Homemaking, Homeschool, and Hershey's Chocolate

2009-11-06T09:34:00.000-08:00

Okay, I only have four kids but when trying to get through the homeschooling day it seems as if I have a houseful. Of course the two younger kids always need mom, or they are whining about something or trying to do their older sisters school work. There are days that are just hard and I have feelings of wanting to give up. Today for example I sent the two little ones to their room to play while I read to the older girls. (The younger children just distract their sisters too much if they are all in the same room). Anyway, as you can probably guess it became too quiet at the other end of the house. It turns out Abi and Noah were "Cleaning" the bathroom with a soggy hand towel, and were both soaked. The good news is that most of the water had landed on them and not on the carpet or walls....On days like this I have to remind myself of why I am homeschooling, mainly because I want to be with my kids....and that sometimes means a conscience effort to enjoy the noise, mess, and distractions. One day my kids will be grown up and I will miss them.

2009-10-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

The other day a friend commented on facebook that she planned to eat some chocolate chip cookies in hopes that it would cure her headache. I jokingly commented that chocolate has medicinal properties, because whether it does or not it sure makes us feel better. There is probably a theory out there as to why we turn to chocolate so frequently, both men and women alike, but I would rather not worry about all that. I just know it tastes so good and helps make life a little more cheerful. Thank God for chocolate! For those of you interested in in hearing if chocolate really is good for you check this out: world wide gourmet .And don't forget to eat some chocolate today. I did.

2009-10-17T19:33:00.000-07:00

I went grocery shopping today. I usually go to the Walmart supercenter near us. It is by far the least expensive. I even used a coupon and still managed to spend over $150. I am starting to see that this is normal here in the U.S. In 2006 when we went back to live in Bolivia we were spending about $60 a week with three kids. Then inflation hit the country and by 2009 I was spending $120 a week for almost the same amount of food. I guess I am wondering what others who are trying not to spend too much are spending per week. Keep in mind I have four kids to feed! They eat a lot. I try to buy only what we need for the week, and sometimes I need to make an extra trip out for milk. FYI I stocked up on apples today at $1.00 a pound.

2009-10-15T07:53:00.000-07:00

This week I did something I couldn't imagine doing a year ago. I started the process of getting my nursing license endorsed by Texas. A year ago I had no idea we would even leave Bolivia and nursing was the last thing on my mind. It is vastly interesting to see the way the Lord weaves and shapes our lives. It is truely never boring to follow Him and at times can seem like a rollercoaster ride. Will I get a full time job? Probably not. My kids are still the most important job I have and I want anything else to be secondary. I don't want to miss these years with them. At the same time It is getting harder and harder for moms to stay at home during this recession. So, I hope to work part time! We shall see, only God knows what he has instore for our family.

2009-10-09T07:47:00.000-07:00

If you have ever had insomnia you know what a nightmare it can be. Watching the hours pass by while restlessly tossing and turning, and the fear that you will be useless the next day. Right before we left Bolivia I started having insomnia and as a result I was a wreck. This continued for about 6 weeks, but here is the good news: I learned some things. 1) A few sleepless nights will not kill me or destroy my life. 2)As bad as it is to not get enough sleep, there are worse things in life. 3)Insomnia won't last forever. 4) The best remedy for insomnia is to rest in the goodness of God. Although there are still nights when I hardly sleep they are getting fewer and farther between. I am learning to not freak out when I have one of those nights, and to always keep in mind: IT WILL GET BETTER. I hope this can be an encouragement!

2009-10-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

This is one of those days! I usually don't have much of a plan to my day except to start the school day by 9am and that usually works well for me. I tend to plan as I go for other things. For instance, for meals I most often look for something in the freezer and then determine what I can do with what I find. Well this morning I woke up at almost 9am, so school didn't get going until 10am. I was really O.K. with this until my 2 year old had about two very messy "accidents". I admit I lost it for a few minutes while cleaning out training pants. With all the diversions we didn't finish school till 3pm. But you know it turned out to be a good day anyway. I am just glad the Lord loves me even when I lose it.

2009-10-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

Where do you go to find a new recipe? I have been surfing cooking sites today and nothing had jumped out at me saying "cook me, I am delicious". Have you ever felt stuck in the "what to fix for dinner rut". I am so tired of the spagehetti, tacos, baked chicken cycle. Thankfully every now and then we go out to eat! Last night my In-law's splurged and treated us to a wonderful dinner at "Christina's Mexican Restaurant". It was so nice to not have to plan a meal. Tonight though,we will be eating at home, so if any one has a great recipe send it my way.

2009-09-30T15:30:00.000-07:00

If you are like me you don't want to exercise but feel commpeled to do it. It has something to do with the pressure I feel in this society to maintain my weight and the conviction I feel to stay healthy. Since I have been here in Fort Worth I have tried to walk about 2 miles, four times a week. There are days that I wake up and have to force myself to get out and walk but when I return I am always glad I have done it. The other benefit is that I feel a little less guilty about that extra scoop of icecream.

2009-09-28T11:21:00.000-07:00

My 6 year old daughter is learning to read. I have to admit that homeschooling would be much easier if children could read from birth, but we all know that is not how it is. I decided to spend a whopping $39 to purchase "Hooked on Phonics Kindergarden and First grade". This program has made all the difference. The daunting task of teaching my daughter to read has become something simple and easy! I am glad homeschooling doesn't have to be hard!

2009-09-26T17:34:00.000-07:00

Today I was greatly relieved to go to Walmart alone! My wonderful hubby had the wisdom to take the kids home after our picnic lunch at the park. See, I had wanted to stop at Walmart on our way home and was not too happy to be going home first. In retrospect, I see that my man spared me from the pleases, whines, fighting, and the countless times I have to say no during the weekly stop at the Supercenter. Our 4 kids are great, but even the best kids are a distraction from the task at hand....getting groceries! How nice it is to come home relaxed, and in peace. It would have been perfect if not for the stinky (and I mean STINKY),diaper in the back of our car. Oh well, can't have it all.