Wordless Wednesday

Meager Monday Musings

Once upon a time, a long time ago, I started this blog.

The idea came to me after I read several other friends' blogs...and I realized that I missed writing.

When I'm able to do this, it's lots of fun. But it takes time and dedication -- two things that are not always readily available when you have three kids learning at home.

Still.

Here I am. And it's Monday. And, since, I'm the only one awake at the moment, I'll type up a quick update to our lives and all some a few of the things I've been musing on.

The kids.

Emily is 16 now. 16. I have to pause a minute to breathe. She's in 11th grade and doing three, count 'em, three AP courses and Honors Chemistry and Latin. You might say she loves a challenge, though I think she's a bit overwhelmed at times this year. (We did try to warn her. *wink-grin*) She's learning to drive now...and it will be a slow process since we don't have the extra money necessary to add her to our insurance. Yet.

Edward is 12.  He enters the "teen world" in February. Egads. That doesn't seem possible. He was bumped up a grade this school year, skipping 7th grade, and going into all 8th grade...though his math and reading are 9th-grade courses. (Go figure.) We asked for him to be bumped up because it would make it easier. He spent his entire school career bridging two grades, due to how he tested into the school and where we decided to place him. It got to be a bit confusing at times...and we thought this would be easier. He's been taking some one-on-one lessons for soccer. He'll be on the high school soccer team next year so we thought this would boost his confidence/skills. And it has.

Ethan is our 5-year-old. He changed numbers in mid-September. And he's our super genius. No. Only kidding. What parent doesn't think his or her kid is a wunderkind? *wink-grin* He and I are doing first grade together, using K12 Independent again this year, and he's doing very well. His reading skills have exploded, and he's reading everything and anything, including books in bed. He's always been our little joker, but now he's very serious about his knowledge....a good and bad thing, I guess.

Speaking of school. Our youngest student reminded us that we never did his kindergarten "graduation" last summer as we promised we would once he completed everything. Since we pay for online access to K12 for 12 months, we continued schooling through the summer. It makes it a much more relaxed school year but also makes it easy to forget to finish school. We managed to complete the curriculum, but then life got in the way of ceremony. So I guess we'll do a winter graduation for him?

Well, the morning got away from me, and everyone is awake. I'm going to end this so that a.) I can actually post it...and b.) it isn't too long...and c.) I don't bore you.

Enjoy your Monday!

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What are your kids doing in school this year?

Friday Funny

An Ethanism from yesterday, heard while driving home from Thanksgiving dinner: "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Another baby was born! Yay! In 16 seconds something bad (a person dies) will happen, but two babies will be born!" 

Totally random. 

Totally Ethan.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

I am thankful for: God...my husband...my three children...my parents and in-laws...my sisters and their husbands...my brothers-in-law and their wives...my two nephews and one niece...my full-time job as a wife/mom/teacher and my part-time job as a journalist...my plethora of furry family members......a warm, dry house filled with love...sunny days and rainy days...the changing of the seasons, especially autumn and all of its colors...all the yummy food we enjoy...memories -- good and bad...the ability to laugh and cry and smile and frown and feel the emotions of life...tastebuds...coffee and chocolate and caramel...books that absorb me...television characters that make me love them...curiosity and the Internet that helps me to satisfy it...ballet and soccer and fencing and the eyesight to enjoy each...

So much to be thankful for!

Happy Thanksgiving!

"Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your blessings, see what God hath done. Count your blessings, count them every one. Count your many blessings, see what God hath done."
~Johnson Oatman Jr., 1897

Wordless Wednesday

Three-Year-Old Lawyers

My hubby and I were talking about children the other day. (It's a popular topic for us, given the fact that we have three of them.)

We discussed how people warned us about two-year-olds and the "Terrible Twos," trembling like they'd survived a horrific zombie attack and lived to tell the tales.

We laughed the first time, when our oldest was about 14 months old. "Riiiight," we said to each other because we'd subscribed to the notion that the "twos" would be "terrific."

And they were.

Then came three.

It's not that our sweet, adorable, angel-faced daughter sudden turned demonic. Not in the slightest. She just learned to talk.

And with talking came curiosity.

And with curiosity came questioning.

And then...came...arguing.

Now, arguing, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. Depending on how it's done, a person can learn a lot of good things, most importantly maturity and humility.

But when you're three and your language and thinking skills are still developing, those aren't the first things you're going to learn. In fact, you probably aren't going to learn much, except how to drive your parents batty, which, for the record, will come in really handy when they're future lawyers.

Now, 13, 9, and 2 years later (respectively), our little lawyers are still going at it. They're very curious and love to question things. And they still love to argue. (No one plans a career in law.)

But we, their parents, have learned a few things along the way.

Sometimes, when the arguing starts to get to us, we just smile.

One day, they'll have their own three-year-old lawyers.

*  *  *

How did you survive the toddler/preschool years with your little ones?

A Non-excuse, Excusing My Absence, or I'm Back...I Hope

So, it has been quite awhile since I dusted off the keyboard and posted on my beloved blog, and SO much has happened. In our lives. In our world. And...in blogdom.

Wow!

To say that I feel overwhelmed doesn't even begin to explain anything except for why I've not been here for a LOOOONG time. When I came to the blog world in 2006, not many people even knew what a blog was. I felt myself blushing each time I explained. I'd resisted creating a blog, just as I had resisted joining Facebook, because both felt a bit like a vanity project. But it became an awesome way to get myself writing again...and a great way to keep track of our growing family...and a wonderful way to keep in touch with family and friends overseas.

Fast-forward seven years and everyone -- and I mean EVERYONE -- and his uncle and his dog has a blog. Even our "beloved" gas company keeps a blog. I interviewed a man at Penske and he was hired for the express purpose of keeping the company's blog and Twitter feed.

Wow!

I've found a ton of parenting and homeschooling blogs that I enjoy reading. And even a few from past friends/acquaintances. Now it makes my little vanity project feel small and insignificant, which it is in the big scheme of things. And it's intimidating.

Yet, here I am, dusting off my keyboard (again) and starting up my blog (again). I'm only one of millions doing this. But I'm doing it to keep my mind uncluttered (as I reminded myself in my motto above) and I'm keeping a record for the kids...and I merely love to write.

Why not?

So no apologies...well, just one: Sorry it's taken so long for me to realize this. And no excuses. Okay...just one: How do I compare to all of these others, including the "professional" bloggers out there???

Simple. I don't.

I continue as I was before...keeping track of life and love and thoughts and fun and sadness and all the things that crowd in my head and keep me awake at 4 a.m.

Welcome back to you, lovely friends and readers. I've missed you!

Sweet Sunday

I love this song that we sang in church today. It's a definite favorite in our house, especially with Ethan.

 It's full of the hope that we live for -- that God gives us...freely!

 

Saturday Sweethearts

I love these kids!

Hands down.

They are the most precious creatures on this entire earth!

Yes, they drive me completely batty sometimes (not always that hard since it's a short "road" to battiness), but their love for me is unconditional.

And that makes me feel so special!

Shadow Play

I wrote this after our visit to the museum yesterday:

I saw our shadows walking home,

And we were close behind.

The icy wind blew all around;

The sun was somewhat kind.

Walking back from museum visit,

We relived fun moments.

Our faces froze in happy smiles

No time left for laments.

We turned a corner, nearly there.

And saw with joy we'd passed

Our shadows now in tired lag,

No match for legs so fast.

It's funny how the sun does play

With man at any age.

Sometimes our shadows speed away

Next, hide in silent rage.

~S. M. Foote

Ha-ha-happy Ha-ha-half Birthday, Ethan!

Well, it's here. Another half-birthday to celebrate and enjoy!  I cannot believe our youngest is well on his way to becoming a 5-year-old!! Yikes! It goes WAY too fast! (she laments for the 500,000th time.)

So, here is Ethan Samuel in all his 4.5-year-old glory:

Every day is a day to celebrate each other, but somehow having another special day to look forward to each year makes everything a little more fun. And why not? They're only small for a short time, right?

Oh, and Happy Pi Day, too!

How do you celebrate special times at your house?

Wordless Wednesday

3-17-05

Do You Know Me?

I found this in my drafts and thought I'd publish it. It was written right after the boy committed suicide in January.

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I've been pondering...a-thinking...musing...wondering on some things recently.

A young man in our area decided that his life was worthless...and ended it last Saturday. It's heartbreaking all around -- for his family, for his friends, and, most especially, for him. That a young person, only 16 years old, could feel that hopeless.  According to his friends, he was a handsome guy, charismatic and full of fun. According to his obituary, his passion was pottery. I haven't read anything official in the newspaper about why he chose to end his life, but I'm sure the reasons will come out before too long.

How many people knew him well?  Did he know that? Did he feel special and valued and really known? How many people knew his "passion was pottery"?

Sometimes it's easy, in our busyness, to miss really knowing people. We see them; we interact briefly with them; and we judge them. But do we really know them? Personally? Do we know their strengths and weaknesses? Do we know their likes and dislikes, what makes them giddy with pleasure or cry in anguish? Do we know their passions?

I hate to see a young person die. It goes against all human logic. People are born, grow up, and die in old age.  I know that's not always God's way. But it is how, in our humanness, we think.

So this brings me back to my ponderings...

Why does it take a death for us to really know someone? Why after they die do they suddenly become so much more important?

I've seen my daughter come home from her youth group functions, sad and frustrated. She wishes people would know her better, like her better, actually listen to her better.

She said she starts to talk to people and they walk away mid-sentence. She has become quiet and withdrawn. No one knows her very well. She is an average Christian girl from a Christian home who does her schooling at home.

Does anyone there know her passions? What makes her tick?  Does anyone there know that she danced for over 10 years? Does anyone know that she made it into the National Honor Society and loves to learn? Does anyone there know that she writes for "Voices" and has a keen desire to do public relations and missionary work when she grows up? Does anyone know that she loves fashion design and started her own fashion design company when she was only 9?

Does anyone care?

I know how she feels. I used to feel afraid that it would take dying for people to actually get to know me.

Why is that?

She has a "small group" leader at youth group. But she just complains that Emily doesn't come to everything. Does she know and understand that financially we can't afford to come to the church every time the doors open? Does she understand that we have other obligations, including work and two other children, that also take our time? Does she know that we value family time much more than organized activity time?

Does she care?

Probably not.

She doesn't even really know our names. And, every now and again, Emily is a blip on her radar.

It makes me sad.

It shouldn't take a tragedy to rally people around another person to celebrate who they were. We should all be doing that now.

I'm (Trying to Be) Baaaaaa-aaaaack...in the Saddle Again

Happy mid-March Monday to you! (How's that for alliteration?)

I don't know about you, but I really wish we didn't observe Daylight Savings Time. It really messes with the head. It's like having jet lag without going anywhere. Still in all, it's here and in a few days we won't remember that we're an hour ahead of Eastern Standard Time...still, idle grass...

So, what's been happening in your little corner of the world?

It's been awhile, to say the least. And I promise to catch up...if not today, then soon.

I had high hopes for today. I promised to publish something today, right?

But some days are days that try men's (or women's) souls....if you know what I mean.

Until later...

Realizations

I've realized something important about myself and my blog...

I've missed it. I've missed writing posts. I've missed posting photos. I've missed keeping up with the daily happenings in our own little family. I've missed reminiscing. I've missed musing merrily on Mondays.... 

And, mostly, I've missed my old color scheme. 

Isn't that odd?

I loved redesigning my blog in a new template -- it has a lot more freedom -- but I realized it was just too busy.

When I started blogging back in 2006, I chose a color scheme of green and yellow. I love those colors. They're soft and warm and remind me of Spring. 

Now, I'm not saying it will get me writing again in earnest. (I sure wish it would.) But I do know that I need to keep going with my little quirky little piece of the blog-o-sphere if for nothing else but to save my sanity. 

Writing is therapeutic. It allows us to express ourselves with thought and clarity that we often can't verbalize. It's not for everyone, I realize, but it is something that I personally find I can't live without. Whenever I try, I begin to feel like I'm dehydrated. My brain goes in circles, and I feel cluttered.

So I've done a work-around (my old color scheme wasn't available on the new templates of Blogger), and I think I have something of my "old look" back on here. 

Fingers-crossed, I'll see you tomorrow. *wink-grin*

Sweet Sunday

I know I have a bit of catching up to do...so many special days have passed between last August and now.

But in an effort to get back to blogging, I'm posting a video of a song we sang this morning. Very poignant, particularly at this time.

I'm so thankful that "the God of angel armies is by my side!!"