The End.

I did it! I posted every day in June! Yeehaw!

It was fun; I enjoyed writing again. It was hard to find the time during the day, but much easier if I just planned to write after the kids were in bed (like tonight).

I doubt I'll keep blogging daily, but I'll keep it up as I can.

(And honestly, tonight I was going to just go to bed without blogging, but then I realized it's the last day of the month. I couldn't fail on the last day!)

He Didn't Do a Backflip

James and I participated in a workshop at Lipscomb University today, and it was great. Very informative, thought-provoking, soul-stirring, and exhausting. I'll blog about that later.

When I was looking at the schedule for the day, I chuckled a little to myself. "Huh, the guy who's speaking at lunchtime is named Scott Hamilton. I bet he gets jokes about the figure skater all the time."

I really did think that.

Guess what?



It was THE Scott Hamilton. You know, the 4-time World Champion figure skater? You know, the Olympic gold medal figure skater? You know, the man I've watched skate all my life? The one who has always been my favorite?

THAT Scott Hamilton.

Also? He was an incredible speaker. The story of his life, his career, and his faith is truly inspirational. He had us laughing, crying, and laughing again, and he was very gracious when I spoke with him.

I spoke with Scott Hamilton.

Over and out.

Word to the Wise

If you want to score major mom points by covering the edges of ice cream sandwiches with fun sprinkles......don't use red ones.

Our (Tentative) Curriculum Choices

I've put a lot of effort into finalizing our list for Wendy's kindergarten year, and I'm still not entirely convinced that my current list is what we'll end up using. Because this is our first year, we're trying out some things that may or may not work for us. Anyway, here's the list, in no particular order:

• Math - Horizons 1st Grade Math
  
• Reading - Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, lots of read-alouds
  
• Penmanship - Handwriting Without Tears - My Printing Book (1st Grade)
  
• History - The Story of the World, Vol. 1 & activity book
  
• Art - Usborne Art Treasury
  
• Science - unit studies using the library & online resources
  
• P. E. - maybe a gymnastics or dance class
  
• Music - Piano lessons with Grandpa, Maestro Classics
  
• Bible - nightly Bible reading as a family, memory work

In addition to the schoolbooks themselves, there are various and sundry supplies to purchase - art supplies, paper, things to help us get/stay organized.

It's a little overwhelming.

So if you know of a way for me to earn about $300 quickly, in a legal and morally-upright manner, please let me know!

Lots to Do...

Before we start our school year, there are several big items on the to-do list:

• Plan out school calendar - decide on length & timing of breaks
• Finalize decisions about curricula & purchase
• Move kids' bedroom upstairs
• Set up playroom/schoolroom downstairs

That doesn't sound like much, does it? Those last two items, however, are going to be rather complicated. I'd like to paint the room upstairs before we move the kids up there, but all the way around the room, below a chair rail, is thick painted-on wallpaper. I hate wallpaper. I hate removing wallpaper, and this looks to be the worst I've ever had to work with. We also need to do some baby-proofing up there and add a light in the stairway.

The playroom/schoolroom won't be as difficult to set up, although we'll be painting there, too. It was Wendy's first bedroom, so the walls are currently two lovely shades of lavender. We'll be painting them a nice vibrant orange-y yellow, and it's going to make the room look so bright and cheerful! After painting, we need to figure out some cheap-but-sturdy, easy-to-use storage furniture. I'm hoping to get things organized in such a way that the kids can clean it up by themselves pretty easily.

So, considering all of that work, and considering that we don't really have any workable budget, we're going to have our hands full.

Who wants to come help me remove that painted-on wallpaper?? Anyone?

Saturday Reading

Mystery Rolls / The Pioneer Woman Cooks : Absolutely delicious! They taste kind of like a Cheez-It, but in a buttery biscuit form.

Honeysuckle and Fireflies / Angie Smith : The first line got me. A wonderful read!

How to Not Splinter Your Daughter's Heart / The Gypsy Mama : Very well written; something most mothers, especially of daughters, struggle with.

Pick Your Own: Where to find pick-your-own farms in Middle Tennessee. I'm looking forward to picking blueberries again this year!

Wendy's Favorite Book

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned in a post that Wendy and I were reading "My Father's Dragon," by Ruth Stiles Gannett. We had just started reading the Kindle version, because I had seen it recommended and it was temporarily free. (It's not free anymore, but it's a whopping $.99, so go buy it.) I hadn't ever read it before but it looked interesting, so we began reading before Wendy's nap one day.

We read three chapters in that first sitting, because neither one of us wanted to stop! We had to find out what was going to happen to Elmer! Was he going to take the cat's advice? Would he be discovered on the ship? And most importantly, would he find the dragon?

The book is a simple and sweet adventure story, wherein good triumphs over naughty (I wouldn't say there's real "evil" anywhere in the story), creativity pays off, and quick thinking saves the day. There are ten chapters, and each chapter takes about 5 minutes to read aloud, depending on how much time you spend discussing as you go. The illustrations are fantastic, and are displayed quite clearly on the Kindle version; some Kindle versions of children's books have sacrificed the quality of the illustrations, but this one is really good.

We ended up enjoying the book so much that the day after we finished it, Wendy asked, "Can we please read 'My Father's Dragon' all over again?" I ordered the hardcover version that is pictured, and it has all three stories in the "My Father's Dragon" series in one volume. We've started reading the first story again and plan to read all the way through the series.

It's been a long time since I read a children's chapter book that I fell in love with.

Not a compensated review. I just love the book.

The Heart of a Little Girl

She's a wild little horse.

A firecracker.

A masterpiece.

A plotter.

A mighty bug hunter.

Wendy is a wonderful, beautiful, confusing, confounding, strong, opinionated little girl, and she our daughter. That means it's our job - our blessing- to teach her and guide her in the way she should go. To train her spirit, prune her behaviors, and shape her attitude into what it should be. Some days, the task seems insurmountable; parenting is a tough job, especially when you have a spirited child.

I've been doing some reading lately, and two books have stood out as being remarkably helpful as we try to grow in wisdom and effectiveness as parents.

Shepherding a Child's Heart, by Tedd Tripp, is a remarkable book. Instead of focusing on turning a child's behavior from wrong to right, Dr. Tripp advocates addressing the real problem - the heart of the child. From the introduction:

"The central focus of parenting is the gospel. You need to direct not simply the behavior of your children, but the attitudes of their hearts. You need to show them not just the “what” of their sin and failure, but the “why.” Your children desperately need to understand not only the external “what” they did wrong, but also the internal “why” they did it. You must help them see that God works from the inside out. Therefore, your parenting goal cannot simply by well-behaved children. Your children must also understand why they sin and how to recognize internal change."

I strongly believe that all parents should read this book. Even parents with children who are always patient, always kind, never talk back, never throw tantrums, always think of others first, always do tasks immediately, always answer respectfully...wait, do you know any children like that? Me, neither. The point remains - all parents should read this book!

The second book is one for parents and little girls to read together and discuss. A Little Girl After God's Own Heart: Learning God's Ways In My Early Days, by Elizabeth George, is a delightful book for girls in the 4-8 age range. It focuses on the fruit of the spirit, giving specific examples of how those wonderful attributes come into play in everyday life. (I hadn't heard of this book until earlier this week when I read about it on someone's blog, but I can't remember who - if it was you, let me know & I'll give you credit!) We started reading this book today, and I was surprised with how well Wendy received it. And the lessons on patience? self-control? gentleness? EXACTLY what we need right now!

There is a book for boys, too: A Little Boy After God's Own Heart, by Jim & Elizabeth George. We'll be buying that one in the next year or so for our David.

I wish I could give copies of both books to everyone I know. I can't recommend them highly enough. They've really made a difference in how I think about parenting!

It's Aliiiiiive!!

Back in the fall, I made a mistake. If I had thought about the potential consequences, I would never have let this scenario develop.

Let me set the scene:

• toddler boy
• Mama's big 22-oz travel mug of coffee, half full, no lid
• Mama's iPod Classic
• Nice iPod dock stereo thing
  
• Mama occupied in another room
  

You can see where this is going, right? David, for reasons known only to him, decided to take my iPod out of the dock, dunk it in the coffee several times, and then put it back in the dock. Because he replaced it in the dock, I didn't even realize what he had done for several hours, when I suddenly noticed coffee drips leading to the dock, and sticky little fingerprints all over the iPod. I was not amused.

I dried the iPod out as much as I could, and I was shocked that it still worked. Shocked! That didn't last; over the course of time, things slowly started to go wrong with it, until it finally turned into a very expensive paperweight. Resigning myself to its fate, I splurged and bought myself a new iPod Nano and new earbuds, both of which I have really enjoyed.

James wasn't so resigned. He did some research and found a company called Mission Repair that specializes in repair of small electronics and computers. He packed up my coffee-soaked iPod and sent it off. Yesterday, two weeks after he sent it off, it came back, fully-functional! Really! The Mission Repair people reported that it had "severe water damage" (heh) but they replaced a something-or-other and cleaned it up and it works great! The kids and I are currently listening to our favorite audiobooks while we play.

We will continue to use the iPod Nano for on-the-go, in-the-car, out-and-about-type uses, but the Classic will stay firmly ensconced in the dock...out of reach of toddlers and coffee.

If you have an iPod or phone that is in the "expensive paperweight" category, I suggest checking out Mission Repair!

All of these opinions are my own. Mission Repair doesn't know me or my blog, and has not reimbursed or compensated me in any way for this post. I'm just really impressed with their service!

Show Me the Workbook!

Today, Wendy was asking and asking to do schoolwork. I didn't have anything planned, so I was pulling things off the shelf to see if we could find something to do. I came across her next handwriting workbook, and she asked to see it. I let her look through it, cautioning her that she couldn't start it until we finished up her current workbook.

She ended up taking the new workbook under her bed, where she slowly flipped through it. Then she came and sat next to me to show me every single page in the book.

And then she eagerly sat down with her current book, and proceeded to work at her handwriting for over an hour.

Seriously.

I had to tell her it was time to stop, and she asked if she could work on it again tomorrow. The lure of that brand-new yellow workbook is just too much to resist!

I highly recommend Handwriting Without Tears. This isn't a paid endorsement, nor did I get any free products - they don't know me from Adam. I just love their workbooks, and Wendy does, too!

About My Dad...by Wendy

My daddy's name is James.
He is 91 years old, 91 inches tall and weighs 36 pounds.
His favorite food is macaroni and cheese.
My daddy is really good at drawing pictures.
He loves to draw.
My favorite things to do with my dad are drive Mario Kart! And play with him.
I'm just like my dad because I am four.
What I love most about my daddy is huggies and kissies! I like him giving presents to me at Christmas.
It makes Dad happy when I am being good.

Happy Father's Day!

Saturday Reading

Onion Rings and Dippin' Sauce / A Martha Heart: These look delicious! They'd be perfect for a game night.

Baked Kale Chips / Smitten Kitchen: I have kale in my fridge right now, waiting to be made into chips today.

Family-Friendly Picture Books / Thriving Family: I love picture books, and am going to look into some of their recommendations.

Animal Mix-Up Legos / I can teach my child!: David would love this game, and it would be something for him to work on while Wendy and I do school.

Where's the Grace? / Muthering Heights: A great post, a must-read for any mother who sometimes feels like she is spinning her wheels.

Cat-in-the-Hat Jell-o

As I was mixing up some delicious muffins this morning, my mind was wandering. I realized that I never posted about the food at Wendy's Cat-in-the-Hat birthday party. You know, back in September. *ahem*

Anyway, we had the predictable green eggs (deviled eggs with green food coloring) and ham (ham & cheese sliders), plus chips, veggies, dip and fruit. But my favorite part of the party food was the Cat-in-the-Hat Jell-o.
It's not a great picture, but can you see it? There in the blue dish? They are little Cat-in-the-Hat hats made from layered Jell-o! I wish I had a better picture, but I was so busy at the party that I didn't have time to take good pictures of the food. I found a recipe online and tweaked it to make these. I didn't have a small round cookie cutter, so I used a (clean) medicine cup to cut the shapes, then put them in white mini-muffin cups. They were adorable, and perfect for a Cat-in-the-Hat-themed party!

Cat-in-the-Hat Jell-o:
4 pkg. 3 oz cherry Jell-o
4 packets of Knox unflavored gelatin
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

1. Mix 1 pkg cherry Jell-o with 1/2 packet of unflavored gelatin. Add 1 cup boiling water. Stir to dissolve. Cool to room temp and pour into 9 x 13 glass pan. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

2. Mix the can of sweetened condensed milk with 1 cup boiling water. In a small bowl, sprinkle 2 packets unflavored gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Let stand a few minutes and then add 1/2 cup boiling water to dissolve gelatin; add to milk mixture and stir to combine. Cool to room temp and pour 1 cup of milk mixture over first layer of jello. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

3. Repeat layers - cherry, the rest of the milk mixture, cherry. Refrigerate for 15 minutes between each layer, and refrigerate 4 hours before cutting.

On My Mind

Despite committing to posting every day this month, I somehow neglected to write anything for today until now, when I should be getting ready for bed.

Here are some things that are on my mind (and in my internet search history):

• Homeschooling requirements for TN
• Unit studies
• Planning our school/family calendar for Kindergarten
  
• Budgeting for curriculum, etc.
  
• Frugal meal planning
• Square-foot gardening
• Finishing all of the books I'm currently reading

So...what's on YOUR mind?

Ideas Wanted!

I'm in the planning stages for Wendy's Kindergarten year. Homeschooling gives us a lot of flexibility in what we study, which is one of the things I love. I know what we'll be using for reading, handwriting, math, and Bible time. With those basics covered, I'm left with the other things I'd like to teach her - about seasons, and holidays, and basic science, and all kinds of things!

I've decided that the best way to teach her those other things is to do unit studies. We can use library books and internet resources to learn all kinds of things, and we can do art projects, science experiments and writing assignments based on what we learn. Simple, right? Well, yes and no. It will require quite a bit of forethought on my part to make this work.

Here's where you come in: I need ideas. Below is a list I have compiled of possible unit study topics. I'd like to have 30 or so ideas to work with; in Tennessee we're required to have 180 days of 4-hours-a-day schooling, so I need lots of ideas!

Unit Study Ideas:
Dr. Seuss's Birthday (March 2nd)
How seeds grow
Easter
Halloween
Valentine's Day
Thanksgiving
Christmas
4th of July
Seasons
Weather
Space
Maps & Globes
Farms
Oceans
Jungles
Forests
Plains
Transportation
Money
Human Body

So? What would you add?

We Like Books

It's no secret: I am an avid reader. From the time I was in grade school, I have really enjoyed reading, especially good, clean, absorbing fiction. Now that I have kids who love books and being read to, another category has delighted me - children's picture books.

Now, let me say this: while I love picture books, I'm actually kind of a book snob. There are too many good books out there to let our shelves be cluttered with poorly-written superficial fluff. I regularly go through the kids' bookshelf and cull things that are not up to the standard. (Although I must confess that we have a few Dora books and Princess books.)

Anyway, as I have been looking at and collecting children's picture books, I've found a few authors that I can always trust to deliver a book we'll love for years to come. Some of them are classics, some are a bit newer, but they're all delightful! (Keep in mind that these are just picture books - chapter books are a whole 'nother topic!)

1. Marjorie Flack - The Story About Ping, Angus and the Ducks

2. Virginia Lee Burton - Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, The Little House

3. H. A. Rey - Curious George books

4. Sandra Boyton - Moo, Baa, La La La, Barnyard Dance

5. David Shannon - No, David!, A Bad Case of Stripes

6. Doreen Cronin - Click Clack Moo: Cows that Type, Duck for President

7. Julia Donaldson - The Gruffalo, The Snail and the Whale

8. Robert McCloskey - Blueberries for Sal, Make Way for Ducklings

9. Don Freeman - Corduroy, Dandelion

10. Janell Cannon - Stellaluna, Verdi

(11. Dr. Seuss - that's kind of a given)

Who are your favorite authors for children's books?

I'm linking up to Top Ten Tuesday at OhAmanda.com. Click over for more great Top Ten lists!

June 13th

It's my birthday.

I'm 33.

I'm okay with that.

My husband and kids made me an awesome cake.

Have a great day!

If You Visit Our Home...

• Don't be shocked by the pile of shoes at the front door. Big ones, little ones, flip-flops, Crocs, and "fast runnin' shoes." Good luck finding two that match!
• There are two big faded-red stains in the middle of the living room carpet, made two days in a row. Cherry limeade on coffee table + curious toddler = stains. Two days in a row.
• There's probably cat hair on the couch & chairs. Sorry about that. Hope you're not allergic. You are? Oops.
• If you're lucky, it smells like baking. If you're unlucky, it smells like forgotten-sippy-cup.
• We have three volume levels: LOUD, Toy Story, and nap time.
• We give lots of hugs and kisses. I think Wendy has kissed every single person she's ever met. Need to work on that before she's a teenager.
• You have to keep your eyes open for random Legos, Buzz Lightyears, and crayons. They are everywhere.
• If you agree to read the kids a book, they will continue to bring you book after book after book, until you are convinced that we never read to them. (You would be wrong.)
• If there's no laundry on the couch, chances are I moved it right before you came in. If there IS laundry on the couch, and I didn't move it, consider yourself family.
• You will be surprised to learn that we only have one bathroom, and that is off of the master bedroom. Yes, it's a strange arrangement. It's an old house that is full of character.
  

Despite the mess, the noise, the chaos and the clutter, we do love our home. We would like to be more hospitable, but it's hard to find the time. Drop by any time, and hopefully our lived-in look won't scare you away!

Saturday Reading

Perfect Mother / Pensieve: Robin has a way with words - and a way with parenting.

Losing Sight of the Tweets That Matter Most / Stuff Christians Like: a must-read for any parent who is easily distracted

Dreamy Creamy Tzatziki / Wenderly: I've always made my tzatziki by taste, without following a recipe. I'm going to give this one a try next time and see how it compares.

Clever Art with Paper Scraps / BHG: Very simply DIY decorations; would be great for any room of the house!

Greek Nachos / Not Without Salt: These will be coming to my table very, very soon. I just crave Greek food when it's hot outside!

Menu Planning, Make Ahead Meals & the Busy Homeschool / Simple Homeschool: I need to get more organized about our meal planning, especially with us "officially" starting homeschooling very soon. This article has some great links & suggestions!

In short...

Today's theme has been "get excited about something and then be let down."

But right now? James and the kids are working on decorating my birthday cake.

It's all good.

Bedtime Read-Alouds

At our house, nothing gets the kids' attention faster than for Mama to sit down with a book. They love to have me read to them, and would listen for an hour, if my voice would hold out that long. We read before nap, before bed, and other random times throughout the day. Reading aloud is a big part of our homeschooling plans, too; as energetic as Wendy is, she can listen to a story and really get involved in it.

Here are a few favorites, posted by child:

David, 2 years:
The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss
Anything with The Cat in the Hat's picture - basically any Dr. Seuss or "Bright and Early Books"
Blue Hat, Green Hat, by Sandra Boynton

Wendy, 4 1/2 years:
The Story about Ping, by Marjorie Flack
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel, by Virginia Lee Burton
The Little House, by Virginia Lee Burton
A Bad Case of Stripes, by David Shannon

Wendy and I are usually also reading a chapter book. Our first one was Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and right now we are reading My Father's Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannett. I'm not sure what book we'll tackle next; it might be the next Little House book or The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

I'm linking up to a 4 Moms post at Smockity Frocks - come see more suggestions for bedtime read-alouds!

Mr. Contrary

From the very beginning, a few hours after his birth, we have known that David is a pretty mellow guy. Aside from a few hiccups in his first few weeks, he's always been healthy, happy, and easy-going.

And then he turned two.

Duhn-duhn-DUHN...

The "Terrible Two's" have arrived at our house. Now, don't get me wrong, David is still pretty mellow, and is much easier than Wendy was at the same age. But it seems that as soon as he turned two, he started having opinions - strong opinions - about random things.

While we still see a lot of our goofy, affectionate, Mama-loving Boy, we also see this other side of him. The side that scowls, scrunches up his whole face and says, "NO!!" The side that insists on not-THAT-Blankie-but-THIS-identical-Blankie and feet-covered-but-not-tucked and need-the-Go-Go-HAT-book...that side kinda wears me out.

He has these big thoughts and ideas and plans, but can't figure out how to put them into words. He has a pretty big vocabulary, both signed and spoken, but just isn't at a point where he can communicate complex ideas. It's frustrating to me, but I know it has to be much more frustrating to him, trying to get me to understand what is so very important to him at the moment (even if it's just that he wants THOSE socks on and not THESE).

We manage as best we can, soothing when appropriate, setting firm boundaries when needed. But at the end of the day, you know what? At the end of the day, he still asks, "Wock, Mama?" and looks at me with gorgeous blue eyes, chubby arms clutching his precious Blankie.

Yes, I'll rock with you, little turkey. And I'll make sure you have THIS Blankie and not THAT Blankie, and I'll get your feet covered up just right.

It seemed like a good idea at the time...

Every so often, I'm confronted with a harsh reality - not all of my "good ideas" turn out all that good. Here's a list of ten kid-related things that turned against me:


1. B. Pop-Arty Beads: a jar of 500 little pop-beads, for making pretend jewelry and whatnot. Fantastic as a math manipulative! Great for fine motor skills! But the kids love to just dump the whole jar out into the carpet. There are probably only 250 beads left in the jar, because the rest are scattered all over my house.

2. any Happy Meal toys: I'm pretty sure cheap plastic toys multiply in the middle of the night. I throw them away, and yet there always seem to be more - and we don't even get Happy Meals very often!

3. giant diaper bag: okay, for the first few months of my babies' lives, it seemed like we needed to haul everything but the kitchen sink around with us everywhere. We lived in constant danger of an eruption from one end or the other, and had to have the necessary supplies, plus changes of clothes, available. But after the first, say, 6 months? I tend to carry as little as possible. That giant diaper bag is just one more thing to clutter the bottom of the closet.

4. deep-pile carpeting: before we moved into our house, it had been abused and mistreated and then sat empty for almost a year. The original wood floors are in awful shape, and the floor itself is very uneven - we couldn't fix the hardwoods without a significant amount of under-the-floor work. We didn't have time or money for that, so we slapped carpet on top. I like carpet, but why in the world did I pick a light-colored, deep-pile carpet? Because I didn't have toddlers yet, that's why. DUMB.

5. Squirty bath toys: otherwise known as "deceptively cute breeding ground for mold and bacteria." The first time I realized the funk that was growing in that sweet rubber ducky, I couldn't believe it. (I am interested in these, though. You can take them apart to clean them!)

6. Taking the kids on marathon errands without packing snacks: I should know better. Apparently even an experienced mom can make a rookie mistake. I blame mom-brain.

7. High chair: we used our high chair a lot with Wendy, but it was huge and cumbersome and very hard to clean. We barely used it at all with David, especially once we got this booster seat. We LOVE the booster seat.

8. Diaper Genie: we had a Diaper Genie when Wendy was a baby, and we used it until it started to stink. The diaper smells were embedded in the plastic, so that even when the thing was empty it smelled awful. We got rid of it, and just put our diapers in the trash (or the diaper pail, if we're in a cloth-diapering phase).

9. Starting an Easter knitting project 3 days before Easter: when I decided to make a vest for David, I didn't intend to wait until the last minute. Easter has a way of sneaking up on me, and I didn't get the vest finished - even though I stayed up all night one night working on it. It still isn't done. Maybe he'll wear it next year. Maybe.

10. Letting a toddler take a library book to bed: another rookie mistake. That toddler, who is ordinarily very good with books, will suddenly have irresistible destructive urges, and Mommy will end up taking a tattered and torn book back to the library and begging for mercy from the Library Ladies.

I'm linking up to Top Ten Tuesday at OhAmanda.com. Go check out other great Top Ten Lists!

Lightning Bug Nights

Last night I caught my first lightning bug of the year, and it made me think of a post I wrote three years ago. As I held the magic flashing bug in my cupped hands for my children to see, I remembered myself about 25 years ago...


Originally published 7/15/08

Certain summer nights, regardless of where I am in the world, bring back poignant memories of childhood. There's a certain something in the air - high humidity, the way the leftover storm clouds hang in the sky, the smell of earthworms on the sidewalk, and the music of cicadas filling the sky.

Some of my strongest memories involve summer nights at my grandparents' house in southeastern Ohio. Earlier in the afternoon, the family would have feasted on corn-on-the-cob, baked beans, cottage cheese, sliced tomatoes, and hamburgers, all eaten at the old picnic table on the back porch.

After eating, the adults would retire to lawn chairs in the shade to talk, or to sleep, or to avoid Great-Aunt Margaret. The kids would raid the shed for the wiffle ball and bat, the giant plastic boats, and all kinds of intriguing antique toys that were hidden in the depths of the dark shed, which always smelled like warm wood and turpentine.

After a while, Grandpa would get up from his chair and start breaking apart the ice for the ice cream maker. (For some reason, this was always a big production, involving the bag of ice, a heavy canvas bag, and a small hammer.) Grandma would be in the kitchen mixing up the world's best vanilla ice cream (I'm not even kidding) and the sounds of gossip would come drifting out the kitchen window, as all of the female relatives took care of the cleaning up.

The taste of the fresh, not-quite-solid vanilla ice cream was enough to dispel the lingering taste of Deep Woods Off, and you could hear everyone give a little sigh of contentment with that first bite. Homemade vanilla ice cream, made with pure Mexican vanilla and my grandma's loving hands, needed no additions - it was a perfect delight.

After the ice cream, after the toys were put away, after the wiffle ball and frisbee were retrieved from the roof, came our favorite time - the lightning bugs were starting to come out. (Some of you might call them fireflies, but they've always been lightning bugs to us.) Grandma would hand out old baby food jars with holes in the lids, and my brother & my cousins & I would begin to hunt.

It's not hard to catch lightning bugs, so we'd all fill our jars pretty quickly. Then we'd go find our parents sitting by the campfire that Grandpa had built in his fire ring, and watch the fire and our lightning bugs while we listened to our favorite grown-ups talk about everything and nothing. When the yawns started taking over I'd be shuttled inside, and put to bed in my Dad's old bedroom, in the twin bed with the strawberry-patterned sheets - Grandma knew those were my favorites.

With the window open, I could hear the gentle sound of conversation continuing in the backyard, even over the window fan. My lightning bugs flashed on the bedside table. I scratched a mosquito bite, and then drifted off in perfect comfort and security. I hope my daughter has memories like these someday.

Do you have similar memories from childhood?

Home?

As I was driving to church this morning, I was thinking, "Anyone who hasn't driven a small Tennessee highway on a beautiful summer morning is really missing out."

And then I realized that I finally...after almost 5 years...feel like this is my home.

I still miss Missouri, and I know I would feel at home almost instantly if we were to move back, but right here, right now, I am settled.

And it is good.

Saturday Reading

Mochaccino Shakes Recipe / Food Network: delicious for a brunch, an afternoon pick-me-up, or a sweet treat anytime!

This one's for the moms who fake it until they make it / Mylestones: an excellent read for the mom who is sometimes (most times?) weary of it all

Why some people are mosquito magnets / The Body Odd on MSNBC: interesting tidbits; my kids and I are definitely mosquito magnets!

What I Want My Kids To Know About Marriage / We Are THAT Family: A great read about letting your children see the realities of a healthy marriage

My Year in Mississippi / Story Bleed: Grab a cup of coffee, read and imagine

Anger Management

To look at her, you might think she's my mini-me. She looks so much like Mommy, and even more like pictures of Mommy as a young girl.

However, in some respects, our personalities couldn't be more different. I can summarize it like this:

• Me: quiet, shy, a thinker rather than a talker, a planner rather than a doer
  
• Wendy: a singing, dancing, yelling, running, talking Talking TALKING dynamo

The contrast is most evident in how we deal with our emotions. I tend to come across as being calm (despite the inner chaos of my emotional state sometimes). I rarely blow up, and when I do, it fizzles out almost immediately.

But when this girl gets mad? This sweet, charming, loveable princess of a 4 year old?

Oh my word.

The girl can throw a FIT. Stomping, screeching, yelling, hitting, throwing things...if allowed to go unchecked she might just be Tennessee's first case of spontaneous combustion. We have struggled with how to help her deal with her emotions; it's obvious that she is a person that feels things deeply, acutely, strongly. That is a good trait, one that we want to preserve and train - the world needs more passionate people! But how to prune the bad so that the good can grow?

In my desperation the other day, a Scripture came to mind. I had to look up the reference; it's Ephesians 4:26a:

In your anger, do not sin.

That's it. It doesn't get much simpler than that. Anger is a normal emotion - we even see evidence of God's righteous anger in many different situations in the Bible. Anger is a natural response that we will have to deal with all of our lives, and that is okay. That is not the problem. How we act when we are angry is what is important. And even a passionate, headstrong 4 year old can learn that lesson.

I have taught Wendy this verse, and now, just as I can tell she is in danger of spiraling out of control, we say it together. I get her attention and say, "In your anger...?" She (grudgingly) sighs and says, "...don't sin." It defuses the situation and gives us a chance to talk about things without going into the full-blown fury. It lets us connect and bond and learn from each other, and we've made a lot of progress just in the last few days.

And guess what? Correcting with scripture isn't a new idea!

I Timothy 3:16 : All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness...

Summer Days

Around here, summer means:

• bug spray
• getting mosquito bites anyway
• sunscreen
• freckles
• sand
• Aveeno Anti-Itch Cream
• grass clippings
• wading pools
• lightning bugs
• sweaty heads
• daily baths
• lots of tomatoes
• popsicles
• hide-and-seek
• oversized T-shirts as PJs
• bare feet
• dirty feet
• going to bed late
• sleeping late(ish)

What does summer mean to you and your family?

My Job

Yesterday morning I was working on making a chore chart for Wendy. She's 4 1/2 and is fully capable of doing simple things like making her bed and picking out her clothes, so it's time for her to learn about responsibility. I've made a simple chart with two sections, "Morning Chores" and "Afternoon Chores." I'm going to stick it on the refrigerator and give her some magnets; she'll be able to move her magnets from "To Do" to "Done!" as she completes the tasks.

Wendy saw me drawing simple pictures for her chart. She's not quite reading yet, so the pictures are just to remind her of the different tasks. Anyway, she asked what I was making, so I explained to her that I was making a chore chart of different jobs that she would have each day. She said, "I want to make one for YOU!" She asked for a piece of paper and got busy writing.

According to her, these are my chores:

1. Make pancakes
2. Blow bubbles
3. Drive when Daddy's not coming
4. Tuck Wendy into bed
5. Put bows in Wendy's hair
6. Buy stuff
7. Pick flowers for someone if I want to
8. Bring my purse everywhere
9. Drink a little bit of coffee

I laughed when she got to #9, and she said, "I know that that's a little bit silly, but that's your job!"

I love my job.