Worst Blogger Ever Right Here!

I last posted in the beginning of July...July!!! It's near the end of August! What is wrong with me? Oh, that's right; I'm busy as heck! ;)   I have been filling in for the Sunday School director while she is on her 3-4 month vacation (ahem, yes, "month" is the correct word here), doing nursery every Sunday (yes, "every" is also the correct word), and homeschooling the kiddos... that is all on top of the regular Bible study we host here, the baked goods I prepare for said Bible study, all the housework and errands....I'll stop now, I am making myself tired.  But I will do a quick review of some of things we've been dealing with this past month.

As you know, I had switched over G-Pants cloth diapers for DD2. That was going pretty well, and I was pretty much used to the yuckiness :).  So notice I used that good ol' operative word "was" in that sentence.  DD2 had a MASSIVE growth spurt. Massive!!  She now fills out a 5T/size 5 very well. She is only an inch or so shorter than her big sister. This means the XL g-diapers no longer fit.  Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!  So, we're back to disposables and have not saved all the money I had hoped. But we did pretty much break even on the cost of the diapers, so I can't complain (too loudly anyway).

Along that same vein of bodily-function related topics, DD1 has decided she is not going to be potty trained and is trying to overthrow her potty-opressors (aka Mommy and Daddy).  Her tactics have included misinformation campaigns ( "no, I don't have to go peep-peeps"), rioting (No, No, I won't go! *tantrum tantrum tantrum),  and my personal favorite, going off the grid (Me: "Honey, where are you?"  DD1 from a closet or under the bed:  "Uh, Mommy, I poop-pooped. Can I have a diaper?").   So, there are many accidents with this child who could certainly do this if she was inclined to do so. 

On the homeschooling front, things are going very well (and certainly better than potty training). DD1, loves hearing the read-alouds and gets so excited over the projects we do.  For one of our stories the first week we planted a bean in a jar with some damp paper towels. She loves this science experiment and we check the plants progress every day. She still jumps up and down proclaiming how well her plant is growing. And it really is growing quickly. It's pretty huge up there on the top of my fridge. I think it's trying to reach the skylight.  She (DD, not the plant) is able to read and spell some sight words, and has a great grasp on counting 1-20 forward and backward. We're still working on cutting with scissors, but I think she'll get that very soon. Pretty good for barely 3!

In other news, there is a hurricane headed straight for us. :) Isn't that fun?  Seriously, we're considering evacuation if Isaac is expected to become a Cat 2 storm.  I used to far more adventurous, but now that I have these sweet little people to care for, I err on the side of caution. People here probably think we're nuts because they've all been through Charley....but that's okay. I'm willing to look foolish in this case.  So this week will be spent in preparation. I'm not sure if we'll drive or fly, but I will have to mkae some lists on what to pack for each situation.   That being said, it will probably be awhile before I blog again, which is a shame because I am behind on my book reviews. I will say this; Dee Henderson's new book "Full Disclosure" is one of the best books I have ever read; ever! So when it comes out read it. ;)

Book Review: "The Fiddler" by Beverly Lewis

It's book review time again!  This time I selected "The Fiddler" by Beverly Lewis. I think I was having a fit of homesickness when I chose this book. I don't usually read the Amish novels unless there isn't anything else...Sorry! I have read some of Beverly's previous works, and honestly she usually does a pretty good job with it. I truly enjoying reading about roads and landmarks and people that are familiar to me. (I spent all of my teen years in Lancaster County, so when she says the main character exited the turnpike at Morgantown and filled up at the Turkey Hill, I get a little excited because I can still see those places in my mind's eye.)

Anyway, here is the description from Beverly Lewis' website (http://www.beverlylewis.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=239:home-to-hickory-hollow&catid=15&Itemid=136)
Amelia "Amy" DeVries, a 24-year-old violinist, is disillusioned with life and love after the collapse of her long-running romance. Weary of endless rehearsals and performances, Amy sets out on a road trip through the Pennsylvania mountains. She leaves her cell phone behind so life's demands can't intrude on her solitude. She doesn't know, nor care, where she will end up.
When her car breaks down deep in the mountains, Amy realizes the flaw in her "no cell phone" plan. She abandons her car and walks the winding roads, searching for help. Following the smell of woodsmoke and the sound of music, she finds a rustic log cabin. There she meets a young Amishman--and through him a community--that will change her life forever.

What I liked
As I said earlier, I like that I can picture the setting in my mind's eye, having lived there for so long. It's a lovely setting, and I am pleased that she chose that area (where she also lived) instead of another Amish Community, like the groups in Ohio or Indiana. I also liked that the author obviously did some research into new territory. There were references to difficult musical concepts and classical Master's and their pieces, as well as the nuances of musician's individual styles. I appreciated the effort.

What I Didn't Like
This book didn't really seem to follow the usual pattern of the other books I have read by Beverly Lewis. It seemed to focus more on the "Englischer" more than the Amish community and it made it flow a little awkwardly. I believe the usual draw for her work is the sampling of the quaint simplicity of the Amish people and their way of life that the story gives you, and I don't think this book really supplied that sampling.  I also felt that the pace of the book felt rushed, and that made the love story seem less providential and more coincidental.


To summarize, I think that the book is an ok read, and if you are already a fan of Beverly Lewis, you will likely be more forgiving than I was. Since I already don't care for this type of book, I was probably a little cynical in my view of it. If I were to read the next book in the series (which I likely will not) I would hope to see the storyline put back in the farmhouses and fields and less in the head of the Englischer.

Gee, Diapers!

I've been diapering the littlest kiddo in cloth diapers for about a week now, and I have come to the following conclusion; I am super-mom.  Just kidding!  Actually, there has been a sort of evolution of thought that has occurred here. The first day, the little one decided she needed to poo a few extra times, just for good measure, and I pretty much gagged through the entire dump and swish process. The next day, I gagged just a little less. A week later I don't gag anymore but I do groan inwardly a little bit. (who doesn't?!)  I don't particularly enjoy putting my hand in the toilet. That said, I actually think it isn't too bad and if I ever have another baby, I just might cloth diaper from the beginning. 


I'm using gdiapers, which is actually what they call a hybrid system. If I wanted to I could switch out my cloth insert for a flushable/biodegradable/compostable one. As it is, that would kind of defeat my whole purpose in cloth-diapering, which is to save money. Contrary to popular belief, Pastors do not make alot of money. In fact we make bupkus from DH's salary (definition of bupkus: a paltry sum; very little; a minimal amount) so it is very important that we save money wherever possible.  Now, we live in an area where overhead is high (our rent eats up half our monthly pay! YIKES!) so I was hesitant at first to make the switch. I was worried the water and electric bills would eat my savings and make all those gaggy moments go to waste. But after doing the math I realized that we would still be saving about 1200 bucks a year on diapers, so I went for it.  The nice the about the gdiapers is the gpants are reusable. You don't have to throw those little suckers into the wash every time, and when you do wash them you can just throw them into your regular load and dry them on low. The liners (the vinyl thing that holds the cloth insert) can be machine washed, too, so I throw them in with the cloth inserts and then hang them to dry.  Those cloth inserts are the parts that amaze me. My kiddo really made them gross, so when I threw them into the wash at the end of the week, I expected them to be smelly and stained when I took them out. But I was wrong. I added some Clorox 2 Free and Clear in there and they came out fresh and with no stains at all. :) And the gdiaper people weren't kidding when they said that the hemp gets softer everytime you wash it. I want a pillow made out of these suckers. They're very soft. Oh, and the other nice thing about this system is the flushable liners that go over your cloth. They catch (most of) the poo and you flush it away. that way you don't have quite as much mess on the cloth to clean up. I like easy and I like when messes go away, so it is a winning combo for me.   Oh, and one more thing: they are so cute!!! I picked out a bunch in this color:





I'd have put up a picture of the little one wearing these sassy little numbers, but the last thing I need is The Man saying "Hey Weirdo, why are you posting a picture of your little kid's butt online?" So, that's a photo that never happened. ;o)  But you can go to http://www.diapers.com/ and check these out yourself if you are interested. That is where I ordered mine (I love their fast, free shipping!) and I had a good experience. Here is the link to the gdiapers page:   http://www.diapers.com/buy?freetext=gdipbundles1b&viewheader=n

So, there is my adventure.  Oh, and one more final thought: my Granny cloth-diapered and she had 6 kids...someone ought to go and kiss that woman' feet! That's a whole lot of nasty nappys! (I wondered how long she gagged?)

A Birthday, a break, and a burger

DH turned the big three-o today. Right after midnight he started feeling achy and “weird” I told him it was because he was OLD now. LOL.  (Don’t lynch me, I’m not serious!)  He felt weird because we were up late doing laundry and cleaning up the little one’s toys. I FINALLY ordered some toy organizers and my new best-friend, the UPS man, brought them to me at supper time last night. After the kiddos went to bed we slapped those suckers together and I got going sorting, purging, and putting away little dress up shoes, costumes, ten-million stuffed animals and dolls, Mrs. potato heads, and  3 different types of blocks.  DH helped rescue toys from the recesses of the house and kept me company. All this happened while the kiddos slept soundly in their beds 4 ft away. Well, Kitty-cat did wake up once. She gave me this look that said, “See, I KNEW you  played with my  toys after I went to sleep.”  Then she rolled over and kept snoring. J

So, his birthday rolled around (far too quickly) and we were all aglow with excitement.  Today was the day!! We were going on a date!  Meemaw and PopPop were coming to hang with the babies and we were going out…alone…only us…with no little ones  in tow.  WOW! Our last date was just about two years ago. I was 9 months pregnant and had been in prolonged prodromal labor for over a month.  You can imagine how exciting it was. J  So today we went to a restaurant that had NO playground and that served your food on plates (no paper sack in sight!) and we looked at one another, smiling, and realized we had no idea what to say! DH did not want to talk about work, and switching to cloth diapers and the latest progress (or lack thereof) in potty training makes poor dinner conversation. We ordered our amazing burgers and sat wondering what to say. We got over the lull and had a great time, but it made me realize that couple communication requires a lot of effort during this busy season of our lives. When two little ones are vying for attention at the dinner table and there are a million things to do to keep our home running, we can simply forget to connect as individuals. DH sometimes works 70 hrs. a week, and I often spend my days elbow-deep in poo (figuratively of course, not literally. Eww! See the next blog entry about my switch to cloth diapering and the adventures in potty training a strong-willed 3 year-old.) so, sometimes talking about our day can lead to less-than-stellar conversation. Not exactly a good segue into an evening of romance and intimacy. LOL.  But after today’s birthday, break, and burgers we have realized that we need to make an effort to bring some more of our inner-selves to the table so that we can connect better.  We’re going to start reading a book together and then discussing it…kind of like a book club only there is just  two people and it meets in our bed. Now that is a good segue into romance!  We’re also going to work on sanding and painting a dresser for our girls.  A project is a great way to connect as long as you can work together on a home improvement project without wanting to kill one another. ;)  A shared experience holds nearly endless fodder for conversation.   Finally, we are going to rediscover some of the things we enjoyed in the past that contribute to who we are as people.  I am a very quiet and reflective soul and I tend to enjoy putting my thoughts on paper. One way I used to do that was by writing poetry, and it was something DH liked to read and discuss with me. I’ll be revisiting that pastime when I can steal a minute.  Here’s a quick one for you;

Hmmm, nope.  I must be rusty; it’s a good thing I am going to work on it! J

Homeschooling: and I don't even wear a cape :o)

As you know from my opening post, DH and I have decided to homeschool our children. We have quite a few reasons for this, but I won't be listing them here right now because, quite frankly, I'm not interested in having to defend them. I say that in the nicest way possible, truly. :o)  But I will talk about how I finally ordered our preschool curriculum this morning. After researching various curriculums recommended to me by other homeschooling familes, we have chosen Sonlight. (http://www.sonlight.com/)

We like that it is a literature based curriculum and that it is highly praised by those who have used it.  We also like that it is a flexible curriculum and we can add to it if we wish. We can also swap something out if we need to. Here are some of the things we will get to work with in the P3/4 core package.

Doesn't that look fun?!

 So, long story short...We are heading into this wonderful adventure of homeschooling, the supplies are coming, and we are so excited!  Are you a homeschooling family? Do you want to be? Tell us all about it! :)

Losing it!

Oh, that title could mean so many things...and depending on the day I probably could mean it in any way you think of. :) But today I am talking about pounds. Extra ones. Ones that cause you to say "Ack!" when you see them in the mirror. Give me an "Amen!" if you know what I'm talking about.   I have always struggled with my weight. I am a big girl with a big frame. I come from (among other things) Norwegian and Dutch people who cannot be called merely "tall." No, with family members who are almost 7 ft tall and solidly built, I think you can imagine I am not dainty.  But really, would you expect a descendant of the Vikings to be small? No way! (Hey, I'm told a mace and a broadsword require alot of heft to wield.) So, I'm 5'11" and carrying around, ahem, a few extra pounds. (and by few I mean a few times a few times a few, etc.)  When I look at my body in the mirror, I am NOT happy with what I see there. Suffice it to say, I look at my post-baby body with it's extra pounds and it Diastasis Recti (split ab muscles) from carrying my ten pounder and I am NOT laughing.  So, I've begun doing something about it.   I realized that I am in control of not only feeding my family, but also making sure they have the proper nutrition and fuel for their bodies. I also realized that I am teaching my girls how they should be eating. If they learn by watching, I was certainly failing them.  DH has been carting around some extra pounds as well. We've been married nearly eight years and the numbers on the scale have only been going up for both of us...until now! I have lost 15 pounds in the last 3 weeks, and DH has lost 8.  Want to know how? Good, because I was going to tell you anyway. :)  There is a tool on http://www.choosemyplate.org/ called the SuperTracker. You can enter in your height and weight and your goal weight and it will tell you how many calories you need as well as how much of each food group you should take in for good nutrition. When we started using this tool, we realized we were eating WAAAAAAAAAAY too much sodium. It's in everything, but when you used canned ingredients or cook with a little salt, it adds up very quickly. I also saw that I wasn't eating enough during the day, so by the time evening came, and the kids went to bed I was ravenous and not making smart choices. I had a lot more holes in my nutrition than I realized. So, using the tracker I have begun to plug those holes, and make better choices. I have begun to see food as fuel and my portions have become more reasonable.  I am actually eating more than I ever did, but the calories aren't empty ones so they are actually helping my body burn the stored energy (ie. my fat!) so that I can trim down.  We really are trying to make this less of a diet and more of a lifestyle change, and so far it's working. We realize that some things we used to eat just aren't worth it, and we make a better choice. I'm pretty excited about it. I like that my clothes are starting to feel loose, and that I am reaching the mini-goals I have set for myself. I also like that I am being a better example for my kids. I don't want them to ever have to struggle with their weight like I have. I want this to be the only lifestyle they remember so they can avoid the health problems that come with poor nutrition and obesity.  The next step to our lifestyle change is to add more exercise. I already keep pretty busy doing the housework and being with my girls, but I am going to need aerobic exercise to get my heart and lungs healthier, and some weights to strengthen some of these crazy viking muscles I've got.  We have an elliptical machine in our bedroom that is currently taunting us from the corner. I am going to get on it and slowly, gradually spend more time exercising.  

And now here is another inspiration for myself. If you have a pinterest account, (and you should!) you have probably seen this pin:

This is really only funny if you have read the Hunger Games series. I have (and liked it!) so this is hillarious to me.  If you are working toward a weight loss or healthy lifestyle goal, leave me a comment. We can do this together. I will update on my progress every once in awhile so you can see how I'm doing.  Be blessed! (and "May the odds ever be in your favor." lol)

Book Review: "Chasing The Sun" by Tracie Peterson

photo courtesy of traciepeterson.com

It's book review time guys and dolls! Today we're taking a look at Chasing The Sun by Tracie Peterson. This is book one of the "Land of the Lone Star" Series.   Here is the description from Tracie Peterson's website, http://www.traciepeterson.com . (Incidentally, you can also purchase the book there. :o) )

    
"When her father disappears in war-torn Mississippi, Hannah Dandridge finds herself responsible not only for her younger siblings but for the ranch her father recently acquired on the Texas plains. Though a marriage of convenience could ease her predicament, she determines to trust God for direction.
 Wounded soldier William Barnett returns to his home only to discover that his family's ranch has been seized. Though angry and bitter at this turn of events, he's surprised to discover that it is a beautiful young woman with amazing fortitude who is struggling to keep the place running.
Hannah, desperate for help, and William, desperate to regain his family's land, form an uneasy truce. But nearby Comanche tribes, the arrival of Confederate soldiers, and a persistent suitor all threaten the growing attraction that builds between them. Will they be able to set aside their own dreams and embrace the promise of a future together?"

Isn't that appetizing?  I thought so, too. That's why I selected this book to review. I am an absolute Historical Fiction Hog.  My poor husband would become a Historical-Fiction Widower if I didn't purpose to limit my intake. However, this certified HFH has a very big pet peeve. I cannot stand a writer who does not check their historical fact. You can tell when an author has not done adequate research because you begin to see contradictions in their work. I am very happy to say that Tracie Peterson is NOT one of these authors. She very clearly researches well in preparation for her books and she weaves the facts into the lives of her characters beautifully. I don't want to spoil the book for you so I will keep my examples vague.  In this book you will learn a little about the time when a wild Texas belonged, not only to Mexico, but to itself as a republic. You will also hear mentioned the name of Sam Houston, the first and third President of the Republic of Texas and a very influential man in the history of Texas. You will certainly learn something of the Civil War and of the dynamic between white settlers and the Native Americans of the time period who were facing a battle of their own.

So, I think I've made it pretty clear that I applaud Tracie for her historical accuracy. Now I'll mention a few other things I appreciated about Chasing the Sun.  I enjoyed getting to know the main character, Hannah. It was a pleasure to see how she grew and changed in the face of challenge and danger, and how she drew on her relationship with the Lord to keep her focus on what was right.  I also liked that the other main character, William, was very "real." He wasn't one of those characters that either starts out extremely villainous and becomes Prince Charming or one of those annoying ones that has it all together and patiently waits until the misguided female gets it together. He was a more believable kind of guy and that made him more exciting to get to know.   Tracie also did a great job on leaving the ending open to more books in the series, but not leaving you hanging so much that you get frustrated. I don't like cliffhangers, can you tell?  So, thank you very much, Tracie Peterson, for not making me crazy with the ending of the book. I love when it ends with loads of promise and not one speck of a loose end. :o)

And now, to make this as balanced as possible, I'll tell you what I didn't like.  There isn't much, really, but  I thought that Tracie could have described the setting a little better. I didn't get a sense of what the ranch or the town was like. I enjoy it when a writer makes me feel like I've been dropped into the prairie with the covered wagons.  I like to have the scene described so well, that I can almost smell the bread baking in the big iron stove of the rustic kitchen. I want to feel the hot wind blowing the dust in my face and hear the cows low during round up. Get my drift? 

In summary, I felt like this book was well researched and well written. It had deep and believable characters that I will enjoy reading about in future books and the plot was a great foundation for further storylines.  If you're an HFH like me, and you like a good love story I recommend picking up this book.  Enjoy!