Time to get busy

Christmas is done and gone. That means that it's time to start thinking about youth camp. That also means it's time to start thinking about *groan* fund raising. Don't get me wrong now. I always have such a great time in the Lord doing stuff like this. The old lazy flesh never ever wants to do any fund raising though. It really is a lot of hard work. And it's always so worth it!

We're going to be having a cake auction on February 2nd. That won't be hard. I had thought about putting together a recipe book. I brought it up at a ladies' meeting several months ago and the ladies were very enthusiastic about it. The problem is that I can't find anywhere to get the booklets printed at an affordable price. We may have to find a plan B. ;)

This Sunday will be the first week of our 2008 youth challenge. This is a 26-week (I think) competition where each youth earns points for his/her work for God. I love competitions like this because it demonstrates truths taught in the Scriptures:

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. --2 Corinthians 5:10

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. --1 Corinthians 3:11-15

So, the youth are pretty excited about it. And I am too.

For Christmas, Jeremy bought me a DVD course for congregational hymn arrangement by Yoke Wong. Have I already mentioned this? Anyway, time is always an issue with us. I haven't even completed one disc yet. I really need to get on that ball. Every time that I try to get it going with the children awake, they always want to help...we all know how that goes. :D

Still Enthusiastic

It's been two weeks now since Christmas break and the children are still loving school. Well, I say that but it's more like John is loving school and Ethan is tolerating school. I don't make him sit through school. He's just turned three and that's far too young for him to be able to sit still and listen like his older brother. I encourage him to stay through the first lesson, Bible. After all, Bible is really fun! He loves the singing. He likes the scripture recitations. He short lesson usually tries his patience. I keep telling myself that he'll come around as he gets older. Of course, he may not. I loved and adored school when I was little; Jeremy loathed and hated it. Time will tell.

John has officially learned his last consonant sound for this year, although he already knew it. He tries to read everything. He does well if the word is on his level. Last night we went grocery shopping very late and John was [fairly] well-behaved. It was well past bedtime, so he earned a small treat. The kids don't usually get treats for good behavior; it is expected of them. They do, however, under certain circumstances. Anyway, he wanted a pack of gum. It was really funny to hear him try to sound out the word "Dentyne." He got the "den" part. It was downhill from there.

I really want to do something different next year with Bible. I think we could be getting more. I love A Beka's K4 Bible curriculum. Of course, with the price tag it carries, I've only looked at it. Their Flash-A-Card series is so awesome, but just the cards are over $120. I've looked at other curricula for Bible. From what I can tell, Alpha Omega doesn't offer Bible till first grade. BJU's Bible is out of the question because they are not King James only. Maybe we should just keep going like we are. The boys are learning quite well. Just another matter of prayer. :)

Oh, thought I'd include some photos of John busy at school:



Yes, he's a lefty, like his Dad.

baby hair bows, part 2

I bought the book. It was a bit pricey, but would pay for itself after I make only 1 fancy-shmancy bow. I got it on eBay from a store called Bows For a Princess. 19.95 was the price, but there was no shipping since she emailed the entire 164 page book. And trust me, that is was better for me. If it's on the computer it's not going to get lost, torn, colored in or the like. Once I get my supplies I need I'll be getting busy.

Lydia is really starting to walk. She has been walking with a step here and there since she was 9 1/2 months old, but she's getting more and more brave. Her speech is improving too. Dada has become Daddy. Mama has become Mommy. She's calling John by name more regularly. I'll be working toward her first birthday party next week. We just brought her home a few days ago, didn't we?

The next question is baby #4. I'm scared to death to get cut on again. I'm actually not scared of the whole surgery thing. I am scared of spinal anesthesia. No joke, just typing about it here, I feel an adrenaline rush and my pulse start racing. I've had 3 babies, 3 c-sections, and 3 spinal anesthetics. Every one of them has been bad. I can't imagine my life with only three children. It's going to be hard to settle for just four.

Lydia needs Mommy. Off I go.

Since Christmas

I remember one of the best things when I was in school (I attended public school) was Christmas parties. We had them in elementary school, but didn't from middle school and on. So, why shouldn't we have one? I told the boys that we were going to have an extra-special Christmas party and hyped it up all month. Well, for the last day of school before break we made and decorated cookies for Christmas. This was NOT an easy task for us. I let the kids help me in the kitchen...but we're talking a 4 year old and a 3 year old with a 10 month old always clinging to my skirt. Fortunately a friend of mine volunteered to keep Lydia at a birthday party for a few hours (thanks Mandy). Well, we got it done, but believe me, I was exhausted.

We mixed up the cookies and as we let them get a good chill (you just can't roll out room temperature dough), I took the boys to the town park. They love that. There is no better place than the park. Of course, their favorite park is the massive Benny Russell Park in Pace. But this day we stayed local. We came home, baked, cooled and decorated. I took a shot of the kids' hard work to share.


Something else to mention...it seems that Ethan has memorized Psalm 23 before John. Way to go!

We ended up having an extended break by no doing of my own. We had a terrible cold hit us. Since it was just a little viral cold, it was in and out of here in just a few days. Something crazy though: I totally, 100% lost my voice. It's been a week and a half and I still don't have it all back. When I was a teenager, it was not uncommon for me to lose my voice after a football game or whatever. Even then it was never completely gone and certainly nothing a night's
sleep couldn't remedy. I mean I had no voice. Zero. Not even a whisper. When I say it was gone, I mean gone. It was hard enough just keeping order in the house when I couldn't communicate with the kids. I wasn't even about to attempt to have school. How could I teach him to make a "B" sound when I couldn't even make a "B" sound?

What was a blessing though was that the boys were actually eager to get back to school. They kept asking, "Can we have school today? I miss school, Mom." Yeah, that's a blessing. In reply I could only smile. Four year olds just don't read lips that well.