Grateful Sunday

Today, I'm grateful for:

• Great friends who watch our kids for us so we can go to the temple. Those few hours are so precious!
• Sister Wixom, for sharing the story last conference about the family who read the Book of Mormon three verses at a time. We're going steady with five a night and the blessings are incredible. Things aren't perfect, but the Spirit is in our home, our children are becoming comfortable with the language of the scriptures, and it gives us an opportunity to share our testimonies.
• A girls night out this Friday! Granted, I only know one of the girls, but it involves my sewing machine, so who's complaining? It's called a sew-in with the Seattle Modern Quilt Guild and I'm WAY excited! Now I just have to decide which project I want to take to work on. I should get the cutting, whatever it's going to be.
• Once again, my awesome family. Love watching Mr. Henry cart his Curious George monkey around, William getting excited to build Legos, Laurel and her sweet singing, and James, for standing between Laurel and her Papa, who was about to administer soap to Miss Sassy-pants. It was pretty cute.
• Free piano lessons.
• Aaron, who sorted laundry, washed dishes every day, and kept trying, all week long.
  

Little Dresses for Africa - Homeschooling Project

One of the advantages of homeschooling is that we can incorporate so many things into our lessons. There are days when we just do basic lessons (three Rs). Other days, we study science (very hands-on), art, music, history and geography.

I found out about Little Dresses for Africa through a new quilt guild I've joined. A local girl has a goal to collect at least 100 dresses as a service project. I've got fabric (no, really?) that has been languishing and should be used and so I have decided to put it to better use than what it was originally intended for. While my quilt fabric is not in serviceable size pieces for a dress, I do have quite a bit of yardage that can make plenty of dresses.

Here's where the homeschooling comes in. Laurel is going to help. Pin, sew, etc. And we're going to look at a map to see where they are going and why. We'll talk about droughts and orphanages. We'll talk about farming in different places. I hope it's a good thing. I want to instill in my children a strong desire to serve others, to remember that they are so fortunate and to help when they can.

So watch - we'll be getting started this weekend on our little dresses and will post pictures soon.

Grateful Sunday

It's early, but I have a lot to be grateful for.

• My amazing children - they are forever surprising me with their sweetness, their spirits, their energy. They are good children and I love them so very much! Oh, and the funny things they say, telling me they need cookies and ice cream for breakfast, or that they have lava in their faces because they are so hot.
  
• This place:
  

That's the Suzzallo Reading room at UW. Gorgeous. And quiet! When I have to read something that is a challenge, I'm grateful to be able to go here.

• The opportunity to homeschool my children. I listen to the stories of other women I know - for the most part they are happy with their child's education, but there are always a few things that bother them...While it is a challenge and sometimes stressful, it is such a blessing to know that they are being taught correct principles and that those principles are not being undermined in any way.
• Good shows that distract my children but are also educational. I feel less guilty. The current favorite in our house is Liberty's Kids. It streams on Netflix, so look for it. A GREAT series about the Revolutionary period of our history. The children in the show: James (colonist), Sarah (British), and Henri (French) are a part of all the major events of the Revolution - okay, time is a bit compressed, but still. They heard Patrick Henry's famous speech "Give me liberty or give me death!" They work for Dr. Benjamin Franklin as reporters for his newspaper. They were at Bunker Hill, the Boston Tea Party, and were there for Paul Revere's midnight ride. They interact with Sam and John Adams, George Washington, Ben Franklin, and many others. And I like that they don't sugar-coat the history. People made sacrifices. People died in battle. They deal with the issue of slavery and freedom and democracy. Because the girl is British, we get to see things from her perspective as well. It's wonderful and has been a part of many conversations in our house (and car). Love it.
• Southwest Airlines, for having such affordable fares. Now I get to do my "research" for my big research paper in person. I get to fly to Boise to interview my Gran. Unbelievably excited for this.
• A fun Saturday night with good friends, good food, and great conversation - I'd forgotten how fun double dating really is. We'll have to do it again. Although I confess it felt like we were borrowing Mom's mini-van for our double date. And our curfew was 8:30. But still, it was awesome!

Have a lovely week! I get to do lots of homework tomorrow. Oh heck, I get to do lots of homework all week. I'm really loving these history classes. REALLY loving them. So much so that I might not care if I don't get accepted into the Creative Writing major. Because history is really fun. If I can, I'll double major anyway.

Grateful Sunday

• Ended the day laughing with my kids - we were watching "home" movies and just giggling together. Lots of fun.
• Good first week of the quarter. Should be interesting.
• Truly, today I'm grateful for the testimony I have of motherhood. I know that sounds strange, but I truly believe it is a God-given gift to be a mother, and not one that should be taken lightly. I love my little family and it is such a responsibility, and gift, to be given these little people. They have strong personalities and I love each of them. I'm in a women's history class, and I just know that we're headed towards the inevitable mantra of "work" ethic from the feminists. As if what I do at home is not work. Right. It's not. It's a joy and pleasure and sometimes it's just plain work. But it's the most important work I'll ever do!

Have a great week!

Grateful Sunday

How could you not just want kiss that wrinkly little nose? Henry does this all the time now and I never get tired of it!

Today, I'm grateful for:

• Happy, healthy children - we've been reading lots of stories (hooray for 2 days of keeping my resolution!) and playing go fish! There is nothing funnier than hearing James tell Laurel or Will to "Go Fish!" Even funnier when he asks them if they have a certain color: "Will, do you have yellow?" as he's holding up a turquoise card.
• A new, scary-exciting venture for Aaron - more on that as it unfolds, but he might have finally, finally, found his place in the business world.
• A new school quarter - hooray for school supplies!
• Warm, cozy beds for all my babies - and Laurel has her own room again and LOVES it!
• New pillows are finding their way to me - a small thing, but one of Aaron's gifts to me and I'm super excited to finally have a real pillow!
• A great calling at church that I love - a new batch of nursery kids moved into my nursery room and they are adorable. Mostly little girls (we need more doll clothes and blankets!) and they sit and listen and look at pictures and I'm completely flabbergasted - boys are not like this!

Hope you have a wonderful week! I've already got FHE planned for tomorrow night. It's not cheating to use my nursery lesson from today is it? Because I don't think it is at all. And it's a good one too. And I made the best ever chocolate chip cookies - you have to plan 24-hours in advance for these babies and it is so worth it. Here is the recipe.