C-Sections Raise Risk of Lung Troubles In Babies
"Just why caesarean babies are at higher risk is unclear but Hansen said it was likely due to hormonal and physiological changes associated with labor.
The process of labor triggers the release of stress hormones in the mother, which are passed on to the fetus and are thought to be key in maturing the baby's water-filled lungs.
Cases of breathing problems associated with caesarean births are often not serious but they typically require incubator and oxygen treatment..."
"As a result, 10 percent of caesarean babies had respiratory problems when delivered at 37 weeks, compared to 2.8 percent of infants intended for vaginal delivery. By 39 weeks, the proportion was 2.1 percent compared to 1.1 percent."
Yikes!
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Christmas Afterglow
I keep meaning to upload Christmas pictures and make a post, but I've been so busy :) Between a week and a half of illness, the Christmas rush, and the Christmas aftermath I've been struggling to keep up with the house. I also am trying to finish the last few projects for my family, as we are not exchanging gifts until the 1st. Aside from that, we have been playing with all of our new things. :)
I received some clothes, "Pride And Prejudice" (the movie with Kiera Knightley) as well as a LOVELY black and white tea set from my husband, and I've been enjoying all the gifts. :) Also from Hubby, matching aprons for me and our two girls. We've enjoyed using them...on Thursday the 27th we went to my sister's apartment and made Christmas cookies and they were quite the hit! Rob's parents also bought us bikes (!!!!) so I am excited to get going on that soon.
A few days prior to Christmas, we did a HUGE clean-out of the girls' room. We didn't have time to fully sort things so they are in two big plastic bags in our garage, but they pretty much literally only have the toys they received for Christmas in their room right now, plus a few dolls, some stuffed animals, and some books and Little People toys. It looks like a ton of stuff, but it really isn't. However, I fully expect half of it to be given away. We are trying to simplify (especially since we may be moving in a few months' time), and trying to get rid of plastic toys as much as possible. I honestly don't know how they managed to accumulate so much "stuff" but that's what I get for saving every little thing ever. :) Being that Ginger is two, however, I don't really see why I need to clutter up their room with rattles and baby toys...so the nice and/or safe ones will go into storage, and I think I'd like to try "rotating" their toys like many other people do to keep the indoor clutter down.
So they did have a few things to look at and play with before Christmas, but I say, they haven't looked at or played with those things since! We got Ginger a couple sets of Melissa & Doug kitchen toys (we got her the pots and pans set and the cutting food set) plus some wooden food from PLAN toys. My dear friend Tara knitted a plum, apple, and half-peeled banana too (cutest thing ever!). I made them some "Charlotte" dolls...they turned out ok. Not anything to write home about, but they work :) And they love them. Sparrow's "big" gift was the Little House series of books, so we've been reading through "Little House in the Big Woods".
So you see, I've been busy. Between every day housework, catch-up housework, finishing up loose Christmas ends before Tuesday, and playing, I haven't had much time for blogging. :) Veggie stews made in the girls little play kitchen, reading chapters of our book while playing with the dolls, endless pretend games with the mermaid family and the unicorn family from Anne Moze, yes, it has been busy and fun. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We sure did.
I received some clothes, "Pride And Prejudice" (the movie with Kiera Knightley) as well as a LOVELY black and white tea set from my husband, and I've been enjoying all the gifts. :) Also from Hubby, matching aprons for me and our two girls. We've enjoyed using them...on Thursday the 27th we went to my sister's apartment and made Christmas cookies and they were quite the hit! Rob's parents also bought us bikes (!!!!) so I am excited to get going on that soon.
A few days prior to Christmas, we did a HUGE clean-out of the girls' room. We didn't have time to fully sort things so they are in two big plastic bags in our garage, but they pretty much literally only have the toys they received for Christmas in their room right now, plus a few dolls, some stuffed animals, and some books and Little People toys. It looks like a ton of stuff, but it really isn't. However, I fully expect half of it to be given away. We are trying to simplify (especially since we may be moving in a few months' time), and trying to get rid of plastic toys as much as possible. I honestly don't know how they managed to accumulate so much "stuff" but that's what I get for saving every little thing ever. :) Being that Ginger is two, however, I don't really see why I need to clutter up their room with rattles and baby toys...so the nice and/or safe ones will go into storage, and I think I'd like to try "rotating" their toys like many other people do to keep the indoor clutter down.
So they did have a few things to look at and play with before Christmas, but I say, they haven't looked at or played with those things since! We got Ginger a couple sets of Melissa & Doug kitchen toys (we got her the pots and pans set and the cutting food set) plus some wooden food from PLAN toys. My dear friend Tara knitted a plum, apple, and half-peeled banana too (cutest thing ever!). I made them some "Charlotte" dolls...they turned out ok. Not anything to write home about, but they work :) And they love them. Sparrow's "big" gift was the Little House series of books, so we've been reading through "Little House in the Big Woods".
So you see, I've been busy. Between every day housework, catch-up housework, finishing up loose Christmas ends before Tuesday, and playing, I haven't had much time for blogging. :) Veggie stews made in the girls little play kitchen, reading chapters of our book while playing with the dolls, endless pretend games with the mermaid family and the unicorn family from Anne Moze, yes, it has been busy and fun. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We sure did.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Wise Men Still Seek Him...
Merry Christmas...however you celebrate it, take a moment to be thankful, for Christ's birth is the reason it exists. :) He came to set us free from sin and Death eternal...
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Yes indeed, He is the light of the world...who could have foreseen that the Savior of the world would come lowly and helpless into a dark and dirty manger? My favorite carol of all time is "O Holy Night", and I often find myself kneeling, with face and arms upraised, and tears streaming, as I worship Jesus through this carol. It sounds obvious, but without his birth, there could be no death (payment) and resurrection (deliverance). So I celebrate it (although, he was most likely not even born in December much less the 25th, but hey, it works)...if heaven itself saw fit to celebrate His birth, complete with angelic choir, and wise men traveled for months to celebrate His birth, then how can I do any less?
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
Luke 2:8-14
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan's tyranny
From depths of Hell Thy people save
And give them victory o'er the grave
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night
And death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai's height,
In ancient times did'st give the Law,
In cloud, and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel.
Yes indeed, He is the light of the world...who could have foreseen that the Savior of the world would come lowly and helpless into a dark and dirty manger? My favorite carol of all time is "O Holy Night", and I often find myself kneeling, with face and arms upraised, and tears streaming, as I worship Jesus through this carol. It sounds obvious, but without his birth, there could be no death (payment) and resurrection (deliverance). So I celebrate it (although, he was most likely not even born in December much less the 25th, but hey, it works)...if heaven itself saw fit to celebrate His birth, complete with angelic choir, and wise men traveled for months to celebrate His birth, then how can I do any less?
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining,
It is the night of the dear Saviour's birth.
Long lay the world in sin and error pining.
Till He appeared and the Spirit felt its worth.
A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees! Oh, hear the angel voices!
O night divine, the night when Christ was born;
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!
Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
O'er the world a star is sweetly gleaming,
Now come the wisemen from out of the Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus lowly manger;
In all our trials born to be our friends.
He knows our need, our weakness is no stranger,
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Behold your King! Before him lowly bend!
Truly He taught us to love one another,
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.
And in his name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
With all our hearts we praise His holy name.
Christ is the Lord! Then ever, ever praise we,
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
His power and glory ever more proclaim!
Luke 2:8-14
And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
Sunday, December 23, 2007
And Their Stockings Were Hung By The Kitchen With Care...
I've seen a bloggie thing going around about how your home is decorated for Christmas, so I thought I'd participate. :) I've already blogged about our entry way and Christmas "rug" here, and our Christmas tree here so you can check those out if you missed them. :)
I made these stockings when Sparrow was little, and bought enough of the red fabric to last several stockings ;). So I was able to make a matching one for Ginger.
From our front porch:
Without flash and porch light:
A day-time close up of the window-box display:
Other side of the window:
Lights on:
Close up of the Kitchen "wreath" I made:
Back Porch
I made these stockings when Sparrow was little, and bought enough of the red fabric to last several stockings ;). So I was able to make a matching one for Ginger.
| Sparrow's Stocking: | Ginger's Stocking |
 |  |
| My Stocking: | Hubby's Stocking: |
 |  |
From our front porch:
Without flash and porch light:
A day-time close up of the window-box display:
Other side of the window:
Lights on:
Close up of the Kitchen "wreath" I made:
Back Porch
| Daylight close-up of wreath: | Close up of porch: |
 |  |
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Getting Closer!
Anticipation is in the air! Christmas morning is almost here!
I love this season of waiting. Advent is such a beautiful concept to me...Christ's birth, the pivotal moment of history (and preceding the next pivotal moments, the cross and the resurrection/ascension). Centuries of waiting for promises unfulfilled...the period of "silence" lifted...and in a humble manger to poor parents, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords made his entrance. Hallelujah!
I love this season of waiting. Advent is such a beautiful concept to me...Christ's birth, the pivotal moment of history (and preceding the next pivotal moments, the cross and the resurrection/ascension). Centuries of waiting for promises unfulfilled...the period of "silence" lifted...and in a humble manger to poor parents, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords made his entrance. Hallelujah!
Friday, December 21, 2007
Giving-a huge, not-very intelligent ramble
I really enjoyed a friend's thoughts recently on just relaxing about Christmas. Some people make a big deal and fuss about giving or not giving gifts, or only limiting gifts to a small number or space. I honestly fail to see what is so "Christian" about being miserly. Wise is one thing, and we are not to give out of compulsion...but we ARE to give, and to give cheerfully. I despise consumerism/materialism/commercialization and its current expression that so many people jump onto about Christmas. So I think it's possible to overdo it, if for no other reason than a wrong motivation. But I'm the kid that particularly enjoyed opening presents and seeing the big pile under the tree, and I don't think that it made me a heathen who couldn't appreciate what I'd been given, or that the joy in opening gifts took away from the joy of Christ and the gift He's given us.
I don't have a problem with doing a simple, small Christmas per se; quite the contrary. I don't think it's a good thing to just give stuff and lots of it (see previous post)! But I also don't see why "fun" or abundance is a bad thing. My kids are probably going to get a LOT of things, and most of their presents will come from extended family. I come from a large family, and we are all givers. I know some people that request relatives not give their kids gifts...I'm glad that it works for them, but I confess it makes me scratch my head. It seems silly to rob people of mutual joy because I have a lofty principle. And for some people, myself included, being generous is a necessary component of Christianity...so while I wouldn't call it sin per se, I wouldn't want to cause someone emotional distress or to stumble because I refused to receive their expressions of giving and love. If someone told me not to give them gifts, it would honestly hurt my feelings, because gifts are a love language for me.
After all...whenever the Bible mentions gifts that I can see, it doesn't seem to be a miserly measure but a grandiose gesture. So I take that and run with it! ;) In the OT, you didn't just give a king or the Lord a pittance for a gift. You gave him your best. Gifts were given to show favor, honor, submission, and love. Giving gifts is a good way to get friends, according to Proverbs, but promising gifts and never delivering them is a good way to be considered untrustworthy. There was a "special gift" that one was to bring to the Lord. The Magi gave expensive gifts to baby Jesus to honor his His birth. Jesus contrasted how human fathers know how to give good gifts to their children, and so much more will our heavenly Father give good gifts. Jesus Himself gave physical gifts, and not just necessary ones like feeding the multitudes. When the woman washed His feet with expensive perfume, it was a holy and precious thing, though the disciples pointed out that it was "wasteful" and the money could have been better (they thought) used elsewhere. One of my favorite verses on giving:
But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving. ~ 2 Corinthians 8:7
And yes, it's talking about tangible gifts. :) 1 Corinthians chapters 8-9 is a very sweet passage about giving, really. Also, I like this quote: "There are two authentic marks of a Christian: giving and forgiving." ~ Author Unknown
After all, "God loves a cheerful giver" :)
Of course, it doesn't have to all be tangible, or all be big and expensive. Myself, I much prefer gifts with meaning and practicality and love to give them. I mean, every year I seem to get three or four "bath" sets. You know...the ones you buy at the drugstore for like $10 in a pretty gift basket. The gifts that say "I don't know what you want or need, and don't know you well enough to ascertain what you might like, but here's something to make you smell better"! I use mostly natural products, so I usually donate those things to a women's shelter. I enjoy giving my girls experiences as gifts, not just toys. They are each getting what will be a rather shocking amount of presents to most people from Hubby and I, but I am probably more excited about it than they will be (especially because some of it is for homeschooling LOL!). I am making/have made about half of them, some of them are books, and a few other things to help along our foray into natural/wooden/organic toys...I got them some wooden play food and accessories, and each a set from Anne Moze. I gave Sparrow the Little House set, as we will be using them in our homeschooling curriculum next quarter. I also made/am making a "prairie" dress and sunbonnet for each girl along with a "Charlotte" doll for each (with a matching dress). :)
I can't talk about the other types of things I am giving, since they aren't given yet. :P But I prefer meaningful, sentimental, and/or practical gifts than just "stuff". I made many things, got a lot of things for a great price second-hand, and found special treasures to commemorate a childhood memory with each of my siblings. :) I don't buy things just to buy, and I do have a budget. I give because I love to give...because I am encouraged to excel in the grace of giving, told that whatever I give "unto the least" of these I give unto the Lord, and seek to emulate Christ who gives us good gifts in abundance, more than we can ask for or imagine...and we know that every good and perfect gift comes from our own Father. :)
So...all that rambling to say, I love giving gifts! I start in October at least, budgeting for and trying to come up with the "perfect" gift for my family (and when we can afford it, friends). It brings me so much joy and happiness, and I know that my gifts have often touched others and been appreciated. I don't get what's so wrong about being excited about gifts. :) I think when we seek the gift and not the Giver, or when the focus is SOLELY on or to excess/exclusion of God, then sure, that's not good. I just think it's a little silly to swing to the opposite extreme. That is my opinion however, and I do not think it's that way for everyone. I just don't get it because it's so contrary to my nature. :)
I don't have a problem with doing a simple, small Christmas per se; quite the contrary. I don't think it's a good thing to just give stuff and lots of it (see previous post)! But I also don't see why "fun" or abundance is a bad thing. My kids are probably going to get a LOT of things, and most of their presents will come from extended family. I come from a large family, and we are all givers. I know some people that request relatives not give their kids gifts...I'm glad that it works for them, but I confess it makes me scratch my head. It seems silly to rob people of mutual joy because I have a lofty principle. And for some people, myself included, being generous is a necessary component of Christianity...so while I wouldn't call it sin per se, I wouldn't want to cause someone emotional distress or to stumble because I refused to receive their expressions of giving and love. If someone told me not to give them gifts, it would honestly hurt my feelings, because gifts are a love language for me.
After all...whenever the Bible mentions gifts that I can see, it doesn't seem to be a miserly measure but a grandiose gesture. So I take that and run with it! ;) In the OT, you didn't just give a king or the Lord a pittance for a gift. You gave him your best. Gifts were given to show favor, honor, submission, and love. Giving gifts is a good way to get friends, according to Proverbs, but promising gifts and never delivering them is a good way to be considered untrustworthy. There was a "special gift" that one was to bring to the Lord. The Magi gave expensive gifts to baby Jesus to honor his His birth. Jesus contrasted how human fathers know how to give good gifts to their children, and so much more will our heavenly Father give good gifts. Jesus Himself gave physical gifts, and not just necessary ones like feeding the multitudes. When the woman washed His feet with expensive perfume, it was a holy and precious thing, though the disciples pointed out that it was "wasteful" and the money could have been better (they thought) used elsewhere. One of my favorite verses on giving:
But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us--see that you also excel in this grace of giving. ~ 2 Corinthians 8:7
And yes, it's talking about tangible gifts. :) 1 Corinthians chapters 8-9 is a very sweet passage about giving, really. Also, I like this quote: "There are two authentic marks of a Christian: giving and forgiving." ~ Author Unknown
After all, "God loves a cheerful giver" :)
Of course, it doesn't have to all be tangible, or all be big and expensive. Myself, I much prefer gifts with meaning and practicality and love to give them. I mean, every year I seem to get three or four "bath" sets. You know...the ones you buy at the drugstore for like $10 in a pretty gift basket. The gifts that say "I don't know what you want or need, and don't know you well enough to ascertain what you might like, but here's something to make you smell better"! I use mostly natural products, so I usually donate those things to a women's shelter. I enjoy giving my girls experiences as gifts, not just toys. They are each getting what will be a rather shocking amount of presents to most people from Hubby and I, but I am probably more excited about it than they will be (especially because some of it is for homeschooling LOL!). I am making/have made about half of them, some of them are books, and a few other things to help along our foray into natural/wooden/organic toys...I got them some wooden play food and accessories, and each a set from Anne Moze. I gave Sparrow the Little House set, as we will be using them in our homeschooling curriculum next quarter. I also made/am making a "prairie" dress and sunbonnet for each girl along with a "Charlotte" doll for each (with a matching dress). :)
I can't talk about the other types of things I am giving, since they aren't given yet. :P But I prefer meaningful, sentimental, and/or practical gifts than just "stuff". I made many things, got a lot of things for a great price second-hand, and found special treasures to commemorate a childhood memory with each of my siblings. :) I don't buy things just to buy, and I do have a budget. I give because I love to give...because I am encouraged to excel in the grace of giving, told that whatever I give "unto the least" of these I give unto the Lord, and seek to emulate Christ who gives us good gifts in abundance, more than we can ask for or imagine...and we know that every good and perfect gift comes from our own Father. :)
So...all that rambling to say, I love giving gifts! I start in October at least, budgeting for and trying to come up with the "perfect" gift for my family (and when we can afford it, friends). It brings me so much joy and happiness, and I know that my gifts have often touched others and been appreciated. I don't get what's so wrong about being excited about gifts. :) I think when we seek the gift and not the Giver, or when the focus is SOLELY on or to excess/exclusion of God, then sure, that's not good. I just think it's a little silly to swing to the opposite extreme. That is my opinion however, and I do not think it's that way for everyone. I just don't get it because it's so contrary to my nature. :)
The Politics of Stuff
The following is a great and awesome video that takes a look at stuff and accumulation mindset from an ecological/fiscal perspective. I don't agree with or endorse EVERYTHING in this video but I found it to be fairly accurate (save a few minor parts), and more importantly, it makes you think. Hopefully it won't stop there...it will spur you to action. Or maybe...inaction. ;)
The Story Of Stuff
I know most of us have wrapped up our holiday shopping sprees, but it's something to consider in the coming year and for next Christmas. :) It's one more reason to have a meaningful, simple Christmas too.
The Story Of Stuff
I know most of us have wrapped up our holiday shopping sprees, but it's something to consider in the coming year and for next Christmas. :) It's one more reason to have a meaningful, simple Christmas too.
The Christmas Rug
Yesterday, my 2 year old woke up feeling miserable. I had started feeling miserable the day before, but I woke up TRULY miserable. Hubby also felt sick, and stayed home from work. So we just tried to rest and relax. Unfortunately that meant that many Christmas projects are undone, and I do feel in a bit of a panic over Christmas suddenly. It snuck up on me! I don't want this season to end! The plus side is, I'm not exchanging presents with my family until New Year's. So their presents can wait. But I need to somehow find time to finish my sewing for the girls...
Anyways, instead of doing anything I SHOULD have done or NEEDED to do, the girls and I decided to use up scraps of red, white and green fabric (mostly Christmas fabric) and make a rag rug for the entryway. We had grand intentions, but our fabric fell short. LOL! Either way, it was a fun project, and it kept them quiet and near me so I could monitor their health without getting up. And it wasn't taxing at all, but rather relaxing.
Getting started...
Almost finished...
HOORAY IT'S DONE AND IN THE ENTRYWAY!!!! Hmm...it appears to be disproportionately small...
Oh well, I'll just make it a decoration and hang it on the wall!!! :D
Please excuse the grainy/blurry/darkness of these pictures. Our camera isn't working well.
Anyways, instead of doing anything I SHOULD have done or NEEDED to do, the girls and I decided to use up scraps of red, white and green fabric (mostly Christmas fabric) and make a rag rug for the entryway. We had grand intentions, but our fabric fell short. LOL! Either way, it was a fun project, and it kept them quiet and near me so I could monitor their health without getting up. And it wasn't taxing at all, but rather relaxing.
Getting started...
Almost finished...
HOORAY IT'S DONE AND IN THE ENTRYWAY!!!! Hmm...it appears to be disproportionately small...
Oh well, I'll just make it a decoration and hang it on the wall!!! :D
Please excuse the grainy/blurry/darkness of these pictures. Our camera isn't working well.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
O Christmas Tree
On Saturday, we ventured out in between events to get a fresh-cut Christmas tree. Because of mold concerns, I always try to get one that has been cut within the last week, and especially after Ginger's scary time in the hospital, I want to keep any allergens down. Also, I think it's not healthy to buy a tree that was cut in September, spray painted green, and thrown in water to wait...yuck! And I refuse to get a fake tree, because, well, it's fake. And also, they can "shed" lead. :( Incidentally, it turns out lights contain lead too, so while it is tempting, don't reuse your lights, and wear gloves and wash your hands after handling the lights.
I love Christmas trees. When I was growing up, it was always such a special thing...my mom had a special wax moon ornament she'd purchased while on vacation in Germany. It was very fragile, and I was always so excited to put it up on the tree. When we were younger, we always got our tree at a particular tree lot--the same one my mother had visited as a child. It went out of business :( but by then we decided to cut it down on our property. One year we got such a big tree, it reached the tippy top of our high, vaulted living room ceiling, so it was basically a tree 2 stories high :). We had to tie it to the staircase LOL. Decorating the tree meant cookies and mom breaking out her special vinyl Christmas records...ah, Sandi Patti, how high your voice is...and my MOST favorite thing was to lie underneath the tree, looking up through the branches at the lights. I especially loved to fall asleep under it. And in a big family, where everyone gets everyone else gifts (well...usually makes) you can imagine the huge pile of gifts under the tree Christmas morning. That was always a fun sight ;). I still get a thrill out of that...and usually arrange our presents under the tree to look as big as possible, even if there's only a few things under it ;).
I've heard all manner of explanations for Christmas trees, ranging from pagan to specifically Christmas to Christian. Which came first, the pagan traditions or the Christian ones? Beats me, but I do know who celebrated trees first, and I do know who used them in a great many pivotal moments of history. I imagine you can guess who I'm thinking of ;). After all, God created evergreens. And I enjoy them. Every year our pastor does a sermon on Christmas and usually includes his research on Christmas trees, as he (and I) find them to be incredibly symbolic. The tree itself, the wood, represents the cross, but the fact that it is a living, green tree represents the finished work of the cross--everlasting life. :) Plus the tree is like an arrow, pointing heavenward. The cross, the hope of everlasting life, all of it ultimately points to Jesus. :) Thus, Christmas trees are awesome. See? Logical.
I wish I had the notes from the sermon, but according to my pastor's research two of the more likely Christmas tree origins are religion-friendly, so that's good. One involves a Christian monk in a very early century walking through a forest and coming upon some...not Christian guys. I can't remember the story exactly, but basically he punched a tree and it split, which was a miracle and a sign to the men, and then he went on to use the three points of the evergreen to explain the gospel. The other one involves Martin Luther, and him liking the way the moonlight filtered through the trees and attempting to recreated that on a tree indoors with candles.
It just doesn't "feel" like Christmas to me without the tree. And once it's up, it feels like the season has really arrived. I love staring at my tree! I know I've mentioned this before, but one of the reasons I love my tree is because it represents love to me. Christ's love, and Christ's love extended through family and friends. Every year for our anniversary we get an ornament to commemorate the occasion (this year we got the gold and red-jeweled stars you'll see at the top and a ferry--we took a ferry to get to our destination). We generally make ornaments as a family as well, and I've received special ornaments over the years from beloved friends and family (like the two ornaments my dear sister made me out of copper...she's a jewelry/metalsmith and she made me Wilbur and Roxie, who are my family's beloved dachshunds...or the girl with two little girls caroling in front of a gingerbread house, given to me by the girls I nannied for over a 7 year period) or from special events or periods in my life (like the porcelain tea set ornaments I bought while working at a fabric store, and the nutcracker ornament I received for performing in The Nutcracker Ballet way back when...). In fact, this year I decided to photograph all my ornaments so I can catalogue them and not worry about forgetting which year we bought what. :)
We WERE planning to cut our own this year, but time and circumstance didn't permit. So I called around and found a reasonably-priced tree farm that brings trees in fresh every day. And it certainly is a fresh tree! :) In fact, it's the nicest, prettiest, fullest, freshest and most uniform tree we've ever had. I <3 it muchly. The girls and I had a lot of fun decorating it. Some of the branches are a little more decorated than others ;) but I think our tree is lovelier than ever! And it's not even just the kid's fault...Ginger is still very curious about all the ornaments, and loves to steal them and play with them, so I put all the breakable ones up high ;) The results?
You can see our stockings hung up too :)
I spruced up the "wall" there with a ribbon and a thrown-together wreath made out of extra Christmas tree branches (we had to cut a few off the bottom)
Isn't it cute?
If you look carefully, you can see one of the dachshund ornament on the top right branch
This is the view from the kitchen :)
I love Christmas trees. When I was growing up, it was always such a special thing...my mom had a special wax moon ornament she'd purchased while on vacation in Germany. It was very fragile, and I was always so excited to put it up on the tree. When we were younger, we always got our tree at a particular tree lot--the same one my mother had visited as a child. It went out of business :( but by then we decided to cut it down on our property. One year we got such a big tree, it reached the tippy top of our high, vaulted living room ceiling, so it was basically a tree 2 stories high :). We had to tie it to the staircase LOL. Decorating the tree meant cookies and mom breaking out her special vinyl Christmas records...ah, Sandi Patti, how high your voice is...and my MOST favorite thing was to lie underneath the tree, looking up through the branches at the lights. I especially loved to fall asleep under it. And in a big family, where everyone gets everyone else gifts (well...usually makes) you can imagine the huge pile of gifts under the tree Christmas morning. That was always a fun sight ;). I still get a thrill out of that...and usually arrange our presents under the tree to look as big as possible, even if there's only a few things under it ;).
I've heard all manner of explanations for Christmas trees, ranging from pagan to specifically Christmas to Christian. Which came first, the pagan traditions or the Christian ones? Beats me, but I do know who celebrated trees first, and I do know who used them in a great many pivotal moments of history. I imagine you can guess who I'm thinking of ;). After all, God created evergreens. And I enjoy them. Every year our pastor does a sermon on Christmas and usually includes his research on Christmas trees, as he (and I) find them to be incredibly symbolic. The tree itself, the wood, represents the cross, but the fact that it is a living, green tree represents the finished work of the cross--everlasting life. :) Plus the tree is like an arrow, pointing heavenward. The cross, the hope of everlasting life, all of it ultimately points to Jesus. :) Thus, Christmas trees are awesome. See? Logical.
I wish I had the notes from the sermon, but according to my pastor's research two of the more likely Christmas tree origins are religion-friendly, so that's good. One involves a Christian monk in a very early century walking through a forest and coming upon some...not Christian guys. I can't remember the story exactly, but basically he punched a tree and it split, which was a miracle and a sign to the men, and then he went on to use the three points of the evergreen to explain the gospel. The other one involves Martin Luther, and him liking the way the moonlight filtered through the trees and attempting to recreated that on a tree indoors with candles.
It just doesn't "feel" like Christmas to me without the tree. And once it's up, it feels like the season has really arrived. I love staring at my tree! I know I've mentioned this before, but one of the reasons I love my tree is because it represents love to me. Christ's love, and Christ's love extended through family and friends. Every year for our anniversary we get an ornament to commemorate the occasion (this year we got the gold and red-jeweled stars you'll see at the top and a ferry--we took a ferry to get to our destination). We generally make ornaments as a family as well, and I've received special ornaments over the years from beloved friends and family (like the two ornaments my dear sister made me out of copper...she's a jewelry/metalsmith and she made me Wilbur and Roxie, who are my family's beloved dachshunds...or the girl with two little girls caroling in front of a gingerbread house, given to me by the girls I nannied for over a 7 year period) or from special events or periods in my life (like the porcelain tea set ornaments I bought while working at a fabric store, and the nutcracker ornament I received for performing in The Nutcracker Ballet way back when...). In fact, this year I decided to photograph all my ornaments so I can catalogue them and not worry about forgetting which year we bought what. :)
We WERE planning to cut our own this year, but time and circumstance didn't permit. So I called around and found a reasonably-priced tree farm that brings trees in fresh every day. And it certainly is a fresh tree! :) In fact, it's the nicest, prettiest, fullest, freshest and most uniform tree we've ever had. I <3 it muchly. The girls and I had a lot of fun decorating it. Some of the branches are a little more decorated than others ;) but I think our tree is lovelier than ever! And it's not even just the kid's fault...Ginger is still very curious about all the ornaments, and loves to steal them and play with them, so I put all the breakable ones up high ;) The results?
You can see our stockings hung up too :)
I spruced up the "wall" there with a ribbon and a thrown-together wreath made out of extra Christmas tree branches (we had to cut a few off the bottom)
Isn't it cute?
If you look carefully, you can see one of the dachshund ornament on the top right branch
This is the view from the kitchen :)
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Parenting With Graceful Eyes
I loved this blog entry, it really spoke to me and is something I believe as well. I'm not into the whole "poor, worm, sinful me" theology/crap. I'm a sinner saved by grace, sure, because I'm not perfect. But the point isn't my sinfulness, nor should that be the focus. The focus should be Christ. And grace expects good, not evil. Self-flagellation only ever caused people welts ;) I'd rather put my living and striving into good things and living as one who overcame and is an overcomer in Christ, not as one who has yet to.
And this translates to children too. Sure, they have sinful natures. But I don't believe God holds them accountable for that (I believe that small children, babies, and unborn children go to heaven), so I'm not going to treat them that way too. I do not believe in humanism, that's the other extreme. But we are made in the image of God, and He is good. :) This includes babies. They'll need help, guidance, discipline and when they are old enough for it to be effective, punishment, sure. But the most important thing anyone can learn is Love. To know Love, to know Grace, is to know Christ. Everything--even holiness--follows after. :)
Vipers in Diapers?
And this translates to children too. Sure, they have sinful natures. But I don't believe God holds them accountable for that (I believe that small children, babies, and unborn children go to heaven), so I'm not going to treat them that way too. I do not believe in humanism, that's the other extreme. But we are made in the image of God, and He is good. :) This includes babies. They'll need help, guidance, discipline and when they are old enough for it to be effective, punishment, sure. But the most important thing anyone can learn is Love. To know Love, to know Grace, is to know Christ. Everything--even holiness--follows after. :)
Vipers in Diapers?
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Holiday Happenings
This was our busiest weekend in a long, long time! But that's okay, because we're not doing ANYTHING next weekend and I MEAN IT! :)
On Thursday, I didn't get to the MYHAHC because Sparrow became quite ill with the flu. However, it was a rather short flu, for which I am imminently thankful as it was pretty scary for a bit. By Friday morning, she was right as rain. Seriously! As if she'd never even BEEN sick. Friday evening was Hubby's office party. That was fun and hilarious. It was at a very nice, posh, hip little club/restaurant/lounge downtown. They had delicious food including "mashed potato martinis". Basically, hot and steaming mashed potatoes served in a martini glass (either purple or yukon gold) that you then customized with a variety of toppings such as cheese, bacon, sour cream, these bacon-wrapped chunks of meat, etc. The restaurant served hors d'oeuvres, but it was quite filling--meat skewers, cheeses, various tarts. We had the whole place to ourselves. They even had someone drawing caricatures. Hubby and I had one done, it was hilarious!
Saturday morning we got up early and headed to our local museum of flight to watch Santa Claus come in on a helicopter. Yep, you read that right. I guess sleighs aren't high-tech enough to keep up in this fast-paced world. ;) Afterward, if you paid admission to the museum, you could visit with Santa etc. But we just wanted to watch the helicopter land, and we had to run to my brother's birthday party brunch, so we didn't stay long. It was so cute how excited some of the kids got...my kids were more excited to see the helicopter. Incidentally, I don't believe in lying to your kids as a general rule. So Santa is sort-of-kind-of part of our holiday trappings, as a sort of make-believe game we play, and the girls know that we give gifts to each other because God gave us the gift of Jesus...not that some mystical being flies about the world and breaks into people's houses to fill them with brightly wrapped Stuff. As far as Santa goes, I like to focus on the REAL Santa, as in Saint Nicholas. Who is not still alive and living in the North Pole, but in fact alive in Christ in heaven. ;)
After that, like I said, we dashed away to my brother's birthday brunch and had a good time with food and fellowship. Then? We went and got a freshly-cut Christmas tree. (pictures to come later) It had been cut the day before, actually. We took it home and put up about half of the ornaments, but we had to cut it a little short...because we had yet another party to attend! Yes, we went to our third party of the weekend! Good friends of ours hosted a holiday get-together Saturday evening, so we showed up fashionably late becausethe babysitter was late and we got lost we're fashionable. It was great fun, though, and there was a cookie decorating contest and one of my cookies won a prize! :D The sign on the plate of contest cookies said "Do Not Eat" and underneath it "Cookie Contest". So of course my wise-guy husband insisted that it was a contest to see who didn't eat the cookies ;). Apparently someone lost that contest, because one of the cookies had a bite taken out of it ;). I didn't get any pictures of the birthday party or the friend party itself, but I did get a picture of my cookie and the Santa-copter :)
Sunday was another busy day! Sparrow needed to be at church early because the children's church was putting on its Christmas pageant today! :) The kids were all so cute! Sparrow was a shepherd and she only had one line, but she did great. After church we drove several hours into the mountains to a special little town that is completely done in Bavarian/German style. It was their last Christmas-tree lighting ceremony, and I'd been wanting to go to one for several years now. The mountains are just beautiful this time of year, and I couldn't stop taking pictures! The farther up the pass, the more snow. There must have been 2 feet of snow on all the roofs! Instead of strollers, all the parents were pulling their kids in sleds, so we went ahead and splurged on a $13 sled. Kids were sledding down one of the hills, so we let Sparrow go down a few times until it was time to gather for the lighting ceremony. So then we popped both kids in the sled and walked down one side of the street and up the other for the last 15 minutes before the ceremony.
Now, this town doesn't just light up a tree, it lights the village! So first all the trees and the gazebo in the town square were lit up (one side of the street) and then we turned around and counted down and all the shops lit up. Prior to that we also enjoyed some pastries, hot drinks and bratwurst. They had live performers, sleigh rides (too expensive) and the like...they even had four men play a tune on alpine horns, those looooooooong things that look like shofars kinda. Think "Ricola". ;). Right before they lit everything up, as we gathered at dusk, we sang Christmas carols together. I teased Hubby that there would be hand-holding and swaying, but in fact we all just gathered together and sang. It was beautiful!
After that, we drove 2 hours back in time for our friend's birthday party. Whew! That's two "our" family events and four parties in one weekend! It was completely fun and I don't feel too tired and I'm so glad we did all the things we did, but wow! The birthday party was fun, but we couldn't stay long as the kids were tired and it was nearing bedtime. Anyways, here are a few more pictures:
Nearing the mountains:
Up the pass:
I wasn't sure it would actually be snowy, so I was so pleased that it was! The village was just BEAUTIFUL in the snow, and with the lights, it was like having a white Christmas!
Sparrow going down the hill:
Winter Wonderland!
Christmas Lights!
p.s. Because of our late night, we didn't get to our advent celebration, but we will just do it tomorrow night I think. :)
On Thursday, I didn't get to the MYHAHC because Sparrow became quite ill with the flu. However, it was a rather short flu, for which I am imminently thankful as it was pretty scary for a bit. By Friday morning, she was right as rain. Seriously! As if she'd never even BEEN sick. Friday evening was Hubby's office party. That was fun and hilarious. It was at a very nice, posh, hip little club/restaurant/lounge downtown. They had delicious food including "mashed potato martinis". Basically, hot and steaming mashed potatoes served in a martini glass (either purple or yukon gold) that you then customized with a variety of toppings such as cheese, bacon, sour cream, these bacon-wrapped chunks of meat, etc. The restaurant served hors d'oeuvres, but it was quite filling--meat skewers, cheeses, various tarts. We had the whole place to ourselves. They even had someone drawing caricatures. Hubby and I had one done, it was hilarious!
Saturday morning we got up early and headed to our local museum of flight to watch Santa Claus come in on a helicopter. Yep, you read that right. I guess sleighs aren't high-tech enough to keep up in this fast-paced world. ;) Afterward, if you paid admission to the museum, you could visit with Santa etc. But we just wanted to watch the helicopter land, and we had to run to my brother's birthday party brunch, so we didn't stay long. It was so cute how excited some of the kids got...my kids were more excited to see the helicopter. Incidentally, I don't believe in lying to your kids as a general rule. So Santa is sort-of-kind-of part of our holiday trappings, as a sort of make-believe game we play, and the girls know that we give gifts to each other because God gave us the gift of Jesus...not that some mystical being flies about the world and breaks into people's houses to fill them with brightly wrapped Stuff. As far as Santa goes, I like to focus on the REAL Santa, as in Saint Nicholas. Who is not still alive and living in the North Pole, but in fact alive in Christ in heaven. ;)
After that, like I said, we dashed away to my brother's birthday brunch and had a good time with food and fellowship. Then? We went and got a freshly-cut Christmas tree. (pictures to come later) It had been cut the day before, actually. We took it home and put up about half of the ornaments, but we had to cut it a little short...because we had yet another party to attend! Yes, we went to our third party of the weekend! Good friends of ours hosted a holiday get-together Saturday evening, so we showed up fashionably late because
| Helicopter Landing! | Santa Emerging |
 |  |
| Santa! | My cookie is the plaid star :) |
 |  |
Sunday was another busy day! Sparrow needed to be at church early because the children's church was putting on its Christmas pageant today! :) The kids were all so cute! Sparrow was a shepherd and she only had one line, but she did great. After church we drove several hours into the mountains to a special little town that is completely done in Bavarian/German style. It was their last Christmas-tree lighting ceremony, and I'd been wanting to go to one for several years now. The mountains are just beautiful this time of year, and I couldn't stop taking pictures! The farther up the pass, the more snow. There must have been 2 feet of snow on all the roofs! Instead of strollers, all the parents were pulling their kids in sleds, so we went ahead and splurged on a $13 sled. Kids were sledding down one of the hills, so we let Sparrow go down a few times until it was time to gather for the lighting ceremony. So then we popped both kids in the sled and walked down one side of the street and up the other for the last 15 minutes before the ceremony.
Now, this town doesn't just light up a tree, it lights the village! So first all the trees and the gazebo in the town square were lit up (one side of the street) and then we turned around and counted down and all the shops lit up. Prior to that we also enjoyed some pastries, hot drinks and bratwurst. They had live performers, sleigh rides (too expensive) and the like...they even had four men play a tune on alpine horns, those looooooooong things that look like shofars kinda. Think "Ricola". ;). Right before they lit everything up, as we gathered at dusk, we sang Christmas carols together. I teased Hubby that there would be hand-holding and swaying, but in fact we all just gathered together and sang. It was beautiful!
After that, we drove 2 hours back in time for our friend's birthday party. Whew! That's two "our" family events and four parties in one weekend! It was completely fun and I don't feel too tired and I'm so glad we did all the things we did, but wow! The birthday party was fun, but we couldn't stay long as the kids were tired and it was nearing bedtime. Anyways, here are a few more pictures:
Nearing the mountains:
Up the pass:
I wasn't sure it would actually be snowy, so I was so pleased that it was! The village was just BEAUTIFUL in the snow, and with the lights, it was like having a white Christmas!
Sparrow going down the hill:
Winter Wonderland!
Christmas Lights!
p.s. Because of our late night, we didn't get to our advent celebration, but we will just do it tomorrow night I think. :)
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
MYHAHC: Day 7
Tuesday was such a busy day, I didn't get to this until today. Which is just fine, as so far there is no challenge up for Wednesday :(
The challenge for today was to either tackle a project you'd been putting off or rearrange/clean/organize a shelf/closet/drawer (or do both). I decided to tackle the sliding glass door.
See, a couple of weeks ago (yes! *gulp*!!!) DD # 1 decided to...decorate the door with a beeswax candle. Regular wiping/washing didn't help, nor did a blow dryer. What finally worked for me today was rubbing hard with a dry cotton waffle-weave rag. Then I washed the window, swept the back porch and organized it. Because as you'll see in the before pictures, it desperately needed it. Another thing I needed to do but have been putting off because it's yucky is cleaning out the gunk that is in the door tracks. Also, I'm not sure why there's a white cloudy thing on part of my door, except that it appears to be INSIDE the door, and not cleanable.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
As you can see in the after picture, we made some "festive" snowflakes, LOL. While I was busy working on the door, I had the girls make some snowflakes. I made a few too. It was a little frustrating for Sparrow at first because she didn't do what she wanted to do with scissors alone, but fortunately I had a slight brain flash and got out my scrapbooking edge scissors :D. Yay! I think the ones my toddler made are fairly obvious...LOL...
The challenge for today was to either tackle a project you'd been putting off or rearrange/clean/organize a shelf/closet/drawer (or do both). I decided to tackle the sliding glass door.
See, a couple of weeks ago (yes! *gulp*!!!) DD # 1 decided to...decorate the door with a beeswax candle. Regular wiping/washing didn't help, nor did a blow dryer. What finally worked for me today was rubbing hard with a dry cotton waffle-weave rag. Then I washed the window, swept the back porch and organized it. Because as you'll see in the before pictures, it desperately needed it. Another thing I needed to do but have been putting off because it's yucky is cleaning out the gunk that is in the door tracks. Also, I'm not sure why there's a white cloudy thing on part of my door, except that it appears to be INSIDE the door, and not cleanable.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
As you can see in the after picture, we made some "festive" snowflakes, LOL. While I was busy working on the door, I had the girls make some snowflakes. I made a few too. It was a little frustrating for Sparrow at first because she didn't do what she wanted to do with scissors alone, but fortunately I had a slight brain flash and got out my scrapbooking edge scissors :D. Yay! I think the ones my toddler made are fairly obvious...LOL...
MYHAHC: Day 6
Well, I should have posted this on Monday, but alas, my camera stopped working. I took a before picture with my camera phone, but not an after. I think I'll take an "after" photo later, but I wanted to get this up so it is chronological. LOL!
The Challenge was to tackle the kitchen, so here is my before picture:
And finally, here are the after pictures :) I cleaned the outside of the fridge and organized it, scrubbed the floors, and just general kitchen clean-up. :)
The Challenge was to tackle the kitchen, so here is my before picture:
And finally, here are the after pictures :) I cleaned the outside of the fridge and organized it, scrubbed the floors, and just general kitchen clean-up. :)
Cool Homebirth Video
I had a hospital birth with my first, and a homebirth with my second. There were some things about my hospital birth that were hard (most notably all the pushing that ended up in an epidural, and what I now feel was a mismanagement of the labor, but then hindsight is always 20/20), but it wasn't a horrible, awful, kind-you-read-about-and-gasp story. I probably would have been fine with a hospital birth the second time around had we had insurance. But we didn't, so we had to look into a cheaper option, and the more I studied, the more in love I fell with homebirth and the more I believed in the safety and efficacy of it. It's not for everyone, but should the Lord choose to bless us with more children, I will go that route again. It was a great experience. I had a complication, and I have no doubt that it would have been a huge deal in the hospital but it was managed just fine at home, and I feel the Lord led us to homebirth for that reason. Anyhoo...
Here's a cool video about homebirth. Chokes me right up! It's NOT safe for work, and depending on your comfort level and openness with your kids it may not be safe for little eyes either because there are some graphic pictures of a baby emerging. It's not sexual or disgusting or gross, but it IS birth. :) Sparrow was there for Ginger's birth, and it was a neat experience for her, so I don't care, but other people might.
Here's a cool video about homebirth. Chokes me right up! It's NOT safe for work, and depending on your comfort level and openness with your kids it may not be safe for little eyes either because there are some graphic pictures of a baby emerging. It's not sexual or disgusting or gross, but it IS birth. :) Sparrow was there for Ginger's birth, and it was a neat experience for her, so I don't care, but other people might.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Homeschooling Versus Public School Thoughts
Firstly, a disclaimer of sorts. I believe that homeschooling is the best option for every child in every circumstance. I recognize that it is not the possible option for every child in every circumstance. I do not believe it is a Biblical mandate to homeschool, although I feel it is very supported, this is an area of Christian liberty that each and every family should bring before the Lord for themselves--and your answer for YOUR family may be different from God's answer for MY family. I believe that a homeschooled education is superior in every way to any other kind of schooling, but I do not believe that children with involved and caring parents will suffer greatly for choosing private or public school. I do, in fact, believe that they will miss out on some things, and since I believe that in the majority of cases homeschooling is superior, I do think that they may not have the same advantages, but that they may be able to overcome them later. I do not believe that homeschooled children miss out on anything good that public or private school could offer them. I believe that the government has too much say in the wrong things and not enough say in the right things as to what is being taught in schools, and I do believe there should be an option for public/private schooling. Freedom and all that. Also, I believe that home is sufficient to meet a child's needs, but think that co-ops and programs through private and public schools can be helpful to the homeschooler. I am not against sports, arts, music, drama, dance, or seeking help teaching a subject that I am no expert on (like math for instance). I have strongly held opinions about this, but I recognize that it is my opinion. My opinion is based on 20+ years of homeschooling experience of various kinds, research, observances, what I have gleaned from teachers who teach in public or private schools, other homeschoolers, etc. But I am not a perfect being with perfect experiences and intellect. I see things through my individual lens.
We participate in a program through our local public school. It is a center that is considered a public school, but it really isn't. It's more like a co-op, but the government pays for all the books and classes and activities. I do feel there is some benefit to the larger classroom experience, and as we do not have many kid neighbors, live far away from our church and most of our friends, and do not have a lot of regular homeschool co-op options available to us at this time I find that it is a good way for Sparrow and I to make some like-minded friends. Basically, the center offers classes and homeschoolers can take them. In fact, you can even basically register as a public school student but do the majority of your schooling at home on your own terms--and get reimbursed for quite a bit of curriculum. The only "fingers" the government sticks into your homeschool pie is that it requires you meet monthly with a registered teacher. With elementary grades, all this means is a quick "Hi, we went to a museum this month, it was great!". High school is more involved record keeping. So for now, for us, this is a good option.
Right now Sparrow is taking 4 classes...a Spanish language class (one hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays), a regular art class (one hour on Thursdays), a recorder music class (one hour on Thursdays) and a pottery class (one hour on Mondays...thinking of dropping this one though, or finding a Tuesday art class). Last year we did some classes through our local rec center, and while I was pleased with them, I felt she needed some more consistency and challenge, so we decided to take a Spanish class through our local homeschool resource center. That spiraled into an art class as well, and this quarter we added the music class and the pottery class. I think that's too much...I want to stick it out for this quarter but next quarter we'll go back to our small schedule.
Anyways, the point is, I met a new buddy today. I asked her what her reasons for homeschooling was, and she talked about how her kids had too difficult of a transition from Kindergarten to first grade, and how frustrated she was by the lack of transition there really is. You go from playing most of the day and happy, understanding teachers to being "in the big leagues" over summer break, and apparently it was hard for her kids to adjust. I thought that was interesting, so I pursued the thought a bit, and then she shared some more thoughts about public school I hadn't thought of before.
Now, I admit freely that one of the big reasons why I have chosen to homeschool and find it superior to public or private school is because of the time and effort difference. I simply find it ridiculous to be parted with my young, earnest, moldable child for 7 hours a day and then have another hour or two regimented by the school and not me to spend with my child and do homework. I think it's a travesty of childhood; kids are forced to grow up too fast. They are made to sit still in classrooms to perform like monkeys for some irrelevant test, and not allowed to play and be who they are. There was an old philospher who wrote an interesting book on the development of young girls, and he firmly believed that children should not be in any formal education until they are at least 8 or 9 years old. I confess I hold to that ideal as well. That children, young children, learn best by playing. Formality and logic will come when it's time for their brains to develop that.
She had another similar perspective. It turns out that her oldest's biggest frustration and area of difficulty transition-wise was not being free to carry out his basic biological urges when he had the urge to carry them out. That was a startling thought to me, and I confess, bleeding heart that I am, it made me a little sick. Her son couldn't get up and relieve his bladder when he needed or wanted to; he had to wait until he was excused. This is largely true of most children in schools...some schools even have "bathroom breaks", as if all children's bladders and biological urges must function on the same clock. Some schools even require (understandably) that you be accompanied by a hall monitor or another child. More waiting, in other words. Same with eating. No eating when you are hungry, and eating what you are hungry for. You must wait until the school says it is time for you to eat, and then eat quickly...you only have a small amount of time to do so.
I'm not suggesting that any form of routine or schedule is bad for children, or that bathroom breaks are cruel. I'm not suggesting that learning patience is bad either. On the contrary, I think that it can be a good thing to learn and important to implement in just your basic child training practices. I just don't think that seven or eight hours a day of such a regiment, outside of the dynamic and adjustable loving home, is preferable or even good. In fact I find it...well...a little cruel.
On an entirely different but related subject, Hubby was relating to me the other day on yet another way public school education left him ill prepared for the workforce/life.
Aside from college, when, in your life, will 70% of a job done correctly be passable?
Grades are tools for teachers to evaluate a student's progress, and a way to measure the success of a school at large, the effectiveness of a teacher or curriculum, and a way to motivate (for good or for ill). Learning materials for a test or state/nation-wide evaluations does not mean the materials are cogitated and digested, but it is a way to evaluate the student body as a whole. The problem, however, is that grades are not set up for each and every individual student to succeed and to learn (most especially if you subscribe to the utter idiocy that is the Bell curve theory). Unless a parent is able to step in, a "C" student may remain a "C" student, because the problem is, a teacher cannot take the time to mentor and bring his or her "C" student up to "A" level in a class of 30-60 kids. Furthermore, it is a label, and I heartily dislike labels. It's a permanent label, even...the grades that a child gets even in elementary school become part of their self-image, and the grades one gets later become part of the permanent record of a person. That "D" you got in your first semester of freshman math can truly haunt you for the rest of your life.
So I see the problem with grades in that light...it doesn't show us what a student has truly learned, nor is the system set up for every student to be an "A" student. When Sparrow does a math worksheet and misses a few, we go back over them until she learns it. Most kids and most school systems do not have that luxury and in fact are not set up to address that at all. But my aim is to teach Sparrow, and have her learn. Not set her up to pass a random test.
The point that my husband brought up, however, has more to do with how it affects you later. You see, a "C" grade can skate you right through school. It's a pass. Maybe you won't get in to Harvard, but you are not precluded from higher learning because you are an average student (and good thing). Generally, a "C" grade means that you did 70%. You completed a project to 70% of its requirements; you got 70% of the questions right, demonstrating your knowledge; your teacher felt your effort was only 70% of what it could have or should have been, etc. And it's ok, because 70% is good enough. It's ok if you don't fully know the material (keep in mind that this carries into college. Remember that next time you see your doctor ;)...).
But the problem is, the workforce isn't like that. LIFE isn't like that. You can't just do 70% because you feel like only putting that much effort forth. If you are a car mechanic, and you only do a 70% job on someone's brakes, someone could die, and you could lose your job or worse. 99% isn't enough, even, in most cases. Under-performers are not generally promoted or kept. So you spend 12+ years of your life skating through your obligations with a mindset that your A or your B or your C is good enough...only to find out that 100% is required of you at all times. A surgeon can't have a "pop quiz" every time he operates. He needs to know what he knows. Just something I'm pondering. :)
We participate in a program through our local public school. It is a center that is considered a public school, but it really isn't. It's more like a co-op, but the government pays for all the books and classes and activities. I do feel there is some benefit to the larger classroom experience, and as we do not have many kid neighbors, live far away from our church and most of our friends, and do not have a lot of regular homeschool co-op options available to us at this time I find that it is a good way for Sparrow and I to make some like-minded friends. Basically, the center offers classes and homeschoolers can take them. In fact, you can even basically register as a public school student but do the majority of your schooling at home on your own terms--and get reimbursed for quite a bit of curriculum. The only "fingers" the government sticks into your homeschool pie is that it requires you meet monthly with a registered teacher. With elementary grades, all this means is a quick "Hi, we went to a museum this month, it was great!". High school is more involved record keeping. So for now, for us, this is a good option.
Right now Sparrow is taking 4 classes...a Spanish language class (one hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays), a regular art class (one hour on Thursdays), a recorder music class (one hour on Thursdays) and a pottery class (one hour on Mondays...thinking of dropping this one though, or finding a Tuesday art class). Last year we did some classes through our local rec center, and while I was pleased with them, I felt she needed some more consistency and challenge, so we decided to take a Spanish class through our local homeschool resource center. That spiraled into an art class as well, and this quarter we added the music class and the pottery class. I think that's too much...I want to stick it out for this quarter but next quarter we'll go back to our small schedule.
Anyways, the point is, I met a new buddy today. I asked her what her reasons for homeschooling was, and she talked about how her kids had too difficult of a transition from Kindergarten to first grade, and how frustrated she was by the lack of transition there really is. You go from playing most of the day and happy, understanding teachers to being "in the big leagues" over summer break, and apparently it was hard for her kids to adjust. I thought that was interesting, so I pursued the thought a bit, and then she shared some more thoughts about public school I hadn't thought of before.
Now, I admit freely that one of the big reasons why I have chosen to homeschool and find it superior to public or private school is because of the time and effort difference. I simply find it ridiculous to be parted with my young, earnest, moldable child for 7 hours a day and then have another hour or two regimented by the school and not me to spend with my child and do homework. I think it's a travesty of childhood; kids are forced to grow up too fast. They are made to sit still in classrooms to perform like monkeys for some irrelevant test, and not allowed to play and be who they are. There was an old philospher who wrote an interesting book on the development of young girls, and he firmly believed that children should not be in any formal education until they are at least 8 or 9 years old. I confess I hold to that ideal as well. That children, young children, learn best by playing. Formality and logic will come when it's time for their brains to develop that.
She had another similar perspective. It turns out that her oldest's biggest frustration and area of difficulty transition-wise was not being free to carry out his basic biological urges when he had the urge to carry them out. That was a startling thought to me, and I confess, bleeding heart that I am, it made me a little sick. Her son couldn't get up and relieve his bladder when he needed or wanted to; he had to wait until he was excused. This is largely true of most children in schools...some schools even have "bathroom breaks", as if all children's bladders and biological urges must function on the same clock. Some schools even require (understandably) that you be accompanied by a hall monitor or another child. More waiting, in other words. Same with eating. No eating when you are hungry, and eating what you are hungry for. You must wait until the school says it is time for you to eat, and then eat quickly...you only have a small amount of time to do so.
I'm not suggesting that any form of routine or schedule is bad for children, or that bathroom breaks are cruel. I'm not suggesting that learning patience is bad either. On the contrary, I think that it can be a good thing to learn and important to implement in just your basic child training practices. I just don't think that seven or eight hours a day of such a regiment, outside of the dynamic and adjustable loving home, is preferable or even good. In fact I find it...well...a little cruel.
On an entirely different but related subject, Hubby was relating to me the other day on yet another way public school education left him ill prepared for the workforce/life.
Aside from college, when, in your life, will 70% of a job done correctly be passable?
Grades are tools for teachers to evaluate a student's progress, and a way to measure the success of a school at large, the effectiveness of a teacher or curriculum, and a way to motivate (for good or for ill). Learning materials for a test or state/nation-wide evaluations does not mean the materials are cogitated and digested, but it is a way to evaluate the student body as a whole. The problem, however, is that grades are not set up for each and every individual student to succeed and to learn (most especially if you subscribe to the utter idiocy that is the Bell curve theory). Unless a parent is able to step in, a "C" student may remain a "C" student, because the problem is, a teacher cannot take the time to mentor and bring his or her "C" student up to "A" level in a class of 30-60 kids. Furthermore, it is a label, and I heartily dislike labels. It's a permanent label, even...the grades that a child gets even in elementary school become part of their self-image, and the grades one gets later become part of the permanent record of a person. That "D" you got in your first semester of freshman math can truly haunt you for the rest of your life.
So I see the problem with grades in that light...it doesn't show us what a student has truly learned, nor is the system set up for every student to be an "A" student. When Sparrow does a math worksheet and misses a few, we go back over them until she learns it. Most kids and most school systems do not have that luxury and in fact are not set up to address that at all. But my aim is to teach Sparrow, and have her learn. Not set her up to pass a random test.
The point that my husband brought up, however, has more to do with how it affects you later. You see, a "C" grade can skate you right through school. It's a pass. Maybe you won't get in to Harvard, but you are not precluded from higher learning because you are an average student (and good thing). Generally, a "C" grade means that you did 70%. You completed a project to 70% of its requirements; you got 70% of the questions right, demonstrating your knowledge; your teacher felt your effort was only 70% of what it could have or should have been, etc. And it's ok, because 70% is good enough. It's ok if you don't fully know the material (keep in mind that this carries into college. Remember that next time you see your doctor ;)...).
But the problem is, the workforce isn't like that. LIFE isn't like that. You can't just do 70% because you feel like only putting that much effort forth. If you are a car mechanic, and you only do a 70% job on someone's brakes, someone could die, and you could lose your job or worse. 99% isn't enough, even, in most cases. Under-performers are not generally promoted or kept. So you spend 12+ years of your life skating through your obligations with a mindset that your A or your B or your C is good enough...only to find out that 100% is required of you at all times. A surgeon can't have a "pop quiz" every time he operates. He needs to know what he knows. Just something I'm pondering. :)
Sunday, December 09, 2007
Advent Sunday And Other Adventures (no pun intended)
It is the second Sunday of Advent. Advent is a period of waiting for our Lord, and I encourage you to research it for yourself, as I would not be able to explain it well. I don't come from a traditionalist or "high church" background, so I did not grow up with it. We try to observe Advent, however, as we learned about it a few years ago and felt it was a good way to keep Christ the focus of the season. So, to all my readers who observe this tradition, may your candle burn brightly as we remember the anticipation of the Savior's incarnation and anticipate His glorious second coming.
My sis turned 23 yesterday. Today we celebrated her birthday. It was fun! <3 you, sis.
We also try to do something Christmas-y as a family on the weekend. Last weekend it was wreath-making and a Victorian Christmas Festival. Today we visited downtown to take in the beautiful sparkling trees and the Gingerbread Sculpture Festival. :) Some of the creations were amazing!!!! The things one can do with candy and gingerbread. Whew! My favorite two featured a Chinese dragon made out of those gold-foil covered chocolate coins wrapped around a gingerbread pagoda and a candy-and-gingerbread winter night diorama. Ginger liked the animal sculptures the best, and Sparrow liked the sculpture that looked like a Russian palace. :) Here are some pictures of our adventure:
Hubby's favorite was also the diorama:
Sparrow's favorite:
Ginger's favorite:
Downtown :)
My sis turned 23 yesterday. Today we celebrated her birthday. It was fun! <3 you, sis.
We also try to do something Christmas-y as a family on the weekend. Last weekend it was wreath-making and a Victorian Christmas Festival. Today we visited downtown to take in the beautiful sparkling trees and the Gingerbread Sculpture Festival. :) Some of the creations were amazing!!!! The things one can do with candy and gingerbread. Whew! My favorite two featured a Chinese dragon made out of those gold-foil covered chocolate coins wrapped around a gingerbread pagoda and a candy-and-gingerbread winter night diorama. Ginger liked the animal sculptures the best, and Sparrow liked the sculpture that looked like a Russian palace. :) Here are some pictures of our adventure:
Hubby's favorite was also the diorama:
Sparrow's favorite:
Ginger's favorite:
Downtown :)
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Thank you, Troops
NBC may refuse to air it, but I won't. Thank you to all our men and women who serve us in the military. Freedom isn't free...thank you for taking my place and defending me.
ETA: GOOD JOB, INTERNETZ!
NBC Decides To Air Spot After Angry Internet Complaints
ETA: GOOD JOB, INTERNETZ!
NBC Decides To Air Spot After Angry Internet Complaints
If More Than One Person Blogs About It, Doesn't It Make It True?
Some of you may recall my post about using natural cleaners a little bit ago. Thanks to Biblical Womanhood and Frugal Fridays, I found a few other ladies that had good things to say about it as well as some handy tips!
Stephanie at Keeper of the Home did a three-part series on it:
Part One Here
Part Two Here
Part Three Here
Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking had this to say:
Frugal Housecleaning
Does anyone else have any great tips, natural substances that clean well, or even eco-and-human-friendly cleaning products? Leave me a comment. If you blogged about it, leave a link, and I'll see if I can edit it in. I don't know how to do Mr. Linky. :P
ETA:
Headmistress, Zookeeper has a post about homemade cleaners here
And another one here :)
Sarah from Sarah's Musings blogged about reusable/greener cleaning here
Stephanie at Keeper of the Home did a three-part series on it:
Part One Here
Part Two Here
Part Three Here
Lindsay at Passionate Homemaking had this to say:
Frugal Housecleaning
Does anyone else have any great tips, natural substances that clean well, or even eco-and-human-friendly cleaning products? Leave me a comment. If you blogged about it, leave a link, and I'll see if I can edit it in. I don't know how to do Mr. Linky. :P
ETA:
Headmistress, Zookeeper has a post about homemade cleaners here
And another one here :)
Sarah from Sarah's Musings blogged about reusable/greener cleaning here
Friday, December 07, 2007
MYHAHC: Day 5
Today's challenge was to focus on spending time with your family, doing something fun with or for your family to bless them. After all, a home that is spotlessly clean is no haven if there is strife. A streak-free window is no blessing if little hands are forbidden from and punished for ever touching them. Clean laundry is a blessing, warm food is a blessing, but without love? Well...we all know what anything is without love. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says:
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Proverbs has a lot to say about this subject as well...here's one little convicting gem:
Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. ~Proverbs 25:24
The point is, we aren't making our homes pretty for our own prideful purposes...we are making them pleasant to bless our families. And yet, while it should be a priority to keep things in order, it cannot compare to talking to, instructing, playing with, and loving on your children. The laundry can wait; little hearts grow too fast.
So today, we had already planned to decorate gingerbread cookies with some friends. But I decided I wanted to do something special with my kids, just the three of us. So I decided to teach them to knead bread. :) I have a bread machine, and I confess I have used it almost exclusively when I make bread. After tonight, I don't know why! I mean, making bread by hand is a lot of work...don't get me wrong. And it takes more time, and more *of* your time. But oh my, it's fun! And therapeutic. And the girls? Had a BLAST. They love to help me in the kitchen :) so it was definitely a treat for them. They took turns stirring until it became too hard for them to stir, and then when stirring was pointless and it was time to knead, they both dug right in! Ginger got sick after awhile of having sticky fingers, but Sparrow stuck it through to the end. We made Tammy's Pumpkin Dinner Rolls. Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!! Easy and fun, and frugal too. Also, hey, it has pumpkin in it! LOL! I swear I make things without pumpkin in them. Nevermind that the gingerbread cookie recipe I made up last night also had pumpkin in it (the cookies were very good btw). I really don't just cook pumpkin dishes constantly! But we're having a special dinner tomorrow night so I figured it would be appropriate. :) Anyways, here are a few pictures of our efforts...
Our decorated cookies:
Sparrow and Ginger digging in initially:
Now we're kneading!
"ACK! Fix these fingers, mommy!"
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Proverbs has a lot to say about this subject as well...here's one little convicting gem:
Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. ~Proverbs 25:24
The point is, we aren't making our homes pretty for our own prideful purposes...we are making them pleasant to bless our families. And yet, while it should be a priority to keep things in order, it cannot compare to talking to, instructing, playing with, and loving on your children. The laundry can wait; little hearts grow too fast.
So today, we had already planned to decorate gingerbread cookies with some friends. But I decided I wanted to do something special with my kids, just the three of us. So I decided to teach them to knead bread. :) I have a bread machine, and I confess I have used it almost exclusively when I make bread. After tonight, I don't know why! I mean, making bread by hand is a lot of work...don't get me wrong. And it takes more time, and more *of* your time. But oh my, it's fun! And therapeutic. And the girls? Had a BLAST. They love to help me in the kitchen :) so it was definitely a treat for them. They took turns stirring until it became too hard for them to stir, and then when stirring was pointless and it was time to knead, they both dug right in! Ginger got sick after awhile of having sticky fingers, but Sparrow stuck it through to the end. We made Tammy's Pumpkin Dinner Rolls. Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!! Easy and fun, and frugal too. Also, hey, it has pumpkin in it! LOL! I swear I make things without pumpkin in them. Nevermind that the gingerbread cookie recipe I made up last night also had pumpkin in it (the cookies were very good btw). I really don't just cook pumpkin dishes constantly! But we're having a special dinner tomorrow night so I figured it would be appropriate. :) Anyways, here are a few pictures of our efforts...
Our decorated cookies:
Sparrow and Ginger digging in initially:
Now we're kneading!
"ACK! Fix these fingers, mommy!"
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