Heard Recently

Storms bother Luci.  She is afraid of the thunder and lightning.  John was on his way home from work in one of those storms last week, and Luci was worried.  So I prayed.

"Dear Lord, please hold your hands over John to protect him and guide him home safely."

Luci:  God's hands over Daddy?

Me:  Yes.

Luci, looking out the window:  I can't see them!  Is God invisible?

Me:  Yes.

Luci:  Wow, He would be good at hide and seek.

(and closing her eyes)  1...2...3...4...5...6...7...8...9...10!  Ready or not, here I come!

Hey!  I found Him!  He's in my heart!

Heard Today

Mama, if there was another girl, a five-year-old girl, 

who had hair just like me,

who looked just like me,

who talked just like me,

and had this precious face,

she would be my twin.

Our Homeschool is Now K-12.

I think that's pretty neat.  A K-through-12 school, right here at home.  Luci has started Kindergarten, JT is doing 8th grade work, and Bryan is now doing 12th grade work. 

Yes, we are schooling through most of the summer.  Bummer, say the boys.  But so far no real complaints to the teacher, just arguments among the student-body.  Normal.

With John's new direction, the boys know that the first three-and-a-half hours of the day belong to Mom.  Chores, schoolwork, whatever Mom needs help with, that time is mine without argument from them (which was a problem during the last half of John's deployment and this past spring).  If schoolwork or chores are not done by the end of that time, then they still belong to me until it's finished.  This simple directive from John has been what the boys needed. 

Usually there will be reading that needs to be done past that 3.5 hour time frame, or projects like science experiments, filming, or writing to be finished up.  So far, so good.

As a result of this seemingly minor change, the new year (2010-2011 school year) feels more hopeful than ever to me. 

Luci-Speak

Cricking  the noise a particular insect makes.  As in, Mommy, I hear the crickets cricking.

Tea Fizz  tooth, plural.  As in, A girl in my Sunday School class has four tea fizz missing!

Heard Today

Heard after supper:

Boys, come back to the kitchen table. 

We need to talk to you.

then, Luci sang:

Bum!                                   

Bum!              

           BUM!!!

Bowling for Free!

This is post number six for last night and early this morning--so if you are wanting to catch up, keep on reading the posts below.

We joined the Kids Bowl Free group.  Your kids can bowl free, 2 games a day, all summer long.  All you have to pay for is the shoes.  For $24.99, the rest of the family (adults, grandparents, whomever you put on the list) can bowl all summer, too.  That's pretty cheap.

We've gone twice this week, and plan on going on Friday, too. The lowest score the kids got their first time out this summer is their "baseline score."  They are to try to match or beat their baseline score each time we bowl.  We are keeping track of the scores, and using this for part of our P.E. program.

Tuesday we had the joint to ourselves most of the time.  I'm sure that will change as summer starts for the local schoolkids.

Luci decided on Monday that she'd rather play the game machines instead of bowl.  I said, "no way" because she had no money.  Monday afternoon, as we were cleaning up at home, she asked for some chores so she could earn money.  I told her I'd give her a dollar for cleaning up the living room (which is a repository for Luci's toys).  She hummed and sang while she worked for that dollar, and Tuesday JT played a game for her and won her this ball:

Luci's form needs a little work.  But it's so much more fun when we let her do it her way.

In between frames, it's always fun to dance, or let that finger-blower thingy make your face go all "kabloo-ey."



So sweet.

Devotionals

Wednesday nights are hard around here.  We are all tired from work and school, and it's a twenty-five minute drive to church.  Which means leave for church at 6:30 and get home sometime around 9 pm. 
.
When John's last deployment ended, we decided to start having devotionals at home on Wednesday nights.  It's been such a good thing!  John has a Bible reading and lesson from the Scriptures (sometimes we watch a DVD), Luci gets to pick out songs (so far Jesus Loves Me, Blue Skies and Rainbows  and I May Never March in the Infantry are the only ones we've sung.  And we've been at this for 5 months now!), and there is a prayer.
.
The last two Wednesdays, we've been outside for our devos.  Around the new fire pit that John and JT built out of rocks from the creek-bed at the bottom of our property.  Absolutely wonderful!  And Smores, too. 

First, though, you have to call the kids from the yard...yes, JT is on TOP of the monkey bars.

and keep the neighbor's dog out of the Smores supplies.

Last week Clay joined us.  He lives next door--which means 'way over yonder, past the creek and through that big meadow that is his front yard.



Luci thought the sun was a bit much.

This is how Clay comes to our house.


Smores!

BMW for BGW

Bryan got a car.  This is his 18th birthday present.  Birthday's not until July, but the opportunity was there (thanks to tax returns and a cousin of John's in Cullman). 
.
So far, so good. 
.
I'm praying all the time.
.
April Fool's story from 1992...I was pregnant with Bryan, knew he was a boy, and knew we were naming him my maiden name and John's mother's maiden name (so, BGW).  I called my parents on April first of that year, and told them that we decided we were going to name the baby "Bryan Matthew."   That way, we could always have a BMW in the house.   We had decided to call him "Beamer." 
.
We stuck with the original initials, of course.  But now we have a Beamer, too.

CHEF Convention

JT was so disappointed.  He thought we were going to a cooking convention.  Sorry, son, it's a homeschool convention.
.
Christian Home Education Fellowship of Alabama had their convention last weekend.  Bryan and JT stayed home.  They went to the YMCA to help with a Tang Soo Do test.  The real tests were 1) will they get along? 2) will they be safe driving? and 3) will mom have a nervous breakdown worrying about them and the other drivers on the road?

Luci came with us and had fun swimming in the hotel pool, playing on the playground at the campground where the convention was held, and, well, that was about it.  She was good during the lectures (too young this year to go to the children's programs) and after the first two lectures, decided to sleep through the rest. 

John and I had a really good time.  This was his first year to go to a homeschool convention.  I was hoping he'd feel some of the good vibes I feel when I go to one.  Homeschooling is hard, mostly because you can't send the kids home after the school day is over.  I think the most difficult part of homeschooling is that there are not many breaks for mom.  So the best part about a convention is the building up of the parents that happens.  A real validation of the job we are doing.  The other good things are the camaraderie that you experience seeing old friends and knowing that a lot of us are in this group, a large group of Christian families who want the best for their children and work hard every year to achieve this goal. 
.
And, of course, the book vendors.
.
For someone like me, who loves and adores books, the vendors' hall is a wonderful experience.  John found some books to facilitate a study of US History he wants to do with the boys this year.  Luci found a good book about the Oregon Trail. (We are driving out to Idaho in a few weeks.  She had no idea what the book was about, but loved the cover.  So this book will be a good read-aloud, letting us imagine the people who went before as we sail across the continent.)  And of course, I found lots of torture math materials for all three kids. 
.
John enjoyed Andrew Pudewa's keynote address, and circled every other lecture Mr. Pudewa had in the schedule.  John went to every one of them, and was so enthused about the messages.  Some of you might know of Mr. Pudewa from his Excellence in Writing program.  He is so much more than that program.  If you ever have an opportunity to hear Mr. Pudewa  speak, make the effort to go.  He is inspirational and funny, all at once.  And he looks a bit like my brother Charlie.  Luci thought he looked very familiar.


This trip really cemented John's and my partnership in the teaching of our children.  It (the working together) had always been there, but it had fallen mainly on my shoulders.  John is getting near retirement and looking forward to taking over some of the educating of our children.  I am all for it!  I think this past year of travel for him made that desire in him stronger than ever.  These kids are growing up fast.  No time to waste. 
.
What a great weekend.

Soccer

Upward Soccer is always a lot of fun.  Luci thinks she is a soccer star, even though most of her contact with the ball is when she's putting the ball into play, as she is here:

Really, soccer is a social event.  Here Luci and Bonnie discuss hairstyles.

Luci kept stopping her coach, telling her something and pointing.  She spent the whole first half of this game doing that.  At half-time, I told Luci not to tattle on people.  "What's tattle, mama?"  So much for that talk.  So I chatted with her coach, the really cute Ashley.  Ashley said that Luci wasn't tattling.  Luci was telling her that she wanted to kick the ball to Bonnie so Bonnie could make a goal, "because she has never made one."
.
That's just about the sweetest thing!  Especially when you consider that Luci has never made a goal herself.

Catching Up

I am so behind on blogging.  I will try to catch you up on all the interesting stuff we've been doing, and I'll try to keep it in chronological order.  Which means the newest on top.
.
On our way home from Sevierville, TN, we headed out through the Smokies.  We drove through Cades Cove, and here are some of the sights. 

You couldn't even tell this staircase was there until the camera flash lit the place up.  And this was a bright, sunny day!  Can't imagine life without electricity now.



This was right before she told us she had to "go potty."  And there's nothing even close!  Good thing I had her little porta-potty in the car with us.  (That porta-potty is worth it's weight in gold!)










We saw EIGHT bears!  The largest group was a group of three. 

Luci-isms

Print-zel  pretzel
.
Lunch Box  To-Go Box.  As in, "I need a lunch box so I can take this home."
.
Pun  one's rear-end; posterior.  As in:

JT, I am going to pinch your butt.

Luci, we don't say 'butt.'

Umm...I said, "but I don't want that!"

Luci, that's a pun.  A play on words.

Okay, Mama.  I am patting you on the  pun!

 .

Kindergarten!

Today we began Luci's school journey.  I was going to say "educational journey," but she's been learning all sorts of good things all along.  Today Kindergarten officially began.

Here's a shot of her in P.E.  I love that playing outdoors is P.E.  JT's a good teacher.  He is our outdoorsman.

And here is the happy face of a girl who has successfully completed the Monkey Bars for the first time!

What do you do to honor your child's first mother?

I've been thinking of this for some time, as prodded by people like Tonggu Momma and those she links on her Sunday Links posts.  Luci brings up her "China Momma" about once a week.  I bring her up, too, along with other aspects of Luci's past so she will know that it is not taboo in our household to talk about what she's had to give up.  To keep any secrets from starting.  To help her heal.

While at Walmart this week, I told Luci that I would like us to honor her China Momma Saturday, to pray for her (and her China Daddy--we have not gotten into the fact that there might be a sibling or two out there.  I'm sure as she grows up that might come to her mind.)  and to remember the mother who is missing from our household.

Luci was quite happy with it, and picked out these "candles" and the holders.  (We don't do scents in our house, and having something that can't catch anything else on fire appeals to me, "Safety Susie.")

The hearts stand for Luci and China Momma, and the red dish stands for China, or the USA, whichever Luci is thinking about at the time.

Last night Luci was really being a toot.  So were the boys, by the way.  So everyone got "a talking to," which means I sorta yelled.  Real good, to do that before the Mother's Day cards are signed, huh?  I have lousy timing. 

Luci hopped up in my lap, or rather, I gathered her up and cuddled her as she calmed down.  I told her I was sorry I yelled.  She was sniffling, and said, "I wish I was with...(pause)...Pal."  (Pal is our sweet yellow Labrador retriever, killed three years ago.) 
.
I hugged Luci, and looked at her straight in the eye and said, "You meant to say, you wish you were with your China Momma, didn't you?"
.
Nodding yes.
.

I know you miss her.  I wish you could see her, too.  Did you know that if you were with your China Momma she would have times when she is cranky, too?

.

No.

.

Did you know that you can wish that and say that and it will not make me mad?  I will still love you and will never walk away from you.  NEVER.  You could do whatever you want to make me mad, and I WILL STILL LOVE YOU FOREVER.

.
This morning as I was opening my gift from Luci (a pink pig piggy bank! the perfect Mother's Day gift!), she said "I wish my China Momma could come live here."  
 .
Me too, I said.  I'd have to learn to cook more Chinese food.
.
She could teach you!

Where's JT?

Oh Yeah--He's on the Flow Rider!
.
This is the most fun thing, according to JT.  He spent almost all of his time in the waterpark this week doing this:

and this:

and this.  Watch out, folks in the viewing area! JT also learned to do barrel rolls with this board, and a couple of other things that I am just not that fast to catch with my camera.

And this makes him a real Hot Dog at the park:

JT, I am so proud of you!  This talent did not come from your Dad or me.  :)

.
And now, a video of JT being Cool.

Yes, Brave Luci!

Brave Luci ? ? ?

We've tried and tried to get Luci to play somewhere in this big waterpark besides the baby pool. This is as brave as she got for several days.

This area is so neat! But she does not like it.


Mostly because that big bucket above does this:

Finally we got her to go down the slide in the area above (with great fear every time the bell ding-ding-dings and the bucket tips over). And today--I got her to go in the wave pool, and wow! She likes it. We stay in the 6 inch deep area, which is fine with me. At least Luci is trusting Mom, trying new things, and enjoying it.

Playin' Cowboy

Today's excitement was Luci's speed.  We went to the Smoky Mountain Deer Farm.  What made this a worthwhile trip was that both kids got to ride horses.  JT took a 45 minute ride on Beau, and loved it.

Luci started out by shopping.  "Does this make me look like Jesse, Mama?  Except I don't have red-yarn hair."  Of course you look just like Jesse (from Toy Story 2).



Feeding the goats and liking it!

The Fallow Deer were fun to feed, too.


Yee-Haw!  Luci riding Lil Joe.  "I wanted a girl horse.  Joe is a boy name.  But that's okay, 'cause Lil Joe is the prettiest one."


JT loved that this rooster let him get up close and snap this pic.