Grace and Glory

Musings from the Threshold

God-given Instinct

My three year old… my youngest child… my child who has never seen me rock or burp a baby…

was just now standing by my desk, baby doll in arms. She had the baby on its tummy over one arm, well supported, while she patted it gently on the back. And the sway. The child has the sway.

So very precious.

WFMW – Homeschool Records

I homeschool in Missouri, where we are required to keep, among other things, a daily log of our schooling hours. The process of logging hours has, quite frankly, been the bane of my existence as a homeschool mom. One of the things that makes it difficult for me is that we are not required to produce our records unless we are called on the carpet (aka – accused of truancy). It’s a remote enough possibility that it’s unmotivating on a day-to-day basis, but real enough that I wouldn’t want to chance having my kiddos taken away because I didn’t have them “in school” as required. Then there’s that whole Romans 13 thing with authority being given by God. So, yeah. Gotta log.

Well, I’m a computer person. I never thought I’d make that statement, but my husband’s turned me into a minor geek. So I’ve looked for computer driven solutions to my logging problem. I’ve been excited about several nifty programs, but none of them worked for me. Well, it wasn’t the programs that failed. It was me.

Long story short, I realized that, as a simple schooler, I need a simple logging program! And, I have found by many trials and many errors, I need it to be on paper. So I set out this summer to create as simple a logging program as I could, and yet one that would help me meet the requirements of my state.

LoggingSimply.xls is the result. I did the sheets in Word at first, but after a couple of months of using it, I love it so much that I want to share with other desperately simple schoolers. I thought I’d spiff it up a bit by putting it in a spreadsheet file, so things could be lined up properly (something I wasn’t worried about too much myself), and all in one downloadable file. If you’re interested, you can take a look.

NOTE: I have done my best to follow WFMW guidelines, but I’m new at this, so if you see I’ve done something wrong, please let me know gently. Thanks, and God Bless!

A laundry addendum

I don’t think I mentioned that the Blessings, for the most part, do their own laundry. The day that is their laundry day is the day **they** do their laundry. Hence the oldest two doing the laundry of the youngest two. And when Kate and Grace get big enough, the boys will use that day to teach them how to do their laundry.

And my sons shall never say when they’re in college, as my brother did repeatedly, “Mom, can you show me how again??” lol Not that my brother didn’t remember how to do it! But I think our boys will be so used to doing laundry by then that the thought of asking wouldn’t occur to them.

Works for me Wednesday – Laundry for Ten

With six Blessings and four adults sharing one washer and dryer, laundry can pile up fast. Here are a couple things that have worked for me (inspiration thank-you’s to Managers of Their Homes and to a fabulous mom of 10 who spoke at our homeschool support group meeting last year).

** Each child has a dirty laundry drawer. Not in their dresser (yuck!), but the plastic kind you can stack atop one another. So there’s a stack of three in the girls’ room and three in the boys’. I printed out a picture of each child (about 3″ by 3″?) and packing taped them to the front of the drawers (yes, if I were really a cool homeschooling Mama, I would have contact paper, but somehow that never gets in the cart…). Anyhoo, the pictures make it super easy for each child to know which drawer is theirs, even the non-readers.

** Each child has a laundry day. The two oldest (who are boys) do the laundry for the two little girls, cause it’s easy to sort. So, Monday is D and G, Tuesday is B and K, Wednesday is E, Thursday is E. I try to wash sheets on Friday, if they haven’t been snuck in during the week.

** Adult laundry, along with towels and such, gets snuck in when the Blessings aren’t doing their laundry – often in the evening or first thing in the morning.

Note – I don’t manage to do this consistently every week. But when I do, it makes a huge difference! Hope that helps someone out.

EDIT – I’ve added an additional thought here.

Moms for Modesty

We just got back from several days in Kansas (about which I have Much To Blog!) and I found this wonderfulness from Jules over at Everyday Mommy:

Moms for Modesty Mission Statement
*As a Mom for Modesty I believe in common-sense modesty for girls and young women.

*I believe in refraining from sexualizing our girls and young women.

*I believe that it is unwise and unfair to taunt boys and young men by permitting my daughter(s) to dress in an immodest manner.

*I believe that true beauty comes from within and I strive to teach my daughter(s) this truth.

*I will loyally shop at retailers that provide girls’ and young womens clothing that is modest, affordable and stylish.

August 29, 2006

Amy’s story of the homebirth she went to last Friday night had this wonderful quote in it. I’ve really got to read that book!

Here is a little mouth to kiss; here are two more feet to make music with their pattering about my nursery. Here is a soul to train for God, and the body in which it dwells is worth all it will cost, since it is abode of a kingly tenant. I may see less of friends, but I have gained one dearer than them all. Yes, my precious baby, you are welcome to your mother’s heart, welcome to her time, her strength, her health, to her most tender cares, to her life-long prayers! Oh how rich I am, how truly, how wondrously blest!

~ Elizabeth Prentiss’ Stepping Heavenward

Everyday Things…

Jules over at Everyday Mommy has started a new weekly feature to help us remember all the Everyday Things we have for which to be thankful. Yay!

I’ll be more newly creative next time, but what came to mind right away this morning is the following piece that my dear friend Stacy and I wrote together when we were at Emmaus Bible College together years ago (like… 12 years! ack!). We actually mailed this out to a bunch of our friends. They must’ve thought we were nuts, but I still love it. 🙂

Simple Minds Think Alike
I like the smell of mowed grass and to play in the leaves. I like to color, and the sun shining on my face. I like it when the clouds make a movie. I like to giggle, get into snowball fights, and play in the dirt. I like walking barefoot. I like melted ice cream dripping out of the bottom of the cone. I like bonfires, drawing hearts, and fresh flowers. I like the smell of the rain coming, and I like picking mulberries. I like the smell of the sun on a hot summer day. I like camping out under the stars, and hiking. I like crawling into fresh warm clothes right out of the dryer. I like to be silly, and I like the mountains. I like peaches, and Amish Mormon boys named Mick. I like to wake up to white outside, and to crash when I’m skiing. I like it when turn signals are in sync. I like ugly cars and sunsets on red mesas. I like to have fun, and I like it when God winks at me with the stars. I like to make snow angels and to play in the rain. I like moms and dads. I like phone calls, and singing, especially with friends. I like baking chocolate chip cookies. I like the sound of crickets, and sifting out on the fire escapes at night. I like strawberry rhubarb pie. I like watching clouds move across a full moon, and the color of the sky right before a storm. I like hugs. And kisses. I like babies and sunflowers and pictures of memories, and pillows. I like red sand, and candlelight. I like puppies, and building sand castles. I like to swing. I like rays of sun through a cloudy sky, and long walks. I like praying with friends. I like the sound of wind, and hugs from God. I like warm blankets, thunder and lightning, and leaves in the fall. I like dreams with happy endings, and Hat Monopoly. I like watching wheat fields dance. I like jeans and T-shirts, hearing people talk to themselves, and waterfalls. I like it when the sky looks like an ocean, and when clouds look like mountains. I like seat wars, iced coffee, and the Fourth of July. I like to sprawl. I like trees, and the smell of familiar places. I like irises, jungle gyms, and lemonade. I like to skate. I like backrubs, plaid, and twisting my hair. I like to read, and I like big bows. I like Pachebel’s Canon in D. I like road trips and teddy bears. I like Kansas, Arizona, and Colorado. I like forest green and navy blue. I like weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays. I like Christmas, hats, the Hokey-pokey, and homemade bread. I like hard work and sweat. And I like to give gifts. I like to swim on hot days. I like to be serenaded. I like snakes. Little ones. And big ones. I like to be loved. I like putt-putt, blowing bubbles, and food at the fair. I like to help out. I like to hum. And whistle. I like Scripture songs and the clang of the camp bell. I like to watch married couples. I like cross-stitching, skiing in powder, and fog. I like quilts, and being with good friends. I like playing cards and ice cream headaches. I like pigs, chocolate, Christmas lights, and braids. I like clear nights, old couches, and talking with friends until early morning. I like playing in streams. I like the “Great cookie Caper” and Capture-the-Flag. I like to bark and snort. I like letters, warm fuzzies, and singing at the dinner table. I like to play hockey and soccer. I like ponytails, eating snow, and herbs (yes, even herbs!). I like rolling down sand dunes. And fresh air. I like to enjoy the simple things in life.

~By Stacy and Laurel, 1994