A Lesson in Losing

See this boy?

This cute 10 year old with the infectious grin?

Don't let this face fool you. 

He's ruthless. Absolutely ruthless!

Let me explain:  This fellow is a Game-Player. Loves games! Especially board games. And more specifically, board games involving strategy.

As in, use-your-brain kind of games. You know, the type of games his Mother really stinks at. 

This point was driven home the other day when this sweet calculating 10 year old and I (his dear mother) sat down for a friendly game of Othello. Well, I was busy randomly thoughtfully placing my pieces in their little green spaces while my opponent speedily dropped his pieces here and there, willy-nilly-like.

Or so I thought. 

Before long, I begin hearing things like:  "Are you sure you want to put it there, Mom?" or "Did you see this spot over here?" 

To which Mother replies, "Now, why would I want to place my piece there?"

And he says to me, "Oh, it's just that, if you put it there, then I'll do this, and then you'll do that, and then I'll turn over all these and then you'll lose."

And then he flashed that grin.

 Really? He could see ahead 2, 3, 4 moves ahead? Sheesh! I was doing good just trying to find more than 1 or 2 discs to flip each turn.  

We finish the game. Yeah, Boy wins, Mom loses, Big Time! OK. Yes! HE CLEANED MY CLOCK! (there. I said it.) 

Then this mother smiles broadly and does the gracious thing. She gives the winner's hand a congratulatory shake, happy to be a good sport, showing the now rather large audience that had gathered how to be a good loser. 

And as she walks away, if one were to be listening ever so carefully, they might here words being muttered under her breath. Words something like, "That's the last time I'm ever playing with him, I tell you what!"

Big Summer Fun, $0

What do you do when you have a houseful of kiddos who need to run off energy and the temps outside are at the 3 digit mark and the budget says there's no extra $$$ for a trip to the water park?

Create your own Water Arcade!

We drew a target (note the rainbow colors - art and science lesson right there. Can you say 'Summer School'?) on a piece of poster board. Tape to a plastic deck chair. Dunk splash (foam) balls into a bucket of water, and then . . .

"Step right up! 3 throws per customer, please! Test your skill! Who can hit the Bull'sEye?!"

Splash Ball Target Practice kept them busy for a couple hours. Time enough for Mom to kick back with an Iced Coffee and a good book. Gotta love summer!

A Trip the Big Fancy Waterpark=BIG BUCKS.
Making Fun Memories in the Backyard=PRICELESS.

Linking this post up with Big Family Friday at Holy-Spirit Led Homeschooling.

The Hidden Art of Homemaking - Chapter 10

This book study has been in a holding pattern, but I'd like to go ahead and quickly work through the rest of the chapters. If you'd like to read my thoughts on earlier chapters, click here.

Drama

From the title of this chapter, you would think we'd be discussing phrases like 'try-outs' 'memorize your lines' and 'lights, camera, action!'. But, no. The phrase discussed is 'read, read, read'. Read, you ask? YES! Nothing brings to imagination to life better than reading out loud together quality literature. Stories that inspire, spur you on to great things, overcome all odds, climb the highest mountains, cross the deepest seas, go where no child has gone before . . . (cough, ahem, cough). . . Ok, so I'm being a little dramatic (pun intended!). You get the point.

We have always read to our children. The fact that I can recite One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish in my sleep to this day is proof of that. But investing a bit of yourself into the reading out loud adds so much more to the experience. When baby #4 came along, I found a book by the title "I'll Love You Forever" --  a wonderful book that takes you through all the stages of growing up and how Mother loves you through them all. The mother character sings a special lullaby each night, all through the years, and so as the words to the song are repeated throughout the story, I created my own little tune (inspired by a friend), making the story "come alive". Now my own daughter reads/sings it to her little ones.

When we began 'officially' schooling our children, I started the tradition of reading out loud at lunchtime. A tradition we have kept up, off and on, for 21 years now. I choose chapter books, children's literature, books that are fun and/or informative. Books that spark the imagination or challenge us to better character. As the children sit and enjoy their lunch, I read out loud. It is far more interesting for them when I consciously vary the tone and pitch and meter of my voice. Am I coming upon a tense and suspenseful section? I try to lower my voice and slow down the rhythm for full impact. Are we jumping into something exciting and unexpected? I will speed up my words and raise my voice, and then pause for them to take it all.
I have a couple of friends who are very good at accents. I have some work to do before I can master the British accent, or the Brooklyn accent. I can add a touch of flair with a crisp, Northern US accent or a bit of Southern Drawl. My rendition of a Swede brings giggles from around the table, but that's ok. I don't take it personal. 

We have had seasons of read-aloud time in the evenings with Dad.  Our evening devotions as a family are centered around taking turns reading out loud from our Bibles. The spoken word brings people together. Storytelling has long been a way of one generation passing down history and character and life lessons to the next. 

Some of our favorites through the years (there are so many!) have been:

Mr Popper's Penguins

Winnie-the-Pooh

Little House Series
The Narnia Series

Understood Betsy

Treasure Island

Swiss Family Robinson

Hans Brinker and the Silver Skates

Henry Reed

The Moffats

Ben Hur

Pilgrim's Progress

Ten P's in a Pod

The habit of reading aloud together opens up whole new worlds, and naturally pulls our children, even ourselves, into the wonderful world of make believe, without movie cameras and pre-printed scripts. It's amazing this tool God equipped us with - the brain.

You just might meet up with a young miss who's donned a pretty bonnet as she is crossing the prairie in a conestoga wagon:

 

Or a brave young cowboy roaming the range, keeping law and order in a rough and tumble town.

So, rather than flipping on the television, or getting lost in a video game, consider snuggling up on the couch or gather around the dinner table and enjoy a good book together. You never know where it may take you!

The Kite

How bright on the blue

Is a kite when it's new!

With a dive and a dip

It snaps its tail

Then soars like a ship

With only a sail

As over tides

Of wind it rides,

Climbs to the crest

Of a gust and pulls,

Then seems to rest

As the wind falls.

When string goes slack

You wind it back

And run until 

A new breeze blows

And its wings fill

And up it goes!

How bright on the blue

Is a kite when it's new!

But raggeder thing

You never will see

When it flaps on a string

In the top of a tree.

by Harry Behn

Taking Care of the Little Things . . .

. . . will Lead to Great Things.
And so I say "Thank you, Lord" for
little helping hands
little inquisitive minds
little eager faces
little voices singing
little socks strewn here and there
little kisses pecked on my cheek
in only a little while the little ones will be grown.

This little post is a reminder to myself to seek out joy in the little things of the day.

Smart Puppy

If you think schooling your children at home is an amazing feat, I have something even more amazing to show you:






Our resident 9 month old collie puppy, Solo, takes his reading lessons very seriously.




And so does his 4 year old teacher.

Treasure Hunter

That's what I call Luke these days. In the last couple of months, he has come across the most amazing things. Just look at some of his latest treasures -



This arrowhead is absolutely perfect! A friend of ours came out with his 2 sons not long ago, and joined Mike, Luke and Gabe hunting arrowheads. They scoured the bridge bottoms behind our house. They found many pieces, a few almost-intact arrowheads. But, Luke brought home the grand prize. They also brought home bunches of little chips of rock, little slivers, that had come off in the process of making the tools/arrowheads. You could almost see the people of long ago, gathering near the creek, making these sharp points in order to provide food for the family, clothing to wear, etc. We know that at some time in history, Indians have lived on this land, because we have found some evidence here and there through the years, like bits and pieces of arrowheads. I think this one is the best of them all. Very Cool Indeed!



And then, recently, we purchased a piece of property nearby. Once the previous owner had cleared out, Dad and the kids went exploring and searching, to see what was left behind. See what Luke brought home?


A 25-gallon fish aquarium! He tested to see if it would hold water (very important, don't you think?), scrubbed it clean, and now . . .



it is on display, ready and waiting for new residents. How many fish will a 25-gallon tank hold? I don't know yet, but WAY more than that dinky little 5-gallon tank we used to have set up (which we used to think was kind big, by the way).


And now, for the piece d' resistance (I have no idea if I spelled this correctly, but blogger didn't flag it as a spelling mistake - just read it with a french accent please)!





my 18 year old son now has wheels! And dreams, lol.

A '59 Chevy Apache. He won't be traveling very far in this classic just yet, but once he hauls it out of the pasture and gets it into the garage, he'll be hitting the road in no time. Well, maybe it will take some time, but he's already making plans and researching what it'll take to get this thing running.







It inspires me, the way Luke can look at a cast-off object and be able to envision potential, usefulness, and new life. He loves rolling up his shirt sleeves and applying elbow grease along with his creativity and imagination to bring something all worn out back into service.

It makes me think of our Creator - I'm so thankful that He was willing to send His Son to the cross and to take each of us in our imperfect bodies with sinful hearts and make them new again.

"Therefore,if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become now." 2 Corinthians 5:17

School is in Session

I thought I'd share a little peek into our school day - - here you see the younger kids hard at work on their Math assignments. Math is usually the first subject of the day. It's everyone's favorite, and important to get a lesson in each day, so it's a great way to get us going in the mornings.










Even little Bekah has her own schoolwork. I created this little game in a file folder. We call it 'Cupcake Counting'. She has colorful cupcakes lined up inside of a file folder, each numbered from 1 to 10. There is a little pocket that holds colorful sprinkles (I used a balloon-shaped paper punch to create these) and Bekah's assignment is to place the appropriate number of 'sprinkles' on each cupcake. To change things up a bit, sometimes we 'color-code' them to get in a lesson in colors as well as counting.




And, yes, the bunny ears definitely improve brain power!!!

Don't UnderEstimate the Little Guys

Last night, during our evening devotions I was again reminded that I often underestimate my younger children. We've been reading through the gospel of Mark. Every child that can read takes a turn reading a couple of verses out loud, then we discuss what we read, ask questions about things we didn't understand. I'm continually amazed (ok, maybe I shouldn't be, but I am) at what a great job even my Littles do at reading out loud, and comprehending what they've read.

I recently heard this phrase "Practice makes progress." What better way for our children to practice reading, practice thinking on spiritual things, practice listening skills, practice patience, practice taking turns than as a family gathered at the end of the day. Some may think the Bible is too difficult to understand - 'practice makes progress!' The wheels of their minds are constantly turning, so why not fill them up with stuff of substance, rather than fluff?

And talking about 'the wheels turning' -- as I tucked the little boys into bed, I could see something was floating around in that brain of my 5 year old. I hung around a few extra minutes, just to see if he'd reveal what was developing in those thoughts of his -- sure enough, it all came spewing out. He seems to be a little confused about family relationships.

N-"Mom, Alyssa used to be a girl"
Me-"yes, she's still a girl"
N-"No! She used to not be married"
Me-"yes, but now she's a grown up married lady"
N-"Right. and she used to not be a mom, but now she has a baby"
Me-"yeah, Arioch was born here last summer. He's going to be a year old soon."
N-"so, he's my other brother?"
Me-"No, he's your nephew - you are Uncle Noah"
N-"I'm a kid. I'm an uncle? I'm not grown up yet. but I'm growing up fast, huh? That's pretty neat."

Yes, they grow up very fast. He still had a quizzical look on his face as I left the room. He'll figure it out.

In the meantime I need to slow down and listen to their questions, take time to give a thoughtful answer, or make the effort to discover answers together. They keep me grounded and on my toes and get my priorities back on track. I wouldn't want it any other way --


And they really know the art of enjoying a plate of spaghetti!

This is SO True!

The Bathroom Door Is Closed

Please do not stand here

and talk, whine,

or ask questions.

Wait until I get out.

Yes, it is locked. I want it that way.

It is not broken, and I am not trapped.

I know I have left it unlocked, and even open at times,

since you were born,

because I was afraid some horrible tragedy

might occur while I was in there,

but it's been 10 years

and I want some PRIVACY.

Do not ask me how long I will be.

I will come out when I am done.

Do not bring the phone to the bathroom door.

Do not go running back to the phone yelling

'She's in the BATHROOM!'

Do not begin to fight as soon as I go in.

Do not stick your little fingers under the door

and wiggle them.

This was funny when you were two.

Do not slide pennies, LEGOs,

or notes under the door.

Even when you were two this got a little tiresome

If you have followed me down the hall talking,

and are still talking as you face this closed door,

please turn around, walk away,

and wait for me in another room.

I will be glad to listen to you when I am done.

And yes, I still love you.

Mom

...Author Unknown

copied from lambechops blog, first seen at momys.com If anyone knows where this was first published or the author's name, I'd love to hear from you!

When the Cat’s Away The Mice Will Play

Actually, the saying should be, “When Mom’s Away, The Kiddies Will Play!” I was gone the other day, for most of the day. I put in my hours at local pg center and then helped set up the Christmas Tree Auction they are holding to raise funds. When I walk in the door, E comes running and says, “Guess what C can do! L is teaching us to do it too!”

They proceed to show me how they can walk up the walls in the hallway. A trick my older ones learned from a friend years ago from a friend that stayed with them while M and I were out of town one weekend. Now they get to pass on the tradition to my younger ones. So, if you come visit and see foot prints 6 feet up on my hallway wall, you’ll know why.

Now, this morning, I ask M to download pictures off my camera to the computer. As I scroll through to see what is there (I am looking for a couple shots for my on-line projects) and THIS is what I see -- again, evidence of what goes on when I’m not home.

A Funny Little Incident . . .

. . . at least I thought it as humorous. Here is a little snippet I wrote up while on vacation, right after we crossed over the Canadian Border, back into the U.S.:


Oct 17:

We’ve just crossed the border, back into the US. M pulled up to the border station, rolled down his window and said ‘Hello!’ The young man in the booth looks at his co-worker standing behind him and says, “Wanna check this one?” With a yawn and and a shake of the head he says ‘nope’. I think he saw the camper, the kids, and didn't want any part of us.

Our border guard then asked us how long we’d been in Canada, was it a pleasure trip, how many in the vehicle?
‘8’
‘8?’
‘8’
‘8?’
chuckle, chuckle, ‘yes, 8’

The fellow asks, are they all children? Are they all our children? The same family? Maybe he didn't believe us, or maybe he pitied us, or maybe he was just glad it was us and not him?

When you travel in a pack, I suppose no one wants to mess with ya (hee, hee, hee). I could see in his face he was not in the mood to check everyone’s papers, he waved us on through – have a nice day!

We were treated very well at the borders, coming and going - no hassles, though the Canadians don’t seem to be as concerned about who comes through their borders as the Americans do. We definitely had more questions when entering the US.