Linda the Library Lady

Yes, that is what the Goons call her! She is one of the highligths of our week. I used to make the weekly library ritual on "Da Girws Day" as Princess calls it. However Magoo rebelled and stated emphatically that he LOVES library day! So now it is a friday treat before we plung into a home schooling day. Linda the Library Lady has made our library trips so much more meaningful and worthwhile. Over the past 3 years we have gotten into some great conversations about our beliefs, hopes and aspirations. Frequently she will put a book on hold for me when it comes in because she knows that I will enjoy it. Other times I will be looking at a "Christian Fiction" book and she will comment "oh, you won't like that one, it is more of a fluffy romance book" and thus saves me time wasted and discust! It is so nice to have her help in finding good books. She also has learnt by watching what we do and do not allow the chilren to look at and read that we are very picky when it comes to childrens books as well. She even keeps an eye on them and helps them to find a book that "Mummy would like".

Though usually we spend a good hour in there, reading, playing the history DK computer game, working at the interactive center and finding Mummy a book....today with Sprout bringing in 3 teeth at once (yup, she is an over-achiever) we lasted barely 15 minutes.

So Homemade chicken noodle soup is bubbling on the stove and whole wheat bread is sliced and ready to be toasted with cheese....lunch time! and then into the Home schooling day.

Usually there are some worksheets sent home, but this week there wasn't so we will be spending about 20 mintues on math. Magoo is struggling with his "teen" and "twenty" families. Last night we went through the kid drawer (must do a post on that) and found some "Joshua and Jericho" cards to use for math today to make it fun. The house has been scored for pennies as well! Then afterwards we will work on "Learning about the Bible" by Lois Rock and Maureen Galvani. I picked up a copy in the bargin basement of a book shop for $4.99! I tried to show a picture of it but blogger isn't letting me...argh~!

The Tale of Two Funerals

What a week. Tuesday morning within 15 minutes of each other we received 2 telephone calls to let us know that 2 very special men in our lives had died. The first was a wonderful and inspirational elder in the ecclesia who was instrumental in helping me grow to love the Truth as a young person. He was so full of life and energy and always willing to answer what I thought were silly questions that I had. The second was my grandfather, he had been sick for a while so in a way it was humane.

Thursday was Uncle Colin's funeral. Though my heart ached and tears ran down my cheeks, I left with a feeling of hope and comfort in the Resurrection. I know with assurance that he is merely sleeping, awaiting our Lord's return.

Friday was the visitation for Grandpa, I was overjoyed (as you can imagine) that Hubby was able to come home a day early from his work trip to Delaware so that he could be with me. Since my parents are divorced, I was a ball of nerves not knowing how it would go with my father and mother in the same room. Overall it went well though. Saturday we left the children at home with a wonderful young lady from the ecclesia and drove over an hour to the funeral.

WOW talk about opposites. Uncle Colin's was so nice, interspersed with hymns and readings. Funny and thoughtful memories from his life often involved family. At Grandpa's all they talked about was his military service, hardly anything about his family life. It was a lot shorter, but I found less meaningful. I had never experienced a military funeral before, it was an experience.

Perhaps that is why I left feeling empty. Grandpa and I did not share a common belief or hope, there is no hope there. It is heart breaking really. The Grandpa I knew never talked about his time in the army, never mentioned anything past the fact that he was a captain. He didn't place that much importance on it at all, and yet that is all they focused on.

My memories of Grandpa are of a kind man who always had a free lap for the grand kids. One who wasn't afraid to get down on the ground and play with us. He always had chocolate in the house and shared often! He was so pleased with his great-grandchildren too.

So today we start a new week. All the jobs that didn't get done last week are calling to me. But after last week I'm going to take the time and hug the children, share a cuppa with Hubby, read stories and play games, and show the kids how much I love them.

For you never know what tomorrow may bring.

Outside my window...
The sun is shining and the snow is glittering

I am thinking...
It is too cold outside for the Goons to play out there (-20C)

I am thankful for...
God's Word & my new "Oy Vey" Mug Hubby got me yesterday

From the kitchen...
Lamb Roast

I am wearing...
A stained orange t-shirt and warm cords, going to change before company arrives! (into a skirt
and CLEAN top)

I am creating...
Dishclothes

I am going...
to prepare for SS

I am reading...
Haven by Ruth Gruber

I am hoping...
For some quiet time before bed with hubby

I am hearing...
The Goons "cleaning" wink wink the play room

Around the house...
Many, many books (one of these days I should count them!)

One of my favorite things...
Quiet Prayer Time

Deep Freeze

Just listening to the weather report made me want to cuddle deeper into our flannelet sheets and pull the duvet up over my head. It is giant beautiful flakes of pure whiteness this morning. The Goons have already been bundled up and sent outside for a good hour of play. Hot chocolate has been consumed, and all the wet dirt encrusted clothes are in the washing machine being coaxed back to their original colours.

This afternoon we are entering a deep freeze. The high for tomorrow is -14 C (6 F) that is the HIGH!!! the lows are going to be around -25C (-18.5F). With Magoo's ashma he cannot play outside when it is that cold so I wanted to make sure they got some good play time in.

Today's big chore is finding the larger baby girl clothes for Sprout and washing and sorting them into her drawers. We need to air out the wool blankets and fill containers with water in case the power goes out. When the power goes out we can't get water from the well!!!

I've been struggling with something this past bit Luke 21:34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares.

yep, the cares of this life are really making me depressed. Actually I'm wondering if Post Partumm Depression can start around the 7th month (that's when I noticed it). I just feel so weepy and on the verge of screaming at the littlest tinniest things.

Well time to make lunch. We were going to have lamb stew that I had made a big batch of yesterday, but I left it out all night and had to threw it out. 3 days worth of stew in the garbage, now THAT almost made me burst into tears!

Till next time!

Sorry the Posts have been lacking, to put it mildly! I am working on a sister's class on Leviticus 19.....in my "spare time" for next month.

Today is going so well! (of course that means Sprout is asleep!) we woke up to an ice frost. No, i don't really know how that happens but it does. Everything look so dazzling bright, it was as if God had covered the landscape with silver craft sparkles!

I've decided to slow down and make warm breakfasts more often, instead of eating so much Shredded Wheat (the good ole fashioned no sugar kind) the kids love it since it was Grandpa George's fav. but really, they need some variety! So this morning we made egg, ham & cheese sandwiches and sent Hubby off to work with one and a fresh Mochaichino! The Goons and I then played "dry cleaners" which is an ingenious way to get your kids to LOVE and BEG to help you sort and put away the laundry. We were behind (yep, we are always behind) in putting it away so each kid found and put away the clothing out of the pile. We started with undies & socks and worked our way through the rest. Magoo even hung up his meeting shirts with the help of a stool borrowed from the bathroom! Needless to say I was MOST impressed and thrilled!

Then we headed off to the lovely lil library and yes, we drove instead of walking as Sprout is such a wimp in the cold and I knew that if we walked (fun though it would have been in the winter wonderland) the whole town would have known we were on our way for Sprouts screams! I allowed myself a few books to try out some new authors (it is so hard nowadays to find good clean books) while Hubby is in Delaware next week.

After lunch and "nap" of 20 minutes during which I ended up in giggles listening to the pitter patter of Magoo & Princess's' footsteps...we had a nice long cuddle and story time on the couch and then dove into homeschooling. Magoo missed a day at CHC because he was sick, so we have a lot to catch up on.

Magoo read the first 3 pages of his first ever reader, so thrilling! 4 pages of printing, and 10 pages of blends done....now if only he could do the math work. It is obvious to me doing the flip cards that he is struggling with the 11-20 & 30s (the 21-29 seems fine) and I wish they had told me......we will be working on these a lot now!

Well Sprout is up, she will not nap for longer then 20 min at a time....therefore is miserable...teeth?

Oh dear is it 3 already, time to put the roast in and get the bags ready for little disciples tonight (hmmmm I wonder where their indoor shoes are?!?).

I hope that your day has been as fun as ours has. Magoo just announced he is done his last page (#5) of printing work so we will now celebrate with a pot of local popcorn and milk and sit down to read another chapter of "Little House in the Big Woods".

Today we thank God for bringing us together in marriage 8 years ago!

"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man" Genesis 2:18,21-22

Well today was going to be a day filled with fun as Hubby and I were to head into Toronto to visit the Jewish shops and eat lots of Falafel.

Sprout had other ideas! She was up screaming nearly all night, so instead Hubby is at work today, and I am at home full of cold and exhaustion. We will save our trip (which is to celebrate our upcoming wedding anniversery) for another day when we are awake enough to enjoy it. Also no one in their right mind should attempt the drive into Toronto half asleep!!!Oiy!

But as they say, there is always a silver lining and I have found it! While Magoo was off school for 2 & 1/2 weeks for the holidays I fell behind. It wasn't a concious act, but almost no laundry or housework got done, just the bare necessities.

So today it is a "girl day" as Magoo is at CHC today, so we are going to get to work and clean this house! I'm hoping to have most of it done by 2 pm when I need to leave to go into town to pick Magoo up.

Before I sign off I wanted to share a book with you, "Mother" by Kathleen Norris (http://www.amazon.com/Mother-Kathleen-Norris/dp/1929241178/ref=pd_bbs_sr_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231169123&sr=8-9) a dear friend left it here and after writing her a note saying it was here I enjoyed the luxtury of a quick bath and started to read it. It is such a wonderful book! After the hour it took to read it I felt inspired to continue with the blessed job given my by God to be a mother to our three olive plants. It is written in story form and I garrenty that you will not be able to put it down!

BAKA DIARY: Where Was The Outrage?#links

BAKA DIARY: Where Was The Outrage?#links

I am debating writing on the current war in Israel... it is terrible how anti-Israel the main stream media is. It makes me sick!

Wake up people, over 10,000 rockets fired into a country the size of NJ during the time of the so called "truce" .Cities under besige and people living in bomb shelters and schools closed, if this happened to NJ the USA wouldn't have waited as long as Israel did to get control of the situation! The double standards are simply wrong!

"Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed." Genesis 12:1-3

check this out!!! http://bakadiary.blogspot.com/

Wow, our week with Hubby home is nearly over ;-( Some highlights:

1) Very, very well done (black) latkes for the first night of Channukah
2) Hiding Hubby's gift and getting the Goons to keep it a secret
3) Drinking hot tea watching the snow fall
4) 4 snow storms in the space of 4 days! = 3 ft of snow and "snow dunes" in the back yard where the Goons could sled
5) Good visits with loved ones
6) Watching Hubby explain our readings in Zechariah to Magoo
7) Sprout sleeping again....(only up 3 times per night)
8) Sewing matching dresses for the girls
9) Having Magoo home for 3 weeks (one more to go)
10) Baked Apple Pie straight from the oven

and right now we are taking a quick break from organizing the whole house! yehaw! Pics to follow soon!

Finally we are back on here, we were infected with a nasty computer virus and so the computer sat powered down until my dear hubby could get it fixed, he is such a good man!



I been sitting waiting to blog about something that happened over the weekend.



I've read in the Bible and sat through many many classes on the fact that we must be separate and live our lives in a way that would please God. I got a lesson on Saturday!



The Goons and I were heading out to get some gifts for family. As an aside, before we left I told them who we were buying for and that we must not act like Achan (Joshua 7) and be greedy. Letting them help choose the gifts is a great was to get rid of the "gimme's"



We piled into the car (while Hubby was working on an article for The Bible Magazine) and after strapping in all 3 we pulled out onto the street and started driving along.



"Mommy, are we going to the place with the bad stores?" Magoo asked as we pulled onto the highway. Well in the back of my mind I was wondering what to do about going to the BIG mall in the large city about 45 minutes from us. See the last time we all went (about a year ago) there was larger then life disgusting ads.....basically naked people! all over the mall. "oh dear" I thought, what to do. Magoo has been blessed with a great memory, obviously from that coment, and notices EVERYTHING. So instead we went to the small local mall and managed to find the gifts (pjs, coffee maker, sugar free chocoate).



I used to make sure I was dressed nice and all for going out, I guess I wanted to fit in and look the part, now with 3 Goons to get out in one piece I'm just happy to be clean and tasteful. So it never crossed my mind that I looked different. All through the mall there was the usual short mini skirts with leggings (never understood that one), tight tight jeans, belly tops (why in winter????) and such. Nearly everyone was in black too....never noticed that before. Anyways we were getting a few looks, kind looks from the grandma type, weird "that lady is got to be kidding" from the hip crowd. I never thought of it until I got home and mentioned it to hubby.



"Ofcourse" was his reply "you are wearing a long denim skirt, modest top, have a baby in a pouch on you, the girls are in dresses, 2 kids holding hands and singing (mostly Bible songs) instead of fighting as you are walking through the mall...you are going to get looks!"



Never thought of that. I've always respected the Mennonites (we live near many of them) and Jews as they show by their dress that they are different and separate from the world around. I've wondered how come we don't. Now I realize that in simply dressing modestly and having children that are well behaved and happy shows that you are different.

"but according as He who did call you is holy, ye also, become holy in all behaviour," 1Peter 1:15 YLT

A Blessed Birthday

This morning we jumped out of bed and headed to Mum & Dad B's for a yummy breakfast....complete with wonderful sisters, the babies and fresh waffles! Then off to a dear friend's for lunch (yummy yummy fajita soup!) and a great visit!

Tonight we are heading back to Mum & Dad B's for dinner...chicken! and the Goons have been well behaved...

Only thing missing.....my HUSBAND :-(

I've been tagged by Vix

Thanks!!

The rules are I have to list 10 things I'm thankful for and then tag 5 other people. :)
I am Thankful For:
1) The Husband God has given me!
2) Our three olive plants aka: the Goons
3) CHC for Magoo (Christadelphian Herritage Colledge)
4) My amazing In-Laws (especially this week as it is another Deleware week!)
5) Fresh asparagus
6) "Wild and Wacky but Totally True Bible Stories" tapes
7) Starbucks kids Hot Chocolate (at $1.00 each you can take them for a treat!)
8) Being part of an amazing Ecclesia that really supports us young families
9) Living in a part of the globe where we can experience all 4 drastically different seasons (yes, i do love snow!)
10) The Kitchen Aid stand mixer that Hubby got me last year, we use it each and everyday and no longer buy bread!

OKAY...I tag the 4 followers of this blog and Anna: http://ccostello.blogspot.com/

opps!

Another First:

Magoo's first report card was handed to me during his last swimming lesson! Wow I was so pleased, 1 item we need to work on but did great on everything!

So to celebrate he gets to pick dinner for tonight: KD & hotdogs oh my!

Some Quick Tips

So here I sit, half an hour before Hubby is expected home and I am not running around like an insane headless chicken. For the first 7 years of our marriage the hour before dinner was, well how do I put this nicely....um crazy, insane, STRESSED, usually involved me getting frustrated and yelling at the Goons. Starting a few months ago we tried something different around this little Bet-el. At 4:30 I decide what to cook for dinner and start it! even if it is pasta (such as tonight) I cut up the veggies (we eat a LOT of veggies) and get all the prep done so that hopefully dinner is ready and cooked about 15-20 minutes before Hubby gets home. WHY? you ask, well that gives me enough time to wash the pots and pans, wipe down the kitchen and dining room table and get the Goons (aged 3 & 5) to help Mama set the table. Otherwise I wouldn't have the patience to let them help me and I believe in the wise words of Solomon "Train Up A Child In the Way He Should Go".

Yeah, you are right that is speaking spiritually but I think it also applies to the dull, humdrum stuff too!

This afternoon was sisters class. Wonderful study on the Unclean and Clean Animals as found in Leviticus 11. So many good thoughts to chew on (pun fully intended!). Since Sprout fell asleep at Mums I got the whole class and then an hour visiting over a cup of tea and scones! Bliss!

So now the Goons are happily playing upstairs in the playroom and the downstairs is tidy (well, as tidy as a home with 3 Goons ever is!) and dinner is ready for Hubby to walk in and eat!

On to another subject: the Family Meal. As you may know Hubby has been working late when at home. I struggled with the debate over whether to feed the Goons before he gets home but have decided on another course of action. We all have a substantial snack mid-afternoon. Fruit & cheese, crackers, the odd piece of chocolate...toast & pb. Then the Goons and Mummy are content and happy to wait until 6 or 6:30pm to eat together.

We have found that eating (and praying together of course) really helps bind us together. We all (even the Goons) chat about our day, the ups and downs, laugh at the Goons jokes and such. After we clear the table we head straight into the living room for the daily Bible Readings. Which is a wonderful way to begin and end the day, but I'll save that for another post. It is time to turn on the outside lights (as the sun set an hour ago) and get myself looking nice to Welcome Hubby home too.

Blessings

Since I'm in a Grumpy Tired Sick Mood, I thought I'd better follow my Grandma's advice and count out 5 things I'm thankful for:

1) Having already done and put away the groceries
2) God has blessed D with a good job so I can buy heathy above groceries for the family
3) Magoo can go to CHC (Christadelphian Heritage College) since homeschool just wouldn't work right now
4) My sister Leah calling just to chat this morning
5) Our warm, comfy house
6) Its snowing outside!
7) PC Canadian Coffee
8) Being able to breastfeed Sprout
9) Hubby being home this week, last week and next week!
10) Little House in the Big Woods story time with the Goons each night

opps thats 10 things! Off to pick up Magoo now!

Saw this at Michelle's and decided it looked fun for a blah day that we have here today!
Bold the things you’ve done.
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band (does highschool count?)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang/played a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language (tried Hebrew...still working on that one!)
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (indorr count?)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David in person
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance (with Magoo when he was 3)
47. Had your portrait painted (in higschool, actually its in the yearbook)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Gotten flowers for no reason (only once!)
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy (Wrinkles dog)
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar (Gross)
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person (preggy with Sprout#1)
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible (once every year....want a copy of the daily planner?)
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating--Ewww! I hope I NEVER have to do this!
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous (David Wilder, spokesperson from Heborn count?)
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Made a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake (but I have swam in the Dead Sea)
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

What a busy week so far! Finally one of those many, numerous jobs is done. Here is the finished pocket bag. I'm very pleased with it. Now we only have 2 more to sew to use as gifts for the holidays! I had no idea until it was done that it is fully reversible with pockets on the outside and in, such a practical bag!

This weekend Sprout decided to take her first determined efforts to crawl, and she did it! I'm excited yet dreading all the baby-proofing that now needs to be done. So as I procrastinate and type away the living room is chaos as we are having to reorganize it around the plugs and

such.

Oh and I looked over on Sunday after meeting and asked hubby "did you sit her up" "no didnt you?" so we have no clue how she is doing it but she can get herself up into the sitting position all by herself. OIY this at only 6 mths...

Hubby was wonderful and has been digging up our carrot crop, one basket down....many more to go!

Reality Check!

Tuesday I get this call "Mrs. __________, we have in our records that your furnace needs to be inspected. We will be in the area tomorrow and have some spaces still avalible...blah blah blah"

Now normally any kind of call like this I put off for the Husband to deal with, but he has had so much on his mind with work going insane and the regular issues that a serving brother in the ecclesia must care for and family chaos, that I decided to handle this myself. I'm a big girl afterall and all it is is a furnace inspection, and they said they were a division of the company that services out hot water tank.

So yesterday at 9:45 (15 min early) the doorbell rings and this guy is standing there, and before I can even look at his name tag the Baby starts her "I'm breaking 3 more teeth scream" and so I invite him in and explain where the furnace is. He is down for maybe 10 minutes and then needs me to show him a cold air return (first signal) so I show him the one in the dining room and then he needs to see one upstairs....the only one upstairs is in the master bedroom. I take him upstairs and he just sorta peeks in...hmmmm.....any ways so we are talking the the kitchen and he writes up a "report" for me. Finally I get a minute to look at his name tag and all it is, is his name and the name of the company typed on a piece of white paper laminated, no logo, regular font, looks completely fake. The "report" is a photocopied sheet of paper that has the address and company name and # on the top..... looks very UNprofessional....and they had told me they were a division of the gas company.....

so yeah, I had to get him OUT OF THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW! so Baby screamed again and i told him he had to go. I would "think about it". He said that if I take the opening for today for 8:30 am then it would be half price, blah blah blah.

So I'm freaking out. In our area there have been a lot of theft, produce from the farms, tobacco from the drying sheds, a tractor, and we've been warned that they think they are working in gangs and are armed....

Yeah I freaked.

So I went to my dear MIL for dinner and they had the speaker for Bible class over as well and he took the time to research the company on the web. We did a reverse phone number look up....not a buisness number. There is a buisness at the address but it is a Christmas Decorating store! and the cell number the guy gave is from Toronto.

So today I need to get the kids watched and get myself down to the local police station and report this fraud.

Needless to say I didn't sleep at all all night as I was worried that our house had been cased for a robbery....if it was he was disappointed as we have nothing of real $ value. Even our computer is about 5 yrs old.

Lesson learn't! Always take the time before letting some guy into your house to check everything out, even if the baby is screaming her preety little lungs out.