Who Is Teaching My Children???

*Reposted from April, 2010*

Unintentionally, I've taken a small sabbatical from blogging. It has felt like college days all over again...remembering that feeling of back-to-back exams during finals week, and just believing that "if I can get through this week..." I can return to some normalcy.

But guess what? I did make it through last week, and "normalcy" doesn't exist. After having my family up for Easter, then preparing for my sister's baby shower last week, I am scrambling to get caught up (will that ever happen???) with the house, paperwork, laundry, decluttering, spring cleaning, changing clothes from winter season to spring...piles and piles and PiLeS of clothes. Progress can be a bit elusive, but there is some good news... giant stacks of clothing are leaving this house and never coming back!

 ...the farm is busier than ever now that nine little Wilber's have arrived. Some one of us will soon have pictures up of their arrival, and the three little girls right in the middle of the hog pen taking charge and making friends.

Remember the snake habitat? This was the day of capture, and brave little Natalie in charge of transport. For those animal rights people out there, yes, they were set free after a delightful time of education into the life of humans. We don't do much with formal "lab" studies in our science time (OK, None), so I free myself of guilt and instead embrace the hands on approach! My children are naturally curious and don't seem to be afraid of spiders, snakes, placentas...you name it, they are willing to try it! But again, progress can be difficult to measure...and stepping outside the "norm" sometimes requires our schedule to be flexible...and flexible can sometimes make us uncomfortable...

Little Running Squash is LoViNg the outdoors and wants to keep up with the others. I'm not teaching her a foreign language, she doesn't know her alphabet, and she isn't a fan of vegetables, but she's happy, energetic, and loves her family. She can put toys away, pet a hog, and sing any song you sing, so why get bogged down in early pre-school education? :)

I'm still trying to get a weekly menu together (don't give up on me, Renee), rooms remain slightly unorganized, I'm not sure if my dining room will ever get painted, my sewing pile is taller than me, I haven't been able to do that "early to rise" part of life yet, and our daily schedule needs a major overhaul, BUT,

"All my children shall be taught by the Lord,

And great shall be the peace of my children.

In righteousness I shall be established;

I shall be far from oppression, for I shall not fear;

And from terror, for it shall not come near me."
Isaiah 54:13-14

So, dear friends, if any of you are feeling just slightly behind in your homeschooling due to being a momma of many, or perhaps you have the amazing miracle of life in your womb or in your arms, or illness has you down, maybe your domestic responsibilities threaten to overwhelm, or you are facing personal or financial loss, some may be burdened by moral failure...this is my comfort:

...That no matter how weak and incapable I am feeling, my children are ultimately being taught by the Lord. Could there ever be a better teacher??? Even at my best, I will always choose to defer to HIS educational plan, knowing that it is far superior to anything I could accomplish. Remember that He gave us these precious children, and He loves them dearly! He won't abandon us as we fulfill our responsibilities!

How about resting in this promise? **sigh of relief**

Enjoy your week~

Kathy

 After a long and unplanned sabbatical, there's only one thing that can get me back in the saddle... 

 

...sharing some adorable photos with you! This is Little Running Squash on a bag of wood shavings tooting her little heart out on a recorder...which should always be played outside. Ever since moving to the farm seven years ago, I have felt just a smidge of regret that the little ones have not had a "play structure" to climb and swing on. But on more than one occasion I have been delighted to find that some farmhouse ingenuity more than compensates, and I am the blessed recipient of the joy and laughter.

And I should mention that this particular musical entertainment lasted a very long time...

  

We had a Charlotte Mason moment on the farm when we discovered (for the first time) a Monarch caterpillar that Joshua harvested from the field. Violating what every good home~educating mother knows about documenting discoveries, this is all we have on our nature study. Documentation neglect aside, we were able to observe the amazing transformation from the caterpillar... to chrysalis... to butterfly...

 

 If there is anyone else out there feeling overwhelmed by life and unable to get on top of the enormous responsibilities, take joy in the small accomplishments of your day and try to free yourself from the guilt of what remains undone.

"And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought..."

            Isaiah 58:11

Persevero! Dear Momma!

Do you ever struggle with having Bible time each day with the kiddos? Intentions are always good, but I have a hard time being consistent. Picture this: desiring to make our time enjoyable, we chose the front porch for morning devotions. It was cool, quaint, a change of pace...

...after fighting over seating location ("Please just find a seat...they're all the same) and solving the question, "What can I use to color on?", (Does everyone have a magazine??) we open our Bibles.

...the littles are allowed to color to help occupy their hands. Which means that not but a couple verses into our text the inevitable clanging and shuffling of colored pencils begins. Not finding the elusive shade, the 

clattering seems to rise above my voice. 

"Please stop with the pencils!!"

I'm starting to feel a rather large tinge of frustration, but after a deep breath, purpose to continue. This is sweet fellowship with the children...enjoy the moment...be present...

"MOM! Is that cow in Labor?"

(Jenna! You are kidding me, right?)

A quiet resolve to go with the moment, we leapt from the porch with high hopes of watching a birth. Miss momma however, grew tired of nosy neighbors and headed off to the back pasture for a bit of privacy, and thus we missed the action.

We did make it back to Bible time. Eventually.

If You Have Little Ones...

...and you're questioning the wisdom of peer dependence and age segregation, be encouraged to press on! Make choices for your family that promote unity and friendship within your home, then be blessed as you watch it radiate.

Tonight I watched with pleasure as a group of seventeen and eighteen year old young people interacted across ages and generations. They didn't withdraw into sullen secrecy, nor reject those outside their age or developmental group. Instead there was laughter, conversation, games...attention and play given to the littles, inclusion for those with special needs, respect and help offered voluntarily.

The farm was alive tonight with wonderful young people. Don't believe the lie that the teen years are to be dreaded...or endured...or avoided. Don't give up on the needs of the season, and don't give in to the pressures of the world. Build into your little ones skills that will make them competent and enjoyable teens, and you will reap a harvest of blessing!

A couple weeks ago a dear blogger friend Kyrie, wrote about her favorite bloggers. Among many, she mentioned my childrens blogs and mine. What an honor to know that my life can bless others. But the reason?
Because I'm so imperfect. 

Oh my...it shows??? 

 

I make a genuine effort to be real and transparent, to value relationship and character over the accolades of the world, to pursue the hearts of my children more than my own goals...but I fail all the time. All the time. That imperfection that Kyrie appreciates has been keeping me from posting...the deafening accusation from the wicked one that what I do and who I am  just isn't good enough for the position of wife, momma and keeper of the home. I've been believing the lie that all our imperfections are more than my Savior can handle and there is no way that we'll come out of this as a family bearing the image of YHWY Himself.

"The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands."  Proverbs 14:1

 

And while I do honestly have some tweaking to do on the home front, I want to be that wise woman who builds her house. I'm praying to know grace. To shower it on my husband and children and in my home...to really know grace. 

Thank you for all of your prayers following my shoulder surgery. I'm on the road to recovery!

Hang In There...Help Is On the Way!

I'm not sure what the actual cause is, perhaps there are multiple reasons (which I believe to be the case), but somewhere over time, I have drifted from the momma to a bystander. Not including the shoulder injury/bursitis that has been plaguing me since early summer, or the recent bout with cellulitis that  sent me to the urgent care, it seems that I am forever "behind the eight ball", so to speak. Sleep can be elusive or too short, mornings are almost impossible to face, which means that chores (which seem to be taking forever in the barn) last forever and breakfast merges into lunch. I did uncover a little bit of information recently: it was revealed that the TWINS are practicing square/ballroom dancing down the length of the barn while faithful Lucy is hooked up to the milker!

With some creative input from the Holy Spirit, I have been purging once again in order to create more bedroom space for the littles. While far from done, I'm trying to plug along and reclaim some order. The math alone is staggering...everything times ten: barn boots, winter boots, dress boots, dress shoes, tennis shoes, sandals, flip-flops, something brown, something black, high-tops, low-tops...see what I mean? And that just covers the shoes.

If this sounds like I'm bordering on hopeless, it's close. But just in time one of my beloved mentors (read Titus2 women) is speaking to my heart. My mealtimes have gone from times of discipleship and training, good manners and engaging conversations~even story time~ to mere survival of chaos. Ugh! Thankfully, Auntie Leila offers straight-to-the-heart, no-nonsense help.

If you're struggling right now, join me while we get some practical help to get back on track!
Here's to a peaceful breakfast!

Kathy

Is the Media Catching On???

Did you know, a recent study discovered that children WANT their parents to pay attention to them? Serious attention, as in, interaction, engaging in meaningful conversation, focusing on the child with undivided attention? The issue at hand was the use of cell phones and texting.

Picture this:

Mom (or dad) is talking to the child (or children). The cell phone rings, or the text message beeps, and the parent instantly leaves the child(ren) to attend to the phone/text message. The child(ren) withdraw emotionally, disengage, or act out in some form of unruliness/foolishness/silliness.

Thankfully, we have finally heard this from the media, so it must be true:

Children want to be in relationship with mom and dad...being fully present in a conversation is important...how a parent treats a child demonstrates value and worth to that child...interrupting a conversation to answer your cell phone or read/respond to a text is just plain RUDE!

Children get it...

The Clock Is Ticking!!!

"...that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers (keepers of the home), obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."       Titus 2:4-5

I am not ready for August. Soon I hope to post pictures of summer on the farm, but the immediate crisis is, summer is fast...ending!! Oi! As a home~educating momma, I feel the pressure rising, especially as I evaluate what I have (or have not) accomplished this summer. If we were being honest with eachother, I'd confess that I am not nearly as organized as I long to be, and I suffer from a deplorable inability to make a decision. After all, it has to be right the first time...no mistakes...there's no going back, there's no making up for lost time...

This may resonate with some of you (thank you) as you plan for the fall. While I know that there will be "mistakes" or "regrets" or changing of plans, curriculum, etc., and it's not always bad,  I don't always believe that.  Perhaps I've lost a little time in some areas, but God is good. This verse in Titus is such a blessing to me as I am reminded again as to what is important. At the end of the day, have I been an example to my children? Are the girls desiring to be a wife and mother because of what they see in me? Are the boys placing high value on the biblical definition of what characterizes a Godly young woman?

"She knew how good it would be to stay at home again, to help with the housework and to do the chores and work in the garden..."

Little Town on the Prairie~Laura Ingalls Wilder

OK, dear mothers, persevere! Stay focused on what is good and right and true so that we are not guilty of blaspheming the Word of God.

"And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."

Galatians 6:9

The Bluegrass State is Giving Me The Blues!

These are two rather random shots of the twins, and I didn't intend for them to be so random, it's just all I have in this new folder system. And I didn't intend to get all goofy and weepy tonight after they left for KENTUCKY, it just happened!


I can already tell this whole idea of someday getting married and moving on to their own home with their own sweet little family, just ain't gonna work for this momma.

Another Baby!

The best news of the week is... ANOTHER BABY!! On Saturday, my sister Emily and her husband Brandon had their first little one. His name is Brogan and he is so beautiful! I took some of the children to see him and as you can tell in the picture, it was instant love. There is something so amazing in the birth of another baby...that "something" that makes my own mother~heart do crazy things like...wonder if the Lord will bless us again. I love that babies remind me of all that is good and right, of all that is beautiful and hopeful, of purpose and fulfillment. Such a gift from our creator God!

Did you know statistically Christianity is dying, in part because as a group, we(Christians) are rejecting the very blessing of God? According to Voddie Baucham of Grace Family Baptist Church in Houston, Texas, Christianity is dying because Christians are limiting their families to two children, parents are rejecting their discipleship role in the life of their children, and the children are leaving the faith. Not having children and not passing on the faith is crippling Christianity and will eventually destroy it.


There is no doubt that a family requires sacrifices of time, money, earthly treasures and more, but there is not one single thing this world has to offer that can or will ever produce the joy and fulfillment that a houseful of children can give. And by God's grace, it is a houseful of children that will go on to love and serve our God, passing on the truth of the Bible to the next generation!


Before someone gets sidetracked with the legality of numbers, I don't mean to imply that there is a certain number that denotes "godliness". Rather, like so many other issues, it is a matter of the heart. And like so many other issues, making choices because of our selfishness should never be a part of the equation.


So here's to Brandon and Emily and baby Brogan! May this be the beginning of another army for Jesus!


*Be sure to read Joshua's comment...I completely agree!

Giveaway at While I'm Waiting!

I have made a great many mistakes as a parent, and I'm sure there are more to come. One of my earlier mistakes was with guns. I know there is an entire subculture out there who, like myself, eschewed the very touching or handling of any weapon whatsoever. Wickedness, wickedness, wickedness. My son would be different, and we would start with the effective removal of anything that resembled guns.

And then a banana was a gun. One day a quite-perfectly-shaped stick was a gun. And "why?" I would ask, does he even consider constructing a gun out of his interlocking toys??? There had to be an answer and I was certain to find it. I need to confess here, that one place I knew was NOT the answer was my husband. Enter...

VisionForumMinistries

This is not an advertisement for the ministry, although we have been tremendously blessed by it in many ways. I simply give credit here to the place God directed me to (since I wasn't listening to or respecting my husband) which began to bring about great change in my heart. I not only began to understand boys and young men a little better, but I began to acknowledge the wisdom and understanding that God had equipped my husband with, especially in matters as they relate to raising sons. Remember my first sentence about making many mistakes...and I still continued, but change was happening, and God was at work.

Guns and boys together no longer frightened me, and I began to have a vision for "courageous boyhood". But I needed more. Recently, Josh and I read WILD AT HEART by John Eldridge. While I haven't completed the book, it didn't take me long before I was asking for forgiveness. This is a fantastic read for young men, dads, moms, and I even would like my daughters to read it when marriage is near.

The good news: Josh is hosting a giveaway for this book! Head over to his blog, read a review, Josh's opinion, and enter if you'd like. I think you'll be blessed.

M.I.A.

Goodness! We've been without internet connection for several days and have discovered how "disconnected" we feel without our computer! We missed our "friends" and feel out of the loop with everyone's life :) but true farmhouse confessions: it was good to use our time in other ways that sometimes get neglected because of the blogworld. But we're back on now, and planning some wonderful giveaways between our three blogs, so keep watching!

It was a very busy weekend as Anna and Natalie were in a wedding. They were beautiful in their dresses, and when the moment came to head down the aisle, they did it! Right up to the last minute, anything could have happened, right? At five and three, would it be sweetly following momma's instruction, or would we panic at the last moment and not be able to face all those eyes?? Thankfully, they were just perfect, but can you believe that I didn't have the camera??? Not one single picture of those two...what was I thinking???

Today I spent some time trying to bring a bit of order back to the house after being away for much of the weekend. Though not caught up, we will be able to start the week somewhat fresh and in reasonable shape. I'm going to sign off here tonight and finish washing the milking equipment (NEVER ending), put some more laundry in, and finish washing the kitchen floor. I love the feel of a clean wood floor, and for a special treat to myself I'm using Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day geranium scented cleaner. Easy to please, right?

Have a blessed Monday, friends!
Kathy

I Was Checking My Mental List...

...and I didn't accomplish anything today! Of course, that screams "Really? Are you sure?" Okay, perhaps it's better said that the Holy Spirit asked me those questions in the still, small voice that characterizes our God, and when re-evaluated I decided that many things were accomplished.

~Bible time was spent together this morning

~Words of encouragement were spoken

~Reminders of the truth in scripture were repeated

~Love was demonstrated

~Acts of service were done

~Admonishment was given

~Laughter was shared

~Playtime in the snow was fun with eachother

~Relationships were invested in

~Songs of praise were sung and enjoyed

• 
  

I realized again, that I am so blessed and privileged to be together with my children all day long... to be a part of the great journey of their life...to witness in the growth and development of their character. To be a mother. To be their mother.

So what if my "projects" didn't advance today. Maybe there will be time tomorrow.

What did you do today that made your role worthwhile? Be deliberate as you reflect on that good thing that did get done and thank the Lord. It has far more value than any project will ever have.

Reality On The Farm...

If you're tempted to think life is perfect here on the farm, it isn't, and we are not. Take today...

~getting up late because of multiple late nights with Little Running Squash

~arguments between the littles, which instead of being solved by brother, only grew worse

~tears over math, and a frustrated teacher who can't seem to explain it well

~hormones and cramps

~more squabbling over toys

~momma cries (literally) out to God for help

~Little Running Squash refuses to nap (again)

~more serious conversation requiring words from God, not myself

~stopped by the sheriff and issued a ticket with a rather large pricetag...

...home again and immediately greeted with Little Running Squash toddling into my arms with the most intelligent, indecipherable-to-the-untrained-ear babble saying "I LOVE YOU"

I know she said it! It was so clear...and it's all worth it.

~

A Simple Misunderstanding...

"I am an acorn!"

"What?"


"An ACORN!"


And as she turned, I saw clearly the silver spoon protruding from Anna's forehead. How clumsy of me...


"Of course you are a unicorn!"

Although we are still not feeling well, I made a couple of "home crafted gifts" today, in the event that we still travel to my hometown to celebrate Christmas with my family. Hoping to bake some gingerbread men with the children, I stopped at the store to purchase ground cloves, and (I'm sorry if this seems like I'm complaining) but the itsy-bitsy container was $6.99! And if I wanted to get a fraction more, the glass jar was a whopping $10.99!

On principle alone, I just couldn't do it. Briefly I tried to rationalize the travel from India(?) may have contributed to the cost, then I found myself doing what every frugally-minded, domestically-responsible, self-sufficient-seeking woman would do...

...I began to wonder if I couldn't just grow these little babies myself. Honestly though, I left that aisle not even sure if it's a plant, tree or bush. Who knows??? Maybe the boys will taste just fine without cloves...

It Had To Happen...

...eventually. For the most part it will be the momma's out there who understand and sympathize with the bittersweet-ness of this moment. With the twins sixteen years ago, it was pure excitement to reach the developmental milestone of walking. And imagine two babies...one on each hip! I'm quite certain there was even some relief.

With my next baby, there was the question in the back of my mind..."Will she ever walk? Is she okay?" Which quickly merged into the busyness of the next baby~now four little ones in 3 1/2 years. PLEASE walk!

When baby number five came, he was practically big enough to walk out of the hospital, and my memory is, that he always weighed more than I could lift. I was tired, and getting older...

I'm sure there was a bit of sadness with each passing milestone, as I clearly remember wondering if we would ever be blessed with another baby. The bouncy seat put away...the three month clothing too small...the exersaucer passed on to another friend...more outgrown clothes...each step "cheers!", each step a reminder of the swiftly passing time.

With our last three little girls coming in quick succession (three in 3 1/2 years), there is no question I've aged. But I've also begun to grasp the truth of "it goes by so quickly". Don't get me wrong...I'm not holding Laura back, I know this is good! But quickly flee these precious baby years...

Almond Milk and Something Else...

Feeling frustrated with myself for not taking our eating and health to the next level, I decided to try making almond milk since our goats are drying up, and the cow is not due until the end of January.

This is a great tutorial, and I was pleasantly surprised at how simple it is to make the almond milk. Not only is this a great source of protein and is casein-free, this process is also soaked overnight!

My only obstacle: those family members who remain resistant. To me, it tasted a bit like vanilla ice-cream (can't go wrong there, can I?), but even to my littlest, she promptly produced the most genuine "dry heaves" a 15 month old can muster up. How is that? It is as confusing to me as that moment when a baby reaches for a green m&m (having never seen or tasted it before) yet unequivocally rejects a green pea...

Which brings me to the next green food item...do you know what this is?

Jenna wrongly said these were like lima beans (which I shall never induce my children to such punishment), and Josh , though incorrect, gets the award for identifying it as only a homeschooler-who-loves-science, would. His answer? Whale ovum.

REALLY???

The correct answer: Edamame. We boiled it in the pod, then gave the task of shelling them to Natalie, who diligently podded them all. Quietly, I might add, as she was given to great concentration. Sea salt was sprinkled on them in the bowl, and served warm at the table.

Late For This Year Or Early For Next?

A truism for every day around the farm...Give Thanks

While bustling around the kitchen with family and friends Thanksgiving Day, I set to "work" two daughters and two creative sisters. This is a classic for me...I get an idea (usually plagerized; but isn't that what Martha Stewart encourages?), gather the supplies, and then it never quite comes to fruition.

So in the midst of our chaos, why not try to complete that craft project???

It began with felt squares of various "earthy" colors, and a selection of natural do-dads for the letters and embellishments. Some were purchased for convenience and cleanliness (I didn't feel right about using chicken feathers), and the rest were gathered from the farm.


A casing was created by hot-gluing the top over approximately two inches, squares arranged in preferred color order, and the creativity began to emerge! The letters are beautiful and homey and original. One of my favorite touches...the letters are strung with baler twine scavenged from the barn. Credit goes to my dear sister for making the twine into a piece of art.



The real beauty, however, is the message:



GIVE THANKS

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."

Psalm 106:1

Convincing An Eight Year Old...

How to convince an eight-year-old-boy-wanna-be-a-man that there is nothing to fear in the dark of night? Talking, illustrating, illuminating the way, teaching character qualities, pleading, praying, suggesting that singing very loud will cause all the unsavory characters to flee...all for naught. So what works?

Older sister Jenna, with complete compassion blurts out:

"Oh! Talk about being afraid!! Try being upstairs in the barn at night with all kinds of knot-holes staring at you like raccoon eyes! Oh, I sing! I belt out the most convicting hymns that could convert the most perverted sinners!!"

So, as I type, Caleb is outside singing at the top of his lungs while he gathers kindling.

And in case you wonder, he is now safe inside fairly busting with pride.

Nine Patch At Four

Inspired by our reading of the "Little House" books, Anna decided...

...if Mary could sew a nine patch, she could too!

Look at that smile! What a feeling of accomplishment and budding domesticity!

Often I look back over what my older children have learned, how I used to teach, the experiences obtained, and feel so much more was gleaned in those earlier years of parenting. Easily, I can look at the mountain of mothering that has to go on in a day with eight children now, not just two, and feel a bit of pity for the middle group...they seem to get squished in between the leadership needs of the older and the physical needs of the little ones. And the little ones themselves? I count on God to make up for all that I lack. This nine patch was a rare snapshot of what my teaching and training ought to be. Somewhere over the years, I have been swept away in the "busyness" of mothering and forgot the "business" of mothering.

Having a renewed vision for mothering, and parenting, and teaching, and discipling (my goodness, the list could go on and on) I commit to those priceless moments, those lets-try-to-fit-one-more-on-my-lap-while-I-read moments, those projects that teach real skills, and those moments that reach deep into the heart.