Double Feature!!

Okay, so it seems that exciting things that I want to write about often happen on the SAME day! So, since that happened today, I'm doing two entries....both are exciting, and I didn't want to lessen the other one by adding this to it...PLEASE read my first entry for the day which follows this one.

I don't know if you'll be able to pull up this link, but if you'd like....try. http://www.watkinsonline.com/htmlemails/field_emails/AprilE-NewsUS.html#home -- this is from a newsletter sent to each Watkins associate monthly...and surprise, surprise to me, I'm the featured testimonial for the month with the cleaning products! This is something I emailed to either my upline or to one of the gals at Watkins who is in charge of the Good Tastings parties.

Anyway, I have even more to add to that testimonial! The new laundry detergent is so fabulous. Each time I do laundry, I'm just amazed at it...and especially since it is chemical-free, plant-based, and safe for septic systems, no added dyes, colors, artificial anything. It has a great lemon scent from lemon essential oil that faintly lingers in the clothing and just gives a really fresh smell to the laundry. Not only that, there is a soy-based formula that is a natural fabric softener, so even when I hang our laundry on the clothes line outdoors, it doesn't dry all stiff (and with this breezy, semi-nice weather, I've been "getting the stink off," to use a Carter phrase!). But even more exciting to me (okay, I'm a mom, bear with me!) was when I started hanging up little underwear on the line yesterday and noticed certain stains left because independent children insist on wiping themselves after potty...are finally gone! While the powdered Generation III Watkins detergent is also great, it didn't get the stains out. Woohoo! This is one excited mama!

Have I mentioned before how much I love this cleaning line of all natural cleaners? I continue to be amazed daily at how well they clean. Everything. And how good they smell. And I'm glad to know I'm doing my own little part in preventing more pollution to this world God gave us to take care of while at the same time making sure my family is not exposed to chemicals and solvents that are in most regular cleaners.

Yeah, another Watkins commercial, but hey...when I find products as awesome as these, whether food, medicinal, pampering, or cleaning...I just gotta share it with all my faceless internet friends!

(if you're interested in trying some of their products for yourself, click on the link on the upper left corner of this page to be taken to my Watkins Website, or leave me a comment, or shoot me an email for more information.)

A new creation!

Wow, that about sums up my morning! It was terribly busy...three loads of laundry (and hung up on the line outside), cooking breakfast (egg goop), finish stacking the dishwasher to get that going, clean up a bathroom accident, get ready to sit down to finally eat breakfast myself when the phone rings...it's mom. We talk for a bit before I called my sister-in-law in Ohio...their new baby is going through something very similar to what both of mine did as new borns, and I knew she'd need some prayers and encouragement. Finally hang up, eat my breakfast, sit down to do school work with the kids, another phone call...another, another, another. Finally, we just went outside to play for a bit (leaving the phone inside!). We came back in and colored eggs (I boiled a bunch of them yesterday and with kids in the house, who says coloring eggs should be an Easter-time only event?), cleaned up the mess, got the kids lunch, and had a great conversation.

I don't even know how it came up, but I said something about Satan, and the kids asked me who Satan is. We have focused on Jesus and countless Bible stories, they know about good and evil and all about heaven, but we've not really talked about Satan and hell yet, although we have talked about how we need to ask Jesus to forgive our sins. Hey, they're 3 and 4 and both have quite active imaginations! However, I told them about the fall of Lucifier today and ended with him being cast out of heaven and how he will be sent to hell and wants everyone to be with him and not in heaven. That lead to a little discussion about hell and how when we die we will either be with Jesus in heaven or Satan in hell. I explained that the Bible tells us that we can only go to heaven if we believe in Jesus, ask Him to forgive our sins, and give our life to Him, becoming brand new creations.

Luke immediately started praying, asking God to forgive his sins and make him a new creation. With tears in my eyes, I went over and led him some more in his salvation prayer and gave him a big hug afterwards. We talked more about what an important decision he has made and how even though he is the same Luke on the outside, Jesus has washed his sins away and made him new on the inside. He just kept smiling and saying he was brand new and was so happy Jesus took his sins away. He also got excited to hear this is a new, second birthday for him and wanted me to sing Happy Birthday (although he didn't ask about cake and presents).

Luke is four. And still quite young. And yet, he has such a wonderful grasp about Christ's salvation work on the cross and how He came to earth to be our sacrifice; the purpose of the cross, the last supper, His baptism, and heaven. I know that he has had a pretty clear understanding about sin and forgiveness and punishment. Today, the final dots in the picture were connected for him...the other side of Jesus and heaven....and he knew that it was important for him to make that decision and wanted to make that decision today.

I know that there will be rough spots in his life ahead...there are for each and every one of us who have made that commitment to Christ, who are new creations in Him. Satan doesn't give up just because we belong to Christ...but we have the assurance of salvation, being cradled in God's hand. And I know that Luke now understands (even with a child's mind) the battle of the ages..and has chosen to be on the winning side. Thank You, Father!

"I am God's soldier now!"

My Susi

Susi Joy Carter

Yesterday, Luke asked Daddy if he could be his helper in the afternoon...and off they went! Susanna took a nap, freeing me up to catch up on a bunch of things I'm behind with, but several phone calls in a row ate up that time.

However, after Susi woke up and realized it was just the "girls," she just couldn't stop giggling....and point out to me that it is only girls now. We had fun doing art work, reading stories, and just snuggling, before she offered to "help" me with supper. I did a stir fry with egg roll and pot stickers while she "supervised" and tsk-tsked about the coloring Luke had done earlier on the kitchen floor mats (no comments from her about her coloring on the wall behind her desk).

Tony then called from a meeting he'd attended to say that he was taking Luke with him to pick up some hay. Since it was going to be another hour an a half before they were home, we had a special "girls only" supper. She was thrilled to use a "big girl" plate and have something special to drink (rootbeer) before digging in to her rice, "crunchy," and "giant noodle." And all the while, she kept reminding me, "This is girls only, Mama. You're a girl and I'm a girl! No boys. No Daddy and no Luke, it's just girls!"

She was, of course, elated to see them both when they got home, but she also informed them that supper was for girls only.

I love my kids together, but it's also so fun to have one on one time with each of them!

Susanna's latest trick (for about a month now) is winking. After watching me, she practiced and practiced and practiced until she got it down. Now, we just bust up laughing when she walks up an announces, "Hi, I'm Susi Joy Carter!" and gives a huge wink!

Hi everyone!

Here we go again...

Yes, we are again in the midst of a winter storm warning. And the forecast continues to get worse each hour. Heavy snow, at times zero visibility, blowing and drifting, 7 to 9 inches (as of the current forecast) by morning. Light snow tomorrow morning, 12-17 inches potential accumulation.

The snow is beautiful, though. It's those huge, fluffy flakes that look like paper snow flakes. And it's beautifully white. And covering everything. Again.

Did I mention I have a huge Watkins open house in town tomorrow? One that's been advertised all over the place for the past three weeks?

Sigh.

Well, God's in control and I'm not gonna sweat it (especially with the temps outside!). I just wish He'd hurry up with springtime weather here in central Minnesota!

And if you want to pray that the snow would let up; that I'd be able to get to town with no problems tomorrow; that the open house would be a huge success....well, thanks!

Here's a blast from the past showing lots of snow...

The Joys of Raising Children in a Christian Home

Yesterday I wrote some about what my kids do using what they have been learning as they grow up in a Christian home. I'm hoping you all realized it for what it was...humor in dealing with some of the hilarious things that they do which really aren't hilarious at the time!

Anyway! I did want to share a couple more things that make this Mama's heart sing as I see my kids go about their day. I've written before about how they play "Jesus" with the full Easter story, from Christ and the disciples sharing the last supper together (and them passing around bread "This is my body, Susanna, eat it and remember me" and a cup "this cup is my blood, don't forget me when you drink it"), praying in the garden ("dear God, thank you that I can do this, please help me through it, and don't let the bad guys get me."), to being beaten and nailed on the cross (thankfully, they use a blanket to "beat" whichever one is playing Jesus and pretend nails and hammer for the crucifixion -- a Disney princess crown is often the crown of thorns), wrapped in linen clothes, put in the "grave," before the miraculous resurrection. I really need to video tape this! They played "Jesus" again this morning, and as Luke went and knelt by the Little Tykes dryer to pray in the Garden, my heart just melted...and I've called on that memory already several times today to calm myself down!

Yesterday afternoon, as they were having milk and a Twizzler for an afternoon snack, Luke told me "Mama, my licorice is Peter!" Confused, I just kind of looked at him, so he clarified, "See, my licorice is in my cup and sank in the water. Jesus went back to the boat and it stopped looking, so it sank." Wow! I don't even remember telling him that story! He may have learned it in Cubbies?

Talking about Cubbies, Luke's lesson for last night was about Solomon and wisdom. In wrapping up the year, his work was to draw to pictures of what he's learned. I've posted it below. Can anyone figure them out (he's given you clues by writing the main character's name beside each picture....if you can figure that out!). He quite amazed his daddy with how well he can draw. Now, officially, much better than his Mama.

Grandma, you cannot answer that challenge above since I already told you about it!

I haven't written much about Susanna and how she puts her Bible stories into play each day (other than the whole Deliliah, hair, scissors thing), but she plays along with Luke as he directs his "passion play" daily, sometimes directing her to be Jesus, sometimes giving her the role of the bad soldiers. She does correct him if he takes something out of order, though!

I've found that just the year between 3 and 4 years of age is a huge gap in learning with my children. I'm amazed at what Luke has learned and picked up and figured out and am looking forward to watching Susanna do the same, in her own time. She is talking more about Sunday School now, what she has learned each week, and who is in her class that week.

Not quite on topic, but something else that has made me amazed and very smiley this afternoon was Luke's music class. Half the time he is paying attention and following everything Mrs. Hodge is talking about, the other half he is rolling around on the floor, poking at one of the kids, jumping up, spinning in circles, or something else that makes me want to either take him out of the class or pretend that I don't know him. But as we were talking about listening ears on the way home and how important it is to really pay attention to Mrs. Hodge, he shocked me. I asked him about some of the terms she was teaching them today (when he was rolling around and not paying attention). What is adagio? "Slooooooow" Wow. "Okay, what is allegro? "quick!" How about little "p," Luke? "quiet, Mama, be quiet." And what about "f"? "LOUD!!" I should've realized he really was paying attention AND retaining when she held up the "rest" symbol towards the end of class and Luke immediately laid on the floor and curled up.

Why was I surprised? I mean, seriously! I already know this kid learns best when he is running around and doing two or three things at one time. He makes me tired.

Susanna has been having fun during her special times with Daddy on Wednesday nights during AWANA (although next Wednesday will be the last of those times...our season is done for this year and she'll be a Cubbie herself next year!) and Thursday afternoons while Luke and I are at music class. I'm thankful when Tony can use a "helper" and I get to have my own special time with Susi alone at home or in town!

And, as usual, another photo blast from the past, courtesy of my friend Jane (David's mom...the other archer in the photo)!

The problem with raising children in a Christian home...

Okay, I know there are far more problems when children AREN'T raised in a Christian home, but here is what we've been dealing with lately:

"David the Sheperd Boy" is a frequent "visitor" to our home. He is Luke's best (and imaginary) friend. And he has been banished. You see, when Luke does something that he shouldn't or if he whines when told "no," "but David said that I could." Much to Luke's horror, I firmly told him at lunch time today that David was no longer welcome in our home and until he could have good behavior and not encourage Luke to be naughty, he would not be allowed to even play with Luke outside. Luke has informed me since that David will have good behavior now. I've assured him that he is welcome to be here as long as he has good behavior....but he's gone for good next time he encourages that naughty stuff.

Right now, as Susanna is sleeping, Luke is upstairs praying to God because "Mama is not nice, God. Please make her nice. I love her so much and she is not being kind." After being told to stop playing with a book that plays music when you touch buttons (thank you SO MUCH for those books, Mom.) so he won't wake up Susanna, he continued to do so (hmmm....maybe David snuck back indoors and told him he could). As I went upstairs counting to ten so I wouldn't blow up, I decided to just take the book away instead of further discipline. Problem was, he wouldn't let go so I yanked the book out of his hand....and ended up with only the part that plays music. Wait, did I say that was a PROBLEM? Smiling, I told Luke he COULD keep looking at the book...and threw the music part on the top shelf way out of reach (and knowing it is impossible to climb up the bookshelf). Hence, the terrible Mama dilemna and his wails to God about Mama breaking his books and not being kind.

We also had a bit of a hissy fit last night when I informed the children that since we were getting to bed so late (we'd been at a supper at church last night and didn't get them ready for bed until after 10:00), there would be no devotions. Tony read two Bible stories, I let them know no devotions for the night, just prayers and hugs and kisses. "But we WANT devotions, Mama! We just LOVE them! And we love the stories and books that you are reading!"

Susanna, meanwhile, has decided that Delilah for some reason is her favorite story. Kind Ruth? Naw. Lovely and courageous Esther? Fuggetaboutit. She only wants to hear about Samson and Delilah. And play with hair. And use scissors.

At least they understand about going to the Lord in prayer for all things. And are retaining the knowledge from God's Word. And are passionate about daily devotions.

A lively bunch

Last Week End

Wow, last week was a hectic one for me, and we've not even "officially" started our season yet! Although not much I did last week related to the farm and market :)

I headed to Duluth on Thursday morning for a homeschool convention. Minnesota has a great homeschool association, MACHE (Minnesota Association for Christian Home Educators), and they have a wonderful convention every April, rotating between three MN cities.

They have a great seminar, starting on Thursday afternoon, for those who are just starting homeschooling. I got so much information from them! There were four 45-minute sessions, covering things like why homeschooling, how do you figure out learning styles, what you need to know, and a great question and answer session with some homeschooling "pioneers." Friday morning, the first general session was entitled "Which Way Do I Go?" and I'd have been lost without it!

Minnesota is really blessed to have as the head of the MACHE board a gentleman who served in the State legislature for years before stopping his "public" life but still staying in our capital to oversee legislation, make sure nothing anti-homeschool is promoted while making sure our rights to homeschool are protected. As a result, we don't have alot of the hostilities to homeschool parents from legal sources as many other states do. We also don't have to worry about our homeschool right being taken away based on our childrens' testing scores, unlike many other states. John is right there, making sure we as homeschoolers are legally protected.

Back to the conference! The learning styles seminar was so informative to me! They covered the four main styles of kids (named, in this instance, "wiggly willy/wilma," "confident carl/carla," "perfect paul/paula," and "sociable sam/sue"), giving characteristics of each as well as favorite subjects, things they cannot abide doing, positives and negatives, and what teaching methods are best for each style. Wow, as we were covering them, I'm pretty certain I have my kids pegged! Luke is pretty much 50/50 wiggly and sociable (and I'm not saying wiggly just because he's a boy) -- as she was covering both styles, I couldn't believe how exact both described him from birth to today. Tony also thought they described Luke to a "T." Susanna is textbook confident, again, from the moment she was born. They also told us that for homeschooling, figure an average of $450/student/year for materials. I told Tony that (my frugal sweetie) and he said he didn't think that was unreasonable. Yeah!

I got back to my hotel that night, tired but excited about the next couple days of the conference. Wow, I was going to get so much out of this! Friday's opening seminar, "Which Way Do I Go?," was a further inspiration. Mary James covered the five major teaching styles, along with pros and cons on each and what cirriculum fell in each style. Unit studies for us, baby! Fits both kids' styles as well as our busy life style, what could be better? Oh yeah! Great info! Most were represented in the Exhibit Hall...I was set! Go on to the seminars, learn all kinds of stuff, check out the cirriculum during breaks, and go from there!

Well. I went into the first general seminar lead by a great lady, Terry Maxwell, who homeschools a bunch of kids, has written several books, co-authored many with her husband, and has been featured on several programs such as Focus on the Family, Family Life Today, and others.

I lasted five minutes in there. She was talking about scheduling, about how important it is to keep everything scheduled so things don't fall apart. Are you KIDDING me? Now, I'm a scheduler (stop laughing, Mom -- I'm not as bad as Ron!) and it really helps when I list things out that need to be done. HOWEVER, there is NO way I am able to maintain a schedule with the life we lead. I gave up schedules when I became a mom and realized that while routines are important, schedules no longer work. There are way too many variables in our life as farmers and business owners and parents with small children who have minds of their own. Maybe down the road but now? Yeah. Right.

Side note: My daughter is starting to turn out like her Mama. Last week when we went to the grocery store, as we walked in, she pulled out a piece of paper with scribbles on it and was ready with her "grocery list." I cracked up!

I tried another seminar given at the same time. I lasted less than five minutes in that one. I high-tailed it down to the exhibit hall and Mary James' booth "Smoothing The Way -- Help for First Year Homeschoolers" -- and started tearing up as I realized that this step we're taking is a big one...but one we both are convinced is the right one for our family. Tony and I are going to have to reprioritize many things, most of them not right away, but we're going to need to look in the future and realize there are things that cannot continue the way they are.

That first full day was overwhelming for me. But with God's help and reminders, I realized that most of what was going on at the conference doesn't pertain to us. Yet. We are easing our way into this, starting officially next year, so we still have time. The bountiful information at the conference -- much won't be needed for us until years from now. We don't need to start worrying about Shakespear, advanced math, college prep, things like that. So I spent most of Friday in the Exhibit Hall. Checked out the literally hundreds of exhibitors, looked at all kinds of cirriculum, especially those that I noted that fit our kids' styles and the teaching style I want to try.

Unit studies are a fantastic way to learn...you pick a topic and build all the subjects around that topic, going through as many topics as you and your family want...but it's pretty unrealistic for me when I look at it. I would be the one having to put together all the information, the material, the lesson plans, etc. Wasn't there anything out there for unit studies that had everything put together for me already? Well, no, not really, but enter.....

My Father's World. Wow! This cirriculum is amazing! Check out their site at http://www.mfwbooks.com/. It is written from toddler through high school in a blend of styles that focuses mainly on units and "classical teaching." The first two "formal" years of teaching for children are all focused purely on the Bible. Kindergarden centers around Creation. First Grade centers around the Bible as a whole. And after that, you can teach multi-ages for the next seven years until they get to high school and mainly independent study. The focus is still on the Bible, the teaching is pretty much "hands on" (in kindergarden they have an ant hill and a butterfly garden, in first grade they do things like make applesauce, etc.), all subjects are covered (unlike many other cirriculum where you have to add your own math, spelling, language arts, etc.) -- actually, in the cost for the year, some other established cirricula (like first Singapore math then Saxon Math) is included for the year, books that are used aren't normal textbooks but "living books" (actual books like the Little House series and others) and are not required purchases -- you are given the list of books so you can either buy them on your own or check them out of the local library! Each year focuses on a different music style as well, starting with Wee Sing Bible songs then introducing them to classical music, orchestra, music around the world, American composers, and more. The price averages to about $100-150/child/year since they are taught together using the same materials with only a few things that would need to be bought for each of them. The background of the material is fantastic, too. It was written by a couple for their own children when they were Wycliffe translators in Russia. (although a good amount of the cirriculum out there was written by parents for their own kids)

By Saturday, I was so tired even after a great night's sleep on my sleep number bed. It was all so overwhelming. BUT...it was also invigorating. By Saturday, I was ready to actually sit in on some of the seminars -- they had about 17 different sessions for each seminar time that you could choose from...or just go through the exhibitor hall. It was great that I got so much wonderful information. I'd prayed that God would give me wisdom to know what paths to follow for teaching our kids. I really am confident in discovering their learning styles, the teaching style that will probably work best for our family, AND the cirriculum that looks like it will be the best for our family. Will any of this change over the years? Possibly. And I'm okay with that.

In the meantime, I picked up the Preschool Pack from MFW as well as some other learning tools (and LOTS of brochures!). Luke and Susanna cried today when I told them we had to go into town for groceries. They wanted to stay home and do school work. They're on the floor right now doing school work (well, Susi is doing the moonwalk...better than Michael Jackson...and I have no idea where she even saw it!) They've already watched a great DVD by Joyce Herzog called "Lettermaster" about all the different sounds each letter makes...three times. And would be watching it even more if I'd let them! It's a corny DVD, but it is GREAT learning...and they are singing about which letters are vowels and which aren't as well as the sounds that "s" makes. Luke no longer wants to be called Luke. He is "L." And I was blown away at watching Susanna "playing" with some math manipulatives. I'd ask her which card (out of ten different ones) had three spots on, and without hesitating, she'd pick up the correct one. She did it each time I asked her -- five spots, seven spots.

And lest anyone is concerned, let me reassure you that I know my kids are 3 and 4. I know they don't officially start school for another year and two. But I also know they are having fun "playing" with school work and learning all kinds of things without even realizing it. And when they tell me, "okay, I'm done with this for today," -- hey, that's fine with me.

And now...I need to lay down a bit. Dwight called the farm last week to tell Mama that he and his business partner were coming up from Guatemala today and leaving on Thursday. Unexpected but welcome trip. From the moment the kids found out, they've been wanting to go to the farm to see Uncle Dwight. We all plan on going out for supper tonight. What fun!

More tomorrow. Or whenever I have time and motivation to write!

1965