Praying for Snow

January 8, 2010 Leave a Comment

I know, I know.  Just yesterday I was lauding the fact that here, in Florida, we have been without snow while almost the rest of the nation has been inundated with the stuff.

I have always been content that Florida has remained as God has intended this state to be. Snow-free.

So it might be a surprise to anyone reading this that I now want snow.  Here.  At my house.

{{A surprise to everyone but you, Honey, since you know how often I change my mind. Wink, wink.}}

In fact, I’m so eagar for snow that I’m praying for it.  This is a surprise to me since snow has never been on my prayer list or shown up in my prayer journal.  Not once. 

But as the local weather forecasters have been dangling the idea of snow over my head for a few days now, I am very hopeful — prayerful — that the frozen precipitation will actually arrive at my house this weekend.

Notice that I said “arrive at my house“.  I know full well that any snowflakes in these-here-parts will melt as soon as they hit the ground, if not sooner. C’mon, I was born but not yesterday.

I also have previous experience with Florisnow — my own favorite new label for silly snowflakes that try to fall in the Sunshine state.  When I was a little cutie all of 8-years-old and living in South Florida, we were surprised with a mere shimmering of Florida snow in January.

I was home with the chicken pox and my mom called me to come outside.  As my dad was getting ready to leave for work, we caught sight of little Flori-flakes {hee hee} melting as they landed on his coat.  It was neato!  I’ll never forget that moment.

And so I’d love to share a moment like that with my chicklets and hubby.  We’ll see what God has planned.  Nothing is impossible with Him.  Even snow in Florida.

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Sweetness…by Mail

March 10, 2011 Leave a Comment

Stepping outside onto the warming front porch slab I blink in the late morning sun. The walk to the box isn’t one of my normal routines. That’s TechDaddy’s job. But today I make the walk in true Florida-girl style: bare feet! The feel of the sidewalk and grass is so yummy to my soles and my soul. It’s been cold for far too long and I need a faux field trip. I almost feel like I’m skipping school or taking an extra-long lunch break from work, it’s that good.

I didn’t expect much from the mailbox. It was really just a catalyst to get me outdoors. But there’s a treasure tucked in between the car insurance quote that I don’t need and the sample baby diaper {I get these still? My kids are teens now!}.

A card. It’s wrapped in a pale yellow envelope like a hug waiting to explode. Wait, who’s it from? Ah, my sweet Catz! She is such a gem! It’s got encouraging words and a special note from her, and I run to find her sitting on her loft studying biology notes. She sees what’s in my hand and her eyes light up as I climb up to wrap her in my hug and kiss her sweet-smelling head and we spend some time chatting about cells {briefly}, books {mostly}, and our trip to Disney.
And I say a prayer of thanks for the push to be intentional this year. In an effort to connect with friends old and new I decided to invest in them via an old-fashioned vehicle: snail mail. Yep, that’s right. Licking envelopes and sticking on stamps.  This is the motivation behind 52 hearts.
As I pondered over buying so many cards, I decided to join Dayspring’s Heart Connection Card Club {woo! What a mouthful!}. Every month they send me a pack of cards they hand-picked. If I like, I keep and send them my payment. If I don’t like, I send the cards back, no payment. It’s a pretty sweet deal as I’ve been sending cards  to this person or that. And I don’t have to worry about sending the same card to mutual friends {“Look at this cute card Susan sent me” “Hey, she sent me the same one.” Gulp.}.
So I stuck the cards in a cute basket in my kitchen, letting Catz have full access to send cards to anyone on her list. And this time it’s me!!
How does this make me feel?  Special. Cared for. Loved.
But most of all, I feel blessed.

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Praying for my Son when He’s gone

September 3, 2011 Leave a Comment

Last night was a first.  As I left my son at the middle school lock-in at my church, I thought about how many times I had walked away from him. Not walking down the hall or simply walking into another room.  I pondered about walking away from his dependence.

Sure, TechDaddy and I had left MrC overnight before with family. When he was little, he and his sister had stayed with one of my sister’s and her crew while hubby and I enjoyed an anniversary cruise.  But this was different.

In a nutshell, after almost five years of going to the same church, we are now getting involved in the youth ministry {both middle and high school}.  So when this lock-in popped up, MrC said yes purely for the opportunity to meet new friends.

So last night rolls around and my hubby and I bring our boy.  Staying to help with dinner setup and clean up for about 50 kids {pizza!}, TechDaddy and I hung around for a couple of hours.  {Don’t worry, we were in adult-mode but totally staying clear of our son.  You know, the “free-space from parents” mode.}

Then, after the kids had moved on to another activity and we had cleaned up, TechDaddy and I began our walk to the door.  Me, being a total mom, slipped over to MrC who was resting from a game of beachball volleyball.  After v e r y   q u i e t l y exchanging some “I love you”s and slipping him a buck for candy, I joined TD by the door.

And then I walked away from my son.

I didn’t feel it until later, after we got home and were spending time with Catz.  But the emptiness was thick. In my home his absence was real and heavy.  No jokes or funny quips abounded.  The sound of MrC jumping onto the stair landings was missing. And in my heart the ache was visceral.

Then this morning I woke with the reminder that my son is not in my home.  And while the rest of my family slept, I walked upstairs to his room, curled up on his bed, and prayed.

My prayers covered his heart, like the ones I spoke to Papa days and weeks and months and years before today. Prayers that begged for protection, both physical and emotional.  Prayers requesting my boy be happy and safe in his new environment.  Prayers that God would guide my son through every step and stage of his life.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.    Jeremiah 29:11

But my prayers also covered me.  That my Father would shore up my heart against the ache that comes when learning to give way to my boy’s growing independence.  The ache that hurts longer and deeper than those birth pains from over 13 years ago.

My boy is home now, happily snacking and laughing with the rest of us as we watch a movie all huddled up on one couch. And though I feel a twinge of what is to come as I continue to hand over more and more independence, I feel content in knowing that my Father’s hand is guiding my precious son and that all of my prayers are heard and stored away in the heart of the One who loves my boy more than I ever could.

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Leaving the Shallows

November 7, 2011 Leave a Comment

DSC_7601shallowsHave you ever been caught under the waves at the beach?  I mean stuck, 3 or more feet down, feeling almost like you’ll never make it back up?  Being a native and growing up a beach baby in South Florida I was used to the feeling of saltwater up my nose and crunching sand in my teeth on occasion.  That’s one of the risks for taking a chance and playing in the rough surf.  You might be lucky and get a sweet wave to body surf it in to shallower waters…or you could miscalculate the size of the swell and get pulled under by the strong water, desperately trying to make your way to the surface while your lungs are screaming for life-giving air.

Doesn’t sound fun, this pummeling of the waves.  In fact, it might lead some to wonder at the sanity of a person who’s willing to go out deeper, swim out to rougher water.  Staying in the shallows seems the logical solution, right?  Sure, the gentler lapping waves are safer.  They’re a known, a given on what to expect.  No surprises in the shallows.

But the wild surf offers the unexpected.  Adventure.  Thrills.  And you could even have an experience like no other…if you’re willing to take that chance.

Why not risk it?

The shallows in my life earlier this year had held the same reality.  It was safe. Almost everything was known and expected.  I longed to take a chance and try out unknown waters.  So a few months ago…I jumped in.

At first the waves were manageable. Volunteer activities started flowing and kept me busy.  But social media duties soon began to take on a life of their own, and then the rigors of teen homeschooling really kicked it in to overdrive. I began floundering, just barely keeping my head above water.  As I battled it out in the wild surf of my life, I nearly sank to the sea floor under all of the pounding.  I so wanted the wild ride, but I had forgotten how to traverse the surge of the sea.  Deadlines were missed, assignments went unnoticed, tears were shed by the bucketful {by me!}, and worst of all…my family began to suffer.

Thankfully, my jeans with the worn out knees reminded me how to survive the rough waters as I fell to the floor in prayer. And, like every time before that, God met and lifted me up like the ultimate Lifeguard to breathe again, navigating for me though the crazy waves.  Without Him I would have drown for sure, but His saving grace carried me and my family though.

I’m happy to say I’m resting from my adventure.  Oh, it’s not all over. Homeschooling is still there, and the social media light is back on, but things are back to crazy/normal again.

Am I glad I ventured away from the shallows? Yes, absolutely!  The ride, though rough and frustrating at times, taught me things about myself {and others} I would never have learned otherwise.  Will I do it again?  Only with Him, my Lifeguard/Navigator, on board as I’m always in need of being saved.

Have you been up to anything new or risky, pulling you away from the shallows?

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An MRI is Not a Photo-Shoot of Your Brain

July 27, 2010 1 Comment

Last week I had an MRI of my brain.  No, this was not one of those optional things like getting a choice of fries or applesauce with that burger.   No one says “Hey, Doc, I’d really like to have an MRI.  It sounds like such fun! Can you set me up for one on my lunch break?”

I mean, really…I guess I could have put a funny spin on it and told my friends and family “My brain was in a photo-shoot with an exclusive photographer {radiologist}.  I’m so honored they chose me!”  But somehow I don’t think my family would have appreciated me teasing them in this situation.  Because, you see, these medical people were looking at my brain, after all. 

{{Not one more word from you, Honey!}}

Anyway, this all started with me getting daily headaches and dizzy spells, which is strange since feeling dizzy has never been an issue for me.  Being a Florida native I have always flocked with my family – the theme park crowd — to Orlando where we have ridden almost every ride ever invented.  I mean, come on now…I am the queen of the Mad Hatter’s teacups in the Magic Kingdom, and I’ve been known to ride the Manta flying roller-coaster at SeaWorld eight times in a row. So this recent dizzying experience has knocked me a little off track.

Well, then my doc ordered me an MRI.  It sounds kind of funny the way they say it like that.  Like it’s some kind of fast food order.  Now I really did have a hankering for some fries.

The next person I spoke with on the phone was the scheduling concierge.  As though I was about to make a reservation in a 5-star hotel.  After she set up my appointment she asked me all kinds of personal questions like “Do you have anything metal in your head?” — a big tip-off this wasn’t a hotel — then proceeded to enlighten me about the perks of my upcoming MRI.  Can you guess? She said I could bring a cd so I could listen to music. Oh joy.

But actually, the idea of listening to music sounded more appealing as I learned more info about MRI’s {thanks to the internet…big mistake}.  I read that they’re loud. And a bit confining.  And my concierge had said that mine was going to take about an hour.  More joy.

So the morning of my big test had arrived.  Me and TechDaddy, who took the day off of work, arrived at the medical plaza early, registered, and proceeded to wait.  When my turn came up I was all ready.

  • No metal on my body {that means on undergarments too, girls}. 
  • No makeup on my face because it could contain metal…eww. {Mental note to self: don’t put that stuff on your face again. Ev-er.}
  • CD of my fave music {that my sweetie, TechDaddy, made for me from my fave iTunes playlist…I heart him}

There was just one problem.  The machine in the medical plaza — where we were waiting — was busy so we were supposed to walk next door to use the machine in the hospital.  The machine that did not have music listening capabilities. Uh, no joy.  None at all.  They had told me I could have music to get through this test — music to calm the fears and “what if’s” that had been trying to take over for days — and now they tell me to change?! The tears were brimming at my eyelids when my knight quickly came to my rescue.

TechDaddy stepped up and said for me what was going through my head. “Uh, no. We’ll wait for this machine.” It won’t be ready for two more hours. “That’s okay.  We’ll wait.”  Wow. I deeply love that man.

So the time finally came hours later and I had the MRI.  Laying on a table with my head in something similar to a cage, then being slid into a long tube, and being told to keep my head completely still while this machine made LOUD banging and whirring sounds and shook like an Apollo rocket taking off…could you do that?  I’m used to moving some part of my body 99% of the time voluntarily. I sway in line at the grocery store. I even wiggle my toes while I sleep. So me holding still was definitely an act of God.

Afterward I found TechDaddy in the waiting room, hunkered down in a chair with his iPad in blog-reader heaven. {There he is on the left…isn’t he cute?!}  As he packed up, I mulled over how I made it through.  All I can say is praise the Lord for music and prayer. Really. The music from my cd, that was piped into some funky earplugs, helped keep me from pushing the emergency button in my hand over and over again. There’s nothing like hearing the Newsboys sing “In Wonder” to get your mind off the craziness around you. And nothing could surpass the feeling that Jesus was right there, in the tube of that giant magnet, holding me close.

I never heard from my concierge again.  Good thing for her. For one thing, this was nothing like she described.  {I secretly believe I was in some kind of astronaut training.}  And another thing, if this was supposed to be like a hotel, then I would have ordered a massage after that experience. No…a massage, mocha shake, and waffle fries. And I would have wiggled my toes. A lot.

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Tweaking the homeschool schedule

September 11, 2009 1 Comment

As this is the fifth week of our new homeschool year, I’m still doing a bit of tweaking.  Schedules, curriculum, supplies, extra-curriculars…all need some type of adjusting whether massive or tiny.  For example, I’ve realized that school from 8am until 12 pm just isn’t practical when swim lessons begin at noon twice a week.  That’s a moderate tweak to our schedule.

A simple tweak is the addition of chocolate.  You might think I’m saying that tongue-in-cheek {actually there’s a Hershey nugget planted in said cheek}, but in reality the chocolate stands for whatever mom needs to get her through a tough week day.  Sometimes it’s my pseudo-coffee {all hail Suisse Mocha} or maybe a handful of Dove bites {the chocolate, not the bird}.  Usually the noshing is combined with sinking to my knees in prayer.  God and chocolate…my favorite duo. It’s a simple, but very necessary, tweak.

Another area where we need a change is in our history studies.  This year we’re studying world history from Creation up to about 1500 AD.  Our method is pretty much what-I-think-is-best, though some might refer to what we do as similar to the ‘Charlotte Mason’ style.  In a nutshell, we read historical fiction aloud together along with select history books {e.g., Story of the World}.  We keep separate map pages for each book we read, labeling and coloring cities, countries, and areas of interest.

The map pages are kept in a notebook along with drawings, notes, and photos of projects.  Instead of a new drawing and narrative every day, I’ve decided I’m going to supply template pages.  That way, if the kids don’t have a particular picture to draw or we’re pressed for time, we can easily grab the corresponding sheet and write our narrative along with adding some coloring to the already printed picture.

One company that carries fantastic notebooking products is Hold That Thought, and right now they’re holding a special offer where you can receive a free cd of notebooking pages with your order.  A few years ago I purchased their Advanced World History Volume 2, so now it’s time for an update based on our current studies.  This time I’m buying Advanced World History Volume 1 and my free cd is their awesome notebooking set U.S. Geography.  This will really come in handy when we start our full-time travels!

Have you made any adjustments since your first day of school?  What works and what did you want to throw out the window?  If your schedule is just not working or your curriculum needs a boost, be sure to tweak it until it works for your homeschool bunch. It makes for better school days, enthusiastic kids, and a blissfully happy mom.

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Thankful

December 2, 2008 1 Comment

I know it’s not Thanksgiving anymore, but I found this at Bunny Trails and couldn’t resist. After all, I’m thankful all year long for what and whom is on my list (and not in any order). Enjoy!
1. My man, Spider X (such a great best friend)
2. Catz, my sweet girl
3. Mr C, my funny boy
4. afternoon sun shining in my bedroom window
5. music, preferably played loud
6. my home
7. the scent of a roaring fire
8. Krispy Kreme donuts
9. muffins, cupcakes, and all foods baked
10. our Nikon D70
11. my hubby’s ultimate computer intelligence
12. our quiet neighborhood
13. my mom (my prayer warrior)
14. homeschooling (What a blessing!)
15. Photoshop
16. my lost Ipod (I miss you!)
17. old movies
18. our cat-kids
19. my sisters
20. my brothers
21. memories of Dad
22. memories of my brother Roger
23. 2nd chances
24. the smell of cookies baking (or anything baking for that matter)
25. being sick-free since August
26. spending time with my family
27. Netflix (who knew?!)
28. yummy bread (Swedish coffecake…mmmm!)
29. my 3 oldest nephews and their positive impact on my kids
30. seeing bears walking in my neighborhood
31. traveling with my family
32. camping
33. Christian music
34. my garden
35. brownies (preferably made with Ghiradelli chocolate)
36. healing of Mr C’s former wart colony
37. Baby Blues comic strip
38. Mac & Cheesy (not-enuf) Ham
39. the smell of sweet alyssum
40. playing in the dirt
41. taking fun photos of my kids
42. Family Movie time
43. Rose is Rose comic strip
44. The Peanuts theme song
45. pizza (almost any kind, anytime)
46. baking
47. God, my heavenly Father
48. blogging (It’s fun!)
49. family-friendly movie companies
50. flannel sheets (snuggly warm!)
51. hot chocolate with whipped cream
52. praying in the shower
53. leftovers (I don’t like to eat ‘em, but I like to serve ‘em when I’m busy.)
54. the experience we had raising the squirrels
55. scrapbooking (Gee, I’d like to do that someday…it looks like fun.)
56. reading funny posts that make me LOL
57. crafts
58. JoAnn’s and Michael’s
59. getting nails done with Catz
60. swinging with Mr C (He’s so snuggly but almost too big for my lap!)
61. baking with the kids
62. my sewing machine (what is that racket?)
63. Belgian chocolate shake at Hagen Dazs
64. Spider X’s desire to make me happy
65. sewing
66. being married to my beloved
67. the nice folks at the supermarket (I practically live there)
68. Shoebox Heirlooms
69. cooking shows
70. when my family is happy
71. the Magnum
72. my MIL and FIL (’cause they raised my beloved)
73. buffets (I love a variety!)
74. God’s never-ending grace
75. Spider X’s vast knowledge of everything computer/electronic/gadget
76. wildlife in our yard

 

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Trying to Catch Up…

January 26, 2009 4 Comments

I haven’t been very consistent in my blogging lately. Okay, truth here…I’ve been way behind. How do you folks keep up with blogging and everything else you try to accomplish every day?? I honestly have a dilemma in this area.

Along with blogging, I need to homeschool my Chicklets, cook dinner every day for my family, spend quality time with each child and Spider X {all separately}, make my house look halfway decent, keep up with bible study, spend time with my Father in prayer, plan our school lessons, and some other stuff that has escaped my already overwhelmed noggin. The part about the house…I gave up cleaning my house daily weekly a long time ago. I feel blessed when I get a few minutes to clean something every few weeks.

Well, I put together a few posts and pics, and I’m catching up on Project 365. If you want to participate, remember to visit Tracy to sign up!

We recently went travelin’ and checked out an rv show while on the road. At the show, we caught this cool sand sculpture of the U.S.A. This shot is of the west side {this thing was huge}. I love the wagon and mount Rushmore.
365/7

Here’s the happy rv family in the center of the sculpture. Hopefully, that’s us in a couple of years. We love to travel by car. And we love to camp. Our experiences have been with a tent {briefly} and then a pop-up. Would love a trailer or 5th-wheel. Of course, a vehicle large enough to pull one of those would be helpful. Do you like to camp?

365/8

Here’s one of our rehab squirrels. The bear destroyed our homemade birdfeeder recently, so we moved this one to the frontyard. It proved to be difficult for this little fatty to maneuver gracefully, though he did do his best to become a trapeze artist. Now that they’re released and living in the trees, we don’t know which one this is, but because all 3 of our squirrels were well-cared for, they are pretty hefty compared to their all-wild counterparts. Hence the term of endearment…”fatty.” By the way, he was hanging onto the other side with his hind paws and swung back up. {No squirrel was harmed in the taking of this photo.}

365/9

Here is another one of our fatty’s. Mr.C had just given him an acorn. I prefer this caption from “E.T.”: “I’ll be right here.”
365/10
Doesn’t she look so cute? This little snuggle-bunny belongs to my daughter, Catz. This shot actually hides the fact that she’s about to take part in the kitty rodeo.
365/11
Hope you enjoyed these shots. Are you a photography buff? Let me know so I can check out your shots, too!

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The Big Cup:When we take on too much

February 28, 2009 3 Comments

I have a problem with big cups.

Now wait…I like big cups. And big mugs. In them I can put the stuff that I like a lot of. Like hot chocolate. Or milk {for my cookies}. Or my favorite coffee drink {which I think really isn’t coffee}.

But then I try to drink. This is my problem. I actually end up with more on me than in me. That’s right, I spill. But it’s only with a big cup or mug. I tilt the cup like normal and a flood rushes past my mouth, over my cheeks and chin, and onto my clothes.

It’s okay if it’s a little water. That will eventually dry {though I’ll still have an embarrassing wet spot in the meantime}. But if it’s something else, like hot chocolate, I’ll have a tell-tale stain for the rest of the day. Even if I try to fix it by rinsing it out the damage is already done.

I think it has to do with the fact that the big cup has a big opening. And my mouth {despite what all my sister’s say} is not that big.

To properly accommodate the cup, my mouth would have to be an inch wider on each side. Then I wouldn’t dribble. But that would pose new difficulties. And strange stares. So the only way to handle it is to either slow down or trade in my wonderful big cups for something I can handle.

I think my big cup dilemma is like what we as women sometimes do to ourselves and those we love.

We see things we want and try to take it all in. It’s what I call our “Psychological Big Cup”. In this we add all the things we want to do: spend time with family; volunteer with our kid’s homeschool group; have daily time with God in prayer; head a committee at church; be involved in the kid’s extracurricular activities; socialize with friends; write a neighborhood newsletter; spend quality time with our husbands; cook & bake for our family; and the list goes on.

We try to rationalize and decide the only way all of this would “fit” is if we trade in our regular size cup for the Big Cup. We pour it all in and think “Well okay, I can handle this.”

But we soon realize that we can’t handle it at all. It’s just too much. We think we can deal with it just like we dealt with our former regular cup. But it’s spilling all over the place. As we try to do it all, we end up with a mess.

For some odd reason {pride?} we try to fix the things first that others see: church committee; homeschool group; neighborhood newsletter. But what should be our priorities – daily time with God; quality time with hubby and the kids – are suffering most.

I, for one, am tired of all the mess. I’m done with trying to take in too much and spilling everywhere. I want to get my priorities right. So I am going to trade in my big cup for something smaller. Something that holds just the right amount but not too much. I want to do well with what counts the most to me. When I get to heaven, I long to hear God say “Well done, good and faithful servant.” And I think focusing on my family – and getting rid of the big cup – is a good start.

 

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Almost Done: Curriculum review

May 24, 2010 Leave a Comment

Here we are almost at the end of May, and for my family this is a time to begin celebrating.  We’re not completely finished with school for the year, but we’re so close we can almost taste it!

So far we’ve finished everything except science.  I can easily say that the past 5 months have held much more clarity in knowing what, when, and how to teach each of my chicklets at this stage of their schooling.  A lot of prayer and trust in God has led to my confidence as both Catz and MrC finish their one year together as middle schoolers.

Here is a list of the curriculum we used and a quick rating of each:
* Teaching Textbooks: Algebra 1 Awesome! Very intuitive for my 8th grader.
* Horizons Math 6 Awesome! Again, another intuitive program. (Though I don’t understand why the publishers added budgeting, savings accounts, and amortized loans into the last 10 lessons.)
* Sonlight Curriculum: World History part 1 Love the literature approach to history! This program rocks!
* Easy Grammar/Daily Grams Great daily grammar review.
* Wordly Wise 3000 Good for increasing vocabulary.
* Rosetta Stone Spanish Really love this program!
* Exploring Creation with Astronomy What an awesome science series! I can’t say enough about this amazing program!!
* Exploring Creation with General Science Again, just an incredible science curriculum!! Get it, use it, love it!!
* Live and Learn Fantastic lapbooks that we used for our science and history studies!

Okay, so that’s it.  The next few weeks are going to see me ordering new curriculum, buying literature at our local used curriculum sale, scheduling out next year’s subjects, and cutting out lapbooks {with the kids’ help, of course}.  And with the kids finishing science, there’s going to be a whole lot of CELEBRATING!!

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