Seven Quick Takes

This has been an exceptionally weird week so I thought I'd share a few links that have been on my mind and a little story from Ezra. If you'd like to read more Quick Takes, Jen has all the links!

~1~

Ann's post about the importance of memorizing Scripture is now printed out and hanging where I can see it throughout the day.

~2~

Kara wrote about Woodworking with kids. We've been thinking about a few projects Ender might be able to handle soon and I think those blocks might be a great father/son project.

~3~

I'm a fairly new reader to Teacher Tom's blog, but I *really* love the environment he and the parents at the cooperative preschool set for the students. I love this post about Letting Kids Learn. It is so easy to be too careful with your kids in that attempt to make sure they are safe, but it's important to let them take on risks themselves so they have a chance to discover their limits. I'm thinking about printing this post too to hand over to a certain someone who gasps every time I let my boys climb playground equipment more than 10 feet away from me.

~4~

I can't stop thinking about what A Gorgeous Quilt this is! Everytime I see work like this I start to think I am actually a serious quilter who could accomplish something like this. Thank goodness I'm married to someone who reminds me that I'm already spending my time the way I know I should (and it doesn't leave much room for yet another hobby!).

~5~

We've had our first mornings below 40F this week and that made me already think ahead to spring sewing. My brain is kind of crazy that way! I've been watching the Green Apples blog closely for ideas- I love her style! Maybe I'll find a bit of spare time to sew over Christmas break after all the Christmas gifts are knit.

~6~

Our most successful art projects this year have been from the Deep Space Sparkle blog. There are so many ideas there for various ages that this is going to be a great resource for us all through elementary!

~7~

And finally the story.  Earlier this week I hopped in the shower as I usually do before the boys get up. I was almost done when I heard 3-year-old Ezra come out of his room. He knocked on the bathroom door and said, "Is that you, Mama?"

I told him yes and said he could go get dressed while I finished getting ready. I heard him go back in his room and I finished gettting ready. When I came out of the bathroom Ezra had 1 pair of pants and EIGHT shirts on, and he was trying his best to struggle into a jacket as well! As I helped him take them off I asked why he'd decided to wear so many shirts and he told me it was in case he needed to change clothes later.

Always thinking ahead, that one!

October Montessori

This month in Montessori:

(3-year-old and 5-year-old)

Ender's shelves for this month were partly focused on his interests and partly on the themes we had in our time together. Ender turned 5 this month.

ON TOP: the basket on the left holds his Awana materials. Ender is in Sparks this year, so we have a story to read and a verse to memorize each week. The container underneath that basket is the moveable alphabet, which we use daily in our time together, and the other basket on top holds library books that he can look through or read on his own that are on the same themes we are learning about together, this month his basket holds picture books about asia, trees, the human body, and some early readers. The black card file box holds our scripture memory verses.

Second Row: The green basket in cubby #1 holds a small yellow notebook and a few writing utensils. Ender writes all kinds of things in there, but lately he has been making tons of lists. Cubby #2 is a tray with a few addition flash cards in it and several math manipulatives. Ender works the card with the manipulatives. Since math is one of his favorite subjects, this tray is used almost every day and I have to change out the cards quite often. Cubby #3 holds a floor puzzle of the continents.

Third Row: Cubby #4 holds Ender's maze book. I originally planned to change this cubby out at least twice a week to be other puzzle type books he has enjoyed in the past, but after I made the first swap he asked me to always leave the maze book "at least for awhile". Cubby #5 has his Marvel superheroes folder where he stores his favorite artwork and a pad of paper for future contributions to the folder. Ender's favorite animals reside in cubby #6- currently 2 elephants and several dinosaurs.

The cubes in the bottom row hold lincoln logs, legos and a collection of hats, glasses, scarves, ties and other dress up stuff.

Ezra's shelves are just starting to include work from the Montessori 3-6 albums, but still involve some of his favorite toys. He is 3 years and 3 months.

ON TOP: A stack of puzzles and Ezra's book basket. His book basket includes a variety of picture books that we own and also from the library. I didn't follow a particular theme this month, but I did unintentionally  include a lot of classics: Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, Katy No-Pocket (Sandpiper), Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and a few Curious George titles.

Second Row: Inside Cubby #1 I placed a piece of paper on a clipboard and I drew a large square divided into 25 boxes. I also attached a sticker sheet. Ezra loves to peel the stickers and put them inside the boxes. It's a simple and inexpensive introduction to 1-to-1 correspondence. Cubby #2 holds Ezra's cutting basket. I fill his basket with a few small pieces of construction paper with straight lines drawn on them and a few small pieces with a square or triangle drawn on them. He can cut them out on the lines or he can choose a blank piece of paper to chop up as he pleases. Cubby #3 holds Ezra's magnetic alphabet. This is just a set of kitchen magnets I bought when Ender was small, and because they are contained in a metal pan all he has to do is turn the pan upside down for a quick magnetic surface. Currently he has the letters for his name plus a few other letters he knows in the box. We add letters as he learns what they are called or what sound they make.

Third Row: In cubby #4 you'll find the pink tower. Ezra started with this work this month and at first I only included the 5 biggest blocks. Now that he knows how to complete the work he progressed to having all of the blocks in his cubby. I also include a mat in that cubby to remind him that it is work to be done on the floor. Cubby #5 and #6 have changed out frequently this month. The picture above shows a shape puzzle and a block puzzle, but other work in the place of these cubes has included his maze book, a farm play set and buttoning work.

The cubes in the bottom row hold all his animals, the train set and the duplo blocks.

My Own Memorizing Work

I haven't memorized scripture on my own in a little while. I've been feeling the nudge to return to that habit, but our focus has recently been on helping our 5-year-old begin the habit himself. As I helped him with familiar verses I was struck with the thought that he would pass me up in a short amount of time because I had paused so long in learning new Words.

It was later that week that our Pastor called us all to task, asking us to pick up the sword as our protection, to memorize so that we will always know exactly what His Words are, so that His Word guards our minds. And I heard, and nodded and promised to consider it.

Then it was Ann who posted about Scripture Memory and I was cut deep with those videos.

Why is it that I didn't obey when I was first called back to memorizing? Why is it that it took three calls, each one sharper than the one before?

I'm still a very new student to this "direct and immediate obedience" thing.

These are my current words, on index cards with me through the day, and using some of the techniques Ann shared last week (blue is what I have memorized so far, and I am still working on the rest):

Psalm 51

Have mercy upon me Oh, God,

According to Your longkindness;

According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,

Blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,

And cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions,

And my sin is always before me.

Against You, You only, have I sinned,

And done this evil in Your sight-

That You may be found just when You speak,

And blameless when You judge.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,

And in sin my mother conceived me.

Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,

And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me hear joy and gladness,

That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
    

Hide Your face from my sins,

And blot out all my iniquities.

 Create in me a clean heart, O God,

And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from Your presence,

And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
       
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
     
Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

And sinners shall be converted to You.

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,       
The God of my salvation,

And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.

 O Lord, open my lips,

And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

For You do not desire sacrifiice, or else I would give it;

You do not delight in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

A broken and contrite heart-

These, O God, You will not despise.

Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;

Build the Walls of Jerusalem.

Then You shall be pleased with the sacriifices of righteousness,

With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;

Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

**************

Ann Voskamp invites us to share our current scripture memory work this week. If you'd like to read more, visit her at A Holy Experience.

So... How Many Days 'til Christmas?

I was meant to finish mittens over the weekend, but I got ahead of myself and started Christmas gifts.

See, I was starting to get really nervous about whether or not I'd finish the most important one and we had several hours in the car for our trip so I jumped in: meet Kernel, a gift for my mother-in-law. I'm about 3 repeats into the body, only 20 more to go plus the edging. I'm surprised at how fast the repeats are working up, but at the same time really happy about that because it means I actually have a chance at finishing the prayer shawl my mom requested last week. I told her not to expect it at Christmas, but I'm really hoping to have it complete by then!

These are the mittens I kind of ignored. I did finish the ribbing and the thumb on the first mitten and got a good start on the second one. I'll finish them soon now that I feel so much better about the scarf situation.

And while we were in Wichita over the weekend my mom and  I had to act as a cover for the surprise birthday party for my sister-in-law so we took her shopping while the boys set up for the party. We had extra time to kill and I mentioned that I'd read about Twist in Wichita and she thought that was a great idea! I *heart* that shop!!! It happened to be yarn hop weekend so it was a little crazy in there, but there was so much more selection there than my LYS and the girl who helped me out was absolutely amazing talking to me about beads. Why beads? Because I finally found just the yarn I want for the Shipwreck Shawl [Rav link]. I think I might be up for it very soon. I have one more lace project planned ahead of it and then I think I'll feel confident enough to go for it.

I may have told Brian we are moving to Wichita.

Asia Unit

We spent this month learning about Asia.

Our focus for these continent units is not to be all encompassing, but to give Ender a little look at the people and animals that live in different places. We are not keeping to a specific schedule, but generally we read a little each day, Ender gives an informal narration and about once a week I write down his narration and he illustrates his work. We did use a few components from some lapbooks available on Homeschool Share, but we used them as crafts or notebook pages instead of creating an actual lapbook.

These books were selected for my Kindergartener, though this unit could be used with older or younger kids by adjusting the amount of written work. My 3-year-old tagged along during the reading and on a few coloring pages, but of course none of the written work. We did not use lapbook components that included an inappropriate amount of writing for my son's age unless we could adapt them in a way that he could write something shorter, but by including all of those components this could work for a student through 3rd or 4th grade.


Books:

A is for Asia
Animals Marco Polo Saw
Asia (Earth's Continents)
Count Your Way through KoreaTikki Tikki Tembo

Story of Little Babaji
The Firekeeper's Son
Beyond the Great Mountains: A Visual Poem about China
Round is a Mooncake

The following books are in Ender's book basket for the photos mostly. There are some amazing photos included and we've been able to talk about a lot of topics these books introduced without reading what is clearly meant for older students:


The Usborne Internet-linked introduction to Asia
7 Wonders of Ancient Asia

Other Resources:

The Story of Little Babaji activities and lapbook
Round is a Mooncake activities and lapbook


Activities:

 World Map Outline (we used the robinson projection with no labels for this project)
1. For the first activity we found Asia on the map. We previously learned the names and locations of the continents in our Continents and Ocean Mini-Unit, so this was pretty easy. Ender traced around Asia with a marker and we talked about how far away Asia is from our home.

2. For our second activity we found Asia on the map again and discussed the types of habitats that can be found there and Ender made a few guesses about what types of animals live in Asia based on the habitats. He knew for sure that asian elephants are found there, because elephants are his very favorite animal. I'm fairly confident that we've seen every video about elephants our library has as well as read every non-fiction book about them!

3. We used the A is for Asia book as a starting point for a few art projects that we'll be sharing soon. We are still finishing this unit out this week, but I'll be sure to share pictures when we are finished!


We also did a mini-study on Pandas since they are one of Ezra's favorite animals. Our book list included:

A Baby Panda is Born
Meet the Panda
Giant Pandas

We also used the Giant Panda Lapbook from Homeschool Share for some printables.



Other Continent Work:

Continents and Oceans

Australia

Seven Quick Takes

Would you like to read more quick takes? Go visit Jen.

~1~

I think we've been outside for the last 4 days straight. It's group class week in the studio (aka a very light schedule) and the weather is gorgeous so we took a fall break of sorts. Pinecones, acorns and a collection of leaves have all made their way inside.

~2~

My mom asked last week if I had already made or bought her Christmas gift. When I told her no she pulled out a bag with 6 skeins of Claudia Handpaint yarn, a pattern and even the needles! She has requested a prayer shawl.

So... I told her I'm already a little concerned about my Christmas crafting list, but she says she'll be very understanding if I'm not quite done by Christmas. I cast on last night- how could I say no to such yummy yarn and an adjustable deadline?

~3~

Speaking of Christmas crafting, I actually looked at my list again the other day and I've already had to revise. After looking through some "back issues" of Knitty I'm making Kernel for my mother-in-law instead of Summit. It's much more her style. I'm using the same yarn I'd planned for Summit, but the lace will suit her much better. The hat for my brother-in-law is going to become one of those "if I can squeeze out a hat in the 3 days before Christmas" kind of things because I just can't bring myself to leave something off of my kids' lists.The 4 total sewing projects are going to take me 1 total day- it's the knitting that has to get a move on! I've given myself a deadline of Sunday to finish mittens and then Monday is the first day of hardcore Christmas knitting.

~4~

Yesterday I told Ender that I was planning to work on their pajama pants. Last year I made the boys each several pair with very deep hems to be let out this fall. I asked if he wanted to learn to use the seam ripper and he declined. I was *really* surprised because he's been dying to get his hands on that seam ripper for a really long time! I asked why and he said,

"I'm really more of a crafter."

Upon further discussion, I found out that he didn't want to be involved in taking something part, just in putting it together.

~5~

Thank you so much for your kind words earlier this week. These last few months of change have been some of the easiest and some of the hardest as we step forward in faith and try to live differently than we have lived in years past. I feel like I'm kind of waiting for everything to fall apart, but at the same time I'm feeling pulled together- not because of any special thing I've managed or designed, but completely by God's grace, particularly in this last week. He is so very faithful.

~6~

I picked up the newest Rick Riordan novel at the library this week: The Lost Hero. The writing is so much better this time around and it's been a fast little read so far for being 550ish pages long. I've been really floundering in my fiction reading lately- nothing is really holding my attention lately and I've been a little frustrated by lack of adult fiction to read. I found my way back to YA last week and I brought home the next few Lemony Snicket (since they're so quick and do get better as they go) and I also grabbed a few Mark Twain Award nominees that I'd never heard of before. Hopefully something in that stack turns out to be interesting. Suggestions?

~7~

We're off this afternoon on a little trip to visit my brother and sister-in-law for the weekend, so we gathered up a few audio books. We finished reading Wizard of Oz earlier in the week and we're ready now for Peter Pan!

Today

We search the world for truth. We cull

The good, the true, the beautiful,

From graven stone and written scroll,

And all old flower-fields of the soul;

And when seekers of the best,

We come back laden from our quest,

To find that all the sages said

Is in the Book our mothers read.

- John Greenleaf Whittier

Stepping Into the Word

In the morning hours pages are blurry and my words stumble.

I was not made for the morning.

I'm still building this habit, and now that it's getting colder and we're in the midst of furnace wars I have to admit that getting out of the warm bed is terribly difficult.

I convinced myself a long time ago that as long as I ended my day with God I didn't have to try to manage an early morning meet-up. After all- meeting daily is really great, right? But reading Scripture and devoting time to prayer at the end of my day didn't really work- I was exhausted and spent the time half-heartedly, and I must admit- eventually there became no time at all as other things seemed to take over. I had only given God the crumbs of my time and my soul.

I struggled to find a place for His Word somewhere and then realized not too long ago that that was precisely the problem. I was trying to squish my relationship with God into some place in my life, rather than setting my life around my relationship with God. I'm not sure exactly when all of that tangled up and shifted out of balance, but it was clear: something had to change.

Enter the new morning habit, which grew into a serious hunger for The Word, and now into a day defined by hard stops and a focus where it should be: reading, learning, absorbing, praying. In the middle of all the things that must be done we stop for the Book we cannot live without. It is still difficult at times as we are still learning this new lifestyle, but slowly I feel a change in my heart to seeing what truly must be done: time in The Word, time to hear God, time for a continuous conversation with Him. Suddenly laundry and dishes and the other "musts" seem so much less important.

I pray His Word in the in-betweens, I read and learn on my own in the morning and with my husband in the evenings, we stop our day mid-morning and mid-afternoon for prayer and Scripture memorization. We feed our kids The Word of God along with their meals and pray together.


Ann Voskamp invites us to write about feasting on His Word this week.

October Daybook

Outside my window... It is cloudy and wet. I'm hoping for a bit of sunshine today.

I am listening to... K-Love, very low in these early hours. I'm waiting to hear little feet on the stairs.

I am wearing... Jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt and I've been wrapped up in a blanket while I read scripture this morning. That's becoming an every morning thing lately while we're playing the furnace game- it's not cold enough long enough in the mornings to justify turning the heat on, but it makes getting out of a warm bed quite hard most mornings!

I am thankful for...

temporary work for my husband

two little boys that I love tremendously

the gracious and kind spirit of my mother-in-law even while she waits for difficult news.

I am thinking... About the will of God. How He gives us opportunities to obey, and how often we ignore them.

I am reading... The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan, Home Learning Year by Year, and we finished our family read-aloud of The Wizard of Oz last night. We're planning to begin Peter Pan this evening.

I am creating... Winter items still. Down to the last bit of ribbing on one of Ender's mittens and then still have the second to go. Hopefully both pairs of mittens will be finished by the end of the weekend, soon to be followed by the hats.

Always learning... Last week we read about trees and why leaves change in the fall, followed by some autumn crafting. This week we're jumping into a few books about our bodies. We've also been learning about Asia and the animals and people that live there, specifically about Korea since my sister C and her husband will be moving there in about a year to serve as missionaries. I'll share more about that unit study when we finish it!

And the thing Ender deems "very most important"- learning to tie his own shoes. He is so very close to accomplishing this task and he's practicing half the time before he's even had breakfast.

Around the house... I hesitate to say this, but . . . I think for this temporary moment I have almost every room organized in a way that makes me feel like our cozy little house is just a bit bigger . . . there are still two closets that need work and I'm sure when I finish there will be somewhere else that needs attention...

I am planning... Nothing. :) Our homeschool has taken on a very nice shape of forward progress in math, reading, writing and religion every single morning, and the rest of our school time is productive even if it isn't predictable. Art, science, our continent plans, it's all happening without a plan behind it so I'm going with it.

Towards a growing faith... Brian and I began reading through the New Testament together a few weeks ago a chapter or two at a time a few nights a week. It is interesting to see these words through his eyes. I was raised in the church and know many of these passages by heart, but he was not, and there is still so much new-ness there. I've also begun a study one night a week with two of my sisters as a chance to talk and pray together with our focuses on our husbands, children and homes.

I am praying... for the new faith and clarity of a dear one. Oh, let this return to God be true and good!

One of my favorite things... stealing a few quick stitches on stealthy Christmas projects now and then!

A few plans for the rest of the week... A trip to donate our "extras" and as much time outside as we can manage since I have a very light week in the studio this week and have 3 free afternoons this week!

Re-Do: School Room

Let me introduce you . . .

To our school room!

It is small and it used to be Ezra's bedroom, but it is working well for us right now and that is the most important thing. The boys moved in together in one bedroom and all of the toys that had previously been stored in their bedrooms moved in to this room along with all the school things that used to reside in our living room. Part of the decision to move all this around came from needing our living room to have a bit more of a "public appearance" since several students and their families come through that area every day.

The other reason? The boys have been *begging* us to share a room!

The little table to the right is for Ezra as he plays and works in the mornings. The two cabinets in the right corner hold all of our craft supplies. The shelves in the left corner of the picture are Ender's Montessori shelves.

Right now we are using a card table for school, but I hope to find a used table through thrifting this fall or maybe in a spring garage sale. The shelves on the left are Ezra's and hold his Montessori work and toys. Under the table is the file crate for my records and materials and our library box and bag for holding the books we aren't currently using.

... and the still in progress portion of the room- toy storage, puzzles, extra books, workbooks, yarn and other stuff we don't use all that often. I'm planning to organize these a little better and hang curtains to keep it looking neat even though it's storage.

One of my favorite parts! The buckets hold our writing materials. Pencils, crayons, glue, scissors, colored pencils, toothpicks, markers . . . pretty much anything we might need on a regular basis! The basket on the end is for loose papers the boys work on. Most often this work is free drawing, but some work is part of school as Ender learns to narrate out loud for me and illustrate his narrations. At the end of each month I go through the stack and put everything in the correct place. I keep a bit of each boy's art work from each month and any of Ender's work that belongs in our school notebook is placed in there.

Our budget? Absolutely zero. All of the furniture was living in other rooms with the exception of Ezra's Montessori shelves. We moved things around to find a fit (and I moved a few other things back out much to my husband's chagrin!) but I'm glad we were able to make this work without a single purchase.

I'm sure you noticed our jagged paint edges after taking down Ezra's baby border- I *am* planning to buy just enough paint to paint a border in there, but I sincerely hope it won't be too long until we're re-painting for a new little one. No, this isn't an announcement, just a hope and another prayer for God to bless us again. So until that day, we have a little school room!

{This Moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, visit Soulemama to leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

How often I enter rooms to see little hidden displays like this one...

What Kind of Year are You Having?

Do your years seem to shape themselves into themes? Or is this just a weird thing about me?

2008 was a big crafting year for me. I learned to sew basic garments over the summer (we're talking pajama pants here!) and I started the knitting love affair that fall.

2009 was the year of big food changes. We worked to buy and eat only real food and I learned a LOT about making food from scratch. Let me tell you- after growing up in a "microwave it!" household, it was quite the learning curve! But by last fall I felt like I'd really gotten a handle on our new way of eating and how to think about food in a completely different way.

2010 has been a strange year. In a way there has been a lot of "survival" going on here. A lot of "when Brian finishes school we'll do this" and some "if we can just make it through 2 more weeks we can take care of that" and after a long season of holding on by the seat of our pants, I'm not sure what to make of the last year.

:: We did figure out what our homeschool is meant to look like for now. It's been so much fun, and now that we are going with what works it feels effortless. (And now that I just wrote that, I'm sure I jinxed something.)

:: I figured out that I get too focused on all the things I "should" do or be, but the truth is I have 24 hours in a day just like everyone else and I have to prioritize. We make time for the things we want and need to do, but my "want to do" list was far longer than my "need to do" list. I think I've finally learned that sometimes it's good to finish up that needs list and let the rest of the stuff go for a few days.

::  I have been working too much this year, and I'm trying to find an agreeable yet reasonable solution to that problem.

:: This has been a year where I have had to really carve out quiet and peace. Writing here, knitting, getting up before Ezra's little feet hit the ground to spend the early light in prayer... These things have all been part of an attempt to create a tiny sanctuary for myself in the midst of the constant change this year has brought. It has helped me through the loneliness during Brian's unexpected travel and the long hours that he spent in class last spring, it helps through the work troubles, the schedule changes, the constant push and pull of life.

:: Most of all, this has been a year of great failure and great grace. Praise God for His abundant mercies and the measure of grace He places on us precisely when we need it. My husband and I sincerely believe that He has provided us with the perfect amounts of grace through this year, and we trust that He will continue His work in us through the current job situation. There is work for the next few weeks at least, and for now that is enough.

Has your year seemed to follow a theme? Share in comments!

Choosing to See

It wasn't long ago that big changes were made in this house.

It was born out of the decision to choose to see truth, to ignore the thoughts of "not good enough", "never measure up" and the most difficult to conquer: "you should give up".

The change here is mostly me. I was the one believing the lies that my work was for nothing, that my words were missed, that my prayers meant little.This quiet girl follows a necessarily busy schedule in this season of life, and often that schedule bleeds into the bits of solitude meant to lift me up when I'm overwhelmed.

Suddenly that weariness doesn't seem to matter any more. Just a few days after I finally began to choose God's promises over lies, I was humbled to see a 4 year journey of prayer over one soul finally come to it's hoped for conclusion. A soul pulled close to God, changed to new life.

I had begun to wonder if that could still happened- if someone could truly change after so many years apart from God and His word. And I wondered . . . perhaps he was unable to hear God's whispers to his heart because I had yet to fully submit myself to the whispers God had poured into my heart. After all, prayer means little when it is only habit and not born out of fervency.

Now I pray God's promises: 

Though I sin I am forgiven again and again.

Though life is sometimes a struggle, God has a purpose.

God finishes the work He begins in us.

And I live with those truths written on cards in my purse, on the clipboard I carry through each lesson I teach, on the wall in our little school room, next to my alarm clock before I fall asleep. God works truth into my heart and opens my eyes a bit at a time to the abundant grace He grants us each day.

In the midst of undone laundry, spilled milk, and a tight schedule He gives progress, smiles, light . . . and sometimes a calling.

This time I said yes.

Ann Voskamp invites us to consider *having eyes that truly see* this week. For more posts on this topic, visit Holy Experience:

Handmade Days: Winter Prep Edition

All my handmades lately have been going toward winter wear- two boys in desperate need of bigger mittens, new winter hats and a husband to winterize as well. And what about me? I suppose there is something in there for me as well!

The grey is a plain hat for Brian, soon to be accompanied by two others just like it (because he loses them ... ahem... ), the red (still thumbless) mittens are for Ezra  and the cream colored alpaca is for the lining. The green above is a yummy wool merino quickly being turned into mittens for Ender. The blue above is eventually going to be a scarf for myself, of course- after I take care of all my boys.

This great thing is Ezra's fish hat. He picked out the colors himself, and so far I've finished one half of the tail. After finishing the tail it's on to a few fins and eyeballs (the alive version) and he'll have his winter hat.

And these are the other two WIPs that I'm actually working on in spare moments. The blue is a sweater for Ender that I hope to finish in time for a Christmas gift and the shawl (link to part 1 of the KAL) has been coming along one little row at a time. I'm on part 4 of 5, but it's going to take me awhile to finish this up just because I have other knitting that is on a deadline of sorts, winter being around the corner and all that.

Do you have any handmades to share? Be sure to link in comments!

Scripture Memory

Over the last few months we have begun to work on memorizing with the boys, specifically Scripture memory. Ender memorizes quite frequently on his own (which is why I can't have him use the same reader more than twice if I want him to actually read the words!) so we wanted to use that gift in an important way.

One of our inspirations for beginning scripture work is of course Scripture itself. Psalm 117:11 says, "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You." Knowing God's word is key to learning discipline and understanding God's law.

Our desire to teach it so young has to do with Brian's grandfather, Pop.

I met Pop in 2000 when Brian and I had been engaged for about 2 months. He was a mellow gentle man with an obvious love for his family and an overwhelming love for his wife, whom we affectionately called Nanny. Watching the two of them together could make anyone believe in true lasting love.

It was just two years later that Nanny passed away after a sudden heart attack. As the family gathered to celebrate her life, it quickly became clear that something was wrong with Pop, something beyond the grief that accompanies losing your spouse of over 55 years. He refused to believe anyone who told him that his wife had gone to be with the Lord, when we took him home he was confused about why we were in the "new house" (where they had lived for over 10 years), and ultimately he became agitated and almost violent with his own sons- this gentle man who had always been so kind to everyone.

Pop was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in the next few months. It became apparent that he'd been having problems for a little while, but Nanny helped to cover some of the forgetfulness and confusion so that no one in the family had really known. Her death had so shocked him that he never did come to believe that she had passed away, and the disease progressed rapidly, even with treatment. In the end he only remembered 2 things- his cousin, who was able to come to visit him frequently, and the prayers and verses he had learned as a young boy. When we went to visit, he couldn't remember my husband or father-in-law, but he remembered that God watched over him and that God loved him. He remembered the prayers and scriptures he had learned as a young boy, but those words were some of the few things that stayed with him in his final days.

We are beginning Scripture memory now with our boys so that the most important words are deep inside,

"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." (Acts 16:31)

"You shall love the Lord  your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment." (Mark 12:30)

We keep our verses in a card file box and review them daily until he knows a verse well. Then that verse is assigned as an "odd" or "even" and reviewed every other day according to whether the date is odd or even. From there it becomes a weekly verse and eventually on to a monthly verse.

We work through our file cards in 5-10 minutes as an opening to our day. Ender really likes memory work, so it's nice to ease into the more structured portion of our morning with one of his favorite bits of work.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, visit Soulemama to leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Apple Picking

We didn't pick quite as much as we did last year since time is a little squiched around here lately, but we put up several jars of applesauce and froze apple pie filling. Mmmmmmm . . .

Establishing Habit

I have been down this road before.

New year, new goals, new accomplishments just waiting fulfillment . . .

But the accomplishments never seem to come. We do what humans do best, promising "tomorrow . . ." as if we know that tomorrow is given to us, and somehow that mystical "tomorrow" never appears because we assume another tomorrow on the horizon.

Every year.

And yet, when I know it's a habit that I must keep I somehow manage. Cutting caffeine during pregnancy? No problem. Managing medication daily for my son? Of course. If I could do those things (especially the caffeine!) how is it that the defined habits I planned on my own to launch didn't develop?

Probably because I planned to do it on my own.

This past year I planned to put my focus in one place, in one word: presence. This word came to me a day or two after Christmas last year. I'm a teacher, and I was on Christmas vacation with my children, when I realized that I was multi-tasking all our time away- the few full days I had with my children that month were being squandered on my worries over a clean enough house, making sure we did all the seasonal activities we could, and generally being busy because it was the season to be busy. I was overwhelmed with guilt in that moment. My two little boys, the children I prayed to have for years before I conceived, two of the most precious people in my life and I was only giving them half of myself and my time!

I didn't set any other goal for the year but to be truly present wherever I was. No multi-tasking, no "just a minute", no "in a second". I'd love to tell you that the change was instantaneous, that after almost 9 months I've completely kicked the old habit and replaced it with the habit of presence, but I'm a serious work in progress, complete with failings and sorry excuses.

Oh, I did really well for awhile there, but then there were a few days of illness, followed by extra busy days with work and church obligations. It wasn't long before the old habit lay abandoned, and I and my family were worse for it.

I have believed for a long time that we must work for everything on this earth. No one hands you a job, a car or the money to fix the leaking toilet. But God's forgiveness? That you cannot work for, my friend. That is a gift that He gives freely to anyone who asks. It comes bundled with grace and compassion, in spite of our many failings.

Thank God for His grace. Thank Him for His infinite mercy. He raises us up when we fail, renews our spirits and girds our hearts for the things that lay ahead.

A new habit lays ahead of me, still embedded in that word presence.

But this time I go with God, not out on my own. I go forward in prayer and supplication, because I cannot live this life alone.

Ode to a New Five-Year-Old

Oh, Ender, it was just yesterday that you came home with us, snuggled in your blankie and humming while you slept.

And now you have so much to say, so much to share and so much to laugh about

(since you tell the funniest jokes!).

This year we welcomed 2 new cousins (this is you with baby L),

You discovered that you *love* hitting a baseball . . . 

But you're still getting used to this whole swimming thing . . . 

Outside is still the place you most love to be . . .

And you have taken giant leaps into adventuring in just the past few months. We *never* thought we'd see you on a tube in the first place, but there you were trying to jump from one tube to the other! 

Happy Birthday to our sweet, kind-hearted, brave, smart little boy. Five looks very good on you!