MajorScoop

Emily Esther

2009-11-08T16:33:00.003-05:00

Emily Esther

was born on 10.28.2009

7 lbs. 2 oz!

Emily means "strength". You know how when your baby is in the womb you can detect some personality? Well, we just know this little girl is going to be strong. From her kicks to her cry, it's the beginning evidences of someone who is strong. We are praying she's strong in many ways including her strength of character and her strength of heart to love the Lord.

Esther. This name has a lot of meaning for us.

Esther was an amazing and beautiful Jewish queen of Persia.

She was brave. She was strong.

And God used her to save the Jews from complete and total annihilation.

Had they been annihilated, Jesus would never had been born.

But, God used her "for such a time as this" to keep that from happening.

History is His Story, of course, and He can do miraculous things it and through anyone-including through a Jewish orphan.

I studied the book of Esther throughout this pregnancy.

When choosing a name, we like to not only look at it's meaning for a prayer for the future, wait until we see their faces to make sure that it "fits", but also have that name symbolize something of that time period during pregnancy.

And, during this pregnancy, we have decided to change direction in where we, as a family, are headed. God has been the author of that move in our hearts and God used Esther in mine to be a reminder that whatever happens in the future or in history that the best and most safe place to be is right where God is leading you to go, despite how scary it seems, even if facing death.

When I think of Esther, when I see Emily, I will be reminded to have courage and to remember that God may be moving our family for many reasons "for such a time as this" even if I never see the fruit of the purpose, just like Esther never knew that the Savior would come from her decision.

So, we feel that these two names are like two peas in a pod that are supposed to fit together.

We love her and can't wait to see who she becomes, who we become, as she grows.

Checking Into My Hotel

2009-10-28T04:27:00.001-04:00

It's 4:30 am. We are on our way to the hospital! Pray for us! I'll be posting more up-to-date info on Facebook. We'll let you know when she arrives. Stay tuned...

Happy 5 Year Anniversary, Honey!

2009-10-16T10:17:00.006-04:00

Happy 5 Year Anniversary, Honey!

We met at the end of our first year of college together.

He knew he was going to marry me before we ever had our first conversation.

I knew within the first phone call before we ever had our first date.

He proposed to me 3 1/2 years later while I was interning at a summer camp....

.... at a waterfall. I was totally surprised.

It was fantastic.

He has been committed to me from day one.

I never doubt his love for me.

He tells me he loves me and that I am beautiful every day.

We spent our honeymoon in a cabin during his fall break

(he had one semester left of school after me).

We lived together for three months before he left for training for 10 months. We were separated the whole time minus three short weekends.

We made it to Germany to spend our 1st anniversary there-- married and living together!

He's my best friend.

In five years, we've moved 5 times, lived in three different states and 2 countries, traveled to many more, had one baby, due with the second any day now, and I don't expect the adventure to end there...

He's a great companion, provider, love, Daddy, and so much more.

God knew the one whom He had in mind just for me.

He is strong where I am weak.

I compliment him in all the right ways, too.

He's never made me feel like I am anything less than apart of who he is and he treats me like his own body (Eph. 5.).

He is gentle and tender with my heart.

I don't struggle with my body image anymore because of how God has used him to refine me and make me feel secure.

I can be who I really am and he never leaves, nor do I ever feel the threat of that happening. In fact, he has shown me God's grace because he loves me even more.

I wouldn't want to do life, parenting, or preparing to meet Jesus in heaven with anyone else but him.

I love you, honey!

Happy Anniversary!

I can't wait to spend tonight with you!

Applique All The Way

2009-10-11T22:56:00.005-04:00

So, I've seen people do cute applique shirts all year long (like this one) and have wanted to give it a try every time I see a new blog post. I've also read how addicting it is. Oh, yes, it's true. This is so fun and so addicting.

I've been preparing a goodie bag for Hannah for "birth day" since it will be a big day for her, too. I made them matching big and lil' sister shirts. I can't wait to see them on!

Tip #1: when using letters to applique, if at all possible, use felt because it doesn't fray. Sewing around each letter is cumbersome and felt makes it so much easier because you don't have to worry so much about getting every stitch just perfect. Tip #2: when using letters, find felt stickers like these pictured below. I was going to use stencils and cut fabric but I couldn't find any that I liked and I am too meticulous anyway. I never like how my letters turn out even with stencils. Plus, they fray and it takes so much more time to sew them onto the fabric. I used Wonder Under to attach them and then (Tip #3:) sewed around each letter with a straight stich that was super close together to minimize the thread that you could see around the outline.

Another plain shirt that I bought where I thought these letters would be cute...

This is a gift for a friend.

I learned another new trick from a friend about how to go around the edges using a very close zigzag stitch around the seam. I am sure all of you knew how to do that already, but remember, I am still a beginner. That's what I did with these below.

And in other news, Hannah likes to play her bass guitar like Daddy. She has a strap around the neck made from 550 cord and dances when she jams like a rock star.

37 Week Pics

2009-10-11T22:40:00.005-04:00

Tomorrow I begin 38 weeks. I have a feeling that we are close. I had more painful contractions today and I'm getting that burst of energy to do everything I can to accomplish last-minute things before chaos ensues. I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that we might see this baby by the end of the week or early next week. Oh, that would make me very happy and infinitely more comfortable! For those of you who ask and care, here are some pictures.

This is 37 weeks with Hannah (she only made it two more weeks before she entered the world). I think I was uncomfortable the last two weeks with her and that's it. No lie. She was 6.9. Nice and easy. I cannot even button those pants this time, let alone sit down in them.

Same week with her....

Here I am now! If I were brave enough to post the bare belly shot (which none of you are getting- okay, maybe my Mom and sister) you'd see that we are going to have a bigger baby this time. Oh, come soon pllleeaaaseee! This is gonna hurt! Plus, I am totally out of clothes to wear that fit and I refuse to go and buy more.

My MIL is coming tomorrow to love on us. Yea! It will put my mind at rest having some one here to help should we go to the hospital early. I'll keep you posted (no pun intended).

A Conversation With A Two-Year Year Old

2009-10-02T13:12:00.003-04:00

"Hannah, how are your feeling?" I asked as I was sitting down to the lunch table.

"Um, not very good. Um, I mean good, but not higher," she said.

"Oh, so you still don't feel very good but not as bad as the past couple of days?" I asked (only a mother would understand that sentence ;).

"Yeah. But, Mommy, I feel very frustrated," disclosing some of her feelings about us fighting a short time ago.

(She was refusing to obey some of the things I had told her to do and did some things I specifically told her not to do and we still had no resolution. We were both feeling pretty frustrated at that point which is why I was surprised that she expressed herself so openly when I asked how she was feeling... we've been working on "doing everything without arguing or complaining..." Phil. 2:14-16 since there has been a lot of that happening when we ask for something to be done.)

"Why are you frustrated?" I asked.

"Um, I don't know."she said.

"Are you frustrated because Mommy wouldn't let you go outside and because I didn't want you to go downstairs while we were upstairs finishing getting ready?" trying to articulate for her.

"Yes," she admitted.

I then re-explained why I didn't want her downstairs while I was upstairs, and reminded her of my explicit instructions to not open the gate (it's not back in working order since I've painted) along with her refusal to come back upstairs to help me carry down some of her things.

"Hannah, do you know it was the wrong thing to disobey what Mommy had asked of you (Eph. 6:1-3) and that when you disobey, you will always be left feeling frustrated?" I explained.

"Yes, Mommy," she said.

"Hannah, I think that you need to apologize to Mommy," I asked.

"I am sorry Mommy for not doing the right thing." she said, finally with a softened heart.

"I forgive you, sweetie. Thank you for apologizing. And, thank you for telling me how you feel. I am glad that you told me. I love you." I said.

I was really humbled today that in spite of my frustration and delaying on taking care of this issue (I was mad!) she expressed to me how she felt because things were not right between us. I am thankful that even though Hannah is disciplined often (oh, it wears on me!), she longs for the restoration that comes from seeking and accepting forgiveness and doesn't like remaining in a state of wondering if I am still upset (which is why things need to be taken care of quickly). Repentance and reconciliation is the fruit of discipline and it's in moments like this one that I am encouraged to keep going.

The Future Of Food

2009-10-01T23:44:00.003-04:00

Right now, on Hulu.com, you can watch The Future Of Food. This film did and excellent job of showing the very complex issues that come from genetically modified foods. I think it's safe to say that most people don't know what GM (or Genetically Engineered/GE) foods are or, at the very least, don't understand how large of a role they play in our nation's and the world's food economy.

If you eat food, you should know a little bit more about what GMO and GE foods are because, as a consumer, you should have the right to make informed decisions about what your eating. Currently, in the US, no one is required to label GMO foods. You would be overwhelmed if you knew how much it's currently in our diet from infant formula to crackers to cereal. You name it, it's there. Many other countries have had to fight a huge battle to get labeling on their products or to fight to not have GMO seed and crops be apart of their nation's food supply.

This is only ONE aspect of some things that I think should be changed about our nation's food industry and only ONE aspect of why we try to support our local farmers and eat organic foods. Trust me, the rabbit hole is pretty deep when talking about issues like this one.

After you watch the film, I'd love to hear about what you think... but, watch the film first.

FYI: Children's Tylenol Recall

2009-09-29T21:13:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to inform you that Tylenol is doing a recall on items sold between April and June 2008 due to a possible bacterial contamination. If you've got Tylenol or children's Tylenol around your house from those dates you need to get rid of it PLUS it's expired and you need to throw it away!

Here's a link to the full product list

Last Minute Projects

2009-09-28T14:30:00.005-04:00

I have literally had 9 months worth of projects around the house that I have wanted to finish before this baby is born. I am down to three left to finish! Wahoo! Here are just a few things we've been doing...

Baby's Room:

Although I love yellow, this yellow was really bright and my "cream" in the hallway and throughout the house is more yellow in it's tint than cream. So, the yellow had to go. I LOVE pink (always will ;) and didn't get to do this with Hannah's room when she was born, so now I'm getting it out of my system. It's really pink. Like, glowing in the hallway pink. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Ladybugs. I started with the obsession (although not an obsession anymore) in 6th grade and so I have lots of stuff already to use. I found this crib set on ebay and already had the quilt. It was perfect and since it's discontinued, I literally got the last and only one out there.

The rocker was from craigslist and in almost perfect condition. I can't wait to rock my baby! I didn't have a rocker last time (boooooo!) and now I have two! Yea! I finally got to hang up this quilt that great Grandma made for Hannah. The quilt on the chair is uber cute too and was made by my cousin. When I do purple in the girls room (next house) this quilt will be on the wall. Hand made things are the best!

These banisters were sick.

What in the world did they do to them? Seriously?! Since this is the first thing you see when you walk into our house, I wanted this to go ASAP.

So much cleaner! I was going to do just the pole and not the hand banister, but I couldn't stand the color and the fact that it was STICKY. Gross. Gross. Gross. The first layer I sanded off was just a black film of hand gunk alone. Y'all, take it from me, when you clean your houses don't forget to wipe down the banister.

Also, I had my husband cut with a miter saw (thanks Grandpa!) some wood trim to make it look fancier. I am so glad I went with this rather than the smaller trim because it matches the other trim much better.

I did the upstairs one, too.

Guest bath:

Lime!

I tried to make it work, but this too had to go.

Also, our big huge mirror. It lost it's reflection at the bottom and was so boring.

I would replace it, but it was super glued to the wall and I really didn't want to deal with that mess.

I have been secretly wanting some trim to put around it that they advertise in the back of Better Homes & Gardens but they are silly expensive for some cut wood.

Who is that stud smiling at me?

So, I had hubs cut me some trim and glue it to the mirror. Fan-tastic.

Painted the bath purple (I think my house has every color of the rainbow now) and made a curtain for the window from some fabric I bought at Jo-Ann's.

Earlier, we painted these cabinets, too.

Plus, we had a super great family friend who is a plumber come down and fix our bathroom fixtures. They were old, moldy (I should've taken a pictures of the grossness), and super hard to pull out from the wall. The original plumber told me it was going to cost us about $1,000 to replace two fixtures (another one in our bath) because they had to cut through the walls and replace the piping. What a blessing our friend was to us!

Yea! It's clean AND it works great!

And finally, this bookshelf that's in our guest bedroom.

It's my husbands.

I am not allowed to touch it.

No, really. Not allowed.

It's an organizer's nightmare.

All I want to do when I walk in is touch it.

I feel like a two year old.

SO....

I left the inside untouched but took out the glass and frosted it so you can't see what's inside!

It was my mom's idea.

Ingenious.

I think I can sleep at night now.

In our next house (we move so often that I already know what I am going to do in the next house!), I have envisioned a new paint job and some new bubble glass going into this bookshelf. BTW, this was given to us by a friend in Germany. It's an old army bookshelf that must be about 30 years old. What do you know? Those legs are back in style. I can't wait to give her a true makeover.

Protege

2009-09-17T23:43:00.002-04:00

Girls are so much fun. Period!

I have a little protege who sews and irons with me :)

I am diligently working on Christmas gifts trying to get them all done by the end of this month, wrapped, and put away in the closet. We'll see how well that goes!

Grandma sent this iron that looks just like the real thing...

And I have tons of fabric swatches from the upholstery store that are her "project"...

I even found this little real sewing machine 1/2 off at a consignment sale for $5!

Totally worth every penny.

MajorScoop

2009-09-15T15:24:00.007-04:00

We're on the six week countdown! Blogging seems to be on the bottom of the list between resting (I mean, um, complaining about my aches and pains) and preparing. I can't sit for long periods of time on the computer because it's so uncomfortable and painful. My google reader just says 1000+ and gave up on counting how many blog entries have gone unread. So, I haven't left the blogging world for forever in case you were wondering...

There's been a lot going on but below is what I've managed to capture on the camera.

Grandma's are seriously lacking in pictures... and nuzzles.

Here's some for you...

We checked out a new playground that comes complete with static cling

(of which it's work to just be up and walking around!).

We do lots of painting...

This is the reality that I don't live by my sister to cut our hair (boooo!) and Hannah getting a haircut with someone else. I feel like a traitor :)

However, she did have a super fun cape of zebra's and monkey's on the front.

Ash, I think you need to invest...

Here is Hannah with her future arranged husband.

They have a ton of fun and play really, really well together.

When Grandpa came to visit (another post for details on why), he brought with them this rocking chair that's been in hubby's family for generations. Grandma calculated it should be at least 87 years old. Hub's aunt restored it and it's gorgeous and it will be of great service while rocking a baby.

After several years, I FINALLY went to my first change of command ceremony.

Daddy/Daughter date!

Hub's had last Friday off from work and decided to put Hannah in the bike trailer and take her to tea time. Is he the BEST dad ever or what? They had a blast.

They put on all kinds of hats...

... and ate scones with their tea. Cuteness.

Oma came to visit! Yea!

I NEEDED a break and some extra sleep!

I didn't clean my kitchen for almost three days.

That's a TRUE vacation.

She also got to come to a dual baby shower that was thrown for me and another friend (who is having twins) at our church.

Great food...

Three babies celebrated with cake (I'm sure they kicked with yumminess)...

... and fun friends!

We felt like we were at our weddings cutting the cake together. Mmm... cake....

The baby (one of ;) honor...

We painted pumpkins on Sunday. We wanted to carve them and make some yummy pumpkin cake thing (can you tell I am pregnant?!) I found with the pulp, but we're just a little too early in the season yet for big pumpkins. I'm afraid we're not going to get to do it and so I was trying to be ahead of the game...

Daddy's pumpkin...

I think Hannah's turned out very creative looking...

Mine...

"I LIke Bread And Butter..."

2009-08-25T20:18:00.005-04:00

Probably the easiest recipe I have ever made has been, believe-it-or-not, my very own butter. No, I did not sit out on the front porch with my bucket, wooden spoon, and bonnet slowly churning until my golden spread was ready to eat. Instead, I poured fresh cream from my farm fresh milk into the blender, turned it on for five minutes, and set the product (butter) on the table for supper. Super easy. Super good. Super real.

Wanna know the recipe? Click on Food Renegade.

Wanna know the amazing benefits of drinking farm fresh milk? Click on The Nourished Kitchen for a top 10 list.

Fun Friday

2009-08-23T10:01:00.004-04:00

Hub's had a half day on Friday, so he took the Marta and met us down at the Aquarium, Centennial Olympic Park, and the Coco-Cola Factory. It was a fun day! So much fun, in fact, that I did almost nothing on Saturday trying to recover because I was so tired! Ha.

While we were waiting for Daddy to arrive, Hannah would run out into the field, stop, turn around and say, "Mommy, take a picture of me!".

Here's another...

... and another. I think it's so funny.

Before the factory, we needed a snack. We wnet to Johnny Rockets which had really good burgers and fries. The employees even did a dance for us. People walking by stopped and started dancing, too. I really felt like I was back in the '50's. Good times.

FYI, if your an active duty soldier, you get in free to the museum. If you're 2 or under, it's the same price. Soon, dependents will also have a discount on their ticket.

This polar bear cracked us up. His mouth moved and his eyes blinked. He was very realistic and Hannah was thoroughly intrigued by him.

Where I am from, every carbonated beverage is a "coke". At a restaurant, if you tell them you want a "coke" (meaning, a soda) they ask you, "what kind?". Fun fact: did you know that Coca-Cola makes over 63 different flavors of soda? And, the first one to be sipped was right here in Atlanta itself. At the end of the tour, you can try all 63 flavor varieties and take home your own bottle of coke that was filled in the factory during the factory tour. Even though I had maybe a half a glass of soda from the taste tests, I felt sick afterward from trying so many kinds! Hannah obviously loved it. And, we did get to have some Mezzo-mix and Bitter Lemon that are made only in Germany which is something that we miss. I think you're brave if you can make it through all 63 flavors!

Jump

2009-08-15T17:24:00.004-04:00

We bought this trampoline from a friend this weekend.

Two words: LOVE. IT.

This little girl is being infused with energy out of nowhere

and jumps from room to room all day long...

What's Been Going On

2009-08-13T19:30:00.003-04:00

Has it really been over a week since I've posted an entry? I've thought about it everyday, but haven't been able to sit down long enough to blog. It's been a busy week and I'm starting to slow down again, as much as I try to fight it. I don't rest very well. I usually like to blog at nap time, but these days a nap is like gold, and I can't function through the evening without one!

So, that being said, I'll try to post on a few happenings in the next day or so, but in the meantime I thought I'd just share what's been going on.

We currently have Grandpa and Mr. Homer here doing some plumbing, and Grandpa is giving me an oh, so needed break by playing with Hannah. She adores him.

Until tomorrow...

Roasted Veggie Lasagne

2009-08-05T09:33:00.004-04:00

For The Love Of Cooking is one of my bloggie websites I like to peruse for yummy food to try. She has gorgeous pictures and tutorials which is a must for me since I am such a visual cooker. I made Roasted Veggie Lasagna last night and loved it. I've tried veggie lasagna's in the past, only to be very disappointed. Actually, I thought I would never try veggie lasagna again I was so disappointed. This, however, was full of veggies that weren't soggy (just right) and it had lots of flavor. The only changes I made was that I used whole milk ricotta and I cooked whole wheat noodles beforehand rather than using the no cook kind. This would be a great dish to have with company if you have vegetarians over or if you want to freeze individual portions for lunch sized meals.

*This picture is from For The Love Of Cooking.

Teaching 24/7 Resources- Pt. 2

2009-08-03T23:29:00.003-04:00

Due to the reasons from my last post I categorized, in my mind, what I think of as traditional learning (geometry, colors, alphabet, even Montessori, etc.) from, for lack of a way better term, spiritual/moral learning. Please don't misread: these two types of learning definitely go together, especially as a child ages, but for now in my curriculum selection I've kept them separate mostly because there is nothing out there that combines them in the way I'd like to see them; so that I can be more in depth with each, not feeling like one is dominating the other. Therefore, I use Montessori for a very manipulative, methodical approach to learning a variety of subjects. I use Scripture, books, time, discipline, and milieu moments to teach worldview, shape my children's hearts, and to plant seeds knowing that God is the only one who can water. I pray that he makes His word become effective to change my child's heart to want to love Him and follow Him. That being said, here are some good resources I currently use and some I will use in the near future:

Parenting and approach to discipline: I kind of put these into three categories of good/really good/ and really, really good. BTW, I read all three of these for the first time before I had ANY children. It was so good to chew on all of this information before I had to put it into practice. Now, I read them at least once a year and thumb through them when I need encouragement to persevere or remind myself of things, which is why they are under my coffee table in the family room.

Good: Shepherding A Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp. I like this book because it's a really good introduction to Biblical parenting and discipline. It separates the book into two main sections: first, dealing with worldly methods and why they don't work. Secondly, it lays the foundation for a Biblical model and separates them into age categories.

Really Good: Don't Make Me Count To Three by Ginger Plowman. I like to think of this book as a very practical manual for the ideas presented in Shepherding A Child's Heart. Of course, that's a pretty blanket statement and there are some extra topics she covers, but it is more of a field-guide rather than simply philosophical method. Short, easy to read, very good. If you use it in connection with Wise Words For Moms, it will be even more practical and useful for understanding how to ask heart-probing questions and ready-to-use scripture verses.

Really, Really Good: Teach Them Diligently-How To Use The Scriptures In Child Training by Lou Priolo. Every time I read this I am convicted even more. One of the things Priolo says is that if you aren't using the Scriptures while you are disciplining and correcting, you aren't doing it Biblically. At first, this may seem like a strong statement, but upon reflection, I really agree. I am not the one who changes my child, it is God through His Word and if my child doesn't know what it says or if I am not using it, then how do they really know what God expects of them and why? It is not simply I who commands obedience from my children, it's God, and for good reason. Read this book. You don't really need anything else to train your children except for Scripture. Know how to use it.

I've been scouring every resource I can think of to find solid books for a toddler/post-toddler to be somewhat disappointed. I don't want to simply teach virtues or good morality, but I want my children to know God's Word and His Son, Jesus, in the context of what God has done in history culminating in the Gospel. There is a fundamental difference between the two. Here are a few resources I've found and some I have in the forefront of my mind to use in the near future when Hannah and subsequent children are ready.

One thing about this stage of development (2's-3's) is that children are actively starting to use their imagination and they have a desire for order in understanding how the world works. I love that both The Big Picture Story Bible and The Stories Jesus Told series put imaginative illustrative stories and parables together within a context of understanding Biblical truths.

What we are using now:

The Big Picture Story Bible by David Helm

Hymns For A Child's Heart book and CD by Joni E. Tada

To Be Like Jesus CD by Sovereign Grace Ministries

Foundation Verses by Desiring God

Wise Words For Moms by Ginger Plowman

The Precious Pearl & The Little Gate by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen

The Prodigal Son Pamela Broughton

What I'd like to use soon or have soon in my collection:

Parents section of The Praise Factory

Sojourn Kids Resources

Polished Cornerstones and For Instruction In Righteousness by Doorposts.com

Toddler's ABC Bible Storybook by Carolyn Larson

The Princess and The Kiss by Jennie Bishop

I Can Say To God I Love You by MacKenzie and Stewart

My Thankful Heart by Sally Loyd-Jones and Jennings

Big Truths for Little Kids by the Hunt's

Scripture set to music for memorization

More Stories Jesus Told series by Butterworth & Inkpen (I think these are classics or out of print b/c they are expensive)

The Gospel For Children by Leuzarder

Jesus Is Coming Back/I Love My Bible! by Debbie Anderson

No More Whining! by Ginger Plowman

Anything by Lamplighter Publishing

I'll post more as I come across them. In the meantime, do you have any resources you'd like to share with me?

Teaching 24/7- Pt. 1

2009-08-03T23:28:00.000-04:00

One of the reasons I have chosen to stay home with our children is the incredible teaching opportunities I get to have with them throughout the day. No one gets to spend as much time with them (well, soon-to-be them) as I do, so I feel my job as a mother is one of incredible influence. As well, the responsibilities to train, equip, and lead them so that they would ultimately know and love the Lord, to prepare them to someday live without us, all weigh heavy. Of course, I don't do this alone, as my husband is a tremendous part of this equation, but I am only speaking of my role. Therefore, I am thankful to say that I live this role out of calling and conviction, not out of mere economical choice or because being resigned to something lesser in life.

I don't know what our future educational choices will look like far down the road, but for now, I am committed to having them home until age six (we'll go from there) for a few reasons. First is the consistency and comfort that comes with being home with mom. Not everyone gets to do this, so I consider it an incredible privilege to savor the extra moments that will be gone soon (like watching them sleep) and the extra time that I don't have to rush around being on someone else's schedule (I get to set our schedule, yes!)

Second, is discipline and correction/teaching. Life's foundation of living as a person under authority (we are at whatever stage of life we are in) and understanding a worldview are being set right now. I feel like I am working with wet cement. Someday it will dry. And although it can be cracked and reformed, so to speak, now is the time to lay the groundwork for understanding who God is, who they are, and how all of those pieces work together. One of my favorite parenting books, Teach Them Diligently, talks about how we are to teach in the milieu, meaning teaching (the whole of Scripture) in the moment of life occurring, in our environment, with consistency and constancy all throughout our days. Of course, this is all in reference to Deuterononmy 6:5-9:

"5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

How am I to teach all that God has given me to share if I am never around my children or spending any time with them, intentionally or leisurely? While I do think that the saying "spending quality time with your children is important" holds some weight, what I really believe is that spending large amounts of time with your children is even more important, because of the opportunities to train and instruct that arise simply by living life with them.

Thirdly, for a whole host of reasons, being home gives me the chance to tailor traditional schooling to their needs or add what might be lacking in a regular setting. For instance, we can spend extra time on a subject, add a subject that is not taught, or go more in depth in worldview to explain things that we personally disagree with and want our children to be more informed.

I started this post simply to share some of my favorite resources that we use to help shape our parenting philosophy, and some toddler resources I have been using. In the midst of this I have ended up feeling the need to share what affects our decision making in regards to teaching and raising children, thus influencing our educational choices.

I'll be honest to say that I do think the ideal is that every mom would have the blessing and opportunity to stay home, at least for more of the time. I know that every family is different. This post is not meant to be condemning in nature or judgmental, but merely an explanation as to how our family is structured and why. I encourage you follow conviction's lead to do what you can and to not let life and opportunity pass you by; to be with your children as much as possible even if that comes at some kind of sacrifice (which, to some degree, it usually does). If you are now right where you are supposed to be in life, more power to you and I encourage you to continue!

Now, without further adieu, I'll post some resources in my next entry so you can read what I really intended to write about :) ....

Third Trimester- Already!

2009-08-03T14:45:00.004-04:00

I can't believe I start my third trimester today. This pregnancy is flying by and it gives me what I like to call the "roller-coaster fear" when I think about it. You know, the sitting in the rollercoaster going, "oh, oh, oh, here it comes, here it comes.... ahhhhhhhhhhh" with your hands raised high all the day down. I'm super excited to see this little girl who now has eyelashes and hiccups all the time ;) We're painting her room pink this weekend (no, I will NEVER get sick of pink) and putting the final touches on getting things ready. Here's what she probably looks like. And, no, we don't have a name yet.

Jump 4 Joey!

2009-08-03T14:34:00.002-04:00

Jump 4 Joey is super close to my house, is open 7 days a week, and has a military discount (among others on different days) on Monday's making our open jump $2- and I'm free!

This is a great way to spend a Monday.

Community Makeover

2009-08-02T17:41:00.001-04:00

This weekend hubs and I were able to be apart of our church's/Atlanta's Community Makeover Project. This year we had over 30 churches doing various projects throughout the city such as landscaping and painting various schools. Last year, there were over 5,000 participants.

I helped to paint a mural inside of one of our elementary schools close to us. Hubby helped landscape the outside. I figured being almost 7 months pregnant, I should be holding a paintbrush instead of a shovel! I had a lot of fun! This is a mural of Charlotte's Web.

The almost finished product!

Rain.

2009-07-30T10:10:00.002-04:00

"One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other..."

2009-07-29T06:00:00.000-04:00

Language-Sensorial-Categorizing Alike and Not Alike-

reading and writing prep, visual discrimination, ability to problem solve

This is a Montessori For Everyone's free resource-What Doesn't Belong? When you click on the link, you can see all of the pictures. There are four sets of four pictures. One picture in each set does not belong. The object is to put an "x" over the picture that doesn't belong. For more advanced levels, as the directions explain, you can discuss why the object doesn't belong with the others.

This almost to Hannah's level of ability.

When I walked through the cards and explained them, she was easily able to see what didn't belong with 3 out of 4 cards with no question. However, when I was only observing her, watching and hearing her process, I could tell that she didn't fully understand. That's okay! It's something to grow into, and thankfully, there are lots of things to practice with discovering which object don't belong.

And, all I can say is, I only think of the Sesame Street Song from waaaaay back when: "One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other". Enjoy.

Dressing Frames

2009-07-28T21:14:00.003-04:00

Practical Life-Dressings Frames

I decided the day that I recovered my ottoman that I would use the left over fabric combined with spare buttons I had around the house and make my own dressing frames. Pain-in-my-behind. I would do it differently next time. Part of the reason why I didn't want to use an old shirt was that I wanted to learn to use my button options on my still-new-to-me sewing machine. It took forever. Although I am happy that there are so many buttons (large, medium, and small), I definitely have different plans for the tying, velcro, snaps, zipper, etc. frames in the future. If anyone wants to donate theirs to me please let me know and save me from the hassle!

This is perfect for Hannah right now.

She can get some of them but not all.

I think this is something she'll go back to for some time.

There are four large buttons on this one...

This is taking lots of concentration...

Seven on this one- 4 medium and 3 small...

Bedroom Edition

2009-07-27T17:59:00.003-04:00

I've been working on the bedroom for forever.

This is what it looked like before. We had painters come and paint the interior of our home back in the beginning of April. I decided on two different shades of blue for the bedroom (khaki for the bath) as opposed to the green and LIME green (you can see a close up if you click on the picture) that was in the bathroom.

At an antique mall in Marietta, I found not one but TWO of these headboards from Pier One. One is in our bedroom, the other is in the guest bedroom. (Bad iphone picture quality here.)

I was delighted to see in the latest edition of WestElm had this headboard for $399 plus $75 for shipping! I got TWO of them for under the cost of shipping alone. I felt like I had "considered a field and bought it" that day ;)

I wish we had gotten before shots of all the furniture. Two of the pieces looked like this before and two of them were a dark cherry.

We replaced the knobs to match and found a great deal at Home Depot.

I have yet to put the knobs on this one...

I couldn't get a good picture of this but you get the idea.

Our bedroom always seems to be the last room to get attention. It's finally a place of rest and relaxation for us (okay, more for me :)! Yea!