A Precious Peek ...

Not done yet but much closer than before. We (as in Hannah) are planning on painting some canvases to match the bedding and I haven't figured out curtains or the dresser just yet.

Emma really showed her skills with painting the room and by the time Hannah joined in, I realized I had nothing to worry about the next time something needed painting around here!

Much more precious for our sweet Clara ... who is thinking really hard about walking these days!

Day 4 ... It's Still Summer and I Don't Care What Ya'll Say!!!

I can't believe I posted yesterday and failed to mention Benjamin's attempt to take Emma's fish for a walk OR the horrible mosquito bites that he got a few days ago on his calves (probably 7 or 8 total) that initially looked as though he had been shot (hot, red, swollen) and then progressed to looking like he had been eaten by piranhas (because he had scratched them open). I have kept them bandaged and used antibiotic cream. They are better each day but I am still thinking I should take him in today. No fever but sort of blistery looking. I hate the guessing game and I really hate throwing away $25. I will assess in a bit and see how they look this morning.

I have a couple of new curriculum's this year that are stumping me. I wish I knew someone else who had used them and could walk me through. Anybody out there used Sequential Spelling or Geography Matters?

Today includes:

• Sam's Club
• Wal-Mart
• Three loads of laundry
• Sorting and delivering maternity clothes
• 30 minutes of exercise
• Tacos & rice for dinner
• Hannah driving with Dad this evening
• Finish the boys room (the biggie)

I MUST finish organizing the boys room. I found a free dresser that someone gave away on the local homeschool forum that will go in their closet. Chris is going to reconfigure the giant shelving unit to eventually house more books but I can't wait until then to make the room more toddler-friendly. I use door knob covers to keep Benjamin in the room at night and I will use those same covers for the closet door so that Samuel can put his things in the closet that he doesn't want Benjamin to have.

I need to take the plunge and start painting Clara's room. It's super big and it includes the ceiling so I am a little intimidated. I put the pics on here (it's blue now) and my semi-professional painting friend, Tiffany said I should prime first. I am painting the room a VERY pale pink and the guy at Benjamin Moore talked me out of primer. I am thinking I will regret not priming it. Today I am taping it off ... it's a start. Clara has precious bedding but is sleeping in Benjamin's crib among the locomotives. No big deal, right?

I don't need perfection. But I do prefer some order.

However.

The Lord is painfully teaching me that my preferences *seldom* fall in line with His desires for my life. When I think I need things like:

• a good night's sleep
• peace & quiet
• a day without arguments
• a day without poop diapers
• time to exercise
• a date night
• or a Chipotle burrito

I am reminded that God's provision is perfect. There is not a single thing lacking in my life apart from my lack of obedience to the Lord. If He (the creator of Heaven & Earth) ordained a day of peace & quiet or a night without interruption then it would be so.

I do find rest in knowing that my To-Do list is always subject to the Lord's approval.

Day 3 or 4? ... tick, tock, tick, tock

A very brief review ...

Sunday & Monday:

• Church - almost on time
• A fairly quiet Sunday afternoon - worked on some school stuff
• Grilled out Sunday night - yummy!
• Bedtime has been somewhat challenging with Benjamin - mornings even harder since he is waking at about 5:45 every.single.day (we've been here before with Samuel)
• Clara is sleeping through the night in the crib - it's a trade off and I'll take it!
• A couple of loads of laundry and the girls had haircuts last night (Emma is already growing hers back out so she needed a trim to start the process)
• Made my way through the curriculum yesterday - finished this reading list for Sam

I'll share it here because I absolutely love book lists and maybe there will be something here that someone else can use. Plus I can type it up once and have it printed to add to and take with me to the library. Some are read alouds (me to Sam), some are read alouds (Sam to Ben) but the majority Samuel will read aloud to me or on his own. To save time, they are in no order. The majority are part of our history study this year ... some are recommended reading with My Father's World, some are on the Sonlight list and a few others I have picked up along the way. I am trying to post more frequently but in an effort to not get "stuck" I am limiting the time I spend editing my posts so forgive my spelling, por favor.

If there are any 2nd or 3rd grade books that you love or American History books that would Sam would love, do tell! Here is the list so far:

A Picture Book of George Washington

Turkeys, Pilgrims, & Indian Corn - Barth

The Hundred Dresses - Estes

Blaze & The Lost Quarry - Anderson

Hero Tales - Jackson

Frog & Toad

Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night

Mary on Horseback - Wells

Tornado - Byars

Tippy Lemmey - McKissack

In Grandma's Attic - A. Richardson

The Boxcar Children #1

Prairie School

Long Way to a New Land - Sandin

Keep the Light Burning Abbie - Roop

The Long Way Westward - Sandin

The Thanksgiving Story - Dalgliesh

North American Indians - Gorsline

Twenty & Ten - Bishop

Riding the Pony Express - Bulla

Squanto - Bulla

The 4th of July Story - Dalgeish

The Courage of Sarah Noble - Dalgliesh

Sarah Whitcher's Story - Yates

The Story of the Election of Abraham Lincoln

Red, White, & Blue

If you Lived in Williamsburg in Colonial Days - Brenner

On the Banks of Plum Creek - Wilder

Mountain Born

Farmer Boy - Wilder

Clara and the Bookwagon -

Third Grade Detectives - Stanley

The Peanut Butter Kid - Bulla

The Secret Valley - Bulla

Cora Frear - Goodman

Henry & Ribsy - Cleary

The Children of Noisy Village

Viking Adventure - Bulla

A Picture Book of Christopher Columbus - Adler

The Jamestown Colony - Sakurai

Small Wolf - Benchley

If You Lived with the Hopi - Kamma

If You Lived with the Iroquois - Levine

Sarah Morton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl - Waters

Samuel Eaton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy - Waters

If you Sailed on the Mayflower - McGovern

Benjamin Franklin - D'Aulaire

Sam the Minuteman - Benchley

George the Drummer Boy - Benchley

Mary Geddy's Day: A Colonial Girl in Williamsburg - Waters

A Picture Book of Thomas Jefferson - Adler

The Magic Schoolbus at the Waterworks - Cole

Eli Whitney - Latham

Johnny Appleseed - Harrison

Johnny Appleseed (poetry) - Lindbergh

First Questions & Answers about Animals - Gutelle

What is the Animal Kingdom? - Crabtree

A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark - Adler

By Dawn's Early Light - Kroll

The Star-Spangled Banner - Spier

Robert Fulton - Henry

Going West - Leeuwen

Carolina's Courage - Yates

First Questions & Answers About the Human Body - Gutelle

Samuel Morse and the Telegraph - Quackenbush

Cora Frear: A True Story - Goodman

Gold Fever - Kay

Lewis & Papa: Adventure on the Santa Fe Trail - Joosse

Wagon Train: Kramer

A Picture Book of Abraham Lincoln - Adler

Abraham Lincoln - d'Aulaire

Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt - Hopkinson

Escape North! The Story of Harriet Tubman - Kulling

A Picture Book of Robert E. Lee - Adler

If you Lived at the Time of the Civil War - Moore

Iron Horses - Kay

So You Want to Be an Inventor? - St. George

First Flight - Shea

Thomas Edison - Nirgiotis

Take Me Out to the Airfield! - Quakenbush

We'll Race You Henry - Mitchell

A is for America - Scillian

One Nation - Scillian

Day 2

I never said I would post every day but look! It's day 2 and here I am!

I think with the late hour and the headache my ponytail is giving me, I will organize my thoughts with bullets tonight. The dots help me find my place.

• I went to bed last night with a headache and both ears hurting too (very strange for me) and the house was a complete disaster. I had taken the girls shopping and to spend the night with friends and by the time I got home and cared for the younger set, it was late, I was tired, and the house suffered for it.
• Little did I know, Chris stayed up for the better part of the night cleaning. The kitchen alone was a booger but the man also organized and cleaned the playroom ... he sorted the cars by size (it's not contagious) and man-handled some GIANT hair/dust balls. If any of you have hardwood throughout your house you understand what I am talking about. It is crazy how big those suckers can get!
• I woke up thinking that I could *maybe* clean the kitchen while he was gone fishing but not expecting to accomplish much. I wrangled Benjamin for a bit (which became the theme for the day) and came downstairs and began singing praises to my dear husband.
• Since the house was straight I was able to sit down and start to convulse go over my curriculum and figure out what I still needed.
• I am convinced that I will never be able to do this that if I am diligent these next couple of weeks I will be ready.
• I am also delusional.
• I ran a few errands this afternoon. Picked up a prescription for Vitamin-D and a new set of dentures.
• Kidding on the second part but who my age needs Vitamin-D for crying out loud? I am telling you that I don't think summer visited my soul this year and my ghostly white legs are a testament to that.
• I totally snuck in some phone calls while I was out running errands because I didn't have Cagney & Lacey with me listening in, taking notes, and reporting my crime ;) It's hard to have a juicy decent conversation with teenage girls around ;)
• I rearranged Benjamin's attitude at least 42 times and pleaded with God for his salvation ... you know just in case.
• I marinated chicken but picked up Japanese instead.

As the day is coming to an end, I plan on working through a bit more of the curriculum pile and then heading to bed before 8/22. I have been watching the calendar change days way too much lately. I am an early morning girl with early morning kiddos. Late nights are tempting but not healthy for me.

Tomorrow is the day that the Lord has made ... I will rejoice and be glad in it.

Summer Still

Still hoping that these last couple of weeks of summer will drag on and seem to last unusually long. Based on how quickly June and July flew by, I am not getting my hopes up.

We are headed out today to meet up with friends for shopping ... the girls mostly. I'll take the babies and Samuel with me and hopefully accomplish a few things between the stroller exchanges and Goldfish parties :)

After a very overwhelming couple of months I am desperate to find joy in accomplishing a few things and considering this season not only a blessing but a fleeting one. Changing priorities always manages to shift into neutral for me during the summer. Seldom have I come away feeling refreshed. The lack of rhythm and responsibility is not a healthy combo for me.

So next week I am implementing the end-of-summer-but-we-still-have-a-TON-of-stuff-to-do schedule. Daily updates on my progress will be my accountability partner ... I hope ;)

Samuel's room before ...

Sam made his big-boy transition many years ago in this room from his crib to the infamous firetruck toddler bed.

Who knew that little bed would hold such a special place in a boy's heart? He actually choked up talking about it a few weeks ago as we were bunking the beds for him and Benjamin.

"OH, I REMEMBER THAT BED! WHY, OH WHY DID YOU TAKE MY BED AWAY??? THAT WAS VERY MEAN AND WRONG TO DO!!!"

He is a little dramatic.

Plus the whole crib-to-toddler-to-twin bed process was a little longer than necessary but at the time I thought he was my last baby!

Hat-tip to the ways of the Lord.

So Samuel's room has looked like this since he was about 3 years old. The giant wall unit was built by Chris' dad back in the olden days when we used to wait on the television to "warm up". It was passed to us during the beginning of our marriage and we used it as our "entertainment center" for a very long time.

Too long.

When Samuel was born we lived in a much smaller house with three bedrooms and itsy-bitsy closets. The girls shared a room with a teensy-weensy-itsy-bitsy closet just a little bit wider than the door opening. I used a double hanging rack and managed to fit almost all of their clothes in there but the off-season things (mine and theirs) were put in the third bedroom closet (which was Samuel's). Since that left him without a closet, I made these curtain thingys to hide the make-shift closets (behind the red curtains) that Chris made with wooden dowels. It was really the perfect size for baby clothes! The bottom shelves I used for toys and the top two shelves I put baskets and racks for pj's, socks, shoes, etc.

Even after we moved into this house with much nicer closets, I kept this in Samuel's room to hide extra blankets and things you would store in a dresser. I planned on moving it out when we bunked the boys but we don't have a spot for it anywhere else and we can't get rid of it.

It has too many memories being the "center of entertainment" during the early years.

Plus it is a very well-built piece and obviously can serve in so many different ways. So with that in mind, I have given Chris my rough draft plans and we'll see how it turns out!

Just thought I would document the big brother's room before Benjamin moved in.

Changes ...

Every time I come in this room my heart falls into my tummy just a little bit. Benjamin no longer resides in "the nursery".

I love "the nursery".

I especially love the season of life when one of my children live there.

These kind of changes are good in so many ways but they never pass over me without a wave of sadness.

A sweet sadness that somehow manages to both break my heart and fill it at the same time.

It's My Birthday!

I was going to post a quick little thank-you and a birthday update on Facebook but I ran out of room ... by about 1,001 letters ;)

So here it is here. Birthdays don't have to be fanfare and organized festivity or a ton of gifts and recognition.

Of course, it would have served me well to hear that little mantra for the last 20 years or so ;)

Birthdays have to be about gratitude. For me, I have found the best birthdays have had a perfect formula of almost zero expectation coupled with a heaping dose of gratitude.

Enter, my birthday #38 (originally posted on facebook):

I had a wonderfully normal day with an average amount of poop diapers, the nappers took relatively good naps, the dog threw up but NOBODY crawled through it, heard a rousing rendition of "Blessed Be the Name" from a very enthusiastic 7-year old, and an equally rousing rendition of "Go Go Go Joseph" from a nearly bald but still cute 2-year old, was given a beautiful homemade card from my beauties where they each thanked me for driving them somewhere (I guess I have mentioned that chore a bit much lately, huh?), and then taken to dinner by my handsome and chivalrous husband (oh, yes my friends ... A DATE!) to Anatolia Grill in Chester (Turkish & Mediterranean) a YUMMY little place where we ate a weeks portion of meat, then he took me to Kohl's where I perused the *jury* section for no less than 47 hours while he waited patiently on the papaw bench, then (does this birthday ever end???) the heaven's opened up and we went to Target with 45 MINUTES TO SPARE! I am telling you I couldn't write this one to suit me any better unless there were several loads up laundry folded and put away while I was gone ... yes! The sweetheart sisters put the younger set to bed AND did laundry and cleaned up the house!

It was a happy day indeed.

I am 38 years old. 19 years ago my mother had her very last birthday ... she turned 37. It is not lost on me ... that each day, including birthdays are truly a gift.

Homeschooling Q & A ... Part 3 and a Glimpse of Summer

Today is a 2-for-1 special here at Mercy Days! Being as how the summer is being true to it's reputation and flying by, I figured I should at least record a glimpse or two of what we've been so busy doing.

But first, I'll answer an easy question from my previous Q & A series (I like to say, "series" like I am the sort of person who writes a "series"). HA! It would do some of you good to know me in real life because the collision of appearance and reality would really make you feel good about yourself ;)

Anyhow.

The question from the comments was, "What would I have done differently my first year of homeschooling, now that I am a seasoned veteran?".

I love to approach things like this imagining the whole situation with hindsight and hope that I don't come away discouraged or regretful. With marriage and parenting I must say that usually hindsight leaves me feeling a might regretful and wishing I had grown in grace sooner but that is never the right approach. I know that the grace came from living through the experience and God giving it to me as I needed it.

Same with my first year of homeschooling.

I don't regret anything but if I could tell myself one thing it would be to relax and enjoy the ride ... and just a few more for good measure:

• Get up earlier and go to bed sooner. (Note to self: Do this now)
• Choose a writing & math curriculum that is both rigorous AND one that you love to teach because rigorous alone will get you nowhere fast.
• On the subject of writing, I would write more. If there is anything I plan on doing differently with the younger set, it would be to write more (journal, letters, stories, etc.).
• Spend a great deal of time before the Lord in prayer and study and don't rely on yourself for all the answers and especially for all the strength. (Another to self for the here and now)

Honestly, that's about it. I truly do love doing this and I am already itching with desire for planning our AMERICAN HISTORY EXTRAVAGANZA for the year 2010-2011. Sam and the girls will all be studying the same time period and several of our friends will too. I hope to plan as many field trips as possible since we live in the mecca of American History. I would also love to meet up about twice a month with our elementary set of friends and do a hands-on project that goes with our study for those weeks.

Now for the Crazy Ol' Summer of 2010!

• We had 30 days of visitors from the end of May through the month of July:

Gigi & Papaw Smith - May

Papa Voiles - June

The Fergusons - June

The Jollys - June till July 4th

• Emma had her dance recital.
• Sam lost a second tooth and his baseball team won the championship!
• Clara started crawling, pulling up to stand, says, "Mama, Da-Da, Bye-Bye" and blows a mean raspberry.
• Hannah is racking up the babysitting hours and loves it! She also saved up her own money to buy her very own DSLR Nikon camera.
• Benjamin is talking a blue streak, weighs a whopping 40 lbs, and is still quite possibly the cutest child that ever walked the earth.
• We went to the Great Wolf Lodge.

And while the Jolly's were here we went to:

• Kings Dominion
• Jamestown
• Yorktown
• Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Food Lion, Kroger, and Martin's cause we like to eat!
• Inflation Nation
• The pool
• Toy Story 3
• My early b-day dinner
• Fireworks

And we ain't done ...

• Baseball practice
• Vacation Bible School
• Sam's piano recital
• HEAV convention!
• Church picnic
• My early b-day dinner with friends :)

Deep breath ...

• The pool some more
• And the pool for swimming lessons each night this week and the next
• Free summer movie (Space Chimps ... ya'll that movie is funny!)
• Drama camp for the girls every day for two weeks ... production week next week with shows on Friday night, Saturday afternoon and Saturday night.

We have a bit more planned and while this is busier than I like to keep our summer days we are blessed and have made precious memories with family and friends! Uploading pics will take me forever so here is a slideshow instead ...

*After clicking "play" arrow, click bottom right (four arrows) click to expand ... description in top right of page.

Update on Jason

My cousin has been moved to Baylor Hospital in Dallas to begin his rehabilitation which I believe will last about 6 weeks.

He has made great progress in the last week and I am anxious to hear how his first day of rehab (today) goes! Learning how to deal with the paralysis is a huge process for the entire family so please continue to pray for their renewed strength and that they be encouraged along the way.

The community and their friends and family have really cared for them in ways both big and small ... from meals and mowed grass to providing tires for Steven (his brother) to have on his truck as he makes a lengthy trek each week from Lubbock to Dallas to visit his brother.

There are details about God's provision throughout this whole event but one I want to share is about this horse that they had purchased recently, who unbeknownst to them, lays down on the ground when given the proper signal (and also speaks spanish instead of english but that is a whole other issue ... now I am thinking that might have been what was wrong with my ornery horse when I was a kid!)

Ya'll, the horse lays down on the ground.

And this was somewhat of a perplexing ... even odd problem that they had.

Until now.

My aunt and uncle and their boys have owned, raised, trained and ridden horses all their life. So now this crazy-spanish-speaking-laying-down horse has the ability to be trained for something like this:

I would love to post pics of Jason and his precious friends that have all but camped out at the hospital but since I don't have those yet I will post the ones I have from our trip several years ago.

We love you Craig family!

Prayers for Jason

My cousin, Jason, was in a horrible car accident this past weekend. Because of the damage to his spinal cord, he is paralyzed from the waist down. So often I read prayer requests like this and I am able to skim past the information ... pause for a bit and move on.

I hope I can get you to pause a bit longer and get to know this boy and commit to pray for him and his family ...

He is 17 years old.

He is about to begin his senior year of high school.

He has dimples to die for.

He is the apple of his momma's eye.

He is his daddy's right-hand man.

He loves to play football for the Alvarado Indians.

He is #86.

But he really loves to rope and ride.

They are brothers ...

If you have a brother then words are not necessary.

He is 17 years old.

Steven, Jason, and Randy (dad)

"The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

-Psalm 34:18

Good Words ...

From a friend on facebook ...

"I notice that our culture is very fascinated with blood and love that is eternal ... I am too. The blood I am fascinated with is alive and comes from the only One who completely captivated me with a love that is endless. This Man's blood connects me to a life with the God who designed and created me. Ancient, limitless and timeless."