Love Notes to My Family (Or Possibly a Dictator)

Did you know dry erase boards could bring about world peace?  It's true.  If everyone had one on their refrigerator, there'd be no more war.  I guess I should tell Congress or something.  Write a letter to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave about my breakthrough.  Well, I bet everyone in Washington checks my blog frequently anyway.  Senators seem the type that would lurk and not comment.  So I'm sure they'll see this.

It's a simple fix, really.  Writing out thoughts, to-do lists, grocery needs (or perhaps national debt balancing ideas, troop deployment schedules, job creation tactics) knowing you can just carelessly wipe it all away moments or days later--it has a calming effect.  It organizes a frantic brain.  Every world leader should have one.  They should come standard with every UN seat.

You know, someone should really give one to Kim Jong-il. 

I've taken to writing love notes to my family on my dry erase board.

Don't you think some country's dictator could be placated for a day if he saw this when he woke up in the morning?

Or possibly this?

Recently my mom brought me another dry erase board from her church's thrift store.

I affixed some magnets to it and put it up next to the other one on the fridge.

And you know what happened?  Our household harmony doubled!

I'm telling you, these things are miraculous.

Because, did you know that the amount of harmony found in a home is directly proportionate to the amount of dry erase boards in the home?  Mm-hmm.  Little known fact.

But I still need one more.  Because, did you know that the amount of joeys found in one's home is directly proportionate to the amount of chaos in the home?  Yep.  Betcha didn't know that. 

This means I need my household harmony tripled.  Must make a note on my dry erase board to pick up another dry erase board.

Glad I could share so much knowledge with you (and come up with the solution for world peace) today.  You can thank me later.  Or now.  Whatever you feel is best.

Adoration, Edited 4 Ways

I love everything about this photo.

I love the baby legs,

the wrist pudge,

the ringlets that won't be denied,

and the expression that says,

"I adore you Grandma".

Independence Day March

The joeys held hands and walked in to church.

Something remotely resembling a puddle came into view.

So of course, they made a beeline for it!

Stomp, stomp!  Not much to splash.

Line Love

I am so in love with my clothesline.  Really.

It is such a peaceful activity. 

If the kids are with me, they like to "help" by handing me clothespins. 

Or sometimes they just play nearby.

If I'm alone, it is so quiet. I can hear the birds singing.

I usually pray while I methodically hang.

I don't use energy running my dryer, so the earth is happy.

I save money on my energy bill, so my checkbook is happy.

I just love a two for one.

It may seem like an extra chore, but the more I incorporate Colossians 3:23 into my everyday activities, the more peaceful I become, and the more I find joy in taking care of my family.

I want to be a good steward of the earth; this beautiful creation of God's that He never intended for us to pollute.  I want my children to see my actions to protect His creation, not just hear me teach them about it.  And really, taking care of the earth is equivalent to taking care of eachother, because we all breathe the same air, drink water from the same source and eat food from the same soil.

I also want to be a good steward of our money.
We've been so blessed with a steady income in these shaky economic times.
I don't take one dollar for granted.

It may seem silly to save a dollar here and there, but to us, one dollar saved is one dollar that can go toward the grocery bill, a box of crayons, to a donation, to the savings account for Bug's future "extensive orthodontic work"...

Saving energy with a clothesline may seem inconsequential in the face of global pollution.
Saving a dollar on my energy bill may seem inconsequential in the face of a mortgage, taxes and insurance bills.  But God delights in the "little" things.  He delights in our efforts to 'work at something with all our hearts'.   

If the thoughts ever creep in that no one notices or cares or appreciates the work I do, or if I begin to think the ways I care for the earth or our finances don't really make a difference, I just return again to meditate on Colossians 3:23-24:

23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Expressions

Delight

Delicious

Surprise

Wondering

Easy

Silly

Question

Statement

Exclamation

Soft

Intrigued

Contented

Secret

Resistant

Joyful

Puzzled

So Sleepy...

...But I've Got My Eye On You

Second Wind

Enjoyment

Tears

Routine

Mine

Beloved

Bright

Preschool for a Bug

We do a little preschool homeschooling each day.  Or a lot.  Or none at all.  Depending on our mood.  

Homeschooing brings about a flood of thoughts.  I'll share two:

1.  This is going to be great!

2. This is going to be a disaster! 

But those thoughts generally apply to everything in my life, simultaneously, so they fit in well here too.

 

I picked up two cheap workbooks at Target.  One letters, one numbers. 

I let Bug lead me on when and how much.  She's got such a thirst for learning that I'm not really concerned about academic achievement.  I want learning to remain fun and exciting.  Even with a relaxed attitude though, every once in a while it's a challenge to keep things light.  Bug gets frustrated when things don't come out perfectly.

 

I really can't imagine where she gets that. 

Organized homeschool cabinets are a bit like Disneyland 

in that they make my home the happiest place on earth. 

I'm not sure what the future holds for my childrens' education.  Homeschool?  Charter school?  Public school?  Christian school?  Private school (after we win the lottery)?  With prayer and time, I'm sure the path will become clear.  Or not.  And we'll just muddle through like we always do. 

But at least everything will be labeled.