The Many Names of Daniel

There is always something funny coming out of Daniel's mouth; you never know what he will say next. John says that he reminds him of Calvin from Calvin and Hobbs, except that Daniel doesn't get into trouble like Calvin did. But his imagination is amazing! Last week, I had this conversation with Daniel about "the baby in my tummy."

D: How will the baby come out?

M: The doctor will take him out. (We don't feel that a three year old needs all the gory details.)

D: I have a baby in my tummy.

M: You do?

D: Yeah!

M: How will he come out?

D: (drawing a line with his finger from his belly button to his chin) Out my nose!

Daniel also loves to make up new names for himself. There's a new one almost everyday. At first, he wanted to be called Spiderman. (His swim diapers from last year have Spiderman on them; no, we haven't let our children watch the movie.) One day, it was Bug Eater. When I asked why, he said because he eats bugs and termites. Then it was Hot Dog Man because he eats hot dogs and termites. Sarah Beth started calling him Punkin yesterday, and he enjoyed that for a while. Last night right before bed, he decided his name was Light Switch Man because he fixes light switches. Oh, dear! How will I ever keep up with all of these names?

Do any of your children change their names? What do they change them to? And how do you keep up?

Why do I Worry?

I am a worrier by nature. I have Matthew 6:34 memorized for this very reason. I worry about moving into a house that's too small. I worry about the furniture getting ruined by heat and humidity because it won't fit into our rental house and has to go into storage. (It was hard finding climate-controlled storage units.) I worry about too many things, especially things that I have absolutely no control over.

Last week, John called to give me some good news. Our Florida landlord apparently has several business ventures going on, and one of them is renting PODS-like units. He agreed to rent us one for the cost of a non-climate-controlled storage unit, and the one he is renting us is larger than the one John was looking at. AND he has air conditioning units that he can put into it. AND it will be stored in "our" backyard. Does it get any better than this? All of my worries (about storage anyway!) relieved in one simple transaction.

Why did I worry so much? God already had all of these problems worked out; I just needed to wait and see what His solutions were.

Do you worry? How do you deal with it?

She's Not my Baby Anymore

Today Rachel is 18 months old. When I thought about writing this post early last week, I thought I was going to be writing about my baby. At that point, Rachel was not a toddler even though she is 18 months old because she wasn't toddling. What do you call a child who isn't a toddler yet? In our house, she's still a baby.

Well, Thursday morning Rachel decided that she could walk. We already knew that she could because she's been taking a few steps occasionally, but mostly she was still walking on her knees. Just like her big sister, one day she just decided that she was going to walk, and now that is her preferred method of getting around. How nice for me! Rachel even got to wear shoes to church for the first time on Sunday, and she was thrilled about it!

Here are a few pictures of Rachel walking that I thought were cute.

John likes to call Rachel our little "diva" because she is so expressive. When she laughs, she screams with laughter. When she's upset, she just screams. You never have to guess what emotion Rachel is feeling at the moment.

I found her playing with her reflection in the oven the other day. What a silly girl!

Now that she is finally walking, it's time for her to learn to talk...my language. The only "word" she knows is "uh-oh." But I know it won't be long! Already she babbles and babbles in what my father calls Rachel-ese. What a sweet girl she is! And what a ham!!

Goals of Education

I just finished a great book by R.C. Sproul, Jr., When You Rise up: A Covenantal Approach to Homeschooling. It is chock full of information about homeschooling. If you homeschool your children, you should read it. If you're thinking about teaching your children at home, you ought to check it out. But if you're perfectly happy to let someone else teach your children, don't bother with this book because it's very convicting.

One of the questions that Sproul asks is, "What is the goal of Christian education?" I was stumped. I mean, I know there are lots of reasons for education, like being well-educated, being successful, knowledge is power, etc.. But what was the answer he was looking for? The goal of Christian education should be to teach our children to be godly people who teach their children to be godly people who teach their children to teach godly people.... When I read this, I thought, "Oh, yeah! Of course!!" What other goal is worthy of my time and effort, and more importantly, honors God?

I am so glad that I read this book before I started our homeschooling experience. Now that I know what my goal should be, I can examine the curriculum that I choose in this light to make sure that its goals and mine are the same. What's the point in having a superiorly taught child who knows nothing about God?

Have you thought about the goals for your children's education? What are they?

"It is Well with my Soul!"

This hymn gives me goose bumps every time I sing it. Here are the lines that do it to me every time:

• Christ "has shed his own blood for my soul."
• "My sin - O the bliss of this glorious thought! - my sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more...."
• O Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll, the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend; "Even so" - it is well with my soul.

Here's the whole hymn for you without my commentary.

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,

When sorrows like sea billows roll;

Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,

It is well, it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul; it is well,

It is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control,

That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,

And has shed His own blood for my soul.

It is well with my soul; it is well,

It is well with my soul.

My sin - O the bliss of this glorious thought! -

My sin, not in part, but the whole,

Is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more;

Praise the Lord, praise, the Lord, O my soul!

It is well with my soul; it is well,

It is well with my soul.

O Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll,

The trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend;

"Even so" - it is well with my soul.

It is well with my soul; it is well,

It is well with my soul.

(words by Horatio G. Spafford)

Do any hymns give you goosebumps when you sing them? Which ones?

Links of Interest

While I haven't posted a "links of interest" post lately, I have read some interesting things. I just haven't taken the time to share them with you, and I'm sorry for that. But here are some recent links that I think you may find interesting.

• Missy at It's Almost Naptime has a great, and very Christian, take on the Casey Anthony trial. Basically, if she had killed her daughter just a few years earlier, as an abortion, it wouldn't have been a big deal at all...in the world's eyes.
• Amy at Everyday Mom reminds us that moms are not always the greatest listeners.

Have you read anything interesting lately?

Book Review: The Dragons of Chiril by Donita K. Paul

The Dragons of Chiril by Donita K. Paul tells the story of Tipper, a young lady who embarks on a quest to save her father and the world. With her on her journey are several interesting characters: the Wizard Fenworth, the librarian Librettowit, the artist Bealomondore, her father Verrin Schope, the parrot Beccaroon, the Prince Jayrus, and several minor and major dragons. They have several adventures as they try to reunite the three statues that will save Verrin Schope and the world.

This book tries to belong to the same group as C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia and J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, but it's not nearly as good. Granted this book is written for children, and it definitely is appropriate for older children (ages 8-12). The conflict builds and builds throughout the book, but the climax is, well, anticlimactic. This book is good, clean fun for children, and I do recommend it for them.

I want to thank Blogging for Books at WaterBrook Multnomah for my copy of this book to review, but my opinions are my own.

If you don't mind, would you rank this review while you're at it? Thanks!

Being a Yes-Mom

The other night, an ice cream truck sang its way down our street. Unfortunately, it was past my children's bedtime, or we would have had a cool bedtime treat. I decided last year that, if we ever had the opportunity, we would buy something from the ice cream man, at least once. My mother, while she is a great mother, would never let us get anything. I'm sure it's a waste of money, and I know that the truck would have been long gone before we could have gotten up the street to where it passed, but I sure wish she would have let us try once. This one is easy for me to say "yes" to because of my unfulfilled childhood memories.

However, I struggle with being a yes-mom. I don't like messes. More than that, I hate cleaning up messes that I didn't make. Being a yes-mom seems to involve a lot of cleaning. But I am trying. I was proud of myself when I said "yes," when my children asked to use finger paints this week.

While there are many things that I cannot say "yes" to, there are many that I can...if I can get over the mess.

Do you struggle with being a yes-mom?

Contentment

We heard a sermon Sunday on contentment, and I thought, "Man, I could use this talk right now." Usually, I'm a fairly content person, content almost to a fault because I tend toward laziness and apathy. When John mentioned moving us to South Dakota (and its cold winters), I thought, "We'll manage." When John thought about a job working two weeks on, two weeks off on an oil platform in the Gulf, I figured, "We'll make do."

But I am struggling these days. I do not want to move into a rental house. I do not want to live there for at least six months, until after the baby comes. I do not want to move into an itty, bitty house with a third of our stuff while the other two-thirds goes into storage. I want our house to sell so that we can buy a new one. I find it very hard not to complain to my husband, or worse, blame him for it. It's not his fault. He can't make our house sell. Sure, I could stay here in Georgia with our children, without him, but what kind of family life would that be?

While the sermon we heard wasn't that good (it was a guest preacher, so I can get away with saying that!), it reminded me of how important it is to be content and how much more important it is to remember why. God is with us, and His presence should be enough. When that isn't enough for me, when I feel like I need more, I'm sinning. God should be enough because He is enough. I just needed a reminder, and I'm thankful that He gave me one.

Do you struggle with contentment? How do you deal with discontentment?

Tuesday's Tip: Thank You Notes

Do you write thank you notes? I try, I really do, but sometimes I get a little behind. I was humbled Saturday when I received a thank you note for a gift I had given my friend on Thursday. She must have sat down Friday morning to write her thank you notes so she could get them in the mail that afternoon. Amazing!

While there is nothing magical about a nice thank you note, it does show how much you appreciate the gift you were given. And I have to admit that I tend to look for these notes, especially when I've made something for a friend, because I want to know how much they appreciate the time and effort I put into it (even if they didn't!).

So let me encourage you (and myself at the same time) to take the time and effort to let people know how much we appreciate them and the gifts they have given us.

A Trip to the Zoo

After weeks and weeks of temperatures in the upper 90's and low 100's, we finally had a "cool" day. The high Friday was supposed to be 85, so I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and take my children to the zoo. We took our good friend Audrey with us.

Sarah Beth asked me before we left if she could feed the giraffes.

Do you think she enjoyed it?

Daniel wasn't so sure about the giraffes, but with a little help, he fed the goats.

For the first time, I let them ride the train. (In my defense, we didn't really know about it before.)

Of course, we had to ride the carousel! It's the highlight of our trip!!

Monkeying around. (Orangutan-ing around just doesn't sound right.)

Daniel thought this big guy looked thirsty, too. Maybe they are learning to share!

Rachel was just as sweet as she could be for this trip.

Have you been to the zoo this summer? What other fun activities have you done with your children?

He Just Doesn't Get it Quite Yet

The other morning, Sarah Beth asked me when she would get a baby in her tummy. We talk about that a lot around here, you know, babies in tummies. I told her that she could get one after she gets married. That was good enough for her, and she continued playing. Then Daniel entered the conversation, and I love hearing his insights. Often, they make me laugh although I try not to let him see it.

Daniel: I have a baby in my tummy.

Sarah Beth (with all the wisdom and knowledge she has gathered over her five years): You have to be married to have a baby in your tummy.

D: I am married.

Mommy: Who is your wife?

D: Oof. (That is the stuffed puppy that he sleeps with, called "Oof" because dogs say, "Oof, oof.")

M: I thought Oof and Bear were your kids.

D: They are; they're my kid wives.

Oh, dear. Maybe putting this conversation out on the internet wasn't such a good idea. You're probably wondering what kinds of things we're teaching our children. Rest assured; Daniel is just three, and he just doesn't quite "get" it yet.

Do your children say and think silly things like this, that are just precious? Please share!

What Battles are You Fighting?

Last week in church, we sang the hymn "For All the Saints," and one of the lines struck me. I've sung this hymn before, but the line "got" me this time. "O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold, fight as the saints who nobly fought of old...." Do you feel like a soldier? I don't. But we are! We are fighting battles daily against the forces of darkness, or at least, we should be. I feel more like I'm fighting battles daily against the forces that create messes, dirty dishes, and add to the laundry pile. (Not that I'm fighting my children; I'm just fighting against having a messy, dirty house.)

But there's something much bigger going on. Yes, God has already won the war through His precious Son Jesus Christ, but we have battles to fight. Honestly, I'm just not sure what they are, but these are the ones that come to mind:

• the battle against losing my temper when someone spills their milk.
• the battle against watching something on television that I should not.
• the battle to love my husband as I'm commanded and to submit to him.
• the battle to love my children.
• the battle to have patience as my house doesn't sell.
• the battle to protect the innocence of my children.

I guess it just feels like I should be fighting bigger battles, and maybe I should be. Maybe I don't show up for the combat like I should. Maybe there are battles that I should be fighting that I'm not; definitely, I need to pray about this.

What do you think? Do you feel like a soldier? What kind of battles are you fighting?

Praying Hard Enough?

The other day as I left my house for another showing, my first thought was, "Getting the house ready for a showing is too much trouble if they're not even going to make an offer." My second thought was, "Maybe I'm not praying enough."

Not praying enough. Hmmm. How often is enough? Sometimes, I just can't get out of bed early enough to read my Bible and pray before Sarah Beth comes downstairs. Sometimes, I fall asleep at night before I can start praying. And sometimes, I forget to pray about the house when I'm praying with my children. If I prayed that the house would sell at each of these times, would that be enough?

Then I felt God nudging me. I didn't do anything to earn my salvation; Jesus did it all. As a matter of fact, if I were able to add to what Christ did for me, it would make what He did null and void. On the same lines, there is nothing that I can do to make my house sell quicker. God does not make deals with us: if I pray five times a day that my house will sell, will God then grant my wish? While I have to admit that it would be nice sometimes if God worked that way, I'm glad that He doesn't. If I had to earn my salvation, if I had to earn His favors, what a hard, hard road that would be! I am truly thankful for God's grace, and I know that our house will sell in His timing which may not (and obviously isn't!) our timing.

Meanwhile, I will keep praying as I remember the parable of the persistent man who goes to his friend's house late at night, asking for bread (Luke 11:5-9). His friend replies that he cannot because it is too late at night and everyone is in bed. But because the man is so persistent, his friend finally gives up, gets up, and gives him the food he requires. May I be so persistent that God "gives up, gets up, and gives" me what I want!

Booking It: July Edition

While I only read one book off my original reading list this month, I read a few good ones that should have been. Since it's July and the year is half over, I think I'd better get back to my reading list!

• Other People's Houses by Lore Segal. This book was another, different look at World War II for me. Segal tells her own story as a Jewish child who rides the first Children's Transport out of Austria to England in 1938. Of course, parents weren't allowed on this transport, so her parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. all charged her to write so-and-so to sponsor them so they also could leave Austria. One thing that was nice, although sobering, about this book was the little snippets of information she gives about what happens to the people she comes into contact with through the war. Segal's parents were sponsored and came to England as well. She continues the story after the war with her college education; her uncle and grandparents ended up in, so she and her mother (her father had died in England) followed them there. After their numbers finally came up, the family moved to New York City. While it is a sad, sad story, there are rays of brightness, and I recommend this book.
• Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling by Andy Crouch. This book was a little different than what I usually read, but I enjoyed it. Basically, what Crouch says is that you can, and cannot, change culture, and there are all different kinds or spheres of cultures. There is the American culture, our political culture, our neighborhood culture, and the culture in our own homes. The smaller the culture, the more likely it is that I can change it; therefore, I can change the culture in my home fairly easily. I, by myself, cannot change the political culture. However, if I can inspire enough people I may be able to change the political culture in my county, possibly extending that to change the culture of my state, then perhaps the country. Crouch explains all of this, looking through the lens of Christianity; God gave us culture in the Garden of Eden, and He expects us to continue to shape culture. Jesus Christ was a culture maker, and so should we be, also.
• Bringing up Boys by James Dobson. The first chapter and a half of this book are worth reading just for the boyish exploits it contains! Whew! But seriously, even though I have two brothers and most of the children in my neighborhood growing up were boys, there were still a few things I learned from this book. While I already knew that boys are rambunctious, I didn't know that they tend to prefer nonfiction books. The fiction books they read need to be full of action and adventure, not character development that girls prefer. If you have a boy, you should really read this book or another one like it. I'm sure that you already know that boys and girls are different, but I bet this book has some information in it that you would find helpful.
• I also reviewed A Vision of Lucy by Margaret Brownley. You can read the review here.

I have also enjoyed reading some "chapter" books with my children. Now that Sarah Beth is five, I figured it was time to start. And boy! is she enjoying them. Daniel tries, but I think he's just not quite ready.

• Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Do I really need to say anything about this book?
• Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. What a delightful book about a pig and the spider who saves his life! I have read it a time or two before, but it has been a long, long time. There is a bunch of interesting information about spiders in it that I had quite forgotten about.
• Heidi by Johanna Spyri. What a delightful book about an orphan who changes the lives of everybody she comes in contact with...except her Aunt Detie. Hmmm. (We did read an "adapted" version since Sarah Beth is only 5, but one day we'll tackle the "real" thing.)

What have you been reading? To see what others have been reading, head over to Life as Mom: Booking it.

By the way, Audrey is hosting a giveaway for a beautiful handmade dress to celebrate the opening of their etsy shop Pretty Posy Frocks. Check it out here!

Giveaways!

There are a couple of giveaways I would like to tell you about.

• Tracey at Girls to Grow is giving away a copy of the book Money Secrets of the Amish: Finding True Abundance in Simplicity, Sharing, and Saving by Lorilee Craker. It looks like an interesting and informative read. You can enter here.
• Connie at Smockity Frocks is also giving away a book, a copy of Large Family Logistics by Kim Brenneman. While I don't think we have a big family (do you consider six large?), I'm sure there is a lot I can learn from reading this book. Check it out here.

Honestly, my long-term readers know that I am a bibliophile and would love to win either (or both!) books just because I love books! But I would rejoice with you if you won instead.

FO Friday

Wow! This blanket looks small in this picture. Actually, it measures a little more than three feet in diameter and is supposed to be perfectly round. I think I just didn't take the time to stretch it out correctly for this picture to make it look perfectly round.

When my good friend Laura bought this book, I knew I had to get a copy, too. (She made this blanket; didn't she do a great job? And look at what else she can do!) Was that selfish or covetous of me to want my own copy? I hope not! I actually got my copy back in March or April, but thanks to my "morning" sickness that was exacerbated by looking at, thinking of, or doing crochet, I was just now able to make something from it. It was fun, and I'm sure I'll make something else soon.

I made this blanket for a friend (I hope she doesn't read my blog!) whose baby shower is next week, and I was really hoping that I would get it done in time. She doesn't know if she is having a boy or a girl, so I hope this blanket is sufficiently gender-neutral. What do you think?

For more Finished Object Friday, head over to Fresh from the Chari Tree.

News

Here is the news that I teased you with on Friday: we bought a house! Today, however, when John went back for the home inspection, he thought that it looked much smaller than the square footage listed. Our realtor did some more research, and John was right. My joy at having a house in Florida to move to, our family being all together again, and being able to start our new life down in Florida has shattered. I feel like crying.

John has pretty much exhausted all the houses in our price range, and he's not comfortable anyway buying one without me seeing it (and I don't blame him). So we're back to renting. Renting. I wouldn't mind renting a three bedroom house, if I knew that we would be out of it before this baby comes. Chances are very good, though, that we will be in a rental for at least six months because the home owner has to pay sales tax if he rents if less than six months. I know that we can fit the five (soon to be six) of us in a three bedroom house, but it will be difficult, especially when my parents come down for the baby's birth. I feel like crying again.

As my mother told me, after I told her all of this, this could be providential. I realize this. It gives us more time to sell our house here in Georgia which would allow us to raise our price range on a house to buy which would let us buy a bigger house. I understand all of this. It also would give us time to figure out where in the area would be best for us to live. I understand all of this, I do. I just wish that we had our own house to move into.

Tuesday's Tip: Shopping for Birthday Gifts for Your Husband with Your Children

I'm not sure where I got this idea, but I know that I didn't think of it myself. If I read it on your blog, I'm sorry that I'm not giving you the credit you're due. I have completely forgotten where I heard about this. But I do want to pass it on, in case it sounds like fun to you, too.

Sarah Beth and Daniel are getting old enough to understand about buying presents for birthdays and Christmas. But they aren't quite old enough to pick out appropriate gifts, and they definitely don't have any money of their own. (Well, Sarah Beth does, thanks to the Tooth Fairy.) That's where this idea comes in. For my birthday (because it came first), John took the older two children to a dollar store and let them pick out gifts for me. They had a great time looking for something they thought I would like, and it didn't cost John anything but a little time and $2 plus tax. Here is what they bought for me:

Can you tell which child picked out which gift?

For John's birthday, I took them back, and this is what they picked out. They were so cute, and it was so much fun! I'm glad that we've started this tradition. Yes, we're adding a little bit of "junk" to our house, but it sure is worth it!

Again, can you figure out which child picked out which gift?

How do you get your children involved in your husband's birthday?

Happy Independence Day!

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!

O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine
Till all success be nobleness
And every gain divine!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for glory-tale
Of liberating strife
When once and twice,
for man's avail
Men lavished precious life!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till selfish gain no longer stain
The banner of the free!

O beautiful for patriot dream
That sees beyond the years
Thine alabaster cities gleam
Undimmed by human tears!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
Till nobler men keep once again
Thy whiter jubilee!

words by Katharine Lee Bates

We don't have big plans for today; we just want to enjoy Daddy's company while he's home with us. Besides, it's too hot to do anything outside. What about you? What do you have planned for today?

Happy Birthday, John!

Today is my sweet, wonderful husband's birthday! We have been married for 10 and a half years, and honestly I cannot remember what life was like before that. Actually, I do remember a little bit: it was awfully lonely. Here are just a few of the reasons that I love my husband:

• He is a godly man.
• He loves our children and me more than himself.
• He is a great husband.
• He is a wonderful father.
• He takes great care of our children on the weekends when I work. (How many men do you know who willingly take care of three children for a whole weekend by himself?)
• Our children adore him, especially the girls, although Daniel is starting to realize how neat his dad is, too.
• He supports me in my role as a wife and mother, and never, ever makes me feel bad for staying home with our children.

Last night, we went to my parents' house for supper (ribs from Sticky Fingers -- YUM!), and then we had an ice cream cake from Baskin Robbins. The cake was a little expensive, but John's birthday only happens once a year, right? It's a great time to splurge some!

*I don't have a good, recent picture of John. I think I need to start taking more of him! What do you think?

I Sing the Mighty Power of God

I sing the mighty pow'r of God, that made the mountains rise;

That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.

I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;

The moon shines full at His command, and all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, that filled the earth with food;

He formed the creatures with His word, and then pronounced them good.

Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where'er I turn my eye;

If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky!

There's not a plant or flow'r below, but makes Thy glories known;

And clouds arise, and tempests blow, by order from Thy throne;

While all that borrows life from Thee is ever in Thy care,

And ev'rywhere that man can be, Thou, God, art present there.

Isaac Watts

When?

Look at this silly girl! She has Sarah Beth's pajama shorts around her neck like a necklace and is carrying the rest of her and Daniel's pajamas around like they are the best toys in the world.

Can you tell that she is walking on her knees? It makes my knees hurt just looking at her. When will this silly child walk? She is seventeen months old, and it is time! She is only getting bigger and heavier, and so am I. *Sigh*

Do you have any suggestions? I tried to bribe her with a pony, but she just smiled at me as if to say, "Why would I learn to walk when I can be carried around like a queen?" *Sigh*

P.S. I have some news to share with you on Monday!