7 Experiment and Stuff

We just wound up our latest 7 Experiment.  It was to get rid of 210 things in a month's time.  A fast of possessions of sorts.  At first, I was very daunted by the task.  Until I actually got going.  I am sad to say it was one of the easiest challenges I have had.

All of us were involved and we went room to room, closet to closet, cupboard to cupboard and shelf to shelf looking for things to get rid of.  And I was done in about 2 weeks!  Although it was suppose to take a month.  And, I have plenty more to get rid of.

We gave away clothes, toys, books.  We got rid of papers and just plain junk.  And we are not through.  We gave most of our stuff away to a local thrift shop that helps homeless and abused women and children.  We donated a lot of stuff to our church for our annual fund raising for the 4th of July Fireworks out reach program.  Much of my homeschool stuff I gave away to families who needed it.

Even though we were officially done last Saturday, I found myself yesterday going through more toy boxes and getting rid of more stuff.  The girls decided to clean and organize their closet and had a bunch of clothes to donate.

We have instilled a new rule.  If something new comes into the house, for whatever reason, something that is already here, has to go.  The last thing I want to do is accumulate more stuff after we just spent four weeks getting rid of stuff.

I would like to say it was so hard to get rid of material possessions that it hurt.  But the reality is we have so much stuff it goes unnoticed.  We have so much stuff, we don't take care of what we do have.  There is so much stuff we lose and misplace stuff and it just doesn't matter a whole lot.  I am working on changing that.

Even though we start a media fast on Monday, I am going to continue with giving away stuff.  I feel I just have to . . .

Easter, Part One

Little Mama is my drama queen.  And what I mean by that is, she loves to act.  I wish she were willing to do more of it.  Anyway, about 2 months ago, maybe more my memory is horrible, they asked church members to participate in our Easter Drama.  In the past, the dramas have been fabulous and I was sure this one would be as well.

Little Mama asked if she could be a part of it.  Very rarely does she ask to do something so I said yes.  Nature Girl decided to join in because we were there anyway.  In the beginning, they only met on Wednesday after church for about a half hour.  Then, as Easter got closer we had to spend a considerable amount of time in practice.

Then the week before it was every night.  Late.  I would watch what was going on and never in a million years did I think they would pull it off.  (Ye of little faith.)  One night we were there until 10:30.  Thankfully, a friend of mine offered to bring them home the next night if it went late, because I had the littles with me.  Thankfully, that night we were done early.  Plus, Boop and EG loved watching them practice.

The musical drama was presented on Good Friday and again on Easter.  It was a huge commitment by those involved, but, even now it gives me goosebumps to think about the performance.  It was a musical presentation, with drama, about the life, death and resurrection of Christ from the perspective of Doubting Thomas the disciple. The music and the acting was fantastic.  

My mom, brother, mother-in-law, sister-in-law and niece all came to see it and were very touched by it.  It was tough thing to do, especially at such a busy time of year.  But, it was so well worth being part of sharing the gospel and the love of Christ during the Easter weekend.

Of course, the kids can't wait to do it again!  I will most likely say yes . . . 

The little girls coloring before Good Friday's performance.

Little Mama and Nature Girl with a couple of their fellow actors.

Camp

About two months ago, maybe not that long, hubby and I and another couple went to an overnight adult volunteer training session for a local youth camp.  It is a camp I had heard about for years.  It is a Christian camp and a bunch of our church kids go and a bunch of homeschool kids we know go.

Every year during the summer the question would come up "Are your kids going to camp?"  And the answer was always "no."  The thought of my babies being away from me for a week was not my idea of a good time.  There were a lot of other reasons as well.  But I won't go into all that right now.  It just wasn't the direction we were taking as a family.

But, then this training came up and a few people that I know very well, who are very involved in the camp, encouraged all of us to go.  So we did.  Our thought was, we would find out first hand info about the camp and if our children go to camp, then we would go as volunteers.

We learned so much that weekend about the vision of the director and the camp.  He has such a heart for "high risk" kids and those who are underprivileged and don't come from good homes.  His goal for every camping session is to have 25% "high risk" kids.  What an awesome mission statement.

His second goal is to challenge teenagers to be responsible and grow in their personal relationship with Christ.  All of his cabins (and some covered wagons) are staffed with teens who have gone through extensive training.  Many of which have been involved in the camp for 6, 7 and 8 years.  He encourages sharing the gospel, service training, responsibility for others, being great role models among a multiple of others things that grow really great teenagers.

Well, this past weekend the camp had its gearing up for summer session and my friend and I decided to register the older girls and sign up ourselves to volunteer.  As the day of departure approached, my friend and I were not real confident about what we had signed up for.  It has been along time since I had been at camp!

The camp was great and seemed to be run pretty well.  The girls enjoyed themselves a ton and definitely want to go back in the summer.  My friend and I got to see what goes into running a camp and how much hard work it is.  We now understand why the teenagers are the counselors because the energy needed to hang with a bunch of kids all weekend is out of this world!

I knew quite a few of the counsels.   So that was neat.  I recognized the name of a couple of campers so that was cool too.  There were a few things I am still not quite sure about.  But, all in all, it was a positive experience.

We still are not sure if the kids will go for a week.  If they do, I will be there.  The camp needs the volunteers and I like just being around.  I hardly saw the girls because I was busy doing other things.  But, I feel one of the things the camp could use a little more of is adult/parent involvement.  They have a lot going on there.

Anyway, I am glad I went.  I am glad we let the girls go.  And, who knows what we will do in the future.  One day at a time . . .

Just Found

Picture taken a couple of weeks ago by our neighbor who needed a subject for a photography class she was taking.

My beautiful baby girl . . . 

Twelve!

It just can't be.  This time 12 years ago I was an hour old brand new mama!  Yesterday, as we were driving in from church (or ballet I can't remember) I told the kids the story of the night NG was born.  She was a month early and we were so not prepared!

And our lives have been forever changed!

When I think of it, I tell her that when we brought her home she weighed as much as a sack of sugar.

Oh my has she grown.

She is always smiling, dancing and singing.  She is determined (stubborn).  But, I am confident that will serve her well when she is an adult.  As everyone says, she is the spitting image of me.  And I have to agree.

I have no idea what her future holds.  But, I know she is strong and gifted and it will never be a dull moment.

Happy Birthday, Nature Girl!  We love you very much . . . 

Changes in School

This post won't have pictures so I don't need to take time trying to upload them before I post.

About 2 weeks ago, my big girls finished up a couple of their school books.  And we, as a family, finished up one or two.  That gave me the opportunity to change up our school day just a little bit.  And I took full advantage of it.  And the results have been great.

I have been able to add a daily Latin program,  Prima Latina which the kids love. (Boop told me he did part of his Latin prayer at bedtime.)  And we have added a daily Geography book which the kids love, A Child's Geography:  Explore the Holy Lands.  (It involves riding around on a magic carpet called at kilim while we explore the Holy Land of Turkey.)  And we have added daily writing and grammar which we absolutely have had the need for.

I have moved our Science to an experiment at least once a month.  And our weekly Geography book, which was really good, has been shelved for now.  Also our English from the Roots Up has been tabled.

At the beginning of the week Nature Girl is given a list of all the things she is responsible for for the week.  Reading assignments, worksheets, writing assignments and it is her job to get it all done by Friday.  She likes the independence.

I will continue to read to each child every day.  When I told someone about that she asked when I would stop and I said never.  As long as a child is in the house, I will always make an effort to sit on the couch and snuggle and read.  And even though I have an almost 12 year old, she has never once suggested that she doesn't want me to read to her.  In fact, one time I mentioned they day may come and she said no way.  ;)  That is one of my priorities when figuring out how we are going to do school every year.

I am sure there are a few more subtle changes but my time has run out.  Time to wake kids for another adventure in homeschooling . . .

I Miss Blogging

I can't tell you how many times I have started a post, saved it and then gone back days later and deleted it.  I just can't seem to find the time to finish what I start.  And I don't just mean my blog posts.  Spring is flying by and we have been busy, busy, busy.

And, honestly, since the time change it has been sooooo hard for me to get up in the morning.  Which puts me behind for the whole day.  And then I just don't have time for all the extras.  And one of my extras is my blog.

I do have some posts in mind.  They will have pictures and they are just going to have to be short.  PW cooking, Easter, changes in school stuff, 7 experiment and something else but I can't think of what it is right now.

So, until I have time to upload pictures and write a post, this is just going to have to be it.  Soon, soon . . .