Homeschooling - Ages 3 and under

What do we study when I am teaching a one-year-old and a three-year-old?

Why, fluid dynamics, of course!

And what do you do once you have filled the bucket? Pretend you are Georgie Russell from Davy Crockett - King of the Wild Frontier!

Safe

Welcome Home!

Damaged shuttle Endeavour lands safely

Psalm 23 - Surely??

Hat tip to KimC @ Life In A Shoe.

Psalm 39:7-12

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Thy presence?

If I ascend to heaven, Thou art there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, Thou art there.

If I take the wings of the dawn,

If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,

Even there Thy hand will lead me,
And Thy right hand will lay hold of me.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,

And the light around me will be night,"

Even the darkness is not dark to Thee,
And the night is as bright as the day.

Darkness and light are alike to Thee.

My little hacker

What Abby can accomplish with a step stool, a knife, and an unsupervised moment:

Here she is engaged in a much safer activity:

A reminder to myself

Message to Laodicea (or to Cindee)

14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God, says this:

15 'I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot.

16 'So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

17 'Because you say, "I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing," and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, (emphasis mine)

18 I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

19 'Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.

20 'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

21 'He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. (emphasis mine)

22 'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'"

Revelation 3:14-22 NASB

Happy 12th Anniversary

What I Love About You:

I love that you seem to be able to do just about anything
I love that you can’t sleep if I’m driving
I love that you think our kids are "stinkin’ cute"
I love that you take out the trash
I love that I can hide things from you in the refrigerator
I love that you like bread and gravy
I love that your car has a rattling sound coming from the trunk and you don’t care
I love that you can fall asleep in .05 seconds
I love that you don’t shave every day
I love your laugh
I love that you prefer Pepsi to Coke
I love how you smell fresh from the shower
I love how you get a kick out of our kids’ antics
I love that you don’t wear suits
I love the look on your face when I bring you a chocolate shake
I love that you put chips in your tuna sandwich
I love how people getting injured on AFV makes you crack up
I love that you can’t find the show you recorded on the video tape
I love that you like kittens
I love that you leave the cupboard doors open
I love that you like milk with your cookies
I love your physical strength
I love your bad grammar
I love that you sometimes fall asleep with your fingertips tucked under your waistband
I love that I’ve seen Abby do that too
I love that you listen to country music
I love that sometimes you laugh so hard I start to worry
I love that your face screws up when you take cough syrup or something lemony
I love that you like Lucky Charms and Fruity Pebbles
I love that you won’t admit how bad they are for you
I love your delighted laugh when the kids are particularly cute
I love the sympathetic twitches you make when watching someone fight or dance on TV
I love that you MUST wear shoes
I love the face you make when the diaper is really bad
I love that you take your daughter to lunch
I love that you love me

To Jim ~ From Cindee ~

Have you slipped?

When life pulls the rug out from under you, remember that the rug is not your foundation. Jesus is beneath the rug. He is your true and sure foundation!

Therefore thus says the Lord GOD,"Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed."
Isaiah 28:16

Sometimes the day hits you like a ton of bricks!

Adam is sound asleep in this picture. Notice that he took some vital items to bed with him: a sword, binoculars, and a Clifford (The Big Red Dog) pillow. He's a funny boy!

Whew!

I took this picture last Thursday (7/5/07). The top number is the time (p.m.), the middle number is the temperature in my house (!), and the bottom number is the temperature outside. Officially the high was (only) 102*. But my thermometer is usually right within about 2 degrees. We've been hot! Also, we've had power outages on four of the last five days. Not all day or anything - just a portion of the day. Thursday, Saturday, Sunday, and today. When the power went out again today, I knew it was going to happen. I knew about 3 minutes before it happened! We pulled into the driveway from swimming lessons and an Idaho Power truck pulled up behind me. The driver said that he had tried to knock on my door (we weren't home) and tell us that they were about to turn off the power. I raced into the house to turn off the computer but I didn't get it powered down in time. Idaho Power did it for me. Anyway, they were replacing the transformer that kept failing (yeah!) and were actually going to move it off the pole in our backyard to a more accessible spot on a main road. Maybe now I can set the clocks and Jim won't laugh at me. It's become a joke between us that I keep setting the clocks night after night. I don't know why I didn't just give up except that I HAVE to know the time especially in the middle of the night. I hate to wake up and not know what time it is. Anywhoooo, while the three power guys were working in our backyard, Rebecca asked to take them a plate of cookies that I had made yesterday. I thought it was really appropriate that the cookies she took them were chocolate no-bake cookies! Can't bake without electricity...at least I can't! I have a gas oven/range and I can light the range with a lighter so I can use it during a power outage. I can light my broiler too but not the main part of the oven.

So anyway...I'm rambling now. Time to get to bed. G'night!

More than I can handle

Have you ever heard anyone say that 'God will not give you more than you can handle'? Do you agree with that statement? I'm not so sure that I do. Where does that theology come from? I believe that it's based on 1 Corinthians 10:13, which states,

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

First of all, it seems to me that this scripture is talking about temptation. It's saying that there IS an escape for each and every temptation that we face. It's not talking about heavy burdens, sick children for days on end, losses, financial crises, cancer, death, or any of the myriad of troubles that we encounter in this very fallen world.

Secondly, whether it's God giving us burdens to bear or it's God allowing Satan to pile these things on us, I'm not quite sure. Maybe it's both. What I am sure of is that we do indeed have more than we can handle. Isn't it rather arrogant of us to think that we can adequately handle anything without God's help? We do have more than we can handle because it's only then, when we get to the end of ourselves and of our own resources, that we can really see our need for a Savior. It's then that our faith and trust in God's provision can be exercised.

So what should I think when I'm having troubles and I wonder how much more I can take?

Be strong and courageous, do not be afraid or tremble at them, for the LORD your God is the one who goes with you He will not fail you or forsake you.
Deut. 31:6

or

The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me?
Psalm 118:6

or

As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth.
Job 19:25

and of course, Psalm 18. It's my favorite Psalm, the whole thing, so it's hard to pick an excerpt. Here's a few:

...The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge...

...In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried to my God for help; He heard my voice out of His temple, And my cry for help before Him came into His ears...

...He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me...

...For You light my lamp; The LORD my God illumines my darkness. For by You I can run upon a troop; And by my God I can leap over a wall...

...For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God, The God who girds me with strength...

...The LORD lives, and blessed be my rock; And exalted be the God of my salvation...

Yes, I have way more than I can handle but it's not too much for my most awesome, holy Lord. the Author and Finisher of my faith.

Craving Chocolate

One of my readers, Kilikina, recently e-mailed me asking how I was doing since my miscarriage. After I responded to her I decided to post my response here also to update anyone else who reads my blog.

Thanks for checking up on me, I appreciate it. I guess I'm doing pretty okay. I get sad sometimes but then I remember that each and every one of my pregnancies has been in God's capable hands and this time it was no different even though the final outcome was different.

We weren't "trying" or hoping to get pregnant because we leave it up to God to decide the quantity and timing of the children He gives us. Having said that, now that I've lost this baby, I find myself hoping to get pregnant again. It's almost like someone surprising you with a big piece of chocolate cake and then taking it away before you had a chance to take a bite! Now I'm hungry for chocolate cake! I don't really know where I would put a fifth child, but I figure if God can make room for a baby inside my body(!) then He can make room in my home. Not a problem.

Of course, I see pregnant people EVERYWHERE (I notice pregnant people everywhere when I'm pregnant too), but it doesn't cause me much turmoil. I really trust God's hand in all things. Having four kids is great. Having more would be great too. He's the Potter, I'm the clay. I'll welcome whatever He gives me.

He hath made everything beautiful in His time... Ecc.3:11a

Two Peas in a Pod

Thanks for the post title, Dad.

Click on the picture to enlarge. I recommend it!

They're each 18 months old in these pictures.

Adam-isms

Adam (hollering): I NEED WI-I-I-PED!

Jim (entering the bathroom): So you did a poo?

Adam: Yeah. My guys needed to poo too. That's their potty.

Letting go

I just sent my bigs off to camp for a week. It's going to be strange without them here but I'm looking forward to some extra time with my littles.

Neither kid was nervous about going or being gone for a whole week. I'm gonna miss 'em.

I took a couple of pictures as they were getting ready to leave. Imagine that!! :-)

We're back in Idaho

And oh so busy. Here's a few pictures of what we did last night:

Meridian Dairy Days Parade

You can stop/restart the slide show here.

Bits and Pieces

I've been absent for a bit and I will continue to be for a little while. We're in Oregon visiting family. We've had a nice visit these past couple of days but I'm missing home and anxious to get back. I just wish we didn't have a nine-hour drive to endure before we're back home! Oh well, we always seem muddle through the drive.

I've kept up on reading the blogs I subscribe to (it's pretty easy on the weekend because the writing tapers off then anyway) but I haven't written much. We've had a birthday last week (Micah's) and there's another birthday this coming week (Rebecca's). Still to come this summer we have two church camps to prepare for, swimming lessons, VBS, and cousins' camp. I may not be blogging much even when I DO get back home. Oh well, I only blog when I 'need' to. It's a great outlet and sometimes I need it and sometimes I don't.

If you're looking for a thought-provoking blogpost, try reading God and Vending Machines over at The Common Room.

Have a great week.

Adam-isms

(Jim was helping Adam try on the new socks that I had just bought for him.)
Me: How do they fit?
Adam: Right fine.

------------------

Adam: (dressed in shorts and cowboy boots) How do I
look? Fancy enough?

------------------


Adam: (with a wad of something on his thumb) I seriously
found this in the play room. It's sticky tack! It's mine because I
found it.
Me: No, it's mine. But thank-you for finding it for
me.

-------------------

Adam: Mom, I need my hand washed.
Me: Why? What's on it?
Adam: Pee.
Me: How'd you get pee on it?
Adam: From the toilet.
Me: You put your hand in the toilet?
Adam: No.
Me: No?
Adam: No. It fell in.

------------------


Adam: (strutting around with a bungee cord) Your
baby's under arrest.
Me: Why?
Adam: Because I'm the policeman

-----------------


Adam: (after hooking the antique dictionary and its stand
with the bungee cord and bringing it crashing to the floor)
I did it on accident.
I did it on accident.
I did it on accident.
I did it on accident.

------------------


And all of that was since 5:30 pm tonight!

Pole wakes from 19-year coma

I thought this was a really great story. It kinds of reminds me of the movie, Late For Dinner. Love that movie. I should go watch it...

WARSAW (Reuters) - A 65-year-old railwayman who fell into a coma following an accident in communist Poland regained consciousness 19 years later to find democracy and a market economy , Polish media reported on Saturday.

Wheelchair-bound Jan Grzebski, whom doctors had given only two or three years to live following his 1988 accident, credited his caring wife Gertruda with his revival.

"It was Gertruda that saved me, and I'll never forget it," Grzebski told news channel TVN24.

"For 19 years Mrs Grzebska did the job of an experienced intensive care team, changing her comatose husband's position every hour to prevent bed-sore infections," Super Express reported Dr Boguslaw Poniatowski as saying.

"When I went into a coma there was only tea and vinegar in the shops, meat was rationed and huge petrol queues were everywhere," Grzebski told TVN24, describing his recollections of the communist system's economic collapse.

"Now I see people on the streets with cell phones and there are so many goods in the shops it makes my head spin."

Grzebski awoke to find his four children had all married and produced 11 grandchildren during his years in hospital.

He said he vaguely recalled the family gatherings he was taken to while in a coma and his wife and children trying to communicate with him.

Source: Yahoo News/Reuters

With the greatest of ease

♪♪...the daring young (girl) on the flying trapeze ♪♪



She hasn't fallen...yet!