Homeschooling Today magazine, a magazine I used to subscribe to but haven't seen in at least a year and a half, made its way to my mailbox today. And it comes on a day when I had trouble registering Madelyn for kindergarten. Now we don't know if the school will let us in once we have our building permit because our house most likely won't be finished by December. It has me questioning everything (once again).

Favorite Moments
*the girls putting on aprons and helping me get supper in the crockpot this morning
*listening to "You're Gonna Miss This" by Trace Adkins
*rejoicing that Gracie has been working through her folder work
*the way Madelyn is so willing to do her folder work
*reading all about whitetail deer and finally finishing Gracie's forest animal packet
*filling out a living vs. non-living paper and learning about earthworms
*receiving the Homeschooling Today magazine
*going to the library
*setting up the library books on our counter as a surprise for the girls in the morning
*setting Gracie's little recipe box on the table so they can help me decide on a dessert

Favorite Moments

*After telling M she could have a reward for taking her bath, she asked me, "Can I get a real baby reindeer?" Oh how that girl loves animals!
*taking the girls to the Snow White Ballet. It was cute!

From the website below: "No matter how much time and effort we put into teaching our children the proper ways of responding and reacting to what is going on around us, their greatest and best-learned lessons will be from watching what we do."

http://themarathonmom.com/keeping-our-childrens-hearts-its-not-just-what-you-say.htm

This is hitting home with me right now. As we have had more children and tried homeschooling, I have been spread more thinly and have not been acting in a Christ-like manner. I need to be reminded of this on a daily (sometimes hourly) basis!

Here is what I'm working on now (from the website above).

Have I allowed God to transform my heart so that my words, actions, and habits reflect my relationship with Him?

Jesus said, “Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.” Matthew 12:34
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

Do I see the fruit of the Holy Spirit at work in my own heart, in my own life?
Are the good fruits that I am wanting to cultivate in my own children’s lives evident in mine first?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Galatians 5:22, 23

Smash Booking!

I gave Jim's mom the Pretty Pink Smash Book for her birthday, and I fell in love with it! I will be ordering one for myself. I will decorate the front with ribbons and bows. Here are a few ideas for the journal...


*poetry...poem I wrote for my grandparents...put that on bicycle page (because my favorite picture of them is on a bicycle when they were young)
*favorite Bible verses
*a list of my favorites
*dessert recipes
*favorite quotes from my kids
*photographs I've taken of the girls
*library slips on library page, favorite kids books
*pictures of pretty things from magazines (Land of Nod)
*words of wisdom page
*page about Jim and me
*movies page
*Gilmore Girls page with favorite quotes
*teaching page (all my favorite memories and moments)
*horses page
*birds page
*picture of each of the houses I've lived in with the matching key

I think that's a good start!

*meeting a neighbor
*watching the girls look out the window
*the sunshine
*revising my stories
*hiding and finding eggs outside with the girls
*playing Gilmore Girls trivia