Ordinary

Today was pajamas and mismatched socks. Long baths and hot cups of coffee. Today was Harry Potter and Star Wars and board games and donuts.

Today was reading books and cuddling and making slow motion videos and laughing until we cried.

Today was puzzling until our puzzlers were sore, then taking a break for a bit and puzzling some more.

Today was arguing and losing our tempers and having hurt feelings. And getting over it and having a good time with each other anyway.

Today was perfectly ordinary and lovely. Today was homeschooling. Today was family.

Conjunction Junction, what's your function?

It's been a hectic week for me, getting everything we need for school plus a few other things taken over to the new place and organized. But I did it. I might have eaten nothing more than Dr. Pepper and Jalapeno chips this week, but I did it. We were ready to start school this morning, right on schedule.

We started our day off right, with a breakfast of champions, sure to sustain us to lunchtime.

After we finished eating, we hurried out the door. We didn't want to miss the bus on our very first day. What a disaster that would be! We took the obligatory pictures lined up for the bus. Naturally.

Then I hopped into the driver's seat, and we drove from the old house to the new. We excitedly entered the classroom and even tried to take pictures at the desk with the teacher.

We may need to work on our photography skills this year. Oh well. They were just excited that they each got a turn with my good camera, something they are rarely allowed to touch.

We finished our beloved FIAR at the end of last year, so we are launching headlong into new curriculum. Previously, I had loved the freedom and flexibility FIAR allowed us to have. I loved the fact that it was all based off of great children's books. I was able to really tailor or days to what we were interested in. However, after over 2 years of year-round school, I was growing weary. 

What I really wanted was for somebody to just tell me what to do each day. 

But I wanted it to be challenging.

And I still wanted some control.

And I wanted to be able to have the same core for two different grade levels.

And I didn't want to have to locate things every week at the library.

And I wanted to be able to do it in a 4-day week.

And I wanted to be able to custom fit math and reading levels for each child.

And I wanted to use real books.

And...

And...

So we settled on Sonlight. I was giddy the day EVERY book I would need for the entire year arrived in the mail. I was also a little intimidated. Second grade for the big boys, baby. Intro to World History. This stuff just got real.

It's too early to say how much (or whether) we love the new routine. Day 1 was a success, though, and I can say that I am looking forward to teaching my crazy, curious little men this year.

These boys are getting so very big. They amaze me every day.

Today we had some great conversations.

Some of those conversations were about Star Wars and whether Mace Windu should have been able to defeat Chancellor Palpatine. Or whether Luke would have stood a chance against Darth Maul's double light saber.

We also chatted about what they would like to be when they grow up. You know, typical first-day-of-school stuff.

Mr. N wants to be a zoologist in charge of his own zoo/aquarium. He was very specific about the "in charge" bit. He wants absolute control over every aspect.

Mr. W wants to be a firefighter and a lifeguard. He basically wants to be a superhero. To save people. And perhaps swim while doing it. He almost kind of still wants to be a zoologist. But he thinks he'll just visit with the animals every day after work.

Little Mr. L has been unwavering in his desire to be an artist and illustrator for many years. He actually would like to be a Caldecott-winning illustrator. But...since that's not entirely within his control, he didn't add that to his sign. He's in "catapult" kindergarten this year (as opposed to "cuckoo" last year) because he's being launched into elementary school.

Then there's me. My life goal is to one day become a beach bum. I really just want my hiney in the sand and a pina colada in my hand.

Hey, a girl can dream, right?

Over the Hills and Everywhere

The last 4 days of the Advent season involved a lot of driving in order to visit with both sides of the family. Work schedules and travel itineraries made it impossible for my handsome husband to be going to the same places at the same times as me and the kids, but we made it work and had a good time.

December 22: What is Christmas? Banner

A pack of new markers + a huge roll of paper were laid out in front of the kids. I asked them the question, "What is Christmas?" After they thought about it, I told them to illustrate everything that Christmas means to them.

I was impressed with both their honesty and the depth of their theology. We had everything from a crazy-looking kid reaching for a present while chanting, "Give. Me. My. Toys!" to a picture of a man whose sin was being carried away to the cross and empty tomb.

December 23: Feed the Birds...decorate outdoor Christmas tree

Grandad has  a really lovely pine tree in his yard and we love to decorate it each year. This year we kept it simple, with strings of cranberries and popcorn.

It fit right in with one of the books we have been reading this week. It is such a sweet book.

December 24: Christmas in Missouri!

We got to spend the afternoon of Christmas Eve with my in-laws. It was a lovely day full for gingerbread, coffee, gifts, and good conversation.

They trusted me enough to get the kids science kits and learning games instead of the usual toys, and it was a complete success. There were experiments being conducted in the middle of their living room!

Our visit with them was followed by a candlelight service back at my hometown church, then Christmas Eve presents of new jammies for the kiddos (and A Christmas Story for the grown-up kiddos).

Shut up, Ralphie.

December 25: Christmas in Illinois!

Christmas morning, stockings, gifts under the tree, egg nog for breakfast, and...Star Wars.

The boys were more than spoiled by my dad and brother, and the rest of us made out pretty well, too. We had a lazy morning and while the bird was in the oven, we watched Star Wars. The kids have been dying to watch, but they are pretty nervous when it comes to movies. They don't really like scary things. We decided that they were finally big enough to handle the original 3 movies. So far, we've made it through A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back with great success.

Maybe we have a new Christmas tradition.

The Zombie Apocolypse (or homeschool challenge #347)

When I imagined all the challenges that homeschooling my 3 little men would bring me, I did not anticipate one very real situation that we currently have on our hands.

Zombies.

They are real, folks. 

Three of them roll out of bed and stumble their way out of my boys' bedroom every morning between 8.30 and 9 o'clock. They sit at the kitchen table clumsily trying to feed themselves for what seems like an eternity every morning. They wander around moaning and (I think?) trying to get dressed and make beds and brush their teeth for another exhaustive amount of time. 

They are incapable of forming coherent thought until nearly lunch time, when I start to catch glimpses of real human kids behind those blank and lifeless eyes. And learning? Ha! They move in slow motion and their brains are not turned on until some time after lunch.

By evening they are full of pep and could probably go until midnight if I let them.

Despite my best efforts to convert them, their body clocks run on the exact opposite time table as mine (I blame their father).

I am a morning person.

I love to watch the sun come up while I sip a steaming mug of coffee. I do all my planning, cleaning, shopping, thinking in the hours before the rest of the house is stirring.

By the time I finish lunch, my brain is starting to slow down. Perhaps it's even melting bit by bit. Sometimes I think I can feel all of my intelligence and motivation leaking out. Dinner rolls around, and I am the one stumbling about grunting incoherent sounds. I am not long for the land of the living.

Just when the boys are ready to sit down and tackle phonics and math for a few hours, I find I have become one of the walking dead myself.

We are faced with a choice: zombie students or zombie teacher? 

Less is More, part deux

So we've moved.

Most of the boxes are unpacked, and this place is starting to feel like home.

There is a lot that I miss about our old home, and the green house. I can't deny that moving here didn't excite me. Leaving our friends, family, and church didn't excite me. Kansas didn't excite me. Wichita didn't excite me. The street where we live didn't excite me. The house itself didn't even excite me much, even though it was on the official "approved" list I sent the hubby when he went house hunting.

finding our house is like playing Where's Waldo

I did add this crazy guy to the front stoop for some character (and a "landmark" of sorts)

The old place was full of charms. I loved the old woodwork and leaded glass. I adored soaking in the claw-foot tub. Nothing brought a smile to my face like walking or biking to the grocery store, the bookstore, the custard shop, the children's museum, the neighborhood market, our church, the theater, or any number of stores and restaurants on Main St. There was a bike trail just a block away that was perfect for teaching the boys to ride as well as having a ride myself. We were close enough to the city that we could head downtown any day or night and enjoy all that St. Louis has to offer (and I personally think that is A LOT), but our neighborhood didn't feel like suburbia. I had grown up in one of the neighboring communities, so my life was full of people who had known me all my life as well as new friends. Our lives were full.

Two days ago, the youngest observed, "Mommy, we don't have any friends here, do we?"

We don't have turn-of-the-century details. We don't have a bike trail, a big city, anything within walking or biking distance, easy access to local shops and restaurants. We don't even have backyard neighbors. The view from the back porch is vast and empty.

cloudy sunrise panorama from the back door

But, maybe, less is more.

Maybe not having our days so full of people to hang out with, things to do, and places to go is just what we need right now. Maybe we need to slow down, be still, and know that He is God. That He is Good. That he is Love. That His timing, His plan, His story for my life is better than the one I would choose to tell for myself.

Maybe what I need is to sit on the back porch, sip my morning coffee, listen to the chorus of crickets in the emptiness behind the house, and count the thousands upon thousands of gifts He has given me.

sitting on the back deck

Maybe what I need is to forget about play dates for a while and focus on playing with my boys, truly engaged and enjoying them. Soaking in their laughter as they play with each other, my husband, and me. With me.

two views of "the big room"

Maybe what I need right now is not another girls' night out, but a date night in with the man of my dreams playing games and talking into the wee hours while the crickets chirp and the children snore.

the boys' room

"Less" in this way is hard for me. I am energized by those around me. I love parties and plans and doing doing doing. Every day would be an adventure if it were up to me. This next adventure is going to be one of inward focus, of a slower pace and quieter days. An adventure of allowing the men, big and small, in my life be the ones who energize me.

I am ready.

living/dining/kitchen

In response to Shorty's statement regarding our lack of friends, I can answer, "Not many, buddy. Not yet, anyway. But we do have each other, and we are our best friends."

lest you think I have it all together, here is the door to my "office" -- an impassable mess

Saving Daylight

Everybody knows how most moms feel about time changes.

Springing forward used to just mean an hour less sleep. As a parent, it means wrestling your kids to bed at night before they are sleepy and then being late to church in the morning and dealing with tired and grouchy children while also being tired and grouchy.

Falling back, that once glorious night of an hour more sleep or party or reading, is forever changed with children. Their little bodies don't care that the clock reads 5.30 a.m. They are awake and ready for breakfast. And the little tyrants demand that you meet their needs.

I think one of the 3 things I actually liked about living in Arizona was that they don't buy into this whole time-change nonsense.

This morning, though, something glorious has happened in our house. It is 8.30 a.m. The laundry is done. The dishes are washed. The grocery list has been made. I even had a bath(!). Now I am sitting down to a cup of joe. And not a single other person in the house is awake.

getting silly with the webcam

You could say that I'm a little excited about this. My coffee is usually frigid and my ears full of the glorious chaos that is my life as a mommy to 3 little men. I love my crazy life. But I am going to savor this peaceful moment while I can. Moments like these don't happen very often while the sun is actually up, and this one is sure to be over soon.

do i look peaceful?

Slurp.

Ahhh.

I don't understand the question, and I won't respond to it

School is in session, the pools have closed, the smell of Pumpkin Spice Lattes is in the air, I have 3 little boys with brand new hoodies...

and I am armed with my hot glue gun.

It must be that time of year. THE FALL.

In our house this means 2 birthday parties for 3 little boys followed by the culminating event:

Halloween

Now, we don't do the scary stuff. My guys are anything but tough. They think that Disney's Homeward Bound is about as terrifying a movie as they ever want to see. Forget Mary Poppins, even. One look at the box and they threw it to the floor. Chim-chiminy-chim-chiminEEK!

However, I am a pseudo-crafty, theater/dress-up- lovin' girl.

And I have worked very hard to instill that same love in my boys. The hubby plays along for me. He's a good man. What can I say? He loves me.

So I love to make costumes for the whole family.

That's where the hoodies and the hot glue come in.

You see, I'm way too busy lazy to actually sit down and sew a full costume for anybody these days. And we've all seen those kids in their flimsy store costumes completely covered up by a big puffy jacket because Halloween happens when the nights can actually be pretty cold. Therefore, it is my humble opinion that just about any kid's costume can be constructed using a hoodie and sweatpants as the foundation. So far in my house it's been done with the Wizard of Oz, superheroes & villains, Medieval times. I am hard at work making it happen for this year's theme as well.

I like to reuse old materials for grownup costumes, too. This year will also be featuring a prom dress from days of yore. Yes, folks, I went to prom. Once. No need to repeat. And the dress? Well, let's just say it was so hideous interesting that I have managed to lose all photographic evidence that I actually wore it. I will say that it used to have this beauty attached to it:

My house will be in a state of frenzy for the next few months...so if you need me, you may have to dig me out from underneath a pile of craft supplies.

Yes, you are right. The title of this post has nothing to do with its content. But who doesn't love a little Arrested Development?

Lessons Learned as a Brownie

Make new friends
But keep the old.
One is silver 
And the other's gold.

When you are a 5-year-old little girl singing this song with your Brownie troop, it's hard to understand the concept of "old friends."

However, when you are a 30-something and have lived literally all over the Western Hemisphere, the lesson really starts to sink in.

All of my old friends were once new friends.

And I sincerely hope my new friends will stick with me long enough to make that slow slide into the "old friends" category. Those folks who know your history and, although they may not have been a part of your day-to-day for the last howevermany years (apart from facebook status updates and uploaded photos), when you sit down to talk with them or get a phone call, it is as if no time has passed at all. There is catching up to do on the particulars, but the friendship has been able to traverse any gaps in time or space effortlessly. These are the people who understand your heart and soul, who have stood the test of time, whose relationship with you has mellowed like a good red wine.

This is not to undervalue the new friends, though. These are the people who walk beside you in the here and now. Your colleagues, your fellow soccer moms, your church family. You may not share a history with these folks, but you share a present, and their influence and inspiration will help to shape your future.

I feel incredibly blessed to have old friends spread all across the globe. If you happen to be reading this, know I love and cherish you...even when I allow life to get in the way of keeping in touch. I am doubly blessed to be living where I am now, where I have both old and new friends.

I get to have the best of the "silver" and the "gold" nearby.

I have some coffee on (always). Come sit on my front porch with me.

Who Knew?

A few weeks back I was having a particularly rough day with the boys. They were being wild and disobedient. And it was cold and damp enough outside that we couldn't just open the doors and run like mad or head to the park. What I needed was chocolate a dose of sanity, so I headed out the door to pay too much money for coffee and cookies and muffins for the four of us. Well, coffee only for one of us, but you get the picture.

At this point in time, I was beyond frustrated. I had used up my "sweet and patient" voice & even run through all of the "angry mama" voice that I had.

I had moved on to "resigned to their misbehavior and too tired to really care anymore."

So, as the boys were whining and complaining and not listening to me in the coffee shop, I would sigh and say things like

• *sigh* I can't understand you when you are whining, so you had better try again.
• *sigh* It doesn't matter how much you complain about it, you aren't getting another cookie.
• *sigh* Will you please just sit your bottom down like a big boy?
• *sigh* No, you may not show me how to do a somersault right now.

All the while, thoughts of how irritating my children were being were running through my head, as well as calculations for how early I thought I could get them into bed that night.

As we were packing up to leave, not one, but TWO different tables full of people complimented me on how PATIENT and KIND I was being with my children, adding how rare it was to see such loving parenting when kids are misbehaving in public.

*gulp* uh, thanks. 

Good thing they couldn't hear my internal monologue. Particularly the parts where I thought about just leaving the kids there for a few hours.

Apparently, my "too tired to care" voice comes across as "caring." Who knew?

disillusionment

after such a long & heated presidential race and an emotional election day with record numbers turning out to cast their votes for the next ceo of the united states, one might assume that a post of this title would involve strong political views and a reference to our new president elect.

if that's what you were expecting, i would like to apologize becuase you were wrong.

those who know me better might be expecting something about the twins or about halloween candy.

you see, after years of living overseas, i have come to appreciate many forms of government and many political views. there were aspects about both candidates i liked and aspects i did not. there is no one perfect governmental system or ideology. things that work in the u.s. would not work in other countries and things that run smoothly over there would never go over with the american populace. i do not see things like socialized medicine as the road to an evil government. nor do i think that tax breaks for businesses that provide jobs (and health insurance) are entirely unfair. things are not so black and white in my opinion.

we have to remember that, even though we may disagree with some of the ideologies of either (or both) candidates for president, they both love the country. they both want what is best for the people of the united states. neither one is the anti-christ. neither one is a terrorist. and, ultimately, no one comes to power whom GOD has not allowed to rise to that position.

so, no, my disillusionment does not come from whom the american people elected as the 44th president of this country.

my disillusionment came yesterday, long before the polls were closed, at chick-fil-a.

i had heard about all of the election-day freebies and special offers around town. so i made a plan. first stop: chick-fil-a. a free sandwich for me & some nuggets for the boys. then i was going to make my way to the nearest starbucks for some coffee, and perhaps even find some ben & jerry's or a krispy kreme to top off the day. my plan was scrumptious.

unfortunately, it was foiled at my first stop.

at chick-fil-a, they had drawn a clear line in the sand. no one was to receive a free anything without the official "i voted" sticker. having taken my civic duty seriously this year, i had realized several weeks ago that standing in line for who knows how long with one year olds was not such a good idea. so i mailed in my ballot. the problem with that? no sticker for me. and the chicken sandwich nazis equated that with no freebie for me.

so i was a little disappointed. but i understood that they needed to draw a line somewhere so as not to be taken advantage of. so, i bought my sandwich (and fries, and sprite) and ate an enjoyable lunch with the munchkins.

then, on my way out, in walked a group of at least 25 pimply-faced kids. some still had braces. a few were sporting the splotchy facial hair of teenage boys. someone even wore a sweatshirt sporting the name "grandview high school." affixed nicely on each trendy shirt was a little oval "i voted" sticker. last time i checked, you had to be 18 to vote. unless we are referring to the world-altering election of homecoming queen.

according to the rules of chick-fil-a, each one of those i'm-sorry-my-voice-just-cracked teeny boppers in their leggings & mini skirts got a free sandwich.

and i didn't.

i was so irritated i didn't even try starbucks, ben & jerry's, or krispy kreme.

instead, i went home and had some milky ways for dessert after realizing that we have no more peanut butter cups. just one more moment of disillusionment.