Dark Days

I hate the days when I wake up and something inconsequential drags me under. These are the days when I am more susceptible of being overwhelmed with depression. Although I don't suffer from it constantly, I have battled the big D most of my life.

Today is one of those days. It was a silly poster about cousins that brought it on. Something about how cousins are your first best friends, blah blah blah.

It made me think about my cousins, and the relationships I don't have with them. Instead of best friends from the start, one set of cousins posed as my first adversaries. We didn't have any influence in the decision, of course. One adult's desire to rule and manipulate stripped down any chances of a real friendship forming. Instead, we were pitted against one another, constantly compared. If my cousin was found lacking in an area, I'm not sure which one of us suffered more.

My early days with her were marred by violent fights and constant belittling.

Interestingly enough, I rarely saw my other set of cousins. It wasn't until I was an adult that I started piecing together why. My grandmother constantly manipulated my mother in insisting we only visit her side of the family. We rarely visited Dad's family. I only have a few vague memories of those cousins.

....

Today is just one of those days where the past has gripped me viciously. I won't let it win, though. I'm getting older, and a little bit wiser. I know I have to release the memories with forgiveness, and not dwell on what's happened.

Time4Learning - A quick review

Our homeschool was presented with the opportunity to try out Time4Learning free for a month. In return, I promised to write a review.

(Ahem)

Sometimes short and sweet is more efficient than wordy and polished looking. I'm going with short and sweet today.

I have heard many good things about Time4Learning (T4L for short during this review). A homeschooling friend of mine uses it for her three children, and they love it. I was eager to try it out in our little homeschool! I have two children, one in 1st grade and one in 7th grade. Each child is "split level" with his or her learning (my 1st grader does 2nd grade math, my 7th grader does 8th grade literature and math). T4L's ability to move up or down a grade level sounded GREAT! It sounded like something I could easily customize for my children.

So, here are my Pros and Cons of T4L:

Pros:

1. The kids love playing games to learn. Much of the content on T4L is presented in a fun way. The kids enjoyed that.
2. Once the kids understood a concept, working through their modules on T4L seemed less tedious than practicing the concepts on paper (a great tool for my kinesthetic learner!)
3. It was nice to take a break from teaching the kids!

Cons:

1. I found setting up everything was not very user friendly. I searched FAQ's everywhere on that site trying to find ways to customize learning plans, and I really couldn't find much other than setting up their initial grade levels. I ended up just having the kids click on areas of their pages that would teach them a new concept (leaving other areas incomplete).
2. Looking at reports was also difficult. Since I couldn't figure out how to delete certain lessons, I couldn't get the site to recognize the lessons the kids had completed.
3. Some of the new concepts weren't "taught". I felt that the kids were thrown into the concept. For example, my first grader ran into subtraction with borrowing. The site didn't teach him how to do it. I walked him through the steps and concepts, and then he ran through the exercises.

All that being said, I would only use Time4Learning as a supplement to our homeschool. I think it would actually  make a great supplement to our curriculum. Unfortunately the price tag for the site is higher than I would ever pay for a supplement.

I might have had a better experience with the program if I could have navigated my area in a more efficient manner. I think a more thorough FAQ or help section would be GREATLY beneficial.

Legal stuff:

**I've been invited to try Time4Learning in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so come back and read about my experiences. For more information, check out their online curriculum or learn how to write your own curriculum review.**
 

Busy busy busy!

I have decided that I need to come up with a schedule that allows me to actually blog. I always have good intentions, then this whirlwind I like to call "life" catches me..and WEEEEE...

...I show up a month later with no posting. Egads! I'll be working on that this week.

It's spring break time around here. I wasn't going to take spring break for our homeschool, but I think I am now. We took yesterday off to go to an amusement park with a friend, and today was mainly spent playing "catch up" on the house (the kids DID get a few lessons done, though!). I think I'll take the rest of the week to reorganize everything, and get some schedules laid out.

We are in the process of wrapping up our school year. Our required testing is done (waiting on the results), our books for next year are purchased (lesson planning comes next), and we can see a light at the end of the tunnel for all of our activities. This of course means it's time to start scrambling around making plans for all the activities we are going to do next year.

Or does it?

I have realized something this spring. We are BUSY.

VERY BUSY.

Way too busy!

The funny part is, we don't HAVE to be so busy. We have chosen this madness. Somewhere I decided it was vital to do a little bit of everything (big eye roll).

So I think next year is going to be SLOW. We already have one major commitment, which will be taking up two days of our week. I think that's going to be it (except for our music lessons). Both of these activities lean heavily on either Bible study or serving in the church, so I think that's okay.

But seriously. Do we have to be so busy? Does it REALLY improve our children's lives? I remember always having the free time to go fishing with my dad just about every weekend. Some of my fondest memories come from fishing with Dad. By scurrying around staying busy, we're missing memories like that.

I'm tired of missing memories. TIME TO UNBUSY! (Yes, I made that word up!)

On another note...
I'll be reviewing Time4Learning in my next post (I'll be working on that tonight). Until then...

Time4Learning Review

Legal stuff:

**I've been invited to try Time4Learning in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own, so come back and read about my experiences. For more information, check out their online curriculum or learn how to write your own curriculum review.**

^^ I'm going to be reviewing Time4Learning in a month. I'll be allowing both of my kids to try it out. I will be giving my thoughts on it once we're finished.

Thanks!

Focus on the Kingdom

Today was a difficult day for many people at church. Many were hurting from the loss of a dear member.  Although we should all rejoice when a brother or sister in Christ goes home to be with our Lord, there is always a time of grief. This grief was etched on many hearts today. Not just because we lost a friend this week, but also because many of us have personal pains. Some of these pains are new; some have been carried for quite some time. While I sat in a pew listening to the opening song, God struck me with an important revelation. We must focus on the Kingdom – ALWAYS. 

What does it mean to focus on the Kingdom? 

It’s a simple concept, actually. Putting it into practice may take some work. It’s seeing the invisible. It’s looking toward His face, not our own reflection.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says:

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ¹⁸ while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

What is the importance?

In a world filled with despair, pain, turmoil, and hate, it’s hard not to get dragged down into a pit. We must remember that we are not of the world. How can we remember this if we do not focus on Him? How can we not drown in a pit of sorrow daily if we cannot see the light of our Lord? It’s impossible. We must remember:

Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation…The Lord is the strength of my life.

What are the benefits?

The best way I can convey this is by quoting the lyrics of the worship music today. God knew so well what I needed to hear and He brought it to me in song. This is “In the Presence of Jehovah”

In and out of situations that “tug of war” at me,
All day long I struggle for answers that I need;
Then I come into His presence and all my questions become clear,
And for a sacred moment, no doubt can interfere.

In the presence of Jehovah, God Almighty, Prince of Peace;
Troubles vanish, hearts are mended, in the presence of the King.

Through His love the Lord provided a place for us to rest,
A place to find the answer in hours of distress;
There is never any reason to give up in despair,
Just look away and breathe His name, He will come and meet you there.

In the presence of Jehovah, God Almighty, Prince of Peace;
Troubles vanish, hearts are mended, in the presence of the King.
Troubles vanish, hearts are mended, in the presence of the King.

Did you read that correctly? Troubles vanish. Hearts are mended. In the presence of the King!

What better benefit can you ask for? Are you hurting today? Breathe His name, and He will come and meet you!

Encouraging words for a discouraged heart

I haven't been on here in ages. Life has just been busy, and I let too many things slide. I skimmed through my blog earlier, and I realize now that I really miss sitting here and blogging out my thoughts. I can't promise to be consistent, but I shall try going forward.

First...I must find my reading glasses (so I can actually see) and fix some coffee (it's been a rough one!)

Today has been a killer. It's one of those days where when everything is all said and done, I'm left feeling empty and defeated, guilty and failing, or in another word...discouraged.

I yelled today. A lot. If anyone has ever thought of me as a patient person with a gentle spirit...and that person just happened to stroll past my house this evening, then that person either thinks:

a) Shannon must be possessed
b) someone else must live there
c) boy howdy, was I wrong when I thought she was _____

I let my anger get the best of me today when what seems like the 10,000th disrespectful "thing" occurred tonight. Now that my children are in bed asleep, I sit here thinking, "What kind of mother am I?" 

Aren't I supposed to be the picture-perfect homeschooling mom? You know...the one who never raises her voice or loses her cool. Ha....hahahaha.

I have never convinced myself of that lie...but still. Here I sit - feeling a bit broken on the inside.

Then a piece of Scripture was handed to me from my Father.

2 Corinthians 12:9
But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me.

What sweet, perfect words I needed to hear! Christ's GRACE is sufficient. Period.

Yes, I have a temper problem. I always have. It's my thorn. I try hard to control my tongue, but I fail many times. I am reminded that I cannot do this alone, but

"I can do all this through Him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13)

I am a work in progress, and that's okay. I know my Lord is here with me eagerly waiting to walk me through the storm. I just need to be willing to give Him the steering wheel.

  Lord, I am willing!

Homeschool Kick-off

Somehow this year, God decided it was time for me to lead a homeschool support group. Our existing director was stepping down after many years of loyal (and wonderful!) service. I never thought I would be fit to be the director, but after many days of prayer, God revealed just enough to me to let me know it was time to answer a call.

So, here I am! We're kicking off our new year, and yesterday was our Open House/Kick-off Party.

Turn out was small, but it was so fun. A wonderful, dear friend arranged for us to borrow her church's bounce houses for the event, and the kids (both young and old) had a B-L-A-S-T!

I came home and quickly fell asleep on my couch! I think you can call a party a success if you are completely wiped out when it's done!

Although I'm excited about the new year, I find myself watching a cloud of doubt loom overhead. Thoughts of:

• Should I really be doing this?
• What's the point?
• What if only a couple of people come? Doesn't that make me a failure?
• No one is interested, anyway

...so on and so forth...keep entering my mind. I know where those thoughts are coming from, and I know they are very deceptive.

Fortunately for me, I recently attending our state-wide homeschool conference (By the way, if your state hosts one of these...GO TO IT!), and there was a leader's meeting scheduled. I couldn't make the meeting, but I was able to download the seminars online. I treasure these mp3's. They are wonderful. I plan to listen to them many times.

One of the speakers made a comment that has stayed with me. He said (paraphrasing) that God will never give you enough help to allow you to accomplish something without Him.

Read that again. God will never give you enough help to allow you to accomplish something without Him. The first time I heard that idea, I was not very happy. I thought "Why would God short-change me like that?" Then I understood why.

If God gave us enough to where we didn't need Him, soon enough, we'd start ignoring Him. And then..well, you know where that leads. I can't think of a catchy phrase to describe it that doesn't use profanity...but you get the picture.

God gives us just enough to get it done with HIS help!

What did that mean to me? 

Well, when very few people volunteer for an event (or very few even show up), I need to remember that this is the EXACT number God intended for me to have. He sees a much bigger picture than I do, and I need to keep that in mind and t-r-u-s-t Him.

I don't necessarily get to know the whys about it. Maybe there is going to be a planned outing, and only a couple of families show up. One mom may be needing to talk something out, but if there was a large group of people present she may feel too intimidated to speak.

Or maybe having just a couple of people around will allow me to forge a new friendship that will prove extraordinarily wonderful in the future - a friendship that may have never come to fruition if the setting wasn't right that one day.

Who knows. I don't. God does.

And that's all I need to know.

With that being said, I look forward to all the wonderful things my Lord has planned for me this year, the good and bad. Because, frankly, I know He's there for it all with me.

Here's to an unforgettable year!

Simplifying Schedules...

As our summer nears it's end, I'm reminded of just how hectic our life is going to be once September rolls around. ALL of our activities start back.

When I started planning out this year, I made it a point not to over-schedule. Simplification was KEY to my planning efforts. And then....

Then all the ideas and opportunities popped up. My son is active in sports, so my daughter must be, right? I can't have her skimping out on physical activity, can I? I mean, we take walks and such, and she's active, but I'll be neglecting her if she's not in a sport.

Never mind the fact that she takes two separate music classes. SHE MUST HAVE SPORTS!!!!

Why do I do this to myself? Now, I look at September, and I start to hyperventilate. What do I do? Do I drop an activity? Or, do we dredge through it for 10 weeks.

How painful will that be?

I know what I need to do, especially since the sport my daughter is taking changed what day and time she will be participating to a time period where I would have to be in two places at one time. It's pretty obvious.

I just can't stand that I fell for it again. You know, the "in order to be the best homeschooling mom in the world, I must have my children in everything!!!!

Now, I'm not sure when I decided I had to be the best in the world. Actually, I'll be happy with my children learning how to not kill one another. Reading would be nice, too, but I'm not picky.

So...My thought to you:
As you go along planning your child's year, ask yourself "Does he/she really NEED this?"
Or, could they benefit from an evening (or a few extra hours) of peace in your home?

I'm going for peace!

I wanna be ____________

High school is on the horizon for this homeschool family. My daughter is entering 7th grade. Before we know it, 8th grade will be over. Of course, this has us thinking more about her future: high school classes, college, career, etc.

Some of my friends are already entering this stage of homeschooling, and I see them asking the same questions:

"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Ask this of a child when he or she is young, and you're sure to get high reaching goals: President, doctor, lawyer, ASTRONAUT!!!!!

My family is no exception. I have heard so many ideas that I have to chuckle. But, my daughter came to me earlier this year and stated plainly to me that after thinking about everything, her goal in life is to be a homemaker.

At that time, I was thrilled. We've talked a lot about it, and what it means (and what it DOESN'T mean, IE - it DOESN'T mean she'll be selling herself short by not being a career woman).

Then the temptation and guilt set it. I listened to other moms share with me their daughters' dreams, various careers they wanted to settle into. And I thought, "My daughter needs to do this!" Before I knew it, I was challenging her to think about what she really wanted to do in life. 

Looking back, I want to give myself a big facepalm.

Why did I suddenly feel like what my daughter wants in life isn't good enough? Recently, I've seen friends of mine either go back to work or express how badly they want to go back to work. I keep saying to them, "You know, there's nothing wrong with staying at home!!!"

And then I tell my own child she needs to pick a career.

Ooph!

Don't get me wrong - I don't think going to college or having a career is wrong. I do think the optimal career for a woman once she has a family is to take care of that family. I never thought that before I did it. Now, I realize how much happier I am!

So...Now's the time for me to eat some humble pie...and remind my daughter that there's nothing wrong with her original decision to want to be a homemaker. And...remind myself of that, too!

Classroom photos

There was a recent request on one of my online communities for families to show their "classrooms" for ideas. As promised, here are a few shots of our homeschool room!

The "work area" Both kids have a student desk, and I use an old table.

Our electronic white board. You can rotate 5 different screens!

Here's another white board with prepositions written on it, a collection of posters, and the book case holding 1st grade books.

My work space. I have all my teaching aids organized by subject here, plus my planner and portfolios for the children.

Ok, I don't know why this is sideways. Use your imagination (tilt your head!) It's the homeschool cabinet where I keep all of our extras, plus drying shelves for artwork!

Raising Homemakers HUGE Giveaway!!!

                                                 Raising Homemakers One Year Celebration!

Raising Homemakers is having a HUGE giveaway to celebrate their one year mark - a complete collection of Sally Clarkson books! Be sure to stop by the RH website (link above) to check out this wonderful deal.

I love this website. It is one of my favorite blogs to follow. It is very uplifting, and reaffirms what I believe is important to pass along to my daughter. I have a few of the Clarksons's books. They are such a blessing!

You can visit Sally's blog from the link to the left ----> It is "I Take Joy", another wonderful resource!

Know when to say "No"

Knowing when to say "no" is a vital lesson to learn. Too many times, we take on the weight of the world trying to be super woman. Why? I have no earthly idea. Maybe we like punishment? I know I fall victim of this all.the.time. I'm trying to do better. I pray. A LOT. I pray about what jobs I should do. I pray for God to open up opportunities for me, and until He does, I pray that I don't jump into something I shouldn't be meddling in.

Sometimes, that works....Often times, it doesn't. When it doesn't work - I pray for grace and the courage to come to the person I have promised, and let them know I just can't do it.

I hate when this costs me money. For me personally, I have said "yes" to two things I shouldn't have: coordinating a football team (being the organizer, contact person, registration back up), and taking college classes again.

The first was easy to fix. I swallowed a little pride and emailed the director. I told her I couldn't do it anymore, and I explained why. Fortunately, she is a godly lady and understands.

The second takes a little more effort. I have a big pride problem with school. I don't know why! Yes, I do. Because I'm prideful. I never earned my degree, and I somehow think this limits me or labels me something that I'm not. God has given me purpose in life, and it does NOT require any form of a degree. I have gone back and forth to school for 5 years now. It doesn't get any easier.

I thought I had learned my lesson once before, but it would appear that I hadn't. Right now, I'm signed up for 2 classes. One is going ok. The other is an accelerated class, and I just can't keep up. I need to drop it, and I know my husband will not be pleased that I wasted more of his money.

Hopefully, he'll show me grace...AND won't agree to allow me to take more classes in the future.

I have to realize that God has said "no" to me on this part of my life. I need to accept that and move on. And...I must do this JOYFULLY!

Our Homeschooling Journey...take 2

Our homeschool journey began much like many other journeys. My husband and I saw a need, we prayed, and were lead to homeschool. With much enthusiasm, we researched, bought, registered, and prepared for our school year.

                The first year ran incredibly smoothly. Sure, we had our struggles, but they were all worked out quickly. One might imagine that with such a wonderful inaugural year, our second year would be equally smooth. We were experienced! Surely, the wisdom gained would carry over to our next year.

                Unfortunately, I entered the school year with a lazy heart. I felt as though I had quickly mastered the fine nuances of homeschooling in merely a year. With all that pride swarming in me, I no longer sought God’s will for our school. I found a new curriculum that would allow my child to do her work on her own via a computer. I squealed with delight at the thought of not having to do much more than checking her progress once a day. I quickly rationalized the curricula switch and made the purchase.

                The following months were embarrassingly horrible. My daughter felt neglected and behaved extremely rebelliously. We fought constantly. Our house became a war-zone. We tried to switch back to our old curriculum, but it was too late. I was angry with God. I found it completely unfair that I had to deal with such stress and angst. Naturally, I decided to rebel. Four months into our school year, I re-enrolled my child into public school.

                Somehow, during this stormy season I convinced myself that all of this was God’s will for our family. I would pray, but I would never slow down enough to really listen to His answer. Honestly, I didn’t want to hear His answer. I had my solution, and that’s all I wanted.

                I saw my child change a lot in the next few months. She would come home angry every day, upset at her modest clothing. They made her a target for her classmates. She just wanted to fit in, but to do so would require sacrificing our family values. She stayed angry most days.

                As the year drew to a close, it was time to tour the middle school my daughter would attend. I remember arriving at the school completely confident in what we were about to experience. What I received, though, was the most disheartening, disturbing, and disorganized presentation I have ever seen. I was shaken to the core. It was then that I realized God was gripping my heart. I was on fire for homeschooling. I would not, could not stand by and allow this horrid mistake to continue metastasizing. A commitment was made that day, to my children and God. And life hasn’t been the same since.  

Returning to the nook

I stopped posting on this site for a while, focusing all my time and energy into trying to lose weight. Somewhere I lost sight on what was most important, though. I've since canceled that blog. I need a place to muse, vent, ramble, giggle, cry, etc., so I've decided to breathe life back into my *nook*.

Before I get too far into this, I just have to say, if you happen to be reading this post (or any other post on this blog), you may notice that I last wrote that we were quitting homeschooling. A lot has changed since then (obviously...a LOT of time has transpired since then). The best way I can sum up what happened is by posting a personal essay I wrote regarding that matter. I'll post that separately from this. Suffice it to say, I am still homeschooling :) Not only that, but I've recently been appointed as the director of my local homeschooling group. What an adventure!

Although I can't say that I'll be regular with posting here...I would like to say that I want to see my posts be uplifting, encouraging, but mostly - real. There may be humor involved, or frustration beyond comprehension, or even elation over the latest "rainbow moment" in my life...but mostly, there will be honesty.

If you are reading this, I hope you enjoy!

-Shannon

Ah HAH!

Ok..So, I think I stumbled across what's causing my case of the BLUES...

I recently had to start taking this special anti-inflammatory medicine for my tail bone. It has a lot of possible side effects, including mood swings and depression. Duh. This funk really started last week, when I started the medicine.

Man, I'm glad I figured that out. Unfortunately, I have to keep taking the medicine. Hopefully, this is something I can adjust to, because I really need to keep taking this medicine for a few more weeks.

On a lighter note...HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!! Wear your green proudly!

My ode to the Irish today: I'm making Split-pea soup for lunch. :)

Bummed out

I've been fighting this feeling for a while. It comes and goes, but over the last few days, it just hasn't gone anywhere. When I start feeling drab, I've been making myself move, either by running errands, walking outside, exercising, etc. It helps, but eventually, the feeling returns.

In a way, I think it's because I feel isolated right now. My daughter is back in public school, and I'm not doing things with my old homeschool group anymore. Luckily, my Sunday school class is having a ladies night out Thursday, which I desperately need!

Anyway...Not sure what else to put here for today. Just feeling really blahhhh as of late.

Here's to sunshiny days soon!

For my John

Thank you for loving me.

Thank you for agreeing to do (and then doing them with a smile) the things you know that will bring joy to my life (even if the thought of doing them alone would make you cringe).

Thank you for making it a goal in your life to bring me pleasure.

Thank you for loving me in ways that cannot be expressed by words.

Thank you for forgiving me when I concentrate too much on what the world says romance is, and not opening up my eyes to all of the romantic things you do for me on a daily basis (hint, chocolate and flowers aren't really romantic if you think about it!).

Thank you for being everything I need in a husband, even when I think I know better.

I love you :)

It has been a while...

I noticed that all of my posts were really me complaining about one thing or another. So, over the past few months, I've taken a break from a lot of things.

A lot has happened since then. The greatest thing is that we have decided to close Silver Maple School next year. Both of our children will be entering (or re-entering) the public school system. We didn't come to this decision lightly. Both John and I have prayed about this matter many times, and we feel as though we've received the answer to our prayer.

Now comes the wait game. Both children are enrolled, and we will be attempting to place them in a school of our choosing over the next few months. I have a strong feeling that God will open the right doors for us.

I've come to realize that every Christian is given a different path to walk. Ours, for a short time, was the path of homeschooling. Never during our time homeschooling did I feel like we were doing this for similar reasons that other homeschooling friends are doing it. Over the past year and a half, I have heard countless numbers of women talk about how they HS because of "_____" (fill in the blank). Although I would nod and smile politely, I could never said "oh, us, too!" because I knew it would be false.

Simply put, we chose to homeschool because we felt the calling at that time. We were in a bad situation with our daughter and the school she was in. God gave us a solution for the few years we needed it. Now, He's giving us a solution for the next few years.

I know that we will be facing much scrutiny from the homeschooling community when we let everyone know. It's almost as bad as when we told friends a few years ago that we were starting to homeschool. I suppose there are extremists on either side.

But, I have peace about this decision, and I am excited for my children and this next chapter of their lives. So, here's to our final semester of homeschooling. May it be the best it could ever be!

Saved by butter

The Silver Maple School has been met with many challenges over the last few weeks. Attitudes and personalities have been on the front line of the battle field for many days. The casualties (Mom's frayed nerves) lay strewn across the countryside.

Today started with yet another bombing attack. Amidst all the smoke and shrapnel, an unknown ally came to the defense. His gallant name is Butter. Butter was able to help Attitude and Personality see past their differences, if for only a brief moment, and unite in a common goal. A cease fire occurred, and for one glorious moment, the Silver Maple battlefield rejoiced in Peace!

How, you ask, did this occur? A simple science experiment, of course!

Today, I decided to interrupt all other activities with a neat little experiment, making butter! It's simple enough, it just takes a lot of arm work. We used:

1 recycled peanut butter jar
1 container heavy cream
salt
muscles!

I filled the jar 3/4 way full with heavy cream, and added about a tablespoon of salt. Then, I put the lid on tightly and started shaking. The kids also took turns shaking the jar. We had to shake it for 20 minutes total.

It was a neat experiment. For the first 15 minutes, you really can't tell that anything is happening. Then the changes begin to happen. The children were excited, and they couldn't wait to try out our creation. It was during this brief moment that all the stress of the morning fell away, at least for now!

Humbling experience

Today started off rough already. Both kids have been intolerable. The sounds of bickering were filling all of the rooms in the house. And, of course, they had their mommy ear plugs in, so neither child heard my cautioning words.

This, if you can imagine, made me quite angry. I was irritated to the point that every minuscule thing aggravated me. I could tell it was going to be a l-o-n-g day.

I decided to brew a pot of decaf and nurse my "wounds" so to speak. After prepping the coffee maker, I stepped away for a few. When I returned to the kitchen, the entire floor was COVERED in coffee. The counters were soaked, the walls were splattered. In my haste, I forgot to put the coffee pot in place. Having an older coffee maker, that didn't stop anything from brewing!

OI! I wanted to get mad at someone, but it was my fault! Quickly, I felt all my rage melt away, and I just had to shake my head. My son saw the mess and lovingly stayed patient with me as I cleaned up the place. In fact, he found the mop quite fascinating. He never paid attention to me mopping before, and didn't understand how the coffee got out of the mop.

Now, I feel much better, oddly enough! I know God used my "oops" this morning to humble me a bit.

Now, let's see if I can get through the rest of the day without starting any fires.