Keepers of the Home

A couple weeks ago, our girls celebrated the end of the year for their Keepers at Home group. For those who have never heard of this group, Keepers at Home is very similar to Girl Scouts or Girl Guides, but with a very specific Christian element. They learn skills and participate in service opportunities, but also have the chance to grow in Bible reading and memorization. Each meeting (our group meets monthly) has a focus for learning (baking, first aid, etc) but also is tied into a Bible Study - looking into God's Word is a priority.

So, the planning committee thought it would be appropriate to celebrate all the girls had done and accomplished this past year by hosting an awards banquet, as well as showing off some what they learned through various displays.

Some of the topics covered this year included health and fitness...

 ...cookie baking (which most of the dads particularly appreciated)...

 ...and camping (which was sooo cold!).

All the girls had sashes with pins or bracelets with charms for their accomplishments. Dads presented their daughters with their sashes/bracelets and took a moment to commend their girls on their accomplishments and growth. It was such a special night for these girls to be honored by the men in their lives for their efforts!

I'm already looking forward to what we're going to do next year and seeing all the ways my girls will grow in ability and godliness over the coming year!

Link Love

Responding to Video Games - I'm not a fan of video games, and am thus reminded why

Don't Wait Until They're Teenagers - So needing to heed these words now...

Kevin DeYoung and Discipline - The difference between training for Christlikeness and training for my comfort and ease are crucial.

Navigating the Homeschool Community - Why homeschooling shouldn't be another "one size fits all" approach.

Why Speaking Well Makes a Difference - Saw this at a public speaking event a while back and love, love, loved it.

Sparkly Flats

I never thought I'd see the day, but it's here - I used Mod Podge and glitter together and I actually enjoyed it!

 Using this tutorial as a reference, Abigail and I pulled out a pair of our most scuffed and sad looking shoes and gave them a makeover. It was easy, not very messy and though Abi's shoes came out better than mine, they both look much better than they used to.

I suppose the days of me being able to glare, squinty-eyed, at a "crafty" mom with the accusation "I'll bet you have glitter in your house, don't you?" are over. Perhaps I have crossed over to the dark side, but it's not so bad. Abi did look at me sideways and question my true identity, but it was worth it for the smiles I got when we were done.

5 Great Recipes You've Gotta Try

Some of my favorite recipes I got online. Here are a few:

Fresh Basil and Garlic Chive Lasagna  Not only is this the best lasagna our family has enjoyed, it's also one of the easiest to make, which means we enjoy it more.
Balsamic Chicken, Spinach and Tomato Pasta Salad  Of course, I'd eat almost anything that was covered in balsamic vinegar, but this is seriously yummy, with the seriously good benefit of getting some dark greens into the diet. Plus, the whole "cooking a meal that doesn't turn your kitchen into an inferno in the summer" benefit is hard to pass up.
Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta  This is really quick to put together, really easy, and the kids like it. All good. You'll need the recipe for the cajun seasoning, which you can find here.
Fresh Strawberry Yogurt Cake  I know I mentioned this one a few weeks ago, but it definitely bears another mention. The strawberry season is almost over, and I don't think there is a better way to use up the rest of the season's fruit than by making a few of these cakes and enjoying them through the rest of the year. It's worth a mention that you can easily substitute sour cream for the yogurt. No one will know and it will be delicious.
Sweet and Sour Chicken  We've made this before and it won't be long before we make it again. Great use of those large packs of chicken breasts - it fed our family of 7 hungry eaters more than 2 whole meals (served with rice or tortillas).

Have a favorite recipe to share? Link up in the comments!

Getting in the Boat

While on our recent trip to Deep Creek, we had the opportunity to go canoeing. We don't do it often, though we have a canoe and have always enjoyed it, and I am so glad we had the chance to go this time. I learned more than I had anticipated.
For the first time, we split the family up between 2 canoes: Toby, Abi, Ellie and Dan in one canoe (Team A) and Noah, Anna and I were Team B in the second canoe. Neither Anna or Noah had ever used a paddle before, and I am rather inexperienced, particularly when it comes to the job of steering the boat. We crashed into a few things and got turned around a few times (though not upside down, mercifully!), but everyone had so much fun! I realized that this is my favorite family activity, and Toby and I recalled one of our very favorite dates - the 2 of us canoed at Eden Mill at dusk, with a delicious picnic dinner, and enjoyed watching the bats fly overhead and a beaver swim by.
This trip also brought to mind the last session of our premarital counselling, something about how marriage is like a boat. We don't remember much of where that analogy went, but here are some things God showed me during our canoe trip about family relationships and boating.

1. No one does this right at first, but there is opportunity to improve and grow. At first, the kids and I bumped into a fair number of things, but less so by the end of our trip. After getting some steering tips from one more experienced than I (i.e. Toby), I was better able to steer my craft and enjoy the trip. It made me think about how necessary it is, whatever new thing we are embarking upon, to ask for help when we don't know what we are doing. In the early years of marriage and at each new stage of family life, don't expect to know how to do "this" perfectly. Ask for help, keep doing your best, and cry out to God for grace and wisdom. As Christians, we live in a community of believers that we can go to for help and encouragement - why not make use of such a rich resource?
2. Everyone has a role to play and each role is important. The first time Toby and I ever took our canoe out, I somehow ended up spending some time in the back (stern). I can't remember if it was my idea or his (probably mine), but I do remember it was hard work. And I learned - not all jobs are created equal. It may not be a popular idea in our egalitarian culture, but there are responsibilities in marriage and family life that God calls and equips men to do, and those He ordains for women to do. Neither is of less importance than the other or more meaningful - each job is not only critical, but when the right person is doing their job, it leads to greater success and enjoyment for all in the boat. Now, for you non-boaters, a quick overview: in a boat, the guys in the stern leads and steers the boat, but he depends on the bow man to keep a keen eye out for dangers and possible interruptions in the water. Both jobs are work. If I behaved like someone just along for the ride when in the bow, we'd be in the reeds more often than not. If I tried to take over and steer the boat, I'd be fighting the rightful leader in the back and struggling to do a decent job - the rudder is always in the rear! Basically, when each of us does our job, we do a better job of staying on course and enjoying the trip.
3. Spend some time on your knees. We learned from a good canoeing book that it can be very helpful to paddle down on one or both knees, especially when you need to dig in hard to navigate through a rough spot. I suspect we would all do well to spend more time on our knees before our King as well, especially when we need grace and wisdom to navigate our own difficult waters.

In Which My Family Are Acrobats

Because getting ice cream at Broom's Bloom isn't exciting enough, we had to see if Daddy can hold all five children at once. Turns out he can. Show off. :) 

I love these faces.

5 Ways to Save 15 minutes

Morning is, for some reason, my busiest time of day. My kids wake up early (which I like for the most part) and my husband leaves by 7am. I find that if I get behind in the morning, I spend several hours trying to catch up. Here are 5 things that I have found can be helpful in keeping the morning from spinning out of control:

1. Play some classical music. It seems to do a good job of bringing some peace and tranquility into the house, and children seem a little less determined to scream over it. Sometimes. Either way, it helps me to keep a calm frame of mind, which goes quite a ways toward helping the children to do the same.
2. Have a breakfast plan. I don't like having cereal each and every morning, but it just is quicker and easier. To cook anything, though, always seemed to take so long to search through the cupboards before I can get things started. Now, I know that Monday is oatmeal, so I can set a few things out the night before. If I want to cook on Sunday morning, I can at least have an idea the night before of what to do or even set something up in the Crock Pot. And Thursday is pancake or waffle day - batter made the night before (sensing the trend?). Even if the "night before" plan doesn't happen, it relieves some headspace to be able to look at a schedule and not have to think about what to make - just do what your schedule says.
3. Make your to-do list the night before. I'm bad about this, but I find that if I take my list to bed with me and note things down - appointments, things that need to get done that day, etc - it's easier for me to fall asleep because I'm not trying to hold it all in my head, and I don't need to worry about finding some quiet "thinking" time to create my list while children are brawling over teeth-brushing access or the four year old needs help getting dressed.
4. Spend some time in the Word and prayer. For Christians, this should be a non-issue, but we've all been guilty of thinking, "There's so much to do, I'm behind all ready. Let's get rolling and I'll get to it later" now and then. Yet, the Israelites gave the first fruits of their labors, and so must we, and that includes our time.  It's not a magic formula that ensures that if we spend a half an hour with God in the morning, all will go swimmingly, but when we do meet with Him, He speaks to us, changes us, and enables us to move into the trials of the day (be they big or small) with His power and grace. I'd say we all need a little more of God's power and grace.
5. Be prepared to let something go. Everything is in order. The planning is meticulous. It's full steam ahead. But then...your husband has a dead battery. A toddler has wet the bed. Someone is sick. Two children declare war on each other and they are taking no prisoners. Whatever. Everyone has the Morning of Dread once in a while, and there is no way to plan for them. So, be flexible. Be prepared that the playdate or appointment will be canceled, you won't be able to go to the store or homeschool will be a little more video-based than normal. Do what you can do, but don't be so tied to your plan that it becomes your tyrant. Make it work for you.

What helps your morning/day go that little bit smoother?

Link Love

Interesting article on eating

How do I, and the world around me, feel about motherhood?

Great tips for what you can add to your compost pile.

Encouraging words from a mom who know what she's talking about.

I'm thinking I'll be making one or two of these skeeter traps if we're are going to enjoy a summer outdoors.

Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

Baby Knitting - Coming Home Sweater

I loved making this sweater! So sweet, easy and free - not only was this version of the pattern free, but I had the yarn in my stash. Buttons the same as here.

 

 I totally foresee making these in all sizes and colors, so I suspect I'll be purchasing the full pattern collection. A worthy investment, I think.

Children's Chores - Gayner style

I have had several conversations with other moms at various times and places regarding the role of chores in their families lives - conversations that have involved how old, what chores, and how much (me doing at least as much asking as answering!). One thing I've realized is that there are as many ways to tackle family chores as there are families. Here's how we do it:

• I have a list of several daily chores for each child posted in the kitchen. Each child is responsible to make sure each thing is done after breakfast, before they run off to play or do other things for the day. If I find them at other things, I ask, "Are you finished your chores?" and am greeted with a "Yes, Mom" or "Oh, I forgot about...!" Honestly, they are not excellent about remembering all their chores, but for me, it's been more about creating an expectation of what they are meant to do. I'm trusting that, in time, the self-discipline will come.
• Some of the daily chores we include are emptying the dishwasher (7 year old with 2 year old), feeding the dog and picking up his deposits in the yard (5 year old), running the sweeper (9 year old) and putting away any books that had been left out (4 year old). That's in addition to making beds, putting away any folded laundry, and brushing teeth.
• When I make the lists, I go over them with each child so they fully understand the expectation. That way, it saves on the fight in the morning of how to do it and how they thought it was someone else's job. It's all there in black and white for them to consult, not down to my whim of what needs doing, which can change each day. Though I will ask a child to occasionally help me out with something that's not on the list if they finish their chores early, that's not a standard thing and I am diligent to express my thanks for going above and beyond. They need to know they are appreciated.
• While they do their chores, I do mine. I take care of the stuff like the big vacuuming, a full cleaning of the bathrooms, a full cleaning of the kitchen, dusting and paperwork - one each weekday. That way, the stuff that I really want done a certain way gets done and they see that Mom has her work to do, just like them.
• On Saturday, we do what has come to be known as "Cup Chores". Basically, I've written a bunch of chores on slips of paper, things like brush the dog, organize a dresser drawer, or wipe the baseboards in one room. Each kid pulls a different chore from the cup and does it. When the cup is empty, the kids are done. The older girls don't need much instruction on most of them, but I'll occasionally work with Noah on a job if he doesn't have much experience with it. Ellie tends to assist one of her sisters or plays with Dan and keeps him out of the way. This has been great for us - the kids love it and we don't have the "I always do this chore!" problem. It also gives them experience doing/learning different responsibilities.
• We've made the decision not to pay our kids for their chores. There are several reasons behind this: we want them to learn to serve as an act of love and not for remuneration, they are totally irresponsible with money - we'd likely find it stuffed down heating vents, and I'm not sure we can afford it. My hope is that by the time the kids are able to work for pay (babysitting or yard work, etc), the training they've received at home as far as work ethic will make them in high demand for paying jobs.

So, that's what it looks like for us. It's not perfect, and there were some hiccups when we first started, but overall, it works really well for our family and the stage we're in. No doubt, as they get older and our family grows and changes, we will be looking for new methods to keep things in order.
I'd love to hear what other families do for chores - please share!