It's a Girl Thing

Something tells me this girl's gonna grow up and marry a really good listener.

Money Hungry

Yesterday our washer stopped spinning. Not wanting our laundry to back up before we have it fixed, I decided I'd rather go to the laundromat. So, I asked Maya & Isaac (the only money-motivated children in this house) if they had any quarters. Isaac said that he had plenty, so I told him I could trade his quarters for dollars.
So he asks: But how many quarters for a dollar?
I said: Well, how many quarters are in a dollar?
You should have seen his face deflate as he realized I was going to do an even trade.

In true Isaac fashion, he held up 2 fingers and said, disappointingly: Four quarters.

Children of Caesar

Wordless Wednesday

Pregnancy Tickers

Redeem the Time

It has been heavy on my heart lately that I don't have much time with my Maya left. She's almost 12 and I can easily see her marrying young. When I am sick, she runs the household. She cooks half our dinners single-handedly. She's a very trustworthy sibling-sitter; the littles respect her when she gives direction. My mom recently said that when she has all six at her house, it's not difficult because Maya keeps them all in line. She said: She opens her mouth to say something to Lydia and Daniel, but it's Ginger's words I hear.
She has been a quick study in child-training; I know she will be a great mommy one day. I trust she will know better than my generation who were taught that we should wait to have kids until after we've been married several years and have developed more selfishness, I mean: a "good foundation". What a crock!
As confident as I am in Maya's skills as a future keeper of the home, I am just as concerned about our relationship. I love and enjoy her so much, but does she really know that? When I correct her attitudes, do I do it with gentleness or does she hear criticism? Will she confide in me when she has something more serious than a scabbed knee to talk about? Does she recognize the pride in my eyes when I look at her or are my words more effective?
Lord, give me discernment to know how my kids need love. Give me the humility to be deliberate in my love for them. And please, oh please, let them all live within a ten mile radius of home when they grow up.

Don't Stop Obeying!

This morning, one of my favorite bloggers pointed out a recent problem resulting from the down-turning economy: people are having less babies. He says:

One of the overlooked consequences of the current economic downturn is the increasing number of people who have decided to forego having children. All over the western world people are deciding that now is not the time to get pregnant. As a result, the vasectomy industry is experiencing an economic boom. As evidence of this, there was a recent article in Bio-Medicine titled, “With the Economy Down, Vasectomy Rates Are Up.” The author notes that, “Doctors around the United States are reporting a sharp increase in the number of vasectomies performed since the economy soured last year.” The numbers are actually quite astonishing. One article reported more than a thirty percent increase in vasectomy rates in Canada. Things are even worse in some parts of the United States.

And this, to me, was the most interesting observation:

There’s another issue at play here. Many people who prevent pregnancy today and plan on just “getting back around to it” some other time are in danger of, “tempting the Lord their God.” (Matt 4:7; cf. Deut. 6:16) Getting pregnant is not a guarantee. There are plenty of people out there who cry themselves to sleep at night because they’ve been trying for years and God has not opened the womb. People who put pregnancy off until a “more appropriate time” need to bear this in mind. You don’t know when (or if) you will get pregnant. As such, it is quite presumptuous to put it off until you decide you’re ready. Remember, God is the author of life, and every child is a blessing. Besides, who’s going to fix our ethical, spiritual, economic, and political crisis in the next generation if those of us who know the answer (the gospel) shut it down and stop launching arrows simply because they may require a little financial sacrifice in the short run?

How very true! Just because the economy is in decline is no reason to start disobeying God's first command: Be fruitful and multiply!

Read more here.

No Really, I Do

The other day, someone asked me: You homeschool all your kids?
Well, no, I only homeschool the ones who are school-age, but that's not what he meant. I responded: Yes, and I love it!
He questioned: Are you being sarcastic?

The truth is, I really do love homeschooling my children.

I love that I get to choose what they learn and how they learn it. My kids don't have to learn using dry textbooks; they can learn by reading books written by authors passionate about their subject.

I love that they are getting a 1:1 education (ok 1:4, but what school do you know, public or private, that offers that?) I am initimately aware of how they, as individuals, learn and I am able to tailor their education to benefit them most.

I love seeing the close relationship my kids have as a result of spending so much time together.

I love reading the Bible to them every day and hearing the question they ask. I love that I don't miss any of these things while they're away at school.

I love that when someone asks my kids how they are doing in school, their answer isn't a letter grade, reflecting the things they didn't figure out. I don't grade anything. They do the work until they get it all right.

I love that I get to learn so much history, geography, science, and read such great literature while teaching my kids. I love the education I'm getting.