tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72698881400512670302024-03-13T23:00:51.582-04:00Ceaseless PraisesCarriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.comBlogger324125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-51848404585548301532019-12-20T21:06:00.000-05:002019-12-20T21:06:00.329-05:00Never Once Did We Ever Walk Alone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
When I finished writing my <a href="http://ceaselesspraises.blogspot.com/2019/08/do-it-again.html" target="_blank">previous post</a> about God proving Himself faithful yet again by providing community for us here in Louisville, I mentioned that God was doing something new and exciting in our family! I'm finally back to share a little bit about this new direction that God is leading our family in! </div>
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To recap, we moved to Louisville in the fall of 2018 during a chaotic and difficult year for our whole extended family. The move was very difficult, every edge was rubbed raw, and we had to wait and watch God heal our hearts. In the midst of this hurting and healing, we found out in March of 2019 that Joel's LifeWay store here in Louisville would be closing, along with the rest of the chain. Around this time, we were contacted by a church in New York that we had attended when we lived in the area previously, and we were asked if we knew of anyone who was looking for a pastoral position, as they were looking for a pastor. We told them no, but that we would keep them in mind, and went on our way.<br />
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A few weeks later, Joel received a call in which someone from the search committee let him know that his name had been mentioned as a possible candidate for the pastoral position. He was asked, "Would you please pray about this position, and let us know?" His response was, "I'm not going to say no to praying about it, but I can already pretty much tell you what the answer's going to be." So we prayed. For two weeks, we prayed about Panama Baptist Church and whether God wanted us to go through the application process. By the end of those two weeks, Joel and I had each individually come to the conclusion that it would be disobedient not to agree to proceed down this path of interviewing and moving forward in the process.<br />
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Over the next few weeks, Joel had some interviews, and it came to the point that the search committee had narrowed down their search to Joel and one other person who we knew personally. We thought this other person would be a perfect fit, and maybe we should just bow out and let them have the position, and maybe this isn't going to be what God has for us after all. However, unbeknownst to us, this other man was asking God to provide him with a position where he could be a part of a team of pastors rather than the solo pastor at a church. The next thing we knew, the search committee was asking Joel if he would consider working together to be co-pastors with Andy Cook! Joel and Andy had several meetings to discern whether this would be a good fit, we all did lots of praying, they met with the search committee, discussed many details, and both Joel and Andy were asked to come and candidate at Panama in August!<br />
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At this point, I should mention that, though I could see how God was working and was amazed at how He was knitting all of the details together, I had some serious hesitations and fears about moving back to New York. It snows there, y'all. It snows a lot there, and I hate driving in snow. We lived there for nine years and I have driven in snow, but during my last few months in NY, I had a couple of very scary snow-driving experiences that have caused me to be anxious about driving in snow again, especially after several years of being out of practice- and I so enjoyed the snow-free climate of Georgia! In fact, I may have been overheard saying things like, "I'll never move back to snow country again!!" (Don't ever say things like that or God might just test you on it!) New York's homeschooling laws are much more stringent than Georgia's or Kentucky's have been, so that would also take some learning and getting used to.<br />
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While waiting for our candidating Sunday to arrive, I watched the announcement that was given before the church, outlining the fact that Joel and Andy were the candidates and that God was providing two men to serve as pastors at the church. Hearing the excitement in these church leaders' voices as they talked about God working a master plan behind the scenes of a tough, pastor-less time for this church got me excited and I was awed to think that our family could be a part of God's provision for Panama Baptist Church! Another thing that really excited me was hearing story after story of church members stepping up, leading ministries, reaching their communities for Christ and serving others well, even during the months that they have been without pastoral leadership. This showed me that the members at Panama aren't just there to be consumers, but really to actively be the body of Christ!<br />
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In August, our family headed up to New York, enjoyed a couple of family days with Joel's parents (who live about an hour and a half from Panama), and then drove over to attend a fun picnic, stay overnight with friends, and attend (me and the kids)/speak (Joel) at church the next morning! It was great to see old friends, meet new friends, and see how God has been growing this church in the years since we attended there! The kids swept right up with old and new friends and all had a great weekend there!<br />
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Here is a video of our August candidating service. Joel preached that morning on Daniel chapter 3. He spoke about things he has learned over these last years of watching God work in ways that are sometimes very hard and painful, but God IS still good, through it all. In talking about how God chose to miraculously rescue Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Joel says, "What if there is no verse 24? Some of you have been through things where you didn't have a verse 24 in your story. If we had the time, you could come down here. We could put a microphone right down front, and you could share the trials that you had been through, and there would be times that you would say, "I knew that God would rescue me, and He did." There would be others of you that would stand down here and say, "I thought God would rescue me. I knew that He could, but He didn't," not in the earthly sense ... Could you say, "Even if God doesn't rescue me, He is still good?"" Joel goes on to Hebrews 6:13-20 to talk about the Cross being our anchor of HOPE in this broken world.<br />
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To hear my husband stand in front of that church and share the words that had been laid on his heart, the lessons that that have not just been intellectually stamped into our minds, but painfully seared onto our hearts through months of struggle, and to hear God using those words to teach and encourage others was very powerful to me. As soon as he finished and stepped down into the pew in front of me, the closing song began. The song was "Never Once Did We Ever Walk Alone" by Matt Redman.<br />
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"Scars and struggles on the way</div>
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But with joy our hearts can say,</div>
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Never once did we ever walk alone.</div>
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Carried by Your constant grace,</div>
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Held within Your perfect peace,</div>
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Never once, no, we never walked alone.</div>
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Never once did we ever walk alone.</div>
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Never once did You leave us on our own.</div>
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You are faithful. God, You are faithful.</div>
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Every step, we are breathing in Your grace.</div>
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Evermore, we'll be breathing out Your praise.<br />
You are faithful. God, You are faithful." </div>
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I began sobbing, internalizing the deep truth of the words that my husband had spoken, the HOPE in Christ that is our only anchor through the painful, sorrowful times of grief and loss and also our anchor through times of chaos and confusion, when we are wondering what God is doing. Wondering why He would tear us away from our incredible Georgia community to bring us to Louisville just to lead us away again. Yet through each of these circumstances, never once did we ever walk alone, and He is faithful. </div>
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After the service, we enjoyed a wonderful church dinner, the guys answered questions (and Mara and I answered a couple, too), and ultimately the church asked both Joel and Andy to come and be the pastors at Panama Baptist Church in Panama, NY! We are planning to move to New York in the end of December (awesome timing to move to snow country, I know!) and Joel will start in January! God has provided a house for our family in Jamestown, NY, and He has worked through each of those details in His perfect timing so far! </div>
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Through the last weeks of co-op and church and packing up and having last playdates with friends in Louisville, there have been sad, hard moments. We will all miss the friends that God has given us here, even in just this one year! We have reminded the kids of this truth often- that God is still faithful, and He will provide friends for us in New York, just as He provided them here. Though we are sad to leave this beautiful city that has brought us so much joy and so many fun opportunities, we know God is also bringing us TO a wonderful community in Panama and this is another exciting opportunity to lead our kids in trusting Him to provide for all of our needs as we follow Him!<br />
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What stage of the ebb and flow of life are you in right now, friend? Are you on a mountaintop, looking back and so clearly able to see each spot where God has provided, then looking forward to the future with joy and HOPE that comes easily, rooted in Christ, ready for whatever He may send your way? Or are you in an uncertain, difficult place where it's hard to understand why God is allowing you to experience this time of grief, loss, and heartbreak- is it hard to see any clear path forward? Is just putting one foot in front of the other each day difficult, let alone any deep feeling of joy or hope? I can't promise you that life will be easy, but what God does promise us is that we will NEVER walk alone. We have this HOPE- Jesus Christ sacrificing Himself in our place- as an anchor for our souls in the storms of our lives, and I would love to have the privilege to pray for you each as you cling desperately onto that HOPE in the midst of your storm. </div>
Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-53828246431367189762019-08-30T08:15:00.000-04:002019-08-30T08:15:30.202-04:00Do It Again<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Walking around these walls, I thought by now they'd fall, but You have never failed me yet.
Waiting for change to come, knowing the battle's won, for You have never failed me yet.
Your promise still stands. Great is Your faithfulness, faithfulness.
I'm still in Your hands. This is my confidence, You've never failed me yet.
I know the night won't last. Your Word will come to pass. My heart will sing Your praise again.
Jesus, You're still enough. Keep me within Your love. My heart will sing Your praise again."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Over a year ago, my mother-in-law lay in a coma in a hospital bed in Buffalo, New York. The day before Mother's Day 2018, my husband and his brothers flew to be with her for Mother's Day. I spent the weekend with my kids and my New City Macon church family, bawling my eyes out, being held and prayed with, supported and loved on as I grieved and waited on God. The rest of May brought more waiting on God, more trusting, more grieving and more suffering for our Hart family as my sister-in-law was rushed to the hospital and had to have emergency surgery after her second loss of a child in 16 months. June 2018 was a frenzied month, with Joel traveling back and forth to see his mom and help his dad as often as he could, packing all our belongings in boxes to move one neighborhood over in an effort to reach some financial goals, and a trip to Baltimore to stay with sister-in-law Emily while she recovered and experienced still another setback with an injury that had happened during her surgery. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">With many of our things still yet unpacked in our new little house, we began to receive an inkling that God, through a LifeWay opportunity, could be moving us away from Macon in the future. My immediate reaction, as usual, was "Nope. No way. Let's not even bring this up right now. I can't even think about it." Throughout July, I unpacked in a hurry, enjoyed summer fun with the kids, we vacationed with friends, and we ended the month with a trip to NY to see Joel's parents. While we were there, Joel's mom had to go into the hospital in Olean, and we were able to spend the week supporting her and Joel's dad while the older two kids went to Bethany Camp.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">August 2018 brought a diagnosis that we were all hoping we would not hear. Joel's mom was finally able to be transferred to Cleveland Clinic, where we learned that she had ALS. Although it was heart-crushing to find out this news, the diagnosis enabled her to finally receive the support and home medical equipment she needed in order to leave the hospital. I started another year of homeschool with the kids, and signed up for a fall semester of co-op. Just a couple of weeks later, Joel was promoted to manage the Louisville, KY LifeWay store, starting on September 1st. We made a quick trip to Louisville to find a house to rent (God provided such a perfect one on the first day of hunting!) Joel packed up a few things and drove to Louisville on September 4th, the day after my birthday, to start at his new store. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">During this tumultuous summer, I spent a lot of time crying out to God. For those of you who are moms, you know how hard it is to find time and space to be alone, needing time to grieve and pray and process without scaring or upsetting the kids. Don't get me wrong, it's okay to cry in front of your kids and they have seen me cry many, many times over these months, but sometimes, you just need to lose it all by yourself. The master bathroom of that little house that we lived in for only three months was my place to lose it. The day we heard of Mom Hart's diagnosis, I sobbed on the edge of the bathtub. When I took my morning shower, I would listen to music, and my favorite song that God gave me during this time was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0B_lnQIITxU" target="_blank">Do It Again, by Elevation Worship</a>. So many days, I said to God, "God, if You want to move us to Louisville, You're going to have to do it. I don't want this. I have not one ounce of excitement or joy to give to this move, so if You want us there, if You truly want us to do this again, You will have to change me and make me willing." </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">"I've seen You move, You move the mountains
And I believe, I'll see You do it again
You made a way, where there was no way
And I believe, I'll see You do it again." </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Through the month of September, the boys and I (and Joel!) battled through a week-long bout with food poisoning, then a difficult month of separation, with the kids and I finishing out our responsibilities at church and enjoying a few weeks of our Georgia co-op, and Joel getting settled into his role in the Louisville store. October brought a few days away as a family and then our move, with the craziness of unpacking and learning the area, finding new doctors and dentists, changing our address on everything, and beginning to visit churches in the area.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finding a church here in Louisville was an extremely emotional and difficult process for me. Our New City Church in Macon had been such a place of growth and support for us, learning what the Gospel really means and what it looks like in practical application in community. I wanted my old church (or one exactly like it) here. One Saturday night, I cried until I finally fell asleep, filled with anxiety and sadness that centered around visiting a new church. When that next morning came, I cried for hours, and I could not stop. I had to stay home and cry. Joel took the kids to church, and I spent time crying and praying and searching God's Word that day, and God helped me.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In January, we started attending a homeschool co-op in the area and also attending some homeschooling/unschooling meetups with a very supportive and welcoming group of people. God began to give us community through these groups. We found a 'Bible Fellowship Group' at Ninth and O Baptist Church and we began to have a community surrounding us there. We are really enjoying this city that has so much to offer, and we are thankful for the friends that God has already given us here. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Slowly, God began to heal my heart. During the months of February and March, there were days here and there that I didn't cry. I began to feel real joy and to laugh more with my family. I began to realize that God is doing it! He is doing it again! He is opening my heart to love Louisville. Joel's mom was able to write an update and a powerful testimony to God's faithfulness to her in the last year as well, and you can <a href="https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/donnahart/journal" target="_blank">read it here</a>. My sister-in-law has a blog where she shares deeply and personally what God is doing in her life and heart, and you can <a href="https://sorrowrejoicing.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">read it here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">In March of this year, we found out that LifeWay will be closing all of their stores by the end of 2019. Joel's time with the company will be coming to an end. So many of our friends checked on us as soon as they heard the news. We are so thankful for all of the support and love and help that all have shown us, especially in the middle of what has been an extremely tough year for our family. Of course we have all wondered, "God, why would You do this? Why now? Why allow us to move to Louisville just to take away the job we moved here for?" We might never know the answer to that question, but of course we trust that God knows, better than we do, what we really need. Maybe we just needed to know, one more time, that He is able, and He really will be faithful to do it again (again).</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Is there an area in your life where you are waiting on God to show up and faithfully 'do it again'? Please leave a comment or send me a message - I would love to know how to pray for you! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Look, I am about to do something new; even now it is coming. Do you not see it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert." -Isaiah 43:19 CSB</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">****This post has been in the works for months, and I am just now finally posting it. God is, in fact, doing something new, exciting, and scary in our family! Stay tuned for my next post, detailing what God is doing now!****</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0a0a0a; font-family: "roboto" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-77446411035183951442018-02-26T17:28:00.003-05:002018-02-26T17:28:49.245-05:00Homeschool Day in the Life: Carrie's Day with a 10, 8, and 6 year old! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's that time of year again - time for the <a href="http://simplehomeschool.net/homeschoolday/" target="_blank">Homeschool Day in the Life Series over at Simple Homeschool!</a> I LOVE hearing about how other homeschooling families do life and learning! So today, I'll link up and share what we do on a 'typical' day of homeschool! We school five days a week, taking off whatever day of the week my husband is off of work, which is often Thursday or Friday instead of Saturday. In the 18 weeks of the year when our homeschool co-op (which all four of us LOVE and look forward to) meets on Tuesday, we also set aside our curriculum on that day. Instead, our 3 hours of co-op classes and one hour for a library trip are our school that day.<br />
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On a typical day of homeschool, the kids usually wake up between 6:00 and 6:45 and play upstairs until 7:00. I get up and take a shower between 6:30 and 6:50, and read or listen to my daily Bible reading through <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.subsplash.thechurchapp.communitybiblereading&hl=en" target="_blank">CBR,</a> which is an app our church uses to read and discuss the Word together!<br />
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At 7:00, the kids come downstairs and we gather on my bed to do our morning Bible study together. Natalie and David are working on their <a href="https://wolstore.org/collections/quiet-times" target="_blank">Word of Life Quiet Time Diaries</a>, and Zachary reads his <a href="https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/the-one-year-sports-devotions-for-kids-P005575491" target="_blank">Sports Devotional</a>. Then we pray together, using the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.geero.prayermate&hl=en" target="_blank">PrayerMate app</a> for our regular prayer lists (family, friends, neighbors, etc) and the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.cloversites.echo&hl=en" target="_blank">Echo Prayer app</a> for recent needs from family and church friends. A friend of mine recently suggested using the <a href="https://www.ligonier.org/blog/simple-acrostic-prayer/" target="_blank">ACTS</a> method of prayer, and this has really connected with Zachary (10).<br />
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At 7:30, it's cleaning time! We listen to some music on YouTube on the TV (like TobyMac, Aaron Cole, Vexento, The Fat Rat, or Parry Gripp songs) while the kids clean up the toys, books, shoes and laundry that's been left around the house over the last 24 hours. I start the day's laundry, pick up downstairs and start breakfast while the kids clean.<br />
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By 8:15 or so, Zachary's usually ready to start his computer school. He uses the <a href="https://allinonehomeschool.com/fifth/" target="_blank">5th grade Easy Peasy</a> curriculum, except for the Reading/Literature portion. For that, I just make sure he's reading quality chapter books on a regular basis - he is a voracious reader and always aces any vocab, comprehension, or spelling I throw at him, so I don't worry too much about that part of his schoolwork. He is using the M (middle school) level of history and science <a href="https://allinonehomeschool.com/year-3-level-m/" target="_blank">(Year 3) </a>on EP this year, so he is also doing most of those activities independently. Sometimes he likes help with his math (which is mostly through <a href="https://www.khanacademy.org/" target="_blank">Khan Academy</a>), if it's a difficult or new concept, so I sit with him and help him through those questions, but otherwise, he is very independent with his work.<br />
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He is learning Japanese and Russian, using the <a href="https://www.duolingo.com/" target="_blank">Duolingo</a> website, also. He is using a new website called <a href="https://habitica.com/" target="_blank">Habitica</a> to keep track of his daily to-do's - it has some improvements over Wunderlist, which we were previously using (for example, there is a whole section of daily to-do's that you don't have to remember to re-add every day), but it can also be distracting to him, since it has some pretty fun features as well. When he finishes his work (usually later in the morning), he enjoys making animation projects on <a href="https://scratch.mit.edu/" target="_blank">Scratch</a> as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhONiU4j9-JSCVPSB7Wv-Iw7zONMGZNPsIqxpb0PkKyGrWptzGziLIQHZ2vsTtSPAGAgYYl2D0qus6-1UmCscCfYX-XtFfUX_tWKX-sW8dP3IKGC4uE2x5Ag3W_9BoqQEIuBjAwSfsEhw/s1600/20180223_110113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhONiU4j9-JSCVPSB7Wv-Iw7zONMGZNPsIqxpb0PkKyGrWptzGziLIQHZ2vsTtSPAGAgYYl2D0qus6-1UmCscCfYX-XtFfUX_tWKX-sW8dP3IKGC4uE2x5Ag3W_9BoqQEIuBjAwSfsEhw/s320/20180223_110113.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zachary working on his Japanese Duolingo</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doing schoolwork in a Ninja Turtle mask - why not? </td></tr>
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Breakfast is around 8:45 or 9:00, usually. We eat at the table together, and go over our Charlotte Mason memory verse box. Here are the verses we are working on memorizing right now!<br />
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After breakfast, we do chores. Here is our current chore chart, which we rarely stick to, depending what else we have going on, but it does help me out to have some more things assigned to the kids.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGkMzFwW0rWHoYdHVUSSMLlTAYjdhlJZyms-vjiXDK9gS92Skia9Y77kS5mjJbX2R9SroUxIozJuHE4NXPfRaxL_Jx5rkjhZn-5B2Jcln-49C-cskQ8dRu-p4HjGsguKignAzlKPc-h14/s1600/20180207_105950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGkMzFwW0rWHoYdHVUSSMLlTAYjdhlJZyms-vjiXDK9gS92Skia9Y77kS5mjJbX2R9SroUxIozJuHE4NXPfRaxL_Jx5rkjhZn-5B2Jcln-49C-cskQ8dRu-p4HjGsguKignAzlKPc-h14/s320/20180207_105950.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David rinsing the dishes</td></tr>
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After our breakfast chores, David (1st grade) and I sit down on the couch to read together. He reads to me first - he has finished this set of A Beka readers this year, and is now working through an A Beka Aesop's Fables book. Sometimes we take a break from these to have him read some kind of leveled Easy Reader from the library or our own collection. Then he picks out two or three books for me to read to him. This is such a special, cozy time together. Sometimes Natalie (2nd grade) still joins us, too!<br />
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Next, I typically teach David his <a href="https://allinonehomeschool.com/first-grade/" target="_blank">1st grade Easy Peasy</a> online work (again, minus the reading, which is too advanced for his current reading level). He is also using 1st grade level Handwriting Without Tears to master printing. He loves to play math or strategy games on <a href="http://www.abcya.com/" target="_blank">ABCya</a> when he has finished his work. Usually everyone takes an outside break after this, and I finish up cleaning the kitchen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYEOFIDMcMzcI9QlWBbqawctTSBE_-P5JE11UbivXvy0u2LtCC2Fy3dPFaG4jgxEbUSMivU2Bv_w3iv_9zYFYJmdEyRZPMaWPGuAxzJy1ZHds6Fsxtr-KbhoXKPeM_oW_aNdX4qApO94/s1600/20180217_102444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYEOFIDMcMzcI9QlWBbqawctTSBE_-P5JE11UbivXvy0u2LtCC2Fy3dPFaG4jgxEbUSMivU2Bv_w3iv_9zYFYJmdEyRZPMaWPGuAxzJy1ZHds6Fsxtr-KbhoXKPeM_oW_aNdX4qApO94/s320/20180217_102444.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David doing computer work</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David doing his handwriting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrFF7Vv3ZUFUCAugDghEHD8D-a_YEJYR8f7PSVhp2nZr142JGtnRJ6EDU8-R7my6PE14bhMQMGlNf4ZF5nnmpKN627frxERQ-Dv11KO4z71ctdCpPYWBXzAFN1FALFHI079jlY5GJhBM/s1600/20180203_104911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZrFF7Vv3ZUFUCAugDghEHD8D-a_YEJYR8f7PSVhp2nZr142JGtnRJ6EDU8-R7my6PE14bhMQMGlNf4ZF5nnmpKN627frxERQ-Dv11KO4z71ctdCpPYWBXzAFN1FALFHI079jlY5GJhBM/s320/20180203_104911.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing an online game with Zachary's help</td></tr>
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Later in the morning, David and Natalie and I gather on the couch to snuggle and study our EP <a href="https://allinonehomeschool.com/year-3-l/" target="_blank">Year 3 Level L</a> Bible, social studies, science and specials work! We read the day's Bible passage together. We're studying geography this year, so we've been playing a lot of geography games (<a href="https://online.seterra.com/" target="_blank">Seterra </a>and <a href="http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Geography.htm" target="_blank">Sheppard's Software</a> are my favorites) to learn where the countries of the world are located! We studied Europe, Africa, Oceania, the Middle East, and now we're in Asia! For science, we are studying earth science, weather, and space this year! We just finished up weather. The best website we have used this year for earth science is <a href="http://extension.illinois.edu/earth/index.cfm" target="_blank">this one from Illinois Extension</a> - it reads the info aloud so the kids can hear a different voice than mine (for once, lol!) and has interactive videos on almost every page. <a href="https://extension.illinois.edu/treehouse/" target="_blank">Here is another excellent site done by the Illinois Extension about weather.</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUexzioRy24ZYZiaDlH2PqpTU3GJephgxgJwCPS5sXcfshARgN5l6TiVpCY2shS6iC9Hq4i_zSZVStKRpbNr-Sh9b3oQiExu2ecTaLgMddxjyPKoCA-V0t5x1IO_EXqvSdZlT-u6bTo4/s1600/20180215_122643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLUexzioRy24ZYZiaDlH2PqpTU3GJephgxgJwCPS5sXcfshARgN5l6TiVpCY2shS6iC9Hq4i_zSZVStKRpbNr-Sh9b3oQiExu2ecTaLgMddxjyPKoCA-V0t5x1IO_EXqvSdZlT-u6bTo4/s320/20180215_122643.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A recent craft of the Taj Mahal</td></tr>
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We have done art projects that coincide with the parts of the world we're learning about - here's Natalie's indigenous Australian playing a flute, which she painted during our Australia unit! Side note: studying geography this year has given me lots of opportunities to talk about the beautiful diversity that God planned for our world. It has been really important to me to share with them about the indigenous people groups on each continent, and their cultures and history before (and after) white colonization.<br />
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The kids have also been LOVING <a href="http://listeningadventures.carnegiehall.org/index.aspx" target="_blank">this Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra game</a> they've been playing throughout the year for music - they ask every school day, "Do we have music today??" :)<br />
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The kids usually play outside while I make lunch, and we eat around 1:00. After lunch, we finish up chores and schoolwork. Natalie is using A Beka for her 2nd grade math and phonics, so she works on those pages (mostly independently) during quiet time. I monitor her reading in a similar way to Zachary's, and she reads several short chapter books per week. She is really loving Junie B. Jones books and A to Z Mysteries lately! I also have her do some kind of journaling or creative writing twice a week. Here she is doing her book work outside on a nice day recently.<br />
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When Natalie finishes her work, she likes to do crafts or play with her Calico Critters or Shopkins. David loves to play with cars or 'guys' or Legos, or just swing on the swingset - here he is in a blanket on a cold morning on our new swing!<br />
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The kids have some independent play/rest time while I transcribe from home on <a href="http://rev.com/">Rev.com</a> until 4:00, which has lately come to be known as Neighbor Kid Time! :) All the neighbor kids get out of school and come to play on our trampoline, ride bikes/scooters/hover boards, play with <a href="https://www.hasbro.com/en-us/brands/beyblade" target="_blank">Beyblades</a> and Nerf guns and hang out! I supervise while making dinner, cleaning up, or finishing up my Rev job.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David is Ironman, playing superheroes with two neighbors!<br />
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Beyblade battle!</div>
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My husband gets home around 5:30, and we chat while I cook, and then call the kids in around 6:00 for dinner. We finish up the day with jammies and <a href="https://www.lifeway.com/en/product/long-story-short-P005410414" target="_blank">these family devotions</a> around 7:00 and then the kids are usually off bed by 8:00, so we can get up and do it again the next morning! :) After they are in bed, I finish up any Rev work I have left, hang out with my husband, fold laundry. Before I go to bed, I just click to open up the tabs for the next day's schoolwork and populate Zachary's Habitica list! So that's a day in my life!! Here is the link to my last year's Day in the Life post- so fun to look back and see what has changed<br />
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<a href="https://ceaselesspraises.blogspot.com/2017/03/homeschool-day-in-life-carries-day-with.html" target="_blank">2017: My Day With a 9-, 7-, and 5-year-old. </a>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-18607468412648037632017-08-19T18:15:00.000-04:002017-08-19T18:16:34.063-04:00When Is a Statue a Gospel Problem? <span style="background-color: #0077e5; color: white; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After the horrific violence and hatred that was displayed in Charlottesville, Virginia last week, I was originally encouraged to see many of my Facebook friends denouncing white supremacy, as all of us should, especially those of us who hold to a Christian worldview. However, with their next breath, many of these same people began to post rhetoric about how Confederate statues should continue to stand in public spaces in the interest of 'preserving history'. This viewpoint is problematic and hurtful to many in our country, especially many people of color. To begin, I want to share some words from a wise Christian woman that articulate perfectly my thoughts on keeping Confederate statues in public places: </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: -0.24px; white-space: pre-wrap;">T. R. writes: <i>"</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;">It is extremely important to remember our collective past. But let's be honest. We erect statues as a form of veneration. There are certain historical figures, events and epochs that should not be venerated or celebrated though they SHOULD be remembered so that we never repeat them.</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="color: #1d2129; display: inline; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic;"> We should remember through discussing, informing and educating. But we should not maintain statues to them. We give honor when we erect statues. That is their purpose.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Saying that Robert E. Lee had many good, redeeming qualities such as being a solid Christian (which, honestly, should have been enough to encourage him to resist, not violently uphold the institution of slavery) is not reason enough to maintain a statue in his honor. In Emancipation Square no less. Do we not see the horrible irony in this? I can never hold this man up as an example to my children of a great Christian. He behaved in a patently unChristian manner through his fight to maintain a system that enforced the brutal subjugation of others. When my Christian peers advocate so strongly for this it hurts my heart."</i></span></div>
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Keeping this viewpoint and the reminder of my friends' and neighbors' pain at the forefront of my mind, I have been thinking and praying about what my response should be to this subject. As I prayed, my mind was drawn to the thought, "What is my purpose in this life? Why was I created by God? Why was I called by Him and gifted this incredible grace for salvation? What is my purpose as it relates to statues, politics, and racial reconciliation?" Jesus answered this question in Matthew 28:19, when he tells Christ-followers that our purpose is to "Go and make disciples of all nations." It's all about helping human beings see that they have a need to be reconciled to God, and He desires to draw us all to Himself. Sharing the Gospel with my words and with my actions, THAT is my purpose. THAT is the reason for my existence. </div>
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In light of that purpose and calling in Christ, how should I feel about a Confederate statue? As Tanya stated, her heart (and many other hearts in our country today) are being broken over and over while Christians choose to place more value on statues than on the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ. How would this represent Christ to my unsaved neighbor of color if I were to advocate for a statue of a Confederate leader who wanted their ancestors to remain enslaved? Would my neighbor then be willing to listen to me, in the next breath, tell them how much Jesus loves and values them? Could this be a stumbling block to my neighbor coming to salvation? If a statue is standing in the way of my neighbor hearing the Gospel that I'm speaking about Jesus, there is no other option than to tear the statue down! </div>
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One more thought - If a statue, which is not eternal, has become more important to me than the eternal lives of the human beings around me, if I am finding myself more passionate about advocating for a statue than I am in advocating for human lives, then that statue has become an idol in my life. Lord, let me be willing to tear down every idol in my heart, to be willing to tear down a thousand statues in order to reach my neighbors, who are made in Your image, with the Good News that Your Son died for them because their lives matter infinitely to You! </div>
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--1 Corinthians 9:19-23--</div>
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<br />Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-61539543106440554512017-03-06T11:09:00.000-05:002017-03-06T11:16:59.513-05:00Homeschool Day In the Life: Carrie's Day with a 9, 7, and 5-year-old! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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These <a href="http://simplehomeschool.net/?s=day+in+the+life" target="_blank">Day in the Life posts</a> from Jamie over at <a href="http://simplehomeschool.net/" target="_blank">Simple Homeschool</a> have been my FAVORITE thing since I discovered them!! A few years ago, I had just a couple of friends who homeschooled. They were amazing and so on top of everything with their kids! When I couldn't keep up or didn't feel like what they were doing was working for my family, I felt like I was failing or falling behind. After meeting many more homeschooling families in the last few years, I am learning that every family's unique situation, homeschooling goals, every parent/teacher, every student/child, their ages and personalities, are SO different and require different scheduling, focus, curriculum and instructional approaches to lead to meaningful learning! These posts have been so encouraging along that vein - every family homeschools SO differently and that's okay!<br />
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So I decided to write my own post about how we do homeschool! This is patterned after an imaginary 'normal' day, in which my husband works a normal (opening) shift and we do not have to run any errands or be anywhere at any certain time. Guess how many days a week this routine actually happens in this way? :) Well, Monday is grocery shopping and library day. Tuesday we have a really great co-op that we all love in the afternoon, so we just try to get phonics and math in before we leave for that. Wednesday, we have church small group in the evening but usually nothing in the day. Thursday and Friday, my husband usually has one day off (which we use as our Saturday/family day with no school, no matter what day of the week it is) and the other day, he usually closes, which means he's home in the morning and gone in the evening. Saturday, we do school, but there's often something going on that we work around!<br />
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So, on this 'typical' day, I usually get up between 6:15 and 6:30...worst case, 6:45 to get a shower in before the kids are allowed to come downstairs at 7:00. They usually wake up around 6:30, and they're allowed to go to the 'Kid Zone' they created in the bonus (toy) room upstairs and hang out together at 6:40.<br />
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At 7:00, we gather in my room or on the couch for Bible time - Natalie and David are doing <a href="https://wolstore.org/collections/quiet-times" target="_blank">Quiet Time Diaries from Word of Life</a>, and Zachary reads a daily devotional in his <a href="http://www.lifeway.com/Product/the-one-year-sports-devotions-for-kids-P005471927" target="_blank">Sports Devotional</a>. Then we pray together - we've recently started using the <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.geero.prayermate&hl=en" target="_blank">PrayerMate app</a> - any time we hear of a prayer request, we enter it into the list to be prayed for, along with all of our family, friends, neighbors, church, government, etc. The app divides it up into a manageable amount per day for us, and it's been a good tool to help us in our prayer time!<br />
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We finish prayer around 7:30, and now it's cleaning time! We turn on some fun music (VeggieTales channel on Pandora has been making our mornings lately, or possibly Lecrae or TobyMac), and the kids go to work cleaning the area they spent the afternoon quiet time in the day before. I work on laundry or other cleaning around the house until 8:00, when I start to get breakfast together, and Zachary (9) starts working independently on his <a href="https://allinonehomeschool.com/fourth-grade/" target="_blank">Easy Peasy</a> math and reading at the laptop at the kitchen table.<br />
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When Natalie and David finish their cleaning, they play inside or outside or help me get breakfast together. Today, Natalie wants to read a book, so David 'helps' me in the kitchen, which means we have to clean up some spilled cereal, but he's so proud that he poured it into the bowls all by himself...<br />
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We eat breakfast together around 8:30 and during breakfast, I review my <a href="https://blog.lproof.org/category/scripture-memory-2017" target="_blank">Beth Moore SSMT verses</a> (Natalie especially has been loving helping me with these this year!)<br />
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Then the kids and I review our <a href="https://simplycharlottemason.com/timesavers/memorysys/" target="_blank">Charlotte Mason verse box</a> - any time we memorize verses, we stick them in this box and then review them by day of the week and month! Pictured are the two we're working on now!<br />
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When we finish, Zachary goes back to his computer work. One thing he has been loving in his curriculum this year is the <a href="https://scratch.mit.edu/" target="_blank">Scratch website</a> where he learns to code and animate projects and interacts with other kids who are also coding or learning to code! Here are a couple of cool projects he has made lately: <a href="https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/147142084/" target="_blank">Peanut Butter Jelly Time</a> and <a href="https://scratch.mit.edu/projects/146210165/" target="_blank">Save Pico Game</a>.<br />
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Natalie and David start their chores for the day, and I clean the kitchen and help them/encourage them to start their chores.<br />
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<span style="text-align: start;">When they finish, they decide to play a card game in the living room. You can tell they also have some kind of play food store or lunch counter set up on the couch behind them. </span></div>
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Around 9:30, Zachary gets up to do his chores and Natalie (7) sits down at the computer to start her online first grade <a href="https://allinonehomeschool.com/first-grade/" target="_blank">Easy Peasy</a> math and reading work. She is reading well now, but she still often likes to have me look over her shoulder for math, spelling, and grammar and to help with game instructions. David usually plays outside or upstairs during this time. The weather is nice today, so he heads out to swing in the back yard. We do pretty well sticking to our schedule up until this point in the day, but after this is where what comes next is anybody's guess!<br />
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Sometime between 10:00 and 11:00, David (5) does his online <a href="https://allinonehomeschool.com/getting-ready-2/" target="_blank">Easy Peasy kindergarten</a> with my help.<br />
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He's also doing <a href="https://shopping.hwtears.com/product/MPB/printing" target="_blank">Handwriting Without Tears</a> and a dollar store '1st grade' math workbook.<br />
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We also read library books aloud, and there is an online logic game at <a href="http://www.abcya.com/wheely.htm" target="_blank">ABCya.com called Wheely</a> that David loooooves to play when he's finished all his work!<br />
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If I can, I like to finish cleaning the kitchen during this hour, too, and I try to give them a short outside recess before we come together at 11:00 for Bible, social studies, science, and other special subjects like art and music.<br />
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At 11:00, the kids grab a snack and I grab my coffee and we all sit down at the table together. We read our Bible passage from from Easy Peasy (we're on <a href="https://allinonehomeschool.com/year-2-level-l/" target="_blank">Year 2</a> this year) and discuss the questions. Then we read our social studies lesson - right now, we're studying Lewis and Clark, so I read the chapter to them, and we peruse a map of their expedition together. There is an optional map activity, which Zachary wants to do, so we watch him work on that. Many days, we have lapbook pieces to complete for science (we're studying animals this year), but today, we have a fun 3D Bingo game to play about what animals live in which zones of the ocean!<br />
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By noon, we're done with today's formal stuff, so the kids go out to jump on the trampoline and play in the yard while I finish some cleaning and make lunch, and we eat around 1:00. (On an errand day, I would fit our errands somewhere into this section of the day here - sometimes before lunch, sometimes taking a picnic/car lunch with us).<br />
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After lunch, the kids play till 2:00 or we read library books together if we haven't gotten around to that yet. 2:00 is quiet time, so the kids each find their own area to be quiet in, and I settle down to work on the computer (I transcribe from home part time for <a href="http://rev.com/">Rev.com</a>) with hopefully minimal interruptions until 4:00. Zachary finishes up any writing assignments, worksheets and his Spanish lesson with Duolingo on the iPad during this time. He's also recently started studying Italian and German! Natalie also finishes up any handwriting assignments she has, so I do see each of them when they finish or need help. Zachary also LOVES to bake cookies during quiet time! We limit his cookie ingredient usage to once a week, but he would bake every day if he could - and his cookies are increeeeedibly delicious!!<br />
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At 4:00, we eat a quick snack and either finish up any of our Year 2 work if we didn't get to it before, or go outside for a walk or to play with neighbors until I need to start supper! My husband usually gets home between 5:00 and 5:30, and we eat dinner together around 6:00. Then the kids get ready for bed at 7:00. I clean up from dinner, finish up any Rev work I might have to do, and then get to sit and hang out with my hubby for a little while before bed! Sometimes I use this time to fold laundry or mix up something quick for tomorrow's breakfast, but mostly we just hang out, chat and watch TV.<br />
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Before I head for bed, I click open each of the kids' tabs for tomorrow's schoolwork and look it over, print any worksheets that need to be printed (I usually print the week's work all at one time, but always check just in case I missed something), and input all of Zachary's assignments into his Wunderlist account - this helps him to be accountable and aware of what I specifically want to see from each of his assignments without me nagging him during the morning. I also like to do my daily Bible reading and read my daily <a href="http://annvoskamp.com/" target="_blank">Ann Voskamp</a> email before I head for bed! And that's a whole day in our family's homeschool life!<br />
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Does our day sound familiar or unusual compared to how your family does homeschool? Feel free to share in the comments, and don't forget to check out <a href="http://simplehomeschool.net/linkup-2017/#more-52372" target="_blank">all the other Day in the Life posts at today's linkup over at Simple Homeschool</a>!!Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-57554951074039758962017-01-01T16:32:00.000-05:002017-01-01T16:32:26.623-05:002016: The Year In Smiles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As I reflect back on the last year, as always, God has done so much for our family and in our family! 2016 brought *another* move, just an hour down the road, but to a whole new community, which we are falling in love with more every week! So here are some smiles and memories from our family in 2016!<br />
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January: I'm so thankful that Georgia 'winters' allow for exploring outside pretty much all year long! But we did have a couple days of snowflakes, too!<br />
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February: In February, we found out we would be moving to Macon. The kids and I took a trip to Greenville to see Emily, Silas & Judah!<br />
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March: March was a BIG month!! Family vacation to Myrtle Beach, getting our Hampton house ready to sell, trip to Iowa to see the Harriss family and Grandma Cheatum for Easter, ETC!!<br />
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April: In April, we moved to Byron, GA and said goodbye to our Hampton friends.<br />
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May: In May, we started getting settled in Byron, and enjoyed some first field trips in the Macon area!<br />
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June: In June, we finished up our school and did a lot of fun stuff at the library and $1 movies, and water fun!<br />
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July: In July, we took the whole month off of school to do LOTS of fun things!! Zachary passed his swimming lessons! The kids and I even got to take a trip to NY for Zachary to go to youth camp, and David celebrated his 5th birthday while we were there, staying with his grandparents Hart!<br />
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August: We came back from NY in August, and then got to take a family trip to see the Harts in New Jersey!<br />
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September: In September, we went back to school full-force, did some field trips and joined a homeschool co-op in our area which we have LOVED!! We also really started to get involved in New City Church and our MC group, who have meant so much to our family, especially while getting settled here!<br />
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October: October brought more school and I got to take a trip by myself to see my niece Ava and the Harriss family in Iowa!! We celebrated Halloween with a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Harriss!<br />
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November: In November, we had a visit from Grandma and Grandpa Hart, then we settled in, doing school, and celebrated Thanksgiving!<br />
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December: December is a busy month with TWO birthdays and Christmas!! Zachary turned 9 and Natalie turned 7! We enjoyed some holiday fun with friends and a short break from co-op classes! We finished up by celebrating Jesus' birth with our New City family!<br />
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Happy 2017 to all!! Praying for another year of smiles, different than the last!Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-54778288012569536302016-09-21T22:32:00.000-04:002016-09-21T22:38:24.186-04:00Driven by Fear<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How many of our daily decisions are driven by fear? In my reading tonight, this verse stood out to me:</span></span></div>
<b id="docs-internal-guid-50c37ec9-4ab0-9955-1300-ca6707d7c5bc" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ezra 8:22-23 - For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of soldiers and horsemen to protect us against the enemy on our way, since we had told the king, “The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him.” 23 So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.</span></span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To recap, Ezra had told the king that he and his men would go rebuild God's temple, and that in this process, the GOD of the universe would protect him against their enemies. Because of this testimony, Ezra was ashamed to ask the king for a protective guard on their dangerous journey. Instead, he fasted and prayed - asking God to protect them - why? So that GOD's name might be glorified in the eyes of this pagan king and his entire kingdom. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This brings me back to my initial question - how many of our decisions are motivated by fear? Have you heard anyone say that they’re voting for a particular candidate because they’re afraid of what will happen if the opposing candidate makes it into office? How about fear of allowing 'the tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free' to find refuge in a nation where many of us have plenty to share? (<a href="https://twitter.com/AJWTheology/status/778088099213611008" target="_blank">Skittles</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/NishWeiseth/status/778056795180769281" target="_blank">anyone?</a>) Not to mention the inherent and even, at times, unconscious fear, prejudice and mistrust of anyone who looks different than us that is tearing our nation apart one heartbreaking hashtag at a time. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What does this kind of attitude communicate to our neighbors about the power of our God? How does it portray Him to the people we talk to every day? </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Do we actually still serve the same GOD who closed the lion's mouths? The same GOD who protected Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the fiery furnace? Where do we find our protection, our refuge? </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the midst of a culture that is saturated with fear, stress, and anxiety, a firm faith and quiet peace despite the incredibly uncertain circumstances that surround us WILL stand out. God will be glorified in the eyes of the whole kingdom when we choose to fast and pray and then step out in faith to follow HIM rather than trusting in 'all the king's horses and all the king's men' to make America great again. </span></span><br />
Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-88656607996971187152016-02-12T21:38:00.000-05:002016-02-13T07:31:20.832-05:00Kidlet Hilarity #23<br />
This issue of Kidlet Hilarity is 90% brought to you by David - ha! He is quite the hilarious guy, and very aptly named (David Isaac means beloved laughter.) Enjoy!<br />
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David thought we were going to skip reading the Bible, so he said, "But then we will shrink, shrink, shrink!" Another day, he yelled at Daddy, "Do you want to shrink, shrink, shrink?" because he thought we were skipping our prayer time! I guess those lessons from our Preschool Choir songs did sink in after all!<br />
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David pronounces the words 'trees' and 'cheese' exactly the same. The other day, I repeated or figured out something he said, and he responded, "Ebaskaly." I finally figured out he was saying 'exactly'! :)<br />
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David went to sit in his Daddy's lap, "because I've known you a long time, Mama."<br />
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Zachary, talking about Doritos- "I can't believe they can make corn into something that tastes this good."<br />
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David loves to talk about "When I was widdle" and "When I was two year olds."<br />
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Zachary: "I'm so impatient for my birthday to be here. I want you to order it on Amazon Prime."<br />
Natalie: "Okay, then it will be here in two days."<br />
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David was pretending to work for the king, making him mud pies, "so I won't get put in the 'Dungeon of De'pair'".<br />
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David: "Your pizza looks so handsome, Mommy."<br />
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David singing the blessing at mealtime: "Almond, Almond" instead of "Amen, Amen." He actually thought the blessing ended with the word Almond for some reason! :)<br />
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After the almond incident, Zachary prayed and said, "God, thank You that David is so funny."<br />
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David calls lasagna 'wawanza'.<br />
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David: "Zachary, close your ears with your hands like this" as he puts his hands on his ears. Apparently he didn't want Zachary to hear what he had to say. :)<br />
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Natalie: "I can't decide between being a lead singer when I grow up, or an artist."<br />
David: "I can't decide between being an artist, a zombie, or a policeman. Or an artist who draws zombies."<br />
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David calls Publix 'Pugwix'.<br />
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David gets really excited when he's the only one of the kids that's obeying, and he dances and sings this little song that goes, "I'm obeying right now! I'm obeying right now!"<br />
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Zachary saw that our cashier at our Aldi store had a name tag that said Emmanuel, so Zachary asked him if he was Emmanuel Sanders (a Broncos player). He was sweet about it, laughed and said, "No, wouldn't that be nice?" :)<br />
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David likes to say, "No way, Hay-zay!" when he's asked to do something.<br />
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One night David and I were playing some kind of game against Natalie, Zachary and Daddy, Something happened where Natalie got a minor injury, and so I was hugging her. David objected, saying, "Don't pat her! Her is on the other team!"<br />
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One day when someone other than David was having a moment (or throwing a fit), David looked right at them and announced, "Satan is happy now." :)<br />
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David, referring to my favorite pajama pants that Joel gave me for Christmas, "Mama, why you wear dese pants every night? They need to be washed!" :) You can tell he's heard that about his clothes, can't you?<br />
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A couple of weeks ago, the kids and I went on a walk around the neighborhood - Natalie and David were riding their bikes, and Zachary chose to walk and talk with me, so we were walking behind the two of them. Natalie and David crested a big hill in front of us, and as Zachary and I approached the top of the hill, David came back up to us, with tears in his eyes. "Oh, David, did you get hurt?" I asked him. "No," he cried, "but Natalie did. She fell down, and someone is taking her!" Poor Natalie had fallen over on her bike, and a sweet neighbor who owns a golf cart and a kind teenage neighbor had helped her up and taken her to give her a ride home, and poor David thought she was being kidnapped - he was so upset!! She ended up with a scraped up hand and a sore wrist, but she was fine! The fact of how concerned David was just brought me to tears, though - he was such a good helper to come back and tell us! :)Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-48347846404518184422015-11-06T07:58:00.001-05:002015-11-06T07:58:34.481-05:00Kidlet Hilarity #22Zachary, looking down on the West Virginia mountains: "Wow, it looks like Google Earth!"<br />
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David got some sunglasses at a local event, and a few days later, they broke apart. I was going to throw them away, and he said, "You could duct tape them."<br />
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When David got his four-year-old shots, he was freaking out and kept yelling, "Her is poking me! Her is poking me!" I had to hold him down, which was awful.<br />
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David, after listening to the ABC song for preschool: "I will never sing with you." The next day, he sang the ABC song with the word Bad mixed in all through out and called it his Bad ABCs. :)<br />
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David comes in wearing just shorts, no shirt. "I'm not going to wear a shirt today", he announces.<br />
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I notice an odor coming from Zachary's feet during devotions one night, so I quietly say to him, "Zachary, you should change your socks before you go to bed." Natalie, sitting next to us, overhears, and chimes in, "Yeah, they stink! Pee-yew!"<br />
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Natalie has been wearing a glove to keep her from sucking her thumb. Today, she was walking around sucking the glove!<br />
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David: "What kind of pasta are we having? Chicken Buffido?" (Alfredo). :)<br />
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David: "Can I have some garlic bread, please pitty?"<br />
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I was teaching David from a worksheet about things that start with B. I pointed to a picture of a baby bottle and said, "What do babies eat from?" He answered, "Um, their mommies?" Me: "Well, yes. That's true. And this is a bottle." :)<br />
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David calls the clothes hamper a "hampry".<br />
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The kids ate whole apples for breakfast, and now they're in the backyard planting apple trees. Their genius plan is to plant them right next to the swingset, so they can swing up so high and grab an apple and then eat it. :)<br />
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David; "Mommy, dere a pider in my room! A tawantuwa!"<br />
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Zachary's Poems: Things in September<br />
There's Judah's birthday, and there's Labor Day.<br />
And oh, don't forget Mom's birthday!<br />
Oh, the wonderful things in September.<br />
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David, helping me with breakfast: "I'll get the toaster. No worries."<br />
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David, knocking things over, "I'm a boze-dozer!"<br />
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Zachary, describing BW3's Asian Zing wing sauce: "It's like you're walking through Candy Land and boom! Suddenly, it's on fire!"<br />
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David says 'gwage' for garage.<br />
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When David hurts his ankle, he often says, "I hurt my nickel!" or "I hurt my nakle!" :)<br />
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Me: "Natalie, what did you learn about in Sunday School this morning?" Natalie: "We learned about somebody. I think his name was Minimesemus?" Me: ...... "Onesimus?"<br />
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David pretending to cook: "Here are the ga-redients."<br />
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Zachary, watching paintball at camp: "This is less exciting than I imagined."<br />
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David calls chipmunks 'chickamunks'.Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-36039652513691453062015-07-25T21:20:00.000-04:002015-07-25T21:20:28.426-04:00Kidlet Hilarity #21Natalie: "I just made up a Bible verse. Here it is. 'Those who panic lead to death, but those who don't panic lead to life.' I told God, and he said he would add it to the Bible." Oh, dear. :)<br />
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Zachary: "Where is the remote? Oh, here it is on the dining room table, where I LEAST expected it!"<br />
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David was feeling sick in the middle of the night, so he and I were sitting on the bathroom floor, bleary-eyed, having a conversation about something. Zachary woke up, and came in to use the bathroom. When he heard that David was sick, he sat down on the hand-washing stool by the sink and told David he was sorry. I asked David to go back to his room so that Zachary could use the bathroom, and David stood up, looked at Zachary for a minute, and with his best little grumpy tired face, he said, "Could you move?" Zachary and I both burst out laughing! :) He also told me later in the night that his stomach could be hurting because he ate dirt in the backyard!! Well, yes, that could be it...<br />
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David can count to 13 now, but the rest of his counting goes like this, "13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 26, 82, 86, 89, 90, 92, 96... I counted to 96!!" :)<br />
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David still doesn't pronounce some of his words clearly, and he gets so frustrated when we can't 'unner-nand' him! He says, "You don't unner-nand me!" Nope, we don't! Yesterday, he was trying to say what he wanted on his birthday cake. I knew it was trucks, because he had showed me the specific trucks that he wanted, but Joel kept guessing, "Socks?" David said, "No, CHUCKS!" until I finally translated. :)<br />
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When David says the words 'special' and 'pretzel', they sound exactly the same. 'Special pretzel' comes out like "Pessel Pessel".<br />
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Natalie: "What if we were all born with only one leg, like, what if that's how God made people, with just one leg? It would be hard to walk."<br />
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David, while cleaning his room: "How am I supposed to pick up this many stuff? I don't have a million hands. Only two. Two hands!!" Me: "Well, you can pick up one thing at a time, then another thing." David: "No, I have two hands. I can pick up TWO things at a time. One for each hand." Me: "Yes, I guess you can."<br />
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I heard David come inside while I was vacuuming, all excited. He said, "Mommy, look what we found outside!" He was holding a little white moth by the wing or leg or some part. Me: "Oh, a moth. Is it dead?" David: "Noooooo." Me: "Okay! It's very nice! Take it back outside if it's alive, and please don't bring live bugs in the house!" :) He also brought some kind of a grub to show me while I was working on the computer this week, and he set it on my desk. I was like, "No, thank you!!"<br />
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Natalie: "Good night, Mommy. I love you. You are the bestest Mommy in the world. But you are NOT perfect." Oh, so true.<br />
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David wore a life jacket in the pool the other day, and he kept calling it his 'jet pack'. The next day he asked if he could wear his jet pack in the bathtub! :)<br />
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Zachary discussing why his forearms were covered with red paint after painting a Ninja Turtles picture: "I bet Leonardo DaVinci was dirty after he painted the Mona Lisa". :)<br />
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Natalie drew a silly face on David's birthday banner, and when she finished, she put her hand over her mouth and started giggling. "Wow, that turned out way more silly than I even imagined", she said.<br />
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David woke up in the middle of the night, crying and needing a drink. I brought him ice water in a sippy cup, and he drank about half of it in one sip. "Oh", he sputtered, "Dis is a cold ice. I am freezed into pieces." In his half-awake state, with eyes just half open, it was especially hilarious! :)Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-4525592995932509052015-03-21T10:33:00.000-04:002015-03-21T10:33:34.802-04:00Streets of Gold<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgHrahU6qoTqfTSrDq_DsYj7eTtjC_-9KWzSHF-ikOiDeYWC2GbSXzJX2ak35x7po0nszY-00u-qx1T7M0LxBB5JbR7cYzNxoLqUXOR1SFF8_SizAf3_wxBdF_96FHWloD1yFRBeACmE/s1600/1931005_30410137292_9362_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqgHrahU6qoTqfTSrDq_DsYj7eTtjC_-9KWzSHF-ikOiDeYWC2GbSXzJX2ak35x7po0nszY-00u-qx1T7M0LxBB5JbR7cYzNxoLqUXOR1SFF8_SizAf3_wxBdF_96FHWloD1yFRBeACmE/s1600/1931005_30410137292_9362_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My grandparents with Zachary at 10 months - October 2008</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">My Grandma passed from death to everlasting life during the night. I can't feel sad for her. I'm picturing her running, dancing, and hugging Jesus. She's with her Savior today! Don't get me wrong, I'm grieving for those of us left here on this earth, and I miss her, but I'm so glad for her. My grandma loved the color gold - jewelry, purses, clothes, shoes. Once, she even had a pair of jeans with gold threads woven through them. It makes me smile to know that she is enjoying the streets of gold all around her today! </span></div>
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Earlier this week, I was praying for her and for my Grandpa and my parents, and God brought to my mind a phone conversation that Zachary had with my grandma about two years ago when she was first diagnosed with cancer. I remembered writing (but never publishing) something about it, and after some searching, I was able to find it and thought I would finally share:</div>
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"My Grandma was recently diagnosed with cancer. They caught it early, a little spot on her lung. They only need to do some targeted radiation, no chemo yet. But still, cancer is a scary word. A scary thing.</div>
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I’ve been meaning to call her. The phone rings, and I am able to sit and talk a minute, amongst kids playing. She tells me the ‘plan’, and how God has brought her through this far, and she trusts that He will bring her through again. I manage, barely, not to cry while we’re talking. </div>
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The kids want to talk. I hand the phone to Zachary. He talks about the stomach flu we’ve had, and what toys he’s been playing with, and then they talk about the cancer. I know it seems weird that a five-year-old would know about cancer, and truthfully, he has no clue, but he knows that when you have cancer, you are sick. We pray for our friends and family with cancer. </div>
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“You have cancer?” he asks. “Taylor has cancer, and she has to take medicine that makes her more sick for a while, and it makes her hair come out.” He listens to what Great-Grandma has to say. I can’t hear her side of the conversation, but I assume she’s explaining about her upcoming radiation treatments. Soon he responds, “You’re not scared?” He listens again while she shares the faith that her 80-some years walking with God have brought her to. And I try not to let him see me crying. </div>
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We are so blessed to have this heritage, passing down this faith from generation to generation. Lord, let me not neglect the relationships between myself, my children, and the older generations in our family. Remind me of their importance, not only to encourage those older relatives, but in passing that wisdom and deep-seated faith to me and my family in the process. </div>
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This conversation hit me once again and I was teary-eyed while singing the song, “How Great is our God” (by Chris Tomlin) in church this morning, and I knew I had to write about it. Here are the lyrics that spoke to my heart:</div>
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Age to age He stands</div>
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And time is in His hands</div>
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Beginning and the end</div>
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Beginning and the end</div>
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How great is our God, sing with me</div>
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How great is our God, and all will see</div>
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How great, how great, is our God."</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma and Natalie at 4 months - April 2010</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">After hearing this week that my Grandma was so close to passing away, God gave me this verse to encourage my heart: "In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust." - Psalm 4:8. I know without a shadow of a doubt that my Grandma laid down in peace this week, and slept in safety and confident trust, and woke up in Jesus' arms, whole, in her brand new body! That picture is such an encouragement to me! I'm praying strength and encouragement for my Grandpa during this difficult time, and also for my parents with all the arrangements that need to be made. I know we would all appreciate your prayers! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grandma and Davey at 5 months - December 2011</td></tr>
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**Friends, if you don't know without a doubt what would happen if you passed away today, I'd love to talk with you about it! Is there really anything else that matters more than this??**</div>
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Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-17681724753201868402014-09-13T16:38:00.001-04:002014-09-13T16:38:23.097-04:00Mabel's Labels Product Review!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few weeks ago, I received an email asking if I would like a chance to review <a href="http://www.mabelslabels.com/products/ultimate-back-to-school-combo/">Mabel's Label's Ultimate Back to School Combo</a>!! My response? You bet I would!! </div>
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I won a set of Mabel's Labels in a giveaway at some point when Zachary was a baby, probably in 2008 or 2009, I would guess. Well, Zachary is now six and a half and his name sticker is still stuck firmly on the booster seat he used when he was a baby and a toddler - now my three-year-old is using that same seat!! Here's a picture of the label that has survived six years of kids, camp dining hall life, being washed (occasionally :) ), and moving through three different houses, not to mention the trips and vacations it has joined us on! :)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEird0wXzzqsBN35Y2gnFXwspb-iIH6CtPBTMG0hm2ddLN6KxbZoABn4fA6APsDQ_NPc4SRZDFIryhyphenhyphenTWQ6ZwkUwbAEhnb3If2rG4dZJoOmdK_6dM26Pmccp715ShzPiG91fzh090gE9oFc/s1600/Fall+2014+172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEird0wXzzqsBN35Y2gnFXwspb-iIH6CtPBTMG0hm2ddLN6KxbZoABn4fA6APsDQ_NPc4SRZDFIryhyphenhyphenTWQ6ZwkUwbAEhnb3If2rG4dZJoOmdK_6dM26Pmccp715ShzPiG91fzh090gE9oFc/s1600/Fall+2014+172.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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That should make it pretty clear why I would jump at the chance to review a new set of Mabel's Labels!! The <a href="http://www.mabelslabels.com/products/ultimate-back-to-school-combo/">Back to School Combo</a> comes with several different kinds of labels that I didn't even know Mabel's had! The most fun part was picking out the colors/patterns and logos from ALL the adorable choices on the website! I ended up ordering our labels with the words 'Hart Family' so we could all use one set. :) The first kind, the Skinny-Minis, are dishwasher and microwave-safe! I stuck one of these on my coffee cup, because I tend to leave them at church...</div>
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And one on David's favorite new Lightning McQueen water bottle, which goes everywhere with us and has been through the dishwasher many times! :)<br />
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The second kind of labels included in the combo are called Tag Mates. They are intended to be applied to clothing tags and are washer and dryer safe! I put one of these on Natalie's favorite sweatshirt, and plan to use them on our coats and sweatshirts this winter! :) This sweatshirt has been washed a few times, and the sticker is still firmly in place. I also attached a Tag Mate to our beach bag and diaper bag, and to each of our beach towels!<br />
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Zachary started playing baseball this season, and I have put cute little Mabel's Labels on ALL of his baseball stuff!! :) I used a Tag Mate in his baseball hat! (Isn't it cute? I still can't believe he's old enough to be on a team!) At least he isn't old enough to tell me not to use the cute labels on his sports stuff! :)<br />
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And here is the rest of his baseball stuff! His glove got a Tag Mate, while his bat and batting helmet got a Skinny Mini each. :) </div>
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The other kind of labels included in the combo were called shoe labels, and are waterproof. They are designed to be stuck inside your child's shoes! Here is a pair of Zachary's shoes with the Hart Family shoe labels in them! These have been worn several times, and they are still perfectly attached to the shoes!<br />
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This combo also included two metal Teeny Tags with mini key rings attached! I put this on my key ring about three weeks ago, and it is not chipped or faded in the least. You could use this on your child's backpack if your kids go to school! :)<br />
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I just noticed that the <a href="http://www.mabelslabels.com/products/ultimate-back-to-school-combo/">Mabel's Labels Ultimate Back to School Combo</a> is only available until September 30th, so you'd better rush over and grab one up now!! If you have older kids who might appreciate more 'sophisticated' designs, or you just want some labels for yourself, check out the <a href="http://www.mabelslabels.com/products/stylish-scholars-combo/">Stylish Scholars Combo</a> or any of other products on the Mabel's Labels site! :)<br />
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**Disclaimer: All opinions expressed in this product review are expressly mine, based on my own use of the products. I was provided with free product to test and review, but was not compensated for this review in any way.**</div>
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Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-9977660361554133412014-02-21T21:54:00.000-05:002014-02-21T21:54:54.498-05:00Kidlet Hilarity #20SO much has happened since the last time I posted the fun things the kids do and say! Probably the biggest one is that we moved to Georgia! And David started talking a TON more, it is amazing how his vocabulary has grown in the last month - he is finally ready to talk, I guess! :) <br />
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David says whoops - "Oopsh" or uh-oh whenever anything falls down!<br />
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The day before his birthday, Zachary got up and said, "It's my birthday eve!" He also had a nightmare about David getting into the box of chocolate donuts we were saving for the occasion and eating a bite out of each one! :)<br />
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One night, Zachary and I were playing Connect Four, and I was trying to teach him about the strategy and paying attention to blocking me, and I kept beating him! Finally, he said, "Take it easy on me this time!"<br />
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David sometimes says 'toot' when he toots, and he thinks it is hilarious. :)<br />
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One night, Natalie asked Zachary, "Zachary, can I sleep in your bed?" Zachary (who sometimes thinks Natalie is too disruptive during these sleepovers when he is actually trying to sleep) replied, "Natalie, I have been looking forward to it, and the answer is yes."<br />
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I handed Zachary a bottle of salad dressing, thinking it was a squeeze bottle. It wasn't. As he was about to pour it onto his salad, he said, "I hope this ends well." It didn't ... unless you reeeally like blue cheese...<br />
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We were discussing the possibility of moving somewhere where the weather is nice, and we could go to the park year-round. "Yes," Zachary said, "That could be our daily thing!" And now it is - I think we've missed maybe two days of park-going since we've moved down here!! :)<br />
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One day, I overheard Natalie singing, "And when the ocean breaks, we don't have to be afraid. There's pain the night, but joy comes in the morning. Joy comes in the morning!" (from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zrc1xHEwtLY">this Newsboys song</a>)<br />
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Another day, Natalie was singing, "Jesus loves the big children. All the teenagers of the world! Yellow, black, white, those big kids are precious in His sight. Jesus died for all the children of the world."<br />
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While playing Mario Kart, Zachary exclaimed, "That is so irritating!"<br />
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When discussing where we may move, Natalie said, "I want to move to Ohio, so we can visit Daddy." Zachary said, "Natalie, Daddy's training isn't going to last forever!" (SO thankful that chapter of our family's life is over!!)<br />
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Zachary wanted to move to northern Canada or Antarctica, so he could go sledding year round.<br />
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Zachary got a Batman Gotham City Jail with his birthday money, and he plays with Natalie and her Little People figures in it. He calls her Little People Batman's 'apprentices', but he pronounces it "appreciants". :)<br />
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One day, Davey was pretending to be a 'bad cat'. He was making some very angry and hilarious meowing sounds! :)<br />
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When Zachary was playing one day, I overheard this: "I wasn't very smart when I was an adult, so I decided to go back to school. So I went back to college."<br />
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David knows a lot of colors now, and the cutest one is 'orange'! He pronounces it in one syllable, like Natalie used to, "ornsh".<br />
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When Natalie went to the doctor for her well-check a couple of days after Christmas, the nurse asked her if Santa had come, and Natalie looked at her like she was crazy, and responded, "No." The nurse's head popped up to look at me, and I explained that a lot of our kids' presents come from our extended families, so we don't really 'do' Santa, we just tell the kids who the presents are from - but I think she thought we were crazy!!<br />
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Natalie: "Mommy, what does twice mean?"<br />
Me: "Two times."<br />
Natalie: "Okay, Mommy. I'm going to kiss you twice times."<br />
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David brings his diaper and clothes that he has picked out on his own to my room for me to dress him in as soon as he gets up now - it's so cute! He also says "dar-per, shirt, panss", so adorably. :)<br />
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On Mario Kart, Zachary pronounces the piranha plants "Pee-ra-ha-na" plants. :)<br />
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One day, Natalie was carrying around a Bob the Builder doll. She said, "His name is Bob the Builder." I said, "Oh, is he going to be a builder when he grows up?" She said, "Well, if that's what God wants him to be!" :)<br />
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One night, Natalie was up playing with toys after bedtime, so I was discussing her disobedience with her. Her response - "But, Mom, I'm only four. I don't really understand." :) Hmmm...she may have heard that twenty or five hundred times to explain why 'baby Davey' gets away with things more often than he probably should... :)<br />
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Natalie handed me her Potato Head when the back flap had fallen off and asked me, "Mom, can you put my Potato's booty back on?" Ha!<br />
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One morning, Zachary and I were sitting on my bed chatting. David brought his Scentsy Buddy monkey into my room, and Zachary sniffed and said, "What is that terrific smell?" :)<br />
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When we went to the bouncy place in the mall, there were some other kids there, so I asked Natalie if she had talked to any of them or made any friends. She responded, "A boy said hi to me, but I just looked at him, because I wanted to have peace." Okay, then.<br />
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Natalie was watching Z play Mario Kart and Diddy Kong jumped up and did a flip in his seat while he was driving. Natalie said, "That's not very safe."<br />
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One night, Joel came home late and kissed Natalie in her sleep. When he asked her the next morning if she remembered it, she said, "Yes! I remember I said, 'What's that prickly thing?'" :)<br />
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One night, we were praying and Zachary's prayer was, "Jesus." I said, "Um, why did you say that?" His response: "I didn't know what to say, so I just said Jesus. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84LSLk3hfD4">That song</a> told me to."<br />
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I had a headache one day, so Dr. Buzz Lightyear (represented by Zachary) stood on my head and diagnosed me. "Your brain has a problem. You have been watching too much SpongeBob. You should not watch any more SpongeBob."<br />
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David sometimes breaks out in a little song when he is bored in the car, using a bunch of random words like, "Ouchie wa wa, ooh ooh aah aah, ee-ee, Bubby, obey Mommy Daddy, no way, no way, no waaaaaay". He also said Zach this week for the first time - so adorable!! Some more of his newest phrases from this week include iPad, Watch BibleMan, shoes socks, Oh-tay for okay, and thank you (finally!!).<br />
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Last week, Zachary was helping me make taco casserole, and I asked him how we should crush the corn chips. "I will crush them with my manly crushers", he responded. "What are your manly crushers?" I had to know. "My hands", he said.<br />
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Joel is very good about reminding the kids to thank me when I make meals, and sometimes it rubs off when he's not home. :) The other day at lunch, David said to me, "Mommy, thank you eat." It is so fun that he is finally talking!! :) <br />
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We're pretty much settled in our rental for now, and still actively looking for a house to buy - we've had a couple offers fall through, so that's been disappointing, but we're trying to trust that God has something perfect in mind for us! We are enjoying the warm weather here, and having Daddy home every single day is a huge treat after the three months we went through before this!! The kids are enjoying it all, but obviously they miss everyone from New York, too (I had to struggle not to type 'back home' right there myself). Your prayers are greatly appreciated as we continue to believe God for His best for us here in Georgia!Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-163480222420497442014-01-23T22:46:00.001-05:002014-01-23T22:46:17.278-05:00House HuntingWe have learned a lot about buying houses this week - and renting! I will share some first-time-home-buyer/renter lessons that I have learned in the past two days.<br />
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1. You can make ANYTHING look good on the internet. Anything.<br />
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2. When looking to buy a house, do not look on Zillow.com, Trulia.com, or Realtor.com, find SO MANY GREAT houses that you like and get your heart set on two or three of them working out. These sites can be outdated, and you may meet your realtor at the first house you're looking at that day (the one you like the least, with the ugly cabinets and pink wallpaper in the bathrooms, of course) only to hear him say that ALL the other beautiful homes in your price range that you sent him the addresses for are already taken. You may have to hold back tears in front of a realtor you met just two minutes ago.<br />
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3. All the apartment complexes are 'running a special this week'!! How convenient that we happened upon all the specials this week! :)<br />
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4. If something seems 'too good to be true', it probably is. For example, "Wow, Joel, this rental house is $200 cheaper than all the rest! It doesn't hurt to drive by and check it out!" may actually equate to, "Um, I'm not comfortable driving any farther down this alley to find this house. Let's get out of here."<br />
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5. When a seller somehow doesn't get the message that you would like to see their house at 10 am, you may arrive to find an elderly lady in her bathrobe and pajamas, and her husband pulling on his pants with belt unbuckled and messy hair making VERY FRAGRANT BACON in a house that somehow still smells like cats, even over the bacon smell. Cats and bacon. That's not a smell you forget quickly.<br />
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6. God really does always provide. I'm so thankful for the home He has provided us to rent on a monthly basis, which gives us the flexibility to still look for the perfect home for our family and not feel rushed into making a decision! I'm so thankful for God's leading through the last six months, and so excited to move to Georgia soon, and be together as a family again! :) Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-39617406041517135362013-12-31T23:31:00.001-05:002013-12-31T23:33:18.828-05:002013: The Year In Smiles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Wow, 2013, what a year. I can hardly believe all the changes that God has brought into our lives this year!! He has given us so many blessings, and I want to praise Him for each of those, especially for my husband and my children, and how God has grown each of them and made them even more precious to me over this year! So, without further ado, here is the Hart Family 2013 Year in Review!</div>
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In January, we stayed home, enjoyed retreats at camp, and played in the snow! Joel and I celebrated our 10th anniversary!</div>
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February was, you guessed it, more snow and retreats!! We celebrated Valentine's Day at home!</div>
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March was mostly snow and retreats, but it ended with a bang- Grandma and Grandpa Hart visited, and I was able to attend the Quirky Hobbies retreat at Bethany Camp! :) We had a great visit with them, and enjoyed celebrating Easter at home!</div>
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April was a fun month, getting into spring and getting outside! We took a family trip to the Buffalo Zoo, and towards the end of April, we traveled to Iowa to be in Auntie Beth's wedding on April 27th! </div>
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May started out with a Hart family vacation in the Smoky Mountains!! After we came home, we enjoyed getting out in the beautiful weather!</div>
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In June, Grandma and Grandpa Harriss were able to visit! We enjoyed the warm weather, and got ready for summer camp to start!!</div>
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In July, we got to meet (Judy's) baby Noah!! We enjoyed going to camp to see our staff and camper friends, and we celebrated Davey's 2nd birthday on July 26th!</div>
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In August, we finished up summer camp, took a family trip to Darien Lake with the camp staff, and spent some time at home as a family before Joel began work with retreats again! Joel and I were able to ride the motorcycle to Erie for a couple of days and just be together as a couple! During the month of August, after many months and weeks of prayer, God led Joel to submit an application to Lifeway Christian Stores to become a store manager. August was a month of waiting on God to see if this was the direction He was leading us.</div>
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In September, we started back to school at home! Zachary is in kindergarten this year, Natalie in preschool, and David in Tot school. David upgraded from a crib to a toddler bed, which was an interesting adjustment! Near the end of September, Joel was accepted into the Manager-in-Training Program with Lifeway Christian Stores, and we began to tell our friends and family about the change God was working in our family.</div>
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October was back into the swing of things with MOPS and story hour at the Sinclairville library! As Joel began training with Lifeway, God has provided much strength and encouragement for each of the five of us along the way. At the end of October, our friends at Bethany Camp blessed us with a going-away open house party which was a wonderful time of celebrating the years that we have enjoyed working and living here, complete with LOTS of cupcakes, balloons, and the popcorn machine! </div>
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In November, we enjoyed time with Anna & Elias, and had a great time on our family trip to Columbus! Joel and I were able to spend a few days together as a couple, which was wonderfully refreshing. Then God laid it on the heart of a man who had never even met us to gift us the money to take our family to the Columbus Zoo! We loved it!! We celebrated Thanksgiving at home, and began to deck the halls for Christmas!</div>
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December is always a month of celebrations for our family! On December 5, Zachary turned six! He enjoys magic, and received not one but two magic trick sets! He currently wants to be a magician when he grows up! He has lost six baby teeth at this point as well! To celebrate his birthday (and Natalie's), our friends Kelly & Sandy blessed us with a day at Chuck E. Cheese! On December 22nd, Natalie turned four, and received her very own Bible as her gift from Joel and I, which she was very excited about! We celebrated Christmas at home as a family. With some of our Christmas gifts, we spent a day at the Buffalo Museum of Science!</div>
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You can see what kind of a whirlwind year (or at least a whirlwind fall) 2013 has been for our family! We are still waiting for the final word on where exactly God is going to ask our family to relocate, but we are trusting that He has that perfect plan in mind, and He will let us know in His perfect timing!! He has been more than faithful in every step of this process, and we are constantly growing in our faith, and every day depending more and more on Him to lead us.</div>
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In thinking about a New Year's Resolution for 2014, I want to make Psalm 141:3 my theme verse: "Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips!" I say so many, many words each day. The prayer of my heart for 2014 is that every single word that exits my mouth would bring glory to God and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rK6O0YtBRY">Speak Life</a> to those who hear it.</div>
Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-41156721162455891332013-11-29T22:48:00.001-05:002013-11-29T22:48:03.508-05:00Kidlet Hilarity #19<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Lots of hilarious-ness going on around here these past few weeks!! I thought I would take a minute to share just a few of the funny things the kids have said lately! It seems like there is always something - I wouldn't even have time to write them all down, I would have to carry a tape recorder around with me to catch every one! :) One of my favorite things is when they (all 3 or different combinations of them) are playing together and interacting. The things they come up with and pretend are just so funny. </span></div>
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One day during school, I asked Zachary if he wanted to do phonics or math next, and he responded, "F is for Phonics!" </div>
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I love when the kids share with each other, too, most of the time - one day I had told Davey he couldn't have any more juice, and when I came out, he was drinking of Zachary's cup! Z said, "It's okay, Mom, I said he could have it." </div>
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Natalie came into my room one afternoon after waking up from her nap, with a big frown on her face. When I asked her what was wrong, she said, "I just woke up a little sadly."</div>
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David is learning more words each day - and he says little sentences now, like, "Juice Ew." (when he doesn't like his juice), "Stool Ow." (when he gets hurt by a stool), and "My spill." (when he spills something).</div>
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David can climb into the tub now, but not out. So sometimes I will hear him yelling from the bathroom, and go in and there he is, just standing in the tub, getting his socks wet, yelling for me to get him out. </div>
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Zachary, while using a yo-yo, and discussing the reason why it had been taken away and hidden on a pantry shelf - "I am not going to hit people with the yo-yo. I am using it properly this time."</div>
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Natalie, to Zachary, while playing: "Did you know I go to homeschool class, downstairs? I go whenever my Mommy says." </div>
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Natalie, to Davey: "Good night, sweetheart." David is really good at stalling his bedtime, and his favorite thing to do is run around and tell everyone, "Bye!" at least once. He also likes to read books, and he prays for all of his family members at bedtimes and mealtimes, which is so cute. :) </div>
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Natalie: "My book is called Me Verses Grandpa."</div>
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Zachary: "Versus means against something. You don't want to be against Grandpa, do you?"</div>
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Natalie: "It's called Verses because it has a lot of verses in it, like Bible verses."</div>
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I made a turkey and stuffing casserole one night (seriously, the cheapest and fastest meal ever, a box of stuffing takes 5 minutes, and if you have leftover (or frozen) shredded turkey on hand, just throw some of that in and mixed veggies and you have a really easy, quick meal!). Anyhow, after we ate that for supper, Z said, "That was a great Thanksgiving meal, Mom!" :)</div>
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After the kids visited their aunt, uncle & cousin in Tennessee recently, they were all rather enamored with their dog, Ferdy. We asked them if they wanted a dog someday, and of course they said yes. When we asked them what we should name our dog, Natalie replied, "Ferdy!" Joel asked her, "But what if we were together with Jason & Emily, and we called for Ferdy, and both dogs came? What would we do then?" Natalie's response: "We would freak out!" LOL!!</div>
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We ate at Culver's when we were in Columbus, and we gave the kids the meal options to choose from. I asked Davey, "Do you want a hamburger, grilled cheese, or corn dog?" He responded, "Woof woof!" :) Corn dog it is! That one had our cashier cracking up, too! :)</div>
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Nat, overheard playing: "Okay, baby, I have to make some fish sticks now. What? You want to be holded? Okay." She proceeded to hold the baby while pretending to make fish sticks. :) What a good mama!</div>
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We were discussing the fact that when we do move, God may ask us to live in an apartment for a while, during the time of finding a place to live, etc. I asked Zachary how he would feel about that and his response was, "Well, that would be frustrating, but I would do it." I thought frustrating was an interesting word choice there.</div>
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Natalie: "Come on, David. It's time for our wedding."</div>
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David: "No."</div>
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Natalie: "Well, then, I'm going to marry somebody else!"</div>
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David: "No."</div>
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Natalie: "Then come on!"</div>
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Zachary: "Natalie, we're going to play sumo. First, you have to take your shirt off. Now, pretend you're wearing a big white diaper thing. You have to throw the other person off the rug!"</div>
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Natalie threw up one morning (she disliked her banana and somehow got sick on it) and did not tell me. I discovered it later, which was lovely. I told her she needed to let me know the next time she got sick like that, and she responded, "Okay. Next time I throw up, I will tell you. After I'm done throwing up. Because you can't talk while you're throwing up." </div>
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While reading through Proverbs last week, I was reading a verse about a nagging wife. Z asked what nagging was, so I gave an example in which I was pretending to ask the kids over and over to do their chores. When I finished, Z said (totally seriously and respectfully), "Um, you're kind of nagging sometimes, aren't you?" LOL!! I said, "Well, yes, but I'm your mom." :)</div>
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My grandparents sent the kids each an apron to go along with a Curious George Makes Pancakes book, and the kids LOVE them - I'm not sure they've taken them off yet, except to go to bed. :) Natalie calls hers her "april". :)</div>
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Two of David's newest words are 'bite' and 'wet'. He also says 'boo-boo' a LOT, whenever he gets hurt. </div>
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Playing Wii with Daddy, Joel reminds Zachary to turn the sensor around to face them, and Zachary mumbles, as he's turning it around, "Oh, yeah. I always forget that. I guess I'm just too impatient." </div>
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The kids were SO excited to watch a Hoops & Yo-Yo Christmas special this week, and while they were talking about it in the car, Natalie said, "Mom, when do we get to watch Larry and Ho-Ho?"</div>
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We did a "noun Thanksgiving" exercise at the Thanksgiving table yesterday, and I wanted to write down the things the kids were thankful for - David can't really articulate this stuff yet, so it's just Natalie and Zachary's responses:</div>
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A PERSON Zachary is thankful for is: Greg Frank.</div>
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A PLACE Zachary is thankful for is: the camp playground, and our house</div>
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A THING Zachary is thankful for is: a thing that happens - his birthday!</div>
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A PERSON Natalie is thankful for is: Her friends, Ari & Kaylie Main</div>
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A PLACE Natalie is thankful for is: The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade</div>
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A THING Natalie is thankful for is: To be a Mommy someday</div>
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(not sure about Natalie's stuff going in the right category, but so sweet anyway!!)</div>
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Speaking of Zachary's birthday, he is going to be SIX in less than a week!! It is crazy how time flies!! And Natalie will be FOUR in less than a month! At least Davey gets to stick with two for a while longer. :) </div>
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Here's Zachary showing off his latest round of missing teeth - three in the last month! The tooth fairy has been busy! :) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XA1uP3uZpRIUBBb_rXAr-X4DVwYAbLJlf21h3wk8gqW4demrncVSTKIDdUFcgQPgH5MO4oClfmyAMifqLgO4zIDNrORu6aaF5wPuQQpojQvgpaMYXUdFfsgr2XxilHmmQX4X70-C9VY/s1600/IMG772-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6XA1uP3uZpRIUBBb_rXAr-X4DVwYAbLJlf21h3wk8gqW4demrncVSTKIDdUFcgQPgH5MO4oClfmyAMifqLgO4zIDNrORu6aaF5wPuQQpojQvgpaMYXUdFfsgr2XxilHmmQX4X70-C9VY/s400/IMG772-1.jpg" width="326" /> </a> </div>
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David wanted to show off his perfectly healthy baby teeth:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7JxOGUCePSVPDxN-9HmSYY2ts8ddccDgeVdagAtTFI-iDyuwLCBc0GtxgYDKhO3y860_kWilGfczbytwUgFqDsV9e9nHnoEACZF7HMhrVSoCyBptIhdG5pJb_LBpV97DExQJLTDf0pc/s1600/IMG773-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV7JxOGUCePSVPDxN-9HmSYY2ts8ddccDgeVdagAtTFI-iDyuwLCBc0GtxgYDKhO3y860_kWilGfczbytwUgFqDsV9e9nHnoEACZF7HMhrVSoCyBptIhdG5pJb_LBpV97DExQJLTDf0pc/s400/IMG773-1.jpg" width="309" /> </a> </div>
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Natalie didn't want to show any teeth, just her bathtime baby doll:</div>
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Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-15526502378831829402013-10-13T22:23:00.001-04:002013-10-13T22:23:51.306-04:00Kidlet Hilarity #18It has been almost three months since I've written down all the funny things the kids have said!! I have kept track of a few, but I know I've forgotten a lot, too! Here are some gems from the last couple of months! :)<br />
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Zachary got a new Monsters University shirt at the end of July, and he wore it to camp one day. One of our friends asked him, "Are you going to go to that Monsters University school?" He giggled and replied, "No! It's for monsters."<br />
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Zachary made up this great joke: "What did the whale say to the other crying whale? ...... You are wailing!"<br />
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One day at lunch, Zachary came to the table, saw a sandwich on his plate, and asked, "What kind of sandwich do we have here?"<br />
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I took a toy with dead batteries, and was looking everywhere for the little screwdriver I use to open the battery compartment. David heard me asking about the screwdriver, ran to his room, grabbed his toy drill, and brought it to me.<br />
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I was trying to talk to Zachary one day while he was reading, and he announced that "When you talk, that makes me dis-concentrate on reading." It cracks me up when I call for him, and he comes down the hallway with his nose in a book, tripping over stuff all the way. I have NO idea where he gets that behavior from...or his intense love of reading ...<br />
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While getting ready to pray, I started my prayer, as usual with "Dear Lord", but Natalie interrupted me and said, "No, you have to say, 'Dear Heavenly Fadder'!" <br />
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Before my birthday, the kids were discussing with Daddy what my gift should be. Zachary said he would get me a robot. I said, "Oooh, to clean the house?? I would love a robot to clean the house!" He said, "No, just to play with. I don't think I could get you one to clean the house, but when I grow up, I can invent one for you." Natalie chimed in, "Yeah, because if it was a person, it could just say NO!"<br />
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At the beginning of the football season, we were watching the Broncos vs. the Ravens. Zachary is, of course, a rabid Broncos fan. Natalie, being contrary, announced that she was cheering for the 'Raisins'. :)<br />
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One day at lunch, Zachary came up with this gem, out of nowhere: "Let me preach for a minute. See this little piece of a chip? This is a regular person's brain. See this whole, big chip? This whole chip is God's brain, because He knows everything, but regular people don't know as much as God." Great sermon!<br />
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We played with water balloons one afternoon, and at supper time, the kids were telling Daddy about their balloons. David chimed in with, "My pop!" to tell Daddy that his water balloon had popped! It was his first two-word sentence! :) His very favorite word is still NO, but MY is a close second. It can mean 'me', 'that's mine', 'I want to do it myself', or 'I did that'. <br />
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I was late for Bible study and running around like a crazy person looking for my Bible bag and letting the world know I couldn't find it even though I knew I had set it by the stairs that morning so it would be ready ... Davey came running down the hall, dragging behind him the exact (heavy!) bag I was looking for!! He definitely understands more than you would think!<br />
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Natalie is such a cute little pretend mama. :) Of course she loves to play with her baby dolls, and she mothers Davey on a very regular basis, but she also has 'pretend kids' who she will talk to in this sweet voice, saying things like, "Oh, you hurt your mouf? It will be okay. Mommy will give you a kiss, and then I will go do my work." She also asks me to 'babysit' for her babies while she goes 'to the store'.<br />
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Our first school verse of the year was "Those who know Your name put their trust in You." Zachary's version was, "Those who have a brain put their trust in You." <br />
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When Natalie doesn't like something you've said to her, she often responds, "Oh, that made me so mad."<br />
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Zachary's favorite line when getting ready to go somewhere, and I ask him to find a sweatshirt, is: "Ninjas are tough. Ninjas don't wear sweatshirts." Alrighty then. Ninjas better not whine when they're cold.<br />
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Natalie was making a wall with her cottage cheese at lunch. She showed it to Zachary, and he responded, "Natalie, that is very creative, but why don't you eat your cottage cheese instead of creating things with it?" He loves to be the little parent. :)<br />
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Zachary: "Natalie, don't get physical with me when you are mad. Physical means hitting or kicking with your body."<br />
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Zachary: "I have a Biblical question."<br />
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Zachary looooooves the Magic Tree House series of books. One thing (of MANY) he picked up from them was collecting 'moonstones' - he spends time looking for and collecting these sparkly white rocks - he especially finds them up at camp. One day, he and Natalie were looking for moonstones together, and she found some to give to him, and then he found a few, and gave some to her! It was so sweet! :)<br />
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Davey has upgraded to a 'big boy' toddler bed this month - whew, what a ride! For the first few days, he was climbing up on his toy box to turn on the light - I would get up at 4 am and see his light on, and he would be back in his bed, sleeping with his light on! I eventually had to move the toy box, and the last couple days have been better, but he still prefers to get up and play rather than nap, so that is interesting some days. :)<br />
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When we told the kids we were moving, we told them there would be sad parts, but there would be sweet parts. Zachary took this to heart, and while Joel was trying to talk him into doing the zipline, Joel mentioned that he wouldn't have a lot more chances to do the zipline, since we'll be moving. Zachary replied, "Yeah. That's one of the sweet parts of moving." !! :)<br />
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For some reason, I was discussing how many calories were in the Quarter Pounders Zachary and I had had for lunch one day (we took advantage of a BOGO coupon). Zachary said, "Wow, I'll have to be talking a walk to burn those calories!"<br />
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Natalie told me this story about her Toddler Church time: "We had to share the scissors, but Bella took a really long turn, until her mommy came. Then she gave them to me, but they went on the floor. And that was what they did!"<br />
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David was getting frustrated with his Mickey Mouse fork at mealtime one day, so he yelled at it, "No, no, Me-mow!" (No, no, Mickey Mouse!) A couple of days later, he was playing with a car (which he still calls vooov) in the living room floor. It wasn't doing what he wanted, so he yelled at it, "No, no, Voov!" and bit it!<br />
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Zachary: "I'm going to think for a minute. I'm going to use my noodle. That's just an abbreviation for thinking, Mom."<br />
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Natalie, while reading a Disney book to Davey: "Donald Duck is mad, Davey. Just like you get mad sometimes." Davey: "Oh."<br />
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Natalie taught Davey to say No Way this week - it is hilarious!! He says, "No Ay!" :) I try to get him to say, "Love You", and he responds, "No ay".<br />
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A sheriff's car with flashing lights passed us today, and Natalie said, "Oh, that policeman is going to get the people who don't honor God, and the people who don't share. Right, Mom?" <br />
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A friend of ours was making popcorn while watching the kids so Joel and I could go on a date, and she was trying to teach them about what makes the popcorn pop (the moisture inside, heat, etc). She said to the kids, "What makes the popcorn pop?" Natalie raised her hand, so excited she knew the answer, and yelled, "The MICROWAVE!!" It's true, at our house. :)Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-88977947908049469692013-10-07T10:37:00.000-04:002013-10-07T10:37:31.019-04:00I'm Believing God<div id="yiv3735472560yui_3_7_2_61_1379980145058_39" style="font-family: 'Courier New', courier, monaco, monospace, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
God is moving our family. And He is moving in our family, and in each of our lives. My husband has been accepted into the Manager-in-Training program with Lifeway Christian Stores, and he will begin his training on October 16th. This is a very exciting development, and the answer to so many prayers for God to show us what He would have us do, as we have sought His will over the last months. </div>
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It is also very difficult. We have lived here in western NY state for almost nine years now. All of our children were born here, and when you work and live as closely with the people as we do at our camp, you become more than neighbors and coworkers. We are truly a camp family. A church family. And I have my MOPS family, and so many amazingly sweet, strong Christian friends we have made over the years. </div>
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On the way home from sharing our news with our closest friends, our camp staff family, I felt like I would never stop crying again. (It's been two weeks now, and I nearly haven't.) And I thought, "Wow. This is starting to get really hard." </div>
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It felt like we were beginning to cross a river. The water surrounding us was starting to get colder and deeper, and it would be so much easier to say, "Nope, this is hard. I'm turning around", and just back up and get out. </div>
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But God is so clearly calling us to the other side of the river. I know there will be deep parts, fast currents, and maybe even rushing rapids, but God is here, in the river, and there will be another side. Another 'normal', whatever that is. :) </div>
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God's sense of timing and how He works every little thing together for our good is impeccable. </div>
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The afternoon that we were preparing to tell our kids about this new chapter of our lives, we ended up playing as a family on the camp playground. Zachary has wanted for some time to try to go down the fireman's pole on the playground, but I'm too short to really help him very well. However, this afternoon, Daddy was there, and was standing ready to help him go down the pole. </div>
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I watched my five-year-old son, who is scared of heights (a quality he definitely gets from me!), perched on the ledge, whimpering in fear. His daddy, who was as tall as the ledge, stood right next to him, perfectly capable, strong, ready and willing to catch him in a split second. From my perspective, feet planted safely on solid ground, his fear was laughable, ridiculous. </div>
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Isn't that just how we look to God, whimpering in our fear when in truth He surrounds, ready, willing and completely able to catch us if we will just take that first leap?</div>
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Zachary ended up choosing to trust, and enjoyed several jumps down the pole with Daddy's help, and even one nearly on his own. </div>
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That night, we began our conversation by talking about the pole. "Do you remember", Daddy said, "when you had to trust Daddy and jump to the pole? Sometimes, Mommy and Daddy have to trust God for things, too." I nearly lost it when Zachary's lip quivered, and he said, "But I don't want to move away from camp!" </div>
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"Neither do we, sweetheart. That's why we call it 'bittersweet'. Some parts are hard, but there will be good parts, too. We have to jump. We have to trust that God has something great for us. Something fun like going down the pole ended up to be for you." </div>
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I love analogies, but of course with a five-year-old, it's hard to know exactly what they are grasping. At the end of our conversation, though, Zachary wrapped it up nicely. "So, Dad, you mean the ledge is like living at camp. And jumping down the pole is like moving to your new job, and it's kind of scary, but God wants us to jump, and it might even be fun, just like the pole was." </div>
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Exactly. </div>
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I'm so thankful for how God works so many things together for His purposes. It is no accident that I am currently going through the Beth Moore study Believing God, about not just believing IN God, but actually believing Him. Not just taking a STAND of faith, but actually walking BY faith. </div>
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Concerning Abraham, Romans 4:20-22 says, "No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, FULLY CONVINCED that God was able to do what He had promised. That is why his faith was counted to him as righteousness." </div>
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Lord, let my constant prayer be as the father in Mark 9:24 - "Lord, I believe! Help my unbelief!" </div>
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I don't have to be perfect. God will help me to trust Him, and He is there surrounding us, ready to catch us as soon as we jump. </div>
Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-58557925323062832782013-09-02T21:48:00.003-04:002013-09-02T21:57:05.691-04:00Curriculum Plans 2013-2014<span style="font-family: inherit;">We're starting back to school here at Harts for God Homeschool tomorrow morning, with guns a-blazing! :) I am so excited to get back to the routine, and for the new stuff the kids (and I!) will be learning this year!! :) And since it's also my birthday tomorrow, Hubby picked me up a nice birthday surprise to start the school day with - a Frappuccino! :) In case anyone's interested, I thought I would share a quick rundown of the curriculum we're planning to use this year! Enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Spelling: <a href="http://www.abeka.com/ABekaOnline/BookDescription.aspx?sbn=94927">A Beka Handbook for Reading</a></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Language: A Beka Language & Phonics/<a href="http://fiveinarow.com/">Five in a Row </a>Language</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Handwriting: Informal/Journaling</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Math: A Beka Math/<a href="http://fiveinarow.com/">Five in a Row</a> Applied Math</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Science/Social Studies/Art: <a href="http://fiveinarow.com/">Five in a Row</a> Volume 2</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Bible: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Names-Children-Desiring-God/dp/1596382198/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1378172265&sr=8-1&keywords=God%27s+Names+by+Sally+Michael">God’s Names by Sally Michael</a>, and one hymn/song per week.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Music: Weekly music classes with fun songs, possibly learning to play piano/read music</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Gym: Outside Time, indoor gym class in winter</span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Natalie: Preschool</span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> - focus on phonics, letter & number recognition, 1:1 counting, beginning reading.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- <a href="http://fiveinarow.com/">Five in a Row</a> alongside Z</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- <a href="http://www.confessionsofahomeschooler.com/">Confessions of a Homeschooler's Letter of the Week curriculum</a> - handwriting, letter hunts, size sorts, etc.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Phonics: <a href="http://progressivephonics.com/">Alphabetti books</a>, <a href="http://www.abeka.com/ABekaOnline/BookDescription.aspx?sbn=94927">A Beka Handbook for Reading</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Letter Games</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Sight Words</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- <a href="http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/2009/02/behind-scenes-tot-trays/">Tot Trays </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">David: <a href="http://www.1plus1plus1equals1.net/2009/06/behind-scenes-where-do-i-begin/">Tot School</a></span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- Tot Trays</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">- <a href="http://fiveinarow.com/">Five in a Row</a> alongside N & Z</span></div>
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<span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, there you go!! I am excited about Zachary's new phonics and math - he has spent quite a bit of time sharpening pencils to use in his new workbooks tomorrow! :) I hope Davey can participate in more of the Five in a Row activities this year, and I am hoping to really focus on Natalie with her letters and numbers! :) </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This will be our second year of using Five in a Row, and we have just loved it! Our first unit will be <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Harold-Purple-Crayon-Anniversary-Books/dp/0064430227/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378172660&sr=1-1&keywords=harold+and+the+purple+crayon">Harold and the Purple Crayon</a>, which we have prepared for by watching almost an entire season of the TV show, which we checked out from the library! :) I'm so excited to get going! :) </span> </div>
</span></span>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-26654190397989839562013-07-30T21:39:00.003-04:002013-07-30T21:39:20.761-04:00Kidlet Hilarity #17<br />
Lots of hilarity this summer, but no time to write them out - I've been keeping track of them on my 'sticky note' app on my phone, though, and I have a few minutes to share them now! :)<br />
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While a friend was visiting us at camp, she saw one of the camp dogs getting into something he shouldn't, and said, "No, ishy." Natalie turned to the dog a minute later, and said, "No, fishy." :) <br />
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One night Zachary was still finishing his dessert (cherry crisp with ice cream) when his friends ran out to play on the playground. He asked me what he should do, and I told him he could choose to either finish his dessert or go play outside. He kept looking at them, darting towards them, looking back at his dessert, and starting back to the table, and he was so conflicted with this choice that he was starting to cry!! He kept saying things like, "I can play with my friends lots of other times, so maybe I should finish my dessert", or, "They will probably make this dessert again, but my friends aren't always here, so maybe I should go play" ... He finally decided to go outside and play, and then I thought the whole thing was just so sweet that I brought his dessert out to him at the picnic table. :) <br />
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One day, Natalie was talking about the hiccups and announced that "Tomorrow, I'm going to be hicking up."<br />
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I asked Z if he was ready to go down for quiet time. His response: "Ready as I'll ever be!" :)<br />
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Davey has lots of new words including bump, maybe, Blob, rock, walk, bib, bug, bike, tree, and juice. <br />
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When I put the milk in the cart at the store, Davey started singing a song about milk (mim-mim) and juice (joo). It went "Mim-mim, joo, mim-mim, joo" etc. :)<br />
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Natalie pronounces harmonica "America". As an example, she said, "Davey brought his 'merica in the car today."<br />
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While they were playing, Z said to Natalie when she was about to take something from him or hit him or something, "Don't even think about doing that to me. It is inappropriate." <br />
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During a picnic meal, Z hurried to finish chewing his food just so he could yell at Natalie, "Don't talk with your mouth full of food!"<br />
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One of the words I don't prefer for the kids to say is stupid. One day, Natalie kept tripping over her Crocs somehow, and she was getting so frustrated with them. She started to say, "My stuuuuu ..." and instead ended it "My stuuuuk." Which doesn't mean anything, I guess, but I was proud of her self-control. :)<br />
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Natalie painted her own nails one morning (my first questions were "Where" and "With what" - thankfully in the bathroom with her little nail polish). When Z saw them, he asked her, "Natalie, did you paint your own nails?" She responded, "Yes, Zach, I didn't even spill!" very excitedly. :)<br />
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I was cracking up listening to Zachary very seriously tell me about his Sunday school lesson one week - in which he learned about King Joseph-phat. Say it out loud, it's funny. :)<br />
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My friend Steph is married to our camp director, and his mother volunteers in the office at camp. One afternoon, Steph told Zachary she was going into the office to see her 'mom'. Zachary said, very seriously, "She's not your mom! She's your mother-in-law!" He doesn't miss a beat, that's for sure. <br />
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Natalie was talking about being excited to go to breakfast one day, and I said that Daddy was excited to go to breakfast with us, too. She said, "Daddy was excited to go to breakfast? Did he bump his head? From jumping on the bed when he was excited?" :)<br />
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Davey was looking at one of the kids placemats one day, and he pointed to the purple bird and said, "Ee-ee", which means Natalie, and purple & pink are Natalie's favorite colors. Then he said the orange bird was his favorite color. :)<br />
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One of my favorite things about youth camp this year was taking the kids to chapel, and watching them sing and dance to the chapel songs! Zachary learned all the motions, and was very good at all of the songs. :) He wants to be on chapel team as soon as he's old enough!! :)<br />
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One night I said, "Ooh, that's a good idea. I'll put a bug in my friend's ear about that." David was listening, I guess, and gave me a confused look. Then he pointed to my ear, and said, "Bug?"<br />
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Natalie burped one day, and then said "Excuse me" right away. Then she followed it with this gem: "I said excuse me right away, because I'm a girl. Boys don't say excuse me right away." <br />
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Zachary has been praying such funny things lately. One night he prayed, "Dear God, please take me to the Octa-ball court in one minute." I said, "Um, do you think God is going to do that?" His reply: "Well, if God can do anything...." :) He also prayed one night that I would forget to give him a haircut for three years! :)<br />
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Zachary: "People get cracky when they get old." Me: "Those are called wrinkles." Z: "I know."<br />
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Zachary: "Great-Grandma said that she and Great-Grandpa go to bed at 10:00. When she told me that, I said, 'That's only two hours before midnight!' but she told me she's old enough to stay up that late."<br />
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Natalie saw a bug on the bedroom floor that she didn't like the looks of, so she beat it to death with her princess toy, and announced, "I bammed him to death, and now he's all squished." She is such a delicate flower.<br />
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Zachary loves camp food (as do I!). One day after a failed attempt at baking, to which Zachary had entered the kitchen, and surveyed the cookie sheet with the finished product on it, and proclaimed, "They are flat and square" (true), Zachary said that Kristi (who baked at camp this summer) makes the best cookies in the world. I said, "Yeah, way better than mine." His wise response: "Yeah ... But yours are good, too." <br />
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Zachary's joke: What do bulls eat for breakfast? A bowl of cereal!<br />
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Natalie was getting dressed up in her new princess dress and shoes, and announced that she was going on a date! I was rather taken aback by this coming out of my three-year-old's mouth, so I asked, "With who??" She replied, "Daddy." :) :)<br />
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Later that day, Natalie was getting dressed up again, this time she said, "I"m getting dressed up for my wedding. I don't want to be late."<br />
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One Tuesday evening, we were eating ice cream sundaes, and I said, "Mmmm, these are good sundaes." Natalie said, "Mommy, what day is it?" "Tuesday", I said. "Why do you keep saying Sunday then?" she had to know. :)<br />
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I will keep track of more hilarity and update you throughout the rest of the summer! :) Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-42598072333020769252013-06-23T15:32:00.002-04:002013-06-23T15:32:47.698-04:00My Ministry<div id="yui_3_7_2_32_1371950488107_39" style="font-size: 16px;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I haven't taken the time to write for a long time, but today God has laid something on my heart that I pray will be an encouragement to other moms who go through the same struggles that I do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Over the last couple of weeks, my husband and many friends have been busily preparing for the summer camp season, which started with staff training this week, and the first campers will arrive tomorrow morning. I have found a few opportunities to help out here and there, running to town to pick up supplies, browsing Youtube videos and skit scripts to pass along to the Chapel Team, and wiping tables while my kids play on the playground for a few minutes, but for the most part, my life has been very similar to always. I've been 'mom-ing'. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Towards the end of the week, watching everybody else give a hundred percent of their effort towards the work at the camp, while I played on the playground or at the beach with my kids, or read books to them on the couch, even one day needing to stay home from camp for a few hours because my kids were over-tired and needed to rest, I began to get discouraged. Even when the hectic summer season isn't going on around me, there are so many times when this voice of guilt speaks in my heart, saying, "Really, you're JUST a mom? You could be doing so much more for the ministry. Playing with your kids on the beach is a waste of time. You should be more. You should do more." I feel lazy, leaving the dirty dishes in the dish pit at camp for someone else to wash because my 22-month-old wants me to hold his hand on the slide.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">But, throughout this weekend, God has been working in my heart, reminding me in so many different ways that, for me, right now, THIS is my calling. This IS ministry. The homemade playdough recipes, the diapers, the freezie pops, kisses for boo-boos, questions and conversations about everything on the planet (or in space)... I am busy with the ministry of raising the next generation of world-changers. My boo-boo kisses and diaper changes teach them about gently caring for others (whether they know it yet or not). I have opportunities every single day, in moments of discipline and in our daily conversations, to lead my children's hearts into a closer knowledge of the God we serve, and a deeper relationship with Him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This morning, God brought to my mind my mother-in-law, and the way God has multiplied her mothering ministry. She raised three boys, my husband and his two brothers. Each of those boys now serve in a different ministry in three different states across the country, and she and her husband serve in their church as well. Each of these men are known in their churches and communities for their godly wisdom and selfless service in their ministries. FOUR states are now being impacted rather than just one, because of the years of faithful ministry by one mother. I know she had to balance ministry and motherhood. My husband talks about going along with her and helping her with various tasks at the church where his father was a pastor. I also know she dedicated her life to raising up godly men, and by God's grace, He has answered her prayers, and I know she is so grateful for His blessings. God has also blessed her with five grandchildren (so far), and as her boys pass on the godly character traits they have been surrounded with over the years, that, in turn, multiplies her influence even more widely. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, if you, like me, are a mom who has struggled with your purpose in mothering, or if you're being told by someone else, (or even by your own occasional feelings of guilt) that being 'just' a mom is not enough, if the business of your mothering has brought you to a place where you've had to step back from other ministries, remember: Mothering is a ministry. It is the most important ministry we will ever, ever have, and no one else can take the place of a mother who is daily invested in drawing her children's hearts closer to God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Can I pray for you? If this post touched your heart, and you need prayer and encouragement, leave me a comment - I would love to keep you in prayer!! Any suggestions or ideas on balancing motherhood and ministry would be welcomed as well! :) </span></div>
Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-29872755844105492302013-06-16T22:57:00.002-04:002013-06-16T22:57:31.905-04:00Kidlet Hilarity #16<div style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px; line-height: 15.994318008422852px; padding: 0px;">
I'm back! The kids have been so funny these last couple of months, I've just been so busy!! Sometimes I just don't even have a moment to write these things down before they go out of my head! So here's what got recorded! :) </div>
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Nat is convinced that she is going to turn into a boy, or used to be a boy.</div>
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Natalie: Ladies and gentlemens...here are some papers. That's the rule.</div>
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Z: Mom, what do they call a place where people's bodies lay after they die? Is it a secretary?</div>
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Nat: My watermelon has a lot of juice in it. That's why its called watermelon!</div>
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Z: If i grow up to be a person in a band, I would only sing songs that honor God. Is that what God wants? </div>
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Z: Once I got some seeds, and they were volcano seeds, but they were non-house-lava-ing volcano seeds. So I threw them back into the field behind our house, and a volcano grew and lava-d in our yard. But the lava didn't burn out house, since they were non-house-lava-ing volcano seeds.</div>
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Nat, when done eating Froot Loops for breakfast: I'll save my loops for later.</div>
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When we were on vacation, Davey would NOT fall asleep in the car. It was late, he was exhausted, and he was just crying and crying. Finally, my husband put his hand back and held Davey's little hand. David literally instantly laid his head down and fell asleep. It was so sweet!!</div>
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A friend came and fancied up my hair for my sister's wedding, and when Z saw me with my hair so done up, his response was, "What is up with your hair??" Always honest, I guess! :) </div>
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In the middle of the best man's speech at my sister's reception, during a pause in quiet room, Z also blurted out, "Mom, what is he talking about?" </div>
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When we were leaving our resort in Tennessee one day, where we stayed in a four-level log cabin with Joel's extended family, Z asked what the 'Welcome Center' was for. We told him it was a place to go if you had questions about your cabin. Z responded, "I have a question. Why does our cabin have so many stairs?"</div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">When we were getting ready to pack up, I still needed to rearrange some things in our suitcases before Joel lugged them up the aforementioned stairs, so I asked Z to go wake up his Daddy, and tell him not to bring the suitcases up, because I was going to do something with them. Z said, "Okay, I will tell him, 'Your wife is going to do something with the suitcases.'" Lol!</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">Natalie and Z both said several times during and since vacation, "Silas is the cutest baby in all the world." :)</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">Davey had such a fun time with his cousin Reed, who is only a month older than him! They loved to shout NO! together, and get into all kinds of little mischief. :) </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">Z: I just saw a Japanese restaurant. Or at least I think so, because it was called Little Tokyo, and Tokyo is the capital of Japan. Apparently he learned this on Disney Junior! :) </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">Z, after reading a library book on the body: Your skin has five layers! They're all different colors. One is purple.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">Nat was trying to say Hersheys one day, and said, "Yoshis" instead. :)</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">Z has started being embarrassed for the first time this month! First, he said he was embarrassed to wear his jammies to the library (but it was a jammie picnic, so everyone was wearing jammies), and then when I gave him a pink cup because his was dirty, he said he was embarrassed to drink out of a girl cup! </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">Zachary made up a song called Jesus, You're the Best. The lyrics go, "God, you're in my heart. God, you're in my soul. I don't love anything more than I love you." I got a video of him singing it, and I will have to try to upload it soon! :) </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">Nat made up a song called Only if You Obey, about when you get a treat. :)</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">When my parents were visiting, Z heard my dad say he was going to eat a bowl of cereal for breakfast. At the time, Z was swinging on the bull swing, so he asked, "You're eating a bull of cereal?" My dad responded, "No, that would be silly. You have to think about the context." To which Z said, "Context? Context is what you put in your eyes when you can't see!" :)</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">David has LOTS of new words!! He says "butt" for button, which totally cracks me up, and wah for rock. He says MOO for cow (LOUDLY, in the milk aisle and anywhere else he might happen to see a cow!). He also counts 'two, two, two, two, two'. Two is the only number that matters, right? :) He has said, 'blah' for please a couple of times, but mostly he just flaps his hands around insistently when he wants something. Sometimes he even does a little 'wanting 'dance, which is so, so funny. :) </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">While we were driving somewhere, Z announced that he had come up with a logo for a new company. The company is a restaurant called Wing World, and the logo is a world, but the continents are chicken wings! :) He is just so creative! :)</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">Another latest 'invention' of his is the Grass Chopper mower - it looks like a grasshopper, and has a mouth that opens and closes, chomping/mowing the grass. Look for it in a store near you! :)</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">One day during Bible time, we were talking about how we can ask God for help, and Nat gave this example: "Yeah, like when I don't know how spell my letters, I can say, 'God, help! Help! I don't know how spell my letters!" :)</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">My grandma sent a handwritten note in the mail, and when Z took a look at it, he said to me, "Mom, will you read this to me? I don't know how to read this font."</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 16px;">I hope to post Z's stories and book reports from the 2nd half of the school year soon, as well as our curriculum plans for the fall, and a wrap-up post of what we did for school this year, if anyone's interested! :) Hope everyone is having a great summer! :) </span></div>
Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-35512642947832042152013-04-18T22:23:00.002-04:002013-04-18T22:23:31.860-04:00Kidlet Hilarity #15I have really gotten behind on keeping track of the hilarious things the kids say on a daily basis - I hope I can remember some of them from the last month!!<br />
<br />
Natalie says 'plastic' all the time instead of pretend - like, "I'm not really sleeping. I'm sleeping plastic." and "A plastic robber came to our house." I think she got the idea from me always telling her it was silly to eat the plastic food?<br />
<br />
Natalie: "I want to go to God's house, and see if he has any toys."<br />
<br />
During our first round of the stomach flu, Zachary threw up on his bed. He was so upset by it, and the first thing he said to me was, in a pleading voice, "Can I pleeeeeease have a new sheet?" Then he had to wait in the bathroom while I changed the sheets on the top bunk (which is NOT quick process), and as I was explaining the importance of the 'bowl' to him afterwards, he said, "Oh. I will use the bowl next time. That way I don't have to wait so long in the bathroom." <br />
<br />
Zachary: This book's copyright is 1988.<br />
Me: Oh, that's not too long ago. I was a little girl then.<br />
Zachary: Whoa, this book is Really Old!!!<br />
<br />
During a snowball fight one day, Daddy threw some snow at Zachary. When Zachary asked why, Daddy said, "Because you threw snow at me first." Zachary's response: "Daddy, we don't do revenge." :)<br />
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Natalie was having problems putting on her jammies one day, and she started to talk to them: "I need my jammies to understand! Jammies, you just need to obey!!"<br />
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Zachary came up with a new business that he is going to start someday, called Edible Crafto. They will carry all kinds of supplies for, you guessed it, edible crafts! :) And the best part is the company slogan - Eat Fun! :)<br />
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As Zachary was trying to come up with the word for slogan, he said, "What's the name of that, like, 'Don't get mad, get Glad'"?<br />
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The kids were playing a rhyming game in the car. Zachary said, "I love you because you're so tiny." Natalie responded, "I love you because you're so porcupiney!!" :)<br />
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The kids have a rude thing that they do to each other, where they make mad faces at each other when they're angry, and they put their mad face really close to the other person. I don't even know what to call it, maybe grimacing? Anyhow, Natalie came up with a word for it - 'neek'. "Don't neek at me! Mommy, Zachary's neeking at me!" Look for that one in a dictionary near you! :)<br />
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David has been so funny lately - he has started saying NO!, and making this little mad face, sometimes just whenever, and sometimes when he's actually mad. It is hilarious. When Z was this age, and he did that, we were convinced he was going to be a juvenile delinquent. We just laugh at Davey's little attitude. :) <br />
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Davey has started saying lots of new words! He has a word for Natalie now (NatNat), and he says Mo for Elmo! :) He also said 'bapple' for apple once, and milk is mim-mim. He often comes and tattles on his Bubba or Sissy - if they do something that bothers or upsets him, he runs to me, crying, "Bubba! Bubba!" and pointing at the offender. :) <br />
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We were playing I Spy at dinner, and Z said we could have teams. "My team is Mommy, me, and Davey. Nat's team is Daddy, Nat, and a pretend person." :) It's a close call between Davey and a pretend person on your team... :)<br />
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One day after Natalie had been reprimanded for something, she stood in her room, head hung down, and said sadly, "It's hard to obey." So true!<br />
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I told Natalie to wash her hands. She said, "I'm going to stay in the bathroom forever. And you will call me at bedtime." :)<br />
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My favorite thing that Davey does is he gives me hugs with his arms around my neck, and then he kisses me on the cheek - it is just so sweet!! :) <br />
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Today Z talked Natalie into wearing one of his shirts "so they could match". She was running around in her brother's 5T shirt, with a dirty face, and messy hair when it was time to go to church for small groups. I said, "Can I put a pretty bow in your hair?" She responded, "NO. I don't want Anything Pretty." Apparently I have two boys and a tomboy now...<br />
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Natalie told me a 'silly story' in the car tonight - "I had a little teeny dragon in my house. I swat him with my ladybug swatter, and he went away." Natalie has definitely become quite the talkative little thing lately!! She is always telling me some kind of story, I just love it. :) Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-62363305055585298842013-02-19T22:56:00.001-05:002013-02-19T22:56:46.831-05:00Kidlet Hilarity #14<br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br />
I think it is just so fun to overhear the kids playing, and all the things they
come up with. Zachary somehow came up with one name that they like to
tease each other with, and that name was Tooty McNittle. It just struck
me as funny, and we giggle every time they bring it up. :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">One night as Z and
Natalie were sword-fighting with (plastic!) golf clubs, they were shouting,
"Fight for kindness!" :)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Z: "I know
where your soul is. It's by your heart. It's shaped like a stick.
Not like a stick with a branch sticking out. Kind of like an oval
stick, this big."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Nat, after
finishing a cookie: "I want some more. I'm still hungry."
I said, "I can get you some more chicken." She responded,
"No, never mind. I'm full." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">David has
definitely joined the hilarity in the last couple of months, too - his
personality is really starting to come out. :) One Saturday morning as we
were eating breakfast at camp, I gave David a piece of bacon. He picked it up, looked quizzically at it,
bit it, took it out of his mouth, and stared at it again like he wasn’t sure
what to do with it. He has such an
expressive face, and it was just so hilarious to watch!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Nat:
“My back hurts. I hurt it at McDonald’s. I bumped into a window and the glass was all
brokeden.” She definitely comes up with
some great stories lately!!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Nat
loves to ask, “What do you did today?”
and she won’t just accept your first answer, she keeps asking, “What
else? What else?” This is her favorite dinner time
conversation. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Daddy
says he likes the Gators because ‘it makes our (Florida State fans) friends mad’. Zachary is totally confused. “Do you want to
make them mad???” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Natalie
puts on a hat. “Will you laugh at this
hat?”, she asks Zachary. “Oh, no, that
might make you sad. I won’t laugh at
you,” he responds. Natalie: “Will you
please laugh at me?” Zachary laughs at
her. “Laugh louder!”, Natalie commands. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Z:
“Natalie, you don’t cry in basketball.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Nat:
“You want one of dese gummy bears? They’re
pretty tasty!” We love when Natalie says
‘tasty’, it is just so cute. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I
asked Zachary if he enjoyed his first trip to the dentist. He said he didn’t like getting his teeth
cleaned, because “It tasted yucky. It
tasted like guacamole.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Natalie
was too full to finish her yogurt at snack time one day. Getting down from her chair, she said, “I
will save this for later. I will go get
a plastic paper.” </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">When
we were reading through Katy and the Big Snow, we were talking about how the snowdrifts
were three feet like (like Zachary, we said!), and five feet deep (like
Mommy!). Natalie said, “I have two feet.”
</span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Z
asked me for a calculator. “Why?”, I
asked. His response: “To show you how
much I love you.” Awwwww… </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">David
has lots of new words – two of them are hat (pronounced ah), and shoe/sock
(both pronounced eesh).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Natalie:
“If God ate an ice cream sandwich, would He say ‘mmmmm’? We can give him one
tomorrow.” Um, okay…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Zachary’s
leg was hurting one day. As he climbed
into Daddy’s lap, he lamented, “Ohhhh, I need a walking stick.” Of course, we all laughed. “This is no time for jokes!” he protested. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">As
the kids were watching Looney Tunes, Zachary felt the need to ask, “Mom, what
are smithereens?”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Davey
has this super cute pouty look that he does when he doesn’t get what he wants –
he walks away with his tummy poking out and pouty lips – I love it. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Davey
says “ye-yo” for cereal (or crackers). </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> As soon as we walk into
the Park (children’s area) at church, Davey runs to the nursery and begs for “Ye-yo!”
till he gets some! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Natalie
and Zachary got to spend some time baking with Sandy & Kelly at camp last
week, and after we all ate lunch together, there was more baking to do. Natalie seemed tired, so I asked her if she’d
rather stay or come home and take a nap.
Her response? “You leave. I bake.” Okay!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">One
day Zachary ran to find me in the bathroom, “Mom! Natalie is tempting me to
ride on the kitchen gate!” </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Natalie
got all the spoons o</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">ut of the drawer to make shapes on the table with them,
coating them all with whatever we were eating at the time.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">I said, “Natalie, now all the spoons will be
dirty at lunch.”</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Her response – “Oh, we
can use forks.”</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Okay then.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Joel was talking with Zachary about something, and Z asked what they would do. After Joel told him, he responded, "Oh. That's a good solution." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Davey
has a word/noise for car (“vvvvvv”). He
jumped down from my lap and I said, “where are you going?” He responded, “vvvvv”, and went to get a
little car. He also makes the same noise
while he plays with his cars, tractors, or trains. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> He also
has a word for snow – “brrr”! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> He loves to nod his head to everything,
whether it’s true or not, and he says, “Uh-uh” while he nods. </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> He is
definitely daily living up to his name, “Beloved laughter”!! </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">J</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> This
stage (18-24 months) is just my favorite stage – new words every day, you can
almost see the wheels turn as they learn and process SO much!! He is starting to really enjoy things like
coloring and playdough along with the other two! Such a joy!!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<span class="emoticon emoticon_smile" style="background-color: white; background-image: url(https://fbstatic-a.akamaihd.net/rsrc.php/v2/yA/x/WMrx4YGnE-j.png); background-position: -68px -402px; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: auto; color: #333333; display: inline-block; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.727272033691406px; height: 16px; line-height: 15.454545021057129px; vertical-align: top; width: 16px;"></span>Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269888140051267030.post-72119226942272993542013-01-19T22:46:00.001-05:002013-01-19T22:46:51.256-05:00Stories By ZacharyPart of Zachary's <a href="http://fiveinarow.com/">Five in a Row</a> education this year has been writing (well, dictating to me) stories and book reports. I have them written in a journal, but want to record them online as well as share them with family and friends, so I thought I would type them out here. These are all of the stories and book reports he has written this school year. :)<br />
<br />
September 12, 2012<br />
Daddy Was Ice Skating - A Fiction Story<br />
<br />
Once upon a time, the pond was not strong enough for ice skating. A long time ago, it was strong enough for ice skating, but now it's not. Daddy ice skated on the pond when it was not strong enough. The ice broke and he drowned into the water below. Then the lifeguard, Jon, was there, and he saved him. It was swim time. Then he tried ice skating on the basketball court while it was ice, too, and then for the last thing, he tried ice skating on the lake. Well, it was strong enough on the lake. He stayed up, the ice was strong enough. When he was done ice skating, he went to dinner. The End.<br />
<br />
September 13, 2012<br />
Elmo Rollerblades and Daddy Rollerskates - A Fiction Story<br />
<br />
Elmo is six and he is rollerblading on a basketball court near a hill. It's okay because he's six. Daddy was there to rollerskate, and then he saw Elmo rollerblading and said, "Who's that?" Then Daddy went rollerskating and he was just fine while he was rollerskating, but then he went down a hill and fell down. But he was okay. The End.<br />
<br />
September 15, 2012<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Story-About-Ping-Marjorie-Flack/dp/B003QMZ1TE/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1358651526&sr=8-3&keywords=the+story+about+ping">The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack</a>, retold by Zachary<br />
<br />
Once upon a time, Ping swam underwater. He came up with little rice cake crumbs. He got stolen by a boy. He had a basket and he was trapped by it. The boy took it off and dropped him in the water. He went up the bridge the next time, and he got spanked because he was the last. <br />
<br />
September 15, 2012<br />
Cookie Monster Rollerskates and Daddy Rollerblades<br />
<br />
Cookie Monster went to the basketball court to rollerskate. And then Daddy went to the basketball court to rollerblade. And he said, "Who's that?" Daddy went home, and he went on the porch, and the porch fell down and broke his Cub.<br />
<br />
September 26, 2012<br />
A Humorous Story<br />
<br />
Elmo was in America, and nobody could find him on Sesame Street. They have looked everywhere on Sesame Street, but they did not find Elmo, because Elmo was in America. He was swimming at the camp pond, and he went down the waterslide, and he had fun. He was riding Daddy's Cub and he went off the road, but he did not crash. He was in our house. He said, "Where am I?" I said to him, "You're at the Hart's house!" The End.<br />
<br />
September 26, 2012<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Make-Apple-World-Dragonfly-Books/dp/0679880836/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358651791&sr=1-1&keywords=how+to+make+an+apple+pie+and+see+the+world">How to Make an Apple Pie and See the World by Marjorie Priceman</a> Book Report<br />
<br />
I like the apple pie that we made. And I like the Apple Pie and See the World book. I liked everything - the words, the pictures, the people, the names, the houses, and the dogs. I liked it when we drew and acted out the book. My favorite ingredient was sugar cane. My favorite place that she went was Vermont. I liked the post office picture. I don't like when we write stories, because it's boring because you have to sit.<br />
<br />
October 12, 2012<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Madeline-Ludwig-Bemelmans/dp/014056439X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358651916&sr=1-1&keywords=madeline+by+ludwig+bemelmans">Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans</a> Action Book Report<br />
<br />
Crying - Madeline had the appendix and everyone cried.<br />
Frowning - When they were solemn, and at the bad.<br />
Sitting - on their beds.<br />
Walking - at half past nine, to visit Madeline.<br />
Eating - broke their bread.<br />
<br />
October 27, 2012<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Papa-Piccolo-Carol-Talley/dp/1559420286/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358652032&sr=1-1&keywords=papa+piccolo+by+carol+talley">Papa Piccolo by Carol Talley</a> Book Report<br />
<br />
He walks in the shoe store. To have a talk to Sophia. He wants her to take the kittens. I don't know where their moms are. They were in a cardboard box near Canal Tolentini. Then the kittens were going to adopt him. He thought the kittens adopted him. Sophie did not take the kittens. He took the kittens. They went everywhere he went. They went on Luigi's gondola to China. One of them was called Marco, and the other was called Polo. They came back. A regatta is a party in Venice. The kittens (Marco and Polo) and Piccolo rode on a gondola. I liked the book. My favorite part was when they went to the shoe store.<br />
<br />
November 13, 2012<br />
Short Story Settings<br />
<br />
Daddy lived at Bethany Camp, a place where you eat food, right here next to us.<br />
<br />
Zachary lived at a bouncy house, which had a basketball net and ball. You didn't have to bring your own. You could play with bikes there, too.<br />
<br />
Natalie lived in a different bouncy house, where you can just bounce in it and it has little cars to ride in and you don't have to pedal your feet, they go automatically.<br />
<br />
November 15, 2012<br />
Similes<br />
<br />
Mommy took me out of the water (at the waterpark pool) like a superhero.<br />
<br />
Beary slept with me at bedtime like he was my best friend. He is actually my best friend. He is four like me. And he's almost five. He has the same birthday as me.<br />
<br />
Natalie just stood still like a statue.<br />
<br />
December 7, 2012<br />
Sparky Saves the Day!<br />
<br />
Sparky is a white and black dog with a fire hat. He has a black nose and a little teeny tail. Jack is Sparky's assistant - he is a fireman. There is a fire in Popperville. They were in Sinclairville. First they ran all the way there. Then they used their hose to squirt out out the fire. The fire was all out. So they ran home. The End.<br />
<br />
December 8, 2012<br />
Zachary Hart - Last Performed in Russia - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_1_16?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=another+celebrated+dancing+bear+by+gladys+scheffrin-falk&sprefix=Another+Celebrat%2Cstripbooks%2C324">Another Celebrated Dancing Bear (By Gladys Scheffrin-Falk)</a> - Now here in the United States, in New York.<br />
<br />
Dancing, Bowing at the End, Hussar's Dance, Feeling Glum when he was the poster, Crying, Drinking Tea, Eating Preserves.<br />
<br />
Boris felt jealous because he wished he could dance. Everybody's jealous sometimes. I think I've never felt jealous.<br />
<br />
January 12, 2012<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rag-Coat-Lauren-Mills/dp/0316574074/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1358652604&sr=1-1&keywords=the+rag+coat+by+lauren+mills">The Rag Coat by Lauren A. Mills</a>, retold by Zachary Hart<br />
<br />
In one part, a character feels bad. The book is starring Minna. Because her classmates were making fun about her coat. She went far away into the woods. She took her lesson at school. She learned her lesson. She said that the coat was full of stories. The quilting mothers made the coat. It had warm colors. The warm colors were stories. She almost heard her Papa when she was wearing the coat. The feed sack and piece of her Papa's work jacket. I liked this book. The End.<br />
<br />
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br />
I love the part about 'writing stories is boring because you have to sit still'. :) :) He was really excited at first to come up with stories and see me write them down, but he does hate to sit still!! And I try to mix up the book reports (hence the action ones) so he won't get bored but he still dreads them. But he did a great job with our last one!! <br />
<br />
Writing these out, I was reminded of each book we studied together, how much I loved each book, and how much fun we have had studying them together!! I LOVE Five in a Row!!! :) As of now, the plan is to do FIAR again next year for Kindergarten (along with A Beka Phonics, Math & Handwriting supplements - and possibly <a href="http://www.allaboutlearningpress.com/all-about-spelling">All About Spelling</a>? I think he's ready...he's always asking how to spell things so he can write them!) <br />
<br />
Oh, and an update on his future plans - he told Joel tonight that he wants to be a comedian, a football player, an artist, a fireman, a policeman, AND a dentist. Joel said usually people just choose one of those things, so he said he would like most to be a professional football player. :)Carriehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10702958291049563341noreply@blogger.com0