Peer Potter Pressure...

It has been a bit since my last blog post... I think of it as journaling, and I really love writing, but as with everything else who has the time? I wish it were different, but I am like ALL other mammas, BUSY! Please don't be offended by my post. It is a question I am working through and would treasure any peer advice!

I am working through a dilemma right now...Peer "Society" Pressure is plaguing me and I am bothered. I know that we are responsible parents and will make the right decision. Ever since Harry Potter came out years ago we decided that we would not read, watch or entertain it in any form. Something deep down, as Christians I suppose, has unsettled us. Feeling that something that glorifies wizardry and darkness as a form of entertainment is not a good thing to fill our minds with. And this has gripped the world! Albeit, most claim it is the classic story of good and evil, but to me there is no good in it. Just some "GOOD" wizard kids fighting an even darker evil with magic. I have the same feeling about the show "Wizards of Waverly Place".

The most prominent advice that I hear from friends and acquaintances when I ask them if they allow their kids to watch Harry Potter is that they want their kids to be aware of the things of the world and not be ignorant. Also... that the movie is GREAT and not all that bad.

The Bible tells us to protect our minds and the minds of our children and allowing movies such as this, does not seem to follow that advice. I don't support things that are not glorifying to God and especially when it comes to Hollywood and its grip on society. Promoting magic and black arts, a real threat in this world, in the name of entertainment unsettles me and they do not to me depict "real life". I can teach them these things and not subject their minds to such Hollywood Drivel.

My kids are sheltered, I will give that, but they are not ignorant. I do teach them the horrors of the world and help them to understand man's sinful nature. Do they have to watch something like Harry Potter to fully grasp these things and understand the world better? Do I need Hollywood to give my kids a proper true picture of the world? Are movies like these true examples of what is in the world and something that my kids will have to fight against in the future? Will they fight tremendous evil chess pieces and need shiny red stones to save the world?

Chris and I did watch part of the first movie the other day when it was on TV as a preview and found nothing good about what we were watching. I do not choose to watch horror movies and the grotesque man hosting the daemon man on the back of his head was kind of horrible. These are questions I am pondering in my heart right now. As the dvd's (a recent garage sale find by my dad) sit on the shelf calling out to my kids, "watch me" and as I seem to be in the minority of my friends not having let them watch these movies yet, I can't help to feel the pressure of that. I will give it some more time in Prayer :0) and hopefully do what is God's will in our lives.

Starting School & our Workboxes

Welcome 2011-2012 School year!!!!
We are excited to start this week and Getting into our workboxes!

The desks are set :0)

The boxes are loaded!

1) Calender/Weather Log box
I found a printable calendar with
wheels held on with brads on Scholastic printables that they
change the day, month and season each day)

I laminated it.

They have a weather log too.

2) Grammar box (Daily Grams/Easy Grammar/Magnetic Poetry)
I have a nice size list of Magnetic poetry ideas and
they each have a small magnetic white board ($2 walmart)

3) Spelling/Vocabulary/Dictionary box

4) 2 yo brother Teaching Time (colors, Shapes, ect., read book)
(15 minutes)

5) Writing/Copy work

6) Math

7) Awana box (study Bible and say to mom)

8) Elective box 1 a day
(Typing/Spanish/Nature/Geography/Health/Music/Art/
cooking)

9) Activity/Fun/Game box (see below)

10) Reading/Scholastic News box (love Scholastic news!)

Group time (Science or History)

Having a hands on visual learner I have been collecting lots of stuff to use for
the Activity fun box I made cards for each and stick them on the box.

The Toymaker website paper toys to print and make
Rory's story cubes
Wrap-ups
Word shout
Bananagrams
magnetic mosaic tiles kit
Usborne science and brain puzzle activity cards
oragami books w/paper
I found some silly science madlib type things at Target last week ($1)
flashcards (us presidents, geography)
Math dice
little dover coloring books
Learning resources addition/subtraction slide rule,
Educational multiplication key board (small world toys)
jump rope
Leap Frog TAG Land Animals and Bird cards
Fandex
Scripps spelling bee Nintendo ds game
Active life wii game
Silly Putty/Play dough (sculpt a story or make a specific thing)
Lap harp w/music sheets
recorder with book
Harmonica w/ small learning book
Games- Create a story, and Made for Trade
easy recipe cards

Blessings to you in your upcoming year!!!!

THE Talk

I get very sleepy when I try to read. I used to love to read fictional books. I read FAST with eyes wide open, excited... but always found non-fiction to be a real snoozer. I am trying to turn over a new leaf and this will be the summer of books. I found a comfy place on the porch where I plan to learn all I need to know about raising boys. I have a repertoire of these books downloaded to my kindle ready to go. Now for the hard part!!!!

(At least I have made my Kindle Pretty and flowery and enjoyable to look at :0)

Already, in my new found hobby, I have found out that the time is on our doorstep to have THE talk. Apparently, a nine year old can experience the first manifestations of puberty and manhood. I did not think it happened so young, but at the advice of those that have gone before me, those that wear the badge of doctor and therapist, it is of utmost importance that the boy be prepared ahead of time. So, with trepidation, I ordered some teaching books and am getting up the nerve to delve in head first.

Advice is always appreciated, there are many who have travelled this road before me. I look to you to guide me along this path. I will start with prayer that God will give me the wisdom to not mess him up. At leastI can rest in the knowledge that this is the first of three and I get 2 more chances to get it right!

It's time for week 2 of Finding New Friends Weekend Blog Hop hosted by Shelly from My Grocery Game and Jeannette from The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug! Thank you to everyone for making our first week so successful! We found some really great blogs and had a great time getting to know so many of you! Now let's make this week even BIGGER! We do have a few simple rules for you - nothing too tough though. So here we go:

1. Please follow your hostesses My Grocery Game and The Adventures of J-Man and MillerBug. Leave us a comment and we will follow you back!

2. Please follow our guest co-host who this week is Stephanie from Beauty Brite.

3. You don't have to post our button but we sure would like it if you did. Not only does it help our hop grow so we can all get new followers, but each week we will choose a guest co-host and to be considered you must have our button somewhere on your site!

4. You can link up blogs, facebook and twitter accounts - just be sure to specify what each link is.

5. Hop around and find blogs that you enjoy. Be sure to tell them you are following them from Finding New Friends Weekend Blog Hop so they can follow you back!

6. Have fun!

An Attitude Adjustment...my Confession

I almost died when I paid the bills last night.... of a nervous heart attack that is. We are BROKE this month!!! I way over spent and have tried to creatively figure out a way to get through the next 11 days until we have a few more dollars to spend! But, with that said, I spent the morning running around town on a quest to buy the perfect pair of pajamas for the boys. You see they are having their first real sleepover guest this weekend and begged me for cooler pajamas (their current ones truly ARE dorky!!!!!). Now... even though I could not afford them, against my better judgement, I spent the morning doing anything it took to make them happy with money.

I have never been poor... I grew up in a middle class family. As an only child I was given everything that I needed and wanted. My husband the same...we lived very comfortably. Now in our married life, we live the same, WAY too comfortably. Even though we live with a poverty level income, somehow we make it. We have no real debt, and a low mortgage. God has provided for us all the way and I am thankful, I owe it all to HIM.

I do live creatively, I have become an extreme couponer, I work very hard to get stuff for free. I buy and sell things, and as times have changed and things have become more expensive I do try to cut back. I do think about what goes into the cart now and just today, before we checked out, I stopped and said to the boys, "Now... let's look at what we have put in the cart and take out the things that we don't really need," and we did just that. We do not eat out more than a pizza here and there, or go to movies, or spend money foolishly. I buy used clothes and shoes a lot.

What bothers me is that I don't really KNOW deep down how to live as the poor person that I am. I really want to learn how to live with less. To know that I can't just have everything I think we need. Not that I am talking about a big flat screen t.v. or a beautiful bedroom set, but that bottle of face cream, or the better brand of yogurt. I want to understand that I just can't run to Walmart and fill my cart with things that I think I need. I want to better understand the value of a dollar, and how hard my husband works to make each and every one.

This will be my goal for the next few months, to not only save through spending less but to deny myself the things I THINK we need but really do not. It will be the summer of being content with everything we have and knowing that we DO NOT need more.

I need an attitude adjustment and hope that I can accomplish it :0)

Independence Day

I have always been an overprotective mom, there is no secret about that. I don't let my kids out of my sight, we are homebodies, and going out and doing things is foreign to us. I even still set my alarm clock halfway through the night to check on the baby (I mean umm... 2 year old).

While I have many other reasons...it is primarily why I homeschool too. Now do not get me wrong, we have a very active healthy life, full of fun, field trips and exciting every day adventures.

My husband and I have been away twice since we had kids... and that was before baby. This weekend I am taking a big step. I am going away for a night to a homeschool conference with a friend. I will be travelling a whole hour and a half outside of my comfort zone. I am excited to get away and I think it will be good for the kiddos too.

Sometimes I feel Guilty about being such a mom, but we have chosen this lifestyle because I love my kids and I want to spend as much time with them as I can in this short life. Given the unexpected catastrophe that has turned life upside down for so many far across the world, I want my kids to know that spending my time with them was one important gift that I could give to them while I could. I want them to know that I tried to spend my days, teaching and loving and trying to be a Godly example.

Hopefully this weekend will be a time of learning how to do my job better... and maybe I will have some fun too! Hopefully the kids will feel a little independence for a day or two and not forget about me in all the fun they will have with Grandma and Grandpa!

Potty Training at two?

Potty Training at 2? That is crazy! I never would have been able to accomplish this with the older two but baby is so smart. I suppose it comes from being the third. He gets to learn everything from all the rest of us.

Right now when I ask him if he wants to go on the potty his response is of course a big nooooooo! He says it just like that emphasizing the oooo.

Here is his idea of potty training though. Pooh in the potty :0)

We will juat have to see how it goes!

Boy to Man???

They grow up too fast...

The big boy announced today that he did not like the smell emanating from under his arms. He just could not stand the smell of himself! Funny!!!! After months of begging I finally let my almost 10 year old try some deodorant. He was so very happy and felt like a man. All day long I caught him secretly (well not so much secretly to me) sniff under his arms and breathe in the sweet smell of "Cool Blast". He has received his first tube of deodorant and is anxiously awaiting shower time.

Where do the days go? When did I get an almost 10 year old?

Poo Poo & Chew Chew on the Shoe Shoe

Do you ever look down when you walk? Thankfully yesterday I did.

Standing in line at the catalog return desk at Penney's yesterday (to return something that I should not have bought in the first place) I stood smiling, watching the middle one prance the small one around the room holding hands so lovingly. All was great until doh... he pranced him directly into a mess on the floor. After chastising him for not paying attention I quickly swooped up baby and finished my transaction. As we were leaving, further down the hall, I luckily decided to look down at the floor just in time to save the big one from the same fate, but then we saw it again... and again...pile after pile of brown chocolate on the floor. In an instant of realization and a rush of panic, I looked down at the shoe gently bumping against my hip as we walked. I ripped off the shoe and braved a sniff and the gentle caress of Cocoa was not what touched my nose. Well... the boys immediately started gagging and wretching and as we walked out of the store the baby happily chirped "momma, poo poo shoe shoe".

A while later as I furiously scrubbed the shoe at the spicket with an old toothbrush, bleach and water I could not help to think that the shoe had been disgraced and forever soiled by that filth. There were other things that soiled our shoes that day, a puddle of shiny oil brought out by the rain and some chew, chew left by a manly passer by. As a germaphobic family we DO NOT wear shoes in our home. We vowed to never bring the filth of the outside world into our home. It struck me that while I am so concerned about what our shoes bring onto the house that I totally disregard the other filth that I bring home and soil my kids hearts with. What about the wii that we got for Christmas in the name of exercise? Or the Nintendo DS that we bought in the name of long hours waiting at the doctor? The 2 year contract with Direct TV? The Kindle? The Ipod Touch and it's Angry Birds? For at least the last 8 years God has put it in my heart to simplify and rid ourselves of these things, what will it take for me to finally obey?

To finally worry less about their "soles" and more about their "Souls"?

While I will try not to use a christian metaphor in everything that I write, I would be remiss not to at least recognize the lessons that God has for us as we WALK through our day.

Blessings!!!!

Boy's and their Legos

I have been thinking a lot about Legos lately as I watch my baby play with his brand new first set. What would a boy’s life be like without them? Our home certainly would be a much more boring and uncreative place! As the massive collection seems to grow at an unprecedented rate, the creations only get better and better. It started with my old collection one that I am sure that my dad, the sonless generation before me, enjoyed better than I. Then as my boy’s birthdays and numerous holidays have past, the sets grew bigger and better. If only the boys would put the creativity and ingenuity that they put into their Lego creations into their daily life. They would be super geniuses!!!

My only problem seems to be is that as they build the massive creations they refuse to take them apart again. Once they are put together, they stand as monuments, a painstaking job completed with pride. I try to encourage them to take them apart and make new creations but they are adamant that this is how it is meant to be and there they sit. I will continue to try to teach them that all things can be made new. That new things can spring from the old and it is worth the risk.

It seems God has been trying to teach that lesson to me after a long, sickly, hard spiritually dry winter. With his help I will try to rebuild myself into a new creature, a joyful one, a trusting and faithful one.

Maybe also I will head upstairs and try out the Legos and see what the fuss is all about :0)

A New Chapter

Well it seems winter is finally coming to an end and I am hoping to start a new chapter in my life. I had a rough winter but now, with the signs of spring popping up around me I hope also to spring ahead and get back to joyful living.


I am not much of a writer but I hope to be able to keep up with the best of them with new lessons learned and new everyday adventures.