Lucan's Letter

Seven-year-old Lucan has a pen pal in South Dakota. He received his first letter from Ty last month, and finally we sat down to get a response ready. I decided to allow Lucan to dictate the letter to me in the interest of getting something IN the mail rather than waiting for him to write everything out. This is what he dictated...I love the random ramblings!

December 2, 2016

Dear Ty,

I hope you and your family have a great time. I am an artist, and I like playing with Legos. I really want to obey my parents very well. Zaden, my 5-year-old brother, sometimes wants me to not make my Lego guys back to normal. Zaden also has less schoolwork than me.

Tobin and Arden sometimes do Minecraft. Tobin is 14, Arden is 13. I am 7 years old.

Kenna, my 9-year-old sister, has Legos too. And also me, Kenna, and Zaden like playing with Legos together.

Charis, my 16-year-old sister, is a babysitter. And also sometimes she is here at home.

And Seanin is the chubby one. He is 3 years old. Me, Zaden, and Seanin share a room. Seanin just won’t let me have some of my Lego pieces.

And baby Rhema, my youngest sibling, she is very cute even though she cries sometimes. She is one and a half years old. Sometimes me and her play with each other.

I have 8 children in my family, soon to be 9.

My dad goes to work almost every day and comes back for dinner. My mom, with baby Verity in her tummy, it’s getting hard for her to bend over.

Ty, there is one thing I would like to tell you about me. I sometimes have dreams what are like in heaven.

Sometimes our movie time is watching “Octonauts.”

I hope you like my letter!

Built-in Catch-up Weeks

Before our school year even started, I was reminded of a homeschooling approach a friend of mine used years and years ago when our children were small. She scheduled "catch-up weeks" throughout her school year; if I remember correctly, 3 weeks of curriculum followed by one week to tie up any loose ends. When our children were small, it was much easier to stay "on schedule," and while I thought her idea sounded nice, I wasn't as concerned about all those little things we just didn't get around to doing. For her, though, it was a great way to stay relaxed during the school year and add even more special things--extra field trips or activities that may have gotten ignored or missed in a slavish drive to "keep up with school."

Now, years later, I am schooling 3 times as many kids as when I first heard this idea! And the range is incredible: from kindergarten up through 11th grade. In addition to the 6 who are officially on the Jakin Academy roster, we have 2 littles who need training in various areas as well.

In other words, the idea of a catch-up week has become a dire necessity, not simply a luxury!

My working school notebook has 6 weeks of scheduled curriculum. We more or less successfully worked our way through the first 6 weeks of school, studying all kinds of things from China to weather to early American history. We learned how to navigate our way through incredibly busy co-op days (twice a month) plus weekly speech and debate classes. We had dental exams and eye appointments. Mom took naps and managed to feed 10 people more or less 3 times a day, every day.

And so, not surprisingly, we "got behind" in checking off those boxes. The kids cheered when I told them last weekend that the coming week would be our opportunity to finish up those things we hadn't been able to do yet, which included a number of science experiments and module quiz and test for Tobin; lots of speech homework for Charis; some science reading for Lucan and Zaden, and spelling lists for Kenna. Oh, it was NICE to have some unhurried days! Especially since Ted had Columbus Day off work and yesterday (Friday) was a busy co-op/class day.

From a mental and emotional perspective, I as the mom NEEDED to NOT press on--I needed some time to gain a bigger perspective, some clarity, take deep breaths and remember that this is our calling for such a time as this. It's too easy to feel like a failure when I'm not accomplishing things, and by that I mean finishing. God hasn't called me to check boxes...He has called me to raise children. That's a lesson that I as the teacher have to learn over and over.

Back to School

It's hard to believe we are nearing the end of our 5th week of school! My weekdays are so incredibly full, and yet somehow it seems we are always neglecting or forgetting something, lol. One of my prayers is from Isaiah 54:13: "All your children will be taught by the Lord, and great will be your children's peace." Oh, Lord, teach my children what YOU want them to know! Because their human teacher is so very, very inadequate!!

It blows my mind that we are in our 12th year of homeschooling. When our oldest children were wee babes, Ted and I knew that we wanted to homeschool, but in my mind, it would only be through the elementary years, because...why would I want to do more than that?! How in the world could I possibly teach my children ALL those subjects?!

Clearly God has shown that the path He desires for our family is to continue homeschooling. There are days--trust me--when I wish His plan included something different! But His grace is sufficient and His mercies are new every morning. We love learning and growing together. I wouldn't trade this life for anything else, even though it is one of the hardest things we've ever done.

At almost 16 years old, Charis is a busy 11th grader. She is counting down the days until she gets her driver's license (so am I, ha) and working on Sonlight's 20th Century World History core along with chemistry. She is taking a speech class once a week, and though it keeps her busy with a lot of extra work for the apologetics portion that she chose to pursue, she is looking forward to learning and preparing for some competitions! Charis is also keeping busy preparing for the National Bible Bee competition in November and continues with piano and violin lessons.

Eeeek! We have two kids in high school now! Tobin is so excited about his 9th grade year! He is loving American History and excited about participating in a debate class for the first time ever. (Look out, world, lol.) Both he and Arden love their computer programming activities on Khan Academy as well. Tobin's spare time sees him fiddling with a variety of Rubick's cubes--he blows my mind with how he can solve them so quickly!

Arden is in 8th grade! We've chosen to split him and Tobin for the first time ever--Arden is doing the Eastern Hemisphere core with the new history book that Sonlight is using in place of the World Book Encyclopedia CD that we used the first time around. Since he was only in 5th grade at the time, he is really enjoying the chance to delve deeper and work independently. He says his favorite subject is "reading;" I'm not sure if that's reading history, science, or his literature, but I'm just happy he loves to read, lol. He is also enjoying a Lego robotics class at our homeschool co-op.

Kenna is in 4th grade! History is her favorite subject--she is doing the first year of Sonlight's 2-year American History tour and reads most of the books on her own. (I have to hide them so she doesn't go too far ahead!) She is also taking a writing and beginning sign language class through a homeschool co-op twice a month.

Lucan is in 2nd grade! He started piano lessons over the summer and continues to enjoy music. He says math is his favorite subject. He and Zaden are doing the Sonlight Year 1 of World History core. He is in Kenna's co-op classes with his best friend Zach, 

Zaden is in KINDERGARTEN! He is eagerly breezing through the 100EZ Lessons (reading) book and plowing through the Math-U-See Primer. He and Lucan are doing the Sonlight Year 1 of World History core. His co-op classes include making musical instruments and a young scientist's hands-on class.

Seanin is 3 years old and recently passed his Potty Training Class so that he could attend Cubbies at AWANA this year! That was a huge motivator for him, lol. Whatever works!

Rhema-Roo is over 14 months old now and not yet walking...seems we breed slow walkers, lol. She is fully capable but not convinced in her own mind yet! Rhema is thoroughly doted on and an awfully adorable interruption in our daily routine. She truly is a little ray of sunshine in our lives.

Leather Factory Tour

Another place I wanted to visit in person before leaving Italy: the Sims Leather Factory! This factory is very close to the Naval Support Site and has been owned by the same family for several generations. Their leather is famous in that the dye goes all the way through the leather--it isn't simply sprayed on like most other places. It was fascinating to learn about the process, a great field trip for the kids who were able to go. (Some had to attend Missoula Children's Theater rehearsal during our scheduled visit, but my girls and younger boys came with me on the tour.) And at the end...shopping at a discount! Leather gloves for me, Charis, my mom, and my mother-in-law.

Blurry...it's an action shot! Zaden is helping place the wet pieces of leather onto the...thingie...!

Hands-on learning! We see how they measure and cut the needed shapes.

A Day in the Life

Every now and then I try to capture a fairly normal weekday in all of its insane glory. It's fun to look back later (like 3 years from now when I'll be working on this year's scrapbook, lol) and see some of the things we took for granted...and how quickly they change! So here was a day in our homeschool/life...

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2014

Up at 5am. Ted showers, I nurse Seanin and read a few pages on a Kindle book (When Godly People Do Ungodly Things by Beth Moore) as I rub the bleary out of my eyes. (I only nursed Seanin because he was awake and crying...usually it's closer to 6 or 6:30.)

5:45. Ted brings coffee! We pray together, then Ted puts Seanin back to bed and we do our Bible reading. (Today for me: Exodus 23-25 and Matthew 20:20-34.)

6:45. T-Tapp time. Only 15 minutes of exercise? Yes, please! (14 inches lost since November 1!)

7-8ish. Kitchen puttering. Write out older kids' assignments on white board in kitchen. Breakfast. Send Ted off to work. Write notes on planner. Do my Rosetta Stone lesson. (Still on level 1. Unit 3. Slow but steady progress.)

(OK, I am stopping with the specific times. Everything from here on out is a blur!)

Little boys wake for breakfast. ("Mooooommmmmmmyyyyyyy!" Zaden keeps calling.) I hustle upstairs, trying to shush them--good heavens, the echoes in this house!! Sunshiney smiles from Lucan and Zaden. Why can't we all wake up this joyful?!

Start the boys on breakfast--cereal with fresh, raw milk. Once they are settled, I return to the 3rd floor to get Seanin, who is awake again and ready for second breakfast--he's a hobbit minus the hairy feet! By the time I return to the kitchen, Kenna has joined the crew. And Charis surprises me--she's awake before the older boys! She makes herself some hot tea to ward off the junk she's been fighting...'tis the season in Naples. I holler for the older boys and go over the assignment board with the older three, then go with Kenna to the library (a room near our family room) to do some reading with her. We read about ancient Roman times (what a coincidence, ha!) and do her reading lesson from Phonics Pathways. I ask her to choose one of the phrases from the page of reading exercises and dictate a story to me--it occurs to me that we haven't done much in the way of creative writing with Kenna, so this is a spontaneous assignment that she gleefully agrees to do. I write out her story, and she illustrates it. (Click on the picture if you want to see it enlarged!)

I am pleased with our time together thus far! I send Kenna off to read with Arden--I have decided the older kids need to be involved in the younger kids' education at least minimally, and this allows them to read some books they either haven't read themselves or don't remember from when we read them the first time around. (Sneaky, right?!) Kenna fell in love with the Boxcar Children, our first read-aloud with this core, so Arden is reading book #2 with her. Later Tobin will do science with her, and I smile in delight when I overhear him giving further explanation about the rotation of the sun. I LOVE this plan!!

I check in with the older kids to see how they are doing on their independent work checklist, and then I spend some time reading with Zaden and Lucan. They absolutely love this book that has 12 popular children's stories...I got it from Sonlight a few years ago, and it is totally falling apart, the sign of a fabulous book in our house. It's been awhile since we read from it, though, so here we go. Today's stories include Goodnight Moon, which has Zaden repeating everything once we get to the part where we tell all the objects goodnight, and Harold and the Purple Crayon, with Lucan playing the part of Harold, drawing various items in the air.

When little boys start getting wiggly, it's time to head to the kitchen. Charis is working on Rosetta Stone--I'm determined that our family will leave Italy with at least a level of competence with this language! We were pretty faithful to do these computer-based lessons throughout the summer, but once Seanin arrived it was survival mode only. We just started this up again after the holidays.

Kenna is working on her math and handwriting pages, so it's time now for me to occupy the younger boys so they don't start fighting over who gets the dark brown Playmobile horse for the 47th time. We make banana bread to use up the squishy bananas. We almost never have squishy bananas because they mostly disappear 18 seconds after I put them in the fruit stand, but I purposely kept buying them so that eventually we WOULD have some for banana bread--it has been far too long since I made any! We put together two loaves' worth with a minimum amount of mess!

Lucan does some schoolwork at the table while we are in the kitchen. He is delighted to be a big boy and have school books, too! I ordered the early Explode the Code books, and he is doing well with this Get Set for the Code workbook.

Meanwhile, Tobin has ventured on a rabbit trail...instead of schoolwork, he is devouring his new Boy Scouts' handbook and excitedly showing his siblings how to carry someone in need of assistance with either the two-hand or four-hand hold (the latter of which is shown below). Both Kenna and Charis receive "rescue rides," as the boys demonstrate the two different holds (one for a conscious subject and one for unconscious). Much to Kenna's disappointment, Mom puts the kibosh on this activity (after watching and giving hearty approval for awhile--I'm not a total killjoy!) and sends everyone back to work.

With the banana bread baking, I put Seanin down for a nap and check in on the older kids, who are working to finish their independent tasks before lunch. At some point I work in spelling and grammar with the older kids, but I really do need to rework our schedule so I can have one-on-one time with them on a more regular basis that does NOT involve constant interruptions. Now, Tobin and Charis are beginning research projects, Tobin doing the state report that Charis had to do last year (they both chose Ohio) and Charis comparing and contrasting Hindu and Muslim cultures in India. Here Tobin uses our World Book Encyclopedia to do some Ohio research--so far we have only used it for our Eastern Hemisphere studies this year, but there is a lot of information available on it!

Approaching lunch time. Again, I work to involve Zaden in the preparation process--not particularly because I want or need his "help" (think Steve the monkey in Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs: "Helping...helping...helping...") but because it will keep him from driving his older siblings bonkers. And, I have to admit, it is also good character development for me! I am forced to slow down, make my words gentle, and teach him some basic life skills. ("Don't grab the knife out of Mommy's hand" comes to mind.) We are having hot dogs with cheese stuffed into slits. The 'dogs are Hebrew National kosher franks, so I suppose you could say this is another culture study in the making! ;-)

Over the lunch break the kids are supposed to practice their music. Charis does so, practicing both piano and violin. (Now that I'm writing all this out, I think the boys actually skipped out on this--grrrr!) We are borrowing a keyboard because our electric piano has apparently died and we haven't done anything about it yet. Thankfully the kids' music teacher has a spare keyboard, but we really should get on the ball and order a new one ourselves!

During lunch I begin reading Kenna's next read-aloud, Dolphin Adventure. The older kids note that it's the same author (Wayne Grover) as their current reader, Ali and the Golden Eagle! What a coincidence! The chapters are very short, and we get through four of them.

Things tend to fall apart a bit (OK, sometimes a lot) over the lunch hour. I work hard to get Zaden AND Seanin in bed for a nap so that once Tobin finishes washing all the morning/lunch dishes we are ready to sit down for our Sonlight reading (Bible, geography/history, science--some of this is simply checking the work the kids did in the morning). However, today Seanin is miserable. Zaden goes down well enough for his nap, but Seanin is having none of this sleeping thing. I do manage to get my own lunch eaten before I decide to put Seanin in the Ergo and bounce around with him while I finish reading the dolphin book to Kenna and Arden.

Whew. It's 2:00 before the older kids gather in the family room for us to finish our school day. I remember the days when school was all done before lunchtime...  We usually do our Bible reading first, but today we actually did that at the breakfast table. We are in Hebrews now. I always love it when I read a verse and one of the kids' pipes up, "I know that verse! I learned it in AWANA [or Bible Bee or whatever]!" Since Charis, Ted, and I are reading through the Bible in a year and have been reading in Exodus, it's a cool parallel to read about the ministry of Jesus as our high priest.

Anyway. Our afternoon school time today involves checking the science activity sheets they did along with the morning's reading (they are learning about the human body this year, so part of today's reading was about food and nutrition). Today's history time together involves checking the pages in the kids' Eastern Hemisphere notebooks. We are beginning a new unit on the Middle East, having celebrated our end of the India study on Monday. The kids read the overview and history synopsis of the Middle East on the aforementioned World Book Encyclopedia during their morning work time. Their notebook pages have an extensive timeline, which was rather overwhelming for them, so we ended up doing this part together. By the time we finish this it is nearly 4:00, Zaden is ready to get up from his nap, and Seanin is ready to nurse again.

And this is what our family room looks like.

I wish I could say that everything got put back in place and the children engaged in worthwhile, creative activities until dinnertime, but I'm pretty sure the house was still a wreck when, exhausted, I give permission for Arden to start a Veggie Tales DVD for the littles while I take a few minutes to breathe, check email and Facebook, attempt to put Seanin down for a real nap, and then begin dinner. Actually, Charis probably WAS engaged in some kind of crafty project in her room, and Tobin was either playing with Legos or reading his Boy Scout handbook in his room, so I suppose not everyone's mind turned to mush in front of the TV, ha!

We had taco casserole and peas for dinner and went around the table to tell something we learned during school today. Attention waned so we didn't get to do our "Joy, junk, Jesus" sharing, but hey, I guess you can only take so much family togetherness. The little boys got baths, the older boys took showers, Charis swept and mopped the kitchen, Arden washed dishes, Kenna rinsed, and I sat with an ice pack on my back, which was starting to spazz out again. Ted returned from putting Lucan and Zaden to bed and paced the family room with Seanin in the Ergo, since he hadn't napped more than a few minutes all afternoon. I began our new read-aloud (Shadow Spinner), and we got through 3 chapters before calling it a night.

Whew! We usually only have 2-3 school days this full during the week, since we go to Support Site on Tuesdays for my ladies' Bible study time in the morning and homeschool park/play day after lunch. Piano lessons are on Fridays, and we try to cram in other work so we don't have as much to do on Fridays. We never get to EVERYTHING on any given day, but Lord willing, we hit most of it when we can and grab other subjects on other days. I constantly pray that God will direct our children's education and allow them to love learning so much that they will independently seek out anything we may be missing in our official curriculum so that HE will prepare and equip them for the calling He has on their lives.

I am so grateful for His grace in this homeschooling life adventure! We know we are so inadequate in and of ourselves, but praise the Lord for His Spirit and divine power which has given us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).

Over Halfway--A Celebration Meal!

Last week we finished our unit study of India using Sonlight's Eastern Hemisphere core. That took us over halfway through the 36 weeks of this curriculum, and since we had "been" in India for quite a long time, we decided a celebration was in order. I had the kids pick a project from the "Choose Your Own Adventure" section of their Eastern Hemisphere notebook pages (we have only done those with the countries we spent more than a week or two on!) to present to the family at the end of the unit.

Charis memorized the first 8 stanzas (translated into English) of a poem by a famous Indian author. Tobin chose to research the Indus Valley civilization and present a report. And Arden decided (after scratching a research project on kites) that cooking was a FANTASTIC option!

It worked out well that Ted was off work on Monday, so we had our big meal at lunchtime since Tobin was going to attend his first Boy Scout meeting with Ted in the evening. It turned out sooooo yummy! We made Chicken Tandoori (recipe from a Sonlight cookbook) and naan (same cookbook), plus hummus for dipping the bread in as well as Indian Potatoes from a recipe I just searched for online. Everything was fabulous! We will definitely make these dishes again!

Back to School: Chunking It!

Ready or not, here we go...

That was how I felt as Labor Day weekend approached!  My goal was to begin school again after Labor Day.  The lack of routine and structure for the older kids especially was really wearing on all of us.  After an extended break, I felt as if we were dealing with more squabbles and bickering than usual and general wild (though fairly harmless) behavior especially with the older boys, whose energy really needs more of a release than our house-bound, schedule-less summer allowed for.

On Labor Day itself we wanted to get out of the house and do something different, so we drove to Gaeta to Split Mountain--I'll have to blog about that later with pics.  That evening I was a bit in a panic, because I knew our "usual" school schedule needed to be thrown out the window now that we had a newborn in the house!  I didn't have time or energy to figure out HOW to do school; I just knew that we HAD to start for my sanity as well as for the kids' education, ha!

God mercifully gave me a brain burst that evening...instead of scheduling every little thing (which really does help us focus and get a lot done as a general rule), we are in a season during which "chunking" our time is going to be the best approach.  The older kids are far enough along that they can do a lot more independent work; plus, we need to give them opportunities to practice good time management skills (don't we all need to work on that?!) plus prove they can be responsible.

So our school days generally look something like this:

8:00 - 9:00  Breakfast, devotions, clean-up, morning chores, "hygiene time"  (Laugh if you must, but the boys needed "Put on deodorant" and "Brush teeth" ON THEIR CHECKLIST!!  They shower at night, but with the heat we were having when school began, they were already smelling ripe by the time mid-morning arrived!)

9:00 - 11:00  While I work with Kenna (reading lesson, math, handwriting) and do some reading aloud with her and the little boys, the older kids work on their quiet time (Bible reading, AWANA review, memory verses) math, language arts, to include their current reader, grammar, vocab, and a writing assignment each week (sometimes I still need to be involved with this--we just juggle), Rosetta Stone (Italian lessons), and independent reading (sometimes history, sometimes science).

11:00 - 1:00  The older kids are supposed to be practicing piano/violin during this time while I get lunch ready, but so far none of them has shown much initiative!  They seem to be more interested in free time--it probably doesn't help that I allow them to have free time when they finish their 9-11 block activities, so it's hard for them to keep track of that.  I don't really want anyone to begin practicing music until everyone else is finished with their work, since the piano is right in the middle of our work area, so I'm not sure how to work this other than encouraging them to be mindful of the time and take responsibility for their activities...much easier said than done, sigh.  Usually it dawns on me in the middle of the afternoon or even later that I never did hear any music, and then I do try to make the kids do their practicing then so they aren't completely getting away with not practicing at all...but there are days when it just doesn't happen.  So this needs improvement...

Anyway, we have lunch and clean up during this time as well, plus get Zaden ready for his nap.  I try to get some quiet activities ready for Lucan and Zaden (half the time Arden ends up playing with them too, LOL) for the next block of our day.

1:00 - ??  This is the time when we gather to do the rest of the older kids' schedule.  We read and discuss a Bible passage, pray for missionaries, sometimes read from a book highlighting 100 cities with prayer points, and go over our history and science.  I check any independent work that I didn't get to check during the morning as well.  It's a fun time of engaging with Charis, Tobin, and Arden, hearing them process ideas and pray out loud, and discussing things that make me delight in the privilege of being such an integral part of their growth.  Some days we don't finish until 3 or 3:30 (usually when our last chunk of time starts later than 1:00 for whatever reason).  Other days I hurry us up so that I can attempt to get a nap in while Zaden is still asleep.

We just completed our third week using the "chunked" time schedule, and I have to say that overall, it has been pretty successful.  Charis has figured out that she can maximize her free time by getting out of bed earlier instead of dragging down to breakfast at the last minute...also by happily setting about her work instead of moping her way through the less-favored assignments.  Her attitude has been positively sparkly! And the boys are s-l-o-w-l-y learning to take more responsibility without me nagging...but this will be a work in progress with all of us!

Homeschool Recital Performances

Videos for the grandparents!  (And other long-distance friends and family who can put up with the shaky video quality because they love our kids, LOL.)

Arden plays "The Entertainer" at warp speed:


Tobin plays "The Pink Panther" theme song:


Charis plays "Minuet in G" on the violin while Arden accompanies her on the piano:


Charis plays "The Midnight Fire Alarm" on the piano (a bit faster than it should be because of nerves, but she kept it together pretty well!):

Of Guilt and Rationalization

I recently read an excellent blog post that has circulated the Facebook world, A Letter to Young Mothers.  The author expresses beautifully what I've been learning along my own parenting journey.  It struck me, as I pondered the ups and downs of life as a parent, that instead of being content in the Room of Grace, I too often fluctuate between the extremes of guilt and rationalization.  (See the excellent book The Cure for a treatise on pleasing God vs. trusting God, i.e. living in the Room of Good Intentions vs. living in the Room of Grace.)

Example: I've only exercised 5 days in a row the past two months because of sickness and lower back pain.  I've all but given up on the idea of having a healthy body during this pregnancy, so I've been consuming alarming amounts of junk food.  (Having an all-or-nothing personality isn't something I'm proud of...)  Instead of allowing myself a treat now and then and enjoying it in an emotionally healthy manner, I alternately beat myself up with guilt for "blowing it" or rationalize to myself that I "deserved it."  Neither extreme is a comfortable place to be--and the ironic thing is, any pleasure or comfort I may otherwise have received from my dark chocolate or my crunchy, salty chips ends up replaced by feelings of self-loathing (guilt) or attempted indifference (rationalization).

Yesterday morning I kind of had an epiphany of sorts--and it came in the framework of homeschooling.  We’re floundering somewhat with Ted gone for a 6-week training class in the States.  We are at the end of our American History curriculum but not quite ready to jump into our next Core.  (I have a lot of organizing to do first!)  So, as we wrap up some loose ends, counting down these last 20 or so days until Ted's return, I am just trying to hang on and survive while dealing with lower back pain, exhaustion, and the general chaos that exists in a house with 6 children and a pregnant, hormonal mom.  Our regular daily schedule has been set aside and we literally take one day (moment even) at a time.  I do not cope well with this type of living!

So Monday morning, as I was considering what I thought maybe the kids should do as far as schoolwork that day, I was praying, “Lord, what do YOU want us to get done today?”  And I actually think I detected a note of exasperation in His reply!  I can't type out a word-for-word response that I heard in my heart, but it was along the lines of…really, it doesn't matter WHAT you do [in the realm of math, language arts, etc.]!  What matters is HOW you do it!

When we view eternity…when we’re living in God’s forever kingdom…will my kids have grown in the grace and knowledge of Jesus?  Will they know that He loves them fiercely because I as their mom showed them such love?  Will they have been empowered and equipped to carry the gospel to those who need it and to show love and compassion to everyone regardless of whether it’s easy or convenient?

THOSE are the things that are important.  And I know that, and I tell myself that, and I tell others that (especially newer homeschooling moms), but I still find myself playing this guilt game over not having a clean enough house or an organized enough schedule or being “behind” in this or that.  Behind according to whom or what?!  Good grief.  We've made life so complicated.  It doesn't need to be.  It shouldn't be.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 

1 Cor. 10:31

So whether I eat dark chocolate...or drink coffee...or teach grammar...or wipe a dirty bottom...or tell a child for the 5th time to take his dirty dishes to the sink...or whatever I do...

...I want it to be all for the glory of God.

I want it to count for eternity.

I don't want to waste the moment wallowing in guilt.

I don't want to waste it rationalizing my choices.

Through Jesus Christ I am justified...sanctified...righteous and holy in His sight.  Absolutely I still struggle with sin.  But I dwell in the Room of Grace.  And if my sovereign, holy God gives me grace...shouldn't I give myself some, too?  And shouldn't I be eager to extend it to all those around me?  Actually, it often seems easier to extend grace to everyone else except myself...and those closest to me.  Why do I hold myself (and even my children) to a higher standard than I would expect of others?  I suppose that could be a topic to explore another time...

In the meantime, I'm choosing, in these weeks of "flux," to focus less on the concrete tasks that I would typically write on my planner.  Instead, I want to pursue some of those more elusive ideals of life.  My to-do list might look something more like this:

• Sing of God's love to and with my kids
• Read more stories--Bible stories AND fairy tales
• Cuddle
• Tell my 10-year-old what an awesome kid I think he is
• Actually listen to my 4-year-old when he tells me the saga of the pirate ship he has built out of math blocks and Lincoln logs
• Dance with my 6-year-old in the kitchen
• Spend some alone time with my 12-year-old and give her a safe place to discuss what's on her heart
• Throw the football with my 9-year-old...assuming we can get it down from the ledge between our yard and the neighbors'.  (Sigh.)

No guilt over what isn't "being accomplished."  No rationalizing my need for "alone time."  

Only grace...grace given, grace received.

Paestum

On President's Day we took advantage of Ted's day off to join with other homeschooling families headed to the Greek ruins in Paestum (city named for Poseidon, who, being the god of the sea, obviously helped the Greeks make the crossing to Italy!).  These are the best preserved Greek ruins outside of Greece, and we were eager to explore after hearing so many good things...among others, that this was the place to let the kids run and climb and enjoy!

Well...either the park officials didn't have much else to occupy them, or else the people who told us the kids were allowed to climb around visited on days when there were too many tourists for the officials to hover over, because we ended up with our own personal "vulture" who anxiously followed us from site to site, indicating that the kids were NOT, in fact, to do any climbing.  We still aren't sure if this is because they were simply afraid that someone would get hurt or if they were more concerned about the ruins getting, well, ruined!

At any rate, it was indeed a very cool place to explore.  One of the dads took it upon himself to prepare ahead of time and gave us a wonderful tour, involving the kids in imagining themselves in an ancient Greek city.  It was a sunny day, which was a blessing, as the air was a bit nippy, and rain was expected later in the day, so we managed to plan the tour at the perfect time.

The tour ended with a picnic lunch on the grass next to a ginormous temple built to Poseidon (Neptune), with Chaplain Arreguin leading the kids through some passages of Scripture about God's temple and how now, as believers, WE are the temple.  Very cool!

It took well over an hour and a half to get to the ruins, so it's not someplace we would pop in and out of as easily as we might like--so we were glad for the opportunity to set aside most of a day to visit.  We did hustle home, as our friend Salvatore came for his English lesson/play time with the boys, but we did delay our start time to give us adequate time for the tour.

All in all, the kids seemed to enjoy the excursion as much as we did!  Lucan was really dragging by the time it was over--it was a lot of walking for short little legs!  Ted had Zaden in the backpack, as the trails weren't exactly stroller friendly, and he was also relieved to be able to sit down and relax after it was all over.  A bonus of the long drive was that Ted and I were able to discuss ideas for this year's Commission study as we were driving to Paestum, the result of which was a working outline to send to the director.  Having a framework will make it so much easier when I finally am able to set aside some time to write!  And now I'm extra excited, having just spent the time praying over the ideas and finally putting some things on paper!

Highlights!

I have so much on my mind and in my heart these days!  I've been wanting to journal some spiritual things God has been leading me through over the past 8 months or so.  But I feel the (self-pressured) expectation to keep up-to-date with our family events, so in order to assuage the guilt, here we go...

PREGNANCY
13 weeks along.  Feeling reasonably well, aside from utter dismay at the way my uterus has declared a free-for-all.  I look like I did when I was 6 months pregnant with my first few babies!

ZADEN
Finally walking consistently!  (Although he still does an astonishingly fast sideways crawl up on his knees--hilarious.)  Delighted with life; a joy to all.  Callouses on his thumbs from sucking.  Permanent curls in the hair from twisting while sucking thumb.  A-DOR-able.  Loves tickles and even tries to tickle himself while he gets diaper changes, poking his belly and saying what sounds like "tickle" with giggles.

LUCAN
Still no interest in self-motivated potty usage.  Praying this will change before Baby arrives.  Doof dog has  lost about 90% of his stuffing but is still the preferred sleeping buddy.  Plays with Kenna for hours on end; also builds with various toys by himself for hours on end.  Generally an agreeable, happy boy, though he does exert his will, usually at the most inopportune times (i.e. wailing in his car seat during a lengthy car ride).

KENNA
Waiting on reading lessons paid off!  She is finding much success with Phonics Pathways, reading 3-letter words at this time (C-V-C) and able to write them from dictation exercises.  We both look forward to when she will have the tools to read sentences.  It won't be long now!  Her confidence is growing, and she surprises and delights herself and us by picking out words on signs or "big kid books."  Her dark side has shown itself, as she has proven to be a candy thief and subsequent liar. Prayers for a tender and responsive heart eventually work...the latest progression was as follows:

"Kenna, did you take the candy for my Bible study class?"
1.  Immediate response:  Vigorous denial while rubbing eyes.
2.  Later that day:  Changed the subject.
3.  At night when tucking into bed:  "I'm not ready to tell you yet."
4.  The next day I ask, "Are you ready to confess yet?"  She sweetly replies, "No, not yet."
5.  Finally, days later when she has been grounded from candy, she comes to me and tearfully confesses and asks forgiveness...while informing me that taking away her candy privileges "hurt my feelings and ruined my Valentine's party day."  Giggle!

ARDEN
We had a heart-to-heart talk today when he wrote "I hate school" as part of a LA assignment.  Sigh.  Gentle probing revealed that he doesn't think he's very good at anything.  Praise God for precious moments like this, when He uses me to point out all the ways my tough, tender guy shines.  We pray, hug, and he lets me kiss him on his kissable cheek.  Multiple times.  I don't know how long this permission will last, but I speak words of encouragement and steal hugs and kisses while I can.  The boy is way ahead in math, has made leaps and bounds progress in reading, hunts out books to read on his own that he wouldn't have touched with a 10-foot pole a year ago, and has progressed remarkably noticeably in his piano skills in just 6 weeks of lessons after a 6-month hiatus.  Satan, you may NOT have this young man's heart or mind, and you will NOT speak lies at him!  Father, protect Arden, and remind us as parents to speak truth over him to encourage him in the purpose YOU have for him.

TOBIN
Less enthused about piano than Arden, he still seems to enjoy finishing pieces and looks forward to the spring recital.  His preference is always an activity involving a screen, but Lego building and playtime are still a favorite pastime.  His face is well known at the base library.  I can see a career--or at least a side job--involving performance, as he loves to make up jokes and test them out on us.  He has begun crocheting and inspired Arden to take up the new hobby as well...I now have 3 children lusting after yarn!

CHARIS
Her Bears for Bricks project is drawing to an end as she wraps up the final 7 bears.  I'll have to get an exact count, but I do believe she made (or will have made) well over 40 knitted teddy bears, all with donated time, energy, and supplies!  I hope and pray that those who supported her in the project by requesting one or more bears are able to give generously toward the children's home in Uganda, knowing what a sacrifice this girl has made over the last 4-5 months!  Mostly, we are happy to have had the opportunity to share with others our new connection with Lahash International.  Charis continues to craft and is desperately working to finish a knitted doll with outfits for Kenna's birthday on the 27th and a complete set of 15 crocheted Star Wars figures for Tobin's birthday in April.  (The Star Wars figures may well be making an appearance in a business opportunity for her...but we need to check some things first!)  Charis has also taken up violin and has eagerly added that to her musical repertoire.

TED
Last week Ted changed jobs!  Every few years the NATO nations bid for job positions.  His old job is now filled by a Canadian.  He got moved to a different office and now works for a Turkish colonel, having replaced a Norwegian, with I-can't-remember-what-nationality sergeant working for him.  Somewhere in there is an Italian.  (I can't keep all this straight.)  He may--or may not--attend a training course later in the spring. In the meantime, he's trying his darnedest to figure out what exactly this new job entails, having finally gotten a clue what his old one required!  Additionally, he has been asked to consider taking over as AWANA commander, as the current one is PSCing this summer.  After prayer and discussion, we have decided that this looks to be a role God indeed has in mind for Ted, and he is looking to meet with our chaplain, the current commander, and the youth program leader to plan the next steps.

ME
As for me, the biggest thing going on for me other than usual family/household matters is that I have been privileged to lead one of the Bible study classes for PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) this semester.  It has been so humbling and yet exciting to be part of this!  In fact, this is one of the things I plan to delve more into in subsequent blog posts.  The book we are studying is The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Stearns, president of World Vision USA.  I read it last summer, and it sparked a huge flame in me that keeps growing!  So, more on that later...

Hooray for Organization!

My project this past weekend: organizing our homeschool materials into a workable area.  Success!

A Day in Our Life in TLF

This particular day was actually last Wednesday, September 26, 2012...

Ted's and my morning routine:  Ted wakes at 5 a.m. and showers.  I attempt to roll out of bed before 5:30, sometimes going for a run and other times...not.  Today was a "not."  After showers, we have coffee.  My wonderful hubby always brings me my mug and we have our prayer time and Bible reading together in bed.  Ted leaves for work around 6:45ish.  That gives me about 15 minutes to finish up with showering, making our bed, checking email, and/or quietly puttering around the kitchen, since the little boys are usually waking around 7 or 7:15.  I try to ignore Lucan at least long enough for me to nurse Zaden (I can multitask a bit that way, checking messages while he gets his first breakfast!).  And as an aside, who would have thought a year ago that Zaden would still be nursing at 13 months?!  God is good. :-)

When I'm ready to let Lucan out, I go here...the laundry room!  The rollaway bed fits in here perfectly.  I find it very amusing that Lucan, while completely capable of opening doors, NEVER lets himself out of his room in the mornings!  Very convenient!

So, while older kids are getting up and dressed, I peek outside.  It's actually overcast this morning.  Nice!  This is the view to the east from our balcony--that hump in the background is Mt. Vesuvius.

And this is the view to the west.  You can see the school buses making their way toward us--our temporary apartment is across from the elementary school.

A never-ending chore around here is laundry.  It's even MORE never-ending with the itty bitty washer and dryer in this apartment!  I took this photo awhile back, but I put it here because this is a common sight every morning when I start a new load to wash!  It's like baby TV!

Whew.  Finally have all the kids awake!  Breakfast time!  I try to throw down some food myself before they get to the table so I can discuss what we'll be doing for the day and possibly even do some Bible reading while they are relatively contained.  For Bible, we are working our way through Proverbs, memorizing some verses here and there, and talking about the wisdom that comes from walking with God.  We are also memorizing some of the catechisms that are in my weekly planner; however, I am skipping some of them that are too long or worded too old-fashioned for my liking!  Trying to keep it accessible for the variety of ages that listen in!  We also spend time praying for our missionaries during our Bible time.  Even before our homeschool supplies arrived, we at least did this much every day--it's the most important part of our homeschool day!

After breakfast the kids do some independent activities.  Here Tobin is watching a new Math-U-See lesson, with Lucan looking on.

Zaden gets some playpen time so that we can do some schoolwork without a little one underfoot!  He's welcome, but he's also distracting!

One of the things I have to get done while kids are working (or playing) independently is keeping up with the laundry!  If I forget, that is BAD NEWS!  So I take some time to put some clothes on the line we strung up on our balcony.  Thankfully, we have purchased clothespins since this picture was taken--the NEX was all out the previous week, as was the commissary.  You can count on the wind kicking up in the afternoon, so I'm grateful for the pins!

Lunch time!  Sometimes I read to the kids; sometimes they read on their own!

There's always time for a snuggle with my favorite baby!

Tobin is waiting for me to finish something on the computer so he can have a turn at Rosetta Stone, our Italian language program.  He puts his free time to good use today and reads stories to Kenna and Lucan!

These are the books we got through today: one chapter in each.

I get some reading time with Kenna after the big kids are finished with school.

Lucan doesn't nap all that often anymore, but there are days when he just NEEDS it.  Today was one of those days!  In the late afternoon I found him asleep like this--amazing that he didn't slip off the bed!!

And the pictures end here.  It was Wednesday, a "Club Beyond" day (the youth group program here), so Charis left with her friend Emily to attend their meeting from 5:30 - 7:30.  We had dinner without her, and then Ted went to the chapel to join the praise team for their practice.  He ended up playing bass and then brought Charis home.

I wouldn't say that this is a "typical" day, as in every day is usually like this, but there are elements here that show up in some form or another many days...so, I guess it IS a "typical" day in that regard!