I wrote more than I thought I would

Well!  We made it to Friday by the grace of God!

Have I told you that we've had a cold going around and around my family since September?  Yesterday my heart sank when Jacob came to me and reported, "I have a sore throat"....by the time supper came he was in tears it hurt so bad.

I sent him to bed right after dinner with a new book on the ipod, Twenty-One Balloons.  Jacob got in bed and the other children gathered around him and they all listened to it together, and they loved it.  They aren't quite done with it yet.

I crashed on the couch while they were busy listening to their story.  If I wasn't pregnant I would seriously be thinking that I was suffering from disease, because I am so very tired.  Rich arrived home last night at 7 and found me in tears.  After a good night's sleep I felt much better (still tired but happier).  My first prenatal appointment is scheduled for November 25, I still haven't been to the doctor's for this pregnancy.  I can't wait to go, because they will do an ultrasound at the very first appointment.  I just want to know......that everything is okay at this point.

Today is the day the maids came (they come every other week) so we cleaned up all morning (yeah, we clean so the maids can clean!)  and then we left when they got here.  I took the kids through McDonald's drive thru for some lunch and then we went the library, for the first time in about a month.  It felt so good to walk around with my favorite book list, Honey for a Child's Heart, and also Honey for a Woman's Heart, and pick out a big stack of nice books for all of us.

We got home about 2 hours later and the girls were still here, scrubbing away.  It feels so nice to have help with the housework.

Now that the maids are gone, I have the children all resting.  Grace and Ethan will be picked up soon, to go visit their friends and to have Art class.  Jacob usually goes, but I am taking him to the doctor's, along with Caleb and David, so that they can get the H1N1 nasal vaccine.  I wasn't planning on having them vaccinated, but when I took Grace for her check up a few days ago, the pediatrician highly recommended it.  There is a lot of flu going around.  I told myself a few weeks ago, that I would trust my pediatricians.  Seth has had the vaccine, too. 

That's all the news here for the day. 

I do want to take the time to post some pictures from last Saturday.  Grace's 10th birthday was last week and as a special treat, we took her (and "the brothers") to the American Girl Place in Boston.   It was wonderful...the weather was nice so the drive was lovely.  Rich and the boys did great at the store, and we all walked around together, letting Grace look at everything.

Years ago, we had bought her Samantha doll at a tag sale of all places.  And last year we bought her Nellie, since she was being retired.  So Grace took those dolls with her.  Here she is, with all the boys behind her.  David is partially hidden, almost totally hidden, behind Grace.

She decided before we even got there that she wanted the Indian girl, Kaya.  She got the basic doll, along with the food set (it's SO neat, the food looks real, and it came with a basket that the doll can wear) and the bedding set (with realistic furs).  Oh, Grace has been having the most wonderful, imaginative time with her.

Ethan came to me at one point and said quietly, "Mom.  Grace keeps trying to show me things!"  And I said, "Oh, E, let her show you!  Who else is she going to talk to and get excited with?"  So, he went back to her.  Of course, David and Caleb were the least shy about being interested in......dolls......

I think this picture is cute, Grace is talking to David about the doll display and Caleb is looking out the window, down to the parking lot below;

Grace and her Papa, after Mama decided just what we would purchase.  I just love seeing my husband father a daughter!  He grew up with just brothers, you know.  And he's doing such a good job with Gracie.  He loves her so much.

Here is a picture of us, in the elevator.  It's a family photo that makes me smile.  All you can see of Seth is his tiny fingers.  The weird lumpiness coming out of my stomach is mirror distortion, I can assure you.  Look at the faces of those dear children!  So cute, each of them.

I think my girl is as cute as a button.  Especially with those jeans, mary janes, and white socks!  I'm so glad we had this day together.  Who knows if we'll be able to get the boys to go there again?

I had someone ask me about training children.  There have been books written on that topic, but I can tell you a few things that I believe.  First of all,  please, please, LOVE your children.  I would rather see parents concentrate on having a love-relationship with their little ones, than to focus too much on training.  Love comes first, then training IN LOVE.  The first thing you need to teach your child, is that they must obey right away.  No second chances.  They need to obey with a GOOD ATTITUDE.  The heart is what matters most of all.

Why do we train our children in proper behavior?  Because WE LOVE THEM SO MUCH.  They will be secure children, if they are happily obeying their parents.  We don't train them to make ourselves look or feel good.  That's pride....and God resists that. 

Praise your children. 

Enjoy your children.  Don't groan when they get up in the morning, or from their naps.  (I remember God convicting me of that years ago!)  Smile and say something sweet to them, give them a snack.

Listen to your children.  They will want to tell you things, if you are a warm listener.

Read to them and snuggle as you do it.  Some of my happiest moments are when one of my children is listening to me read, and thoughtlessly playing with my hair or ear.     I've read the Beatrix Potter books constantly lately.  We love The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies.  You know, there are "six leetle rabbits" in that one.  And one of them gets hit by a flying rotten vegetable marrow.  And is quite hurt.  (sorry, I told you I've read it a lot lately!)

Say "Please"  "Thank you" "I love you"  "I'm proud of you" and "I'm sorry" to them.  They are learning manners by YOUR LIFE.

More is caught than taught.  You have to be what you want them to grow up to be.

Look at them when they talk to you.  Think about that nice man, Mr. Rogers (From "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" on PBS).  Read his biography and soak up some of his views on children and childhood.  Rich's Grandma has that same spirit about her, you just KNOW she loves you and would listen to you even if your story took too long or you were stinky.

Teach them to wait their turn, to not interrupt while you are on the phone, and to clean up after themselves.

Don't let them get in the habit of crying for what they want.  If they cry for something, don't give it to them. 

Make your house a home FOR children...with good books, good art, good music, etc.

Teach them to ask nicely.  When Caleb says, "Give me a drink!"  He does not get it.

Love their Dad.

Teach your children to work.

Understand and study up on the uniqueness of little boys and little girls.  They are different!

Remember, you are the mom so act like it, but at the same time, it's also okay to be their friend.  My children are my little buddies.  Do you know?  SETH MY PRECIOUS BABY MADE MUFFINS WITH ME.  I could cry just thinking about it.  My dearest memories are the little ones sitting on the counter, or standing on chairs, to help me cook.

Here are pictures~

Remember, God GAVE us our children as a gift!  What a wonderful gift-giver He is, to give children as GIFTS.  We are to accept them with a thankful heart, love them, nurture them and ENJOY them.  If you don't enjoy your child there is something wrong.  As I wrote the other day, there are times when I don't enjoy my children because I am having a bad day or don't feel well, but IN GENERAL I would count a day lost if I didn't spend it serving them in a loving way.  We have fun together.  When Rich is gone with them, I start to feel empty after a while.  There is no one to talk to or listen to.

God has taught me so much, by making me a mother.  I'm so thankful for this privilege. 

I wanted to update.......my spirit did quiet down yesterday and we had a nice normal day.  (Thank you, friends, for your understanding notes here, I very much enjoyed each and every one.)

The best part of the day, was that my husband was able to (guiltily) leave the conference early last night, and he surprised us by coming home at 7:10 pm. 

He watched us through the door for a few minutes before coming in and he told me this morning that he loved what he saw as he peeked, without us knowing........

"It was so peaceful and warm-looking.  There were little ones busy in the livingroom and you were sitting at the table feeding Seth in his highchair.  There were kids all around you.  Everyone looked happy.  It was like looking into a dream."

He said that to me, this morning, at the kitchen table.  And I thought to myself, that was my Father above, who turned the ugly into beauty and let Rich see it, like a gift, and not only see it but REALLY SEE IT and notice it, and then show it back to me, the warmth and peace of home, the love of his very own family.

He walked in the door with a smile on his face.  He was hungry so Grace and I jumped right up to get him some dinner.  We had been talking about Christmas when he arrived, so he was just in time to find out that "all Ethan wants is one gift for Christmas, just one; a laptop.  And all Grace wants is a horse."

the ugly me

Rich is very busy this week, with a conference for work.  He will be home late (after 9pm) every night and as you can imagine, it is quite the strain on me as I deal with homelife on my own.  I was a big grump all morning but after breakfast and a little cleaning up, things are looking slightly brighter.  I'm being "mean mom" and  "making" the children do what I want them to do....the little whippersnappers will not run wild....and right now they are playing "Shut the Box" at the kitchen table and listening to good music on the ipod.  The little boys are trying to find all the pieces to David's marble run game so they can put that together.

I'm on edge this morning and want to say that we are all frail and sinfully human. I was irritated by some websites (not yours ) today that are a little too goody-goody spiritual for my taste, it makes me frustrated when I get all the good of someone's life and not see any of the struggles.  I don't want to do that here.  So brace yourself for some confessin'.........

I was stern and grumpy at my kids this morning.  I think I may have given a few of them the "evil eye".

I cried this morning, because I wanted my own way.

I wanted to give up on it all.  I wanted to not be a mother, I wanted to shut down my blog, I wanted to let the house fall to pieces, and I wanted to give up on training the children and doing my devotions.

I got mad at my poor husband, and resentful. 

I wished I could snap my fingers and make the children disappear for a while.

I haven't showered or dressed yet and I look like a FRIGHT.

I don't like the dog. 

I'm feeling selfish.

I lost my patience with Caleb....when will he learn to obey right away???

(Although, I admit, Seth is an attitude-saver.  I can't stay grumpy with him in the room.)

Even though I didn't kneel down and pray in a holy attitude, the Lord heard the prayers in my heart and accepted them for what they were.....little temper tantrums....and He still loves me and will help me get over this bad attitude.  Now, that totally amazes me.

Even though I wasn't sweet to the children, they are still accepting of me, still want to be around me, and are still happy and laughing.  They don't expect me to "be perfect" and I'm not going to try to be perfect in front of them.  Ever.  I'm about to go say "sorry that I was so grumpy this morning" and get on with my day.

looking up, looking down, looking all around

"God is a sun ever-shining; He is manna always falling round the camp; He is a rock in the desert, ever sending out streams of life from His smitten side; the rain of His grace is always dropping; the river of His bounty is ever-flowing, and the well-spring of his love is constantly overflowing."  Spurgeon

We were blessed yesterday afternoon by being a part of an event of nature.  I had just settled the children into their rooms for quiet time (that time of day I use the quiet to re-charge myself).....I was puttering around with Seth, cleaning up a little, and I opened the front door and wondered.....what was that sound?  It took me a few seconds to realize that the air was filled, absolutely filled, with the sound of birds like I had never heard before.  I looked and found them in the near distance, in the tops of the trees of the forest.  There must have been thousands of them.

We figured out later that they were grackles.

Caleb was already sleeping, so I called the older children to come and see.

I grabbed my camera, Ethan grabbed Seth, and we tried to get a closer look.  We looked up and up the whole time, walking briskly up into the woods........

It was a spectacle.  Birds were singing, moving, and flying constantly all above us, way up high.

Ethan and Grace climbed a big tall pine tree to get a bird's eye view.

We ended up in a part of the woods that we don't visit very often.  Looking down, I noticed baby Seth practically swimming in the dried oak leaves that were carpeting the forest floor.

"He who is a stranger to wonder is a stranger to God, for God is wonderful everyway,
and everywhere, and everyhow."
*Charles Spurgeon

The air was mild and smelled sweet of autumn perfumes..........and I found myself praying, thanking God for the beautiful day, and His beautiful creation.  We were all happy and lighthearted.

"One of the purest and most innocent of joys, apart from spiritual things, in which a
man can indulge, is a joy in the works of God."
*Charles Spurgeon

It was really really nice.

Another event of the day was a challenge for us.  Could we look all around and gather enough materials to make our very own wreaths using just treasures and bits from God's nature, and some yarn?

Yes, we could!  We sat on a blanket on a far corner of the yard and worked together and yet separately, on our own creations.

Here is Jacob's wreath.  We liked his because it smelled so good.  Like pine.  When we came back to the house, I added a ribbon.  It needed a ribbon.

And, here is the one I made.  I ransacked the chicken coop to get some choice feathers.  I used red leafed prickly vine from the ground, red rose hips, little pine cones, feathers, and brown yarn.

Friendship with my children, small little wreaths, birds, autumn leaves......and so much more besides,  to be thankful for.  I wonder what He'll show us today?

Have a blessed day, friends!

just a few quotes

I am currently reading a book titled Life in Jesus.  It is a book about a Christian woman, written after her death, by her son, Octavious.  He wrote his own thoughts about his mother, but he mostly used material from her correspondence and diary.   The book is not about Mary Winslow (who was born in 1774 and died in 1854) so much as it is about a personal relationship between a woman and her Savior, Jesus Christ.  For that, I am extremely thankful and encouraged.  It is a blessing to see such a biography, and by reading her private thoughts and letters, written by her without the slightest notion of "being published", I am being taught by the example of another one's humble life in Christ.  An abundant and deeply satisfying life in Him is available to all, and should be the desire of everyone who has accepted Him as Savior and Lord.

Currently Life in Jesus: a memoir of Mrs. Mary Winslow, arranged from her correspondence, diary, and thoughts. By her son Octavius Winslow, D. D. ... By Michigan Historical Reprint Series see related