Some time ago, in another life, Saturday was the day to sleep in. Sunday was too, I think. In those days before marriage and kids, when going to church didn't seem very important, when Friday night was for staying out late, weekends were for doing... not much of anything.
That time seems awfully far away now. Sometimes I can't even believe those days existed.
Today I think I achieved my as-close-to-perfect-as-it's-going-to-get Saturday morning:
Up early, about 6:30. Some of you are snorting in derision; 6:30 is early enough for me, right now.
The internet. I admit I start my day by checking email, facebook, the weather... I might catch up on a little correspondence.
A cup of tea. I like coffee in the morning, but when I'm up alone tea is easier and quieter. Our house is small, so I need to be quiet on my Saturday mornings.
My Bible and notebook. I've been playing catch-up with the James Bible study that is almost over at Good Morning Girls. I don't know if they will be starting a new study later this month, but I want to be ready if they do. Also, I'm enjoying it so much - it's just exactly what I need right now - that I don't want to slow down. I rely on Monergism for commentary and sermons if I want more help with a passage of Scripture.
Other books, if there is time. I'm starting to read Desiring God, thanks to this discovery yesterday. Or maybe a good novel.
Music, usually via Pandora radio. I have a chamber music station that I can play softly while I read.
Unless there is some activity for which I need to get my family up, I usually have 1 to 1/2 hours on my own. If I use this time well, I am very satisfied and content and happy to see my family when they get up.
If I don't use it well - if instead of reading, I randomly mess around on the internet, reading too many blogs and blog comments, checking out youtube videos or reading news stories that are irrelevant to me, or if I just stay in bed too long and get a late start - I am annoyed by my family's rising. I hear their footsteps above me and grumble inside my head.
Which way do you think is the better start to the day?
This morning I was happy to hear the seminarian getting up. We enjoyed a nice breakfast together and let the kids sleep.
A few months ago I started trying out a regular Saturday post, my Saturday morning journal. I took a blogging break and gave it up. Maybe I'll start again.
How is your Saturday going?
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Friday, April 01, 2011
Five Minute Friday: Favorite Things
This week's Five Minute Friday writing prompt is all about favorite things.
Go:
Of course, my husband and children are at the top. Do they count as things? For this they do. When I think of what my life would have been like if they hadn't come along... oh. Oh no.
Reading to my kids has always been one of my favorite ways to spend time. We have read so many books together, and now as they enter their teens we are still doing it. Sharing The Odyssey with them right now. Wow. What a privilege to get to share great literature with my kids. I'd love a little more time to read on my own, but, maybe that'll come later.
Cooking for my family and others is also a favorite thing. I love to please people with delicious food. Most people enjoy food and are easy to please. Homemade bread is probably at the top of that list.
My firm faith in our sovereign God is one of my favorite things. I don't know that I could go on, sometimes, without that.
Fabric, yarn, embroidery thread and cloth... favorite things I don't get to play with much these days. But my stash will be here when I'm ready.
Books and music. The tulips that should be blooming soon. Old friends who stay in touch with me when I seem to want to fall out of touch with them.
Stop. That was five minutes.
Share yours or read others at The Gypsy Mama
Oh no. My kids will be so mad if they ever read this... I didn't list the dog! .
Go:
Of course, my husband and children are at the top. Do they count as things? For this they do. When I think of what my life would have been like if they hadn't come along... oh. Oh no.
Reading to my kids has always been one of my favorite ways to spend time. We have read so many books together, and now as they enter their teens we are still doing it. Sharing The Odyssey with them right now. Wow. What a privilege to get to share great literature with my kids. I'd love a little more time to read on my own, but, maybe that'll come later.
Cooking for my family and others is also a favorite thing. I love to please people with delicious food. Most people enjoy food and are easy to please. Homemade bread is probably at the top of that list.
My firm faith in our sovereign God is one of my favorite things. I don't know that I could go on, sometimes, without that.
Fabric, yarn, embroidery thread and cloth... favorite things I don't get to play with much these days. But my stash will be here when I'm ready.
Books and music. The tulips that should be blooming soon. Old friends who stay in touch with me when I seem to want to fall out of touch with them.
Stop. That was five minutes.
Share yours or read others at The Gypsy Mama
Oh no. My kids will be so mad if they ever read this... I didn't list the dog! .
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Predictable
Two things I should have been able to predict, but failed to:
1. Whenever we embark on a new routine, project, or other changeup in our homeschooling, the kids get sick. Seriously. How's that forced independence going, you might ask? Ha! Amidst the coughing and nose blowing and sinus washing, we're reading and discussing The Odyssey. We all love it. The math and other independent work? Um, this sickness can't possibly last till next week. Right?
This happens all the time. Seriously, I believe that this is God's way of asking me "do you really think you are in control?" I've always said that I wish I could give my kids a full education just by reading to them. So at least we're doing what we love.
2. Whenever I decide to clean out my blog reader and get serious about my computer time, I find new blogs to fill it right back up again. Here are my new favorites:
Good Morning Girls is a Christian site for women (not young girls). I started following their study in the book of James yesterday. They're almost finished, but thanks to the magic of the internet I can catch up. It's perfect for me right now, in the state of mind and the stage of life I'm in.
The Gypsy Mama hosts the Friday Minute Friday meme I discovered last week. She's led a fascinating life and has a lot of good things to say. Lots of baby pics, too!
MexiMoxie is by a young woman preparing for the missions field. She'll be going to Mexico, and she talks about that and shares recipes for delicious food too.
The blog list on the sidebar that shrank recently? Growing again.
1. Whenever we embark on a new routine, project, or other changeup in our homeschooling, the kids get sick. Seriously. How's that forced independence going, you might ask? Ha! Amidst the coughing and nose blowing and sinus washing, we're reading and discussing The Odyssey. We all love it. The math and other independent work? Um, this sickness can't possibly last till next week. Right?
This happens all the time. Seriously, I believe that this is God's way of asking me "do you really think you are in control?" I've always said that I wish I could give my kids a full education just by reading to them. So at least we're doing what we love.
2. Whenever I decide to clean out my blog reader and get serious about my computer time, I find new blogs to fill it right back up again. Here are my new favorites:
Good Morning Girls is a Christian site for women (not young girls). I started following their study in the book of James yesterday. They're almost finished, but thanks to the magic of the internet I can catch up. It's perfect for me right now, in the state of mind and the stage of life I'm in.
The Gypsy Mama hosts the Friday Minute Friday meme I discovered last week. She's led a fascinating life and has a lot of good things to say. Lots of baby pics, too!
MexiMoxie is by a young woman preparing for the missions field. She'll be going to Mexico, and she talks about that and shares recipes for delicious food too.
The blog list on the sidebar that shrank recently? Growing again.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Homeschooling when you don't feel like it anymore
Maybe it's the late winter/early spring burnout so common to homeschoolers. Maybe it's something more. But I don't feel like homeschooling right now. It's probably a temporary feeling, but, today and for the past few weeks, it hasn't felt that way. Even though I continue to receive frequent reminders of the blessings of homeschooling, I'm just not that into it right now.
But we are still homeschooling. It's almost April; even if my kids could be going to school in the future, I'm not going to send them now. What would be the point, so close to the end of the year? We've been counting educational days since July 1; we've only got another 30 or so to go. It would be useless to make such a huge change now.
So how do we keep going when Mom wants to stop? I started forcing independence. I probably shouldn't use the word force because, of course, I can't force anyone to do anything. But I can keep leading my kids toward independence. That is the overall goal, after all, but right now it is just urgent for me to do so. If I don't, we will all crash. So each Monday I give my kids an assignment sheet with all the activities and bookwork I expect to get done that week. Some are things we do together, but most of it they do on their own, or with minimal involvement on my part. I've actually been doing the weekly assignment sheet for a while, but I owned it. Now they do. It's their work, not mine. This hasn't been foolproof; more than once we've experienced frustration when a child has lost his or her assignment sheet in a pile of books or papers, or simply says "Oh, I didn't see that" or "I forgot." We've also discovered that I sometimes forget commitments ("Oh, there's a Girl Scout meeting tomorrow?) or just overplan. It's not always the kids' fault if not everything gets done.
We are still flexible, but the kids are in charge more now.
I'm also just stepping back and letting them go a little more. I believe I've always encouraged this but now I am being a little more demanding about it. We read The Leafcutter Ants: Civilization by Instinct, a gorgeous and fascinating book, together last month; while some of the text was over all our heads, it inspired further research and a science-fair type project that includes a display board, artwork, and papier mache. I provide the materials and time (it's on their weekly assignment sheets); they do the work. This is just what I need for our portolios and my own sanity. Oh, the kids are learning, too. My contribution was reading the book aloud (not a burden) and buying the supplies.
Now I am available when they need help with math, or grammar, or some other basic work, but I am not teaching them the math anymore. I have more time for my distractions and other work, and even to go out for coffee with a friend once in a while. One of the joys of older kids is leaving them home alone sometimes! I am not weary when it's time for the parts of homeschooling I still love, like going on field trips and reading and discussing great literature with my kids.
No doubt some of you reading are shaking your heads and saying something like "she thinks she's made some great discovery here?" If I have learned one thing in my years of homeschooling, it is this: everyone has to make their discoveries in their own time.
That goes for both kids and mom.
But we are still homeschooling. It's almost April; even if my kids could be going to school in the future, I'm not going to send them now. What would be the point, so close to the end of the year? We've been counting educational days since July 1; we've only got another 30 or so to go. It would be useless to make such a huge change now.
So how do we keep going when Mom wants to stop? I started forcing independence. I probably shouldn't use the word force because, of course, I can't force anyone to do anything. But I can keep leading my kids toward independence. That is the overall goal, after all, but right now it is just urgent for me to do so. If I don't, we will all crash. So each Monday I give my kids an assignment sheet with all the activities and bookwork I expect to get done that week. Some are things we do together, but most of it they do on their own, or with minimal involvement on my part. I've actually been doing the weekly assignment sheet for a while, but I owned it. Now they do. It's their work, not mine. This hasn't been foolproof; more than once we've experienced frustration when a child has lost his or her assignment sheet in a pile of books or papers, or simply says "Oh, I didn't see that" or "I forgot." We've also discovered that I sometimes forget commitments ("Oh, there's a Girl Scout meeting tomorrow?) or just overplan. It's not always the kids' fault if not everything gets done.
We are still flexible, but the kids are in charge more now.
I'm also just stepping back and letting them go a little more. I believe I've always encouraged this but now I am being a little more demanding about it. We read The Leafcutter Ants: Civilization by Instinct, a gorgeous and fascinating book, together last month; while some of the text was over all our heads, it inspired further research and a science-fair type project that includes a display board, artwork, and papier mache. I provide the materials and time (it's on their weekly assignment sheets); they do the work. This is just what I need for our portolios and my own sanity. Oh, the kids are learning, too. My contribution was reading the book aloud (not a burden) and buying the supplies.
Now I am available when they need help with math, or grammar, or some other basic work, but I am not teaching them the math anymore. I have more time for my distractions and other work, and even to go out for coffee with a friend once in a while. One of the joys of older kids is leaving them home alone sometimes! I am not weary when it's time for the parts of homeschooling I still love, like going on field trips and reading and discussing great literature with my kids.
No doubt some of you reading are shaking your heads and saying something like "she thinks she's made some great discovery here?" If I have learned one thing in my years of homeschooling, it is this: everyone has to make their discoveries in their own time.
That goes for both kids and mom.
After the cooking contest
Yesterday I spent a lot of time thinking about James and his Scout cooking contest. I was anxious to hear from him after dinner but figured I wouldn't.
About 8 pm the phone range. Could it be him? No, but it was one of the Scout leaders informing us that James was sick. Could they give him some cold medicine? James came on the line and said he was feeling pretty badly and would like to come home. It's a 90-minute drive to camp... could he tough it out there for the night? Yeah, he could.
The only thing we heard in that conversation about the contest was: the food wasn't ready for the judges at the appointed moment. Bummer.
He arrived home around noon: filthy, exhausted, maybe getting sick (other family members have been sick this week), but happy. His patrol got 3rd place. Out of just 4, so... not great. But he was satisfied. The stew was good, he said, once it was cooked. The mango soda was an instant hit. So was his couscous dessert, despite it being a little strange to most people. The chapatis were not so great. He'd perfected them at home but cooking on a fire is different than on an electric stove. He thinks they just couldn't get the griddle hot enough.
This past week was hardly stellar for our academic achievements. But boy did he learn a lot about meal planning, shopping, and cooking. Hm, supervising 5 boys can be hard work too, so probably some management skills got in there too. And yesterday the boys were working hard from sunup till well after sundown.
I will be counting it as a school day. I think I could count it as two!
About 8 pm the phone range. Could it be him? No, but it was one of the Scout leaders informing us that James was sick. Could they give him some cold medicine? James came on the line and said he was feeling pretty badly and would like to come home. It's a 90-minute drive to camp... could he tough it out there for the night? Yeah, he could.
The only thing we heard in that conversation about the contest was: the food wasn't ready for the judges at the appointed moment. Bummer.
He arrived home around noon: filthy, exhausted, maybe getting sick (other family members have been sick this week), but happy. His patrol got 3rd place. Out of just 4, so... not great. But he was satisfied. The stew was good, he said, once it was cooked. The mango soda was an instant hit. So was his couscous dessert, despite it being a little strange to most people. The chapatis were not so great. He'd perfected them at home but cooking on a fire is different than on an electric stove. He thinks they just couldn't get the griddle hot enough.
This past week was hardly stellar for our academic achievements. But boy did he learn a lot about meal planning, shopping, and cooking. Hm, supervising 5 boys can be hard work too, so probably some management skills got in there too. And yesterday the boys were working hard from sunup till well after sundown.
I will be counting it as a school day. I think I could count it as two!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
(Blog) Housekeeping
Blogkeeping?
In between snuggling with my sick daughter and obsessing over my son's camping trip activities, I had some time for a little bloghousekeeping today. I updated my blog list (left sidebar) to better reflect what I'm reading now. I cleaned out my blog reader too. I had too many blogs to keep up with; it was time to trim the list.
I always feel a little guilty cutting blogs out of my reader or clicking the "stop following" button. I know some bloggers take it personally when they lose followers. But it's not personal; it's just a matter of time management.
You can tell I feel guilty about it because I'm explaining it. Kind of silly, isn't it?
In between snuggling with my sick daughter and obsessing over my son's camping trip activities, I had some time for a little bloghousekeeping today. I updated my blog list (left sidebar) to better reflect what I'm reading now. I cleaned out my blog reader too. I had too many blogs to keep up with; it was time to trim the list.
I always feel a little guilty cutting blogs out of my reader or clicking the "stop following" button. I know some bloggers take it personally when they lose followers. But it's not personal; it's just a matter of time management.
You can tell I feel guilty about it because I'm explaining it. Kind of silly, isn't it?
Eight minutes from right now
My Boy Scout James is away this weekend at his troop's annual cooking contest campout. Each group of boys - a patrol - plans and makes a delicious meal in competition with each other. This is his second year attending, but his first as leader of a patrol and thus in charge of the meal. At 5 pm - just 8 minutes away - the judges (adult leaders of the troop) will be at his patrol's table to see how their meal turned out.
James is not a cook, though he has been practicing. And this is not a stereotypical Scout camp meal, of meat and veggies wrapped in foil and buried in the coals. The boys are required to cook at least part of their meal in the Dutch oven. They have to brown their meat, not just toss it into the pot. The meal must be balanced meal with protein, carbs, vegetable, etc. A dessert is required. A beverage too - and water from the canteen doesn't count.
They earn points for difficulty, healthfulness, and presentation, among other things. It's a big deal, lots of work and lots of fun. For example, James took a stick of butter for his bread, but also a container of cream so they could make their own. This was a last-minute addition. He had asked one of this friends, a senior Scout, if taking butter would cost points. No, he was told - but if you make your own, you'll gain points! Same question about taking homemade chicken broth. (James made it from a chicken he cooked a few weeks ago at a cooking workshop at his Scoutmaster's house.) It's fine, but it would be better if he hauled a chicken carcass up to camp and made the broth there. Yikes. That takes a lot of time and a lot of firewood. He won't worry about those extra points.
I am almost certain he forgot one semi-essential ingredient: sugar for his dessert. But the recipe also includes honey, and I'm pretty sure - no actually I'm just hopeful - that he will realize he can just add more of that to make up for the missing sugar. Maybe one of the other boys in his patrol will mention that, if he forgets.
He is a forgetful boy, and likely to be a bit stressed.
He forgot the gloves for chopping up the jalapenos. Those are not essential, but might gain him points for safe cooking..
His menu is chicken peanut stew, chapatis, couscous with honey, cinnamon, and nuts, and mango soda. I know all this because I helped him practice it, but also because he typed up a nice menu for the judges to see on his table. Too bad he left it behind.
The mango soda is just mango nectar mixed with seltzer. It's delicious.
Though he is the leader, the other boys were invited to contribute ideas to the dinner. However, they did not care to. I know that because they sat around my kitchen table one night talking about it, and other than approving the stew didn't express much interest. I suspect they won't like the dessert - it does seem a little odd - but he wanted something more in keeping with his North African-ish theme than the typical apple cobbler.
All day I've wanted to text him to ask how it's going. But Mommy needs to stay out of it, and he's not supposed to have his phone in his pocket during camp anyway. I did ask him, if he could do it without breaking camp rules and embarrassing himself, to let me know how it went after it's all done. I can wait till tomorrow afternoon when he gets home... but I don't want to.
Well, it's 5:10 and the judges should have moved on to the next patrol. I'm a little sad I can't be there to see all this, but... it's right that's I'm not there.
This post was inspired by my friend Maria who knows exactly what I'm talking about.
James is not a cook, though he has been practicing. And this is not a stereotypical Scout camp meal, of meat and veggies wrapped in foil and buried in the coals. The boys are required to cook at least part of their meal in the Dutch oven. They have to brown their meat, not just toss it into the pot. The meal must be balanced meal with protein, carbs, vegetable, etc. A dessert is required. A beverage too - and water from the canteen doesn't count.
They earn points for difficulty, healthfulness, and presentation, among other things. It's a big deal, lots of work and lots of fun. For example, James took a stick of butter for his bread, but also a container of cream so they could make their own. This was a last-minute addition. He had asked one of this friends, a senior Scout, if taking butter would cost points. No, he was told - but if you make your own, you'll gain points! Same question about taking homemade chicken broth. (James made it from a chicken he cooked a few weeks ago at a cooking workshop at his Scoutmaster's house.) It's fine, but it would be better if he hauled a chicken carcass up to camp and made the broth there. Yikes. That takes a lot of time and a lot of firewood. He won't worry about those extra points.
I am almost certain he forgot one semi-essential ingredient: sugar for his dessert. But the recipe also includes honey, and I'm pretty sure - no actually I'm just hopeful - that he will realize he can just add more of that to make up for the missing sugar. Maybe one of the other boys in his patrol will mention that, if he forgets.
He is a forgetful boy, and likely to be a bit stressed.
He forgot the gloves for chopping up the jalapenos. Those are not essential, but might gain him points for safe cooking..
His menu is chicken peanut stew, chapatis, couscous with honey, cinnamon, and nuts, and mango soda. I know all this because I helped him practice it, but also because he typed up a nice menu for the judges to see on his table. Too bad he left it behind.
The mango soda is just mango nectar mixed with seltzer. It's delicious.
Though he is the leader, the other boys were invited to contribute ideas to the dinner. However, they did not care to. I know that because they sat around my kitchen table one night talking about it, and other than approving the stew didn't express much interest. I suspect they won't like the dessert - it does seem a little odd - but he wanted something more in keeping with his North African-ish theme than the typical apple cobbler.
All day I've wanted to text him to ask how it's going. But Mommy needs to stay out of it, and he's not supposed to have his phone in his pocket during camp anyway. I did ask him, if he could do it without breaking camp rules and embarrassing himself, to let me know how it went after it's all done. I can wait till tomorrow afternoon when he gets home... but I don't want to.
Well, it's 5:10 and the judges should have moved on to the next patrol. I'm a little sad I can't be there to see all this, but... it's right that's I'm not there.
This post was inspired by my friend Maria who knows exactly what I'm talking about.
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