At this moment...

We're dreaming about a homestead in the country.

We're pondering living off grid.

I have 3 bags of organic apples to make into yummy apple butter

and chunky applesauce.

I have 2 bags of pomegranates to make into jelly.

The kids and I are remodeling the chicken coop.

The backyard bushes need to be trimmed...badly.

I'm mentally planning our food storage.

I want a couple of these.

I want to try one of these.
I'm scared to try this but I still want one :)

Excited for my new book to come in the mail.

Because of our puppy I need to replant our carrots, lettuce, and broccoli.

I'm so glad fall is here.

I'm so thankful for where the Lord has me.

Where are you at this moment?

Happy Birthday Miss Adventure!

Oh sweetie, how I love you.

Three years ago we welcomed a beautiful little girl into our family.

Your birth was fantastic.

You arrived on your due date.

 You grined at me when you were put in my arms.

You nursed all day and cried all night.

 We love your bright eyes.

You weaned yourself at 18 months.

You potty trained yourself at 2 1/2.

You are quirky, adventures, and my mini me.

 You have bought so much laughter and joy in our home.

 I'm so thankful for the dynamic you haved added to our family.

Happy Birthday My Love

Something Sweet

Conversation With Lego Men

My Son: Want me to show you where my church is?
Lego Man: Yep
My Son: My church is at my home. My mom teaches me.

This made my heart smile. I never want to forget that conversation. Ever.

Where do your children learn about the Lord?

Kindergarten

Ahhh....school is starting!! Do you remember that feeling of going back to school? The dread. The dissappointment that summer is over. That nervous feeling for new teachers, new schools, new friends. What if my clothes aren't cool enough? What if my hair is not pretty enough? What if I can't find my friends before lunch? I hope my kids never feel that dread or nervousness about school.

Then again there was always excitement too. Buying new clothes, shoes, and backpacks but having to wait to wear them til school started. Excited to be around friends again and see who the cutest boy is that year. I hope my kids have lots of those feelings about school too. To this day I'm giddy over school supplies!

Long story short...we feel that raising our children in the way they should go includes education. Yes. That means we are the weirdos on the block...the homeschoolers.

We feel that education starts at birth but we are starting our first official year of Kindergarten in 2 days. And we are SO excited! I thought I would put our school year out there just in case anyone is browsing for ideas.

Bible:

I really like this book. It is the closest to the bible I could find. We go through a story each day and discuss what happened in each story and how it applies to our lives. For each story there are 3 questions to ask your child.

We memorize a new bible verse every 2 weeks. This book not only has A-Z bible verses it also has a children's story to give the child a better understanding of the verse they are on.

Unit Study (Themes): 

I will choose half and Little Astronaut will choose half. We will use our home library and the county library for these. Over Starbucks and Juice boxes he told me he wants to learn about...
Magnets
Telephones
Electricity
Architecture
Pyramids
Lighthouse

I will add...
Weather
Space
Ocean Life
Helicopters
Insects
Dinosaurs
And lots more...

 

Phonics:

I didn't want anything fancy, frilly, or distracting.

This book is black and white...simple.

We are using Bob Books also.

Math: We are doing hands on math...using a lot of manipulatives and learning what a number 3 is not what the number 3 looks like on paper. Ruth Beechick is great because she lays out where your child is developmentally and shows you how to teach simply according to that stage.

Writing:

We will be building up fine motor skills by...mazes, connect the dots, tracing, cutting, and art. I printed up a bunch of  mazes, connect the dots, and tracing sheets online. Eventually we will make it to writing letters but in the mean time I really like Rod and Staff's ABC Series. It is black and white to keep the distractions down, uses pictures of everyday objects, and is SUPER affordable! We will be for sure meshing some of their stuff in our school through out the years.

I used to draw very well. Then I became a little cooler in school and never picked it back up. So I'm excited to be using this book to build our kids love for creating and to reignite mine.

So far our Read Alouds are :

Busy Times (Rod and Staff)

More Busy Times (Rod and Staff)

Climbing Higher (Rod and Staff)
Five True Dog Stories
Dolphin Adventure
Stuart Little
Charlotte's Web
Doctor Dolittle
Mary on Horseback


Little Astronaut will have the pleasure of picking the order we read them {Grin}


I could go back to work and then we could put our children in a very small private school but they still would not get the opportunities they get at home...to pick and choose what they want to learn about, to spend time with people who really love them and have a special interest in their real future not just their test score future. They wouldn't get to dive into the interests God has put in their hearts. And after homework, dinner, baths, and bedtime stories I wouldn't be able to give them that either.


Home education may not be for everyone but I'm sure glad it is for us...

Where the heck is Hawk??

Ginger broke into the chicken coop the other day and had Ducky cornered when we walked out there. So the next day I can't find Hawk...

Me: Where is Hawk??...Oh no...Ginger ate her...no...I would have heard that...oh no...she died from the heat...(walking around the yard) where the heck is she??

Miss Adventure walks outside: Where's Hawk?? (This is her favorite chicken)

Me: Uhm...I don't know sweetie...oh Lord let me find her first...

Finally I check behind the AC unit on the side of the house...

*Gasp!* Is that what I think it is!? It is! An Egg!! Yay Hawk!

One egg?? No way 3 of them...

(No, I don't think this looks like a comfy spot to lay an egg either.)

The kids and I were so excited!! The next day she laid one more so Miss Adventure and I had 'Hawk Eggs' for lunch. Can you tell she thinks this is the coolest thing?

Now let me tell you...it was kindda wierd thinking...I own that bird. I feed it. I watch it walk around my yard.  And now I'm going to eat it's eggs...what if a baby chick is in there?? (impossible btw) I dunno I was just a little freaked out about it. For your information a fresh homegrown egg is hard to break, has firm yolks, and has a deep orange coloring. This was all new to me. 

Mmmm...fresh eggs and turkey bacon...it was a yummy, satisfying, powerful, homegrown experience {Grin}

Today as we pet her we made sure to say thank you for her eggs...

I never thought

I'd be making my own dog food...

But for this sweet girl...why not??

This is Ginger and she is our new first family dog.

We picked her up from my in-law's ranch and had to treat her for fleas...they were everywhere; poor girl. Even in between her toes :(

Then a couple days later she got Parvo. Guess what...If a property ever has a dog with Parvo on it all your future dogs will get it to. It stays in the land forever! Crazy right?!

Just in case you have a puppy that comes down with this...Pray! And then keep her fed and hydrated. Dogs don't die from the virus but from starvation or dehydration. Ginger lived on Nutri-Cal, milk, and watered down gaterade. She lost a bit of wieght but she's alive and thriving.

Shortly after this I ran into a neighbor and she said that I should look into the cons of feeding your dog corn meal. So I went home did a bit of googling and found these two links that were very helpful...

http://www.dogster.com/forums/Food_and_Nutrition/thread/330428
http://www.dogfoodproject.com/index.php?page=myths

Here's the jist of it (from the first link)...

The digestive systems of dogs (and cats) are made to digest meat better than anything else. Corn is used in dog food as a source of protein that's much cheaper than meat is. Some dogs have problems digesting corn, and even if they can digest it, it's usually not fully digested (which is often why dogs tend to have smaller poops on a corn-free food than when they ate food with corn in it). Also, corn is a common allergen for many dogs.


That said, if meat is the first ingredient in the food and corn is relatively far down on the ingredient list, then it's more likely that it's there for a little extra protein, as opposed to making it the sole protein source of the food. The problems happen when corn is the first ingredient, or there are a couple of different corn products in the list (called ingredient splitting: if meat is first and then three different types of corn are next, there's most likely more corn than meat in the food). Corn is considered a filler--something that bulks up the food for not much nutritional value, and little cost.

Protein from meat is much more bio-available to dogs than protein from corn (or other grains), meaning they can use the protein more easily. So even if you get a food with (for example) 22% protein with corn as the main protein source, there's actually more usable protein in a food with 22% protein with meat as the main protein source.

So I priced the 'Right' dog food and decided we couldn't afford $60+ to feed our puppy. Then I found out you can make your own...duh...and that dogs need a diet that consists of 40 percent meat, 30 percent vegetables and 30 percent starch.

I have a whole bag of Boots and Barkly dog food so I'm mixing 1/2 and 1/2 to keep costs down. Ginger was still recovering from the Parvo virus and would play for a bit but then her energy would sputter out. So I fed Ginger her new food yesterday morning and within 30 mins she was playful and running around like crazy having a good ol' time. Her energy didn't fall out like it had before. From this I was sold...I can't feed her perfectly but I can do my best for her and hope she doesn't develop any arthritis, blindness, or sickness in her later years due to her food. 

You can do it too! Today I mixed up 2 big chicken thighs (cooked), 5oz tuna, 1 lb peas/ carrots mix (mashed a bit), and 2 cups brown rice (2cps measured dry). Costs were about $5...and this will last a week.

Next week I'll do 1-1 1/2lb ground beef (cooked), 1lb peas/ carrot mix (mashed a bit), and 2 cups macaroni pasta (2cups measured dry). Costs will be about $5 for a week.

Meat can be: Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Tuna, Salmon
Veggies can be: Anything I think...Carrots and peas seem to be the most common. No onions and only tiny bits of garlic.
Starch can be: Oatmeal, Potatoes, Rice, Pasta

You can also throw in plain yogurt, cottage cheese, and/or eggs.

Make sure they get plenty of exercise of course and enjoy your new dog...she'll thank you I'm sure {Grin} 

Great Pets!

"Chickens are the best pets!"

This quote is from my husband who is NOT an animal person.

That is a BIG deal.

And he's right, they are cool 'pets'.

Chickens eat snails, slugs, ants, and some left overs.

You don't even need to pick up any poop because it's just free fertilizer.

 I also found out 4 chickens can gobble up 4 tomato plants in minutes. Not so good.

We had a big snail problem before the chicks but now it's hard for

Ms. Adventure to find any in the morning to play with. Sad for her but great for the garden.

Chickens are so easy too!

Babies need:

A box to keep them in (we used a 20gal Rubbermaid box for 4 chicks) $12

A heat lamp + bulb (got ours at Walmart) $12

Chick waterer $4

Chick feeder $4

Chick food $30 for 50lbs

We use Organic food.

It's so gross to me that the minute those sweet chicks are born

 they are given a food with hormones and antibiotics.

If that is not a gross factor for you food is much cheaper.

Just today I mixed some oats, lentils, and split peas in their food.

(chopped a bit in my magic bullet)

They seem to like it and I really want them to eat more compost food

so I've been trying that too. I think you have to train domestic

chickens to eat left overs. Mine only eat real food when they are really hungry. 

Once they are about 6weeks old and/or have their real feathers

they can be moved outside. (at least 60* at night)

Outside Chicks need:

A Coop $40

Feeder and Waterer off the ground $8 each

A dowel they can roost on $5

Nesting boxes for laying $10 each or make your own

Chicks will start laying around 20-24 weeks

Door on the right will be where we put our nesting boxes

for easy egg collecting.



And that's it! We let ours roam the backyard from 8am-8pm.

Then they get locked up for the night.

We love having chickens! They are so fun to watch.

The kids love them and their

eggs will be nice too {Grin}



Herb of the Day

Herb: Fenugreek
Part used: Seeds
Primary Nutrients: Choline, Iron, Lecithin, Minerals, Protein, Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, and D

Now on to the cool stuff....

It was first used in Asia for inflamed bowels and stomach problems because of it's bowel-lubricating abilities.
The Greeks used it for respiratory problems.
Is able to dissolve hardened masses of accumulated mucus in the body!!
Helps rid the lungs of mucus and phlegm in the bronchial tubes.
Combined with honey and lemon juice can help soothe the throat and reduce fever.
Helps expel waste through the lymphatic system!!
Contains antiseptic properties that help kill infections in the lungs.
Contains choline and liptropic which aids in lowing cholesterol.
Reduces mucus in cases of asthma, sinus and bronchial congestion!!
Can be used as a poultice on wounds, inflammations, boils, and skin ailments!!

Isn't that so neat!! 

Primary Applications are....
Allergies                              Loss of Appetite
Catarrh, Bronchial               High Cholesterol
Diabetic Retinopathy           Gas
Gastric Disorders                Lung Infections
Excessive Mucus                Sore Throat

Secondary Applications are...
Abscesses                          Anemia
Asthma                               Boils
Body Odor                         Bronchitis
Cancer                               Swollen Eyes 
Fevers                                Gallbladder Problems
Heartburn                           Inflammation
Sinus Problems                   Ulcers
Uterine Problems                Water Retention


Now if that doesn't excite you I'm not sure what will!! lol Just kidding of course...

Anyways we used this for my son because you could hear the mucus build up in his lungs and chest and the doctor wanted to treat him 'like' bronchitis. For an adult you could probably drink 3 cups of tea a day. For a child I would do a 1/3 cup of tea 3x a day. I just brewed one cup in the morning and had him sip it through out the day. It took all day but I was happy with that from my picky little guy : )


Information taken from Today's Herbal Health By Louise Tenny MH
and Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child By Numerous Authors

Phew!

Little Astronaut was sick from onset to today 12 days! Ugh ...so glad it's over but we learned so much in that time. This was his list of supplements...

Fenugreek Tea (once a day)
Echinacea (2-7x a day)
Golden Seal (2-7x a day)
Vitamin C (3x a day)
Euctalyptus (chest rub, neck, foot rub)
A Zinc chew (2x a day) 
Garlic (3x a day)
And as many fluids as possible

Needless to say I'm tired but thankful. The last couple days he had only a dry cough and an on and off fever. So I was thinking we may have been fighting a bacterial infection after all...but! Low and behold yesterday he said his ear hurt. I never thought I would have been happy about an ear infection but I was! It meant he was successful in fighting his first thing  and on to something else. That issue should be gone by tomorrow and this brings me to my next few posts...an Herb of the Day series! Aren't you so excited!? I think Fenugreek may be first...only because it's kind of fun to say. {Grin}

In His hands...

Food heals. That's what I tell people. That's what I believe.

But when my son starts struggling to breath we turn to the Lord and thank him that I saved the inhaler for emergencies.

Little Astronaut was struggling to breath Tuesday morning. Then that afternoon...and then again that night. When he gets sick we have to watch him because he has gotten croup a few times. The humidifier has really helped us avoid medical intervention. But this time it was within minutes he was not able to speak between breaths. Scary. I pray. We used his emergency inhaler and 3 hours later it happened again. I pray. And a wonderful friend of mine flew to my house with her nebulizer and saved me a trip to the ER. We had to use it again that night.

God can heal us right? I know it. He says it. I believe it. 

The next day he's so much better. We take him to our doctor and she says...Hmmm...there's definitely something going on in there (listening to his breathing you could hear the mucus). We'll treat it as bronchitis. It's probably viral but I'll prescribe you antibiotics. (I'm thinking...yeah right) I ask if there's a way to test if it is bacterial so I know if he needs antibiotics and she says no. She obviously knows me (and other mom's like me) and says with a smile I can wait 48 hours before I give it to him. She prescribes a nebulizer, Albuterol and a steroid. She gives him a breathing treatment there (Albuterol) because his oxygen level was low. 

So we leave and I head to our local health store. I'd been reading about Fenugreek; an herb that dissolves mucus, so I get that. I'd also been reading about Ginger; an herb that increases circulation and get that. We go home and there I am...

Food heals. That's what I tell people. That's what I believe.

Do I believe it enough for my son?

This is not a cold, the flu, chicken pox...this is serious.

I call a mom that has become a mentor to me and I surprise myself and breakdown on the phone with her. She prays. I feel peace. I call my husband. I walk into the kitchen and mix Simply Oj with Echinacia and a cup of Fenugreek tea...I give it to my sweet boy and I pray. I pray some more. I pick up our nebulizer and Albuterol for emergencies and wait.

Today is Thursday and Little Astronaut is doing wonderfully.

Thank you LB. Thank you TE. Thank you for being there for me. Thank you dear friends whom I can reach out to and you pray.

What I've learned from this...
I am not in control. No matter how much I know and read; I'm not The Healer. 

The minute that Little Astronaut gets congested we will start treatment immediately with herbs and vitamins. And I will not be afraid to use our emergency medical supplies.   


**I'm not telling you what to do with your kids medically or herbally. I just wanted to share what the Lord was reminding me... He's got the itty bitty children in his hands {Grin}**

A Mother's Prayer...my prayer

Dear Lord,

         So far today I've done all right. I haven't gossiped, I haven't lost my temper, I haven't been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or very indulgent. I'm very grateful for that. But in a few minutes, Lord, I'm going to get out of bed, and from then on, I'm going to need a lot more help. Amen.

New Additions!!

We have 4 new additions to the family...baby chicks!!

This is Hawk. My son named her of course because

she looks like a hawk, duh mommy.

 She is a Black Sex Link (hybrid dual purpose) chick. About 3 wks old.

 She is a bit skiddish and a bit ornery.

This is Delia or Dellie.

She is a Delaware chick (dual purpose). About 3 wks old.

She's not thrilled to be held but deals with it.

And this cutie is Ducky...she has stripes like a duck

 but you can't really tell in this picture.

She is sweet and doesn't mind being held.

She is an Americana (dual purpose)

 and will lay blue eggs! She's about 2 wks old.

BTW naming a chick Ducky can be a bit

 confusing for a 2 year old. {Grin}

And if I have a favorite this one would be it...

This is Rhodie. She's a Rhode Island Red

(dual purpose) and about 2 wks old.

She doesn't mind being held either and has a tip of red on the

end of her beak which is so cute.

So! This is our new adventure as a family. We are so excited to have our own free range, no antibiotics, no hormones eggs soon. And of course they are so fun to watch which is an extra treat. {Grin}

Something I Love...

About home schooling....

The other day Little Astronaut says, 'Mom, can we learn about castles?'

A quick trip to our online library...and

Can you guess what we're 'studying' about for the next couple weeks??

That's right. Castles.

Why? Because my son wants to.

Is that so GREAT or what?

What A Waste!

I am not a Tree Hugger. I am not a Save The Planet or forest or ocean person. But I HATE waste! I LOATH...yes I said loath in 2011...the Buy and Trash Lifestyle America has embraced. Flip on the tele. Nothing is good enough. Isn't that what they're telling us? Isn't that what we are teaching our kids and feeding ourselves?? That what we buy today will be less than next year. Your phone, your clothes, your decor, your video games, your Rubbermaid lunch thingy, even your cool BPA Free water container. I think we have lost the reality that these things have to go somewhere when they are discarded...the trash. In a big hole in the ground...forever...doing nothing...going nowhere...forever.

This bugs me. Can you tell?

Call me crazy...this is what we have changed:

We use glass not plastic for almost everything.
Why? Because there are no toxins in glass and you can use them over and over and over again. And food just looks so much better in glass, all pretty and shiny.

We use our own grocery bags (when I remember to put them back in the car!).
Why? Because you can use them over again, wash them, buy really cute/fun or masculine ones, and sometimes get 6cents off (each bag) your grocery bill!

We recycle cardboard, paper, and soon plastic.
Why? Because it's so easy and you'll be amazed at how your pick up trash can is only half full each week or less.

We donate instead of trash. And buy used when we can.
Why? Because someone's trash can be someone's treasure. And! It's so much cheaper to buy used of course :)

We buy from the bulk section. 
Why? Because it's so much cheaper! And! there is so much less packaging (to waste).

Our newest thing is using reusable produce bags.
Why? Because throwing those flimsy plastic bags away drives me nuts and I detest food in plastic.

I first planned on sewing fabric ones with drawstrings but then the checker would have to take them out of the bag for their #s and you don't want a frustrated checker so I decided to look for laundry bags with zips but I was at the Dollar Tree and found a four pack or mesh bags with drawstrings. So $3 later I have 12 bags and didn't sew a stitch!

I didn't one day wake up and say 'We are going GREEN!' It happened one thing at a time. I want to be a good steward with what The Lord has given us; with our health, with our money, and with his glorious land. We can not save our planet. Because of sin we are living on an earth that is slowly dying just like us but that doesn't mean we throw caution to the wind, right?

Here's a link on making your own grocery bags:
http://tipnut.com/35-reusable-grocery-bags-totes-free-patterns/


Check out this video and be inspired!

Finding Joy In Your Father's House

I came across this book in The Vision Forum Catalog....

By age fourteen, Jasmine Baucham’s little-girl dreams of becoming a mommy were supplanted by bigger visions of winning the Pulitzer Prize or an Oscar and appearing on Oprah. She began viewing the calling of home and marriage as second-rate. Then her world was radically challenged by the Scriptures, as she went from craving personal renown to craving to please the Lord through delighting in his design for the joyful home — an even bigger dream, she realized, than stardom.

In Joyfully at Home, Jasmine writes with verve and transparency about her own struggles and triumphs as a young woman, encouraging other girls to embrace a vision for the home as a hub of ministry and discipleship and as a training ground for life ahead. With humor, humility, and heart, Jasmine tackles the tough questions girls face, offering practical counsel on how to overcome false views of marriage, husbands, and singleness.

I want to encourage young women . . . to be enthusiastic and vibrant, purposeful and driven, meticulous and passionately focused in pursuit of the Lord's will for their time at home. —Jasmine Baucham

Why do single young women choose to stay at home? Can they be fulfilled and content under their father's roof? What do they do with their time? Jasmine Baucham has written a winsome, compelling, and hard-hitting book which will encourage and inspire all the women in your home! Joyfully at Home will challenge your thinking and help you honestly answer the really tough questions. —Beall Phillips


After reading this I sat back and thought...whoa.

My mom remarried while I was in high school. She had a new marriage, a full time job, and 3 younger children. She may not have intentionally pushed me out but I felt like I didn't have a place at home. So I left and got my first apartment a week before I graduated. I came to the Lord shortly after that and moved back home. Met a boy, fell in love, moved out, and married him 6 months after meeting him. I can look back and say...Yeah, I was seeking a home. I needed to feel needed. To be a part of something. And thankfully God brought me my husband.

Before I read about this book I've said the following...
My kids will work at 16.
My kids will leave the house soon after they graduate.
We won't push them to go to college but they have to do something.

I brought this up to a friend of mine. She was home schooled, her family loves the Lord, and she's still at home. I told her about this book and that I'd never even thought this was an option in a family. I ask her,'Were you guys encouraged to stay home until marriage?' And this is what they were taught...

Pursue your passions.
Seek God always.

They weren't told they had to leave, or to go to school, or to find a job. Pursue your passions. Seek God always. Go from there...that's it.

That's all there is isn't there? In life I mean. Doesn't God give you the desires of your heart? The desires of His heart for you? Should we lean not on our own understanding??

How is this not obvious? How is this not what we are teaching our children?? Guess what...

We will not push our children out.
They will always have a place in our home...until they marry of course :)
We will give them the tools to pursue their passions.
We will encourage them to seek God always.

Thank you ST your family has inspired me in more ways than one.

Staying on Track

I love the whole house clean. And it was do-able with one child but with two? Forget it. There are just not enough hours in the day to clean every room, enjoy some playtime, make and eat 6 meals a day without mom or the kids melting down. So! About 6 months ago I packed up quite a bit of my OCD-ness and settled wrote a game plan.

Monday- Laundry (fold and put away)
Tuesday- Vacuum Living Room/Sweep/Mop
Wednesday- Bathrooms
Thursday- Master Bedroom
Friday- Kids Rooms
Saturday- Kitchen (only sometimes...since it gets cleaned after every meal)
Sunday- Wash All Clothes/Bedding  (I only want to do laundry once a week and cloth diapers are usually in the washer during the week)

I know, simple right?? It will be nice when my kids are older and I can divide and conquer but until then I'd rather keep my sanity and the love of my kids. I'm totally a planner so every morning I make myself a list of what I need done and want done. The cleaning of the day is Top Priority! Then I can move to the rest and if they don't all get done it's not a big deal I just move them onto the next day. Everything eventually gets done and I can look at the bathrooms or laundry and take peace in the fact that I won't see them again for 7 days :) And now I feel like I'm planning my day around my little loves instead of working them in my overachiever schedule.

Why did I share this? Maybe you're dealing with this issue too and this will help? More because I want to stay accountable in this area {Grin}

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

A bit late, I know.

Can I just say I love new beginnings. Being able to look at the past and see how far we've come as a family, as friends, and in our journey with the Lord. Two years ago the Lord spoke to me about relationships...some that I had to cut off, some I had to take a few steps back from, and a couple I had to work on. It was a good training for me and I have to remind myself of that training often. Last year He spoke to me about being different. This training will carry into 2011 as well for we have much to learn in this area. He showed us that our calling as a family is different even paired up next most christian families. This has been hard at times...some days we just want to be the same but of course we want to do what we have been made to do so that feeling quickly passes {Grin}. This year I think My Father will be talking to me about time...

The two weeks before Christmas the kids were driving me crazy. There was disobedience all over the place. Which means I was spending most of my day correcting and re-training...and exhausted by 8pm. After all that I was seeing NO RESULTS! Which is weird for my kids. So I'm talking to the Lord one day and say 'Ok. They are doing this and I'm doing this over and over and over again. I'm getting no where. What's going on?' And as plain as day I hear...'Time. You're not spending time with them.'

So four days of putting them back in their number 2 priority slot (where they should have been that two weeks) and TaDa! My real kids are back.

Moving on...

We have some traditions for Christmas....we:
1. Cruised neighborhoods looking at lights
2. Baked cookies for our neighbors
3. Unwrapped our nativity scene one day at a time (two pieces at a time)
4. Made cupcakes for Jesus' Bday
5. Decorated the tree with only white lights, a home made paper garland, and 4 homemade ornaments (I really wanted to keep it simple this year)
6. Little Astronaut and I made a new star for the top of our tree with some yellow felt and lots of glitter
7. We hung up a stocking for Jesus and wrote him letters and drew him pictures for his bday
8. Bought two main gifts for the kids...one from us and one from Jesus. (and stocking stuffers)
    We don't buy a lot of gifts for Christmas because we want to keep it about Jesus. Some people think  that's weird but I just tell them that we can (and do) buy our kids stuff anytime of the year but Christmas is really not about them.

Next year I want to:
1. Write letters to our friends to remind them how special they are to us
2. Have our nativity on our dining table and each night move the wise men around the house as they follow the star to baby Jesus

What did you do this year? Anything you want to do next year?