{July interjection: Wow. I just found this little treasure among the many half-finished blogs I have "saved for later". Which apparently means "saved for never". But, as I read through it, it was so awesome to just read what I did for one day way back in late November of 2012! Although it ends abruptly, I'm assuming that means I fell asleep at my computer screen, which makes me laugh. Because this happens all. the. time. Sometimes I wake up and realize I emailed someone or blogged without remembering half of it!! Anyway, I'm sharing this anyway, despite it's unfinished story...may we all be enamored by the way God ministers to us all throughout our days, in the smallest of ways... }
There have been many days in the last few months, where I think how humorous it would be to write down every detail of our day, just to remember someday what "the ordinary" was like. The moments that pass right by with no attention. And, also the craziness that we sometimes have going on around here. (I mean, really. Some of you would be really worried if you saw our operations some days. It can make me laugh--or cry--HARD at any moment.)
But, of course, I never do get to the writing it down part.
And, today, as I was looking through recent blog posts for a picture, I realized how LITTLE I have documented this year, and it made me sad.
These are honestly some of the busiest days I've had in my lifetime. And, because of that, they are getting little attention here.
But, these are also the fullest, richest days of my lifetime too. And, I don't want to miss that.
So, even though I didn't plan to do this before now (yes, it's 12:19 AM and I'm just starting this), I am going to document my day today. There were such treasures in it, even though it wasn't some big significant life-changing day and nothing drastic happened. It's "just" a day like all the others.
Yet, for some reason, God told me to recount it.
Really, He did. On my way home from Nutcracker practice tonight. I was thinking through the day and smiling at the little treasures...at the beauty of my dancers, and the blessings of our day, and I felt like He said "recount it".
No, that's not a word I usually use. Which is why I'm here at 12:21 AM.
I've learned that God gives me strange words for a reason. Because He wants me to do something. And, He wants me to know it wasn't my idea.
ANYWAY. On to the recounting. Of the mundane, the funny, the maddening, the significant, the praiseworthy, the shameful, the exhausting, the exhilarating...day. {And, no, I don't think you really want to read it. This is for me to remember, and recount. That is it. So, it's as long as I want it to be. And, as boring as I want it to be too.}
5:20 AM Kendyll comes to the bedroom door to let us know that Gabe "was screaming his head off...and it's not his normal scream". Realize in that moment that our monitor had turned off sometime between 12:30, when we went to sleep, and now. I immediately go to mommy worry mode, thinking a body part is stuck in the crib or a blanket has wound around his neck. I push Mark out of bed, after he told Kendyll that maybe she should get him herself. (Don't blame him. He talks in his sleep. He doesn't mean to be neglectful.) After realizing Gabe is totally fine and safe, I stumble in the kitchen, thinking it must be 2:30. Realize it's actually the time when I wake up anyway (HOW?), make a bottle for the Gabester and deliver it upstairs to Mark. Head back to bed, only to be wide awake. Check email and see that a sweet friend is in intense pain at the hospital from kidney stones that will most likely require surgery. Realize THIS is why God just woke me up. Pray for her and her kids and her husband. Fall back asleep an hour later. (Shoulda just stayed up...)
7:20 AM It's. so. hard. to get up! I have to start going to bed earlier. I hear Kendyll start practicing piano at her normal time. And I have a little pit in my stomach. It means another day has started. I quickly regret that awful thought and TRY to "take it captive". Then, I realize it's Friday, which is Claver's "late" school day, when I try to make a bigger breakfast than usual. Instead I run an idea by Mark. Get excited that he agrees...it's breakfast with Daddy day, and they will all be leaving soon! A blissful 45 minutes of no interruption before a "late start" school day.
8:30 AM Straighten the house a little. Sit down for quiet time. Read in my Bible Study book about Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter, and marvel at the way these men and women lived with faith, following a promise given by God that many of them never saw fulfilled in their lifetime. Oh to have faith like that. To follow even when I don't know where I'm headed. And, obey, even though I may not see my promise realized til I'm gone from this earth. I realize during my study time that I do not have a quiet spirit. I am rushing through this, because I know my alone time is going fast and the kids will be home, and I have stuff to do, and we have so much school to catch up on, and I have emails to answer for His Chase, and, and... I wish that I would just be truly still before the Lord. And, I confess it to Him. Read Proverbs 27 in my Bible study and wonder if I am a quarrelsome dripping wife. Hmmm. I sure am. Yikes. Confess that too. Spend my entire remaining "free time" minutes copying kindergarten morning work and making doctor appointments for kids, including dental surgery for Carlie and new orthotics for Gabe. Say a little prayer of thanksgiving for good insurance and wonderful doctors. And, welcome everyone back home after their Chick fil A run. :)
9:15ish AM Cuddle with my Gabey Baby, feed him a bottle, and swaddle him up for his nap. He is getting way too big, yet still a tiny baby in some ways. Thankful for the bonding time of bottles and naptimes. And, thankful for the sleeping time where I can do school with the big girls!
9:30 AM Tell the big girls they have to do school alone for a while because I have to work on the parade float. Yes, that's right. We're in the Parade of Lights next week! My dad entered our family after years of joking about it. We're riding as His Chase..."Carrying Hope Around the World"! I then start another load of laundry. Quite possibly my hundredth of the week. Did I mention we've had LICE in our house this week? Those little suckers take over your life. Combing, washing, disinfecting, drying, shampooing, combing again. Ugh. Glad they are GONE. But, the laundry is not.
9:50 AM Oh my goodness, how are we just now starting school?! Head to the school room to check on the girls and get started on kindergarten with Abby Kate. I'm seriously struck by the way my girls are growing, as they all sit in their own favorite places, doing their own thing. I've come a long way in this part of homeschooling. I'm pretty structured. We have an exact schedule that hangs on our wall. But, I found I was being held captive by that. And, therefore, my kids were too. So, I've given that back to God...again. And, I've loved the fluid way our days can go recently, and the beautiful way learning happens in those moments I don't plan. Carlie is sitting in her room reading her book about a dog who is adopted. She is practically crying, she loves this dog so much. Kendyll is writing a creative story in her journal, and Abby Kate is writing her Aunt Cailee in Africa. She asks me how many stamps she needs. And, then I read the most precious note that says "Are you on your way home? I miss you."
We say a quick prayer together, review our memory work, and I direct the big girls on a few things for school, leaving them to work alone. {This does not always go well, I have to tell you. Sometimes they get work done, other times they make up a new dance. Which mommy doesn't really like all that much. Today, I just decide that whatever they do, I'm going to count it as school. Surely it teaches them something.}
10:15 AM Abby Kate and I start kindergarten while the big girls work on language arts and their weekly letter to a friend or family member. I have a twinge of guilt as I think about how long it's been since I sat down to write a letter of my own. And, they mean so much when you're on the receiving end...Maybe I'll work on my thank you's from when Gabe CAME HOME this weekend. :)
Kindergarten time! We're studying insects this week, but we've barely had time to do our full lessons at all the last two days, because of the REAL insect that had invaded our house. We've done the basics and read ALOT...but it was probably time for some real lessons. Today was all about the bumblebee. We read four library books and wrote down facts, then made our own honeycomb from paper (thanks to a good friend who gives me so many good activities for each unit!).
We are both amazed at how the bees know just what their job is and they do it with all their heart, working hard, and working as a team. Until they literally drop dead from exhaustion. Seriously. They do. They don't retire and take vacations. They work hard at what they were created to do until their dying day. And, oh my goodness, the way they build those perfectly symmetrical hexagons! God is TRULY amazing. As we head to have our own honey snack, I pull out the raw honey I bought last week, only to realize that I accidentally bought raw HONEYCOMB. What an absolute GIFT! Abby Kate (and her teacher) gets to see real, live, symmetrical, beautiful honeycomb, still intact and we eat it piled on top of toast. I couldn't begin to tell you how many times things like this have happened in my homeschool experience. Something comes together and becomes REAL for your kids and you KNOW without a doubt that God just revealed Himself to your child, with you having NO part of it whatsoever. Because you actually bought the WRONG thing! This was one of those times. We had a whole conversation about how God made each animal so precisely. And, I just stood in awe at what He does, even for a little 5 year old, sitting on a kitchen counter in the middle of her kindergarten day.
10:45 I remind Mark that Gabe is out of his muscle relaxant medicine that he takes 3 times a day. He deals with the doctor and the pharmacy, and I am thankful. He also faxes some things for me, and offers to drop Gabe at therapy while he does some work up the street. Thankful for a husband who works so incredibly hard at his job, yet still stops for a moment and takes care of things for us too. He is truly wonderful to do life with... I, meanwhile, do math lessons with each of the girls, and watch as they each learn a completely different way, respond a completely different way, and communicate a completely different way. So thankful to get to teach these girls, but sometimes doubt that God really meant for me to teach them all math. :) Today, we had no tears and only a couple of wrong answers. And that's a good, good day. Believe me. (If I had documented yesterday, this paragraph would have looked REALLY different...)
11:15 Gabe begins therapy. Occupational today. Friday is his "light" day. And, we're all thankful for that. Especially Gabe. :) That boy works SO STINKIN hard at therapy. He usually comes home and dives for his bed. Today was no different. We kept him up through lunch, but then he was DONE and let us know. If he could vocalize what his cry means, I think he would say "Put the paci in my mouth, hug me tight, and then leave me alone!!" Love that kid. So thankful for his team of therapists and all God has taught us about being his parents. We have alot of learning left to do, though. Sometimes this is a hard road. Just trying to trust God that He will show us what we need to know along the way, so that Gabe gets everything he deserves!!
12:00 The girls have finished their "basic" subjects, and it's time for our history/Bible/science time, where Mommy actually does the teaching. :) But, before we start, we stop in the middle of the floor, and pray for our friend whose surgery is beginning at noon. I love this part of schooling. And, I'm afraid by even saying that, that it looks like I'm trying to make us look holier than we are. We're not. Please believe me. I yell, kids cry, even Mommy cries, and we have to have consequences at times. There are days where I worry that the bad has overpowered the good part of homeschooling. But, overall, THIS is the reason we stayed home for school. To do life together. The times where we get to stop and pray are precious to me. My entire prayer for their education is that "they will be rooted and established in LOVE, and that they will know the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge." So happy to say that our friends surgery did go well, and prayers were answered. They have seen us pray some hard prayers this year for others. Some that still don't have a clear answer yet. So, it's always nice when we can see the fruit of a prayer in the same day. :)
For History and Bible, we are still studying Egypt. Oh my goodness, I never KNEW anything about Egypt! We have all been learning together this year. How Egypt began, farming on the Nile, the social hierarchy that developed, the artistic way they communicated and remembered, the gods they worshipped, the crazy amazing way they designed tombs and pyramids and mummified bodies. And, now we're studying Joseph and the way he came to rule Egypt alongside the Pharoah, as a Hebrew man. Knowing what we do about Egypt now, this story has a whole new meaning. Only God could do what He did. It's absolutely amazing. Today, we listened to the Audio Bible and sat amazed as Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and weeps with them. He tells them they should not be angry with themselves because it was God Himself who sent him ahead of them to save his family and their people. WOW. Joseph was in a heathen country with multiple gods, magicians, powers they believed came from the dead. And, he was in such a powerful position, too! He was surrounded by every kind of evil possible. And he repeatedly tells others about his Great God and gives Him all the glory and credit. Only the Lord Himself could strengthen a man like that. We do our notebook page about Joseph, draw his picture, and head downstairs for lunch.
1:30 Lunch. Oops. Even lunch is late today. I start to get selfish in my head, as I think about the time we have left to finish school and how our day is pretty much gone. I read two more parts of our History books during lunch to try and catch up on our time. We're supposed to make Egyptian costumes AND plan an Egyptian dinner. We quickly decide we'll skip those things and just imagine what that project would be like. :)
It's time for Science. And, I have a really hard time not skipping it...again. But, I decide at the last minute to crack the book and just read a few pages to them.
In no time, we are lost in this awesome chapter. Our science is based on creation and we are learning about the earth in the order God created it. Last few weeks were air and water experiments. Now, we're to earth, soil, plants, seeds. We read about how God was creative in His design. How soil is made of different elements. We take an assessment of natural structures we have seen in person. Volcanoes, beaches, swampland, valleys, plains. The list of things we haven't seen in person include snow-capped mountains, canyons, deserts, and glaciers. We decide we've gotta do something about that.
The science book has us scoop up soil from different areas and compare them, seeing what sinks and what floats. We do that, and I watch hands-on learning happen again, as they separate the rock from the dead bugs and grass. So glad I didn't skip it.
It also shares a fun idea for an outdoor scavenger hunt for things in nature that grows. The girls decide this should be done with cousins next time we're together. And, we talk about how the cousins would love this and who would enjoy which part. So thankful for our big old families full of cousins. :)
2:30 PM Carlie tells me she is having reflux pain again. She's been telling me for weeks and WEEKS. And, I keep forgetting to call the doctor. I call right away and get an appointment for 4:30. Okay. That will fit in right before Nutcracker practice. {July interjection: Wow again! This is before we drastically changed our eating, and have now begun using essential oils for things like this. Carlie has never had reflux again, nor has she had allergies, or coughing spells. SO COOL to look back at how God has faithfully led us!!}
Gabe is still asleep!!! That's what happens by Friday of a busy week. The boy has to catch up. I go in and peek and he is snuggled up with his little lovey, fast asleep. I creep back out, hoping I can have a little more time, and say a little thank-you prayer for the blessing he is. As children sleep, isn't it so easy to remember what blessings they are? :)
{July interjection: And this is where this blog stopped. And, what's crazy is that I have no idea what happened from there. I know I took the girls to Nutcracker practice, which probably means, we had traffic stress, and starbucks, and tears as I watched them dance again. It happens every time, I'm telling you. But, even though I don't know how this day ended, I'm so thankful God told me to recount it. He knew I would enjoy it 7 months later when I found it again!}
There have been many days in the last few months, where I think how humorous it would be to write down every detail of our day, just to remember someday what "the ordinary" was like. The moments that pass right by with no attention. And, also the craziness that we sometimes have going on around here. (I mean, really. Some of you would be really worried if you saw our operations some days. It can make me laugh--or cry--HARD at any moment.)
But, of course, I never do get to the writing it down part.
And, today, as I was looking through recent blog posts for a picture, I realized how LITTLE I have documented this year, and it made me sad.
These are honestly some of the busiest days I've had in my lifetime. And, because of that, they are getting little attention here.
But, these are also the fullest, richest days of my lifetime too. And, I don't want to miss that.
So, even though I didn't plan to do this before now (yes, it's 12:19 AM and I'm just starting this), I am going to document my day today. There were such treasures in it, even though it wasn't some big significant life-changing day and nothing drastic happened. It's "just" a day like all the others.
Yet, for some reason, God told me to recount it.
Really, He did. On my way home from Nutcracker practice tonight. I was thinking through the day and smiling at the little treasures...at the beauty of my dancers, and the blessings of our day, and I felt like He said "recount it".
No, that's not a word I usually use. Which is why I'm here at 12:21 AM.
I've learned that God gives me strange words for a reason. Because He wants me to do something. And, He wants me to know it wasn't my idea.
ANYWAY. On to the recounting. Of the mundane, the funny, the maddening, the significant, the praiseworthy, the shameful, the exhausting, the exhilarating...day. {And, no, I don't think you really want to read it. This is for me to remember, and recount. That is it. So, it's as long as I want it to be. And, as boring as I want it to be too.}
5:20 AM Kendyll comes to the bedroom door to let us know that Gabe "was screaming his head off...and it's not his normal scream". Realize in that moment that our monitor had turned off sometime between 12:30, when we went to sleep, and now. I immediately go to mommy worry mode, thinking a body part is stuck in the crib or a blanket has wound around his neck. I push Mark out of bed, after he told Kendyll that maybe she should get him herself. (Don't blame him. He talks in his sleep. He doesn't mean to be neglectful.) After realizing Gabe is totally fine and safe, I stumble in the kitchen, thinking it must be 2:30. Realize it's actually the time when I wake up anyway (HOW?), make a bottle for the Gabester and deliver it upstairs to Mark. Head back to bed, only to be wide awake. Check email and see that a sweet friend is in intense pain at the hospital from kidney stones that will most likely require surgery. Realize THIS is why God just woke me up. Pray for her and her kids and her husband. Fall back asleep an hour later. (Shoulda just stayed up...)
7:20 AM It's. so. hard. to get up! I have to start going to bed earlier. I hear Kendyll start practicing piano at her normal time. And I have a little pit in my stomach. It means another day has started. I quickly regret that awful thought and TRY to "take it captive". Then, I realize it's Friday, which is Claver's "late" school day, when I try to make a bigger breakfast than usual. Instead I run an idea by Mark. Get excited that he agrees...it's breakfast with Daddy day, and they will all be leaving soon! A blissful 45 minutes of no interruption before a "late start" school day.
8:30 AM Straighten the house a little. Sit down for quiet time. Read in my Bible Study book about Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter, and marvel at the way these men and women lived with faith, following a promise given by God that many of them never saw fulfilled in their lifetime. Oh to have faith like that. To follow even when I don't know where I'm headed. And, obey, even though I may not see my promise realized til I'm gone from this earth. I realize during my study time that I do not have a quiet spirit. I am rushing through this, because I know my alone time is going fast and the kids will be home, and I have stuff to do, and we have so much school to catch up on, and I have emails to answer for His Chase, and, and... I wish that I would just be truly still before the Lord. And, I confess it to Him. Read Proverbs 27 in my Bible study and wonder if I am a quarrelsome dripping wife. Hmmm. I sure am. Yikes. Confess that too. Spend my entire remaining "free time" minutes copying kindergarten morning work and making doctor appointments for kids, including dental surgery for Carlie and new orthotics for Gabe. Say a little prayer of thanksgiving for good insurance and wonderful doctors. And, welcome everyone back home after their Chick fil A run. :)
9:15ish AM Cuddle with my Gabey Baby, feed him a bottle, and swaddle him up for his nap. He is getting way too big, yet still a tiny baby in some ways. Thankful for the bonding time of bottles and naptimes. And, thankful for the sleeping time where I can do school with the big girls!
9:30 AM Tell the big girls they have to do school alone for a while because I have to work on the parade float. Yes, that's right. We're in the Parade of Lights next week! My dad entered our family after years of joking about it. We're riding as His Chase..."Carrying Hope Around the World"! I then start another load of laundry. Quite possibly my hundredth of the week. Did I mention we've had LICE in our house this week? Those little suckers take over your life. Combing, washing, disinfecting, drying, shampooing, combing again. Ugh. Glad they are GONE. But, the laundry is not.
9:50 AM Oh my goodness, how are we just now starting school?! Head to the school room to check on the girls and get started on kindergarten with Abby Kate. I'm seriously struck by the way my girls are growing, as they all sit in their own favorite places, doing their own thing. I've come a long way in this part of homeschooling. I'm pretty structured. We have an exact schedule that hangs on our wall. But, I found I was being held captive by that. And, therefore, my kids were too. So, I've given that back to God...again. And, I've loved the fluid way our days can go recently, and the beautiful way learning happens in those moments I don't plan. Carlie is sitting in her room reading her book about a dog who is adopted. She is practically crying, she loves this dog so much. Kendyll is writing a creative story in her journal, and Abby Kate is writing her Aunt Cailee in Africa. She asks me how many stamps she needs. And, then I read the most precious note that says "Are you on your way home? I miss you."
We say a quick prayer together, review our memory work, and I direct the big girls on a few things for school, leaving them to work alone. {This does not always go well, I have to tell you. Sometimes they get work done, other times they make up a new dance. Which mommy doesn't really like all that much. Today, I just decide that whatever they do, I'm going to count it as school. Surely it teaches them something.}
10:15 AM Abby Kate and I start kindergarten while the big girls work on language arts and their weekly letter to a friend or family member. I have a twinge of guilt as I think about how long it's been since I sat down to write a letter of my own. And, they mean so much when you're on the receiving end...Maybe I'll work on my thank you's from when Gabe CAME HOME this weekend. :)
Kindergarten time! We're studying insects this week, but we've barely had time to do our full lessons at all the last two days, because of the REAL insect that had invaded our house. We've done the basics and read ALOT...but it was probably time for some real lessons. Today was all about the bumblebee. We read four library books and wrote down facts, then made our own honeycomb from paper (thanks to a good friend who gives me so many good activities for each unit!).
We are both amazed at how the bees know just what their job is and they do it with all their heart, working hard, and working as a team. Until they literally drop dead from exhaustion. Seriously. They do. They don't retire and take vacations. They work hard at what they were created to do until their dying day. And, oh my goodness, the way they build those perfectly symmetrical hexagons! God is TRULY amazing. As we head to have our own honey snack, I pull out the raw honey I bought last week, only to realize that I accidentally bought raw HONEYCOMB. What an absolute GIFT! Abby Kate (and her teacher) gets to see real, live, symmetrical, beautiful honeycomb, still intact and we eat it piled on top of toast. I couldn't begin to tell you how many times things like this have happened in my homeschool experience. Something comes together and becomes REAL for your kids and you KNOW without a doubt that God just revealed Himself to your child, with you having NO part of it whatsoever. Because you actually bought the WRONG thing! This was one of those times. We had a whole conversation about how God made each animal so precisely. And, I just stood in awe at what He does, even for a little 5 year old, sitting on a kitchen counter in the middle of her kindergarten day.
10:45 I remind Mark that Gabe is out of his muscle relaxant medicine that he takes 3 times a day. He deals with the doctor and the pharmacy, and I am thankful. He also faxes some things for me, and offers to drop Gabe at therapy while he does some work up the street. Thankful for a husband who works so incredibly hard at his job, yet still stops for a moment and takes care of things for us too. He is truly wonderful to do life with... I, meanwhile, do math lessons with each of the girls, and watch as they each learn a completely different way, respond a completely different way, and communicate a completely different way. So thankful to get to teach these girls, but sometimes doubt that God really meant for me to teach them all math. :) Today, we had no tears and only a couple of wrong answers. And that's a good, good day. Believe me. (If I had documented yesterday, this paragraph would have looked REALLY different...)
11:15 Gabe begins therapy. Occupational today. Friday is his "light" day. And, we're all thankful for that. Especially Gabe. :) That boy works SO STINKIN hard at therapy. He usually comes home and dives for his bed. Today was no different. We kept him up through lunch, but then he was DONE and let us know. If he could vocalize what his cry means, I think he would say "Put the paci in my mouth, hug me tight, and then leave me alone!!" Love that kid. So thankful for his team of therapists and all God has taught us about being his parents. We have alot of learning left to do, though. Sometimes this is a hard road. Just trying to trust God that He will show us what we need to know along the way, so that Gabe gets everything he deserves!!
12:00 The girls have finished their "basic" subjects, and it's time for our history/Bible/science time, where Mommy actually does the teaching. :) But, before we start, we stop in the middle of the floor, and pray for our friend whose surgery is beginning at noon. I love this part of schooling. And, I'm afraid by even saying that, that it looks like I'm trying to make us look holier than we are. We're not. Please believe me. I yell, kids cry, even Mommy cries, and we have to have consequences at times. There are days where I worry that the bad has overpowered the good part of homeschooling. But, overall, THIS is the reason we stayed home for school. To do life together. The times where we get to stop and pray are precious to me. My entire prayer for their education is that "they will be rooted and established in LOVE, and that they will know the love of Christ, which surpasses knowledge." So happy to say that our friends surgery did go well, and prayers were answered. They have seen us pray some hard prayers this year for others. Some that still don't have a clear answer yet. So, it's always nice when we can see the fruit of a prayer in the same day. :)
For History and Bible, we are still studying Egypt. Oh my goodness, I never KNEW anything about Egypt! We have all been learning together this year. How Egypt began, farming on the Nile, the social hierarchy that developed, the artistic way they communicated and remembered, the gods they worshipped, the crazy amazing way they designed tombs and pyramids and mummified bodies. And, now we're studying Joseph and the way he came to rule Egypt alongside the Pharoah, as a Hebrew man. Knowing what we do about Egypt now, this story has a whole new meaning. Only God could do what He did. It's absolutely amazing. Today, we listened to the Audio Bible and sat amazed as Joseph reveals himself to his brothers and weeps with them. He tells them they should not be angry with themselves because it was God Himself who sent him ahead of them to save his family and their people. WOW. Joseph was in a heathen country with multiple gods, magicians, powers they believed came from the dead. And, he was in such a powerful position, too! He was surrounded by every kind of evil possible. And he repeatedly tells others about his Great God and gives Him all the glory and credit. Only the Lord Himself could strengthen a man like that. We do our notebook page about Joseph, draw his picture, and head downstairs for lunch.
1:30 Lunch. Oops. Even lunch is late today. I start to get selfish in my head, as I think about the time we have left to finish school and how our day is pretty much gone. I read two more parts of our History books during lunch to try and catch up on our time. We're supposed to make Egyptian costumes AND plan an Egyptian dinner. We quickly decide we'll skip those things and just imagine what that project would be like. :)
It's time for Science. And, I have a really hard time not skipping it...again. But, I decide at the last minute to crack the book and just read a few pages to them.
In no time, we are lost in this awesome chapter. Our science is based on creation and we are learning about the earth in the order God created it. Last few weeks were air and water experiments. Now, we're to earth, soil, plants, seeds. We read about how God was creative in His design. How soil is made of different elements. We take an assessment of natural structures we have seen in person. Volcanoes, beaches, swampland, valleys, plains. The list of things we haven't seen in person include snow-capped mountains, canyons, deserts, and glaciers. We decide we've gotta do something about that.
The science book has us scoop up soil from different areas and compare them, seeing what sinks and what floats. We do that, and I watch hands-on learning happen again, as they separate the rock from the dead bugs and grass. So glad I didn't skip it.
It also shares a fun idea for an outdoor scavenger hunt for things in nature that grows. The girls decide this should be done with cousins next time we're together. And, we talk about how the cousins would love this and who would enjoy which part. So thankful for our big old families full of cousins. :)
2:30 PM Carlie tells me she is having reflux pain again. She's been telling me for weeks and WEEKS. And, I keep forgetting to call the doctor. I call right away and get an appointment for 4:30. Okay. That will fit in right before Nutcracker practice. {July interjection: Wow again! This is before we drastically changed our eating, and have now begun using essential oils for things like this. Carlie has never had reflux again, nor has she had allergies, or coughing spells. SO COOL to look back at how God has faithfully led us!!}
Gabe is still asleep!!! That's what happens by Friday of a busy week. The boy has to catch up. I go in and peek and he is snuggled up with his little lovey, fast asleep. I creep back out, hoping I can have a little more time, and say a little thank-you prayer for the blessing he is. As children sleep, isn't it so easy to remember what blessings they are? :)
{July interjection: And this is where this blog stopped. And, what's crazy is that I have no idea what happened from there. I know I took the girls to Nutcracker practice, which probably means, we had traffic stress, and starbucks, and tears as I watched them dance again. It happens every time, I'm telling you. But, even though I don't know how this day ended, I'm so thankful God told me to recount it. He knew I would enjoy it 7 months later when I found it again!}
1 comment:
I loved reading your recent posts and Gabe update. I wonder about him often. Continuing to pray for sweet family and for strength, joy, peace, and endurance for the journey! Love you!
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