Laundry Monster - TAMED!

I believe we have successfully tamed the laundry monster at our house! We started on July 10th. THIRTEEN days later, and I haven't done a single piece of laundry for the girls! Considering that I used to find the girls' laundry sorter overflowing 5 days after finishing the laundry, I'd say the game worked!

Megan and Hannah tied for 1st Place - with 9 articles of clothing in the laundry (not including undies and socks). They're splitting a pack of "wall stickers" I found at Dollar Tree awhile back. Grace came in a close second with 11 articles of clothing and has her sights set on winning the next round of the LAUNDRY GAME!

I'd highly recommend trying this at your house and see if you can tame your laundry monster!!

Mom's Encouragement Night - Book List

I meet with a wonderful group of women each month (well, when Alpha doesn't meet on Tuesday nights, that is!). The purpose of this meeting: to encourage one another as we walk together on this home school journey we've all been called to. I am so thankful for the group's leaders, Eryn and Mindy. Their ability to create community amazes me. I pray that God will richly bless them both for all that they pour into this group!

This month, each mom brought a book or two that inspired her in some way over the past year (funny, the timing, right? I've been obsessed with finding good books lately - so this was right up my alley!)

As you look through this list, if a title intrigues you, click on it and I'll take you to Amazon.com or RainbowResource.com where you can learn more about each book.

Mindy Salts

• All New Square Foot Gardening by Mel Bartholomew

Jessica Sheltrown

• The ABC Herbal by Steven Horne
• Prayers God Always Answers by Nancy Kennedy
• First We Have Coffee by Margaret Jensen
• The Creative Family by Amanda Soule
• The Sense of Wonder by Rachel Carson (photography by Nick Kelsh)

Tracy Emery

• A Hive of Busy Bees by Effie Williams
• Another Hive of Busy Bees by Beverly Soderholm
• Read for the Heart by Sarah Clarkson (this is the book that inspired my booklist obsession)
• Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt

Renatta Welsh (who apologizes for the grumpy kid on the cover - but encourages you to read the book anyway!)

• Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining and Bad Attitudes by Scott Turansky & Joanne Miller

Judy Clark

• Take Four by Karen Kingsbury (and anything else written by Ms. Kingsbury)
• Feminine Appeal by Carolyn Mahaney

Eryn Smith

• Don't Make Me Count To Three by Ginger Plowman
• Shepherding A Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp
• The Joy of a Word-Filled Family by Dr. John Barnett

Britt Reid

• Who Is God? And Can I Really Known Him? by John Hay & David Webb
• The Swimsuit Lesson by Jon Holsten

Carrie Beyer

• Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
• Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry
• The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry
• Reading Like a Writer by Francine Prose
• The Marriage of Megotta by Edith Pargeter
• Noah by Patricia Lee Gauch
• The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau
• Animals, Animals by Eric Carle
• Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming

Amy VanDorn

• Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian
• Power of a Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian

Tricia Kvasnica

• O Ye Jigs and Juleps by Virginia Hudson
• This Present Darkness by Frank Peretti
• O The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
• LIFE: Our Century in Pictures for Young People by Richard Stolley

Traci Bowman

Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson

Being REAL!

I was clearing out old files on my computer just now and ran across a devotional I'd written and shared with the women at our church several years ago. It made me cry fresh tears...I'm still on the quest to be real! God keeps showing me areas of my life that I keep behind the mask...

Thought I'd share the devotional here...I pray it will be a blessing to all who read it!

Faith E-Free Ladies Tea - May 14, 2007

A month ago, when I was asked to share tonight’s devotional, the events of these last two weeks were not at all what I expected or desired to draw from. You see, two weeks ago tonight, I surprised my husband, Darren, with the amazing news that we were expecting our fourth miracle child. And, when I say surprised, I mean it…he truly had no idea! I, on the other hand, had walked through the following nine months a hundred times and imagined holding our baby in my arms. But, that is as close as I’ll ever get to her this side of heaven. You see, just three days later, I started to miscarry. I cannot begin to describe the pain…the absolute darkness that threatened to drown me. Having been down this road seven years before, I knew what was in store…and I did not want go there again. But, God brought this verse to mind…the grass withers, the flowers fade, crises come, but the word of the Lord stands forever! He is ever faithful…he is the great healer…the great counselor…he is almighty GOD…and in all things – even miscarriage - He works for the good of those who love him.

When Kristin asked me to give tonight’s devotional, my first response was, “No way! I’m not qualified. I’m not the one who should be sharing. Surely, if I say no, the real person God wants to share will step up.” But, knowing that God often works through my weakness and had been revealing some of the lies I’d been believing (I’ll get to that in a minute), I began to pray. That very night our Small Group lesson focused on Moses and his five objections to God’s call to rescue His people from Egypt. Knowing what God used Moses to do, despite his objections, I found myself convinced that I was the one that needed to step up. And, here I am!

God has been teaching some cool stuff over the last several months…about being real, open, and vulnerable with those around me. I am so very good at putting on a mask and leading others to believe that I have it all together. I don’t want you all to know the mistakes I make, the issues Darren & I struggle with, the times I’m harsh with my girls, the laziness and procrastination I’m trying to overcome, how often I take for granted the blessings that overflow in my life, the enemy’s lies I listen to. I’ve long lived under the lie that it’s better to just be quiet and listen – don’t offer – no one really wants to hear from me. God has a delightful sense of humor, don’t you think…because here I am…speaking and you all are listening to what I have to say. My prayer is that God will speak through me to touch your hearts.

Through all the years of believing the “don’t speak” lie, I longed to be a part of deep and beautiful friendships with other women. Now, that’s pretty hard to do without letting others see what’s truly going on in my heart and mind. Letting others in gives them permission to see the doubts I have about myself…that I wonder what I’m doing here…and why anyone would ever want to be my friend. My fear that I’m failing as a wife and mom…that I really don’t feel adequate to do much of anything, after all, I can’t even keep up with the laundry. Taking off the mask lets you see the lies I believe…and that’s what these thoughts are…lies from the enemy. The truth is that I am inadequate and imperfect…but I am clothed in the righteousness of Christ and through His strength, I can do whatever it is He calls me to do. The enemy knows this too…and whispers all the louder…he twists the truth and chips away at our confidence. He desires our complete and utter desolation and what better way to get us there than to force us into isolation. He knows the power of friendship, real, honest Christ-centered friendship; and I believe it makes him tremble with fear!

In Ephesians 4:15, Paul tells us we are to “speak the truth in love, and by doing so, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” I love how the Amplified Bible says it: “Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth…in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, Christ.”

I have always looked to this verse in times of conflict - to remind myself to confront with Christ’s love and for His sake. I’ve come to realize there are also times when speaking the truth in love means taking off my mask and letting others see what’s really going on under the “I’ve got it all together” exterior. It’s amazing what happens when you speak truthfully to others about what’s going on in your life. Did you catch Paul’s words… “when we speak the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the head!” How many times have I let my thoughts go unspoken, because I feared others would pity me or think less of me. But, Paul encourages us to speak the truth…speak what’s really and truly going on with us…and, in doing so, God joins the body together. When I hold back from sharing, I steal opportunities for others to see the real me…to see my struggles and realize they are not alone in their own…opportunities to pray for and encourage each other.

This past semester, God placed me in a wonderful Bible study and in that study and outside of it, surrounded me with women who are on a quest to be real. He began to answer my prayer to be a part of meaningful friendships…and is using these dear friends as an encouragement to share and be real. In God’s perfect timing, He allowed me to share the exciting news of our pregnancy at our final Bible study. The next day when I began to miscarry, I fought through my old pattern of silently dealing with crisis. Choosing not to sit alone in quiet desolation, I began calling my friends, and through my tears asked for prayer. They graciously allowed me to be real. They prayed with me (and continue to pray for me). They cried with me. They spoke God’s truth to me. They helped me to process what was going on. They pointed me to the scriptures for words of healing. They encouraged me. Many shared similar stories of their own. I wish you all could feel the amazing peace and joy I’ve experienced. This has been amazingly difficult and painful, but what could be a harsh, desolate pit of despair has been cushioned and lined with a deep, abiding joy. This, I’m certain, is how God intended it to be. Unlike the first miscarriage – 7 years ago – when I quickly put on my mask and emptily spouted phrases about God’s faithfulness…all the while not believing a word that came out of my mouth. I was angry at God for taking our baby…but I didn’t want to admit that to anyone…I didn’t want anyone to know that this Christian woman, who supposedly had it all together, doubted God. I believed the lie that no one really wanted to hear about my struggles. Back then, I thought it so much easier to stuff my feelings and put on a happy face. In many ways, this miscarriage has been more difficult emotionally, perhaps because I shoved all those feelings aside 7 years ago and now God is gently pushing me to process and grieve our first baby while grieving our fifth.

I’d love to say I’ve not had any of those angry, doubting thoughts this time around, but that wouldn’t be true. I’ve also been accosted by self doubt, wondering things like “did the ibuprofen I took the week before the miscarriage cause it? I must really be an inadequate mom…God knows it…that’s why he won’t allow the joy of another child.” And, believe me, I’ve been tempted to shut down and shove my feelings, emotions and thoughts deep down, never allowing them to see the light of day. I hear the whispers of “did you really need to share all that…they’re busy with their own issues and struggles. You are just too much, you’re taking too much of their time. You are such a burden.” Of course, the whisperer of these lies is the enemy (or as a good friend calls him – the rotten scuzbucket). Listen and be encouraged by the words of 1 Peter 5:8-9: “Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You're not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It's the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.”

So, I stand here, before you, being real, admitting that I don’t have it all together…that life is hard but full of joy at the same time. I’ve come to believe that people who experience life intensely, both the good and the bad, and share it with others are more fortunate than those who just drift through alone. For it is through these tough times, we realize the word of God stands forever. He will put us back together and on our feet for good. He will get the last word! May we will live truthfully and be real with one another, sharing our struggles, doubts and joys… all the while, being built up in love and growing up into amazing women of God.

Konquering Kids' Klutter - NOT

Well, last week I blogged about my newfound idea to help the family remember to pick up after themselves and Konquer the Klutter in our home. Well, it worked well for the first couple of days...but soon devolved into a spiteful competition between siblings...usually started when one of us would put away someone else's belonging(s). The remainder of the family would then storm through the house with a "nanny-nanny-boo-boo" attitude, looking for things that belonged to others. Guess this isn't the right approach to training the kidlets.

I reached back to something that used to work and implemented it again...if I find things out that belong to the DD1, DD2, or DD3, I get to keep them for a week. We'll see how this goes...

Taming the Laundry Monster

Do you ever get tired of hearing your child say, "Mom, I don't have any pants to wear! They're all in the dirty laundry...", knowing full well, that she only wore each pair of pants once before throwing them in the hamper (even though they were still quite clean)? How about finding clothes in the hamper that were only worn to church for a couple of hours (but because it was easier for your child to throw it in the hamper as opposed to hanging it back up in their closet)?

Perhaps I'm the only one that has these issues...but just in case I'm not, I thought I'd post a tip I found at Paula's Archives of Homeschool Advice. I just had to try it: on laundry day, the child with the least amount of clothes in the laundry (not including underwear and socks) wins a prize! We only started this yesterday, so I don't have practical results to share with you yet. But, it looks to be working...DD1 has the same clean clothes on that she had on yesterday, and DD2 is wearing the same pajama's tonight! I'll post an update after the next laundry day!

Konquering Kids' Klutter

Yesterday, as I picked up miscellaneous things belonging to various members of the family, I decided to try something new. Rather than rant and rave at the kids to pick up their stuff, or getting irritated with my husband for leaving his breakfast dishes on the cupboard, I'm doing something pro-active. I ran across this fun idea the other day on Paula's Archives of Homeschool Advice: We started with a clean house. I created a chart with everyone's name on it and posted it on the refrigerator.

Now, when anyone finds something that someone else left out, they put said item away where it belongs. Once the item is put away, they get to put a tally mark by the person's name to whom said item belongs. For example, if I leave my flip flops out (which, by the way, I am very prone to do) and dh puts them away, dh then puts a mark by my name on the chart. The person with the fewest marks for the week wins $2.00!

So far, it's working really well! My kids are putting their own things away and their sisters' things. I even overheard them telling their friends this afternoon, "Let's pick this stuff up before we get something else out."

I'm fairly competitive by nature, but I'm thinking, even if I don't win the $2.00 - I do win a Klutter Free House! Definitely a win-win situation!!!

Just One More Chapter...Please!?!?

When I started this list, the warm fuzzy feeling started to well up inside me...a warmth that emanates from the pages of these well-loved, timeless books. Generations have loved these stories and my hope is that the next generations will continue, as I read them to my children, and one day, perhaps, my grandchildren. Many of these make for grand read-alouds, even if your children are teenagers! Consider taking turns, as a family, reading chapter by chapter - perhaps introducing your children to new friends along the way, or rekindling an old friendship.

And, don't forget, the more expression you give to your voice and the more life you breathe into the characters, the more likely 'twill be that your children will beg for, "just one more chapter...please!?!"

The Fine Print - we haven't read every book on this list, so I cannot completely guarantee the content to be appropriate for everyone. Also, the books in this list are ones I've found to be available at my hometown library or can be accessed through Interlibrary Loan.

OLD FRIENDS (AKA Golden Classics)

(CD) = the book is also available on CD at our library

(DVD) = the book is also available on DVD at our library

(ILL) = Interlibrary Loan

Alcott, Louisa May - Little Women

Alcott, Louisa May - Little Men

Alcott, Louisa May - Jo's Boys

Barrie, J.M. - Peter Pan (CD)

Baum, Frank - The Wizard of Oz

Burnett, Frances Hodgson - Little Princess

Burnett, Frances Hodgson - Little Lord Fauntleroy

Burnett, Frances Hodgson - The Secret Garden (CD)

Carroll, Lewis - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (CD)

Chesterton, GK - The Father Brown Omnibus

Cohen, Barbara - Seven Daughters and Seven Sons (ILL)

Dodge, Mary Mapes - Hans Brinker, or, The Silver Skates

Fletcher, Susan - Shadow Spinner (ILL)

Gilbreth, Frank B. - Cheaper by the Dozen

Gilbreth, Frank B. - Belles on Their Toes

Grahame, Kenneth - The Wind in the Willows (CD & DVD)

Kingsley, Charles - The Water-Babies

Kipling, Rudyard - The Jungle Books (found in adult section)

Kipling, Rudyard - The Complete Just-So Stories

Kipling, Rudyard - Kim

Konigsburg, E.L. - The Second Mrs. Giaconda

Leroux, Gaston - Phantom of the Opera (CD)

MacDonald, George - At the Back of the North Wind

MacDonald, George - The Princess and the Goblin

MacDonald, George - The Princess and the Curdie (ILL)

Martin, Ann - A Dog's Life: Autobiography of a Stray

Milne, A.A. - The House at Pooh Corner

Milne, A.A. - Winnie The Pooh (CD)

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Anne of Green Gables (CD)

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Anne of Avonlea (CD)

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Anne of the Island (CD)

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Anne of Windy Poplars

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Anne's House of Dreams (CD)

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Anne of Ingleside

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Rainbow Valley

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - Rilla of Ingleside

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - The Story Girl

Montgomery, Lucy Maud - The Golden Road

Myers, Walter - At Her Majesty's Request

Nesbitt, Edith - The Railway Children (CD)

Porter, Eleanor - Pollyanna

Porter, Gene Stratton - Freckles (ILL)

Porter, Gene Stratton - Girl of the Limberlost

Pyle, Howard - Men of Iron

Pyle, Howard - The Story of King Arthur and His Knights

Pyle, Howard - The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood (CD)

Schlitz, Laura Amy - Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village (CD)

Schmidt, Gary - Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy (CD)

Sewell, Anna - Black Beauty

Spyri, Johanna H. - Heidi

Stevenson, Robert Louis - Treasure Island (CD)

Stevenson, Robert Louis - Kidnapped (CD)

Stevenson, Robert Louis - David Balfour (sequel to Kidnapped)

Stoltz, Joelle - The Shadows of Ghadames

Stranger, Margaret - That Quail Robert

Van Stockum, Hilda - Winged Watchman (ILL)

Verne, Jules - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Verne, Jules - Around the World in Eighty Days

Verne, Jules - Journey to the Centre of the Earth

Wiggin, Kate Douglas - Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (CD)

White, T. - The Once And Future King

Zusak, Markus - The Book Thief (CD)