Wednesday, October 28, 2009

10 days

WOW! in only 10 days we will (God willing) be flying off to Israel with the three Goons. Lists are being made, and changed...and changed again. Clothing is being put aside as it comes out of the wash. Dreams of places to visit are making their ways to the forefront on our brains....and in all this there is a nasty cold going around school so Magoo is now being home schooled until we leave, in total 4 weeks (while we are away as well).

So today was hospital tests, no word really on that, and our first at home day. Magoo was so dedicated and managed to get 2 days work done in math & English so we were able to go to Apps Mill for a lovely 1.5 hour hike. The rest of the day was spent helping a friend on a history diorama...such fun.
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Now I am off to get more done, prepare for school work tomorrow and semi-transform the dining room into a home schooling room....now where did we put that chalk board we got 2 yrs ago that I knew would come in handy!

Oh and heads up we will be blogging while in Israel so stay tuned!

Friday, October 23, 2009

What a wonderful-gut day we are having here today. Rain streaming down the windows and creeping under the back door (yet another job) highlights the warmth and cozy feeling of being inside and home. We've been struggling with the whole "home schooling" Fridays, even thought we love them, they seem to run away on us! However after a few weeks, well I suppose 2 months at it, finally it is all coming together seamlessly. Here is how we have found the day works best for us:

8 - wave bye-bye to Daddy

8-830 play time while Mummy drinks a cuppa, set the table, prepare something special (pancakes, fruit bowls with yogurt, eggs, etc)

8:30 eat breakfast & get dressed

9:30 start school work. Usually 5 pages of math & English for Magoo, Princess is working on her letter writing and recognition, Sprout scribbles happily on a pad of paper
(at the same time Mummy makes the 2nd weekly batch of bread and pops it into the oven to rise)

10:30 Story time (length varies as to when work is completed)

11 a quick library visit

12 eat lunch, turn on the oven to bake the bread (use timer to turn it off as we will be out), gather piano books

12:40 leave for piano

1 Magoo's piano lesson (sometimes the "ladies" take tea at a local shop, or hang out in the car like today while Sprout sleeps)

2 arrive home, "nap time" which consists of Mummy ignoring the gleeful sounds descending the stairs from the children's rooms ... for as long as I can stand...20-30 minutes.

3 Baking of important and essential items such as chocolate cookies, gooey bars, tarts!

3:30 or 4ish Tea Time starts as the first batch of the above comes out the oven, "Pippy Long stocking" always Joins us from Sweden (from Grandpa B.and Grandma C...which if you are reading they LOVE!)

5 freak out dinner isn't ready......through something yummy together

6 Daddy gets home, dinner is served

7 Daily Bible readings as a family (one chapter, questions, books brought off the shelves to show the kids...pictionary!)

7:45 Bed time

8 Bible Tape Class starts


11:30 ish Mummy falls into bed!

(Have I mentioned how much we simply adore Fridays!)

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Burlap Wrapped Mums
Shiny New Soap
Freshly Pressed Dresses

and once again, mummy has not lost the ten pounds she wanted to, and has nothing to wear, but that DOESN"T matter when you'll be in an apron anyways

Such Joyful Preparations!

Still to be done:
Broom Corn Wreaths
Lovely Tied Corn
Pumpkin Vases

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The Close of The Season

Alas this morning "The Stand" closed for the season until they hang out their "open" shingle sometime early June. The children and I always find this a hard and sad day. So this morning we went and picked up our 100 lbs of potatoes (50 lbs Yukon Gold, 50 lbs Red Skinned) and a bushel of butternut squash...and that was it! I couldn't believe it! We usually spend a good $70 at the Stand on the last day, but nope only $30 this year as the harvests have been so dreadfully poor in our area.

But dear Jane (the Stand lady) threw in a box full of gourds for the upcoming Marriage Supper, and then directed us to a local farm for pumpkins (orange & white), Broom corn & Indian corn for more decor, and we shall eat the pumpkins latter on as both a side dish and pie! Yum!

So already winter is banging at the door, killer Frost arrived Saturday morning ;-( and they have snow in Barrie already!

But today is beautiful so off I run, time for a walk with the girls, corn cutting and flower pick up for Friday's dinner and hopefully a family bike ride after school.

God Bless

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Oh dear me, has it really been this long!

Our lives have changed in so many seemingly small ways, that any spare time is nearly non-existent, but then again it does keep me out of trouble!

Magoo is at CHC 4 full days a week, though we all love "at home schooling Fridays" and make that a fun filled day. With this plus piano and all the usual, our week seems to be filling up even more then I thought possible. So even though the weekly schedule was thrown out last entry, I think it will have to be reworked and put back on the cabinet.

Part of the new busy-ness is that we have come in a round about way to "adopt" some members into our family. No they do not live with us, but our lives are becoming more and more intertwined as we help each other down that long and narrow way to life eternal. We believe that this is a very basic Biblical teaching, taking care of the widows (physical and/or spiritual), fatherless & the poor....especially those in the ecclesia. It is such a joy to send the children to collect chairs to fill the dining room table, to place 10 instead of 5 place settings on special evenings, and to make it a habit of creating a special time for others on a night set apart. We have chosen to set apart Friday evenings (every second one because of little disciples on the other weeks) and join together in a meal, Bible readings and wonderful fellowship.

"Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." James 1:27

It reminds me a bit of the Sabbath, they were instructed to stop doing their own work, and to do God's work.

Well we have come to a decision about the commute to school, move. Yep, we are looking at moving closer to D's work and CHC. This will be such a blessing and allow us to be even more available for help in both the ecclesia and the school, something we'd really like to be able to do.

Isn't it wonderful to be so busy in the Truth! After all it isn't simply a Sunday morning religion but a sincere way of life!

But is it understood that way?

If a certain dear sister is reading this, we can't wait to see you! Counting down the days! and if you both would like to spend Friday here as I'm assuming you would like to be around Saturday...we would love to open our home to you.

Well I suppose these ramblings will do for a post. I really must sit down and get a schedule re done....again. ;-)

"Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10