I’m sooo proud of Chris right now. He’s out shoveling our 80 year old neighbor’s walk while his friends are all playing in the snow in our backyard. He’s been out there for over an hour using one of these shovels. He’s asked his friends for help, but they said they’d rather play in the snow!

It’s moments like these that make a mother proud!…

Chris just came in and told me the lady told him he didn’t have to shovel anymore snow.

Chris said, “But I wanted to clear a path for you so you could take your walk.” Chris was surprised when the neighbor said she wasn’t taking a walk today. (She uses a walker and it’s at least eight inches of snow and ice outside! LOL!)

He was a little down that he shoveled the walk for nothing, but I told him how proud I was of him and that he’s storing up treasures in heaven. (Our neighbor also gave him $5 , an unexpected blessing!) Then I gave him the last of the hot chocolate and encouraged him to go outside and play with his friend!

Days like these help me to see I must be doing something right!

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Community Service

God wants us to reach out to people in need:

Today we took Susan, my old college friend, her favorite meal for her 40th birthday. The boys wrote a Jesus rap and put on a show for her. Then they did some magic tricks and we ate cake and sang happy birthday.
HAPPY 40th Susan!!!!

Science
That paper and plastic float!

Today Timmy and Grace spent the afternoon in their bathing suits in the bathtubs with homemade paper boats Joey made at McDonald’s happy meal boxes. Then after some errands, Grace decided to put a straw sail on a blow up boat and Timmy made a boat out of tape. He was so excited when he discover his boat made out of tape could float. Then he experimented with pieces of paper and that floated as well.

Home Economics

Cooking with kids doesn’t actually mean YOU to cook with kids!

I let my babysitter make cookies with the kids today, and I got to reap the yummy benefits, though I really shouldn’t have!

Procrastination and Concentration

That my oldest son can spend four hours in his room doing his school work and still not get everything done!

What I learned

That sometimes the best homeschool days are when you’re not really doing school at all! And my homeschool helper/babysitter gives me a much needed break! Thanks, Leah!

Wish I could have more days like this.

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Last year we missed this and we usually do it every year. This year we have our boxes almost stuffed full, and all we need to do is make the cards and get them to the drop off center 1/2 a mile away.

The collection deadline is from November 13-20th so I think we’ll make it. And it’s not too late to fill your own shoe box or two. This year I got a great idea from Mary at Home-Steeped Hope. She uses plastic shoe boxes and so will we this year! This is such an awesome way to start off the Christmas season! Let me know if your family plans on participating.

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No, I’m not taking about the extra baby fat I can’t seem to get rid of. I’m talking about the lazy, selfish part of me that gets tired of doing the right thing. Well, I’m glad I didn’t listen to my flesh yesterday because my obedience really blessed someone in need.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up Galatians 6:9

I have a friend with Cerebal Palsy whom I have helped care for in college and on occasion over the last six years. In college she was very mobile in her wheelchair, but for the last 7 years she’s been bed ridden due to an wheellchair accident, no fualt of her own.

Most times meeting her needs is inconvient, other times it’s just plain hard to drag myself away from my homeschooling, raising four kids, writing routine. I often have to drop what I’m doing to help fill an immediate need.

On Sunday our family was going to visit her in the hosptial, but I didn’t feel like it. It was raining and bringing the kids is never fun because they’re usually rowdy, plus I really wanted to write. So I did what I wanted, but made myself promise to visit her the next day when I had a babysitter.

Monday afternoon rolled around, and I dreaded manuvering through the maze of hospital rooms and corridors, but I pushed aside my flabby flesh and “just did it” as Nike would say. All week I had been praying that God would show me what He wanted me to do each day. Today He did!

My unexpected visit to her hospital room was an ordained blessing in disguise. Though I could not have known it, God had heard my friends need and filled it through me.

When I showed up she was getting ready to be discharged. It comforted her that I was there. She said she was humbled by God’s answer to her prayer. With family in another state, she had no way of getting all her “stuff” home. Though I only expected to stay for 30 minutes, I made some calls and had my babysitter bring my kids over to a neighbors until I could get home.

Then I helped get my friend’s stuff home. There was supposed to be an aid waiting for her, but the aid wasn’t there and my friend was worried about dinner. I told her I could fix something for her and feed her. Which I did (though it was only a tuna sandwich)! I made it home just in time to feed my own kids and then run out the door to drive my son to play practice.

What God’s showed me through the whole thing is that He does provide, even through reluctant flabby people. And that obedience brings blessing. The hardest part of the whole day was dragging my flabby flesh down there, after I did everything else was fine and I enjoyed my friend and being able to meet a need.

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I was a bit surprised by this article about a mom who openly admits she’s bored with her children. After reading the article it’s obvious to me how this mom lacks a nurture gene and is solely focused on herself and her needs and desires. If you don’t believe me, go read it for yourself.

This got me thinking. Most times I feel I lack the nurture gene, and yes, I admit I feel like this woman at times. Bored of playing with toys and dolls, aggravated by the never ending kiddie board game, and frustrated by driving my kids all over town.

I’m not one of those moms who love to play with her children for the simple fact that I’m a type A personality, a Choleric/Melancholy who sees so much to do around the house, that playing a game often feels like wasting time. But it’s not! It’s all about molding the little minds and hearts God has given me and training them up in the way they should go. How can I possible do that if I don’t spend time with them in their world?

This article was convicting for me. It made me want to spend more time playing with my kids and less time doing “stuff”. And even though there’s only about a month left of the summer, I’m going to try and play with my children at the pool, not just sit and watch them swim. I’m going to pull out the board games and get down on my hands and knees. I’m going to sit and color or play Star Wars, if they want me to because this life isn’t about what I can get out of it, it’s what God wants to me give to others, starting with my children.

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