Easter

I try really hard to figure out how the egg hunt figures into the resurrection story. New birth, renewal? I've done a bit of websearch and egg hunts appear to be rooted in pagan fertility type activities-eggs and rabbits are both symbols of fertility. However, I feel the same way about this as I do Halloween-it is all about fun games for kids and there are few things kids enjoy more than a good egg hunt-or in this day and age, an egg gathering. I remember when the hiding of the eggs was much tougher-but churches were quite a bit smaller and kids were happy with just a few eggs. The times change. My favorite easter egg hunts were the ones at school. I don't think schools even have egg hunts anymore.

Lilly was the only 'official' hunter in our family for our church egg hunt. She 'found' lots of eggs including the golden egg for her age group. Tomorrow, if the weather cooperates, all three girls will participate in the family egg hunts which are MUCH more challenging. Mostly because all us grown-up kids know how to put the hunt in egg hunt. I can't wait, it will be so much fun to see all of our family. AND, there will be babies at both stops. Babies are so much more fun to visit with when you don't have one.

Tonight will be a big night for our family, I'll share the details after it happens. Let's just say, boundaries are stretching and Mom is nervous.

Happy Easter!!

Jesus Christ defeated death. His blood covers our sins. Believe it, love it, live it!!

I'm Just Sayin'

• Sometimes, if you brag on yourself and your spouse on your blog, bad things happen. Bad things like, perhaps that dishwasher won't quite get the dishes clean anymore. It doesn't get them clean much quieter though.


• I really miss the younger versions of my now tweens and yet, my youngest child at the same age is driving me nuts. I really try to seize the days with her fully knowing I will long for this sweet age later. Parenthood is the toughest hood of all.


• The two types of Churches of Christ sitting in a waiting room together is awkward.


• That last one deserves a hearty AMEN!


• The more you have to do, the more likely you are to sit in front of the TV like a zombie.


• I caught myself considering a direct sales career again. I slapped myself a few times and let the moment pass.


• Now that I am resolved and encouraged to carry on with homeschool, curriculum choices have me curled up in the fetal position once again.


• Political cartoons are awesome.

Tid Bits

I don't have the time to post like I would like to. So here are just a few tasty morsels of life.

• One of our very good friends broke his leg and is in miserable pain that morphine won't touch. Surgery is required but apparently the surgery schedule is quite busy. Hi name is Todd, please pray that his pain will be bearable and his surgery will be soon.
• One of my other friends-a new friend-is going through her parents losing their home to a fire. Her name is Kaelyn, please pray for her and her family.
• My dishwasher is washing my supper dishes. DIVINE. The part came really quickly but it was not easy putting the thing back together. After much frustration, I decided to switch a bolt out for a different bolt and hope for the best. New bolt worked very well and hopefully will continue to do so for quite some time.
• I received a new book to PRE-view, The Noticer, and it is awesome!! I can't wait to tell you all about it but I have to wait until April 27th-the release date. Very engaging QUICK read.
• I went to see my great nephew today and he wasn't home. While visiting briefly with my nephew, Noah(the baby) arrived back at home. He smiled at me like three times. I'm in love. Babies are soooo sweet. Okay, he did not smile AT me...smiles crossed his face as he sat dreaming of the world's largest bottle. I'll take what I can get.
• My Wednesday class took a nosedive down to 3 people(4 counting me). However, 5 people told me why they could not be in my class Wednesday and that news plus lots of prayer kept me from feeling like a total loser teacher. Also, the class was still a huge encouragement as I love all of the people who are coming to my class.
• We had our last Esther Bible study lesson today. I really love Beth Moore Bible studies. She encourages me so much I almost feel like she is a direct messenger from God just for me. The fact that other people feel that too gives me goosebumps all over. One person being obedient to God's call is powerful!
• I got my hair trimmed. It looks so much better. I went ahead and scheduled my next appointment because I don't want to wait another year before I get a hair cut! Time flies.
• I am back to taking B12 sublingual vitamins. It seems to really make a huge impact on my energy level.
• I am humbled and blessed by all of the wonderful comments on my last post. Thank you for caring and thanks for encouraging. I have met with no fewer than five of my home school homies to get "support". I love my homeschool mom friends. I love my non-homeschool mom friends. I love my friends. Right now, I feel good and I love everyone. Peaks and valleys folks, peaks and valleys.

I am very thankful tomorrow is Friday even if it begins one of the busiest weekends evah!!

Free Time!!!

The girls are all three involved in a program this week that gives me many many hours of uninterrupted freedom. And I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. Yesterday, hubby was off so we had lots to do and nothing to do. We accomplished some and watched a movie. Today, I dropped them off and came to the library. I have browsed some things I needed to browse, made some notes that needed to be made and now I am blogging. I still have time left. This makes me fully realize what kind of sacrifice I am making to homeschool my children. I could have this every day. Personal time. Non-referee time. Time to finish projects that hubby nags me about never finishing. Time to read more books. Time to plan menus, clean, bargain shop more effectively. Time to do my Bible study. Time to polish my parenting skills. Absence to allow my heart to grow fonder of all members of my family. Time to get a part-time job that would give me MONEY in addition to time. Time, time, time. Can I just admit right now how much that tempts me??? Especially as we begin the long road of tween/teendom.

I knew homeschooling was not an easy choice. I knew it would require alot of me. I guess I just never realized that the other demands that life makes on my life would also not change. My husband does expect a clean house and meals. He isn't a tyrant, he just sees that as part of my job description as a housewife. I expect a clean house and meals as well-from myself as part of my job description also. There is also the expectation of frugal shopping (one income family-DUH!) which could totally be a full-time job. I'm not talking mall madness, I'm talking about food and the necessities of life for a family of five. There is alot to running a household. This is true whether you homeschool or not. Whether you work outside the home or not. I honestly don't know how women who work full-time outside the home can accomplish anything on the homefront. Sometimes I just can't keep up with the expectations of me. That makes me feel like an utter failure.

All of this to say, sometimes I question the decisions I have made for myself. Especially on days where the kids seem to hate homeschool, hubby seems disappointed with my "productivity", and I am so tired I just want to crawl back into bed and take a nap.

Have I lost myself? Is there ever a place that women get to just feel good about what their lifesong sings? Is the grass always greener on the other side of the fence? Is there a lawn service that keeps it that green? Where should I go for my SABBATICAL? See what happens when I have free time. Worlds are colliding. Independent Janice is luring Janjanmom with shiny happy free time.

Snow What?

Monday, April 6-Snow day. What is wrong with this picture? We all had to bring out big bulky WINTER coats again. I cannot even begin to tell you what dislike that stirred up in my soul!! I am right smack dab in the midst of enjoying SPRING and do not care to have that interrupted with snow. Hopefully, this was Jack Frost's last hurrah with our neck of the woods. Here are some of the other fun things that happened today:

• Watched 7 pounds. Whew! Not what I expected. I like Will in les complicated movies. It's good, very good. Watched City of Ember. Good, it was not anywhere near as good as the series of books...but then, they never are. Watched Step Brothers. I wish I could get that time back. Will Ferrell, Elf is the only good movie you have ever been in. Stop with the goofy trash mouth movies. Who is the audience you are seeking???????? I watched these movies for $3 VIA the red box. Oh my, 24 hour movie rental for $1. Me likey. ALOT.
• Hubby cleaned out the garage and we took several boxes of things to the Salvation Army. The clutter just keeps going and it feels very nice. I hope to shed many more pounds of clutter through this year. Even better than that though, I plan to not take on a bunch of replacement clutter.
• Hubby and I disassembled the dishwasher and found the problem. $12.95 and the part should be here in 3-5 days. Do-it-yourself is really the only way to go. If only we could pump out our own septic tank (our next home necessity!!).
• We have our new windows (winders here in the country) and they are awesome. I hope our utility bills reflect the improvement. We also have new gutters and the overall effect of our home now is....."You need to clean your siding immediately!!!" We will get a round tuit soon.
• Started me some 'mater plants in my new jiffy tabletop "greenhouse". Also, 2 apple trees, 2 magnolias, and 6 okra plants. Purple okra from LBL's Homeplace 1850.

I'm very tired now. I was up very late last night trying to find a lost piece of paper. Never found it. So, I'm not there yet with the de-cluttering. I didn't claim to be-just doing better one trunk of stuff at a time.

Running!!

The girls and I have been running all day. We visited almost every relative we have, but we had the longest visit with Noah. Noah is my new great nephew. He is so sweet and cute. I begged my nephew, Jason, to let me have him, but I guess they have decided to keep him. After visiting Mia's grandbaby, Cameron on Friday and Noah today...it's a good thing permanent birth control has been enacted!!

Since arriving home tonight, I have wasted at least two perfectly good hours on the 'puter. I cannot waste anymore but did not wish to go another day without posting!!

Tomorrow, CARE group is here so that means I need to clean a little, I have already done most of it but still need to do a bit more. I also need to cook a little. This means I must bid you a good night. Have a wonderful Sunday tomorrow and I shall post more later.

More Parenting

I'm so sorry to focus so much on parenting so much...but it is where I am struggling/floundering/whimpering these days. It is just sooooo hard. Right now we are smack dab in the middle of a psuedo-crisis. (Aren't they all!!) My girls are really struggling with friends...how to be one, how to have one. How to maintain more than one friendship. How to be "cool" and yet keep your identity. How to have an identity of your own without "borrowing" someone else's. How to handle it when you have to share all of your friends with your sister. (Holy CRAP! That is a TOUGH one!!!)

You know what I am learning? I can't fix it. I can't help with it. Sure, I can offer advice and guidance but the bulk of it, they have to learn on their own. They make their own mistakes, impressions, enemies and then, they have to live with them. I can't come in and 'white out' the mean thing they said or did. AND THAT, is what I hate the most about parenting. Watching my little birds have to waller in the mistakes.

I'm sure God feels the same way about me.

The Toughest Job You'll Ever Love

No, I'm not joining the military. I'm talking about motherhood. I love my three darlings so much, some days I just want to pinch their little heads off. Today is not one of those days. Today we are at the library and life is good. Everyone kind of likes me a little. If I had known what being a mom entailed when I started this journey 12 years ago(almost 13-TIME FLIES!!)-I'm not sure I would have signed on for it. I have learned so much about myself and others. The motherhood club is a club of people who have their hearts living outside of their bodies. These hearts vacillate wildly from adoring you to loathing you. Sometimes both within the same 5 minute time allotment. (Of course this is wildly dependent on the hormone factors of all involved parties).

God knew what he was doing when he blessed me with children. I am conscious of every flaw I have or used to have. I want to be someone they love and respect. I want them to be lovable and respectable. I want them to like themselves and their family. I want them to revere God and want their lives to reflect that reverence. I want them to have hearts full of love. I want them to succeed. I want the patience to be able to withstand the temporary dislikes for their own good. I know someday they will both thank me for the good decisions I have made and taunt me with the bad ones. Lord, please help me to be balanced!!

This whole child rearing stuff is the toughest job in the whole wide world. Also, the most worthwhile job I have ever had. Have you hugged your kid today??