As my children grow older and start putting things together, like that to live to 30 is OLD!, I have so many times found myself in silent laughter as I have to clarify a situation to their understanding.
Watching a movie that might have the slightest bit of suspense, their first question is, "This isn't for real, though, right?!"
We decided to get a head start in school this year, and have already dug into to some of the subjects so we can have some extra free days during the year, or maybe be done early. We are trying a Bible with History program that correlates the events in the Bible with other events in History during the same time. Of course we start at the very beginning of History at Creation and begin working our way through the Fall, the Flood, and Babel. Along the way we meet the characters of the Bible, some who play significant roles in the history of the world, others who help connect the dots.
Many of the stories our children have already heard and have a good grasp on the ideas presented in them. As I read our Bible portion, to help keep it more interactive, I often ask a question. We arrived at the character of Methuselah, where I asked, "Do you know who he was?" My seven year old raised her hand and excitedly answered, "He is in The Pond. He is an alligator!!"
I had to laugh at her enthusiastic answer. The Pond is a radio program for kids whose characters are different animals. They offer an entertaining way to teach kids good morals through their stories and songs.
It is family tradition that the kids in our family listen to stories on Saturday morning. We never had cartoons growing up, and I do not have one now. Our tradition has been passed on to our children, and if we miss The Pond on Saturday morning, at least we can catch it again later on the computer! Wow, how things have changed!
Maybe living to 30 is old after all!
http://www.lifeatthepond.com/radio.shtml
http://www.lifeatthepond.com/
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Blueberry Season in Michigan
The sun starts shining its golden rays through the branches of the trees, turning the leaves from an evening forest green shade to more of a lime green shade. My seven year old comes in to my room announcing, "We need to go blueberry picking!" as she lies down next to me and closes her eyes, falling back into a deep sleep.
I had decided after yesterday, that today we would get an early start and miss the hot noon sun, but alas, the kids needed more sleep, and I wasn't about to wake them as I could get chores off to a good start as they finished their dreams.
A few hours later we were finally ready and heading out the door, right under the noon sun! My once ecstatic children had now become slothful as the heat made us wish we had gotten up earlier!
Now I hate to say this, as it implies that I am getting old, but I remember as a child a tradition of Grandma coming up for a visit from Alabama in July and we would all go and pick blueberries together. Of course my mother would have no sleeping in, and we would be out at the break of dawn to catch the cool morning. We were not as ambitious as my children now seem to be as they fill their buckets in hopes of making a blueberry pie. No, we ate more than we put in our bucket, and once our bellies were full we no longer wanted to pick. Then there was the lesson of not throwing berries at each other. My poor Mother scolded us more than once about playing instead of picking!
As I stood in the field and watched my four little ones eagerly filling their buckets, I remember with fondness the tradition of blueberry picking. And some day I'm sure that my children as well will remember the summer days in Michigan where we sweated out the heat to pick blueberries for a blueberry pie!
http://www.venroyblueberries.com/
I had decided after yesterday, that today we would get an early start and miss the hot noon sun, but alas, the kids needed more sleep, and I wasn't about to wake them as I could get chores off to a good start as they finished their dreams.
A few hours later we were finally ready and heading out the door, right under the noon sun! My once ecstatic children had now become slothful as the heat made us wish we had gotten up earlier!
Now I hate to say this, as it implies that I am getting old, but I remember as a child a tradition of Grandma coming up for a visit from Alabama in July and we would all go and pick blueberries together. Of course my mother would have no sleeping in, and we would be out at the break of dawn to catch the cool morning. We were not as ambitious as my children now seem to be as they fill their buckets in hopes of making a blueberry pie. No, we ate more than we put in our bucket, and once our bellies were full we no longer wanted to pick. Then there was the lesson of not throwing berries at each other. My poor Mother scolded us more than once about playing instead of picking!
As I stood in the field and watched my four little ones eagerly filling their buckets, I remember with fondness the tradition of blueberry picking. And some day I'm sure that my children as well will remember the summer days in Michigan where we sweated out the heat to pick blueberries for a blueberry pie!
http://www.venroyblueberries.com/
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Happy Birthday to my boy...
http://www.fullcirclemidwifery.com/about/Wanting to start a family right away after marriage, we were rather surprised to be blessed so quickly! Those years are easily track-able in my mind as we got married in 2002, had our first girl 2003, our second girl 2004, and then... not much by surprise at this point, found we were expecting #3!
...Now, we are celebrating the birthday of our five year old. He has the best smile, the best twinkle in his eyes, and the most ALL boy, boy I know! I love to watch him learn and grow, and learn how to be a man of honor and respect. A man who loves God, and loves mankind as God loves them...
I remember being a little hesitant as to how Scott would take the news as we had just taken over the family business. I drove over to work, as the business wasn't open yet, to fill him in on the news. He was listening to "Wild at Heart" on tape, and when I told him he was so excited, "I had just asked the Lord if He would give me a boy!" I KNEW then that we were having a boy.
Of course my midwife tried to help me not me so convinced in the case that a girl should show up instead of a boy...but I insisted I KNEW it was a boy. There were other confirmations along the way, my feeling different, different heart rate than the girls, and then there was this unbelievable activity from this being in my belly! I have never had a baby be so active!
His due date was set for June 28, but we were kind of hoping for a June 30 to share Daddy's birthday.
As usual for me, the due date came and went. We celebrated Daddy's birthday with no sign of an arrival. I waddled down to the fireworks display on July 4, hoping nothing would happen while we were down there. And, nothing did, other than I needed to use the bathroom so bad that they let me use one at a bar without my I.D. because seriously, no one is going to say "no" when I looked like I would pop any second!
Then, on July 7, at 7:04pm, all 9 pounds of little squirming, kicking, active all boy was born in our home...literally! I love home birth! All of my children I had at home, and all ended up being water births. As he was born I laughed and cried and exclaimed "It IS a boy!" Of course the midwife wanted to check for herself before confirming it, and she was rather surprised that I was right all along! :D
Attached is the site for my midwife, one of the most experienced "lay" midwives in our area. I have enjoyed every experience I have had using her services. I encourage you to check out her website and learn a little about home birth, and about how amazing God has made our bodies! I am thankful for the medical field and all the things we have learned for when we need them, but I also believe that there are natural ways for things to happen, and these tend to be more healthy. In birth, they benefit not only us as the moms, but also our newborns!
http://www.fullcirclemidwifery.com/about/
...Now, we are celebrating the birthday of our five year old. He has the best smile, the best twinkle in his eyes, and the most ALL boy, boy I know! I love to watch him learn and grow, and learn how to be a man of honor and respect. A man who loves God, and loves mankind as God loves them...
I remember being a little hesitant as to how Scott would take the news as we had just taken over the family business. I drove over to work, as the business wasn't open yet, to fill him in on the news. He was listening to "Wild at Heart" on tape, and when I told him he was so excited, "I had just asked the Lord if He would give me a boy!" I KNEW then that we were having a boy.
Of course my midwife tried to help me not me so convinced in the case that a girl should show up instead of a boy...but I insisted I KNEW it was a boy. There were other confirmations along the way, my feeling different, different heart rate than the girls, and then there was this unbelievable activity from this being in my belly! I have never had a baby be so active!
His due date was set for June 28, but we were kind of hoping for a June 30 to share Daddy's birthday.
As usual for me, the due date came and went. We celebrated Daddy's birthday with no sign of an arrival. I waddled down to the fireworks display on July 4, hoping nothing would happen while we were down there. And, nothing did, other than I needed to use the bathroom so bad that they let me use one at a bar without my I.D. because seriously, no one is going to say "no" when I looked like I would pop any second!
Then, on July 7, at 7:04pm, all 9 pounds of little squirming, kicking, active all boy was born in our home...literally! I love home birth! All of my children I had at home, and all ended up being water births. As he was born I laughed and cried and exclaimed "It IS a boy!" Of course the midwife wanted to check for herself before confirming it, and she was rather surprised that I was right all along! :D
Attached is the site for my midwife, one of the most experienced "lay" midwives in our area. I have enjoyed every experience I have had using her services. I encourage you to check out her website and learn a little about home birth, and about how amazing God has made our bodies! I am thankful for the medical field and all the things we have learned for when we need them, but I also believe that there are natural ways for things to happen, and these tend to be more healthy. In birth, they benefit not only us as the moms, but also our newborns!
http://www.fullcirclemidwifery.com/about/
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