Boys, boys, everywhere!

I have often thought about why God has seen fit to give me so many boys.  As an only girl myself with four brothers, I longed to have a little girl.  When, after three boys, He saw fit to bless me with a daughter (maybe because I finally got my attitude right!) I have wanted her to have the little sister I never got, but so far we have had two more boys.

My brothers have several girls.  One brother has three girls and two boys, another brother has two girls.  Where are MY girls!  Then I realized, that someone had to raise the heads of the households!  There is a reason that God has my wonderful husband and I raising FIVE boys!

I am learning to be content with the place that God has seen fit to place me.  May I be a good example, and train them in the way they should go.

Miscellaneous

I wanted to get this down here before I forget it.

I was talking alone with my 12yo son on Sunday night, and I mentioned that I noticed he had been doing things with a boy from church when there had been tension before.  He said something to the effect of "Things got better after our schism.  We are getting along now."

I guess that History is sinking in!  I don’t think *I* even knew what a schism was until I taught about the schisms in the Middle Ages.

Industrious boys…

Today our boys approached us about wanting to start their own car wash.  My 6yods was rather funny, thinking they were going to build a car wash, like the ones in town!  “I wonder how they are going to do that?!!?”  We told them they could practice on OUR vehicles!  They look much better.  Daddy even went down to the hardware store and bought some car wash soap for them.


 


After they were done (it took them quite a while just to do Daddy's commuter car and the minivan), Daddy suggested that instead of a car wash, they put up some posters advertising that they are looking for odd jobs.  Here is the text that my oldest came up with for the flyer:


 


Eager young men looking for odd jobs


 


Mowing, Raking, and other jobs


 


Please call ***-****


 


I really hope they get something out of it.  We try to keep them busy, but there just isn't a lot of work to be done around here.  Besides, we only pay them for the “extra” work that they do.  Once we get moved onto our property, there will be plenty of work for them to do.


 


I also don't want to squelch the entrprenurial spirit in them.  My oldest has wanted his own business since he was 5 years old, and constantly comes up with funny ideas on how to make money.  We don't really live in the kind of place that they can set up a lemonade stand (although they HAVE tried it!), so it is hard coming up with something that they can do.


 


We will see what happens!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY B!!!

Today is my oldest's birthday.  He is now 11 years old.  He is so smart.  He has been reading since he was 5 years old, and I don't just mean reading every once in a while, I mean he has been literally reading since he was 5 years old!  I have to restrict him from reading as punishment sometimes!  He reads on a high school or maybe college level.  The latest series of books he is devouring is C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy!  He is on That Hideous Strength now.  He is finding it harder to slug through, as most adults do, but he is keeping at it.  I think I gave up.  I don't think I finished it.  I had him read a biography of C.S. Lewis, and he really enjoyed that too.


 


He has so may aspirations.  He wants to be an author foremost.  He always has.  One of his books that he wrote when he was 5 he titled The Difference Between Pagans and Christians.  It was a really interesting 5yo view of it.  I may post it here if I can find the file without too much effort.  He has written several children's books, and is constantly coming up with ideas for new books.  I have a hard time keeping him on task to actually finish one before he starts another though.  I don't want to discourage his imagination, but I don't want him to create a bad habit either.


 


He is getting chest waders, a box of Knex, and books for his birthday.  He requested the next two books in the Redwall series, and I also bought him Boyhood and Beyond, and Thoughts for Young Men from Vision Forum.  His brothers bought him a fanny pack tackle box too.  He should be ecstatic about the chest waders, as he requested hip waders, but I couldn't find his size (it's seriously fishing season up here right now!  The shelves were pretty picked through!) and the chest waders were not much more than the hip boots anyway.  Besides, we have lots of kids that will be able to use them once he outgrows them!


 


Well, I better get my grocery list together for dh for him to pick up on his way home, as I didn't go to town this week like I thought I would be.  Dh blocked out his afternoon so he could be sure to leave work early enough to make it home for dinner.  (He has a two hour drive home.)  I also need to get the cake baked and frosted, and the house straightened up again.  Dh's mom and brother are coming over tonight to celebrate with us.  My folks already gave him a gift card to a bookstore.  They know the way to his heart!  LOL!

Caterpillars and boys

As spring is finally arriving in the frozen north country, fun and exciting boy adventures are arising faster than this mom can keep up.  A. came in with a caterpillar that he found outside and wanted to disect him.  Yuck!  Poor caterpillar!  I told him he couldn't do that to him while he was alive, so he put him in a jar in his room.


 


Today, he said he was dead, so off he went to the kitchen to retrieve one of my mostly dull steak knives!  “Oh no you don't!  Use your own knife!” I told him.  “But you said I couldn't touch my knife…”  Oh yeah, he was using it inappropriately, so it was taken away from him…what's a homeschooling mother to do?  Here is a 9yo boy WANTING to educate himself on what is inside a caterpillar.  So, I tell him he can go ahead and “disect” him with his knife, but as soon as he is done, the knife gets put away.  He then informs me that he was wrong, and that the caterpillar is still alive…so I guess the guts and glory will have to wait another day.

Secure by BLM

I am secure in my God's might;


Satan flees from His mere sight.


I am secure from the devil's wrath,


For I tread the narrow path.


All Christians should be quite secure,


We are safe from Satan's lure.


None who oppose God are sure,


Whether it be a him or a her,


That they aren't headed for the lake of fire.


We know the answer it's that they're all,


Going to the fires of Hell.


But we are all secure in the fact,


That we are going to Heaven as God's mercy act.


 


Finis.


BLM, 2/15/06, 10:31pm

William the Conqueror and the Battle of Hastings

This is what we will be studying in History this week.  I am learning so much with these Veritas Press History cards!  So many fun activities to go along with it too.  This week, we will be doing some paintings of some of the scenes of the Bayeaux  Tapestry.  Here is an interesting site to learn about it.   http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/bayeaux_tapestry.htm

My “baby” turned 10 yesterday!

My oldest child turned 10 yesterday.  I just wanted to write out my thoughts about this godly, handsome, brilliant, young man.  B has a serious love of books.  He learned to read at the age of 4, and he has spent much of his time since then curled up with a good book.  He also likes to draw and write stories.  He would like to become a writer and/or an illustrator.  He also enjoys writing poetry and reading his Bible.  He is working on his third time of reading through the Proverbs.


B is such a blessing to me.  He helps take care of the baby by reading to him, playing with him, and even changing his diaper!  He reads to his other brothers and sisters, and enjoys playing board games with them.  He has tackled mowing the lawn without being asked, and strives to please those around him.  He is also very giving, especially toward his grandparents.


I praise God for this little man that He has entrusted to my care.  I pray that I may raise him in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and that he will grow strong in his faith and love of the Lord.

B’s Father’s Day Poem









B's Father's Day Poem

I asked my newly 10yos B to write an acrostic poem for his dad for Father's Day, and was so proud of the results that I had to post it:


For always being there for me,
And loving me since before I was born,
To you my teaching was given, and you taught me well,
He who created all the fathers has given me the best
Everyone has flaws, but you have very little,
Rolling on right to first place, in the father race!


Pretty impressive, eh?

B needs glasses

Well, I took the boys in to the eye doctor on Tuesday.  B has made a few comments about not being able to see very far with one of his eyes, so I figured he needed glasses, but I didn't realize how bad it was!  He sees 20/20 in his right eye, but his left eye is 20/200!  He wasn't very happy at first, but he is getting used to the idea of wearing glasses.


I asked the doctor to show B the correct way to read a book.  He handed B a magazine, and asked him to hold it the way he normally would.  B promptly set the book on his right knee.  The doctor grinned, looked at me and said, “See how he favors the right side already?”  It was really amazing.  I never noticed that he only read with his right eye before.  He now has to learn to read again, using both his eyes together.


So, we ordered glasses for him (!)  It will be such a nice change for him to be able to see with both eyes!  Once he gets his glasses, he will actually be seeing 20/15!  They should be back in time for his 10th birthday.  He thinks he looks dumb in his glasses, that glasses don't look good on his face, but I think he will enjoy seeing so much, he won't mind once he has them.  Besides, I think he looks very sharp in them.  I will post a picture of him once he gets them.