Perseverance

One of the great joys in my life is when my kids actually enjoy conquering a hard task at school.
Today, Eli asked to do school. He asks to do school often, but I am usually so busy with "real" school with Katie that I give him something easy like cutting and pasting or mazes. But today I decided he needed a challenge. I gave him a dot to dot book for five year olds. It was HARD. He cried and fussed, but then when he figured it out and completed the page he did a happy dance and asked to do it again!
Katie has always struggled with writing/reading/grammar. Today we were talking about nouns ("A noun is the name of a person, place, thing or idea."). To solidify the rule I pulled out an old magazine and told her she had 15 minutes to find as many pictures of nouns as she can and paste them on the page. She is giggling and searching. I hear her saying quietly to her self "a noun is the name of a person, place, thing or idea...yep, this is a noun." She is having fun learning and she will REALLY know this definition by the end of the day!
My children are finding school a challenge, but are learning to persevere. I am finding homeschooling and housework and being a mom, wife, friend is a challenge, but I am being encouraged to persevere. It reminds me of the verse found in Hebrews 10:36...You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
We all have something we need to persevere in. What challenge are you facing today? Remember, the Lord promises great blessings if you fight through!

Super Powers

Katie has decided to keep her brother entertained while they do chores by making everything about a super power. She got him to clean his room in record time. She got him to help her take the laundry downstairs by saying they were evil villains and needed to be rounded up and put into the "jail" or laundry basket! He keeps saying his code name is "Super Fick Fop". We're not sure what that means, but that is what he wants his name to be. Well, Katie couldn't get her mouth to say it so she said "OK, well, I'm just going to call you FRED". When I noticed him doing the potty dance she told him to go sit on the "super throne" so he can get further instructions. She then stood outside of the bathroom and made up "missions" to do. Now, that their chores are done, she has him doing her bidding. She got him to get her a drink and put her toys away. Katie really is amazing with the preschool set when she wants to be! I love that girl!

Katie and Eli

One of the great parts of homeschooling is setting our own schedule. Sometimes we have a slow starting morning or a super busy afternoon and we set the schedule accordingly. Well, this is one of those slow mornings. The kids decided to just play while they waited for mom to get her act together. As they were playing they were doing real life math. They were sorting according to size. When they realized there were too many small and not enough big to be fair. Then they sorted by color and realized there were way too many groups to be fair. Next they decided to count. They counted 30 toys (I know, they have way too many toys) and Katie said, "I think that is an even number. Lets take turns taking one and see how many we each get!" So they each took one then another than another. Then Katie said, "lets count and be sure we have the same number." They counted to 15 (well, Eli had to have some help at #12, but she helped him and I stayed still, eavesdropping!). Then Katie says, "Mom, did you know that 15 plus 15 equals 30?" Home-school math at it's best!

As they were playing and learning together I couldn't help but think of John's writing in 1John 4:20-21. He writes:

If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love

God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

There is nothing better than when my kids are enjoying each other. I don't just want them to get along, but I want them to enjoy each other. As they grow, I am treasuring these times in my heart and praying their love for one another never grows dim. Because their love for one another is a direct reflection of their love for and relationship with God!

Out Smarted by a Four Year Old....ALMOST!

So, my son is now 4. He is very smart. Today he has begun trying to used words to trick me. The main one went like this...

M: Did you want to go swimming today?

E: Yep. I can go swimming today?

M: yep.

E: I didn't poop in the pool?

M nope, you didn't so you can swim today.

E: Cool. I can poop in the pool today.

M: Yep, you can...wait...you can swim. You can't ever poop in the pool.

E: Gotcha mom. I was just jokin'...

Another one was...

M: Didn't we tell you no throwing things down the stairs?

E: Yes. I didn't throw it down.

M: How did it get down here then?

E: I rolled it.

M:Rolled it?

E: Yep, rolled it...it's not throwing!

M: OK No rolling things down the stairs, bring it down with your hands.

E: Can we talk about this? It's easier to roll it! (Big cheesy smile to try to win me over).

M: You should be a lawyer.

E: I am not a liar!...

What will it be like when he's a teenager?

Drug Problem

Drugged by my parents

"Why Are Some Eggs Brown and Some White?"

Recently Katie and I were grocery shopping. While I was checking the eggs Katie asked me "Why are some eggs white and some brown?". I had no real idea. I thought that it had something to do with the kind of chicken or color of chicken, but really I didn't know. I decided to go home and look it up, but forgot. This is one of the only reasons I would ever get an iPhone; so I can check that kind of information and never have to skip a beat!

Anyway, today Rick was asking me if I'd be interested in an iPad (and was trying to convince me that I want one) when i remembered this question. I decided to get my computer out and look up the question the old fashioned way! Here is the answer i came up with...

Chickens lay the color of eggs of their ear lobes! Yes, you read that right. Chickens have ear lobes! If they are a white ear lobed chicken they will have white eggs. And a brown lobed chicken has brown eggs! So, it does have to do with the kind of Chicken they are. Cool!

Here are my two sources.

http://www.mrbreakfast.com/ask.asp?askid=23

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5357549

Mirror Dream

So, last night I had a weird dream. I dreamed I was in a hall of mirrors. Every time I looked into a mirror I couldn't see myself. I was totally invisible. I went to one mirror and saw Rick, but not me. Then I went to another and saw Eli, but not me. Then I went to another one and saw Katie, but not me. Then I woke up. What's up with that? Any thoughts?