Mom! It's Mother's Day -
Let me take a picture of you!!"

Coming home from church quite a while after the
rest of us.  Let the party begin!

Me and My Girls

The girls were given an overnight away with their mama for Christmas - a time to shop, hang out, and do girl stuff before the baby is born. This weekend we did just that: dinner at Cheesecake Factory, browsing at Barnes and Noble and Lifeway Christian Store, belgian waffles at the hotel for breakfast, pedicures, and of course, Justice. A great getaway... Thanks Nana and Papa!

Hubby and I awoke to a beautiful letter this morning from our oldest for Valentine's Day. My parenting motto has always been: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth" (3 John  4) I'm so thankful that at the tender age of 11, she claims "His Son" as the best blessing in her life. Praise you, Lord, for your faithfulness!

Thank You Vision Forum!

Hubby's working two 12+ hour days in a row and the rain won't stop, generally not a recipe for fun here at Living Waters.

Enter Vision Forum's brand new catalog, arriving in our mailbox today and being quickly commandeered by my girls. After seeing all the great and inspiring titles about family and siblings, many of which my oldest has read, she says, "Mom, I'm so glad you want to be a mom like this. I'm so glad we're having another baby; my siblings are the best part of my life."

A sweet moment I don't want to forget.

And to think I wouldn't remember these things...

Okay, so half the reason for this blog is obviously to keep track of our homeschooling records (believe me, this is all there is - if the state ever came after me, it's a good thing I'd have something on record!)... But the other reason is just to remember the sweet, everyday moments of being with my little ones.  (And yes, there are lots of moments worth forgetting too...)

So we get back from the pool today and a major thunderstorm is rolling in and Toddzilla suggests a family movie night.  After we tuck The Patriot in to bed I yell downstairs "Family Movie Night!" (a big game of "zoo camp" was being played by the four still awake - with the oldest being demoted to a mere "zoo aid" because she actually didn't attend the camp). Crockett comes running up, "Family Movie Night?! I love Family Movie Night! - brief pause - What's Family Movie Night?" He's still new to the tradition because until now he'd also be asleep.

And in the middle of the movie, Elbow says, "Look at that lipstick! The bad girls always have the best lipstick!" They learn the great universal truths young, don't they?

Not to be left out: a lone stitch in my littlest's eyebrow on Thursday (almost eleven years as a mom, 5 kids, one stitch... I think I can manage - but I will say it was tough!):

So tough, in fact, when he couldn't choose an ice cream flavor
 I let him have BOTH!

Division of Labor

Not so long ago, Hubby and the children were at a nearby garage sale. The littlest boys immediately latched on to some matching lawn mowers and the price ($1 each) was right. Done deal.

My oldest daughter, however, has never had an unexpressed thought and she couldn't possibly walk away without comment. Turning to the woman selling the merchandise (who I've seen doing plenty of yard work), she says, "My mom always says to us girls, 'if you never learn how to mow a lawn you never have to do it.'"

Maybe it's time I kept some thoughts to myself as well...

vacuuming AND mowing "for extra beauty"

2 Days Until VBS!

Last year's crew

Hubby's at what should be the final rehearsal before Monday's debut. We've seen this year's tee-shirts, heard some of the music, and watched as the sets go up - week by week. The theme this year is: The TRUTH about God's love. Can't wait!

Here's some "truth" from my 10 year old, uttered recently while picking up after a rainy afternoon of neighborhood kids in my basement: "I try to ask myself 'what would Jesus do' but it gets annoying because there's no time to play if you do that all the time!"

Oh, How He Loves Us

Good Friday.

I went running in the rain. We dyed eggs. My husband brought me flowers. My son wrote me a note that said, "Mom you are like a bag of flowers."

I scurried frantically around the church in high heels hauling props and getting everything ready for an onslaught of preschoolers coming to learn about Jesus' last week on earth. We waved palm branches, wrapped ourselves in linen cloths and laid in the tomb, rolled the stone away, washed feet, tasted communion bread, and saw how Jesus washed our sins away this day, so very long ago.

It was a good Friday.


My littles ones are tucked in tight. Hubby is extinguishing the last light at his Tenebrae service. All is well with the world because He loves us. Oh, how He loves us...

"I don't have time to maintain these regrets 

when I think about the way he loves us... 

Oh, how he loves us." 

God demonstrates his love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8

Halloween: Early Edition

I think I've mentioned before that in our area of Ohio you trick-or-treat when they tell you to. Our night was last night - our coldest Halloween since moving from North Dakota a few years back.

On being a hippie: "I love the style and the symbols, just not the concepts."

As Alex Russo/Selena Gomez: "I've always wanted to be a rock star!"

Surely this pint-sized Potter will be cast in the next generation  of Hogwarts flicks

Ready for anything!

Lopsided Ladybug

And They're Off!

Bobo got her braces off today. (Below - in the orthodontist's office and later at home). We're done with Phase I.  "I feel so old to be already out of braces!" Never fear, little girl, there are more to come in a few years time...

I'm coming to the sad realization that I can't take all five of my little charges to the pool on my own.  Hubby and I went together on Saturday, only to learn that The Patriot is a mad man - running all over and attempting to jump in the deep end any chance he gets.  I vowed I wouldn't do it alone. Then I promptly forgot my vow and took them all to the pool this afternoon. Not a good idea. Poor little fella will be relegated to the child care while we splash around the pool. There's always next year...

Not My Words, But Theirs

I'm not finding time to post much these days - lots of graduation parties, end of the year recitals, and Tae Kwon Do testing...

But the little people are putting pen to paper (or legos to board, as the case may be) so I'll let them take over:

Written by Bobo in response to the last sermon series at our church called "A Pinch of Salt."

With my spelling changes: "Dear Father, Please rid me of my sins, and take away all fatal things to my Christian soul. Bring me closer to you, and let me be a pinch in your kingdom and a light in my world.  Amen."

Scraps like this are easily lost in this busy household. One of my favorite things about blogging is preserving them in this way, so I don't have to worry if something goes missing (although I do try to save them!) Every Mother's Day I "slurp" the year's posts into a Blurb Book and have it printed as a record of our year.

Poems

Elbow - not prone to writing of any sort - came up to me the other day and said, "I have a poem I want you to type for me." This is rare for her so I sat right down to type. Here's her offering:

The Beautiful World and Jesus Christ

I love to watch the birds high up in the blue, blue sky

I like to watch the bees that work near the flowers

I love the beautiful world here that You made for us

Why do I deserve to live here?

Because You sacrificed Your life for us

Died on the cross, were buried in a tomb

Risen to heaven and seated at the right hand of the Father

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

You will come again

When the world should end

And judge the living from the dead

The living rise with you to heaven

And live forever in Christ.

This afternoon I asked Bobo, who has penned more poems and short stories than I can keep track of, to write a poem in response to her reading from The Tale of Troy.  Here's her offering: (I have thoroughly corrected her spelling, which left LOTS to be desired).

THE SIEGE OF TROY

In the belly of a wooden horse

hidden and tucked away

hide 12 soldiers - hopes as bright as day.

Waiting, waiting ,waiting for the signal light

To lead them to Troy

The light that conquered Troy town

That brought the end to the 10 long years of pitiless revenge.

The attack came, boiling hot

And Meneleus ravaged and sought

For the one who started it all

With a smile her heart did fall.

But woe is Hellen - pityless fright

Hiding in the shadows of night.

But soft and pure is her love

So Meneleus, do spare her!

The right deed done by her love-bearer.

And so my friends

This story ends

With the love unbroken twixt two people

Many years of fighting have just gone past,

But I am sure their love will last.

Love, Revisited

We're back in Ancient Greece for history. Elbow has always loved the gods and goddesses of Greece; at four her favorite book was D'Aulaires Greek Myths. Her love has been rekindled with our current study. Today she declared that her next birthday theme will be - you guessed it - Ancient Greece.

Tonight we read about Hector's funeral in a re-telling of The Iliad. I commented on how slighted Hector's siblings must have felt as his parents eulogized him as their favorite son. Elbow deadpanned: "They probably do the same thing at all the funerals. It's just an act. You know how over-the-top dramatic these Greeks are!"

Extra Benefits of Latin

Bobo, typing a chapter summary this afternoon: "How do you spell seizes?"
Me, upstairs, with baby babbling in my ear: "c-e-a-s-e-s."
Bobo: "No, seizes!"
Me: "s-q-u-e-e-z-e-s."
Bobo, frustrated: "No! I mean occupo!"
Me, laughing that Latin conquered even the noisy mayhem of afternoon assignments. Stupor Mundi!

The Mummy in the Middle...

... is Toddzilla.  

We're back in Egypt after several years away from the Ancients. Our first cycle of history started with Story of the World; we did volumes one, two, and half of three.  When we hit the Age of Exploration, we stayed in the Americas and switched over to Sonlight Core 3 and 4 American History.  

For Egypt: We're reading lots of picture books to include Toddzilla and Crockett.  Elbow is reading Songbird of the Nile, Bobo's doing The Golden Goblet, and Hubby is reading The Cat of Bubastes: A Tale of Ancient Egypt to the girls in the evenings. Henty is another one of those authors we hear so much about and are just now discovering for ourselves. This is no light read: lots of dictionary help is needed when I take over. Hubby was dubbed "The Walking Dictionary" by the girls when we stumbled with all the nautical terms in Carry on, Mr. Bowditch. His expertise obviously translates to ancient Egypt as well. Not that I'm annoyed or anything.

Nana teaching the girls about early writing 

while they use hieroglyphic stamps.

Crockett getting ready to sculpt 

(and embedding said hieroglypic stamps in his clay)

Elbow and Toddzilla working on clay tablets

Bobo making bricks for a pyramid

I showed everyone this post and picture of our first time through Egypt. They were so little! When Elbow read Bobo's remark about the Hebrew slaves doing all the work on the pyramids, she retorted, "Actually, they weren't slaves, they were paid in bread and beer - that's what the research says." To which older sister huffed, "The BIBLE says they were slaves."  

Riotous Read A Louds

We're laughing out loud as we read Cheaper By The Dozen in the evenings - our current history read-a-loud. The crazy, irreverent father is a hit around here, albeit a shocking one: "Their dad takes the Lord's name in vain, all the time!" We're planning a movie night with the recent Steve Martin re-make as soon as we're finished.

The whole escapade with the lady from The National Center for Birth Control is hilarious. It only sparked more questions for my oldest though; addressing something I've been avoiding for as long as possible. "I get how you can take pills to not have a baby, but how can someone just decide they want twelve?"

Uh-oh.

Heading into the week...

Things to remember about this weekend:

The boys inherited a huge amount of Rescue Hero toys from one of Toddzilla's friends. This has kept the whole gang busy most of the weekend. They especially get a kick out of the one of the main guys, Warren Waters, whom they're sure is a part of our family.

My oldest has always been very interested in spiritual matters. When she was two, she used to "preach" in the ball pit at McDonalds. She loves to write poetry, and most of it is religious. It's been encouraging to see how she wants to grow in her relationship with God. Last week she had to wait for Hubby at church while he had a short meeting. He found her later in the sanctuary, "praying to be closer to God." The next day, she said she had a dream about it, and recorded it like this:

Elbow finished Little House in the Big Woods, her longest book to date. She donned a prairie girl outfit to read the last pages.

Something to forget about this weekend:

Getting out of church is always a struggle. I've got all five charges, it's a huge building, with a ton of people going this way and that. My husband is one of the pastors, so there's always people wanting to chat about this or that. Today, as I was holding a squirmy, tired baby (not to mention a big diaper bag) I was in one such conversation when all my other children went missing. I find out later Crockett decided to head right out of the building, into the parking lot. This forced the other three to follow him, chasing the little deserter all over. Someone I didn't recognize came up and told me my children were chasing after their brother in the parking lot. Fabulous. It turned out to be the sidewalk and playground next to the church, but still.

Tinkering

I spent a good portion of the afternoon changing things around at our little home in cyberspace. I really had no idea what I was doing, so there were several moments of panic when I thought I had surely lost it all. Little people kept coming up and asking, "what's wrong with your blog, Mom?"

When the thrill wore off on them - with me still very stuck in html purgatory - they got busy with their new favorite afternoon pursuit: The Paper Factory. This has taken on various lives around here, beginning several years back after visiting a great paper making exhibit at a museum in St. Paul. Lately, it's been about making paper eggs. It goes something like this: make paper pulp out of water and construction paper, create an intricate assembly line with highly detailed jobs, form said paper pulp into balls, freeze. At some point, heavy use of tin foil came into play.

Common plea before bed: "PLEASE, Mom, whatever you do, don't throw away our eggs!"

10 Months

My littlest is 10 months today. Toddzilla is still the first one who wants to hold him in the morning. I love seeing how one boy has changed so much; the other has not.

Around here...

My oldest finished her typing course and received the promised email address for all her efforts. So far, her grandparents are the only ones in her address book. She's pretty excited about it all though.

Elbow just started with a new violin teacher and we're happy with the change. There's absolutely no way to manage my crowd during the lessons now, though, since she teaches out of her living room in a small condo. I quickly signed us up for Hubby's day off. Disaster averted, for now.

The boys are doing their regular guy thing. I hear lots of "Wonder Twins: Activate!" and "Mom! The Patriot is crawling all over our Playmobil set up!" Everything must be said loudly, or it doesn't count of course.

I'm dreaming of spring and outdoor play already.

The Week After

It's been a busy, good week since I returned from Mexico late Sunday night. The fort had been held down beautifully by Hubby and his mother; the return to routine was good for both me and the children.

Bobo passed her gold belt test with flying colors. (This time, I actually had her there on time.) It's been fun to watch how much she loves Tae Kwon Do. Our club has everyone eight years and up in one big class - the higher belts helping the lower ones. There's lots of great mentorship going on with teens, other adults, and the wonderful man who runs the program. Elbow and Toddzilla moved up to the Advanced Juniors class after Christmas and continue to enjoy it as well.

It's always nice when studies in different subjects overlap and bring what we're learning all together. As we study ungulates (horses, cows, sheep...) for science, we're reading Little Britches for history - all about life on a ranch in the early 1900s. Finally, the girls and Hubby got to try their own hand at cowboy life on a field trip:

Bobo had worked on a composition focusing on William Tell a few weeks ago. Last week her McGuffey reader had a comical selection about the mishaps of a few boys attempting to put on a theatrical rendition of the famous tale. All this obviously led to lots of William Tell re-enactments around here. We're awaiting Hubby to video their silent production (I play the evil tyrant so I'm incapacitated), then we'll add the "William Tell Overture" as background music. I'm having more fun with iMovie than they are, I'm sure.

In other, less pleasant, news: my almost 3 year old is auditioning for his role as neo-Toddzilla. His favorite line - at about 100 decibels is - "I WAS TALKING FIRST!" He actually never is talking first, it's all about interrupting. Details, details. The Patriot can't get enough of stairs lately: trying to go up, and unfortunately, down, all the time. We learned that lesson the hard way. Luckily, he survived. I, on the other hand, almost didn't since I was the one who left the basement door open. My older ones reminded me it was a maxima culpa moment, rather than just a culpa one. Thanks.