We’ve taken a detour to Pensacola Beach since we didn’t get to see the ocean in Orlando. Spending time with family was fun and interesting. But I’ll save that for another post.

Traveling over the little bridge to Pensacola beach, I was overwhelmed by awe and a little fear. The peninsula or island (not sure what it is) seems so small from the east to west coast. I swore when I looked out my window, both left and right after I got on the main road, I saw water on both sides. We made our way to the beach and the kids waded in the water while I worried about them getting sandy and wet in their clothes.

Where has the carefree days of my youth gone? The days where I spent summers at the beach on Long Island, body surfing without worries or cares. Now that I’m a mom, I worry about every little thing and won’t let my kids go in the ocean past their knees!

But tonight I will sleep well in a soft bed, which beats the thin sofa bed I’ve been sleeping on for over ten days, while my kids have camped out on sleeping beds on the floor. I think we’re all anxious to get back home to our own beds.

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HOMESCHOOL REFLECTIONS

As this year of homeschooling comes to an end, I thought it would be fun and interesting to take a trip down memory lane. So I’ll be posting a series of homeschool posts from my past (old dead blog) and reflecting on what I’ve written and if things have really changed every Thursday. It should be an educating journey.

April 2004
Even though my kids are still in the first and 3rd grade, I’m doing alot of research on curriculum and books for next year. This is what I have decided so far… I reserve the right to change my mind at any time! I went to a local book drive and got four boxes of bookd for free. So for this first year my decsions for science and history are based on what I was able to get for FREE.

Saxon Math 65 & 43
Easy Grammar/Plus
Spelling Power
A Combo of Rod & Staff and ABeka Science.
History: BJU… I’m still looking for some good Ancient History books
Latin: undecided curriculum but very easy for a 2nd and 4th grader to comprehend.
Konos Character studies… obedience, patience, orderliness, attentiveness ( I will cover many of these over the summer and then review in fall)

Books to read:
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (Treasury of Illustrated Classics)
Moby Dick by Herman Melville (TIC)
Avalanche by Ron Roy
Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss (Abridged)
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
The Trumpet Swan by E.B. Whit
Helen Keller

I’ll be doing a Civil War unit Charley Skedaddle by Patricia Beatty and Behind Rebel Lines are books used in this study. Other Civil War books we will read are:

Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt (Newberry Medal)

Bull Run by Paul Fleishman

Other books we own and may read this year are: (TIC)

Call of the Wild by Jack London (we also have the movie)

Robinson Crusoe By Daniel Defoe

Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Well those of my plans so far. But as we all know, “The best laid plans of mice and Men often go ary.”

Needless to say, I was an eager beaver. Though we stayed on track with Saxon Math (though it took my oldest over a year to complete 6/5) we never got around to Spelling Power.

We tried and ditched Latin, Konos, and wasn’t quite thorough with ABeka science, though I did hit science heavily the first year and then backed off a bit on the second and third years. In fact, we hit history hard the first year also, but then again I was only homeschooling two kids.

We read a lot of the books, but never got around to the Civil War. In fact, we’re just hitting the Westward exspansion this summer. We traded off with Ancient History first semester and American History the second semester that’s why we’re a little behind in American History. Plus we hit the French and Indian War real hard, which I doubt the schools even touch on.

This summer we’ll be reading the Revolutionary War stories by Nancy Rue which will hopefully propell us into the Westward expansion and the Little House series. I just wish Grace was old enough to enjoy these stories!

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Lynn Bowen Walker doesn’t claim to be a June Cleaver or Martha Stewart, in fact her title says it all.

Queen of the Castle: 52 Weeks of encouragement for the uninspired, domestically challenge or just plain tire homemaker

Though admittedly not a contender for the homemaker of the year award, Lynn is my kind of mom. Someone who is not afraid to admit she may not have the cleanest house, but through her personal stories it’s easy to see her heart is in everything she does.  She never planned on writing this book, but after searching through parent books for the answer to a simply craft dilemma, she realized the shelves were loaded with how-to books, devoted to certain subjects.

These books begged all wanna-be perfect parents to read them, but she didn’t have to time to sift through hundreds of books. And like most busy moms, she didn’t need  to learn how to make her own cleaning products, or baking bread from scratch, what she needed was a “more encompassing, more inclusive book that recognized” she was more than just the family dinner wizard. That she was more that just the laundry guru. She needed one book to help in all areas. So she decided to write one instead which by the way she penned most of it in the car while waiting for her children to finish practices.

Lynn Bowen Walkers down-to-earth, writing style made me feel like I was sitting down with a good friend, sharing stories over coffee. She’s a real mom with practical tips easy enough to implement. She made me feel good about not being Martha or June, and that though I may not be a perfect mom, I could be a good, and dare I say it…a great mom.

Though the chapters are planned to be read once per week for the entire year, the table of contents makes it easy to find just what I’m looking for like the chapter on “Trippity Doo-Dah: The Family Vacation.” I’m supposed to read it in July, but since we’re on vacation now, I thought I better read it ahead of schedule. Whether I need a quick and fun holiday craft or recipe, tips for getting more organized, encouragement for the stress and busyness of family life, or fun quote or word of the day, Queen of the Castle has just what I need to make through the week.

It might be just what you need too!

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To all the families who have lost loved ones while serving and protecting our countries and those around the world! We remember and we are grateful!

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that a man lay his life down for a friend. Jesus didn’t lay his life down just for a friend. He laid it down for a sinner. Me! And you!

On this Memorial Day weekend, while you’re barbecuing in the back yard, picnicking at the lake or just lounging around the house, let’s remember to reflect on the One who gave his life not only for His people and nation, but for the world.

Have a blessed holiday!

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If you’ve been following my blog this week you’ll know the family is all in Orlando, doing Disney and hanging with my relatives who have NO Internet access. But it’s the first time we’ve done Disney without having to sit through one of those Time Share Tours. Oh, how I remember the last time sooo well! It was actually a pleasant experience! There’s always a first time for everything!

Our original sales guy called that morning and said he couldn’t make it so we prayed for a good salesman who would see we really weren’t candidates for time share and move on quickly. God answers prayers!

We arrived on time for our time share appointment even though it was at 7:30am. We got our breakfast and sat down with a nice middle-aged lady. We couldn’t have gotten a better sales person because while doing our profile she realized we were great candidates…but not at this time. So she didn’t try and close the sale, and she didn’t even take us on one of the tours…we’ve already seen them all before. She just had to sign off with her manager…who tried to sell us some smaller package. We declined. We were grateful to get out of there so quickly and with relatively little pain. Thinking back on the whole time share thing…it would be a great place to stay if you had some down time. But to do Disney like we do, a hotel would have been fine. I’ll have to make a mental note of that for next time.

We headed out to MGM. It was a beautiful sunny day. Our first stop was at the Star Wars Tour. Dh and I did the baby swap thing and the boys got to ride it twice. It was a virtual reality ride where you don’t go any where, but it looks like you’re flying a space craft. We were hoping to see some Star Wars characters, but they weren’t there. We did get some great pictures though.

Then we headed to main street where we heard the Power Rangers were going to sign autographs. Timmy (5) was a little shy and I had to force Chris (10) and Joey (8) into the line. But we got good pictures and they seemed to enjoy it. Timmy ended up taking a picture with one of the rangers. We also saw Jessie from toy story and Buzz Lightyear.

Next we went to the Indian Jones Stunt show, one of my favorite, but the noise was too loud and Grace (3) hates loud noises and started to cry. So I volunteered to leave. Oh well, at least I got the chance to see the spike’s shoot up out of the ground and the big boulder rolling after the guy. We left the arena, but she could still hear the noise. We made our way to where the characters were and we got in line to see Lilo and Stitch. Grace loves to watch the video, but she got real shy when it came time to take the photo. So I got someone to take a picture of me holding Grace who was crying.

We met up with the boys and did some layed back stuff like the Muppet 3D show and Honey I shrunk the Kids play ground. Then the boys went to a couple more stunt shows and back lot tours and I took Grace to see Beauty and the Beast.

Along the way we took pictures with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. We met for lunch at the Sci-Fi indoor dinner. It was set up like a drive in and we ate in cars. After a frustrating time getting the kids to be happy with their seat arrangements, we ate while watching clips from old movies. Not the greatest movie clips…return of the 80 foot woman and revenge of the mummy type stuff mixed in with cartoons. We sang happy birthday to Timmy and he got a yummy desert. We told the boys that they wouldn’t get big parties this year, but we’d celebrate their birthdays at Disney World. After we ate we rushed to the parade, but we were in the back row and couldn’t see well.

We couldn’t make it to all the shows we wanted to, but we did get to see the Incredibles…my boys loved that. When the boys were gone on a LOUD ride, I took Grace to the Great Movie Ride… the books said it was a must see. I prayed it wouldn’t be scary. We waited for over 30 minutes…the most we had waited all day and then we started the ride. The first scene we drove through was from a shoot it out movie…Grace got scared and cupped her hands over her ears. I told her to hide and she squatted down on the floor. She didn’t cry or anything, thank you God…we also came upon the Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz and when we drove through the alien set…I huddled over her so she wouldn’t see the alien. There was no way off the ride, and we both made the best of it. She wasn’t scared…she was just hiding as she said…

Oh my gosh, I can’t remember what she said, and I guess I failed to write it down right after it happened. Talk about a cliff hanger. Let’s turn this into something fun, like finish that line. What do you think Grace said???

Later Grace and I met up with the big boys at the Rocking Rollercoaster. I volunteered to go on the ride which went from 0-60 in 3 seconds. Talk about leaving your heart at the boarding gate. For thrill seekers, that was a thrilling ride, but once was enough for me. I let DH take the boys again while I waited with Timmy and Grace and watched them dance and jump and run and love on each other while we waited. I was a proud mommy and we had a really fun day!

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Laurie Hale has the perfect life–and the perfect family to go with it–until her teenage daughter is accused of murder, and the life Laurie knows disappears. Laurie Hale imagined fun, love, and success for her daughter, Anna. But when one of Anna’s classmates is murdered and the police start asking questions, a very different future threatens everything Laurie values. Anna isn’t the only suspect–a whole group of teenagers seems to be involved, but none of them is talking, and the community is in an uproar. Laurie’s marriage bears the strain of the crisis, and her only ally is Janice, a wealthy woman from the church whose son can exonerate Anna–or implicate her. Laurie must face her fears: What if Anna really was involved in Randi’s murder? And what kind of person is Laurie if she can doubt her own child’s innocence?

Shelley has an M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in Pennsylvania. Grounds to Believe, her debut novel, won the 2005 RITA Award for Best Inspirational from the Romance Writers of America.

Following the release of her fourth Christian women’s fiction novel, Over Her Head, Shelley will be launching “All About Us,” a series of teen chick lit novels for Christian girls. Between books, Shelley enjoys playing the piano and Celtic harp, making historical costumes, and spoiling her flock of rescue chickens rotten.

Whether typing search warrants and making undercover phone calls as an admin for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or editing marketing material for the high-tech industry in Silicon Valley, Shelley Bates has found that everyone has a story. Most people have stopped telling her theirs in case she puts them in her books.

Excerpt from Chapter One:

Even in November, when the trees were bare and skeletal and the ground wet, the jogging trail by the river was still Laurie Hale’s favorite place to run. Not that she was wild about jogging, mind you. But something had to be done about this flabby stomach and wobbly thighs, because she was simply not going into a size sixteen on her next trip to the mall, and that was that.

There are barriers in every woman’s life beyond which she will not go, and a size sixteen was one of them.

Besides, jogging got her out of the house. Going to Curves would do the same, but she’d still be in a gym with people she knew from church and Anna’s and Tim’s schools. What Laurie liked best about running by the river was simply that she was alone.

When you had a ten-year-old son and a fourteen-year-old daughter, who could blame you for taking extreme measures and resorting to jogging in order to get a little peace and quiet?

So what if her sweats were a shrunken pair of Colin’s and her shoes were from the local discount store? No one was out here at seven on a winter morning. The executive types had already been and gone, taking the commuter train from the little station in Glendale into Pittsburgh and leaving the trails to the winter birds, squirrels, and slightly chunky moms.

Laurie’s legs were beginning to ache, though, at the end of her mile. She wasn’t much of a goal setter, but if she had to set one, it would be getting back to the bridge without feeling as though she was going to keel over and die of oxygen deprivation. The halfway point where she turned around was about here, where the Susquanny River widened a little and a sandbar had built up in it. Often the herons would gather here to pick over what the river had tossed up, or to spear minnows on their way past in the shallows. In the summer, the kids had loved to play here. Someone had tied a rope swing into a tree, and they’d drop off it into the deep pools close to the bank. But now the swing was as frozen and lifeless as the tree that supported it, waiting for the sun and the return of the children.

There must have been some high water recently. A log had washed up on the sandbar, and crows were walking around it like car salesmen sizing up a new deal. There were clothes draped over it, too. Good grief. Surely someone hadn’t been swimming? It had to be forty-five degrees out here.

Laurie jogged a little closer, taking one of the offshoot trails closer to the bank. Maybe it wasn’t a log, after all. Maybe someone had tossed a bag of old clothes off the bridge instead of taking them to the Salvation Army like normal people. But weren’t there branches sticking out? And was that an animal trapped under it? With brown furThe river trail, though beautiful and scenic, didn’t change much. That was why Laurie liked it. She didn’t have to watch out for hazards because she knew where they all were, and she could pay attention to seasonal changes in the scenery without worrying about falling flat on her face.

So anything different meant a little investigation was in order. Maybe there would be identifying marks among the clothes to tell her who the litterbug was. And then she’d march down to the Glendale police station and wake up one of the- Good heavens.

Laurie slid down the bank and landed upright by sheer luck. She squinted against the sparkle of the sun on the water and focused on the pile on the sandbar.

Not fur. Hair. Dark brown, short-cropped hair, drying and rimed with sand.

A green jacket. Jeans.

Bare feet. Slender, pale feet, so cold they were gray.

Laurie let out her breath with a whoosh and then couldn’t get it back again. Her lungs and heart felt as though they were being squeezed tight with sheer horror.

“Oh, no. No.” Crablike, she scrambled sideways up the bank, her gaze fixed on the sandbar. “It can’t be.”

Maybe it wasn’t. Mabye the life hadn’t yet left that pitiful damp body on the sand. Maybe there was something she could do.

She yanked her cell phone out of her purse and dialed 911.

If you’ve made it this far then you probably want to know what happens next. Here’s your chance to find out. I will be drawing a name for this book, but you’ll have to wait until I finish it! I’m on vacation right now, so leave a comment telling me you want this book! If you can’t stand to wait, just visit Shelley Bates’ website and buy your own copy!

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I’m totally exhausted from out trek around the world, Disney style.

We visited Epcot yesterday mainly because Grace had a princess luncheon. The park is not my favorite for the little ones, but we managed to have a wonderfully fun and tiring time. My feet are still aching!

Tomorrow we’re off to the Magic Kingdom. Since my internet access can be cut off with one phone call, I’ll big you so long until next time.

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HOMESCHOOL REFLECTIONS

As this year of homeschooling comes to an end, I thought it would be fun and interesting to take a trip down memory lane. So I’ll be posting a series of homeschool posts from my past (old dead blog) and reflecting on what I’ve written and if things have really changed every Thursday. It should be an educating journey.

March 2004
I’ve been very busy writing my novel and reading and planning for homeschooling next year. I’m getting excited about the education aspect, but I’m still concerned about the whole getting along thing. Chris (9) just went through a bunch of different tests from I.Q. to learning tests in order to better help us understand him. I want to know if I’m dealing with a gifted child, an ADHD child or a normal boy with tons of energy. I’m also hoping to find out what his learning style is. I think it’s Auditory/Visual/Kinesthetic. We meet with the doctor tomorrow so I’ll try and update this week, but if you want to keep up with what’s happening I suggest you sign up for the mailing list. I’m very busy lately and won’t be writing very often.

Well, it’s three years after that test which we learned that our normal energetic boy was gifted (129 IQ) with 60% impulsive ADHD.

Has it helped me any in homeschooling him? A little because now I have to stop and determine whether he’s just ignoring my instructions or really forgetting and getting distracted. Has it changed the way I parent him? Not much, though I’m sure it should. I do offer him tons more grace because of it, though it’s hard to know when to tighten the reigns because he’s really smart and good at manipulating like “we’ll you didn’t exactly say I couldn’t listen to music while I did my school work.”

We’re still dealing with the same issues as before, but he’s matured a lot and through all the tears and struggles and fights, we’ve become closer. I’m not afraid to apologize to him, and he’s not afraid to hold my hand in public.

Though working on son number one did have a negative effect on son number two. It seems like I neglected Joey a bit and I need to devote more time to him who seems to have the typical middle kid syndrome. Big brother antagonizes him to no end, and little brother is sometimes his buddy, sometimes not. Joey is going through a big emotional whinny phase and it’s time I focus more of my energy on him. So this summer I’ll try and work on that relationship
Whether homeschooling or not, a mother’s work is never done!

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After the Jungle Cruise we then headed to Fantasy Land where we ran to get pictures with Ariel at her grotto. They said the line was a 45 min. wait, so I took the three youngest ones and we went to see if we could ride Dumbo. But the line was too long so we opted for the carosel. I communicated via walkie talkie’s, finding out when I needed to return to Ariel. Grace (3) was a little shy, but she posed for pictures with Ariel and the boys were great sports. Ariel was really great engaging Grace in conversation and the pictures turned out great.

We then rode on Peter Pan and It’s a Small World. All the kids were mesmerized in It’s a Small World. Timmy (5) especially enjoyed it since he just finished a recital where he sang the song. When we entered the White room with all the kids from all over the world, Joey (8) says, “Look, it’s heaven!” And he was right! It did look like heaven. You have to wonder if that’s what Walt was thinking of when he designed it. I glanced over at DH and noticed his eyes closed and he was propping up his head with his hand. Poor guy! He had to be exhausted from all the driving, or maybe it was just too much dramamine.

Before heading over to the Parade, we stopped by Snow Whites ride. Grace had been watching it for a while and didn’t get scared of the movie. If something scares her she says she , “closes her eyes.” Well, Timmy had to use the bathroom and we got in line, but he didn’t get back in time. I new there would probably be trouble and later on he did get sad, “You went without me.” But he got over it quickly, there was so much more fun things to help him forget.

We waited in line for the parade and got a good spot right in front of Cinderella’s Castle. The heat was really intense by now and we got our traditional ice cream snack while we waited. I wanted to get a spray fan (we usually take our own from home, but forgot). I told myself I’d pay no more than $10 and when they said $17, I choose to endure the heat!!! Grace was enchanted by the characters in the parade, smiling and pointing as they passed by. She finally got to se “Cindalella”, but my camera died and I couldn’t get any pictures of her. I thought maybe the camera was over heated, but it turned out to be the batteries died.

After the parade, Grace, Timmy and I went to hear a story with Beauty while the big kids went to Tomorrow Land. After the story, we searched for them in Tomorrow Land. I called using the Walkie Talkie, but figured they were in a ride. While we were waiting for them, I found my disposable camera and snapped some pictures with Stitch and Buzz Lightyear. Grace, Timmy and I went on the Buzz Light Year ride. Timmy really loved shooting all the targets and we went on it again. We tried the boys again and finally found them.

I ran off with the big boys to Space Mountain, while DH took the little ones on Buzz again. Absolutely no lines at Space Mountain, even though we used a Fast Pass, we didn’t need to.

After Space Mountain, DH took the Grace on Buzz again and I went to the Stitch ride with the boys . It was an interesting ride, if that’s what you want to call it. It wasn’t a ride at all. You walk into a room and sit in a chair where a saftey harness comes down and rests on your shoulder. I got nervous when it came down on Timmy because he’s so little and I didn’t know if it was going to fit him right. Well, to sum it up. Stitch gets loose and spits water, belches a nasty smell in your ears and tickles your shoulders. Then he belches again. Once was really enough. A definite fun time for the boys.

When we got out of Stitch it started to down pour. Luckily we had our ponchoes. We decided to eat at the Alien place and after that DH took the boys on Buzz again, I braved the rain and ran to see Minnie Mouses House to take a picture with Mickey. It was a wet trek and I had to leave the stroller in the rain, but Grace was warm and dry under the poncho and there was no line to see Mickey. My camera had started working again, but when it was time to snap a picture it died. Luckily I had my video camera and before I knew a Disney employee came in and snapped a couple of pictures for me and handed me a card. Now how did they know my camera died. I guess it’s Disney Magic. Well, I knew the picture would be expensive, so if I could get another picture at MGM with Mickey I wouldn’t need to buy this one.

The rain let up and we went home exhausted. We didn’t stay to see the fireworks. We figured there wouldn’t be any because of the rain. Besides we had to wake up early the next day to do one of those Time share tours…

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Day 3 Magic Kingdom Part 1

I woke up early and TRIED to get the kids ready, but we had some sleepy heads. Finally we made it out the door, got the tickets and rushed to the Magic Kingdom, arriving only a couple minutes late for our breakfast. We saw Tigger first thing. Chris (10) was too cool to care while Joey (8) and Timmy (5) willingly posed for pictures, Grace (3) was a little shy, but soon warmed up to the characters.

I bought dollar store small notebooks for the boys to use as autograph books. I knew they’d be way cheaper than the Disney ones and my boys wouldn’t really care either way. For Grace I bought a pink princess diary at Wal-Mart to use as an autograph book, but I left it at the hotel. The boys had a great time getting Eyeore, Tigger, Pooh and Piglet’s autograph, while Grace (3) was shy about taking pictures. But at least she didn’t cry and scream like some kids do. When Chris was 2 years old he was the most outgoing with the characters and ran up to them with big open arms, wanting hugs from everyone. The other two weren’t as animated in their enthusiasm, but weren’t afraid either.

Chris (10) was in breakfast buffet heaven, hardly noticing the characters as they came by. I had to pull him away from his food when Pooh and friends paraded around the dining room. Then Timmy (5) got into the fun and wanted to give Pooh a bowl of “Hunny” aka pancake syrup. I don’t know whose idea it was, but I encouraged him and tried to get a photo of him handing it to Pooh. Don’t think I snapped it in time.

The weather was beautiful, perfect to be exact and there were no lines. I think we only used the Fast Pass a couple of times. After breakfast we turned left toward Adventure Land. Last time we went to WDW the Aladdin’s Flying Carpets weren’t running, this time they were and we all jumped on for a magic carpet ride while DH took pictures. He’s not a big fan of things that go round and round. Grace really enjoyed the ride. We went up and down and back and forth while trying to dodge “camel spit.”e’s He

Next, we headed for the Pirates of the Caribbean. Last time, Timmy was too scared so we tried to coax him into going. But the closer we got the more scared he got. I think it was the music. So while I took the big boys (last time DH got to go), DH stayed back with the little ones. The only really eerie part about the Pirates was the very beginning, so next time I’ll try to convince Timmy to go and close his eyes until the skeletons pass. He’s been on similar rides at other theme parks, and he loved it.

We got a Fast Pass for The Jungle Cruise and headed toward Splash Mountain, but Timmy didn’t want to get wet. We really tried to get him on that ride, but he was stubborn. I didn’t care for getting wet that earlier either so I stayed behind. One thing I’m glad we bought early on was the walkie talkies, it helped us locate each other after the ride was over. Then the boys and I headed to Thunder Mountain. Timmy (5) was reluctant to go on, but we assured him he wouldn’t get wet and it wasn’t scary. He was still a little scared as we walked up, but once the ride got going he said, “This is just like the video” and I think he really enjoyed the ride. I sat close to him and held him tight around every curve, screaming and having fun! When we got off the big boys wanted to go on again, but Timmy didn’t want to so I sent DH (he had taken his Dramamine by now) and I stayed with Timmy and Grace. They chased the ducks and I tried to keep Grace from going into the river.

Next we went on Tom Sawyer’s Island. Something I wanted to do really quickly because we had to get back to Jungle Cruise. To me, there was nothing exciting about the island we haven’t seen somewhere else, but Chris insisted so I obliged. He liked the fort and the guns. But I rushed them through it…and on to Jungle Cruise. We only waited a short time, maybe ten minutes the most, before we boarded the boat. I remember when I was six waiting in lines for hours and hours. One year I took the kids to Disney in August because DH had a company trip, but I will never do that again. The tickets are too expensive to waste your time waiting in line. My kids don’t know what it feels like to wait hours for just one ride and they even get to ride their favorite ones several times in a row.

The Jungle Cruise is always my favorite for little ones. There is so much to see and the one liners from the boat driver are entertaining, though stale over the years. We were the last ones in the boat, but got a good view near the doorway. The kids got to see everything, even the big water fall which I didn’t remember getting wet from last time. But with camera in had and sitting in the only spot without a covering over head, Chris and I got drenched. It caught me off guard and despite my camera (which suffered no damage) the soaking was quite refreshing. The Florida sun had intensified and I was needing to cool off.

After the Jungle Cruise, Chris got disciplined, probably for “doing his own thing” and walking ahead of us, or for parenting. So he didn’t get to ride the next ride. It was going to be the tree house which he had never climbed before and REALLY wanted to do, so I said let’s do the magic carpet ride once more and he missed that instead.

Grace and I waited while the boys climbed… another thing I think everyone should skip if pressed for time. Then we waited inline to see Jasmine, Genie and Aladdin. They were very fun and animated and Princess Jasmine knelt down to draw shy Grace close. She hugged her and whispered to her while Grace turned her head away, but listened and stayed. We also saw Rafiki and Timon as well as Pocahontas or “hocanana” as Grace calls her. Even though Grace didn’t know these characters she followed her brothers and stood in line for pictures. Hey, isn’t that one of the reason we parents love Disney…for the pictures.

Stay tuned for Magic Kingdom part 2 tomorrow!

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As you read this we’ve probably been driving for several hours on day two to Orlando. I hope this trip is uneventful. Nothing like last time… Here’s an entry I wrote two years ago on our road trip to Disney World.

Day 1 Monday, May 2005

We woke up early and drove all day. A couple hours into the trip the kids wanted to know when we would get there. Little did they know, we had a long, long way to go.

Day 2 Tuesday

We spent the night in Birmingham, Alabama. Though we had about a six or seven hour drive, I decided to get up early so the kids would have time to relax at the resort. Well, it was a good thing we left early because we had car trouble in Georgia. Inside the car was very noisy with the TV and gameboys all making noise, but DH (Darling Hubby) thought he heard some beeping. I couldn’t hear anything so I ignored it. Then he heard it again, and it got quieter and I heard faint beeping…then DH looked at the temperature gauge and it was on HOT.

He went into panic mode and turned on the HEAT though it was already hot outside…but no heat was coming out…then he got really worried and pulled over on the side of the road. Good thing DH used to fix cars, I probably would have kept on driving and would have taken the next exit. But instead we sat on the side of the road with Semis and cars whizzing by. I was quite paranoid of getting hit by a speeding car, but we couldn’t spend all our time in the car. There was a dirt/grassy/rocky area on the side of the road and then the woods. So we got out.

While DH tried to fix the car, I tried to occupy four kids. I decided to explore the woods hoping there was a clearing where the kids could play, but it was hard to get into the woods with the fallen trees and the ground was soft and felt like we were going to fall through. There was no clearing, just a small area near a fence. I was never a fan of the woods having grown up by the ocean, so I was extremely paranoid and anxious, searching for poison ivy and praying we wouldn’t see any.

I made the kids stand still near a log filled with red ants. We tried singing and playing eye spy, but I couldn’t take the rambunctious Grace anymore so we tried to find our way out by a different route. Chris insisted he knew which way to go and really made me mad. I know he needs to extert his independence, but there are times he just needs to obey and he refuses to obey without an argument. Well, I let him go his own way and he returned to my side, unsuccessful.

A helpful stranger showed up and tried to assist. DH said he needed a certain tool to get the serpentine belt on. He was a retried policeman and left to get the tool from a friend of his who owned a garage. In the meantime DH debated whether to call roadside service. By this time I would have called and he did, but he changed his mind thinking he could get the belt on and not knowing how long a tow would take. In the meantime the highway patrol showed up and the helpful stranger, and officer stood over the engine watching DH struggle to fix the belt. On the side of the road, I fretted and yelled and pulled kids out of the bush and stood as a barrier between the road and my kids and hunted rocks and made bracelets from weeds. I was getting very frustrated and finally DH decided to get a tow.

So everyone except DH piled into the police car…we did however use car seats, though two of our kids had to share a seat belt. It was fun listening to cop lingo. He said he had a “White Caucasian with four juveniles needing a… then he said some number which I figured to be “a ride”. He took us to the mechanics where hours later they fixed our car. Though we had the car serviced before we left to insure no breakdowns and we even got four knew tires, the water pump had broken which knocked the belts off and caused the entire mess. In all, it was a five hour breakdown, and I was very mad because I thought I could have shortened the time down by at least two hours by calling the tow truck right away. But DH still thinks it wouldn’t have been any faster.

Anyway, we arrived at the resort in Orlando in the dark…about 10:30 pm and drove around a while trying to find the right building to get our keys to the room. Three out of four of the kids had already fallen asleep and by the time we unloaded everything and turned out our lights it was midnight…Oh well, so much for my planning. We still had to get up early in the morning to make our breakfast with Pooh and friends and just finding the right person to have our Disney tickets ready for us at 7:00 was a phone tag nightmare. But we found someone who said they’d have our tickets ready for us…we’ll see!!!

I sure hope things go better this time around.

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Life has been extremely busy this last month. You’d think since I homeschool there wouldn’t be as many activities, but there are. Baseball and soccer games, musical recitals, preschool parties and co-op parties! I’m pretty much exhausted, but if you’re reading this, don’t feel too sorry for me. (Though I’d covet your prayers for safety and sanity on this two day drive!!)  Right now, at this very moment I’m driving to Orlando, Florida to visit family and play at Disney World. Though the time we spend at Disney World won’t be restful, it will be fun. Then the family and I will get to rest the remainder of the time, catching up with my cousins.

I’m ready to slow down. It’s been so long since I rested in the Lord and my body and soul is aching for a rest.  I’d like to get back into my Bible study and start posting again on Portrait of Faith.  If you haven’t visited my faith site, there’s still time for you to get caught on the study!

Well, this post is kind of scattered because that’s how I feel right now after endless shopping and packing for this trip. I will still be blogging, though not able to respond to every email. And if you’re planning a summer trip to WDW, you won’t want to miss this weeks post. I will reminisce about our last trip to Disney World two years ago and when I get back, there’ll be more Disney Magic and tips, so if you have any questions, fire away! I’m no expert, but I’m a big planner and we’ve been to Disney World at least four times with the kids!!

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I’m trying something new with my blog, so my writing can be more focused,  and I’ll have more time to work on my WIPs! So if you haven’t noticed, check the top of my side bar. You’ll find the Portrait of Blog schedule that details a little bit about what I’ll be writing on each day. Of course, I reserve the right to stray and change the course along the way, but for the most part this is what you’ll be finding.

Sabbath Saturdays and Sundays will not only be posts about faith, but thoughts about resting in general, which may include special family moments, quiet life reflections and things that soothe my soul. I hope to have enough material to fill this column, but if I don’t and it turns up empty, then pray for me. I’ll probably need it.

So the thought for today is slowing down. Unfortunately on a day like today, I can’t take my own advice. We have a super busy day filled with two recitals, soccer and baseball games. Of course we can’t do them all, and so we’ll have to slow down and choose which ones are most important.

We’re also leaving for vacation tomorrow. Can you say Disney World! Yeah, I love the place. We go every couple of years and this year is especially thrilling since my cousins moved to Orlando. Yet, the problem with me and vacations is that I don’t rest. I plan, plan, plan and then execute the plan. It works really well for Disney World, but this vacation I’m going to remember to slow down and enjoy the moment before moving on to the next scheduled event. Even though I won’t be posting much from Disney World, I will repost the trip we took two years ago!

And as Tigger would say! TTFN!

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Marlo Schalesky is the award winning author of five books, including her latest novel VEIL OF FIRE, which explores the great firestorm of 1894 and the mysterious figure who appeared in the hills afterward. She has also had over 500 articles published in various magazines, had her work included in compilations such as Dr. Dobson’s Night Light Devotional for Couples, and is a regular columnist for Power for Living. Marlo recently earned her Masters degree in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary and is currently working on three contemporary novels for Multnomah-Waterbrook Publishers, a division of Random House. She lives in Salinas with her husband and four daughters.

Tell us a little about your family and your call to write.

My husband, Bryan, and I have been married 18 ½ years and have four daughters. Bethany just turned 7, Joelle is 3 ½, and the twins, Jayna & Bria, are 1 ½. We live in a log home in Salinas, California, where we run our own engineering firm. I also run my own construction consulting firm. And I just finished, last month, my Masters in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. Busy, busy around here!

As for writing, I knew from when I was 13 years old that I wanted to write. At that time, I told my mother, with all the angst of a newly-turned teen, “I’ll just die if I don’t write!” However, I didn’t know what that would mean until God got ahold of my heart and showed me that He wanted me to write the stories that He would give me to tell. Now, my writing is an act of faithfulness to the One who calls me. I don’t write because I’ll “just die” if I don’t. Hardly! I write because I love Jesus and I want to do the work He has for me, tell the stories he has for me to tell.

How did you get your first “writing break?”

I started with articles in Christian magazines and had about 400 published in various magazines while I was sending out fiction proposals. For my proposals, I got plenty of positive comments about my writing, but they were always accompanied by “we’re sorry, but…” Finally, at a Mount Hermon Christian Writers’ Conference, God showed me that I was holding on too tightly to my dreams of writing, I was pursuing my hopes, my ambitions. And He helped me to stop it and let go. Shortly after that, Crossway Books offered me a contract for my first novel, Cry Freedom.

Now, I still write a few articles, but am mostly focused on books.

What do you write and why this genre?

I write because God wants me to. I write to be faithful to Him. I wrote historicals to begin with because those were the stories that came to me. I’m writing contemporaries now because these are the stories God is giving me to write next.

Do you have any recent contracts and up coming releases?

My last historical fiction, VEIL OF FIRE, comes out in May 2007 with Cook Communications. It’s the story of the great Minnesota fire of 1894 and person who survived the fire whose identity became a mystery.

I also recently signed a 3-book contract with Waterbrook-Multnomah Publishers. The first book, BEYOND THE NIGHT, will be released in May 2008, with the following two books coming out at 9-month intervals.

What do you hope to accomplish through your novels?

I hope to make God’s love in the midst of trials and tragedies evident and unmistakable.

And now for the tough questions…

How do you balance being a mom, wife, and writer?

I find it takes wisdom on a day to day basis. I know that God won’t ask me to do what’s not possible to do. So, if He has called me to be a mom, wife, and writer (as He has done!), then there must be a way to do it all well. So, I find that I need both careful scheduling (of alone writing time, time working with each of my kids individually, hubby time, etc.) and also the flexibility to listen to God’s promptings about how each day needs to go.

Do you think it’s possible to give yourself fully to raising children, writing, working full time, and keeping in shape? If not, which one for you has to take a back seat?

Yes, I think it’s possible. But it’s difficult. And yet, as I mentioned above, I firmly believe that God gives us the ability to do well everything that He calls us to do. Therefore, the trick is staying “tuned in” to God throughout the day and the week. It can all balance . . . which doesn’t mean it always does.

When do you find the time to write, and do you ever feel like you’re neglecting your children when you write?

I try to set aside three or more chunks of time during the week to focus on first-draft writing (not editing, emails, etc. – those things I squeeze into odd times during the day). For that type of creative writing, I have to be by myself. So, on Tuesday, I take my 7 year old to school at 8:30 am, my 3-year-old to preschool at 9 am, then go to Starbucks and write until I have to pick up my 3-year-old at 11am. Meanwhile, my husband brings his computer home and watches the twins while trying to work. It’s not ideal, but it gives me some much needed time off to focus on my story. I also try to take a few hours a couple nights a week, where I get off alone and write. I usually go just before the girls’ bedtime so my husband doesn’t have too much time when he’s needing to take care of everyone himself (though he’s quite able, it’s just hard with so many little ones!). Also, when I get close to deadline, I often write on Saturday mornings when my husband can watch and play with the girls. This gives him some time to play with them alone, and is fun for all of them.

I don’t feel that I’m neglecting them when I write. I find that I’m a better mom if I have some time “off-duty,” time when I’m not responsible for changing diapers, doing laundry, answering questions, being mom-on-call. I need times away to keep me sane. To catch my breath. Other moms go shopping with friends, talk on the phone, maybe go to a movie during those time. I write. For me, it’s rejuvenating.

How do you handle interruptions in your writing life?

I try to have a few “chunks” scheduled during the week so that I know if I get interrupted now, at least I’ll have some time in the future that’s likely to be uninterrupted. That helps me to fight off the grumpies. J Also, I try not to do the type of writing where I need to immerse in the story during times when I’m likely to be interrupted. There’s plenty of other things that I need to do – research, email, marketing, interviews!, etc. – where it’s okay to be interrupted.

Plus, as my kids get older, I want to teach them to wait a moment if I’m in the middle of something, and to be aware when other people are doing something – to try not to interrupt, but to be patient, at least for a half a minute or so (which is apparently an eternity for a 3 year old).

And, I’m on 9-month deadlines instead of 6-month ones. I’ve scheduled in that extra time for the bigger interruptions, which are sure to come!

How do you get back into the flow of writing after you’ve been interrupted?

Oftentimes, I don’t, which is why I like to get away to do the bulk of my writing. But if I can’t, I usually reread a few paragraphs, or even the whole scene, preceding the point where I’m writing, in order to get back into the fictive dream.

What do you do to encourage yourself during those stormy days every writing mom has?

I remind myself that God has not asked me to do something that He won’t make a way for me to do. He is faithful. He will make a way. Somehow. Even if it’s not today.

How do you position yourself to HEAR God’s voice when all the noises of life are swirling around you?

With four expressive little girls, life around here is VERY noisy! But God is aware of my circumstances, and I find He can make Himself heard in a pinch. J Other than that, I find that having those time away, times of quiet, are extremely helpful.

If you do feel your priorities slipping, what do you do to get back on track?

Usually, I realize I’ve gotten off-track because I become tense, grumpy, and nit-picky. Little things aggravate me and I have no patience. Usually this happens when I’m trying to do too many things at once. So, what’s helpful to me is to get some times scheduled for quiet time, and get some things crossed off the ol’ to-do list. Either that, or I tidy up something. I find that if my desk is messy, my mind reflects the chaos. Creating some order in my environment (not easy with the little ones!!) helps me to re-establish the order in my internal life that God wants for me. But that’s just a personality quirk!

Has there ever been a time God told you to set aside your writing to focus on other areas of your life? If so, how did you handle that?

Yes. Absolutely. Besides the times, even now, when God asks me to put aside writing for short periods to attend to family needs, or even important times in my kids’ lives (I worked too hard, prayed too hard, yearned too hard – through YEARS of infertility — to have kids to miss out now on the good stuff! There’s no way I’m going to look back later and say I didn’t spend enough time when they were little – not after all that! J), there was also a time before I had kids when God clearly told me to back off and stop my pursuit of novel publication. As mentioned above, I was holding on too tightly to my own dreams of publication for my novels. And I couldn’t seem to let go on my own. So, God told me to quit. To just stop. It was hard. But I knew it was necessary. I was in bondage to my dreams and needed to be freed.

Our culture tells us to pursue our dreams, reach for the sky, dream big, nothing’s impossible if only you try hard enough. Sounds good. But for me, that philosophy was deadly. I needed to completely surrender my dreams in order to live God’s. It was like ripping out part of my soul. But it was worth it.

And the funny thing was, it was only after God broke me, only after he freed me from my own dreams, that they came true . . . on His terms. Out of blue, Crossway offered me my first book contract. And I got two more book contracts shortly thereafter.

Did you ever feel like you’ve “missed” God in regards to writing, that maybe you should be doing something else?

No. There have been too many times when I’ve wanted to quit because it just got too discouraging, too difficult, too full of rejection and disappointment. I wanted to do something else that was easier. But God has always given me just enough to make know that I need to keep going. One step at a time. One project at a time. And be faithful to that.

What advice would you give to writing moms who are have their hearts set on publication?

Don’t! Surrender. Follow God. Seek Him. And if He’s called you to this writing thing, then write the best that you can. Study the craft. Hone your work. Remember that it’s an offering to Him, so do the best you can. Find the story that’s not only your passion, but His. And then, be faithful. Go to writers’ conferences, listen to advice, be humble. And rely on God to organize your time and priorities so that your kids will bless your writing and not see it as competition. And that’s the best you can do. After that, publication is up to God.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Visit my website at www.marloschalesky.com.

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HOMESCHOOL REFLECTIONS

As this year of homeschooling comes to an end, I thought it would be fun and interesting to take a trip down memory lane. So I’ll be posting a series of homeschool posts from my past (old dead blog) and reflecting on what I’ve written and if things have really changed every Thursday. It should be an educating journey.

March 2004
That’s right! The one thing I said I would never do I am going to do, so remember never say never. I think God likes the challenge of the word NEVER. The Bible does say all things are possible with God and it’s a good thing because God’s going to have to do the impossible. He’s going to have to give me divine patience and wisdom and patience and self-control and patience… to homeschool my two boys next year.

I have mixed feelings about it all. I’m a little intimidated academically, but moreso I’m terrified about the possible conflicts. For example, it’s no secret I have an issue with my anger. No, I don’t throw things or beat people up, it’s just my mouth says things without thinking and the way I say it comes out is yelling. Tonight for instance, I ate dinner early so I could hide away up stairs to work on my writing project. Well, I was in a most pleasant place… in the middle of a scene in my novel when my overly tired, overly sensitive three-year-old son came bursting through the door with a roar. Yes, a roar. Well, needless to say, I was startled and was pulled prematurely from my peaceful environment, and I let out a startled yell. Yes, my heart was pounding and he did scare me and I was mad, but I also knew how sensitive he was so I down played the anger and up played the “You scared me!” Timmy thought it was funny like any normal 3 year old. Me, I wondered where the darling hubby was.

Well, as Timmy was leaving the room and I was entering back into my peaceful recluse, he knocks over a wooden folding chair and it crashes to the ground sending my nerves and temper through the roof. You guessed it, I yelled! I didn’t mean to, it just came out. And I knew I was gonna pay. Timmy let out a cry and yelled back, “Don’t scream at me!” and he runs out of the room and locks himslef in the bathroom. When he gets insulted or is overly sensitive about something there is no comforting him. Of course I felt really awful and could no longer write. So I try to talk to him, but he wants nothing to do with me. Enter darling hubby, finally.

But he can’t comfort Timmy either. Somehow Timmy gets out of the bathroom and is distracted by funny words and silliness and eventually I carry him to my bed… and he escapes my room several times still obviously hurt. He says he wants to sit on his bed. So I reluctantly let him and quietly sob into my pillow. He comes back in after a while, and we snuggle and apologize to each other.

All’s well that ends well. Or is it? This isn’t the first time I’ve yelled and it just breaks my heart to see his reaction, but things don’t change overnight. I pray. I sin again. Then I ask for forgiveness and I’m forgiven. I know it’s a process, I just wish that God would do one quick work on my heart and get it over with.

Sometimes I look at my life and see no change, other times I can measure my growth. Sad to say my issues with anger have not changed much except that now I know what triggers it and it’s usually hormonal. I discovered this the first year homeschooling. Some weeks the littlest things would set me off, other weeks major stuff didn’t seem to bother me. The difference was WHEN the stress hit. Since then I’ve gone to a doctor who’s been able to measure my stress level and test which systems in my body are under stress or not functioning 100%. Then he suggests vitamins and herbal supplements to help. And honestly, I can see the difference when I forget to take my vitamins and more importantly my family see the difference.

So though things aren’t perfect, they’re foreseeable and preventable and when I do get over stressed and out of control, I quickly apologize and blame it on the hormones. My boys forgive me and seem to understand!

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I’ve been thinking about being published. Not in my usual way of being anxious and overly driven, but in a way that’s made me wonder what my first published novel will be like.

Will it be gripping like Mary DeMuth’s first novel, Watching the Tree Limbs, which kept me turning the page with Mara’s unique voice and interesting tale, or will it be like so many of the books I’ve read lately. Boring and slow.

Like most aspiring novelists, I think my WIPs are sheer genius. (Okay, those who’ve read my WIPs can stop laughing now.) Boring isn’t even a consideration when I crank out a tale, though great critique partners have told me otherwise from time to time. Sometimes when I think I’ve arrived and come up with a great scene, I read a great scene in someone else’s novel and feel like scratching what I’ve just written. Then I get to the point where I’m blinded to my writing flaws. After staring at the computer for hours, it all looks good to me!

Today I got a book in the mail, Rene Gutteridge’s new release SNITCH. I couldn’t wait to open it. The first page moved, and I realized I was into the story in a matter of seconds, not analyzing the use of SAIDs here and there, but enjoying the story. I was captivated by the subtle characterization, the snappy dialogue (note to self. Omit half of the action tags in the scene I just wrote. It slows down the action) and I wondered, will I ever be a great writer?

Okay, comparing myself to my friend Rene who has written a dozen books by now is ridiculous, but it’s brought me to the reason for this post.

Do I want to be published or do I want to be a great writer?

If I’m truly honest with myself I’d have to answer yes to both these questions. Of course I want to be published. It’s just the next step in a life long writing journey. I’m not naive to think my first book is going to be the next great novel, but I hope one day to be a great story teller worthy of publication.

Until then, I’ll keep hammering on the keyboard, cranking out less than perfect prose, reading lots of books, exciting and boring, and waiting for the day I see my name on the book cover of a novel. Not for my glory, (heck I thought about using a pseudonym) but as a testimony to a dream God has planted in my life a long time ago and proof to the fact that all things are possible with God.

For only He can make me a great writer, and only He will know when I am ready for the next step.

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As if eight random wasn’t enough, Annette tagged me for eight strange things, not sure if it’s the same as the eight random things but I’ll try to make things strange enough.

First, you have to include the rules: You have to list eight strange items and tag eight new people, letting them know to read your blog and jump into the game.

1. Just today I contemplated calling the Dr. Phil show to feature my dysfunctional extended family.

2. I was proposed to by several Africans while living in Nigeria, and turned them all down because I couldn’t see myself living in the bush.

3. I love eba and egusi stew and you eat it with your fingers. If you don’t know what it is, ask a Nigerian.

4. When I was in Italy for 6 weeks I had a constant headache, must have been all the translating, and one day I woke up out of a dead siesta sleep and spoke to my Italian cousin in English. She looked at me like I was crazy. I also tried translating Madonna’s song “get into the grove” to a bunch of Italian teens at the sea side. When I pointed to a crack in the sidewalk, they just couldn’t understand why Madonna was wanting to get into the crack on the ground.

5. While in Italy my two American cousins visited and were on this no sugar kick, so like an idiot I joined in NEVER tasting Italian gelato (ice cream.)

6. Also, while in Italy me and said cousins got “Lost in Pompeii.” It was pretty funny,actually. We went to snap a photo and joined our group afterwards, but noticed the tour guide wasn’t speaking English, so we ran through the cobblestone streets of Pompeii, snapping photos off the tour route and ended up in this room with a petrified body. When we turned around, we were standing right next to our tour group.

7. In junior high I braided my long hair, wore a feather in it, and dressed like an Indian. It was not Halloween, and I have no idea why I did it.

8. In college I wrote a rap song, wore big hair, and performed it in front of the Imperials.

Okay, weird enough? I didn’t think I could manage it, but once I was on a role the memories kept coming.

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