Who Am I?

Procrastinator. Lazy. Laid back. One who enjoys relaxing.

These are a couple of character qualities I possess. I remember back in my nursing school days I would have a month (or longer) to write a paper. Instead of using the entire month, I would research the week before and become a hermit the weekend before it was due and write the entire thing. (Who wants to spend four weekends writing when it really only takes one?) Well, the same thing has happened with this blog. I usually start thinking about my blog posts on Tuesday.

I also have realized that I work well with a deadline. I have all kinds of projects I want to do, but if there is not a deadline (ie company coming to town, hosting Bible study, no more clothes in the drawer, blog post to write), I am not johnny on the spot to get it done.

All this to say, I have started to get things done around my house and on my project list (last night I sewed my first pair of pants). Yes, most of the things I have done have had encouragement from an outside source (thank you Today's Housewife and friends), but they are still being completed.

Over the last couple of months I have really started to take a good look at who I am on the inside. Not exactly who I want to be, but I think that is the first step toward change--noticing that there is a problem. If you have been reading for some time, you have heard the steps that I have been taking this fall through Bible studies to become the woman, wife, mother, daughter, and friend I need to be. One who is not lazy, but one who focuses on Christ and others.

And during these times when I am down on who I am I remember that God still loves me--all the good and all the bad. I love the song by Watermark, Who Am I? Love it! Meditate on the words and feel HIS love today!

Who am I

That You would love me so gently?

Who am I
That You would recognize my name?
Lord, who am I
That You would speak to me so softly?

Conversation with the Love most high,..

Who am I?

Entire lyrics can be found here.

Top 5 Bloggy Tips I've Learned

There are so many things I could write about learning over the past year or so since we started this journey. To be perfectly honest, I had no idea that blogging world really existed before I joined Today's Housewife. I had a blog, but I thought it was just this thing that people had to share pictures and stories with friends and family. I didn't have a clue that there is a blog about almost everything or that you might want to read something written by someone you don't actually "know" in "real" life. And I certainly didn't know the wealth of information and encouragement that existed on so many blogs out there!

But that's not all I've learned since starting this project. Here are my top 5 life-changing (okay, that might be a bit strong) things I've learned from Today's Housewife.

1. How To Coupon - Seriously. I didn't do it at all before Kama's post. I didn't even have a clue ECB's existed. But now I do. I actually spent 2 hours catching up on clipping yesterday and matching up with the ads. I'm still no where as good as some people, but it is fun - and frugal!

2. How to Decorate a Little Girl's Bedroom - KLee's post about the room they created for Lil'E made me want to have one for my own little girl one day. Who knows what God has in store for our family, but it's been such a blessing to read about her life with a little girl.

3. Homeschooling Ideas - I will admit that I'm not sure I want to homeschool my boys. But I do see a lot of merits in it and love that I'm already getting some great ideas on setting up an area and a foundation for learning in our home.

4. Growing a Garden - I also have to admit that my garden was not a success this year. Sandra's post about planting a garden with her boys inspired me to try it though. And I'm glad I did. I just plan on being out of town for 5 out of 8 weeks in June and July. That made it a bit difficult to water and weed and harvest our veggies. But it was a great effort and I'll definitely try again.

5. Ideas for Loving my Husband - Whenever we choose a topic for our week it brings it to the forefront of our minds. I loved the topics for February because it helped me to love my husband better. Not only did they remind me to make a conscious effort to do it, but I got tons of great ideas for practical ways I could love Tim.

I really could go on and on with all the great things this blog has taught me. Mostly it's taught me that I don't have much figured out at all. There are so many areas that I struggle in and so many ways I could be a better wife, mother and friend. Thanks for joining us in the this journey as we all encourage each other along the way.

Blogging Is More Fun with Friends

#1 lesson I've learned through this blog- that blogging is more fun with friends!

Over a year ago when I thought of friends who would start a blog with me, I wanted a group that had some things in common, but who also would have enough differences that each week we could write on the same subject four different times, in four different ways. That hasn't always been easy. But each week I'm impressed that Alicia, KLee, and Kama add to the conversation in ways that are helpful and encouraging.

Sharing the blog with friends means I'm not the only one who has to come up with topics, work on HTML and layout, network, comment, manage incoming emails and requests... I'm not even the one who has to write every day! We all bring our strengths to the blog, which I hope is evident through our writing. 


Alicia, KLee, Kama and I all have the same ultimate goals- grow in godliness, love our husbands, raise our children, take care of our homes, and serve others. But it's the way we go about doing these important tasks that makes writing the blog together so much fun. I feel truly blessed to be able to share this adventure with my friends!

This Week: What We've Learned

Our vision for this blog was to get four opinions from four friends on one topic each week related to "building our homes." That first week turned into months, and now for over a year we've been sharing our thoughts with you. This week we are going to post what we've learned from doing this blog. The lessons might be serious, or might be humorous, but we hope to continue to learn from each other and from our readers as we all strive to be wise women who build our homes!

We will be posting the weekly topics for the rest of the year on the side bar this week. If you are interested in guest posting on any of the topics, please see the submission guidelines and email us ASAP. We would love to add your opinion to our weekly discussions!

Questions for Kama

Kama, you and your son Dietrich have unique names. How did your parents come up with your name? How did you and your husband decide on Dietrich? Are you thinking of any unique names for the next baby?
My parents (or I should say my mom) got my name from a name your baby book. She had my name picked out on their first date! It means the Hindu god of love or is sanscrit for love (my parents are Christians). Sam's name in Hawaiian is also Kama. We pronounce it Kay-ma although I've been told that is "mispronounced." Everyone else in my family has a "normal" name--Don, Ann, Rob, Billy and Tim.
We decided on Dietrich because Ben loves German. In high school, he took German as his language and was able to read some about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Answers.com gives this brief biography of this life: "a Christian pastor and theologian, was executed for contributing to a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler and resisting Germany's Nazi regime in other ways." I thought Dietrich was a cool name too.

We do have names picked out for #2, but sadly, we will not tell you--no one knows but Ben and me. Since Ben got to name Dietrich, I got to pick out both of our next names. They are not super unique...although Ditch, Dartanian and Sunshine have been thrown into the mix before...

What is your favorite sport and why?
I LOVE UFC! I started watching a few years ago I guess and I think it's pretty cool. Recently they were in town for UFC 103 and my brother was able to get tickets from Dana White thanks to twitter. He took Ben and some other guys to see the fights. I got to go see the weigh-ins which were also pretty entertaining. Who doesn't love to watch guys pound on each other?? Just kidding! There are some really great Christian guy fighters that I like to go for.

What are you having for dinner tonight?
I have no idea. We usually talk about 30-45 minutes before it's time for me or Ben to start cooking!

What book are you reading right now?
I just started He Chose the Nails by Max Lucado. I started a Bible study class on Wednesday using it at my church. The other book I'm reading for a Bible study is Sharing Jesus Without Fear. I don't really do much reading and am currently taking a break from fiction books to get other stuff done!

What are your future family plans?
My due date for #2 is January 5. My husband is hoping he/she comes before December 31 for the tax credit, but I'd like it to be January 1 so we can be in the newspaper! Our kids will be 15 months apart if he/she comes on time.
In the future, my husband would like for us to have 5 kids, and I am saying we'll take it pregnancy by pregnancy, kid by kid! We would also like to adopt about 3 kids internationally.
We can't wait to see what God has in store and we are pretty open to anything!

Questions for KLee

Why do you blog using an alias?
When I first started blogging I was using our real names. Then I realized, for our family, it wasn't the best choice. Mainly because our last name is the title of our family blog. Therefore, knowing our first names made it really easy for the 'crazies' out there to hunt us down. (And yes, once I wrote about how much I dislike Dell and I got a comment from some Dell guy saying he tried to look us up--yikes!) Here are a couple of articles about security if you want to read more.

Blogging Basics (see #4)
I Keep Safe

I've read that your husband is a children's minister. Does he have any tips for parents to reinforce what their kids are learning at church? When we ask our son what he learned he says, "Look at the sheet in my bag."

JD writes...
"As a Christian parent I've asked myself the same question. As a Minister of Children I've struggled with having the question answered in families I see every week. The reason it's been a struggle is because it's the wrong question to ask. Right intentions, YES! Right direction, YES!
But the sentence is backwards and to understand it we need to look at two key things...the word 'reinforce' and the 'somewhere-along-the-way-the-church-has-gotten-it-wrong-therefore-families-have-gotten-it-wrong'.

If you've ever seen concrete being poured for a slab, a sidewalk, or a bridge, you know that steel rebar is used to reinforce the structure, but it hasn't always been that way. When concrete was first used it was just concrete. But what people noticed was it's life span was not very long. By adding the steel the lifespan of the concrete was multiplied exponentially because the steel reinforced the concrete. The steel was the support structure. Now let's go back to that question...

'Does he have any tips for parents to reinforce what their kids are learning at church?' Who's the steel and who's the concrete? This question is asked with the preconceived notion that the church is the concrete (the main structure) and the parents are the steel (the support system). But if you look at God's Word you'll find that parents are suppose to be 'training their children' (Prov. 22:6) and 'teaching the commandments' (Deut. 6:6-7) while the church is there to 'prepare the people for service' (Eph 4:12). In God's kingdom, the parents are called to be the concrete and the church is only the steel reinforcement. So the better question would be what can the CHURCH do to reinforce what is being taught by PARENTS. OUCH!!!!!!!!

Somewhere along the way we've believed the lie that if you are 'raised in church' then you'll be okay in life therefore we've placed the burden on ministries and programs to spiritually raise our kids...no wonder teens are leaving the church in droves right now (some statistics say as much as 88% never come back to church after the age of 18). So what does this mean?

It means I am held accountable for teaching my daughter and I can't teach what I do not know. Deut. 6:6-7...'These commandments that I give to you today are to be upon YOUR hearts'...I must know what God wants and what he requires of me so I must get the Bible out of the drawer, take it off the nightstand and actually open it up at a time other than church service, Christmas, or Easter. Secondly, I can't teach what I'm not living out myself. It's like telling your kid not to yell and then yelling at the quarterback who just threw 3 picks on Sunday night to loose the game for your favorite team. Guess what, your kids is going to be a yeller like you! James 1:22-don't just listen to God's Word and do nothing, do what it says....LIVE IT OUT, then let the church reinforce it!"

Want to see how our church is trying to change the paradigm? Go to Growing Graduates on Oct. 4th (the launch date).

What are you having for dinner tonight?
Wednesday nights we head to church for dinner. Tonight we are having roast beef and LilE is having pizza.

What book are you reading right now?
Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster
Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp

What are your future family plans?
When JD and I first married we planned to have four children. Three years of seminary and a cross country move/new jobs didn't allow us to have an early start on those four children. When the timing was finally right for us, it did not come easy. My first pregnancy ended with a miscarriage at 6 1/2 weeks. Praise the Lord, one year later LilE was born! Our plan was to have our second child two years later. Obviously, this is not what the Lord has planned for us. We are learning day by day to trust His plan, knowing that it is MUCH better than our own.

Questions for Alicia

Alicia, you have mentioned selling Southern Living at HOME. How do you schedule home shows and events especially while your husband is away? How do you protect your time while he is home with your own business?

First, I try to remember why I enjoy selling Southern Living at HOME. It's a way to make a little extra for my family, have some "girl" time with friends and help women learn to entertain in and decorate their own homes. When I keep these things in mind it helps me to find balance with doing parties and being with my family.

Second, I have some set times that I absolutely won't do parties. Sundays is one of them. It's a day for the Lord and my family. No exceptions. It's great when he's home to be able to watch the boys, but when he's gone I just use a sitter to watch the kids. It cuts into my profit, but if I've done my job helping my hostess have a great party it doesn't make too much of a dent and it's still a fun evening out with the girls doing what I love.

Alicia, it must be hard to have your husband away so often. When my husband's away, dinner time is the hardest time of day. Do you have any tips for making dinner time go smoothly?

Yes. Don't make dinner. Seriously. We flip-flop our meals and eat the bigger, more time-consuming "dinner" for lunch. Although, I really don't cook much when Tim is gone, but when I do cook it's going to be lunch. Dinner is easy leftovers, Easy Mac, hot dogs, breakfast food, sandwiches, etc.

And that horrible time between 4 pm and bedtime? We go the local gym. Our family membership includes childcare so the kids and I hit the gym from about 4-5:30. I can zone out and get a good workout in and the kids love playing there. When we get home I make a quick dinner, then it's baths and the bedtime routine. The evenings are so much easier alone when I don't try to cook and prepare a meal while the kids are grouchy and need Mom. Plus, it gives me a good break when I know Dad won't be home to help me out and give me that break himself.

What are you having for dinner tonight?

It's Family Night at our local Chic-fil-a. We go pretty much every Tuesday night. Each adult meal purchased gets you one free kids meal. I get a sandwich and Mark gets nuggets and we share a small milkshake. Luke can't eat nuggets because of his allergies, but he loves their french fries. (And before you comment about his peanut allergies, his allergist says that peanut oil is okay!)

What book are you reading right now?

I just finished Memoirs of a Geisha for a book club I am in. It was a very interesting book. I enjoyed the story and the Japanese history in it. Plus it was a great discussion book for the club. I also just picked back up one of my favorite fiction books by Charlese Martin, Chasing Fireflies. I've read it before, but I love it and am looking forward to reading it again. And in non-fiction I've started Bringing Up Boys by James Dobson. I actually started this book when I found out Mark Garrett was boy more than four years ago and I guess having 2 boys had gotten in the way of finishing it!

What are your future family plans?

I feel like I could just say "ditto" to Sandra's answer to this question! I know that God has perfect timing in His sovereignty and I trust Him in that. But as far as our plans go, we would also love to have a third baby this time next year. Although sometimes I'm not sure I can see myself as the mother of 3 little boys. I realize it's more than a possibility - it could even be a likelihood!

Questions for Sandra

Sandra—How much time and when do you plan your school activities? I have trouble making plans (since I never learned that in school). And do you have a set schedule every day? Individual play, reading, tv time, meals, etc?

Sandra, you do such creative activities and directed play with your kids.  How much of your day is independent, undirected playtime?  How do you find a balance with those two types of teaching in your home?  



These questions are similar so I'm answering them together!


We use the Kumon "My First Book of Uppercase Letters" and "My Book of Numbers 1-30." At the beginning of September, I sat down and broke up the books into units to do each month (you can see that on our family blog here). I use the themes his preschool class is doing for each month and add our Bible lessons. Sunday afternoons, while my boys and hubby are usually napping, I plan our week.

David is at preschool MWF from 8 to noon. On days he's home, here's our schedule- we watch Sid the Science Kid at 7:30. After that the boys play independently until 9:30 when we watch Imagination Movers and have a snack. Then 10-11 we do our "school" type activities. 11:30 is lunch, followed by quiet times for both boys. By 2:30 they are up and have their afternoon snack. At 3:00 we watch The Fresh Beat Band. From 3:30-5:00 we do our afternoon activities. After dinner, the boys play independently until bath time at 7ish.

I try to be sensitive to David's moods. If he doesn't want to sit and trace his letters, we'll move that to later in the day or even the next day. And during the times he has independent play time I can easily tell when he's getting bored. That's when we get out the Play-Doh or a puzzle.

As far as balance, I just try to keep flexible. At this age, something may work for a month and then not work the next month. For example, for the last two weeks David has been napping every afternoon. When this stops I'll use that time (while James is sleeping) for one on one activity time. 

What do you have coming up ministry-wise right now? 
(For those who may not know, I have a Master of Divinity degree in Women's Studies and do a little work on the side as a women's ministry consultant and event speaker.)


This weekend I'll be doing a workshop for churches in the area (central PA) on Strengthening Your Women's Ministry. We will talk about setting the theology before focusing on programs. We'll also go over how to evaluate the effectiveness of their current ministries and brainstorm ideas to reach more women.

Next month I'll be speaking at a women's retreat a few hours away. Their theme is "Woman of Worth." I'm going to focus on the stories of Sarah, Abigail, and Mary the mother of Jesus in my three teaching sessions. I want to communicate to the women that just like God had a plan for those women, He has a plan for each of them. They can rise above their circumstances (Sarah struggled with discouragement, Abigail- frustration, and Mary- confusion), and live out their passion!


Questions for all of us!

What are you having for dinner tonight?
Well, we have a family coming over at 4:30 because their oldest son is going to talk to Lee about salvation and baptism! So, we'll be having left-over baked spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. I need to be available to entertain my kids and the younger kids in the family so I don't want to plan a big time-consuming meal!


What book are you reading right now? Yesterday I finished The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I'm trying to read about five "classics" this year. This week I am starting Sacred Friendships by Robert W. Kellemen and Susan M. Ellis. It's a new book about "Celebrating the legacy of women heroes of the faith." I'm reviewing it on my ministry blog Oct. 1st.


What are your future family plans? 
Such a fun, timely question. First, I realize my plans are not always God's plans. So read the following knowing that these are my plans, and are of course, subject to change!

We hope to have baby #3 sometime next year. Right now my husband is reading Adpoted for Life by Russell Moore, and it is really a life-changing book. We hope to adopt internationally in the next few years. We've always planned/hoped to have four kids. I tell the joke if my next baby isn't a girl, I may go to China and bring home a daughter!

Your Questions for Us!

This week we'll be answering questions from our readers! We'll each answer a few specifically for us and then answer the ones for all of us.

If you have any more questions, keep 'em coming. It's going to be a fun and surprising week!

Questions from You!

Be sure to get us your questions this weekend! We will answer them on the blog next week. Comment on the Facebook fan page, @ or DM us on Twitter, or email todayshousewife @ hotmail.com

One Year in Eight Days!

My son is turning one in eight days! I can't believe it. That makes me think, "what things are going to change when he turns one?" I already have some stuff together, realizing that he will start to walk soon. Where I start to wonder is food choices. He can start to have milk, but is it a gradual transition? How often should he drink it? Right now he's drinking eight ounces of formula before breakfast, lunch, dinner and right before bed. Help!

Also, I am 24 weeks pregnant. I would love some help with how to deal with babies that will be 15 months apart.

Parenting Styles

Greetings from the beach! We are having a fabulous first ever family vacation! It is definitely a much needed time to grow as a family. It has also been a great time for me to sit and read. I have finished one book that has literally taken me all summer to read. Now that it is finished I have moved on to the books I am reading as a part of studies this fall. I previously mentioned that I have started Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster and also Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Tedd Tripp.

This week I have been able to get further into SACH. The forth chapter discusses the confusion about authority in our world today. The world does not see that parents are the authority figures of their children. Biblically, God has called us to be the authority in our children’s lives and act on His behalf in parenting our children (see Genesis 18:19, Deuteronomy 6:2, and Ephesians 6:4).

So far, I agree. I am the one responsible for teaching my child. God has entrusted her to me and I must follow His command. But Tripp later in the chapter states that as the authority in our children’s lives we must show them that we are in charge by telling our children what they will eat, what they will wear, what they will do when I tell them to do it. He is saying we should not give our children choices. If we do, by the time our children “are six or eight or ten, he is his own boss. By age thirteen the child is out of control.”

He does say that some people may disagree with this statement and argue that “children only learn to be decision makers as parents allow them to make decisions.” And his rebuttal: “Children will be good decision makers as they observe faithful parents modeling and instructing wise direction and decision making on their behalf.”

After reading this today, I am still having trouble understanding why my daughter cannot make decisions on her own (when it doesn’t matter, of course. Such as what to eat for breakfast—cereal or a pop tart; or what to wear to school—the striped dress or the one with flowers). From previous biblically based studies I have done, my small groups have said this was an okay thought process. And now I am reading a new train of thought.

Kevin Leman in Making Children Mind Without Losing Yours talks about being an authority without being an authoritarian.

What kind of parent are you and why?

What can I feed this kid?!

I think I have mentioned this before, but we are a food allergy household. Neither my husband nor I ever dealt with them before having our first son. But when I started feeding Mark scrambled eggs around 14 months I noticed that his face broke out each morning. After some conversations with the doctor and some tests we found out that he was allergic to eggs. Thankfully, by age 3 he had outgrown his allergies.

Cut to baby #2. I suspected a milk allergy with Luke very early when we first gave him formula around 5 months. He broke out all over his whole body and we immediately switched to soy formula. I didn't think about it much until around 11 months I gave him yogurt and he broke out again. But I had no idea that he had more than just a milk allergy until we went to the doctor and they tested him for all major allergens and found out he's allergic to milk, egg, peanuts and cashews. I had no idea! I'd been giving him peanut butter for breakfast every other morning!

Needless to say, it's challenging to find a variety of healthy foods to feed Luke. I feel like the kid lives on crackers. He eats chicken nuggets and almond butter sandwiches a lot and loves hummus. But on top of the challenges of allergies, he is a picky eater when it comes to fruits and vegetables. I continue to offer a variety of them, but he will only eat applesauce. No berries, bananas, or apples. He will sometimes eat cooked veggies, but won't touch them raw.

What suggestions do you have for healthy, allergen-friendly foods I can feed him at home and also pack in his school lunch? And do you have any ways you feed your kids fruits and veggies to make them more appealing?

Germ-a-phobe!

I'm feeling like the out of control germ-a-phobe mother. I'm constantly saying, "Wash your hands!" and "Don't touch that!" This week when my three year old went to preschool he told his teacher that no one could touch him so he wouldn't get germs!

But with so much going around, I think most parents are extra protective this year. What are you doing to keep your kids well? Any natural remedies that work for you? Are you carrying around the anti-bacterial gel? Or do you think they need to build up their immune systems with a good cold or two each year? Help!

image source: © Dave Willman | Dreamstime.com

This Week: Your Help Wanted

 

Last time we asked questions from our readers, you were all full of great ideas and advice. Since we have no shortage of issues, problems, and questions- we're asking for your help again this week! PLEASE take time to comment! Even if someone else gives the same advice, knowing that you agree (or nicely disagree!) will help so much.

And remember, if you have questions for us, you have one week to let us know! Send your questions via Facebook, Twitter, or email us (todayshousewife @ hotmail.com)!

 

image source: kandyjaxx

All These Jars...

I used to want to learn sign language, so I took a class through community education in college. After about 2 classes, I realized I was done when they told me that I needed to have more expression in my face. That just didn't fit me well. When this topic came up, I asked my husband what I should write about because I couldn't think of an idea. I recently took a class to learn how to quilt (which is something I've wanted to do for a long time). I have had so much fun with it, I just can't imagine throwing something else in there. He suggested learning to can vegetables. At the same time, I thought of cake decorating! I would actually like to do both.

I have a friend who took a class at Hobby Lobby to learn to decorate cakes. They were always so cute. I would like to make a cake for my son's first birthday this month, but I probably won't learn before then! I have found some cute ideas online for some easy cupcakes, so I'll probably do that and put cake decorating on the back burner!

I found two packs of large jars on clearance at the grocery store recently for less than $5. I thought that was a great deal, so I got both of them. I guess my husband thought I wanted to start buying jars, so the next time he was at Wal-Mart, he got me two more packs. My collection grew after I found some more on sale and had a coupon. So right now, we've got 6 packs of jars sitting in our pantry...and I have no idea how to use them!

You see, he was planning to plant a garden this year, but it didn't ever happen! I recently found a "canning" section in one of my recipe books, so maybe when we get some produce next year, I'll have to teach myself.

Do you think it is worth it to can? How did you learn?

Birthday Week

Friends. Oh how I love them. They give you ideas like "birthday week." Who only wants to celebrate for one day when you could have seven?

This week is my birthday week! Yippee Yahoo! I turned 30-something on Monday. My mom loves birthdays and she likes to give things you wouldn't go out and buy for yourself. She called a couple of weeks ago for my wish list. It got me thinking about some projects I have going on around the house. Remember the bathroom? I now have fabric to cover the dreaded linen storage and (almost) useless knee space. It's great that I have fabric, but hand stitching went out of style a long time ago. And the most recent project idea involves making this cute outfit for my sweet girl.

With this long list of projects, it appears I would be in need of a sewing maching. Sure, lots of friends have them, but no one can give them up for a few weeks while I teach myself how to sew. Therefore, I decided that is the gift I wanted this year.

The last two weeks I have spent hours researching what kind of machine I would like to purchase, where to buy fabric (online and in town), what classes are offered that would aid me in completing my listed projects, and who services machines when it needs a "well baby check-up" as one lady called it. Who knew there would be so much to take in? Shew. Basically, I figured out I really don't need to jump in with both feet quite so fast. I have several friends who are extremely experienced who would be willing to give me some pointers (threading the machine) and help me sew a curtain or two. Straight lines should be easy, right?

My ambitions are high (not as high as quilting--I will leave that for Kama and Alicia). I have seen so many cute and easy projects that would be fun to have for LilE (such as the applique shirt and matching pants) and others that would make great gifts for all the babies around here, such as burp clothes, hooded towels, and paci clips!

What easy yet practical things do you like to sew?

Do you recommend a good Sewing for Dummies type book to have on hand?

My Skills are Sew Bad!

There are so many things I wish I knew how to do. Make a toddler nap in the afternoon. Create a sippy cup that actually - no really - IS leak-proof. Teach two little boys to play with fighting and screaming.

But I think most of those things are lost causes. I do however wish I knew how to use my sewing machine better. I took some sewing classes as a teenager. (Thank you, thank you, thank you 4-H club!) I can sew a straight line to repair clothing and even make very simple curtains and pillows. But I don't know nearly as much as I would like to. I would love to be able to create my own patterns and be one of those people who thinks up an idea and can simply make it. Or even be able to follow a complicated pattern and instructions from a book.

And an extension of that skill is that I wish I knew how to machine quilt. I took a hand-quilting class several years ago. It was so much fun and I really enjoyed it. (Not that I ever actually finished my first quilt, but someday...) The problem with hand quilting is that it's quite a time commitment. It can take years to finish a project at the rate I find time to work on quilting. And there's nothing wrong with that, but it would be nice to learn to piece on my machine so that I can actually complete projects to give as gifts and use in my own home. I have a book or two on machine quilting but they are quite intimidating to a beginner. I think I need to take a class or hire someone to teach me on my machine at home. That sounds like a perfect "patrol" project when Tim is gone. Now I just need to find a class or an avid quilter to help me out!

Does anyone have any other suggestions for teaching myself to use my sewing machine or finding resources to improve my sewing skills?

Learning Languages

One of the things Lee and I are passionate about instilling in our kids is a global vision. Even though I've never been out of the country, I want my boys to know that the US is not the center of the universe. Part of that lesson is to realize that not everyone in the world speaks English! When you begin to teach your kids, whether as a homeschool family or helping with homework, you realize the holes in your own knowledge. For me, the big hole I'm trying to compensate for is my struggle learning a foreign language.

When I was a senior in high school, we finally decided to get to the bottom of my trouble in math. I took a lot of tests and we found out I have a form of dyslexia. The people who tested me said I may have had dyslexia when I was younger, but I read so much I self-corrected to an extent. This diagnosis answered a lot of questions- why I often got numbers mixed up and why I had so much trouble spelling (when I read, I read whole words and not individual letters). But there was another side effect I hadn't thought much about up to that point. People with dyslexia have trouble with foreign languages.

I survived two years of Spanish in high school. In college, Kama (who was a Spanish major) very patiently helped me pass a couple more years. In graduate school, I enjoyed Hebrew (it's already backwards!) and tried and tried again in Greek. So it's not that I haven't taken foreign languages, it's that until now, I haven't really wanted to know a foreign language.

But now I'm making it a priority to teach my boys. We're starting off with Spanish, but as they grow, I hope they decide to learn an additional language. And I don't want to use my form of dyslexia as an excuse not to teach my boys something I'm not good at. So we're learning together. I may not be able to translate everything they will want to know, but with all the on-line resources (and Kama just a phone call away!) I will continue to push myself to learn more. 

My focus has changed from just learning enough vocab words to pass a quiz in Spanish, to really wanting to be able to communicate with people who speak Spanish. There's a great big world out there and I want my boys to be fully equipped to whatever God calls them to do, and not be afraid of getting out of their comfort zones. If in a small way I can give them the confidence they need to do something that doesn't come easily for them, like learning a foreign language, it's worth the extra effort on my part!

photo credit: girlhula

This Week's Topic

September brings cooler temperatures, changing leaves, lots of candy corn, and back to school time!

Our theme for September is education- educating ourselves, two weeks of Q & A, and a week to talk about what we've learned writing this blog.

This week we're talking about something we'd like to learn. Our theme verse, Prov. 14:1 says the wise woman builds her home. The wise woman is always looking for ways to do things better or learn something new! We hope to encourage you to try something new or learn more about a subject as we share what we'd like to learn.  

The week of Sept. 21st we will be answering questions from our readers! You can ask a group question or questions for an individual writer. Submit your questions to our email (todayshousewife @ hotmail.com), on Facebook, or on Twitter. We'll answer as many as we can that week!

image source {Emily}

Connections

I have made 15 years of lunches for my boys. I have seen baby food, peanut butter sandwiches, hot pockets, and lunches out. But for the first time ever I was invited to lunch by them. While it didn't workout as we had hoped, it was a pleasant time where we shared food,conversation, and laughter.

I have to say that the many stages of life we have gone through have come with their own favorite times. I adored the infant stage of cuddle and coo. I was thrilled when they grasped how to tie their shoes and read. I cheered them on while they played sports and when they figured out the math problem. But this time period as they become more independent, as the two year olds of yesterday are becoming the Godly men of tomorrow, is an amazing transformation to watch.

They are only 15 and 12, so there is still much room to grow and learn, but that's the truth for all of us. As I observe them from a distance I realize they are good kids. I can sit back and relax a little because I know that their hearts are in the right place and our relationship is such that I can trust them. They have their friends, schoolwork, church activities, and hobbies which keep their life full, and their choices, which are more theirs these days than mine, assure me that the trust is well worth it.

My oldest is learning to drive, and I know it is a matter of time before he doesn't need us to get him from here to there. He'll end up taking his younger brother with him as well. Part of me is sad that they don't need me like they did when they were two and their little arms wrapped around my neck. But another part is ecstatic that while not needed I am wanted. They come to me and their father for advice, to talk, to share, to cry, and to laugh. We have connections that are beyond our shared last name. We enjoy being with one another, and that I truly cherish.

I am grateful for where we are now, and where God has brought us. The hard times make the good times that much better, but the connections make it all worthwhile. It's not every day that a mom gets invited to lunch by her teenage sons. While I don't expect it to happen everyday either, I do plan to store that memory with the other good moments from the different stages. Too soon they will be grown and fully have their own life, and I pray that we still have those connections. Connections that will go outside the walls of our home.

Our guest post this week is from Stacey Lozano! Here's how she describes herself-

I have been married to a good old Texan for 17 years and we have two boys 15 and 12 who have always been homeschooled. I am a daughter of the Most High King who has recently put me in the Women's Ministry Lead position at my current church. I am a daughter of an Air Force officer and a southern belle. I am an older sister to two by blood and many by love. I am a friend to those who open their hearts to me. You can read my thoughts at My Unfinished Daze or find me on Facebook.

Fun at 11 Months!

Dietrich is now 11 months old. In 23 days, he will turn one year old and I can't believe it! I have loved getting to spend every day at home with him, watching him grow and change. I just recorded the 5 hours of video that we've taken since he was born onto DVDs this week and it has been so fun to watch those. I find myself thinking, "it seems like so long ago that he acted that way," and it was only a few months!

These are some of the things I love about his age right now:

• He is starting to repeat sounds like "yes", "hi" and "hey". It is so sweet sounding!
• He loves to clap and it looks a lot like a golf clap. So cute!
• He is still taking two long naps most days which lets me get some stuff done.
• He smiles at everyone and laughs at everything!
• He loves his mommy and daddy and his face lights up when he sees us!
• He loves to play with everything, crawl around everywhere (which tires out this pregnant lady) and pull up on anything! It looks like he is going to start walking any day!
• He is a happy, healthy, fun, funny, sweet, cute boy and I love him very much!!

Reflections

Before LilE was born, I prayed for a 6 lb baby girl. I desired to have a sweet girl with whom I could play dress up, paint finger nails, and cook. We are able to do these things just about every day! She has such a sweet spirit (most days), is very tenderhearted, and loves to help me around the house with cooking and cleaning. At 3 1/2 years old, I am now able to have conversations with her. With the fall kick off this past week, we are now able to talk about what she is learning at school and church. JD and I are also able to tell her more about the why's of the Bible stories she is learning at home and church and apply it to our lives as well.

I also love watching her play at home. She has a very vivid imagination. She has 5 "princessesses" that she plays with daily for hours, literally! They sit and talk and drive their own cars around. They talk and talk and talk. Seriously, it keeps her going! Not only do her "princessesses" talk all the time, but so do her dolls and stuffed animals. They are very real to her and it is priceless to watch her play. Sometimes I just stare at her and smile while she is in her own little world.

On the flip side, when we are out and about I often hear the words "she looks just like you." Physically, we do share a lot in common (and personalities too). But I also want our hearts to be reflective of Christ, not just genetics.

The last week has brought a new light into my life. I have just begun two studies this fall. One called Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster. He discusses 12 spiritual disciplines mentioned in the Bible. Twelve disciplines I do not possess right now, but pray I will grow in Him and learn how to share these in my outward actions. The other study is Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp. This study looks at the heart issues of a child, not only the outward behavior. "Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." (Matthew 12:34) All this mentioned to say, I want to be a model for my daughter. One that is reflecting the heart of Christ, not the heart of a sinner.

As I pray for myself, I also pray that each of you would be able to model Christ for your children. That you would look back to these days and remember that even at a young age, your children had a heart that beats for Christ.

Which Moments?

Sometimes when you are in the trenches of being a mom you lose sight of the big things in life. People say things like, "Treasure EVERY moment!" and "It goes by so fast!"

To be perfectly honest, I often want to ask them which moments I supposed to treasure. Are they the ones that involved screaming toddlers, public tantrums or diaper leakage? And the "fast" part? Well let me tell you, that meltdown that lasted every excruciating second of my checkout in the busy grocery store yesterday did not seem to pass quickly at all!

It's not that I don't love my boys. I do. And I am extremely grateful that I get to stay home with them and raise them to be the young men God desires them to be. But sometimes that process can be a little overwhelming and the day-to-day events of our home take over the big picture. While my job does involve a lot of laundry, changing diapers and grocery shopping, my ultimate job is to raise our boys according to Scripture.

Like Sandra, my Mark and Luke are about to turn 4 and 2 in the next month. It's amazing all the things they can do for themselves. Mark and I can have actually conversations involving reasoning skills and Luke can speak in small sentences. They play cars and trains together and build all kinds of elaborate creations with blocks and Duplo. Mark makes me laugh all the time with things he says and his young sense of humor. And Luke continues to amaze me daily because I don't remember much about this age with Mark. (I guess it was that whole having a newborn in the house thing!) Each age my children reach seems to be my new favorite age.

Really, I just can't believe how quickly they have grown into children from babies. It seems like just a few weeks ago we brought them home to make our family. (Of course, all the sleep deprivation over the last 4 years might have warped my sense of time...) As hard as it is some days, I don't want to be one of those moms who loses my kids in the piles of laundry and the everyday tasks that have to be done. I want to enjoy the boys and who they are at each stage of their life. Maybe you could remind me that tomorrow when my two-year is throwing his inevitable tantrum!