Re-posting photos

Sorry to take down that incredibly cute photo of Jamie earlier this week. For some reason I was having trouble editing while it was up. I think the photos may be too high-res.
Here are the kids, close-up.

modesty

I love to sew, and find so much joy in making a new piece of clothing. It is a very relaxing and rewarding hobby for me. (I wish I had more time to indulge!) As I prepare to make a new outfit, I look at the fashion magazines. I look for what cut and style are popular, what materials are being used. I know and understand that I will never look like those models, and I will never be able to afford those clothes, but I can translate that style into a modest, up-to-date outfit for myself. (By the way, neither Jim nor the kids ever look at these magazines.)
What is modest? Many people would like to tell you their set of rules. Is it neck to knee? The entire body covered? Always skirts? You will probably dress in accordance with your culture... for example, an Amish girl would not feel comfortable in frilly, lacy, or tight clothing. Unfortunately, our culture seems to have trashed the idea that girls and women should be modest. It is incredibly sad to walk through the store aisles and see bikinis, halter tops and low-rise jeans for little girls. Even baby girls can have their own bikinis...

If it isn't for sale, don't advertise it.
People should be able to call you a "lady."
You shouldn't make your father / husband / brother uncomfortable.

Many sites across the web will put out their message of modesty. Some I agree with, some I find fanatical. Here is the latest site that I have come across. I cannot tell you if the rest of the site is worthwhile, but this series of articles is pretty good. Included is a good reminder to girls looking at "prom" or wedding dresses.

our family tradition

While at work this past week Jim told of the Rupert family Easter tradition (or, rather, the day-after-Easter tradition). While some laughed at our love for Peeps, others agree that they should be eaten stale. They were all interested in the idea of Peep jousting, and told Jim he should write a paper on the sport. While I could not find any Peeps Chicks, and was astonished at the lack of Peeps after this Easter, we have had fun doing online research. This is one you should visit!

blessed busy-ness

Lately we have been feeling way to busy. We found that we had one weekend free this month - and used it to work on the yard (that is turning out to be more than we thought... we might till and reseed the whole side yard!). This week was looking busy with two nursery planning meetings, a shopping day, a curriculum fair, and the Master Club regionals on Saturday. We knew we could get through it all, but wished for rest. We are looking forward to our vacation in May!
But... then we were stunned by a death. A man from our church, not old by any stretch of the imagination, suddenly died this past weekend. He had been in poor health, but was doing better of late. No one thought death was imminent. He leaves behind a wife, two college aged daughters and a high school aged son. One daughter will be getting married this summer - with no father to walk her down the aisle.
It is hard to find the words to say. Sometimes verses seem trite. (How many people tell them God will not give them more than they can hande? That he has gone on to a better place? ) Will they really take you up on your offer of, "if we can help in any way, let us know..."
Thankfully this man was saved, and his family is, too. They do have comfort and peace from God. They do have a hope. They even have joy in the midst of this sorrow!
So, even though this funeral adds to our busy-ness this week, we have to look at it as a blessing. We can be a blessing to this family, and we can count our blessings... we are able to be busy!

using -or losing- your brain?

Some days I feel very old. I feel as though I may be going senile. What did I come into this room to find? What did I need to buy at this store? Wasn't I supposed to punish you for something?
Brain foods - ginko biloba, blueberries, etc. - are supposed to help you keep your brain functioning well. Other studies have show that doing "exercises" such as crosswords or cryptograms are helpful. Anything to keep your brain from getting lazy!
My brain suffers from dealing with children. (Where did I put that? It doesn't matter - the kids probably hid it, used it or threw it away. Look under their bed, you may find it there. Oh, in the fish tank, I never would have thought to look there!) They do not follow my well-laid out neurological paths. They make no sense. all the blueberries in the world won't help. They would just stain the carpet.

clean your room!

I will admit that cleaning has never ever been a favored chore for me. I had quite the messy room when I was young - although part of that mess was due to two sisters living in the same room with me. Even today my room is not competely spic and span. (We need more bookshelves!)
Dot's room is a disaster. Literally. She has stuff all over the place. Not just clothes and shoes, but toys, books, papers, crafts... you name it, it's on the floor. We've tried to explain why she should have a neat room, but nothing has caused her to clean. We've tried rewards. We've tried punishements. We've tried everything. Nothing has worked.
If that isn't bad enough, Dot has managed to have her mess spread - Jamie's room is getting messier, and the living room and dining room are spotted with Dot's stuff. Where will it all end?
We are frustrated. What do we do now? How do we get her to clean? and keep it clean? (without going crazy?)

my little chef

A few minutes ago Dot called to me that Jamie wanted some "chock mook." I told her he would have to wait a little while, as I was busy. Only a couple of minutes later I walked into the living room to find Jamie hard at work, making himself chock mook. He had brought in the jug of milk and the bottle of chocolate syrup, opened both, and was busily pouring the syrup into the milk. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't taken over, but I think it would have involved me using a carpet steam cleaner...

what a big yard!

A ton of work has been done at our house this weekend. Yesterday was beautiful, so Jim and Stuart spent the day taking out bushes - lots of bushes. The side yard was piled high with the branches... what to do? We don't have the truck anymore, so trips to the dump were out of the question. We tried a roll-off dumpster service - over $250! We tried a tree service - over $600!!! Yikes! We eventually found a friend with a truck who helped Jim rent a chipper, and this morning the pile of branches became a pile of mulch. The yard looks huge!
Today Stuart went to work on the basement door. He took out the old frame and replaced it. Jim replaced the old lock and installed a deadbolt. Now they are doing the finishing work.
What did we ladies do? Took care of kids, made breakfast, lunch and dinner, and went to the thrift store.

sympathy outpoured

Last week at this time we were still recovering from the initial shock of having our house broken into. Things have settled down considerably, but we are still trying to put things back together and make them better. The kids seems to have forgotten it even happened.
We are very thankful for all the sympathy that our family and friends have shown to us. A huge thank-you will be going out to the Greens, as they are taking a weekend to come out and help us fix things around the house. They have disguised it as a birthday treat for Jeanne (Happy birthday to you!), but we know that the gift is for us.
This makes me wonder, how have I shown sympathy to others? Is a listening ear enough? Was I too busy to help in some way? Would a batch of cookies help? A dinner or the offer to babysit? A note of encouragement? A phone call? Can I take my eyes off myself long enough to look at others?

not again...

Yesterday afternoon I took Dot to her gym class. Jamie and I spent the time at the library, where he picked out Rolie Polie Olies again. We picked Dot up and headed home, Jamie all excited about watching his dvd, Dot dreading it. (We've watched it a lot...)
As we waked in the door I noticed some food on the floor of the kitchen. "Who's been in the freezer?" I asked. Dot immediately piped up that her two year old brother had done it... ha. That sinking feeling hit me when Dot ran into the living room and called out that we had been robbed again - the dvd player was gone. She started sleuthing right away, trying to find what had been taken. She can't resist a mystery...
I called Jim, and then the police. This time the entry was forced - they broke down our door in the basement, and then kicked open the door that leads to the basement. For all that work (the doors are quite heavy!), they got very little. Obviously, they took the dvd player, bought for $40, but they also got my earrings (this time they weren't worth much), and the handmade quilt and baby dress that were ready to give out at the next two baby showers. The police officer came quickly and made her report, but it took a long time for the crime lab to come. While waiting Jim went out to buy supplies to fix the doors, and then I took the kids out to buy a new dvd player (another cheap one!). Finally crime lab came - and couldn't find any fingerprints, unfortunately. Jim then worked on the doors (we won't be using them anytime soon!), and I put away all the stuff that got thrown out of our drawers. Most everything is back to normal.
It's much harder to put your life back together. (I immediately put in a bid for moving, all the while knowing that it isn't practical at all.) How long does it take before you feel safe in your house, or safe to leave your house? How long before you stop "hearing things"? How long before you start trusting people again?

nursery promotions

At the end of April our church will be having a special day focusing on our in-house ministry opportunities. The evening service will conclude with a fellowship in the gym, where the heads of the ministries will each man a table promoting our ministry. Here's where it gets interesting: the church members will vote on which table they think is best, and the winner gets a $100 gift certificate to a fancy restaurant.

After my initial groan (not another responsibility!!!), I am now grudgingly beginning to plan out my table. While at the fair, we are drawn to the booths that are colorful and give away free items. The church will be providing hor d'ouerves for everyone, but I intend to have lovely frosted mini cupcakes at my booth. Everyone likes free food. I will also have the diaper bag tags that the church ordered last year, along with some favor for those who actually already work in the nursery... but I am not sure what to give them. As for decorating the booth, I first thought of balloons, stuffed animals, etc., the kind of thing you would see at a baby shower. Then I came to my senses. Ugh. Too cute. Now I am leaning toward a large cutout of Jesus and the children, you know, "Let the little children come unto me..." sort of thing. Other thoughts - children are the future, children are a blessing from God, arrows in your quiver... (I'm not sure where I am supposed to go with that last one!!)

Already it is all sounding like a lot of work and money. Any ideas on how to draw them in? Put your minds to work!

a funny little boy

Jamie is definately all boy - he likes to run, jump, hit, throw, wrestle, etc. Lately another boy trait has been emerging - he knows his sister has cooties.
Dot, our very affectionate little girl, has found it hard to give Jamie kisses and hugs lately. He will run from her, scream, anything to keep her from kissing him. When she does actually land a kiss on him, he cries and tries to wipe it away, and then comes to Mommy for a kiss to make it all better. Yup, Mommy does not have cooties. Mommy's kisses are okay, in fact, they are wonderful!

overwhelmed

Just a note to everyone - things have been a little crazy here at our home, and they will probably continue to be so. I am feeling a little overwhelmed by it all, and won't be blogging as much or responding to email as much as normal.

curriculum

If you have dealt with school systems before, you will know that now is the time for re-enrollment. Since we homeschool, we don't have to worry about that, but we do have to start thinking of what we are using. Are we happy with the curriculum? Is it appropriate for Dot's learning style and level? Is there something better?
We have used Calvert this year, and overall I have to say it was a good way to begin homeschooling. I didn't have to come up with anything on my own, and they took care of grading. There are a few areas I would like to change, though, and so we are out to look at other curricula (we looked this up, and the dictionary says you can also use "curriculums" - but it sounds funny) this morning. Thankfully there are a few good homeschool stores in our area. We are heading out to one in Severna Park - it is a Christian homeschool store. Not only do they have new curricula, but they also have a large selection of used, not to mention a play area for the kids. Another plus - in the same shopping center there is a toy store - with Playmobil and Thomas! Sounds like we'll all have fun this Saturday!

A dog we never take on walks

Even though our children would absolutely love to own a dog, we don't. For one thing, I'm allergic to dog hair. Also, I would have to do all the work of feeding, cleaning up after, and walking the dog... I already do that for my whole family; I don't need to add a dog to the list. I'm not sure we could afford a dog, either.

Lately, though, we have had a dog for free, and it is so easy to take care of! Jamie has started to use his imagination, and he imagines that he is a puppy. He makes a really cute puppy! He pants, gives doggie kisses, crawls around on the floor, and eats his food like a dog. Every now and again he gives a little bark, too. He is the best dog I could ever hope for!

I forgot!!

In lieu of the card I forgot to send...

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear Joel,
Happy birthday to you!

Another marriage benefit

From the OSU Connect email:

Want to get rich -- or at least, richer? Ohio State research scientist Jay Zagorsky has some advice: Get married and stay married.

Zagorsky recently finished a nationwide study found that divorce chops a person's wealth by 77 percent, while marriage nearly doubles it, with a 93 percent gain.

Shopping Frenzy

After many weeks of spring-like temperatures we are finally back to winter. Well, not really WINTER, since I am still not using my heavy winter coat, but it is cold now. In fact, this weekend we are supposed to get a real winter storm! From the weather underground:

.. At this time... a swath of snowfall of 5 inches or more is likely across the area... with accumulations up to ten inches possible.

In our area predictions of snow are followed by a mad rush to the store to buy milk, bread and toilet paper. Apparently they think they will be snowed in for awhile... If you happen to need something at the store you would find the bread shelves would be empty - yes, the really long set of shelves that hold hundreds of loaves of bread - totally empty!
It is unfortunate that this is payday for us, and we need to go shopping. Fortunately, though, we don't need any bread, milk, or toilet paper.


Update Sunday, Feb. 12, 1pm
We have been busy! We got over a foot of snow last night - in our yard we measured one spot at 15 1/2 inches. The trees and bushes are bowing down under the weight of the snow - the trees in the schoolyard next door lost a few branches. Jamie had a very hard time getting around, and unfortunately it was too deep for his sled! Right now Jim and Dot are putting the finishing touches on a tunnel - made in the giant mound of snow removed from our driveway. (You can see Jim playing king of the mountain on it above.) The snow plow has made only one pass down our street, and it is still too slippery to go out. (While we were shoveling we saw a couple cars spin out and have a fender bender just up the road.) Tonight we will probably be suffering from all our hard work. Pass the ibuprofen... we will sleep well tonight!

Creativity

Today Dot starts a new class. She, and two homeschooled friends from church, will be taking a pottery class. The teacher will be having them learn hand building and how to use the wheel. All three girls are terribly excited about learning pottery.

I don't mind saying that I am jealous. My creative outlets have been restricted in the past few years. I will always have my sewing machine out and ready to use, but I don't have as much time to use it now that we are homeschooling. I haven't been able to do calligraphy for quite awhile - I don't have the space to set aside for an ongoing project. (I can just imagine Jamie getting into the ink!) I still like to see others being creative, and I love to see beautiful handmade items. Timothy Botts is a wonderful example of what I would love to do it I had the time and the chance to take my creativity seriously.

diapers

For quite awhile we have used disposable diapers on Jamie, but now we are back to cloth. (We hope they make him more inclined to be potty trained!) I think that people are afraid of cloth diapers, but they aren't that hard to deal with... you don't even need to use diaper pins anymore. Granted, there is a big investment to be made up front, but after you buy your basic supplies you're done spending money on diapers. (Okay, yes, some people pay for a diaper service, and others pay for special detergent, but I wash my own with the detergent we use for our laundry. No extra expense.) Two other points in their favor - 1. What is cuter than a kid in a cloth diaper??? 2. Cloth diapers make the best rags when you're done potty training. Note: I don't expect others to do cloth diapering for me, and I don't do cloth diapers on the road or at night.

Anyway, last night I was washing diapers, and when I went to put them in the dryer I noticed something strange. Somehow a disposable diaper had made its way in the wash! (We think that Jamie was having fun with the diaper pail...) Ever seen a kid in a regular disposable diaper at the pool or beach? That diaper ends up 3 times its original size! All those little bits of stuff that soak up the moisture ended up in the washing machine... and our pipes. Thankfully they didn't clog anything! Yet...