Doing the Next Thing

a nd Happy New Year, from our family to yours! S (15), C (13), M (10), A (5), & K (3) Glory to God in the highest!

I've had a Nikon D40 for over 2 years now. My sweet sweet WONderful brother-in-law bought it for me - and I told him from the beginning it was a better camera than I deserve! The picture in that last post just proves that I'm not using this puppy to its fullest potential. I love using natural light and turning off the flash - but if there's too much of that natural light, the pics end up all washed out. It's bothered me for-EV-er and I've decided to do something about it! Before I resort to using my cell phone's camera to take all my pictures, I'm reading the manual for the camera (finally -ha!) and watching some Y*u T*be videos on tips & tricks. If any of you guys have a D40, or some other SLR digital camera, I'd be interested to hear any tips you have for settings, lenses, composition, etc. Thanks!

I take for granted sometimes that my Littles know all the things I've been teaching the Big 3 lo these many years. But I discovered yesterday there are some ... shall we say ... gaps in their body of knowledge about Advent and the Nativity. So I did it ... I broke down yesterday and bought this: The Little People Nativity set. Family Christian Store had it on sale. It's not elegant. It's a bit cartoonish. But it's got A (5) and K (3) enjoying the Christmas Story for hours on end and sparking their interest in hearing the story from the Bible.

I don't take any credit for this. My sweet longtime friend, Wendy, introduced me to Nancy Wilson's blog a couple of years ago. Yesterday we were discussing this post and I was telling her how it made a big impression on my heart and how I've been applying it. Mrs. Wilson wonders if Paul had mothers in mind when he wrote I Thessalonians 5:14 "Admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all." Don't you agree with her that's a very good description of mothering? I made myself a sign out of the verse, printed in one of my new favorite colors (orange :) and mounted on a slip of scrapbook paper. It now hangs prominently in my kitchen, where I see it often - to serve as a reminder of my job description. It's been posted for about a week now. I find it interesting that each time my one of my children has a need - a need that "interrupts" my "work" and I'm tempted to get frustrated - meeting the ne...

I had much puttering to do around the house this afternoon. The Little Ones were napping and the Big 3 were doing schoolwork, so the house was quiet. I was thinking how nice it would be if Gateway to Joy were still on the radio - and on at this time slot - and wishing my Elisabeth Elliot talks were not all on worn-out cassettes hidden away in boxes b/c I no longer have a working tape player. My Sweetie suggested I look for mp3s online and guess what? They exist! I found a website called Blue Letter Bible that has more than a dozen Elisabeth Elliot talks available for free to stream or download. Go check them out here . The one I listened to today was called "Sulking." I was attracted to the title because it's something I never do. Har har har. It was SO good to hear the voice of my old friend again, a spiritual mother whose writings and talks have encouraged me since I was a teenage girl. (The BLB webste, along with this one , this one , and this one , are going to come i...

...among other things, I've been working on some Hidden Art. Ya'll know I love me some Hidden Art ! (If you're not sure what I mean, look here for an old post, here for another one, and here for Edith Schaeffer's inspiring book .) After several weeks of hunkering down and working hard to keep our little home and school on track, I just needed some beauty! You know what I mean? So I poked around on a couple of user-friendly decorating blogs ( The Shabby Nest and The Nesting Place are my favorites - go check 'em out) I got inspired. Now, remember, I'm no Martha Stewart. Don't wanna be. Just want to bring a little beauty into the lives of the people I love and make our home a haven. It all began when I found this little basket at Good*will. It used to be an icky shade of sea foam green. But I liked the shape and thought it would be a cute way to contain our keys, etc. on the kitchen counter. So my Sweetie spray painted it black for me. Isn't it cute?...

I'm still sort of on a blogging hiatus; I just came across a wonderful quote by George MacDonald that I thought fits well with the season of life I'm in (and the theme of my blog , LOL!) "Bethink thee of something that thou oughtest to do, and go to do it, if it be but the sweeping of a room, or the preparing of a meal, or a visit to a friend. Heed not thy feelings. Do thy work." (quoted in George MacDonald: An Anthology, C.S. Lewis, ed.)

I've been here before. I'm sure that as long as I'm on this side of Glory, I'll be here again. Burnout. Frustration. Overwhelmed. But "a bruised reed He will not break." The Lord has given me counsel through His word, through re-reading a good book , through a convicting blog post , and through good, godly friends. (you know who you are! thanks!) The truth of the matter is this: I've got toddlers to teens; high school to preschool - with everything in between. Faithfully mothering young children is a full-time job. Faithfully mentoring teens as they become young adults is a full-time job. Homeschooling is a full-time job. I think somehow I assumed that since I'd been at this for 15 years that I was somehow coming to the easy part. You know, the part where I get to workout whenever I want, attend book clubs, shop in the middle of the day, and get lunch with friends. And oh, yes -- blog and read others' blogs! Not that I can never do those things. Bu...

I am using Jo hn Piper's fantastic book A Godward Life as a devotional with my older children. The portion we read today was very fitting for our family as we adjust to the stress of a new school schedule, but I suspect we all can identify in one way or another, so I share the first part here. (Meditation on Matthew 6:34 "Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Piper says: Part of saving faith is the assurance that you will have faith tomorrow. Trusting Christ today includes trusting him to give you tomorrow's trust when tomorrow comes. Often we feel today like our reservoir of strength is not going to last for another day. The fact is, it won't. Today's resources are for today, and part of those resources is the confidence that new resources will be given tomorrow. A Godward Life, (Multnomah Books, 1997) p.25

Today is my "easy" homeschool day. The Big Boys go to Veritas, and I will start attending a ladies' Bible study at church in a couple of weeks. So I've not scheduled Tuesdays as a big workday for M (10) and A (5). Today I decided I would try to get in some kind of run on a local Greenway after dropping S (14) and C (12) off at school. Operative phrase being " some kind." Here's how it goes: Drive around aimlessly for 20 min, unable to find Greenway until helpful bro-in-law gives directions to a park with easy access. Ok. Now, get out the clunky, old Gra*co single stroller for K (3), as well as scooter & helmet for A. Think to self: "why do I not own a jogging stroller?" Decide that training for a half-marathon requires some actual time running, and this is the best I'm gonna get today. Load K in the stroller and set off. (M leaves her scooter in the car, saying she'd rather run like me. I'm concerned about this, but I'm als...

I'm going to try the weekly reporting thing again this year, mainly for my own accountability and record, but also on the chance that someone out there is mildly interested! We had a rough week, to be honest! I posted the picture at right (taken at Cloudland Canyon while on our anniversary trip last month) because it reminds me that in our school year there will be times we are on the mountain-top and times we are in the valley. And times in between where we, with firm resolve, struggle to climb back to the top! Monday was spent organizing last-minute details for the boys' first day at Veritas Classical School, as well as getting books ready for M & A to study here at home. I hadn't run errands - or run my feet - in a while, so I ended up doing both Monday afternoon and evening, and was a little scattered and tired Tuesday as a result. The boys liked their classes and teachers, but it's going to take some time for them to adjust to the workload. S (almost 15) did a ...

Today was the first day we had a full school workload. We officially started Monday, but that day was mostly organizing and preparing for Tuesday - the boys' first day of classes at Veritas. So today was day 1 with assignment sheets from Veritas, plus our work at home (math & science for the big boys; all subjects for M (10yo 5th grade) & A (5yo, kindergarten.) To be honest, it wasn't really even "full" - M is taking science at an enrichment program and classes there have not officially started, though she does have some taxonomy cards and reading to work through before the first day; C's (12 yo 7th gr) math books haven't arrived (mainly b/c his mother forgot to go pick them up from the homeschool store -- oops!); and we didn't get to phonics or math with A. But still -- it was a full workday. I had a conference with each of the boys and we mapped out which assignements need to be done each day. (In the future, I hope to do that on Tuesday evening...

In case you're interested: S – 9th Grade Curriculum Plan, 2009-2010 (S will be attending Veritas Classical School one day per week for humanities instruction. Their book list is copyrighted and is only available to registered students. So I can't list the books here, but trust me, they're good!) Veritas Curriculum Bible - New Testament Survey History -U . S. History American Literature English - grammar, writing, vocabulary Rhetoric / Debate Greek I (S. will also be taking an apologetics elective at a local a la carte homeschool enrichment program) Apologetics - The Quest for Truth Chris Sherrod At Home Algebra I - Elementary Algebra Harold Jacobs Physical Science - Exploring Creation with Physical Science Dr. Jay Wile Fine Arts - Appreciation: Annotated Mona Lisa Carol Strickland Young Persons Guide to Music Neil Ardley The Story of Classical Music CD by Darren Henley Various composer studies Studio arts: Various drawing exercises Guitar - weekly lesson & practice...

... Shannon ! Congratulations - you are the proud new owner of Exploring God's Creation! This was a fun giveaway , and I wish I had something to mail to all of you! Thanks for visiting and commenting. If I can ever find time to blog again (with the craziness of illness, last-minute end-of-summer trips, and school starting) I look forward to making some new homeschool bloggy friends! Have a great week!

Ok, so I promised to get the Part 2 Chores post up and running the other day. But then the Chicken Pox decided to visit our house and I've been a little distracted. So blogging is on the back burner for now, but stay tuned.... (and thanks for understanding!) *Note to the curious... yes my children received the vaccine. But 10yo M has a rare blood disorder and she just marches to the beat of her own drummer, medically speaking. =)

*******Update: the Giveaway is over. Go here to see the winner! Have a great year, everybody! Jolanthe at Homeschool Creations is sponsoring a Curriculum Cleanout. Now through August 15, lots of great resources will be recycled through giveaways. Have something that needs a new home? Need a few items to round out your curriculum? Then check out this great blog carnival that grows daily! My giveaway is for Exploring God's Creation Science workbook from Christian Liberty Press. First, I just want to say how much I love Christian Liberty Press! They are affordable, user-friendly, and have a solid Biblical worldview. This science workbook (we used it more as a "text") has information and activities on a range of topics in all the major areas of elementary science. It's listed in their 3rd grade materials, but we used it as a group when my kids were in 4th, 2nd, and K. (The first couple of lessons have some marks - before I got smart and photocopied the lessons.) Each cha...

If you were a fly on the wall in the Next Thing house this week, you might have heard... "Can I do yogos on the map, Mom? Can't I? 3yo K asking to do yoga on the mat one morning. I had to stop laughing to say "yes." She tends to end all questions with a sweet little, lilting "can't I?" What - does she think that makes her hard to resist? She's right! K's Dictionary shaps ships -- chap stick sssip sslops -- flip flops precious -- princess Blessed Jesus to Your Name -- title of her favorite song, "Blessed Be Your Name" "I think 21 Gu*ns is the best song ever. It makes me cry." 12-going-on-13 yo C, commenting on music by Gre*en D*ay "Mom, K had to go potty at 5am and I took her." 10 yo M being a sweet big sister. She's done a good job with the middle-of-the-night potty breaks and hugs now that K has a big girl bed and shares M's room. That's some of the chatter happening around here. Go visit Mary's ...

Jesus said, "I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." John 10:10b Our citizenship is in Heaven. This world is full of sin and brokenness. And yet, Jesus promises abundant life here . Food for thought.

Ok, let's do this in spurts. If I wait until I have the time to write one big post about all the chore principles & methods, successes & failures in the Next Thing house - well, it will just never get done! So part one is an overview of our family's basic principles and some resources we have found helpful. And remember, I never claimed to be perfect. *wink* There are dozens of good books, ideas, and methods out there. This is just a sampling of what we've liked and used. There are two resources that influenced me more than any other in the early years of chore training in our family: The Heart of the Home cd set (well, my original was cassette tapes!) and a book titled The Managers of Their Homes . Heart of the Home is a 5-cd set by Sue Jakes and Priscilla Stewart that is a wealth of encouragement on many topics relating to a biblical view of motherhood. I really can't recommend this product strongly enough! It was originally a gift from my mother-in-law in 1...

The kiddos around here are full of constant chatter, keeping their father and me in stitches. Problem is, I don't record most of it and now I've forgotten! Oh, well, that's okay, though, because each day they come up with new sayings to make me smile. Today we are going to a small, local arts center that has hands-on activities for kids. The Littles are very excited and have a lot to say about it. Here are some samples from this morning: "Mom, when can we go to da art wees-mees-um?" 3yo K., eager to get this party started (nearly-5-yo A was at my bedside this am before my eyes were open, asking when we were going to leave) "Mom, when are we going to leave?" "After we eat breakfast, do our chores, and get ready." "Ok, I'm going to do my chore fishies now." And off he went to start on his chores while I dragged myself out of bed and to the shower. Later he reappeared. "Mom, look! I made two new fish. One for eating breakfast, ...

I want to start off by saying, "I did it!!" On July 4, I ran the Peachtree Road Race 10K with about 50,000 of my closest friends! ha ha In truth, a dear friend and encourager ran with me and was truly the wind beneath my wings all the way to the finish line! If you had told me a year ago I would run a 10K, in July heat, in Atlanta, I would have thought you were crazy! But by God's grace I did it! I owe a lot to Kate, and to Janice who ran with me in training, and to the "Wonder Women" of the 5K in March. I also owe a lot to a couple of you out there in the blogsphere who were "virtual encouragers." So thanks and props to all of you! And of course I couldn't have done it without the Lord. I'm so grateful that He has blessed me with the health and ability to run. Ok, now on to "3.4 miles - unplugged." As a novice runner, I have been using my iP*d as a crutch to keep me going -- fast-paced (and often loud) music that makes my feet move f...

This blog: A Year of CrockPotting . I'm finding this a little late in the game, since the posts were mostly 2008. The recipes are still there, however, and are fun to browse when trying to inject some life into ye olde slow-cooker. 2yo KL's "crazy curls." Even on the days when it looks like she put her finger in a socket, they have an untamed beauty I find irresistible. Finding Titus 2 encouragement here . The sound of S (14) trying to learn the guitar chords for Holy, Holy, Holy so he can play it for K. It's her favorite hymn. A cup of this before bedtime Watching Mr. Towhee hop backwards on the ground under the bird feeder, flicking the dirt with his feet and grazing on the seed dropped by other birds. I love his striking black and orange colors and I love that his bride is always nearby. My Da*isy Fu*entes Favorite Tee in "orchid." Found on clearance. Lightweight, comfy - the perfect layer over my workout tops for running. The way all five kids pile ...

The great thing, if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one's "own" or "real" life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions are precisely one's real life -- the life God is sending one day by day: what one calls "real life" is a phantom of one's own imagination. This is at least what I see at moments of insight: but it's hard to remember it all the time. ------ C.S. Lewis, in a letter to Arthur Greeves (as quoted in Shopping for Time , p. 86)

There was a time, in the days before multiple pregnancies and the busy life of motherhood, when I was in pretty good shape. I even enjoyed exercising! But as the babies arrived and my world became more complex, I pushed workouts to the side and began to view my own fitness as a luxury, not a necessity. Now, however, as the big four-o looms on the horizon and I see my metabolism slow before my eyes, I'm realizing that being healthy actually is a necessity - for when I'm healthy, I'm better equipped to fulfill all that God has given me to do as a wife, mom, and member of the Body. So in January (no originality in my timing, eh?) we joined our local YMCA and I began working out in earnest and training for my first 5K. It hasn't been easy - the hardest part is not the exercise itself. I'm sure you can guess what the hardest part is... finding the time to go work out. I've had to get creative - sometimes the whole family goes and the older ones walk on the treadmil...

(I see A (4) rolling the pizza cutter all over the open dishwasher instead of doing his chore: unloading silverware) Me : A, you need to quit playing around and finish your chores. A : Well, I want to, but my brain is just making me silly! Me : Your brain is going to get your bottom in trouble, so you need to put that away and get finished! A : Oh, I'm remembering how to do my chores now! "Hey, Mom! I did 43 jumps in a row using the crutch as a pogo stick!" 14yo S, who along with 12yo C has been inventing new uses for old crutches. pogo stick and stilts top the list. I just close the door to their basement room and pretend I know nothing. :) Go visit Mary for more Tiny Talk Tuesday

I get so frustrated sometimes trying to find clothes for my girls. Especially as M (10) gets older. I want fun, feminine, modest clothes that are also comfortable. I sew a little bit, and if I weren't also trying to homeschool, run a home, and all that other stuff, I might just find the time to make some. But the reality is that isn't happening. So I must outsource that department for now. I've discovered two great sources for lovely skirts and dresses that will make any "twirly" girl's heart sing. First up is Cupcakes -- "tastefully sweet fashion." Check out their blog for samples of some precious dresses for spring. Second is Amoretti. I love the sweet dresses and skirts. I also love their signature item, the "skirty." A skirty is a must for any girl (like my two) that prefers to wear skirts and dresses. Simply, the skirty is an undergarment, but a pretty one - covers like bike shorts but so much better looking! Check out their websi...

"Mom - Kisses can dry off!" 4yo A. announced out of the blue last Saturday morning. I think he was explaining why he needed another one. "Wait - is this a cautionary tale?" 12yo C said with a smile while I was reading Storytime with the Millers the other day at lunch. I almost couldn't continue reading because I was laughing so hard. "Mommy, can I have a nutcracker?" 2yo K asking for her favorite morning snack - a graham cracker. "See, mama! See?! She hurt she-self!" K trying to show me the owie on her dolly's leg. For some reason, "she" is her all-purpose pronoun these days. "Hey, Mom - I think we can safely say I have the biggest feet in the house!" 12yo C's recent proclamation, which happens to be true. "Sometimes I just need to get out of the house!" 14yo S, after an especially difficult time babysitting The Littles. This is why he'll be spending some time interning with his Dad at work next yea...

I'm guessing the 12 yo boy's thought process went something like this: If the cozy coupe toddler car is fun for little kids, I bet it would be fun for me. But I don't fit very well, so let's take the roof off. Now, what would be really fun is if we rode it down the driveway. [ our drive is slightly sloped] "Hey, A! (4yo) Come over here and let me push you down the driveway in K's (2yo) car! Coool! Now, grab the end of my grappling hook and I'll pull you!" Their ability to come up with creative ideas of trying to kill themselves never ceases to amaze me. Thankfully the only casualty in this escapade was a sippy cup.

If my feet are cold, no matter what the actual temperature is, my whole body is cold. My cozy slippers are a hot commodity around here - every one from My Sweetie to 9yo Meg to the big boys wears them. And I can't find them right now, so....

We had a crazy day around here. No matter what I did, I was behind. I barely ate breakfast by lunchtime. Then we had an appointment to get little K's (2) cast off - yes, she broke her elbow three weeks ago, but all better now. The appointment got moved (by their office -at the last minute) from early afternoon to smack in the middle of naptime. Then I had to take ALL the kiddos with me - seems my built-in-babysitter that I've been waiting fourteen years (!) to enjoy is having trouble controlling the former BLT (a.k.a. A) when he's not asleep. So unless I wanted another broken bone to occur in my absence... they all piled in the overcrowded waiting room and joined in the fun. hooray. :) The check-in lady was gruff, the x-ray tech chided me for K's paci, and the doc missed the day in med school when they handed out bedside manner. Oh, and I had a headache all day. Relief came after dinner when I was able to get to the Y and burn off some stress and then come home and LMA...

I admit it: I'm not a huge fan of comic books. In fact, I could probably live happily ever after never reading a single one. I am, however, a mom of three boys. For a while, the big boys played Anachronism (history-based trading card game) at a local comic store, and the little guy is quite obsessed with superheroes of all kinds. I also live in a culture full of comic-heroes- cum- blockbuster-hits. My comic education may be limited, but I am aware of some basics. First, many comics - the good ones, anyway - are really a type of pop art. Second, many of the themes are too mature for children. This doesn't stop kids from wanting "picture books" of their favorite heroes, though, creating a bit of a dilemma for us moms. Solution: my latest book find at the local library. (Well, Children's Librarian Amy, knowing A's love of comic heroes, actually found it for us.) What book? you ask: Batman : The Story of the Dark Knight by Ralph Cosentino . The author very skill...

"Mom - Kisses can dry OFF!" 4yo A. announced out of the blue last Saturday morning. 12yo C, pretending to fall on the floor and die, "Ahh, I'm dyyyiinnng!" A rushes over, bends down, proclaims, "True love's kiss!" and smooches C on the cheek. As little 2yo K tugs at my sleeve... "Mommy, you look cute! You puh-ple! I wike your shirt!" so sweet! "Dad, I wan bagel-nut." 2yo K declared at breakfast. "A what ?" asks Daddy. "A bagel-nut! Like Dah-doo!" (that's what she calls A) Turns out a bagel-nut is, in fact, a crueller! For more Tiny Talk Tuesday, go visit Mary at Not Before 7 . Happy Tuesday!

2 yo K helping mommy clean the floor I was tickled to have caught her reaction to 4yo A spilling Yo*gos

I subscribe to a daily email from Grace Gems dot org . It's a site that collects and sends out snippets of wisdom from Puritan writers and other great Christian theologians. I highly recommend their site - go check it out. In the meantime, let me post a passage here from today's devotional. It was very timely for me as I wrestle with my own very light afflictions and watch some friends walk through much harder times. Do not expect a smooth and easy path! ( Arthur Pink , "David's Flight") Prosperity is often a mixed blessing, and adversity is far from being an unmixed calamity! Alternating spiritual prosperity and adversity, is the lot of God's people on this earth. All is not unclouded sunshine with them--nor is it unrelieved gloom and storm. There is a mingling of both: joys--and sorrows; victories--and defeats; assistance from friends--and injuries from foes; smiles from the Lord's countenance--and the hidings of His face. By such changes, opportuni...