Mr. Prof designer home

1. As of today, I'm 20 weeks pregnant with either a little Ruby Jane or a Theodore Gideon (we'll call him Theo).  Either option delights me... in different ways.  Certainly, our six year old daughter, Maranatha, would be utterly thrilled, complete with heart flops and chillbumps, to have a little sister.  But I love my squishy, funny, what-you-see-is-what-you-get boys... so either way, I'll really be thrilled.  Virtually every person who knows us is pulling for a girl, for Maranatha's sake, poor little girl in a sea of testosterone.  :)  We thought we'd find out last week, but the sono machine was out for servicing (what???).  Hopefully we can find out soon.
2. Projects I've been up to: I've made a lavender-scented rice heating pad and used it about a bajillion times, fixed our couch cushions (they had ripped off of the back of the couch and had to constantly be readjusted to not look TERRIBLE), and organized our family's shoe area with some Martha Stewart cubbies I found on deep discount @ Home Depot.  (We don't wear shoes in the house, so we previously just had a big ugly pile of shoes, grass, and random books/toys at the back door.)  It's felt great to be PRODUCTIVE!  I started a special board on Pinterest just to document which Pinterest ideas I've actually completed, to help motivate me to do more.  How do motivate yourself toward productivity?
3. We had a garage sale on Friday.  Saturday was a complete rain-out, but it worked out fine, as we'd already sold about 2/3 of what we had on the Friday, and allowed me to use those "free" hours to fix the couch cushions.  It felt so good to see all the "stuff" that had been clogging up one whole section of our garage walking out of our yard in other people's hands, with a little extra cash in our pockets.  
4. I've been making pumpernickel bread from my "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day" cookbook.  That method is genius.  SO easy and incredibly tasty... this is the first time I've had success regularly baking bread, because it just makes the whole thing so very easy.
5. Homeschooling this year has been entirely different than any other year we've had.  We've always done Sonlight, with TONS of reading out loud, lots of great books, and a bunch of time on the couch together.  That just wasn't practical for us this year, as I thought about the variety of ages and stages our kids are at, so we've been using something I previously snobbily sneered at: workbooks.  LOL.  And it's going great!  We're still reading aloud-- some --but the great majority of their subject learning is happening via workbooks. The kids are each making solid progress and I've definitely come to see that God gives grace and kindness in a variety of ways, in each season, as we need it.  Truly, while I intellectually believed it before, I am seeing in practice that there is not one right "formula" and that we each have to do the best with what we have and trust God for the increase.
6. Our ladies' Bible study this fall has been going through True Woman 101: Divine Design and it has been phenomenal.  It has been so exciting to see women synthesizing the truth about the culture we live in and where it deviates from what Scripture says about why God made men and women, and the ways we are different, by design. 
7. I've been going through Scripture from the beginning, looking at how Godly people interact in ungodly cultures.  That theme has existed from Genesis 3 onward, and I have already noticed some interesting things.  I've also been reading through John, looking at Jesus & the way He interacted/spoke with people around him.  That, too, has been incredibly insightful.  The first thing I noticed, for example, was that Jesus' first question recorded in John is "What is it you are seeking?"  It's a good question for all of us to think about.  What is is, if I try to look at my life in an unbiased way, that I'm seeking?  What am I pursuing?  What is it that I sacrifice to obtain?  What am I looking for?

"Burnout: If you bend a small tree and then release it, the sapling will return to its former shape.  This is analogous to stress-- we bend and then recover.  However, if you bend the sapling until it snaps, it stays broken.  This is analogous to burnout.  Something inside breaks."

"Runners keep running faster, and swimmers keep swimming faster.  But there must be an end to this, true?  We cannot run the mile in one second.  Neither will it ever be possible for anyone to run it in one minute.  There is a built-in physiological limit beyond which records will rarely be broken."

"Does this mean that you can fly?  Can you go six months without eating?   Neither can you live a healthy life chronologically overloaded.  God did not intend this verse to represent a negation of life balance.  Even Jesus Himself did not heal every case of leprosy in Israel.  Think about it.

"It is God the Creator who made limits, and it is the same God who placed them within us for our protection.  We exceed them at our peril."

• Anxiety- the load is too great, and nervous breakdowns begin to occur
• Hostility- people snap; they blame and/or take out frustration on the people around them
• Depression- their hostility is directed inward, and "they withdraw into a fog of gloom"
• Resentment- the overloading, demanding job/life that used to be enjoyed becomes the enemy

"We are a tired society.  Even our leisure is exhausting-- 54 percent of us admit we are more exhausted at the end of a vacation than at the beginning."

 "A single edition of the New York Times contains more information than a seventeenth-century Britisher would encounter in a lifetime."

"We have more things per person than any other nation in history.  Closets are full, storage space is used up, and cars can't fit into garages.  Having first imprisoned us with debt, possessions then take over our houses and occupy our time.  This begins to sound like an invasion.  Everything I own owns me.  Why would I want more?"

1. lack of understanding-- the problem is relatively new, and thus we are blinded to it, "even when it has us by the throat"
2. a sense of conscientiousness-- feeling that we should "do all we can" or that we should always/only "give til it hurts"
3. follow the leader- "our economy and our society are run by the driven.  They climb to positions of power by force and then demand the same over-commitment from those under them."

"I am not suggesting that we should strive to have a pain-free, stress-free life.  The Christian walk will always be full of problems and work.  Many times we must be prepared to suffer willingly.  What I am suggesting, however, is that given the unbiquity of overload, we need to choose carefully where our involvement should come.  We must not allow ourselves to be hammered by distress in the many areas of life that have absolutely no transcendent importance.  It is not the will of the Father for us to be so battered by the torment of our age.  There must be a different way-- a way that reserves our strength for higher battles."

"The problem is overload.  

"Each of us needs to seek his or her own level of involvement and not let the standard be mandated by the often exorbitant expectations of others.  Some around us who are much more involved than we are may not understand why we choose to hold back.  Others might be much less involved than we are-- we assume they don't care.  We must understand that everyone has a different tolerance for overload and a different threshold level when breakdown begins to occur.  It is important for us to set people free to seek their own level. " 

We were all invited to Planet Hollywood in Dallas as high school newspaper writers for a morning interview session. Maybe 20 or 30 schools were represented. This would've been my senior year, so either winter 1996 or spring 1997. The event was to promote the release of his new movie, "Beverly Hills Ninja". As he came out, we all stood in a greeting line and I shook his hand.

He seemed like he was buzzed if not drunk during the event. Over the span of half an hour, most of us had a chance to ask at least one question.

When I raised my hand, he referred to me (because I had spiky hair and bead necklaces) as, "yeah, the guy who looks like he's from the Violent Femmes". I've actually never looked into what they look like, so I don't even know if that's accurate. I asked him,

"As all of us are big fans of yours, we're concerned about your health. How have you been feeling lately?"

He laughed and replied, "Aside from the sharp pains running up and down my arms, I feel fine." He got a laugh, and moved onto the next question.

1. Sorry I'm late to the party this week, posting my "7 Quick Takes FRIDAY" on Saturday. The country I live in blocked blogger for a while. I still can't access blogspot to actually tell what this post looks like. I can't even check through my feedreader to know if I've posted any of these pictures before. [ETA: Well, apparently, it won't let me post pictures at all. Oh well. These things happen from time to time when you live overseas.
   
   
2. We're packing, packing, packing. We're up to 48 boxes, and still going... Doug is being awesome this go-round and we're actually making a master list of what all is in each box, numbering each box, etc. Packing is not super-fun, but I'm having visions of unpacking perfectly sorted things, not having extra junk/stuff, and I like that idea. Sounds pretty great, in fact.
   
   
3. I've never had to feed this many people while packing up a house before. It's kind of tricky, keeping out just enough to keep the kitchen going, while packing up all those things like serving platters and glass bakingware that have to be packed oh-so-carefully.
   
   
4. Canasta. I love it, and totally forgot about it. We played a lightning round this morning to pass the time before hitting the packing, and it was superfun. Do you like Canasta? Other card games you love? I like that it's highly portable.
   
   
5. Love this quote from Gary Thomas' book "Sacred Parenting":
   

   I told one group of men that I wished I could start parenting now, at age forty-one. I feel more mature at this point, more settled in my career with a better perspective to begin parenting than when Allison was born to me at the age of twenty-five.
   
   But here's the rub: What helped me to become more mature? What has given me a better perspective? What has worked on my character over the past decade and a half?
   
   Raising my kids!
   
   I wouldn't be the man I am if I hadn't raised [our kids].

   
   
   
6. And this one, a page later, from the same book:
   

   God has created an institution-- the family-- through which He can shape, mold, and form all of us, parents included. We come into the family as imperfect people, and sin against each other every day; yet through rubbing shoulders and learning to ask for, and offer, forgiveness, we all come out the richer for taking part in this sometimes painful process.
   

   God adores your kids, *but He is also crazy about you*. You're His much-loved son or daughter. He has a direct interest in your care and your spiritual growth, and He sees your kids as valuable teachers and prophets to that end.

7. I shared this conversation on Facebook, and thought I'd go ahead and share it here too-- between my nearly-3 year old son, and my 4 year old daughter:
   

   Silas: "I want to go seep."
   Me: "You want to go to sleep?"
   Silas: "No, I want to go seep."
   Maranatha: "A sheep is eating you?"
   Silas: "No, I want to go seep. Under table."
   Me: "Oh! You want to go sweep?"
   Silas: "Yes, under table."

1. 50 Rules Kids Won't Learn in School: Real World Antidotes to Feel-Good Education by Charles J. Sykes - finished 1/19/2011 - As he did in Dumbing Down Our Kids, in this book, Sykes takes a decidedly dismal view of American public education. However, unlike his other books, "50 Rules..." is not a lengthy treatise on education, or a critique with helpful suggestions; rather, this is more of a cultural commentary with corresponding common sense guidelines for life. Though I don't have teens yet, I could definitely see one day reading this together with our 15- or 16- year olds and then using it as a jumping off point for discussions over coffee. Covering a wide range of topics including job skills, sex, looking people in the eye when you talk with them, not being a video game zombie, realistic expectations of life, and more, this is above all a lighthearted and straightforward critique of our culture, and particularly the youth of our culture.
2. A Walk to Remember by Nicholas Sparks - finished 3/12/2011 - Dull and predictable.
3. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares - finished 3/27/2011 - cutesy and predictable. I wanted some light reading, and boy did I get it! This was only a tad bit higher than Sweet Valley High.
4. The Scarlet Cord: The Dramatic Life of Rahab by Mary Ellen Keith & Deborah Elder Champagne - finished 3/30/2011 - I picked up this book in a thrift store... again, looking for some light reading, but wanting some substance as well. This book is not one I'd recommend for younger, unmarried readers, as I felt there was a large quantity of sexual detailing of the pagan culture of Jericho. Those details did seem to be the right amount, in order to understand the background of Rahab, and the story of Jericho, but again, it would not be something I'd recommend without warning. At the same time, I felt that the writers did a good job bringing that culture, and those times, to life, and weaving those cultural details together with the biblical account. I found this to be an interesting book, but not one I'll revisit and read again. Once was good, but once was enough.
5. The Gentle Art of Domesticity: Stitching, Baking, Nature, Art, and the Comforts of Home by Jane Brocket - finished 4/5/2011 - What a beautiful book! I found it very inspiring, like fuel for my creative side. I haven't actually done anything with that inspiration yet, as it's difficult to do domestic things when one's home life is in constant transition as mine currently is. This will likely be a book I revisit regularly for visual delight and as a springboard for my own domestic efforts. On a side note, I agree with an amazon.com commenter who wrote something to the effect that, "this book should called The Domestic Art of Jane Brocket". Indeed, the book is wholly centered on her own creative domestic ideas... but I did not find this off-putting. On the contrary, it is filled with beautiful, joyful examples of what a woman can do to evoke delight in her own home.
6. Once-A-Month Cooking: (Revised and Expanded) A proven system for spending less time in the kitchen and enjoying delicious, homemade meals every day by Mimi Wilson and Mary Beth Lagerborg - finished 4/7/2011 - Though this is not a time-intensive book (in fact, the written portion before the recipe section is only a few dozen pages long), I am so glad to have read it. Though I may not ever follow this religiously, or exactly as written, I absolutely hope to incorporate the principals into our kitchen. With the last 2 babies, I've filled up our freezer in the last month or two of pregnancy and found it very helpful. This seems like a great way to have fall-back meals so that we won't eat out so often, and a great way to eat healthily without having to be in the kitchen cooking every single night. I look forward to using these ideas!
7. The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts by Tom Farley and Tanner Colby - finished 4/13/2011 - I can't tell you how many times my brother and I watched "Tommy Boy" while in high school. I generally wasn't allowed to watch SNL, unless a favorite band was performing. But because of my brother's love for Tommy Boy, my appreciation for Farley's physically hilarious antics, and my husband's opportunity as a high school journalist to meet him, when I saw Doug reading it, I wanted to read the book.
   

   "The notion of love is something that would be a wonderful thing. I don't think I've ever experienced it, other than the love of my family. At this point it's something beyond my grasp. But I can imagine it, and longing for it makes me sad." ~Chris Farley

   The sadness he expressed in that quote sums up the book, and sums up his life. This book tells, through the recollections of close friends, co-workers, and family members, how Chris Farley went from class clown to directionless young adult to famous comedian, all the while being a vibrantly hilarious and full-of-life man with dark tendencies and a personality that tended towards addiction in virtually all forms. His death was truly a tragic end to a man who had such capacity for joy and creative expression.
8. A Merry Heart (Brides of Lancaster County, Book 1) by Wanda Brunstetter - finished 4/19/2011 - A typical, but slightly sub-part, Christian romantic fiction novel in an Amish setting, this book was pretty much what I expected. This is not a well-written novel, nor is it realistic in its story elements. Several times throughout the book, I had to groan and set it down because the dialogue was so predictable, and I grew weary of the inserted German words, with the definitions woven into the dialogue, as if we aren't bright enough to figure out that "wunderbaar" means wonderful, in context. Nonetheless, I got what a paid 49 cents for-- a simple story set in Amish culture. It made for a quick read and is now back in the "giveaway" pile.
9. Stop Dating the Church!: Fall in Love With the Family of God by Joshua Harris - finished 4/20/2011 - What an excellent little book! This is the message modern Christians in my generation need to hear-- that a commitment to God without a commitment to the church is a weak and ultimately double-minded thing. To honor God, we need to love what He loves: the Body of Christ. This book gives powerful encouragement and relevant insight as to why we may not have committed to the church, but how Christians can find, biblically evaluate, and commit to God's church. I loved it, and will keep it on hand to read from time to time. It was an easy but heart-penetrating book, and I'm thankful to have come across it.
10. Girls Gone Mild: Young Women Reclaim Self-Respect and Find It's Not Bad to Be Good by Wendy Shalit - finished 5/20/2011 - Based on over 100 interviews with young American women of all stripes (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, feminists, etc.), this excellent book was written as a response to the mixed messages our culture sends to young women. Shalit's eye-opening examination of our culture should be a must-read for every parent of girls, and would be an encouraging read for any young woman (because of the sexually explicit information she references -- as examples of what's becoming normalized in our culture), I would not recommend this book for 16 and under. She details how the aggressive female that is now normative-- the bully on the playground, sexual prowess in her teen years, unaffected disinterest in the dating scene-- is a model being intentionally rejected by thoughtful women in upcoming generations. Shalit is a thought-provoking analyst of cultural issues affecting young women, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
11. One Year Off: Leaving It All Behind for a Round-the-World Journey with Our Children by David Elliot Cohen - finished 5/29/2011 - What a great travel memoir! Many people feel the urge to "leave it all behind" and "see the world" and that is exactly what the Cohen family did in 1996-1997. With three kids in tow (roughly ages 2, 7, and 9), David & his wife sold everything, took a year off, and set out to see the world. Starting in South America, they made their way through Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and even a few spots in North America. His journals are humor-laced, and as a woman who has travelled through some of the same parts of the world with our own five children, so much of what Cohen wrote resonated with my own experiences. Many times I laughed out loud at his observations of cultural differences and similarities, and nodded my way through passages detailing how family togetherness actually bonded the family together, rather than ending in squabbles and misery. Read with caution, for it is very likely that if you open these pages, you'll soon want to be off on your own great family adventure!
12. Valide: A Novel of the Harem by Barbara Chase-Riboud - finished 6/5/2011 - I was pleased to find this book at the library, having previously seen this book recommended as an excellent source for learning about Ottoman culture. Our family has lived in Turkey for 4 years now, and we've toured the Topkapi Palace (and its harem) in Istanbul multiple times, so this book definitely piqued my interest. Chase-Riboud offers an incredibly detailed historical account of the French-American slave girl who became the concubine, then wife, of an Ottoman Sultan, and eventually the mother of a Sultan in Ottoman-era Istanbul (late 1700's). She also strays into a few scenes of power involving Napolean & Catherine the Great; while these storylines were helpful to me to give historical clues about what was going on world-wide at the time of the story, some readers might find them distracting to the overall plot. This book did include (perhaps predictably) some quite explicit sexual detail, about 3-4 individual scenes in the 400+ page book. Because of my interest, having lived in Turkey, and because of the book's thorough and beautiful handling of Ottoman culture, I enjoyed the book immensely, but because of the sexual matter, I would not recommend this book to others without that clear warning.
13. Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen - finished 6/17/2011 - This classic story of sisterly affection between two opposite young women, one self-possessed and sensible, the other passionate and transparent to the point of emotional exhibitionism, was thoroughly enjoyable. In fact, though I've seen the movie ever so many times, I hadn't ever read the book, and found myself delighted at the deeper character development of beloved favorites from the movies.
    
    [Unfortunately, the $2 copy I picked up at Half Price Books was the "Insight Edition", which was filled with trivial tidbits, and occasionally, plot spoilers a page or two before anticipated action actually took place. Additionally, the Insight editors tried to twist and turn various sentences to be religiously-oriented, instead of just letting Austen's work stand on its own. I found the side notes distracting and frequently frustrating.]
    
    But the story itself was, of course, lovely. Willoughby was far more the scoundrel than portrayed in the movies, selfish and greedy... Edward, far more passive and wimpy (borderline dislikable!)... Colonel Brandon, far more heroic. The transformation of Marianne from passionate and open in every feeling or opinion to a more womanly, thoughtful, selfless, loving person was delightful (I couldn't help but picture Kate Winslet in my mind), while Elinor was such a self-controlled person that she at times seems hardly human. Austen superbly detailed the transitions of human character, through both through the young Marianne & Willoughby, as well as the older Mrs. Ferrars and Mrs. Dashwood. I share the opinion of millions the world over-- this is a delightfully-crafted story, well worth the reading.
14. Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan - finished 6/28/2011 - This is an excellent challenge, written by a humble but insightful teacher to the lukewarm American church. Chan questions the phrase "lukewarm Christian" and challenges us to ask ourselves if "following Christ" has really changed the way we live. In other words, has Christ really changed your life? Does your life give evidence that you love and are devoted to Jesus? Do you live in obedience to him that sometimes makes other people scratch their heads? Chan notes that if our lives "make sense" to unbelievers, then we're not living the Christian life. This book has come at just the right time for me, challenging me in new ways to consider Christ's claim on my life, and helping me to soberly judge my own life.
15. Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, Revised Edition by David C. Pollock - had to return to library 7/17/2011 - (finished about half) - What an excellent book for expat parents! This book really seeks to understand and explain the experiences of kids who grow up overseas, and gives such insight into what their priorities and perspective will be, and how these things differ from peers in their passport country, as well as in what ways they will likely be different from their parents. I wish I could've read more before I had to return to the library, but my reading of the first half was very insightful as a parent raising kids in different cultures from our "passport"/home country.
16. A Charlotte Mason Education by Catherine Levison - finished August 2011 - This small, easy-to-read book is an excellent resource for homeschool moms, particularly for those in the elementary years.  An educator from the 19th century, Ms. Mason's ideas are widely appreciated in homeschool circles.  Even though though we're beginning our 6th year homeschooling, this book was not only a great refresher on Charlotte Mason's principles, but also gave me a great amount of encouragement to be more hands-on and intentional about the ways that we approach subjects like science and literature review.   I eagerly recommend this book.
17. 6 Secrets to a Lasting Love (DVD study) by Drs. Gary & Barbara Rosberg - Doug & I used this DVD series & study guides during our anniversary "2nd honeymoon" getaway.  The series is actually meant to be spread over 7 weeks, but we did it in the 7 days of our vacation.  We thought that the material itself was helpful for encouraging conversation & communication about each specific area of our marriage.  The presentation came across as cheesy and slightly off-putting to us, but because the material was helpful, we were willing to press on.  We were thankful to have time to talk through these things together, even if the material or presentation was a bit weak.  
18. The Confession by John Grisham - finished October 2011 - Having always loved Grisham's page-turning novels, I purchased this book the first time I saw it.  Like his other books, I found myself drawn in from the first reading and one night even stayed up until 3:10 in the morning just to finish!  :)  Unlike his other books, though, this one moved me to very strong emotion (not just suspense or a heightened heartbeat).  So perhaps this should be a warning rather than a recommendation.  Nonetheless, I am happy to recommend the book as an insightful fictional account of a death row inmate in Texas.  Having grown up in Texas, I have always accepted it as part and parcel of justice.  This book certainly caused me to re-think the issue and consider more deeply the issues surrounding the death penalty.  As a work of fiction, as a Grisham novel, and as a commentary on an important social issue of our time, I recommend this book.

1. I can't believe it... but I really did-- I forgot about those sweet little cooey, sigh-like noises a baby makes while nursing, and I just love hearing them. I love these moments with Moses close, snuggled up, so content, so sweet, so needy. This way that God makes new PEOPLE is just so amazing.
   
   
2. Tonight I started Bernard Nathanson's book, Hand of God: A Journey from Death to Life by the Abortion Doctor Who Changed His Mind, and it took me a few minutes to even clear my head and get over the first sentence:
   
   "I did my last abortion in late 1978 or early 1979."
   
   Date-wise, that's my husband and me. Late 1978 = a Spring 1979 birthday, like my husband. Early 1979 = a Fall 1979 birthday, like me. That pretty much sums up the whole abortion debate for me. We're talking about real people. A real man or woman who would have been born, and would by now potentially have had a family, like what my husband & I have. Or gone away to college and graduate school and been finishing up a doctorate in literature, like my college friend Beth. Or have a computer business he started, a daughter he adores, a motorcycle he drives too fast, and travelled to see Central American Mayan ruins like a high school friend of mine. The person that Bernard Nathanson aborted last was a real person, and Nathanson knows it now (and maybe knew it then, I haven't gotten that far). A person with the potential of a great many things, some good, some bad, perhaps some amazing things... but his or her life was snuffed out.
   
   I wonder if we might have been friends.
   
   
3. Heard this week in our house while reading a book about babies being born to my just-turned-6-year-old son Baxter:
   
   me: "So how would the doctor know if it's a boy or a girl?
   
   Baxter: "By looking at the hair."
   
   You can't make this stuff up. :)
   
   
4. This week, I got organized for the next stage of our homeschool journey. See, the way we do things, our boys keep pressing along and advancing in their math, writing, and reading, but we do history at a pace that allows us to enjoy it and really take it all in (plus, we have had some amazing field trip opportunities that have taken us on quite a few rabbit trails, living where we live). Anyway, we've been just taking our time to finish up their history/science curriculum books from last year. Plus, ya know, I had a baby. :)
   
   But here we are in September, and we're about to begin digging into American history. Ethan (our oldest son) and I have gone all the way through world history, right up to the era of the Renaissance, and we're both ready to tackle American history. I'd been planning all along to keep him on his own course, and Baxter on his (we're talking about history here-- they're always on their own courses as far as reading and math goes). But then mid-summer, I had an epiphany and realized that this year was a perfect opportunity to combine the two older boys (ages 6 & 8) and have a bunch of fun and a lot less scattered year for me. Because it's targeted towards the 3rd to 5th grade level, I'll have to adapt some of the curriculum for my 1st grader (ordered some historical coloring books and such for him to do while we're reading some of the more heady history portions), but what fun! I'm really looking forward to it, and they are too! Not only that, but it's coming at a perfect time, as we anticipate heading back to the States (Lord willing) for a few-months'-visit with family and friends next summer.
   
   Our boys have a great knowledge of the world for their ages, have learned a bit of another language, are both ahead in their math skills, and are doing great as far as reading goes. But I know that if we go home to Texas and they don't have any idea about the Alamo, for example, or basic bits about American history, (a) they could feel detached from their "home country", and/or (b) relatives who have not seen them in 4 years, and may not be fully convinced about this homeschooling stuff could get the wrong idea. Either way, it's a great time for us to take a year to really dive into American history. And we're doing it together- yippee! So, off we go!
   
   
5. You know what I've recently discovered? I mean really discovered? Play-doh. I used to consider it positively evil. Those messy little teeny good-for-nothing bits that ended up everywhere, coupled with the fact that I was requested to play along, made it pretty much a no-go for (I'm sorry to say) these many years. And if we're all being honest, I'm happy to wrestle and tickle, cook alongside, read to, or even sometimes color with my kids. But Play-doh just isn't really my cup of tea. But, now that God has seen to it to give my kids in-home playmates other than me, I've realized it's not so bad.
   
   It isn't that expensive, it allows for great amounts of creativity (especially when fueled by recent family viewings of "Challenge" and "Cupcake Wars"), and it entertains the kids for an almost absurd amount of time. And when I'm trying to explain a math concept to my 8-year-old, get some housework done, or listen to my 6-year-old read aloud, the contented, happy time that Play-doh brings is absolutely priceless. So here's three cheers for the messy, time-consuming, joy-producing stuff! (And for kids who are old enough to use a Dustbuster afterwards!)
   
   
6. This summer produced another epiphany for me: We Christians need the Body of Christ. We need each other! Now, of course, this should not BE an epiphany. Nonetheless, here's how God reminded me of this truth:
   
   Generally, we meet together weekly as a church body with 2-3 other families, sometimes more, plus occasionally some single folk. We meet in homes (often in ours), eat a meal together, pray for each other, sing to the Lord, and study Scripture together. But this summer, two things happened: one family moved back to America, and the other family in our house church took a 2-month vacation to America to put their oldest daughter in college, so we were here alone for that spread of time. It also worked out, what with me being a hugely pregnant woman in the heat, and Moses' birth mid-July, that I was indoors for a good portion of the summer. I struggled quite a bit this summer with discouragement and battling against anger in my heart and in my reactions to my family. But it wasn't until we began meeting again as the church that I realized how much I'd missed the way that God uses that time to minister to my heart.
   
   When the 2nd family I mentioned returned, we began meeting together again, and two other families have joined with us. It has been so encouraging to fellowship, worship, and study God's Word together. I really missed our church body. We need each other! We weren't made to be islands-- we need encouragement, and I'm so thankful for the Body of Christ and the way our Father encourages me through the people we meet with each week!
   
   
7. It's suddenly quite a bit cooler here-- is it getting cooler where you live? Maybe some of you are already wearing jackets? But maybe you Texans or Floridians are still having warm weather... Here, it's just perfectly comfortable-- we leave the windows open, and still have the ceiling fans on, and it feels like "normal" to me (roughly 70-75 degrees each day, and cooler at night).
   
   I'm enjoying the cooler weather but also, in a way, mourning the loss of summer. Time passes so quickly, and our kids really had a great time playing outside this year. Plus, we're about to move into the it-takes-a-year-to-get-out-the-door mode, where each child has to wear more clothes, find matching socks, put on a jacket, and sometimes scarf and gloves, just to get out the door. And I get to corral it all. *Sigh* I'm tired of winter already, LOL.

1. Moses (he's nearly 6 weeks old, can you believe it?) has been sleeping 6-7 hours each night for the last week now. Oh my goodness, my body and mind are feeling the delight.
   
   
2. I just did Level 1 of Jillian Michaels' 30-Day Shred. Feels good. It's a 20-minute deal... it cracked me up when she said, "I know you just want to shut off this DVD right now, but keep it going. Stay with me." Because I totally felt like shutting it off. But I know she's right... if I put in the work, I can be healthy. My goal isn't to have fabulous abs... but to be healthy and strong. I think this should contribute to that. Let's just all hope I can consistently do this a few times a week.
   
   
3. There is a real stress to life with little ones that we all feel but isn't too often discussed, because it's embarrassing and frustrating to feel yourself be a grump towards your kids. I've been feeling it. It's a combination of hormones, heat, the hectic pace, and happening-upon-spilled-juice,-play-doh-messes,-and-someone-crying-"he-just-hit-me", all at the same time. Or something along those lines. And none of us are perfect.
   
   My husband and I have been talking about how to deal better with these things... like, expect a spill at least once a day, then you won't be surprised when it happens. And, pray for self-control and gracious words in our reactions. And, call each other on it when we've blown it (yes, this one requires both parties fully signing onto this agreement, or else it could get ugly). And, just be honest with our kids that we are imperfect humans and humbly ask for their forgiveness each time it's needed. Any other practical ideas on dealing with frustration and anger?
   
   
4. I finished "You Can Farm" by Joel Salatin at the beginning of this week, and you know what? I believe him. After reading that book, I feel like if I wanted to, I really COULD farm. But I think I've already mentioned my problem with consistency over time, haven't I? He makes the point that cows don't do well if you milk them at 4pm one day, 5pm the next, and 3pm the next. Consistency matters... so I don't think I'll be running a dairy (except for the milk I personally produce) anytime soon.
   
   
5. Also, today, I finished reading Julie and Julia. Wow, she has a foul mouth. And she admits to it, I'm not saying anything she didn't say at least half a dozen times in her own book. Maybe I'm really out of it but do people really, in real life, seriously curse that often? She used the f-word in probably every possible part of speech at some point in the book. And yes, I kept reading. I'm really not altogether offended by cuss words, and I'd heard great things about the story line (on that point-- eh, it was OK), so I pressed on. But even though I'm not that offended by cuss words, I do notice cuss words, especially when they are such a large percentage of a person's used vocabulary.
   
   And as for the book, I dog-eared one recipe I want to try, but the book itself struck me as highly self-absorbed, cloyingly hip and cynical, and like what so many people without Christ need to do to try to find purpose in their lives. You know... the people in Better Off that lived off the grid and joined an Amish community for a year. The guy who "lived biblically" for a year by following the Old Testament laws and took to carrying around a stool so he didn't have to sit on the same chair that a menstruating woman had sat on. The guy currently walking across America so he can take it all in (he's in Oregon now, almost done!). I'm not saying any of these are bad (in fact, except for the absurdity of the legalistic stool guy, I think all of these are pretty neat ideas and stuff I myself would like to do/learn how to do). But I think we all--even "Christians"-- can tend to seek fulfillment through things/experiences rather than in Christ. It's great to want to learn to cook well, but that, in and of itself, will never bring long-lasting fulfillment.
   
   
6. It's been a long time since I've had a real life female close friend. A heart-level honesty-baring friend. I miss that. I've taken to baring my soul to our ladies' Bible study group each week... which is great for transparency and accountability, but not good for getting feedback and really connecting with another person the way it happens when it's 1-on-1. But I'll take what I can get and I am thankful for those ladies who hear what is basically my confession each week.
   
   
7. Finally, my husband is just incredible. I love him, I love him, I love him. He 1-Corinthian-13-style-loves me so faithfully and palpably... and I would be up a creek without him. I wouldn't be me without him. He challenges me and laughs with me and cares for our children and makes me sleep in (yes, makes me, because often once I wake up the first time during daylight hours--to nurse-- my mind starts racing and it's very difficult for me to fall back asleep) and rubs my feet and corrals four children at the dinner table single-handedly (while I nurse Moses) and leads us to memorize Scripture (which I basically stink at, were it not for his taking the lead in this direction) and more that I'm just not going to lay out here because it would take all day. Basically, he's incredible. I know it's a blessing... and I'm so thankful for him.
   
   
8. OK, I came back to add this one, so consider it a freebie. Today, we were driving and listening to music, and our oldest son said, "my favorite bands are U2, the Beatles, and Johnny Cash". Now, that's some good taste, if I do say so myself. :)