I Am Just Too Cute (Smirk)

The other day I was putting Daniella's (age 6) hair up.  She gave me one of her adoring, loving smiles, and very seriously, said, "Mama, I think you're cute even when you're hair is freaky."  
That, friends, is true devotion, 'cause let me tell you, some days it can be quite freaky.  Her statement still makes me smile.  It's become my favorite quote this week. 
Daniella at the creek on a hike with her daddy.

   Here's a clip I had wanted to show in the spring, and never got to it.  For some reason our computer won't let us post the video straight to here, so we had to link.  This is my 2nd oldest, Briana, doing the graduating senior father/daughter dance with her dad at the spring ballet recital.  Their moves were kind of limited, because the other dad had just had surgery or been sick (I forget), and he couldn't do much lifting.  It was still sweet and teary.  Briana and James are on the left.  And, no, my husband is not normally a dancer, but he has danced with his girls in 4 performances of the party scene in the Nutcracker.  He's a good dad!
Senior Father/Daughter Dance
Wasn't that sweet? 
   We're off to Dollywood for the afternoon.  Monday the Slidewinder closes for the season, and they've only ridden it once this year.  (horrors)  Hopefully, the holiday crowds won't be here yet, and all the other kids are in school.  So, maybe it won't be very croweded.  Have a great weekend!

College Days

It's been a different week around here, for sure.  Ashley and Briana both started college.  Ashley started her courses last week with Liberty University's distance learning.  She had taken a couple of classes before at the community college, but, boy, this has been an adjustment.  She's taking a math class, which is a regular 16 week course.  But the speech class she is taking is an 8 week course--double time.  She had to read 4 chapters last week, plus prepare an outline and research for her first speech, plus math.  She's thankful she only signed up for 2 this term.  She lived with that speech book in her hands.  She'll take another 8 week course after the speech is over.  And, yes, apparently you can take speech online.  She has to video tape her speech and scan the audience to show that she has at least 5 adults listening.   I tell you what's sad.  James and I have spent the week trying to (basically undo all we've taught her) teach her to stop reading to try to really learn, but to just read over it to get a basic understanding and overview of the material.   That's the only way to cover that much material in a week.  She has taken 2 quizzes and a test all in the first week.  Hopefully this next week won't be so intense--she only has to read 2 chapters, plus work on her speech. 
Briana just started today at the community college.  She ended up only taking 2 courses this semester, too.  This wasn't the original plan, but they don't offer but about 5 courses that she needs to transfer.  She started today with U.S. History I.  She was pretty nervous going in today, but came home much more relaxed.  I am spending a lot of time praying over her teachers and what she hears and is exposed to.  Okay, don't let the following description offend anyone.  She says her teacher is a "punk rock, country hick, self-described geek."  Should be an interesting semester.  He doesn't care if they come to class and doesn't care if they eat or drink in class as long as they don't make a mess.  He told them he suggested they read the book, but if they weren't going to read it not to bother to buy it.  I certainly would agree with that.  The ultimate college ripoff.  That history book was $108 !!!  She is also taking Sociology, but thankfully she is taking that online.  She has to go to the main campus, 45 min. away tomorrow night for the orientation, then 3 more times during the semester.
Marissa and I are enjoying doing the In The Hands of a Child Horse Project Pack. 

I have seen a couple of others not really impressed with this, but this is our first lapbook, and she loves horses, so we are happy with it.  We are adding a few little things to it as we have an idea.  Nancy had some suggestions that I'm going to read over to add some to it, too.   We have also been using Encyclopdia of the Horse, mostly looking at pictures of the different breeds.
Daniella saw an idea on Dora the Explorer online to start your own "Animal Scientist Notebook".  She came to me very excited to start one, so I got her a binder and page protectors, and she's added a few things to it.  I'll print out a horse coloring page for her to color, and I'll let her copy onto it what horses eat or something.  They are on totally different levels, and both need me with them at this point to work, so I am having a hard time spending as much time with Daniella as I would like.  A lot of times she sits at the table or nearby when I'm working with Marissa and colors or draws or looks at books.  Some days she wants to do tons of copy work, so she sits next to us and writes while we work.  That child LOVES copy work!   I read the same Bible story to them both.  I work with her in Before the Code most days, and we do a few minutes of math.  She has almost finished memorizing  her doubles, and she's learning the coins and their value.  I'm not concerned about doing much book work with her, but it just seems sometimes like she isn't getting much one-on-one time with me.  If I stop and think about it, though, I know she's getting time, it's just spread out and not necessarily sitting at the table working, so it seems less.  Overall, the days have been going really well, though.
Back to college---the worst part of it.......we can't go on vacation anytime we want to now!!  We are trying to plan a trip, and we're having to squeeze it in during Briana's 2 day fall break.  She'll be off from Friday at 1:30 until Wed.  Homeschooling has spoiled us to the good life! 
Edit:  It seems I may have come across as complaining in this post.  I was not at all.  Just jabbering about life, and how crazy this first week of college was for Ashley.  I am VERY thankful I am still able to have my older girls at home with me another year.  I don't take a minute of it for granted.  My life is very blessed.

Did Eve Have PMS?

Okay, I know, that's really weird.  But, really.  Did she?  Did she snap Adam's head off for no particular reason when he came in from a hunt?  Did she sit in a dark corner of the cave and cry over nothing?  Scripture says that the woman would have pain in childbirth.  It didn't say anything about once a month.  Or, are we just to assume that went along with it?  However, some women now don't suffer, or very little.  Although, I am unfortunately not one of them, I have heard women say that they barely know it's there.  Well, that's not fair.  And, you'd think that if it was a consequence of woman's sin, then we'd all suffer.  So, is it possible that PMS, or as in my case DMS (During), is a result of the steady decline of our health due to poor diet choices and environmental yuck?  When was the first case of it?  I'm assuming no one really has the answers to my warped questions, but you can't ever tell.
I loved Christian comedian writer Becky Freeman's take on it in her book A View From the Porch Swing.    Her husband thought she was having a breakdown, and she knew it wasn't that time, so he sent her off to a cabin for a few days alone.....
......."It had been a touch of hormones afterall!  Then it dawned on me, if this had been Old Testament times, under Levitical law I'd have been routinely exiled like this--"set apart seven days" for 'customary impurity.' 
    I used to think, How awful to be 'put away' like you were something disgraceful just because it was your God-ordained female time of the month!  Now, I'm beginning to see the brillance of such a plan.  Oh, I might have protested the injustice of it all on some level if I'd lived back then, but eventually I believe it would have dawned on me that this shunning deal was not a bad arrangement for all concerned.  True, the men probably felt slightly superior.  But as long as the woman had a week off to go somewhere to sit and relax without having to skin goats or shear sheep or make stew, who cared?  Could this have been God's gift to women--a seven-day monthly jubilee?
    I keep envisioning that famous children's story where Br'er Rabbit pleads with Br'er Bear, 'Please, oh, please--just don't throw me in the brier patch!'  Only I picture an Israelite woman hiding her smile as she says, "please, oh, please--you're nt telling me I'm unclean are you?  What?  You want me to just sit?  Sit and relax, you say?  I can't even lift a tiny finger to cook or clean or scrub pots or milk goats?  How terrible."
I'm seriously thinking of trying to get this instigated in our house. 
That was just her fun look at the dreamy possibility.  Her point was really about women sometimes needing downtime, but it does sound good, doesn't it?  I'll tell you something, though.  As I've gotten older, I have definitely realized the value of taking it easier during that week.  I don't get to be shunned, but, I am thankful for a husband who understands that there are a few rough days, and on those days there may not be much accomplished.  I have had many years of pushing my way through it, and no one benefits (and as you get old like   me(!) your perspective changes! .   We need to take care of ourselves, listen to our bodies and our spirits, explain it to our husbands if need be, and "enjoy" a day or two of shunning.  Have an easy supper or two, read a little more that day, stay off your feet, take a nap.....if you feel like I do, then you aren't joking when you say you're taking a sick day!!
Take care of yourselves ladies!  A little care today, will make our families much happier!

Letitia

An Unbirthday, A Waterpark, Math (with question), Books Are Coming, and Random Things

Our dinner last Friday with our friends went great (even my cooking went pretty well!) .  I did have an injury that ended up keeping me off of my feet all day Sat.  Nothing too serious.  It was just painful to move.  So, I had a nice relaxing day Saturday.  Actually Saturday was my Unbirthday!  (Alice in Wonderland).  James and Ashley were in Guatemala on my actual birthday---WAY back in June.  : )  It has been one thing after another all summer, and my children have been so scattered about this summer, that everything just settled down enough, and they wanted to celebrate.  James, Marissa, and Daniella made one of those yummy four layer desserts with chocolate, cream cheese, and cool whip.  Since I was confined to the couch, we all just kind of hung out together.  They brought this paddle ball game thing we have into the living room---it's kind of like tether ball, but it's a tennis ball size ball, and you use paddles to hit the ball, trying to wind it around the pole your direction.  I had a lot of fun watching them play that, especially the "big girls" and James.  The four adults played Apples to Apples, and Briana and I sorted through a huge pile of stamps that we have been collecting for a few years.  We sorted them into categories.  Now we just have to start mounting them.  James and Ashley handled supper.   I had chosen grilled hamburgers and baked beans. 
Yesterday we spent the day at Dolly's Splash Country.  This week local residents get in free.  You get in free, but you don't come out free!  By the time you buy lunch for 6 people at a place like that.  Geeessh.  I know some of my more frugal friends would have gone back out to their car and eaten lunch that they brought.  I am actually pretty frugal, and I contemplated that, but in the end, I was too tired/lazy to haul us all back through the park, across the parking lot, and sit in a sweltering car to eat.  The high yesterday was supposed to be 99.  I don't know what it actually was.  At 6:30 tonight when I went into town, it was 102.  Anyway, we paid for lunch, didn't feel guilty, and had a great day.  Daniella doesn't like the slides, so James and I take turns with her while the other one goes to ride slides with the other girls.  Daniella LOVES the wave pool and the lazy river.  She did actually have fun on one of the short kid slides this year. 
Edit: In answer to Maria's question....YES, I definitely ride the slides.  What pure fun (if you survive climbing all the steps to get there).  I don't do all of them, but I love the tube slide (that sits just above the lazy river), and the raft slide where 4 or 5 sit in a raft together and go down.  It's especially fun if you're the one who gets to go backwards! 
Daniella had a ball swimming around in the wave pool.  She is so funny to watch, mostly because she's so small.  She's six, but she's very small for her age (she wears 3 and 4T's), and she also is the earliest of my 4 to learn to swim.  She is definitely part fish.  She and Marissa both have made huge strides in their swimming this year, and we didn't even take lessons this year.  Between being at my mom's and dad's and that little 8' pool we got them, they have both overcome their fear of going under.  They stay under now, and love to dive for pennies.  In the big pool, I had also helped Marissa learn to do the crawl stroke---big step for her!  She went from spastic slapping the water at the first of the week to beautiful smooth strokes the last day.  The child can float like a boat, too.  She doesn't have to hold her breath or struggle to keep her legs from sinking.  She just lays there on her back effortlessly.  She was being funny, holding her hand up in front of her face, pretending to do her nails while she just floated.  She cracks me up. 
I am in the process of making up  my own math curriculum.  Hmmm.  I've pretty much got everything together; I just haven't quite figured out how I want to put it together.  I have looked at every math book I can find, and I just can't find one that looks or sounds like it will meet Marissa's needs.  It's either too busy, with too much jumping around, or too much overkill--explaining things until you think your eyes will roll back in your head, or whatever.  None of them seem to fit.  We were having the most problem with them going too fast in some areas.  We needed to slow down in some things, and we were skipping around pages in the book, and I stayed lost half the time.  So I'm using the book as my guide, using some Practice Makes Perfect books, which are entire books on one subject--one book on fractions, one book on place value, etc., and some internet sites, and pulling it all together.  I have the problems, I just have to figure out what I want each day to look like.  Anybody else have this kind of problem, and what did you do? 
I have a Love To Learn order coming.  Is there anything more fun that getting a package in the mail---even if it is from myself?!  A few of the things coming are:
Betsy Ross, In Their Own Words
DK Civil War Eyewitness Book
John Adams Speaks For Freedom
d'Aulaire book: Buffalo Bill
Anagrams Game
Make Your Own Christmas Cards with Stickers
Sea Monkeys (Ocean Zoo)
Baroque 25 Favorites
Bingo: Multiplication Facts
There are only 2 other things besides these, and they are Christmas gifts, so I'd better not list them. 
I was tagged by Juliet--mommyof3girlies.  This will be hard to come up with things you all don't already know about me, but maybe you won't remember!
Tagged Rules:
1).The player starts with 8 random facts about herself.
2).The person who is tagged must post on her own blog her answers and post the rules first.
3).Then the player must pick 8 people and tag them.  Also leave them a note on Message that lets them know that you tagged them.  You can write who you tagged on your blog also!
8 ramdom facts about me:
1.  I have never tasted coffee.
2.  I married at age 20.
3.  My daughter is almost the same age as I was when she was born.
4.  I LOVE crablegs, and could eat them (and have) until I'm sick.  Fortunately for my body, I only have
       them once every 2 or 3 years.
5.  I have had high blood pressure, and been on medication for it, since I was 25. 
6.  I went to college for 2 years, and changed majors 3 times that I can remember.  I hated it.
7.  I loved to write in high school and college.  English Comp and Literature classes were my
       favorites.   There was nothing better than writing, crossing out, rewriting..... I always wished I could
       write something "important".
8.  I am allergic to bee stings.
Well, those were random.  Took me forever to come up with them, too. 
I tag anyone who wants to do it.
Time for bed.  Blessings and rest.
Letitia

Kind of Blah, I Guess

Sorry it has been so long since I updated or blogged at all.  First, I was having some computer problems, and I couldn't even see my blog.  Then, this whole week, I haven't felt that great--just really, really tired for no particular reason.  I have taken a nap everyday starting last Sunday, and I'm still tired.  I'd say maybe it's the suffocating heat (it's been over 100 everyday this week), except that I haven't been out too much.  Definitely the time to stay inside, play some games, do some reading and cleaning, be thankful for air conditioning....and take naps, I guess. 
We are having some guests for supper tomorrow night.  This is like big for me.  I am not an entertainer/hostess. I am also not a big cook.  It's a big deal for me to figure out what to serve.  I am more of a "let's cookout hamburgers and have a bag of chips kind of hostess!  I know.  Terrible.  The dinner is one my whole family loves (that says a lot), so hopefully, all will turn out well.  I am making a Beef Casserole.  Have you ever noticed how many recipes are called either Beef or Hamburger Casserole?  Someone needs to get more creative with their names.  For instance....my daughters nick-named this one Beef Noodley Stuff.  Now, that's a good creative name.  When we say that, no one here has to try to figure out what's for dinner.  We all know what Beef Noodley Stuff is!!  I'll share the easy recipe with you.  It calls for canned soups, which we don't use much because of all the salt and MSG, but this is so yummy!  We usually just have it 3 or 4 times a year.
Beef Casserole --more affectionately known as Beef Noodley Stuff
2 lbs. beef cubes
3 cans French Onion Soup
3 cans Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 lg. bag of Egg Noodles
Brown the beef in a skillet, and drain the fat.  Stir all of the soups together well, add browned beef, and put into a large covered casserole dish.  Bake covered at 350 for 2+ hours.  During the last 20 min., boil the egg noodles until desired tenderness.  Serve the meat and gravy over noodles.  Yum!  This serves our family of six, with leftovers.  It would probably do well in a large crockpot, too, but I don't know how long it would need to cook.
The family coming over is orginally from Guatemala.  They lived there until 2 years ago.  They have an amazing story, which I'll only give a short version.  He was pastor of a large church in Guatemala City, and also started a pastor training center about 4 1/2 hours north of the city.  This is the place where Ashley and James go to do their mission work.  They met him, his 27 year old son and 23 year old daughter on their first trip down with our church 3 years ago.  Someone in their church, who ended up getting involved with a gang, knew that they had a lot of contact with Americans, so assumed they could get large amounts of money.  Several men entered their home one morning, tied them up, and kidnapped the daughter at gun point.  (They made her brush her teeth before they took her!  Weird.) She was in a cave for 10 days.  She witnessed much of the time to one of her captors.  They demanded ransom, but the family worked with a negotiator as they tried to buy time to find her.  Miraculously, and it really was all a miracle, as the father prayed on about day 9, the Lord gave him a face.  They were able to interrogate people and find out where she was.  They had to walk into the jungle and it was really the Lord leading them to find this deep, deep cave.  After a shoot-out, she was rescued, and a ransom was never paid.  It was extremely dangerous for a long while for them to stay in the country, which is why they moved here.   Even though most everyone in that gang was killed, they had put word out to another gang. They are still waiting on word from the Lord (and immigration) about what they will do in the future.  The girl and Ashley are very good friends now.  And, their mom, who is in her 60's, and who didn't speak a word of English when she moved here, is amazing.  She has learned the language so quickly. 
Okay, that's enough rambling, I guess.  I'd go to bed, but I'm waiting on my older girls to come in from Bible study.  It is usually 10:30 or so when they come in.  They are in a great study.  The teacher is a really spiritually wise lady.  The girls/ladies range mostly from 30 to 17.  There are 2 others who are older and single.  Only one of the ladies, besides the teacher is married.  My girls are the youngest.  They have learned so much, and it has been great fellowship for them, too.  Okay, I was supposed to quit rambling.....
Letitia

A Quiet House

Boy, it is really, really quiet here. 
On Sunday afternoon, Briana left to go be a camp counselor for another week.  Before she went a couple of weeks ago, she had no intention of going another week.  I didn't think she would even like it.  Ashley has done it for about 3 years, but it didn't seem like Briana.  To top it off, she had been pretty confident she would get older girls (10-14 years).  She ended up with six 8 and 9 year olds, and the first evening and morning before the campers got there, she was quite upset and discouraged.  She doesn't enjoy working with little kids.  The Lord helped her deal with it, though, gave her a change of heart, and by the time they got there she was ready.  She had great kids and a great week.  The last morning, she felt an urging to sign up for another week.  She continued to pray about it, and a day or 2 later in her quiet time, she felt she received a confirmation from Him that she should go back.  So, she will be finishing up this week tomorrow.  I do know that this time she got older girls.  I am very interested to see how this second week went.  I never would have thought camp would make that much of a spiritual difference, but the counselors who are there to make a difference, really do.  I know Ashley has had an impact on some of these girls.   Many times when they are in that 12-14 age range, they are becoming more serious about their questions about God, and they really look up to the counselors.  She has had a few share serious home or school situations with her, and had the chance to pray with and for them.  I am interested to see what type of impact this week has on Briana's life, too. 
Yesterday morning, Marissa went to stay with my parents.  The plan is for her to be there 5 nights.  Three is the longest she's ever stayed with them.  She was so ecstatic.  Bed time will be the hardest for her.  She is used to sharing a room, and has a hard time going to sleep when she's not.  Plus, you tend to get more homesick at bedtime.  Otherwise, I know she'll have fun.  They plan to go to the pool a couple of days if weather permits, they've rented 5 movies, I'm sure they will go out to eat one night, and no telling what else they will come up with. 
Ashley is here, but I don't seem to see her a whole lot.  She doesn't tend to be my biggest noise maker!     Unless, she and Briana are in silly moods, that is.  Yesterday she was gone almost all day, visiting a friend home from college.  She is also doing some writing and studying, so during that time she's hidden out in her room (desperately seeking quiet on normal weeks!).  Tonight she will go to her Bible study.   
So, yesterday, it was pretty much just Daniella and me.  I read her some Bible stories, and we worked on her phonics for about 15 min.  She played a computer game, and I helped her with her scrapbook.  She did 5 pages in it.  She's not too much into embellishing, so it's not too hard to help her.  Half of the pages, she just wants pictures and maybe a couple of stickers.  Some pages she will add some strips of paper.  It still takes a while for her to get the pictures cut.  She spent a good deal of time listening to children's praise music on her headphones, while she looked at books.  She played with her Duplo blocks for a while, and last night her Daddy helped her build some more with them.  He's taking her hiking one afternoon.  Saturday she has a birthday party to go to for a little friend who's turning three.  
The next few days should be pretty quiet as well, except for a while tomorrow afternoon when Briana gets home.  I miss my girls, but it's also been a nice quiet time.  By Monday, I'll sure be ready for Miss Marissa to come home, though. 
If only I could get this thing to quit talking.

He's much louder and talks more than the whole family combined.  It wouldn't be so bad if I could just get him to use his inside voice! 
Just a few random photos, just because I like to do photos!
My gorgeous Marissa with her cat, Shadow

Sweet Daniella with 2 of our 3 dogs.  This child LOVES animals.

Briana learning to use power tools while she helps her dad build a play set for Marissa and Daniella.
Ashley and Briana out in the paddle boat with Gram at her house


Letitia