Mom vs. the Dot: Making it COUNT!

When we realized we hadn't made our homeschool craft last Monday evening and they were supposed to be ready Tuesday, we did some quick thinking. I am a homeschool mom, and I keep lots of recyclables in case of need - for art projects or science lessons. If you know me, you know I like things that are simple. I prefer if we are cooking, crafting, or science-ing, we keep ingredients or supplies to 3 or less. Materials 1 circle of pizza cardboard duct tape apple juice handle  Step One :  Duct tape apple juice handle to middle of pizza cardboard circle.  I bent the end circles so the middle post would come out from the back of the cardboard, leaving room for a hand to grip it. (Apple juice handle came from Walmart apple juice - two 64-oz bottles packaged together) Step Two :  Color the front of the shield with desired design.  My 4-year-old chose Captain America.  My favorite superhero, too!  Our 9-year-old did a snazzy colo...

We've had an anniversary getaway, dyslexia testing, puppy training and end-of-year portfolio prep, along with the everyday laundry, dishes, homeschool, standardized testing, errands, doctor's appointments, and church activities.  Throw in a few sicknesses, an ER trip, foster care training (12 hours) and a fender bender, and you've just described our entire April and May. Hence why I haven't posted much.  We've been a little busy. My oldest has informed me I've been yelling a lot lately, and she thinks it's because of the puppy.  I try hard to be gentle and loving toward my children.  The puppy has added a degree of difficulty to our household that we haven't had to deal with in a couple years.  Sort of like having a toddler again...but I don't think that's it.  I'm thinking the probable cause is STRESS !!! I sometimes wish I could hear from you, my readers.  What are you up to?  Are your lives this crazy?  Most of the time I feel...

Recently (Ok - it was last month, but for me that's recent.), I went and saw Miracles From Heaven with my mother-in-law.  It was a wonderful movie.  No one told me I should have brought an entire box of Kleenex, so I recommend one for anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet.  At this point, you'll have to wait until it comes out on DVD/Blu-Ray. As I was driving to worship band practice with my daughter, she asked what the movie was about.  She really wanted to know, so I told her. It was a story about a family who had moved to the country - they bought a farm in Texas so the father could start a veterinarian practice.  There were three girls - I think they were about 13, 11, and 6 years old.  The middle child developed a serious digestive disorder that required a ton of medical treatment, and the mother did everything she could to make her little girl better.  Her little belly was so bloated that she couldn't wear normal clothes.  She had to ...

This week, I came across this in a devotional book.  I wanted to share it with you.  Here it goes: "A Mother's Meditation" There is nothing but peace in my life today.  I know only serenity inside, despite what is going on outside of me.  I react positively to every event I am faced with today.  I respond with only love and kindness, no matter what I am responding to.  I  am empowered and strengthened from within, and I am capable of handling any challenge that faces me, any obstacle that obstructs my path to a perfect, joyful experience of being alive today. And so it i s."* All I have to say after reading this is: Bahahahaahaha!  (sniff)  so funny. You know,  I think I could actually make this happen, but only if I were on vacation.  Without children . In reality, it's more like this: There is nothing but chaos in my life today.  I would love peace, but I'm not at that time of life yet. The children ...

With Mother's Day only a week away, my 8-year-old daughter asked me this question while we were clearing the dinner table.  We had just had a super-busy day, filled with homeschooling and errands and housecleaning and laundry. My first reaction (mentally) was, "WHY would she ask that?" Doesn't she notice the amount of time I've invested in her? Take homeschooling, for example.  I spend half of every day educating her.  After she goes to bed each night, I spend time learning to teach the way she learns, reading articles on parenting, and planning homeschool events and playdates so her social needs can be met (mine, too, but that's for another post). I watch her so closely - when I noticed she wasn't reading so well, we went and got her glasses.  When the dentist said, "orthodontia," we took you to the orthodontist to be evaluated right away.  When I noticed you were having spelling and writing problems, I busted my tail end getting a...