A Day In My Life

5:00am - Roll over and try unsuccessfully to open an eye and smile as husband leaves for work.

6:30am- Totally failed attempt at quiet time. Sorry God, I'll make it up this afternoon. He knows I was up 'till 12:30am hemming a costume.

7:00am - make chocolate chip waffles, check email, and get a little bit of schoolwork set out for the day. Get dressed and partly ready for the day.

8:30am - Bible time with kids and math lessons for the 2 youngest. We are so busy today we will only do Bible and Math today. We have a spelling bee later in the day so surely that counts for something. Everyone did some spelling bee words on spellingcity.com -in a feeble attempt to study. My kids were very resistant to the spelling bee this year - and no one studied much.

9:30am - finish getting ready, house chores, start loads of laundry and dishes, move chicken tractor out of shed so the girls can get some free-range time.

Begin process of packing for various activities of this day. 3 ball uniforms, 1 play costume, various props, items for entertainment and food. Everyone has bags in the laundry room for special uniforms and all the pieces go immediately from the dryer into these bags hanging on a hook in the laundry room-so we always know where everything is.

11:00am - Take Ally to the beauty shop for Civil war era ringlets in her hair. Sure, I could do it myself, but then she would just blame me for looking like a poodle. Walk to Good Will next door to beauty shop and buy great skirt and shorts for $6.00 total-tags on them both, too. 12:00pm still waiting...I decide to treat myself to a professional manicure since I am just sitting here doing nothing at the beauty shop. I kinda thought this would be a 15 minute hair do - not 1 1/2+ hours. Choke over $45.00 price for hair do! Mercy! shouldn't've gotten that manicure. Although, I must say the manicure was educational for Gracie, who pelted the lady with question after question and is now highly interested in how fungus can be transfered under fingernails.

The hairdresser did a great job; even though she didn't know who Nellie Olsen was, and she had never heard of Little Women. Ally wasn't too thrilled to go to the spelling bee with curls and a big blue bow.

12:45pm - Run through a drive thru for a quick bite to eat before heading out to Spelling Bee.

1:00-2:30pm - Homeschool Spelling Bee.

2:15pm - Leave spelling bee early to take Ally to dress rehearsal before her 5:00 performance of Little Women. She will play the part of the youngest March girl, Amy. Carefully pin Ally into poorly constructed (by me) costume and hope everything holds together until the play is over - and restrict all fluids so she doesn't have to go to the bathroom until the performance is over. Notice upon leaving how badly uneven that hem is! Note to self - pin hem while child wears dress next time.

3:30 - Leave two girls and take two boys back to the beauty shop where little brother left his Leapster. Then back to my house to play Wii until their baseball game. Yippee 1 hour for house chores, make supper, and have some quiet time.

4:30pm - dress 2 boys in white baseball pants and threaten them severely about getting dirty. Spend 30 minutes pushing baseball belts into the too small loops in baseball pants. Why don't they just make the buckle thing smaller or the loops bigger? Lay out husband's coaching uniform, print out his line ups.

4:45pm - Send boys with dad to ball field and go to see Little Women play. Our house rule is you must be 1 hour early to all games, 15 minutes early to all practices. Dad will have to watch the play later on video.

6:30pm - After play, unpin Ally and give her softball uniform to change into. Help her shove mass of hairspray stiff ringlets into ponytail.

6:50pm - Load girls in car to go to softball - meet boys at the softball field and settle in for the last activity of the day! A kind of chilly, windy night at the ballfield, we all snuggle under a blanket!

10:30pm - Home. Ally's team lost 7 -8. Kids to bed quickly. Put chickens up. Make coffee and lunch for husband. Plan a recovery day for tomorrow. I'm beat! The house looks like a tornado hit it. More games tomorrow and Saturday; gotta get those uniforms clean again.

A Trip to the Zoo

We had a great trip to the zoo today! One of the things that made it so fun was that I never looked at the map. I let the kids navigate and determine how long to spend in each section. So many times we are guilty of taking the kids to a "kid" place like the zoo or a theme park and rush them through with a we have to see everything, do everything, get our money's worth kind of attitude. It was fun just to let the kids set the pace. I was there for adult supervision and photo-taking. We backtracked several times and got to see animals after they woke up later in the day.

Elana got to come with us. We decided this was a science/art field trip and we all brought our sketchbooks to do lots of drawing. I enjoyed sketching with them. They didn't need any practice acting like monkeys, but the monkey exhibit was very cool! I think everyone liked the noisy gibbons most of all.

We had a fun picnic and went back into the zoo for some more exploring.
I was kind of surprised at how Daniel got into all the sketching too. Of course the art teacher in me really loved all this drawing! There are so many reasons art and science are such a beautiful mix -a huge part of both is just learning to be observant.

What a great day! To top it all off, we had the most perfect weather - and we went to Sonic and got slushies. You just can't beat that kind of a day!

Random Adventuring

Gracie has become crazy about basketball for some reason. Daddy brought a new ball home from work and we walked to the park for some basketball and family time.

We found lots of adventure along the way, as always.

Daniel and I spent some time on the playground.

We have a lot of hot air balloons that come over the hills near our house taking aerial tours of the beautiful Texas bluebonnets around here.

More pictures from my view. I take these pictures of my 3 kids all the time, walking in front of me like this. I'm not sure why, but I love these pictures. I have a ton of them walking, hiking, running. They fuss, "Why do you take pictures of our backsides, you can't even see our faces?" But for some reason, it is an unposed snapshot of time - and a view I want to remember. Just them stair-stepped in height and walking before me, taking on adventures. Maybe someday I'll gather all of them from toddler on up and put all of them in a scrapbook.

Homemade Laundry Soap Results

Well, I really like the homemade laundry soap. It is very thick and kind of messy to use, but I'm not sure why that is exactly. I recently skimped on some Great Value fabric softner and my laundry isn't smelling as good as I would like. I'm not sure if it is the laundry soap or the fabric softner at this point. I may try to add some more fragrance next time I make it.

I have been impressed with the whitening, and brightness of my colors! Just check out these clean ball pants! If you remember how bad these looked from the post below, you know they were caked with layers of mud and grass stain. I just scrubbed some of the mud off with a laundry brush and some of the homemade laundry soap, then used a little Spray 'n Wash on the grass stains; and they came really clean! I was kind of surprised, actually.

I mentioned my mom is a bit of a laundry soap snob and she didn't really like it. She doesn't think it is sudsy enough. I have a HE machine, so not sudsy is great for that.

Daniel's First Game

Daniel had his first coach pitch game tonight. They played in the rain for a bit.

Now, would you look at those white pants? What'd I tell you? I guess we'll put that homemade laundry soap to the test. I mean, look at those knees! Really, how does that happen?

The Wiersbe Bible Study Series

My husband got so excited when I had the chance to review a Wiersbe Bible Study book! He has had several of these study books and Wiersbe Commentaries in the past and really enjoyed them. This book is a study over 1 & 2nd Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. As the Wiersbe studies always are, this is a neat study. There is really a lot of depth for a mature Christian, yet they serve as just a good general digging into scripture that anyone can do. We like to do these studies as part of a personal quiet time, but the book outlines tips and suggestions for using the book in a small group as well. I like these studies as part of a one-on-one discipleship time with another believer.


The study has some great insightful questions, along with excerpts from the commentary by the author called Be Encouraged. The Study itself is really well done with the focus and intent of the questions, and the quotes from the commentary really bring out information and application of passages. Wiersbe includes historical background, Greek translations, and other tidbits to help you go deeper into the scripture.


For a small group, these books need an experienced and capable leader. Each lesson would be long to cover in much depth in a small group, and discussions could get pretty complex. This study; as it covers these particular letters of Paul, has many directives to those in leadership, but the study points to the usefulness of these instructions to every church member. There are 8 lessons, with a bonus review lesson included, a good length for a small group.

The book sells for $8.99 and would be an excellent resource for personal spiritual growth or for a small group setting. Go here to purchase this book and learn more about other Wiersbe books. Three additional books from The Weirsbe Bible Study Series are due to be released this Spring over Galatians, Proverbs, and Matthew.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by David C. Cook for the purposes of review only.

Homeschool Spring Break Days

We didn't schedule a normal Spring Break this year. We were anticipating a move, and thought we would need a week off during that time. We have tentatively put off the move. Maybe later on in the year. We are really convicted about saving right now, and not spending!

Anyway, I owed the kids 5 days off for Spring Break. So, I came up with a really fun plan! I think it may have to become a school tradition. Each kid gets one day to claim as their own Spring Break day for the whole family to enjoy. They can surprise us all in the morning-or they can claim the day in advance. I get 2 days as well. It creates a fun event to look forward to -and some sibling love as you get to bless each other with a free day. Yesterday I used one of my days and Gracie made a spa in her bedroom; charging for massages, pedicures, manicures, facials, and other "fancy" treatments.

Even the dog got a mani-pedi with pink painted nails; though she wasn't too thrilled about it.

You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes - Review

You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes by Lisa McKay is a great encouraging read about the challenges and unique situations that come with being a preacher's wife. Don't you love that title? Any woman who has a husband in the ministry should read this book. In addition - this book would make a WONDERFUL gift to encourage your pastor's wife - or anyone in your life who is in the ministry. I think a lot of people take for granted the difficulties associated with a calling to a ministry life. This calling is a particular challenge when it is your husband's calling - not yours. It is truly a unique life - both difficult and wonderful at the same time.

This book is packed with advice, scripture, Biblical application, personal examples, and encouragement; but what is most valuable is the understanding. It is hard in the ministry to find someone who understands the challenges of life in the ministry; particularly if you are serving in a small church in a small town. Lisa tackles some HUGE issues like involvement, privacy, hurts, PK's, and serving in your own ministries.

You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes should be required reading for ministry wives! One of the neat things this book includes at the end of each chapter is the "Round Table" insight from other women in all walks of life, not just ministry wives. I loved this book, and Lisa McKay! She has such a "girlfriend" casual feel to her writing; you feel like you've known her forever. Her sense of humor and fun make this book fun to read, too. She did a great job with a pretty complex topic.

Here's a link to the book trailer and here is the link to Lisa McKay's blog which is a neat site to explore and read more!

Here's a link to buy the book - it sells for $12.99 - and it is well worth it!

Disclaimer: You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes was provided by David C. Cook for the purposes of review only.

See Post Below

Okay, I take all that back. The small black chicken is dead. The kids are traumatized -and we are all sad. Just about the time I typed that post; the dog was outside eating Cluckit. Supposedly, you should beat a dog with the dead chicken to teach them not to do this - but I didn't have the guts for that. No, I don't think I could wring one of their necks for lunch.

Making lemonade out of a lemon - the kids all went outside and saw the mangled chicken. Then later they said how they wished they hadn't. The image was in their memory to stay and they wished it wasn't. This was a perfect teaching illustration for why we don't watch bad movies. Terrible images stay in your head that you can never remove.

Grown Chickens

Remember all my posts HERE about our science project hatching eggs in the incubator? Well, somehow the chicks hatched and have never left. So, our backyard has become their home. We know if any of them are roosters (we should know in a couple months) they will have to find a new home.

I kind of waffle about what I am going to do with them. Truth is, I am really attached to them. They are getting huge! Our kids are really easy going, they tolerate them and the chores associated with their care. I think they wouldn't mind getting rid of them - or eating them for that matter. We all want to find out if they are hens or roosters and experience them laying eggs, too. So, I guess, they are here to stay for a while. Byron is not a fan to say the least.

This one is the boss. They aren't serving any purpose at this point in their lives. Hey, chickens eat lots of bugs - isn't that a good thing? Now that they have outgrown the broody box and can range about freely, they aren't much trouble and they aren't that messy.

Texas Bluebonnets

It has been a VERY good bluebonnet year this Spring! The hills all around us are totally covered with Bluebonnets - so pretty!

Gotta love this picture!

Just amazing!

Laundry Experiment

I have for the longest been wanting to try to make my own laundry soap. I hear people talking about it -how better and cheap it is - so, today I gave it a try. So here's my laundry situation. I like Gain - it's a bit less than $6 for a box of the powdered Gain. The box says 40 loads and I go through a box every 2 weeks. So, I spend $12 a month probably on laundry soap. I can't believe I do 80 loads a month - that's probably not right. I do all large loads and probably use too much too. I do probably do 2 loads a day. Anyway. Back to my experiment.

So, I found a recipe on one of my favorite blogs and got everything I needed. It was super easy too. Borax - $2.15, Washing Soda $3.30, Dove $1. So, less than $7.00 - and it made 3 gallons. How many loads do you suppose that is? Its gotta be at least 2 month's worth. And the other thing is that I have tons of supplies leftover, I'll probably be able to make 4 more batches with these supplies - except for a few more bars of Dove. So, probably $10 for a 10 month supply. That is pretty incredible - that's like a savings of $110. So, it is a better deal than I thought.

So the question is - am I going to like it? Is it going to smell good? Is it going to work well? 'Cause let me tell you I got some dirty people living in this house! I gotta little boy who is gonna play baseball with some WHITE ball pants! And he feels the need to slide into every base - even if it is not necessary.

I'm gonna give some of it to my mama and let her try it out too. She is a total laundry snob -very particular about her laundry -and if she likes it - it has to be good. I'll report back to you in a few weeks with my findings.

Taming Kid Clutter: Works for Me Wednesday

Okay, I DO have some kid clutter issues! Homeschooling makes kid clutter really difficult, too. Right now piles of papers I need to grade are the clutter problem I am facing. But, I wanted to share THREE really great ways that we help keep the kid clutter at least at a minimum around our house.

1. You're gonna like this one -SCRAPBOOK IT. I know, it is a sacrifice I make for the good of the family. It actually keeps my house cleaner and de-cluttered. Maybe today I will scrapbook INSTEAD of doing the dishes.

Seriously, the kids know I scrapbook and they have gotten used to the idea that we can take a picture of the art work, other creation, fort, chalk drawing, stick creation, school project, sculpture, or other mess they have created. They know that they will have the picture to forever remember it. Now, after the picture, we THROW IT AWAY. They wouldn't go for this if they didn't actually see pictures in the scrapbook from the past. We write or they dictate the story of their creation for the scrapbook and we have it forever.

2. Garage Sale It. I know, you are thinking "duh." But, really involve kids in the sale, make it a yearly event, and remind them all year to set things aside for it. AND - give them the money for their items! My kids are just reaching that money-saving-grubbing stage and man they are excited to turn their old junk into cash! All this reinforces the beauty and SKILL of going through and getting rid of stuff. It is a skill that needs to be taught - and a habit that they need to learn now. They need to see the benefits of organization that come from de-cluttering.

3. Clean Sweep It. Have you seen this show? The one where they set out tarps labeled keep it, sell it, and throw it away? This is a fun rainy day clean your room activity that kids actually enjoy. We declared a Clean Sweep Day and I taped an episode of the show and let my girls watch it first so they could see how it works. The strategies used on the show really worked on my pack-rat kid. It was easy for her to get rid of things when we lined up 7 and said, choose 3 to keep. We are about due for this process in the girl's room. I'll have to take some pictures later to share the success. With my girls sharing a room this type of major overhauling is necessary to regularly keep things in order. For the process to work the room has to be completely emptied. This really helps us find the hidden or forgotten stashes of trash or treasured belongings which are such a problem in kid's rooms.

Bluebonnet Pictures

We went for a quick hike on a nearby nature trail. Of course I had to do the traditional bluebonnet pictures!

Latest Sign

This isn't a very good picture of my latest sign. It says, "Sometimes we need to be reminded who truly does the washing..." Psalms 51: 1-2. This verse says "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin."

I love it! Here's a close up. Daniel says it is his favorite because of the underwear!
What a neat reminder in my laundry room! It sure makes me smile. It is my hope that laundry can become a grateful reminder of something greater! Wouldn't that be a pleasant change?

The Owl Box

CLICK HERE to see the Owl Box I posted about previously. I hadn't seen it in a while - the eggs are hatched and the baby owls are getting so big! They are SO ugly, too!

Easter

We had such a fun and blessed Easter weekend with family! The weather turned out to be beautiful and the Texas roadways are COVERED with bluebonnets and indian paintbrushes! I'll have some good pictures of those soon. It can't be spring without some wildflower photos.

April Fool's Day

As a kid, April Fool's Day was huge in my house! My brother spent most of the year planning for this day. My whole family has been conditioned to go throughout the day on guard, walking very carefully, paying close attention, and answering the phone very skeptically. I pray my brother never has an actual emergency on this day, because no one would believe him. Here's the short list from my family as I remember it:

• saran wrap on the toilet seat


• black cats fire crackers- anywhere he could put them


• setting off the fire alarm


• fishing line strung over doorways


• turning food colors - waking up to green milk


• toilet paper in the bisquits (mixed into the dough before baking)


• super glue - 1000's of April Fool applications

If you give a kid an April Fool supply list of toilet paper, saran wrap, food coloring, super glue, and fishing line and they can really be creative. I did NOT give my children these items.

I DID however discover the water in our water cooler is green AND fake dog pee on the floor. That second one did get me for a second as I did a sudden flashback to the puppy days with our dog.

Over the years I learned that other people don't always appreciate April Fool's Day quite like my family. I'll never forget when I was 16 and dating my husband. A friend called him on April Fool's and told him I was in a wreck. He and his dad were headed out the door to my rescue -and they were not happy to learn it was a prank!

My two pranksters!