It's Friday night and I feel like celebrating. Well, let me explain..

My dear ma and pa arrived safely back from their hardship tour cruise to the Caribbean and brief stay in Barbados. Even though they were all sun-tanned and clad in summer outfits when they arrived, I attempted to make them as comfortable as possible in our chilly little midwestern city. Even though they were cold and sleepy, they ate my Thai food concoction and green tea medley.

I just look at mom and start giggling. Dad is full of one-liners also.

"Are you really making chicken?"

Me: "yeah, is that O.K.?"

Dad: "sure, but I've never had chicken here that wasn't cooked while it's still frozen.."

(punk)

What else? Got an email from WH and Robotdude. Their Robot is ranked 5th place out of 50 so far into the competition. The real contest is tomorrow. If they win here, we'll be going to Atlanta. Win.. please win. I need the sun and warm air....!!

Oh, and I'm feeling so hip and large-marge about being the coolest mom ever. Do you know what got done.. finally? Yes, the highschool transcript got finished for Robotdude, the ACT scores came in, the resume has been written, and the application for THIS was sent. You see, Robotdude wants to go to the summer program for USAFA for highschoolers. All of this stuff is not for getting into college; it was for going to a special summer program. There's no guarantee that he'll get into the summer program, but atleast we got the application in on time! Yeah!!!

I'm also not feeling so hip about the dishwasher being broken, but I think you'll be able to appreciate the humor in our situation, if you read hudbud's post here. He copied verbatim what I had written on the ever-present (hidden in plain view) dry-erase board that sits right above our kitchen table. I do feel like hand washing dishes is an incredible waste of human effort and time, but it does have some very warped benefits. I find the mundane-ness of it all, gives me free reign in the cerebral areas to explore everything from why fuzz balls collect under the fridge to what would be a great slant on teaching the semi-colon this week in writing class. There's no limit to the world problems you can solve while scrubbing the scum.

With that, I should probably catch a few winks. I must comment on the humorous comments I got about the infamous green smoothies.

For the record:

1. They do not taste like spinach

2. The goal is to cover the spinach taste, so buy very tender, young spinach and it will be easier.

3. I do like food adventures, and I will try almost anything, but I get squeamish over RAW Meat.

4. And I have dishpan hands. Calgon take me away.

My current health kick.. there's always something brewing!

Getting organized is huge, and sometimes we just don't have the energy to do it! We all have to face the raw facts that eating better actually makes us feel better and gives us more energy, too.

I've gone back and forth between getting really excited about healthy eating and facing the reality that it takes a lot more work to do it. This current health phase of mine does not require

1. buying any expensive equipment

2. buying strange foods that are hard to find

3. or taking hours and hours to prepare something that will be consumed immediately.

But, I am not saying that it's not weird!!

It is totally weird. That's why I love it.

For once, it's not my hair that's weird. It's just my.. food.

So, what is this weird food that I am eating??

It's probably not new to you if you read: the Lazy Organizer and Passionate Homemaking. It's called a green smoothie.

It's spinach that makes it green. Weird, I know. To make it worse, you combine several cups of leafy goodness with frozen fruit, yogurt, orange juice concentrate--to cover the taste.

There are several variations to this, but it is pretty good!

So, the next time you see me, and I have green things hanging from my teeth, you'll know it's part of the reason for my energy. Just call me pop-eye.. olive oil? Just don't call me late for my green smoothie!

Recipe:

Frozen mango (1 cup)

plain yogurt (1/2 cup)

fruit juice or water (1 cup)

spinach (2 cups)

frozen juice concentrate 2-3 spoons full

ground flax seed 1 T.

protein powder 1/4 cup (optional)

Whirl around/ blend smooth

bon apetit!

Making new best friends part 2

Making new best friends part 1 starts here, if you would like to read that first.

At first, it is hard for everyone to talk to unknown people. It's just that some of us have worked out the kinks of it. When our earliest attempts of making friends have been very positive, it gives us confidence to go on and make new friends. But when the attempts have failed repeatedly, we give up trying and convince ourselves that it isn't worth the effort anymore.

I was very shy as a young person. I can remember being made fun of because I would cry frequently in social situations. All I can say is this: I did not get off to a roaring start! I felt like I had a lot to offer, but I couldn't get over this awkwardness of bursting into tears or just plain not knowing what to say.

People who know me now can not fathom that the timid little girl that I described above. People who knew me then, still think of me clinging to my mother's leg and sobbing by the bus because I was too scared to get on it.

So, what caused the change? I'm not even sure. I can tell you that my mother was beside herself trying to figure out what to do with me. My mother deserves a gold medal and a half. She enrolled me in basketball, soccer, ballet, girl scouts, Sunday school.. just hoping I'd find my niche. Eventually, it was ballet that gave me some degree of confidence. Also, I went to summer camp and heard the Gospel and professed salvation at age 12. These things helped me develop some confidence in areas that nothing else had.

So, were all of my attempts at making friends golden from then on? No way. There were plenty of mis-fires. I guess I just kept trying and trying and trying. We have to take RISKS. Risks are huge in friend making. And we have to be able to brush the dust off and keep trying.

If I tell you guys the most ridiculous friend-making "attempt" I've had in my adult life, will you relax and laugh with me and realize that we all make mistakes?

It was about 11 years ago and we were living in North Dakota. I had not yet met my bosom friend Kathy yet or Jennifer or anybody that was special to me now. But I was sooooo lonely for a friend!

So, I found a mom who was an officer's wife, homeschooled four children, was a Christian, and appeared to be about 10 years older than me--perfect!! She looked like she had it ALL together, and certainly SHE could help me.

So I poured out my heart to (Kim). She patiently listened to my woes. I was just waiting for her to say "You'll get through this stage. It'll be all right, honey.." etc. Instead it was something like, "I think you need professional help. I don't know what I can do for you."

Ugh! Ouch. I just poured out my soul! For what? Now I can laugh uproariously about it. She probably needed professional help after that!

So, I took a risk. It bombed. So what? I just kept trying, but this time I would try not to overwhelm my potential friends.

Note to self: try not to let them know you are a complete basket-case on the first meeting.

Mistakes are self-correcting, you know. But they aren't fatal. You do learn from them. Here are some basic things I've learned about making new friends.

1. Keep the conversation light and upbeat.

2. Try to focus on something about them that you've noticed is nice/ commendable/ noteworthy.

3. Don't have hidden motives, and it won't look like you do. People like sincerity. If they think: all she wants is a client, a convert, a ..? they'll figure that out right away. I just like people, and that's the end of it.

4. Share something about yourself that you perceive would be noteworthy to them. It's not that you want to make the conversation about yourself, but there's a sense of humility that comes with sharing of yourself... genuinely.

5. Smile and enjoy the time. People just relax and enjoy themselves when others are doing the same.

:)

Roasted Root Vegetables

Roasted Root Vegetables

These are the types of vegetables that work well together:

sweet potatoes, white potatoes, parsnips, carrots, rutabaga and other forms of gourmet potatoes: purple& red.

If you can't find these or don't like something, just use what you have/ like. Every time I make it, it is different.

Add ins: red onions, green pepper, garlic (minced)

Peel the sweet potatoes and parsnips (and any other veggies that need peeling) and cut them into chunks. For the potatoes and carrots, you don't need to peel them. Just wash them and cut into chunks.

Cut up your onions and peppers and whatever add-ins.

If you aren't cooking them right away, you can soak the roots in salted water. (This will prevent them from getting discolored) The add-ins don't need to be soaked.

Drain off the water and add your add-ins to the roasting pan. Mix up the entire mixture in the roasting pan with your hands. Toss with olive oil and kosher salt. For a big bunch of veggies, I used 1/2 cup olive oil and Kosher salt to taste.

Roasting: 400* for one hour/ stirring every twenty minutes. The roasting really brings out the sweetness of the sweet potatoes and carrots.

For the above picture, this is exactly what I put in there:

3 large sweet potatoes

3 large baking potatoes

1 bag parsnips (5 large)

3 cups yellow carrots

1 large red onion

1 large green pepper

1/2 cup olive oil, 1-2 t. kosher salt.

That, my friends, is what Works for ME this week. Yummy!

Tackle it Tuesday: organizing cookbooks

After some great inspiration from my faithful blogging buddy, Laura (organizing junkie), I have been motivated to get organized with my recipes. Since I don't have a truck load of loose recipe cards floating around, I thought I'd start with my overflowing cookbook shelf.

To be honest, I think I collect cookbooks as a way of marking time. I have the classic cookbook from the church I grew up in. I have cookbooks from the Officer's Wives Club from different bases we've been stationed at. I have the mother-in-law cookbook that helps me to cook more like a stylish East-coast woman. And I have the classy midwest cookbook from my SIL's church. And I have various health-conscious cookbooks from the various "healthy trends" out there. So, what is an organizing mommy to do?

First, I indulged in a little memory lane searching. I went through each cookbook and looked for

1. any recipes that look like I wanted to try and

2. any recipes that I have already tried that are good.

If a cookbook stayed in the "keep" pile it had to have atleast five recipes that looked good or were already tried.

These are the books that fit the Keep pile. There were 14 of them.

These are the books that did not make the cut. There were 18 of them.

Here they are. I'm not sure what to do with them.

Here's my cookbook shelf now.

My goal for cooking is going to be this:

1. Use a recipe and follow it.

2. Take a picture and document any made-up recipes.

3. Make a list of all of the good recipes and keep it up to date and easy to find.

Tonight I made this great dish: roasted root vegetables.

For more tackles, visit: 5 minutes for mom.

Making new best friends part 1

I'm probably going to take all of the fun out of this by dissecting it, but here goes.  Some of you who read and commented on my newest best friends post all seem to ask the same question: how do you go around making friends with.. everybody???  

Well, the truth is this.  For the same reasons that I am able to make friends with new people all the time is also the same reason I overwhelm others who are forced to be with me on a regular basis.  

Really, I will try to paint a picture of what's going on in my head while I'm out making new best friends, but in the end, you may not be impressed. 

So, without further ado.... my thoughts on making friends.

1) Stop being self-conscious.  When I look at myself in the mirror, I'm not always "thrilled" either.  I try to get passed that and see what I look like with a smile on.  It's not too bad.  You should try it.  I convince myself that: when I smile, no one is looking at my blotchy face and pock marks and all that.. unless they are dissecting me with a microscope, in which case... I'm not sure I want to be around them anyway.  

2) Now that I've decided that "I'm O.K.", I'm free to think happy thoughts about something other than myself.  It's a great feeling.  It's not as complicated as you might think.  I think being simple-minded has it's advantages, don't you? You don't always need to be singing "the wonderful grace of Jesus" at the top of your lungs to be in the presence of the Lord, it can be very simple thoughts like "that's a pretty flower"  or "I wonder if Deanna will be there today"  or "I like that book we read last night". 

3) When you see people, just love them.  It may not be a big emotion.  God loves people--all people.  We are just his instruments for the moment to bless someone.  They may not even know God, but they know you.  Or they'll meet you.  Maybe they'll see compassion in your eyes or a warmth in your smile.  Maybe they'll hear a happiness in your voice.  If these are all here at all,  it is because of Jesus.    

This is just a start of how to make friends.  So far, we haven't even interacted with anyone yet, but I think there's enough there to think about.  These things can all happen simultaneously and without much effort if you have trained your mind to think that way.  I do not consciously think about these things anymore; it has become a habit.  The only time I think about it is when the "intruders" (negative thoughts and self-focus) start attacking me and my happiness!  

Works for Me:huggermugger

My favorite game has a picture of a frog riding a bicycle on the cover of it.  

It's called: Huggermugger.  Apparently, Huggermugger was not the most popular game of the year because it isn't available in retail stores anymore.  I can find it online or at garage sales occasionally.  

Huggermugger is a word game.  You solve questions about vocabulary, spelling, associations and unscrabling letters. Each correct answer gets you closer to the mystery word, which is revealed letter by letter.  Huggermugger means: word sleuth, which is a good name.  I never have figured out the significance of the frog, though....any ideas?

I'd much rather sit and talk than play games.  But if I have to play a game, this is it. 

Yeah for the frog on the bicycle solving word mysteries!  Weird, but I love it.

Tackle it Tuesday: recycling sweaters

Oh, this is so awesome.  My mother showed up with the coolest pair of mittens.  There was something very nice and warm and friendly about those mittens.   She told me that the local homeschoolers in her area were selling these mittens that they made out of recycled sweaters.

So, sure enough, I went out and bought some cheap sweaters and tried it.  Here is the first mitten!

Booties anyone??

Here is another sweater after I cut it up.  Sorry I don't have a BEFORE picture.  (Some projects are so yummy that I forget to take a before photo!)

The procedure of making mittens from a sweater.  First, select wool sweaters.  If you can not find wool, you may need to serge the edges of the pieces immediately after cutting them out. 

The pink mittens and booties were from a wool sweater (above) and the striped fabric (below) was acrylic.  I was able to do the acrylic, but wool is best.

When you buy the sweaters, wash them in hot water and dry them in the dryer.  This should shrink them up a lot.  It is a great procedure called: felting.  Felting makes the little fibers of the sweater mangle up together so they don't ravel. 

To make the mitten, I laid out the existing mitten on a piece of grocery bag and traced it for a pattern.  (Maybe I should publish a pattern?) 

All the pieces were cut out from the sweater "fabric" and duplicate pieces were cut from fleece for a lining.

 Everything is sewn on a sewing machine.  It took me about 5 minutes to make a mitten--fast!!  (especially compared to knitting!)

The lining is made from polar fleece.  It really is nice to line the mittens, hats, socks etc, so the seams of the mitten do not show.

Hey, Rockford locals, I hear ShareStuff thrift store has all of their winter clothing for $1.00 starting today!  I know what my relatives are getting for gifts next year! 

and my friends..

and my newest friends..

and perfect strangers....

For more tackles, visit 5 minutes for mom. 

Organized Everyday??

I like the hustle and bustle of a big busy life.  I don't think everyone out there likes activities quite the way I do, and that's a good thing.  For me, there is a really fine line between happy, busy meaningful activities and overwhelming busy-ness.  

I think, perchance, I may have just crossed that fine line this month.  Oh, don't get worried.  I'm not giving up blogging, or homeschooling, or being a Mom/ wife or anything else.  I just thought I'd use this time to explore a few of the reasons why mommies get overwhelmed, since I have recent experience with it.  Perhaps, the Hawthorne effect will take over, and I'll find myself feeling like I have a tad more control just by writing about it. Then again, with a blog name like "Organized Everyday", someone out there might get the impression that I actually think of myself as organized everyday.  Maybe that wasn't the best title for a blog.  Maybe it should have been:

"She would like to be organized everyday, but so far it hasn't happened"   or

"She would like to be organized on any given day, but we're still holding out for that option..

or here's a good one:

"Writing about being organized is a whole lot easier than actually being organized, so let's just do that"

It reminds me of a conversation Kathy B. and I had once.

Her: "Do you enjoy crafting?"

Me: "Sure!  It's great fun."

Her: "Doesn't it get kind of messy?"

Me: "Yeah, especially when the kids do it."

Her: "I think reading a book on crafting is a nice option for this stage of my life"

Me: "Yeah, I agree.  Reading a book on it would be a good idea.  Feel like I've been there, done that"

Her: "sounds good to me!"

Same with blogging.  

Are you actually organized?

No, I just like to write about it. 

Doesn't that make you feel like... a fake?

No, only when I think about it like that.  On the days I'm making progress in something, I feel kind of glad I'm doing this.  

So, it's O.K. to keep this blog up, even when you are a scatter-brain?

Well, if the readers say "sit down and shut up" I will then.

O.K. 

O.K. then.

So, what were we talking about?  Being overwhelmed?  

For starters, I have officially broken all of my New Year's resolutions as of this past week.  The last straw was going to the fabric store.  All of the others were broken almost within the first week.  So, the list of what I am trying not to do for the new year has to be revised.  

So, 1. Broken commitments (even if they are to yourself) are stressful.  What I am trying not to do, has been done.  I guess the best option is to brush off the dust and start a new day.  They were all great ideas; I just need to try them TODAY.

2. Too many outside of the house activities are another one of my problems.  There's just so many fun things to do!  I need to find a way to pare down and stay home more! When I'm in the house, my kids are happier, the meals get made, things stay picked up, and I feel more organized.  

3. Meal planning needs to happen.  My dear husband just reminded us that for every one minute spent planning, three minutes are gained.  In other words, planning buys time for me! Sometimes I really do not want to take the time and energy to plan a meal--sorry organizing junkie!!  You are always trying to help everyone in this area.  Even when the rest of the day runs amuck, it is so nice to know "dinner is planned!"

4. Rejoicing in all the good that is happening, rather than focus on the negative.  Hey, I made my bed this morning.  That counts, doesn't it?  I made some bread.  There's something else.

So, with that, I'm off.

I'm off to be organized... today!

Newest best friends are always falling into my life...

Have I mentioned that people are always "falling into my life"?  Well, yesterday was no exception.  I was actually being a good girl and decided to force myself to swim laps in the pool.  I'm trying to learn how to love swimming.  It's not easy.  All  that breathing and flapping--you know--it's hard!  

So, I swim two laps, I took my heartrate: 26 in 10 seconds!! (am I out of shape, or what?)

and I look over at the girl next to me.  I asked her,

 "Are you a swimmer?"

Her: "I used to be, but I am out of practice.."

Me: "I'm thinking about taking a swimming lesson.  I teach pilates here, but I need to get some cardio in."

Her: "Hey, I was just in your pilates class! I knew that voice sounded familiar."

Me: "You poor thing.  You just had to listen to me for an hour, and now have to put up with more!"

Her: laughing..  

So we talked, and finally I asked her, so what were you wearing, and where were you? 

(You have to understand that about 8 new people show up every time I teach...)

Me: "You were a really hard worker!"

Her: "Wow! How did you know that?  I really do try hard at everything I do!"

Me: laughing.. "I could just tell!"

Instantly we discovered that we had a WORLD of things in common. I could just tell that I had just met my newest best friend. Now the poor gal had to listen to me blab on and on about everything instead of getting a decent workout...

Just as we were both starting to feel guilty about the lack of swimming that was happening, I noticed a lady walking by carrying a pretty cool contraption.  It looked like a floating babyseat for adults.  

Being a curious George type of A.D.D. personality, I instantly had to know what those were for.  The teacher, Diane, stopped everything to explain that they were special things to help people exercise in the water.  Ingenious!  A person with joint/ bone problems could get a pilates style of workout without putting any pressure on the body..  So, while I was enjoying this thing with my newest best friend, distracting all three of us... something happened.

But I'm not really sure WHAT happened.  Diane, the teacher-- soon becoming my newest best YMCA employee friend (right after Charles) ,  leaned over because she saw my goggles at the bottom of the pool, and WHUMP... she FELL into the pool right next to me. 

My newest best friend and I were dumbfounded.  What just happened? 

The aqua instructor with the floating carseats, managed to get ahold of herself enough to drag her wet towel and partially injured body out of the pool.  As we were trying to decide if she should fill out an accident report, I told her that I remember seeing her at the staff meetings and if she needed my help, I could walk her to the locker room or something.  She took a hard look at my squished head in a bathing cap and my blotchy white face and tried to remember if she could recognize me..  

Finally a light went on in her head..

"you're the one with the big hair, right?"

"yeah.. yeah, that would be me..."

So, there you go.  Even people who do not read my blog and have no idea that I have a "big hair complex" are acknowledging my problem.   Poetic, isn't it?  

I laughed all the way to the locker room and make sure to blow dry my hair upside down just to... uh...seal my identity in her mind of my newest best friends..

tired.. just tired.

I was climbing the steps last night after teaching a class and I crossed Charles coming down the steps.  He flashed a smile, his white teeth gleaming and asked me, "How are you?" in a friendly YMCA employee kind of way..

"tired, man.  just tired.  taught three classes today."

Which made him laugh right out loud.  Why wouldn't it? 

Isn't the customary response, "fine" what everyone says no matter what..???  

No, not me.  I have to be weird like that.  

I really was tired.  I am NOT a yoga teacher.  I've only been to a hand full of yoga classes.  I know it comes from India and all the terms all sound like shub bast ten aa.   I wasn't even going to try to fake it.  I started the class with,

"so, you guys believe in being open minded, right?"  (they all nodded)

"good.  So, let's be open-minded about learning pilates"  

So, I took them on a "journey" alright.  Let's visualize ourselves pretending we're having fun at pilates class.   I'm not sure they bought it, but I tried.  When I taught the "kids yoga" class right before it, they loved it.  The parents were all excited for me to come back.  The adults were.. tolerant of my teaching style. 

And it's about this "relaxation" thing.  I just don't get it.  Maybe I'm too young or something, but what is the point of laying there like a blob for like.. twenty minutes? after class?  It's a hard surface.  It's a public place.  It's late at night.  Shouldn't we all be getting to bed?

So, I stayed on the floor a long time for me (2 minutes) and quietly scooted over to my stuff, trying not to disturb the reverie.  

I had no idea that I supposed to sound a gong or something to wake them up afterwards.  When they woke up, I apologized for disturbing them and confessed that I have never been a good "relaxer".  One wise fella told me "you have adult on-set A.D.D."

I curtly responded, "atleast it's well channeled" 

tired, yes. 

ADD probably.

happy, of course.

Monday menus and such..

So, I survived my crazy weekend.  We got HIM to the ACT test.  Chances are, he did fine, since he does pretty well at most things. I, on the other hand, took a little longer than the length of the test to actually fully recover.  But don't feel too bad for my "what-if-my-kids-turn-out-as-dumb-as-me?" anxiety.  I hear it's normal among homeschoolers. There's nothing we can do about it until they prove they are really Einsteinish, and then (in my case), I'll be excessively thankful that half of my children's DNA actually came from a mensa scholar.

Well, just because I can't score well on tests DOES NOT mean that I can't score well on great deals, like this one. 

If I had to squash my personality into a jacket, this would be it. 

 I saw it. I cornered it. I conquered it.

all for $6.99.  

Now, the sweater I got for my Mom was an even better deal.  It was only $1.00.

She loved it all the same.  Here we are together, right before Mom and Dad left for Barbados.  Incidentally, she's did  NOT bring the sweater with her.  She's probably roughing right now.  I can see her now sitting by the poolside, sipping a little fruit juice slushie.  Speaking of slushie, it's probably high time I gave you a menu or something.

First I have to share a recipe.  Well, "recipe" might be exaggerating.  I guess it should be rightfully called a "discovery".

The Best and easiest vegetable soup in town.

1. Saute vegetables in a little bit of butter.  Add salt to taste.

(sweet red peppers, mushrooms, onions, spinach, cauliflower, snap peas) 

2. Buy some of this in the health food aisle.  It is SOOOO good.  I got it for $2.50 at Woodmans.

3. Add all of those yummy veggies (and cooked chicken if desired) into a sauce pan.  Poor enough of this cashew carrot ginger soup over it to cover the mixture.

4. Heat and serve.  Wow!!!  Taste explosion! VERY chock full of veggies!! You could garnish with nuts also.

The ginger gives it an Asian feel, but it's not spicy at all.  

Monday: clean out the fridge soup.

Tuesday: beans and rice

Wednesday: Italian

Thursday: pasta/ veggie dish

Friday: moose stroganoff

Check back tomorrow for a thrifty idea that will knock your socks off--literally.

For more menus, go to organizing junkie's.

Anxiously trying to be calm...

This is it.  Robotdude, our firstborn child is RIGHT NOW taking his first college-prep test: the ACT.   

We did NO preparation, and we just signed up a few days ago, hoping to get in on stand-by.  

So, my DH just called and He got in on standby.  I should be praying, not worrying.

Are there any other homeschoolers out there who have survived their children getting into college and all of the emotional drama that goes with it?  (not for him--but for me!!)  

Deep breath.. inhale.. exhale.. 

God is in charge.  He'll do fine. 

This reminds me of the time that Joanna was signed up for a "word power challenge" that I barely remembered signing her up for.  I gave her no prep and sent her in cold.  She ended up placing first and went to the regional competition.  

God helped Jo, he'll help Jamie (Robotdude)  too.  

The full time and a half job of a homeschooling mom

When contemplating the decision of whether or not to dive into homeschooling, a lot of people are overwhelmed with the thought of it. I have to admit that sometimes when I think about all that I do in a day, even I get overwhelmed.  Yes, I overwhelm myself.. if that's possible.  

So, it's best not to think about it too much.  Yes, running a home IS a full time job.  and Yes, homeschooling is a full time job.  People actually make a living teaching, you know.  (paychecks and everything)  

So, with that in mind, is it only the insane, feather-brained and naively optimistic type-A nerdlings that pursue this "vocation"??  On some days, I would answer an unequivocal "YES", but I wear the feather proudly, especially the feather-brained nerdling part.  On other days, I would say: it is possible for anyone to homeschool given the right set of tools.  Let's talk about those tools a little bit.

1. A desire/ call from God to homeschool.  This may seem obvious, but it's very important!  We wouldn't buy something as temporal as a car without a complete assurance that God was behind it; why would we bypass this when making choices for our childrens' education?  If God isn't calling you to do this, just stop worrying about it.  You don't need to feel any more guilty about not homeschooling than you do about not being in China as a missionary.  (unless of course you are supposed to be in China...)

2. Education, educational materials, and/or  tutoring help for homeschooling.  Even though there is much dissention about the amount of education someone needs to teach their own children at home, I think we would all agree that you need to know "something" in order to teach "something".  Often perception of "lack of education" can be more debilitating than the actual lack of information itself.  And the reverse is true also.  Perception that "anything goes" in the public school; therefore, "anything" will work for homeschooling is not profitable either.  

3. An accurate assessment of your strengths and weaknesses as a person/teacher  is probably more useful than the degree itself.  The more "challenged" you are in a particular area is not something to be embarrassed about and try to hide.  It just means you need to outsource a little more in that area.  Outsourcing can be in the form of a more structured curriculum, or a live class, DVD, tutoring or classes for homeschoolers at a co-op.  

4. Know your limitations. It is a strength, not a weakness, to know your own limitations.  Pride goes before a fall, and in this case, the children suffer also.  Some of you reading this who have a gaggle of little ones may need to hire outside help for babysitting or cleaning.  Remember, this is a time in your life where you aren't paying several hundred dollars on biology textbooks and paramecium.  You might need to budget the money for maid, though.  The kids DO grow up.  They will be able to clean well eventually.

5. Find support. I am sooooo blessed to live in Rockford, IL.  Everywhere I turn, there is a homeschooler!  When I teach pilates at the Y, there are even other homeschoolers getting exercise! This has not always been the case!  We've lived in North Dakota and parts of Wisconsin where homeschooling was not "cool".   Seek out others of like-mind and seek to be encouraging to others also.  It costs so little to give others a compliment about their children, and we all know how nice it is to hear one!

6. Be a human also.  It's easy to get entrenched in the whirlwind life of domestic bliss and school house excellence and forget to be a human.  My motto has always been: I'm in this for the long haul, so I'm not planning on burning out! 

The Bible says: come apart and rest awhile.   In the life of a homeschooling mom, "rest" takes on a different form.  What refreshes you? What encourages you? energizes you? What can you afford? What can your husband do to help you get it? Because I've been doing this for a while, "refreshing rest" has taken different forms at different stages.  When my kids were little, I just wanted to use my brain to do something productive.  I wanted to see something "finished" and not "undone".  I made things.  I took pottery classes.  I learned to weave baskets and other important things. For this stage of my life, my pilates teaching seems to "refresh" me. 

I hope this encourages some of you who are homeschoolers.  If you aren't, thanks for enduring another "homeschooling pep talk" from me.  I needed to voice these things after putting together a "rough draft" of a highschool transcript for my oldest child, who is so busy doing THIS that I never see him anymore. And IF he manages to get his SAT or ACT completed, he could be doing THIS this summer.  So, as you can see, life is sufficiently nuts around here.  I was going to tell you about the: standby testing for the ACT, boys Bible study, music lessons, workout at the Y, mini conference at our chapel, serving dinner to the poor at the Rescue mission and the Rockford Symphony that we have planned for tomorrow, but I thought better of it--since I knew you'd be overwhelmed.  

Works for me: morning family devotions

I have to admit: I am not a morning person naturally.  Anyone who knows me and is reading this will not believe this is happening to OUR family. 

It started in late November.  I was feeling like our family needed the boost of morning devotions, as well as the structure of routinely getting up early.  There was one problem: me.  

I was going to need to change!

I talked to my DH about the plan.  He and I both agreed that 6:30 a.m. was the best time for morning devotions for the family.  It would make sure that he got to work on time, and that we had time to do what needed to get done. 

So how did I change?  I just got out of bed when it was time.  Ingenious, I know.

It's been almost three months now.  I will admit that we are tired on some mornings, like today.  But the Lord blesses these efforts.  Each child is sleepy but is not allowed to fall asleep during devotions.  

What do we do for devotions? My DH leads a discussion about the proverb we're studying, or we read from a biography.  It lasts about a half hour.  It's not fancy.  We ask each child to pray and "exchange their wills".  

So, if you're up at 6:30 and you think of us, would you pray that we would be able to continue in this path with our family? I almost hesitated to post this, since we are so NEW at early morning devotions.  On some days, I can not believe it really OUR family that is getting up early!!  Wow.  God is good.  

25 Random things about me

My best blogging buddy, Mrs. Parunak, is giving all of her readers a chance to write 25 random things about ourselves.  So, thanks for the great idea.  If you are a reader and want to participate, consider yourself tagged.  Put a link in the comment section, and I'll come and read yours too.

1. I love people.  You probably already know that.  By the grace of God, I can not say that I have any ill will toward anyone.  

2. I adore my husband.  He is as different from me as any two people can hope to be, but that's the beauty of it, I guess.  I particularly think he is very patient.  

3. My kids are awesome.  They are fun to be around, especially when we don't have time constraints.

4. I teach pilates three times a week.  I enjoy the exercise and the social interaction with people.

5. I teach two English classes at Hallstrom, our homeschool co-op.

6.  I love all the kids I teach, just like they were my own.  

7. I love my kids' friends.  They are my kids too. 

8. I love the outdoors, especially bird watching.  

9. The garden I had last year was my first successful garden.

10. I am looking forward to spring and planting another garden.

11. I am happy with the number of children I have and feel a sense of completion.

12. I love to travel internationally.

13. I'm not afraid to go exploring alone, if I have to.

14. I am not planning to write a book, but I will probably end up with one, eventually.

15. I do almost everything fast.

16. I'm not a perfectionist, but most things turn out pretty well.

17. I love building tents in the livingroom.

18.  I love a fire in the fireplace and lit candles.

19.  I'm not fond of: french toast, skittles, creamed corn, or butterfingers.

20. I love sharing the Gospel.  

21. I frequently enjoy "spontaneous hospitality" at our home. 

22. I love garage sales and thrift stores.

23. I like taking naps.

24. I have a hard time sitting still.

25.: I love orange, even though people say that orange is a hard color to wear. This is a sweater I bought today at the thrift store!!  

Menu Plan for February 2-7, 2009

It's officially February.  The calendar says it's the shortest month of the year, but for me, it is the longest.  So, when I post in February, I'm going to drum up bright, colorful pictures from my daughter's big collection.  Bright. happy. colorful.   Speaking of colorful, I found the MOST

awesome jacket at a second hand store that is a knock your socks off jacket with big color and expression.  I think you'll just have to wait to see it.  

Here's that cool quilt that Mom made for me.  I don't think it's colorful enough, do you?  Just kidding.  I love it.  Speaking of bright and happy, a few of my friends and I got together for what we called a "faithful women's Bible study" at a local restaurant in town.  It went very well, and we studied: Genesis 24.

It was very informal and fun.  Wish you all could have been there.

Monday: baked potato soup

Tuesday: clean out the fridge soup (pictured below)

Wednesday: beans and rice

Thursday: pulled chicken on buns veggies on side

Friday: pasta and veggies

More menus at organizing junkie's menu plan Monday.