Hair days- play days

I spent the morning doing my youngest daughter's hair so we could go out and have fun at our local homeschool playgroup.

Here's what I used:

 After washing, I made big parts. Total time so far: about 30 minutes.

I applied a thick, white cream moisturizer and combed it through before parting.

Clipped into three sections

I parted small sections in the back to make cornrows

Lastly, I bead each braid.

Total time: about 1 hour.  Whew!



Now, she is free to play!



Our Homeschool Play Group:

Meet and make new friends- and learn Spanish too!

Climb, climb, climb.

Toss a ball.

Even the big kids have fun

Creatively Correcting My Children

I'm at a whole different stage of my parenting now.  This is just one of those seasons where I am just really into the throes of motherhood to the point that sometimes I keep attempting to peek beyond this season into the next.  It's like bobbing up and down in a pool for a breath of fresh air.

And, you know, that may not be the best analogy for parenting.

I want to reiterate the fact that all mothers know: parenting is hard work.

Yet, I want to also note: parenting can be a beautiful process.  It all depends on which choices we make.

It's imperative for me in my life right now, to take the reigns on my kids and drive.  While they are young and impressionable, this is the time allotted, the window of opportunity, for us (my husband and I) to speak into their lives and teach them those timeless truths they won't learn any easier than right now.

And that, my friend, is the hardest part in the younger years.  (If you have teenagers, please don't remind me that it gets harder as time goes by!)  I am really doing my best to think positively and believe that there is a good chance all of this teaching and training we are doing today will sink in and take root before they are teens!  But we all know- kids have a mind of their own.  My prayer is that my daughters will adopt the mind of God- thinking Godly thoughts and acting in Godly ways.

Hence, the work laid out for me today is crucial.

In our home, (and as you know, we are homeschooling), we have been doing a lot more character development studies recently.

If I see a problem in heart or attitude that needs correcting, the first thing I want to do is go to the Word of God.  God's Word literally is an anecdote to all problems, and there is a solution to every dilemma under the sun right in the Bible.  That's why we have the Holy Spirit with us- He is living, He is breathing, He is working, He is real, and best of all, He is IN us who believe!

So, I simply take the Scripture and apply it to their situation (for my 8 year old, mostly).  If we keep having a character problem or a particular issue that constant verbal correction doesn't solve, we are now tackling it from the angle of, "What does the Lord have to say about that?  Go bring your Bible, and look up the Scripture, read it to me, write it down in your notebook, and then let's talk."

Let me tell you, this is bringing about massive changes (and I haven't even touched on the consequences chart yet!)

I have been getting some of my ideas from Lisa Welchel's Creative Correction:

Here's a video by Lisa about this book:

Right now, for my 2 year old, discipline is as basic, primitive and rudimentary as it comes.  But that doesn't mean she can't understand when God is happy.  She will often tell me (after doing something fabulous like picking up the toys from the living room floor), "Mommy, you happy?  God is happy?" and she will skip cheerily away, just knowing that she's done a good thing.

Kids know, even at the very tender ages of 1 and 2.  So, it's never too young or too early to start them on the Truth of God's Word for instruction.

And the biggest thing is- correcting and instructing in a spirit of Love (the way our Heavenly Father so patiently loves us).  I know, it takes a LOT of time to discipline that way.  To have children look up scripture pertaining to their heart attitude and then have a heart to heart with them, pray over them...that takes a lot of time.  It is oftentimes far easier to send them to time out, spank them, or take away a privilege.  But with those methods (none of which I criticize and some of which I use depending on the situation), there is real no connection that lets my kids know WHY what they did is wrong, and how our Heavenly Father FEELS about what they did.

So...

here I am printing out, cutting up, and creating little "correction cards" for our home school and parenting life, knowing that yet another new idea God has given me to help me out with my little ones will take some work and planning...

But in the end, I pray and I believe- it will all be worth it.

Summer Fun Around Town

Yesterday the girls and I took off for a long day out and about town.

First, we headed over to Panera Bread for a quick breakfast treat, then to Walmart to run a few errands and pick up a birthday gift from my little brother.

Next stop, the library.  There was a program for younger 2's and 3's and I thought I would try once again to bring BabyZ to storytime.  As is typical for her, she sort of froze up in public and would not participate much in the singing and dancing.

She did sit still and listen to the stories, though, and enjoyed bubble time - an improvement from our earlier 2's stage:

So...yay for BabyZ!

Then went to the park to meet up with some park friends-- the highlight of our day!

The older girls enjoyed bike riding, roller blading, and playing on scooters. The younger ones ran and climbed and enjoyed the park equipment.

No one could ever convince me that homeschoolers don't have P.E.!

As for me...I had SO much fun catching up with a friend and have some grown up chat for a change. As much as we love our kids, we mamas need a break now and then.

Afterward the girls and I had a snack and rest break then headed back over to the library for an afternoon event they were having for the older kids.  My oldest daughter participated in that (they did science experiment with red dye and celery and learned about water conservation).  While NyGirl enjoyed an hour science lesson and fun with other kids, BabyZ snoozed away in her stroller.  It had been a long day and she was due a nap.

And mama got a break too.  What do you think I did on my break?

Break out the laptop with free WIFI and blog of course! :-)

Natural parenting info list

Do you like natural parenting info?  There is so much out there already...really.  Just googling "natural parenting" will bring up a host of sites-anything from natural health care, natural recipes for kids, or babywearing.

Here is a small list of natural parenting sites and organizations you might find useful.  Start there, and then broaden or narrow your search.

Have fun!

• Mothering Magazine
• Natural Family Online
• Baby Reference
• The Natural Child Project
• Natural Family Online
• All Natural Parent

A Poem For my Baby

What do I do when you're all grown up?

Ready to move on, ready to explore?

What do I do when you take hold on the reigns

of life...grab on, and run after more.

Life is your name, life is your pleasure.

Baby, it's your game...but forever I'll treasure

the times that we share.

You and I...snuggled up

Close by me you are

side by side, heart to heart

You can never be far

from my Love.

I will do...

whatever it takes, to make sure that I set you free

Free to be

Who you are.

Free to be

Who you are.

Sisterly Love

One of the things I enjoy most about homeschooling my kids is observing them and watching them grow close together.  The love these two sisters share is inexpressible:

Jesus, My Valentine

I am sitting here alone in my office, relaxing to soft worship and blogging, while my wonderful husband is taking care of the kids and cooking up a yummy spaghetti dinner for us.

(You don't have to tell me twice...I know I have a great husband! And on this Valentine's Day this is probably the greatest gift from him I could have asked for).

But as I sit here, I am listening to the sounds of my family, and the most repetitive sound I hear is my toddler's ambitious squeals and stubborn "no's".

And while my husband deals with all of this tonight, I remind myself that as we both traipse the journey of life called "parenting", that it is only for a season.  And it is during this season that we must be so careful to impart wisdom, not only to our older kids, but to our little ones as well.

I am thinking of obedience, and God's calling for us to be in submission to proper authority: Himself.

How beautiful is the picture of the family whose children obey out of love, rather than fear.  I have yet to see a picture perfect family....no one that I know of has perfected this craft.  The generation in which we live is a difficult time in which to raise truly obedient and godly children.

But I believe, with the wisdom of God's word, the fervency to stand strong and not waiver from His truth, and lot of splashes of true parental love and commitment, we can make it happen for our kids.

And yes, even for our little ones.

So when I hear my toddler getting into some of her typical trouble around the corner, I simply think about all of the many, many times my Heavenly Father has so patiently led me by the hand back to His throne.

"No, Demetria," He would say to me.  "Not right now".

Or...

"No, my Dear.  This is not good for you.  I have something else for you at a later time.  Step away from it".   And gently, yet firmly, He grabs my hand and leads me steadily away into the safety of His loving care...

And with time, guess what?

I grow up.  I mature.  And I begin to actually SEE the promises that He had in store for me all the time!  And it is in those moments that I am ever amazed at His goodness.

That my Father could tell me "no" in order to tell me "yes" baffles me beyond belief.

The fact that my Heavenly Father loves me so much He is willing to tell me "no", despite my temporary broken heart, in order that His promises of "yes and amen" should be manifest in my life when I am ready to receive the full blessing is nothing short of...

A Valentine's gift.

I am so glad that Jesus loves and cares for us more than we can imagine.

Whether you are parenting an ambitious and stubborn toddler, attempting to love a spouse through a broken relationship, or suffering through the loss of a loved one this Valentine's Day, I want to remind you that Jesus loves you dearly.

As we obey Him and submit to His love for us, we'll find that Jesus is our Valentine, not just on February 14th,  but every day of the year.

Reflections on attitude...

Today was lovely.  I am learning how to appreciate my children more.

Baby Z (my toddler) has a cold, and despite the fact that she isn't feeling well, her sunny disposition makes me smile.

And my oldest daughter, my little princess, is forever amazing me with her intelligence and willingness to help out her dear mama whenever possible.  For example, today we shopped for an hour at our local Winn Dixie (I was crossing my fingers for a few coupons at the checkout counter, which never happened...but I digress)...and the whole time Ny strolled her baby sister around for me as I pushed the shopping cart.  Baby Z had been sleeping for some time and (thankfully) slept throughout the entire shopping trip...but she isn't so light any more, so after about 30 minutes of pushing the stroller I volunteered to help Ny, but she responded, "No, mom...I can do it.  I'll help."  Her answers for me all week have been "Sure, anything else you need?"   And, as is her character, I never have to worry about a hidden agenda up her sleeve, like "okay...now can I have five bucks?"  It just never happens.  At least so far.  I hope it will remain that way.  And needless to say, after observing her actions I had to look at my own.  Truly, this is what inner beauty is all about.

My heart has melted.

I begin to wonder how God, our Heavenly Father, must feel when we remain sunny and cheerful as my dear BabyZ, despite our physical ailments or emotional pain.

I wonder how Jesus must feel when we, like NyGirl, respond to His requests with "Sure, is there anything else you would like for me to do?"

Must it brighten His day?  Cause a smile to light His countenance?  Assure Him of our faith in Him?  Cause His face to shine upon us?  Cause Him to work on behalf for our requests even sooner than we had expected (though He is always on time!)?  Does He rise up on our behalf, determined to ensure that we have not only what we need, but exceedingly, abundantly above what we even dare ask or think?

All because of attitude...

Attitude.

Lord, help me to have your attitude.

My Ballerina

A few months ago my daughter had her final ballet recital of the year.  She is really into drama, arts, music and the like...and has been begging me again recently to start back ballet again.

I would, (ballet is not extemely expensive where we live), except that I made her choose between a few pre-selected activities.  Not wanting to overcrowd her schedule, we ended up joining a local gym instead, which allows her to have drilled and free play exercises in a class for kids her age.

Meanwhile, I thought I would put up her ballet pics...

At the end of the recital, she receives flowers from mom and dad :-)

Gotta love the giddy smile.











Okay, I'm not certain if my eyes were open or close, but I did try to jump in this picture with NyGirl.

You know how it is- when you're always the one TAKING the picture, there's never any proof you were ever present!  So I wanted to make sure I actually got IN the picture this time.

:-) LOL



More pics:

Cool Homeschool

Cool Homeschool...

Enjoying Our Lives At Home

Two days ago, my kids were up early (around 7:00 a.m.), preparing for school.

We casually washed up and made a beehive for the kitchen to enjoy scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and oatmeal- along with a choice of toasted wheat bread or store bought biscuits. Lessons began soon after. By 1:00 p.m., the kids were out of school. We spent the rest of the day reading, napping, playing educational games on scholasticnews.com, and both listening to and playing music.

That was two days ago.

This morning we started our day pretty late. Although I'm usually up by 7:00 a.m., I let my oldest daughter (NyGirl) sleep in late. She needed the rest. She was just recuperating from a cold and I knew that school would have to wait. We're finally eating a quick breakfast of toast and a boiled egg. Instead of a regular morning routine of breakfast, music, books, and blocks, my youngest- our toddler (Baby Z.)- has had to adapt to this shift in our routine. She holds up quite nicely as we push our block time up by two hours- learning to keep busy with toys and entertaining herself for a while. School, inevitably, will begin whenever we are ready today.

I am hoping we'll have another school day like we did a few weeks back. I recall vividly the soft, gentle rain that drizzled from early morning until evening. As we drop off NyGirl at her early violin lesson at a local university campus, Baby Z and I head out to the grassy field in front of the building and spread out a cozy blanket on which to lay our snacks, sippy cup, and a bag of toys. Needless to say, it didn't take long for Baby Z to run off with the umbrella, leaving the blankie and toys behind. Let's just say sitting down in a huge field of grass is not attractive to my 20 month old! Running, skipping, and swirling around, feeling the freshly cut blades of dewey grass against her ankles, while watching the chirping birds fly into the overcast sky above was far more of an adventure for Baby Z.

We headed home after NyGirl's lesson and I had her practice a bit. She had learned to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and between her practicing, Baby Z's singing along, and the sound of the splashing rain outdoors, I realized I had happened upon a blissful moment in my mothering experience. Never again would I experience a moment quite like this one: the sweetness, the bliss of two young children enjoying lifelong learning and passion for music without fear. To be innocent, brave, and unafraid-- that is what I saw that afternoon in my children.

Later, NyGirl decides it's time to figure out what happens to a celery stalk if it's dipped into a water glass filled with dye. Her inquisitiveness takes our school day into a different direction.



Fast forward a few days, and we wake up one school morning to a pile of laundry and no washing powder. I pull up a chair to climb to reach the top shelf of our laundry room and dig out some basic ingredients for making laundry detergent from scratch: washing soda, baking soda, borax, and Fels Naptha soap. Immediately after her breakfast, NyGirl wants to help grate the soap. So we turn on some classical music, give Baby Z. her ballet tutu, and NyGirl and I start grating away.

Another out-of-the-box art project.

Amidst our daily math, science, language arts, history, geography and other assignments daily, I've found such freedom and joy in observing my kids grow and learn, pursue their passions with vigor and without fear, and bloom into bright and healthy children.

I think that is what every mother truly wants. Sometimes we forget when school days get hectic and schedules collide with other interests- we forget that our main goal as mothers is to enjoy watching our children grow and bloom as we take a vested interest in them.

I am trying now, after getting started on a late school morning, to remind myself of why I've chosen the path of home education these past few years. I am always convinced that no matter the method of education a family chooses, we all ultimately want the same things for our kids. It can get tough for all of us at times.

But it's those lazy mornings when the gentle rain reminds me of how much my kids enjoy the rain, and how much they enjoy being with me, that I find the strength, the courage, and the conviction to continue on my path of choice for our family.

I am reminded of how much the basics of wholesomeness (showing loving and compassion to one another) and character are so much easier to come by when I can be all the more invested in their lives. I keep telling myself that this short, sweet season will too soon be over, and before long my little girls will be young ladies. In those heart-felt moments, I embrace the present and I focus on today, not tomorrow.

I focus on today.
And today...the girls are relaxing before I start NyGirl on her SAT test practice this afternoon (if she's feeling any better by then). But until then...we relax. We enjoy life.

Learning to be patient

My girls are growing up!
My oldest just finished up her 1st grade year at homeschool co-op and is excited about entering 2nd grade.
My baby is running around happily disturbing her big sister and making lots of fun, laughable moments for the entire family.
We're currently working on potty training...fun stuff, I tell ya.

Each day there are moments I have to keep reminding myself (amongst the hectic summer schedules of soccer camps, birthday parties, and the like) how I must continue to practice patience.

I am reminded of a rose bud that hasn't yet come into full bloom, but is just waiting on the proper nourishment...and part of that nourishment is a patient caretaker.

Patience truly is a virtue that has to be practiced. It's not just some thing you learn to do overnight. With my kids, I am learning that now is not always best. Sometimes, it takes a little time...and I can afford to wait a little to make sure that what I'm asking them to do gets done in happy mode, as opposed to right now no matter what.

For example, I've learned that it can take a 6 year old 30 minutes to get dressed when it should only take 5...
But when I observed my daughter's process, I realized that she wasn't being slow out of spite. She actually was taking the extra time because she was motivated. She wanted to figure out the best outfit and piece it together just right. She wanted to make sure her socks were pulled up around her ankles just the right way so as not to bother her, and to make certain that her button down shirt was buttoned correctly. Everything had to match. There had to be pink in every piece of garment. And as frustrating as it was for me to wait for the process to unfold, when she finally unveiled her outfit, it dawned on me that I should just go right ahead and schedule in those extra 30 minutes every time I know she should get dressed to go out. Obviously barking orders to "hurry up" doesn't appear to work...so I may as well get with the program, right?

"Let patience have its perfect work".

Patience. I need more of it.

Princess Teas and Carpe Diem

Today my daughter and I had what we call "LLIT CLUB Girly Time". It's our way of having special one one time and our acronym for "little ladies in training".

We baked Princess Tea cookies. I did the mixing and Nyomi, of course did most of the real work: mixing, measuring, pouring, rolling.

We made some Princess Punch too (a sweet little mixture of maraschino cherry juice and flavored sparkling water), complete with colored sugar rimmed punch glasses.
I'm not big on sugar in our home. We hardly keep white sugar or white, refined flours in our cabinet...but for this little treat, I decided to go out of the way.

Here's my daughter, enjoying her cookies. Just a sweetie!

And I constantly remind myself of how quickly these children grow up.

I remind myself that spending time with a child sometimes means exerting that extra energy and putting your best foot forward even when you don't feel like it.

It means planning ahead by shopping for extra ingredients and planning to devote some real time to those time-consuming projects...all just to bring a smile on that face and see her face lit up with joy when she's spent some quality time with mom.

I've also had to learn that just because I'm a stay at home mommy, I don't necessarily "make" time for my kiddos the way I think I automatically do by being at home. Making time doesn't mean just being there. It means working on things together, playing together, laughing together, living together, "being" together. And you can't do any of those things if you're not having fun, and if you don't plan for the fun.

So I've determined that in my journey of natural mothering...I'm going to have lots of fun and enjoy being with my kids - even with a messy house! I won't let dirty dishes keep me from playing a family game...
Not anymore. It's so not worth it.

I've determined that as organized as I wish to be and as dust free as I want my house to be, I want to make memories with my kids even more.

So I've had to weigh my options and let some things go.

The day will come when my house can be immaculately clean. The day will also come when my children will be grown and out of my house.

Carpe diem.

A remarkably fun day with the girls!

Today was a load of fun!!!

For once in a really long time, I got to just simply lay back and ENJOY being with them.

We started our day off with breakfast, bible stories from the old and new testament, and a quick math page from our Alpha Omega curriculum. We quickly got dressed, loaded the car, and headed out to find out about enrollment in a Mom’s Morning Out program here in town. I immediately liked it..my baby girl seemed to want to get in there and start playing right away…so I knew we had a match. Plus…I loved how relaxed all the kids seemed and they got plenty of attention from the two teachers.

From there…we headed to a local book store to look at some homeschool curriculum and help books…and from there, to a surprise visit to an art ceramics studio called All Fired Up. My oldest daughter made a beautiful cross with pokadots and “Jesus” painted across the top. I can’t wait for them to fire it up and make it all shiny and ready for us to pick up next week. She had a BLAST!!!!!!!!!!

Then we looked around at some consignment boutique stores at baby clothes for my BabyZ. A little pricey, but to be expected…after all, it’s boutique.

Then a quick trip to Heritage House coffee shop for hot chocolate and cinnamon buns…plus some “girly” talk with my 6 year old. She was beaming from ear to ear when we left. I’ve missed that smile. Glad to see it back.

Next stop:Movie Gallery. We rented Kit Kettridge. She’s already seen this in the theaters, but just HAD to have it again. Ny is totally into American Girls and has read all of the Kit Kettridge series.

Last stop: home.

While BabyZ took her morning nap, I set NyGirl out to finish her handwriting practice and a worksheet on verbs. Then I headed to my laptop and finished up my article on dance for a local paper. Sent it in and called the editor. I’m just waiting for a reply and meanwhile…working on a game plan for mapping out my next writing move…fun, fun!

And now…

Well, now I need to quit blogging and go plop in front of the t.v. with my daughter to watch Kit Kettridge!

Getting into my routine

Okay, well today was much better!

The past few days (weeks) have been hectic as I’ve been struggling to get back into sync with a new baby.

Friday while my 5 year old daughter was at homeschool co-op , I was able to really tune in to BabyZ’s needs and follow her patterns more closely. I think I’ve gotten a hang of what she needs and when. Her late afternoon/evening schedule is a bit strange (what newborn’s isn’t?) She sleeps through the night okay and has a regular pattern early morning…but at night she gets off schedule and cries a lot.

She seems to get cranky while I nurse A LOT and I’ve been trying to narrow it down to reasons like …could she be allergic to something I’m eating? So I’ve cut out dairy products. Or… could it be that she’s not latching on correctly? I know that in the beginning she didn’t latch on well, but things have gotten better since Week 1…so maybe that’s not it. Or maybe my letdown is too fast? Too slow? Gosh…there’s too much to figure out. So I’ve just left it alone and figured it’s probably just a growth spurt.

Anyways, that night when my daughter came home we took some more pictures. We figured they’d make great Christmas cards.