The Duggars: 20 and Counting! by Michelle & Jim Bob Duggar
My mom loaned me this book because she said it had some homeschooling advice in it. I have to say that after reading this book I love the Duggars! I used to always say that I didn't like Kate Gosselin (of Jon & Kate Plus 8) but I could relate to her more than to Michelle Duggar. That is no longer true. The long skirts (the the 18 kids) threw me off, but I actually have way more in common, as far as beliefs, values, and principles go, with the Duggar's than I ever will with the Gosselin's. So I've switched allegiances, so to speak.
What I found to be most encouraging was the information they gave on how they raise their children, young & old, and their frugality. They actually live what I believe when it comes to having no debt. I mean, I firmly believe in living debt free, yet I'm willing to have a mortgage. They truly owe no one anything. That is admirable.
I think I'm going to read some books on staying at home/homeschooling next. One of Keith's friends from work has 8 kids and his wife homeschools them all. I gave her a call to talk to her about it and she loaned me a few books. I figure I better read them and get them back to her as quickly as possible.
One piece of really exciting news...Keith & I are going on a weekend getaway to Mackinac (sp?) Island this summer! My parents are going to watch the boys. We're staying at a bed and breakfast. It looks so quaint. I cannot wait!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Book #6
I finished 1984 by George Orwell while on vacation. Definitely a great classic! I have to admit though, it took a couple of days to fully absorb the ending, for it to really sink in. Also, I was expecting more parallels (sp?) to today's political climate and didn't find very many. Then again, they could've gone right over my head.
Next up is the Duggar's book Twenty & Counting.
Also, while I'm at it, vacation was great except for the boys being so sick all week. They both had terribly runny noses and coughs all week long, fevers off & on, and Isaac had some GI issues I won't go into detail about. The climax of all the illnesses was actually yesterday when we were in North Carolina, driving home, about two hours away from where we were going to stop for the night, when Isaac vomitted all over himself and his carseat. So that was a drama, getting that all cleaned up. Then he continued to be sick for the rest of the evening, and when he did it again at 1:45 am, we just decided to pack up and leave for Pittsburgh then. He's still having GI troubles today.
Back to vacation though...the resort we stayed at was beautiful. We were there with Keith's dad, stepmom, brothers and sister, and his sister's two kids, Austin and Dominik, who Isaac absolutely adored. We got to do lots of swimming. Isaac is fearlessly suicidal in the water! We did have one really chilly day, when we decided to go to the Magic Kingdom. It was so cold though that I fear we made the boys' coughs and colds worse that day. The next two days we went to Universal and Islands of Adventure-LOVED both parks! Only downside was I couldn't ride very much because I'm pregnant. Also, Isaac wasn't tall enough for a lot of the rides, and I couldn't hold Josiah on my lap on many rides either. It was still great though. The parks are beautiful and cute, and I can't wait to go back when I'm not pregnant to ride The Hulk and The Mummy, among many other things! Islands of Adventure does have a section called Seuss Landing, which was so adorable, and Isaac could ride everything! Josiah even rode the Caro-Seuss-el! A big thank you to Keith's dad and Roxanne for inviting us along!
Next up is the Duggar's book Twenty & Counting.
Also, while I'm at it, vacation was great except for the boys being so sick all week. They both had terribly runny noses and coughs all week long, fevers off & on, and Isaac had some GI issues I won't go into detail about. The climax of all the illnesses was actually yesterday when we were in North Carolina, driving home, about two hours away from where we were going to stop for the night, when Isaac vomitted all over himself and his carseat. So that was a drama, getting that all cleaned up. Then he continued to be sick for the rest of the evening, and when he did it again at 1:45 am, we just decided to pack up and leave for Pittsburgh then. He's still having GI troubles today.
Back to vacation though...the resort we stayed at was beautiful. We were there with Keith's dad, stepmom, brothers and sister, and his sister's two kids, Austin and Dominik, who Isaac absolutely adored. We got to do lots of swimming. Isaac is fearlessly suicidal in the water! We did have one really chilly day, when we decided to go to the Magic Kingdom. It was so cold though that I fear we made the boys' coughs and colds worse that day. The next two days we went to Universal and Islands of Adventure-LOVED both parks! Only downside was I couldn't ride very much because I'm pregnant. Also, Isaac wasn't tall enough for a lot of the rides, and I couldn't hold Josiah on my lap on many rides either. It was still great though. The parks are beautiful and cute, and I can't wait to go back when I'm not pregnant to ride The Hulk and The Mummy, among many other things! Islands of Adventure does have a section called Seuss Landing, which was so adorable, and Isaac could ride everything! Josiah even rode the Caro-Seuss-el! A big thank you to Keith's dad and Roxanne for inviting us along!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Oh my goodness, how could I forget?
Keith won an award at work, for all of his hard work! It's equal to about half of his net pay! I am so thankful for God's favor, which so clearly rests upon that man! My husband! God is so faithful. He provides every time! Every time I start wringing my hands about money, and start wondering if I should pick up some kind of part-time work, God comes through, reinforcing His desire for me to raise my children. He is marvelous!
Quick Question
Does anyone know how to properly store potatoes? Everytime I buy a bag, whether russet, Idaho, or redskin, they grow a million of those disgusting looking "things" sticking out everywhere. Are those things called ears, or spuds? At any rate, what am I doing wrong? Why do they go bad before I can use them? I'm talking about 3# or 5# bags, not 10#. I used to store them in the fridge, then I tried the kitchen counter, then I tried the pantry. I get the same result every time. Am I supposed to use them all up in a week? What am I doing wrong here?
Anyway, still reading 1984. It's slow-going because I've also been reading about Universal Orlando, Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM), and Magic Kingdom. Yes, yes, I know I've been to Disney at least 15 times, but I haven't been there as a toddler or preschooler in about 25 years. I've actually forgotten about most of the rides that are geared toward small children (like Isaac). This is the first trip I'll have to forgo my favorite adult attractions and head for the kiddie stuff! I'm looking forward to it! I've also begun a new Bible study with my mom's group called The Power of a Woman's Words. Call me what you want, but I truly love Bible studies!
Isaac is getting more molars too. I wasn't expecting that. He's also napped two days in a row now.
Josiah loves to self-feed, as he loves to put everything in his mouth. He's also echoing Isaac a lot, I noticed. It's really cute.
More next week, as we get ready for our vacation!
Anyway, still reading 1984. It's slow-going because I've also been reading about Universal Orlando, Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly MGM), and Magic Kingdom. Yes, yes, I know I've been to Disney at least 15 times, but I haven't been there as a toddler or preschooler in about 25 years. I've actually forgotten about most of the rides that are geared toward small children (like Isaac). This is the first trip I'll have to forgo my favorite adult attractions and head for the kiddie stuff! I'm looking forward to it! I've also begun a new Bible study with my mom's group called The Power of a Woman's Words. Call me what you want, but I truly love Bible studies!
Isaac is getting more molars too. I wasn't expecting that. He's also napped two days in a row now.
Josiah loves to self-feed, as he loves to put everything in his mouth. He's also echoing Isaac a lot, I noticed. It's really cute.
More next week, as we get ready for our vacation!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
A Fresh Word
I've recently blogged about feeling restless. It went a little deeper than that. I'm ashamed to admit now that this restlessness had stretched into the realm of motherhood to the point where I didn't even want to work on letters, numbers, or colors with Isaac. I just trudged along through the basics of taking care of the boys day in and day out: changing diapers, preparing bottles and meals, reading books (though I didn't even want to do that anymore), singing the same songs, naptime, baths, bedtime, etc. I really felt like I was in a rut, that I wasn't cut out for being a stay-at-home mom. I began to reconsider my thoughts on homeschooling thinking, "I'll never survive if I don't send these kids off to school!" I started to feel guilty that I was just doing enough to "get by" as a mom to these boys. I began feeling anxious, and a little depressed, that I would be adding one more to the brood this fall.
So what changed?
I went to church alone today because the boys had a rough night sleeping last night, but it was my turn to work in the nursery. Believe me, as soon as I realized it was my Sunday in the nursery, I got a really bad attitude about the whole thing. I mean, a really bad attitude. But I went. I took a seat in the very back row because, going along with my bad attitude, I had worn simple jeans and a sweatshirt. I figured I wasn't about to get dressed up to work in the nursery. Of course, as soon as I walked in worship had already begun, and it's impossible not to get caught up in that wonderful atmosphere of worship at Covenant. Already my heart began to soften.
Next was prayer and annoucements. We prayed for one of the pastor's grandson in Germany in need of supernatural healing, as Bishop put it. I almost began sobbing immediately. I just can't even hear about another kid who is in the hospital or seriously ill or anything like that ever since having children of my own without getting emotional. My defenses continued to come down.
It was also announced that there would be a workday this Saturday in preparation for a soup kitchen, food pantry, and clothing ministry to be started at the church. When I resigned from my position at West Penn to devote my life to my family, I thought it'd be a good idea to use my skills as a dietitian in some volunteer efforts, should any arise. I thought of food pantries in the area as a place to possibly start. This announcement that my church may soon run a food pantry really piqued (sp?) my interest. Now I was actually getting excited.
Then I made my way to the nursery. There were actually more adults than children in there for some reason today. I spent most of my time talking to a woman named Robin who has a son just a few months younger than Isaac. Just the womanly commradarie (sp?) that was shared in the nursery today helped to transform my attitude in a big way. But I still wasn't there yet.
Cynthia, the lady who runs the nursery, offered to let me go home, as she obviously had plenty of help, and the service was almost over. I gladly accepted! Keith told me before I left that he intended to take the boys to my parents this afternoon so I could take a nap (remember, the boys did not sleep well last night and, therefore, neither did I). Feeling somewhat rejuventated, however, I decided to call him to make sure he didn't want me to come to my parents anyway. He left it up to me, so I decided to stick to my original plan, kind of. I was still going to lay down, but after I spent some time in prayer.
As I mentioned before, I'm keeping a small prayer journal for my kids and my niece and nephew, and I started rereading The Power of a Praying Parent as a sort of a prayer guide. At the end of each chapter in that book, the author gives five scriptures one might use in praying for their child(ren). Two verses completely melted away my bad attitude and even gave me a newfound energy and purpose as a stay-at-home mom. That is the power of God's word! They are...
So what changed?
I went to church alone today because the boys had a rough night sleeping last night, but it was my turn to work in the nursery. Believe me, as soon as I realized it was my Sunday in the nursery, I got a really bad attitude about the whole thing. I mean, a really bad attitude. But I went. I took a seat in the very back row because, going along with my bad attitude, I had worn simple jeans and a sweatshirt. I figured I wasn't about to get dressed up to work in the nursery. Of course, as soon as I walked in worship had already begun, and it's impossible not to get caught up in that wonderful atmosphere of worship at Covenant. Already my heart began to soften.
Next was prayer and annoucements. We prayed for one of the pastor's grandson in Germany in need of supernatural healing, as Bishop put it. I almost began sobbing immediately. I just can't even hear about another kid who is in the hospital or seriously ill or anything like that ever since having children of my own without getting emotional. My defenses continued to come down.
It was also announced that there would be a workday this Saturday in preparation for a soup kitchen, food pantry, and clothing ministry to be started at the church. When I resigned from my position at West Penn to devote my life to my family, I thought it'd be a good idea to use my skills as a dietitian in some volunteer efforts, should any arise. I thought of food pantries in the area as a place to possibly start. This announcement that my church may soon run a food pantry really piqued (sp?) my interest. Now I was actually getting excited.
Then I made my way to the nursery. There were actually more adults than children in there for some reason today. I spent most of my time talking to a woman named Robin who has a son just a few months younger than Isaac. Just the womanly commradarie (sp?) that was shared in the nursery today helped to transform my attitude in a big way. But I still wasn't there yet.
Cynthia, the lady who runs the nursery, offered to let me go home, as she obviously had plenty of help, and the service was almost over. I gladly accepted! Keith told me before I left that he intended to take the boys to my parents this afternoon so I could take a nap (remember, the boys did not sleep well last night and, therefore, neither did I). Feeling somewhat rejuventated, however, I decided to call him to make sure he didn't want me to come to my parents anyway. He left it up to me, so I decided to stick to my original plan, kind of. I was still going to lay down, but after I spent some time in prayer.
As I mentioned before, I'm keeping a small prayer journal for my kids and my niece and nephew, and I started rereading The Power of a Praying Parent as a sort of a prayer guide. At the end of each chapter in that book, the author gives five scriptures one might use in praying for their child(ren). Two verses completely melted away my bad attitude and even gave me a newfound energy and purpose as a stay-at-home mom. That is the power of God's word! They are...
Behold, children are a gift of the Lord,
The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Psalm 127:3
Children are not a misery, a curse, or a burden, as I've been feeling they are lately. They are a gift and a reward!
They will not labor in vain,
Or bear children for calamity;
For they are the offspring of those blessed by the Lord,
And their descendants with them.
Isaiah 65:23
I do not labor in vain! I am not bearing these children for trouble or misfortune! We are blessed!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
My week so far
My face is terribly broken out, & I just downed about a 1/3 of a container of rainbow sherbet. Hope it doesn't make me sick. Oh, yeah, I haven't been sick for about a week now. This morning was tougher, but I think it's because I woke up so early.
Monday is laundry day here at my house. It proved to be a very productive day too, as I was able to get all of the laundry done in one day. I didn't have it all folded & put away until last night, but that's beside the point. Isaac loves to "help" with the laundry, which just means he has to come downstairs with me every time I put another load in. He also likes to play with the caps that I use to measure the detergent & fabric softener. I throw them in the wash with every load, so they're perfectly clean when they come out. It's not like I'm letting him play with sticky gooey caps.
Both boys took wonderful naps on Monday, which is a blessing because Isaac has begun to give up his naps I believe. If we're at my mom's I don't even bother trying to lay him down anymore. My new rule is if he isn't alseep in like 45 min., I just get him out of his crib.
I made chicken & biscuits with french style green beans for dinner on Monday. Delicious! Isaac practically cleaned his plate. Oh, I almost forgot, for lunch on Monday I made grilled cheese & tomato soup and Isaac licked his bowl of tomato soup clean! It's no surprise that he ate his sandwich, but I was a bit surprised that he ate every last drop of soup! That's a first.
Monday was bath night and Keith is really great at helping me with baths. Basically he takes one boy and I take the other-yet another comfortable little system that will completely break down when no. 3 comes along! I can't remember what I did after bedtime. I haven't done a whole lot of reading lately. I have been reading a bit about Universal Studios Orlando because we're going there in less than 3 weeks!!! I also began rereading The Power of a Praying Parent, and keeping a prayer journal, not only for my children but standing in the gap for my niece and nephew as well.
Tuesday (yesterday) I went to my moms group-which I love! I stopped at McDonald's on the way home (something I rarely do) to pick up lunch for me & my parents, as I was going straight to their house. I know it sounds weird, & disgusting, but McDonald's little hamburgers were one of a few things I could get down when I was really sick. Feeling a bit more adventurous yesterday, however, I opted for a quarter-pounder without cheese over the little regular hamburger. No fries. Just an unsweetened tea (another pregnancy thing). I got Isaac a hamburger happy meal but, don't you know, that kid just doesn't like McDonald's-Praise God! He had a few fries, and all of his Hi-C orange drink, that's it! He also does not like macaroni & cheese or chicken nuggets. Am I blessed or what?
After lunch my parents pretty much had the boys occupied, so I started going through some old books from when I was growing up. I had always remembered this story my dad read me when I was little about a swan that spun bolts of fabric. Well my parents finally found that book in a box in the attic Monday night! It wasn't a swan, it was a crane, and the name of the book is The Crane Maiden, by some Japanese author. I am happy to report that the book is once again in my possession, along with several others from my childhood! I am still looking for a book called The Olden Days though. I hope we never sold it at a yard sale or anything. My mom saves everything (literally), so I'd be surprised if it wasn't in another old box somewhere.
Anyway, Isaac was playing with my mom in the basement so I laid Josiah down for his nap & then left to go grocery shopping. As I was taking all of the groceries upstairs Keith came home. I had just planned on having leftovers for dinner, so he started heating everything up while I went back to my mom's to get the boys. We had dinner, took a walk outside (the weather has been fabulous), talked to some neighbors, then it was bathtime again. I called last night a bonus bath as I usually only bathe them every other night. But Josiah got his 9 month pictures taken at Penney's this am, so they had to have baths last night.
This morning I woke up at 6 to get showered before the boys woke up, which is why I felt a little crappy I think. My mom watched Isaac again while Josiah got his 9 month pictures taken. The pictures turned out beautifully. I spent more money than I wanted to of course. We got back to my mom's, had lunch, then came home, and it was nap time. Thankfully, again, both boys are napping!
Monday is laundry day here at my house. It proved to be a very productive day too, as I was able to get all of the laundry done in one day. I didn't have it all folded & put away until last night, but that's beside the point. Isaac loves to "help" with the laundry, which just means he has to come downstairs with me every time I put another load in. He also likes to play with the caps that I use to measure the detergent & fabric softener. I throw them in the wash with every load, so they're perfectly clean when they come out. It's not like I'm letting him play with sticky gooey caps.
Both boys took wonderful naps on Monday, which is a blessing because Isaac has begun to give up his naps I believe. If we're at my mom's I don't even bother trying to lay him down anymore. My new rule is if he isn't alseep in like 45 min., I just get him out of his crib.
I made chicken & biscuits with french style green beans for dinner on Monday. Delicious! Isaac practically cleaned his plate. Oh, I almost forgot, for lunch on Monday I made grilled cheese & tomato soup and Isaac licked his bowl of tomato soup clean! It's no surprise that he ate his sandwich, but I was a bit surprised that he ate every last drop of soup! That's a first.
Monday was bath night and Keith is really great at helping me with baths. Basically he takes one boy and I take the other-yet another comfortable little system that will completely break down when no. 3 comes along! I can't remember what I did after bedtime. I haven't done a whole lot of reading lately. I have been reading a bit about Universal Studios Orlando because we're going there in less than 3 weeks!!! I also began rereading The Power of a Praying Parent, and keeping a prayer journal, not only for my children but standing in the gap for my niece and nephew as well.
Tuesday (yesterday) I went to my moms group-which I love! I stopped at McDonald's on the way home (something I rarely do) to pick up lunch for me & my parents, as I was going straight to their house. I know it sounds weird, & disgusting, but McDonald's little hamburgers were one of a few things I could get down when I was really sick. Feeling a bit more adventurous yesterday, however, I opted for a quarter-pounder without cheese over the little regular hamburger. No fries. Just an unsweetened tea (another pregnancy thing). I got Isaac a hamburger happy meal but, don't you know, that kid just doesn't like McDonald's-Praise God! He had a few fries, and all of his Hi-C orange drink, that's it! He also does not like macaroni & cheese or chicken nuggets. Am I blessed or what?
After lunch my parents pretty much had the boys occupied, so I started going through some old books from when I was growing up. I had always remembered this story my dad read me when I was little about a swan that spun bolts of fabric. Well my parents finally found that book in a box in the attic Monday night! It wasn't a swan, it was a crane, and the name of the book is The Crane Maiden, by some Japanese author. I am happy to report that the book is once again in my possession, along with several others from my childhood! I am still looking for a book called The Olden Days though. I hope we never sold it at a yard sale or anything. My mom saves everything (literally), so I'd be surprised if it wasn't in another old box somewhere.
Anyway, Isaac was playing with my mom in the basement so I laid Josiah down for his nap & then left to go grocery shopping. As I was taking all of the groceries upstairs Keith came home. I had just planned on having leftovers for dinner, so he started heating everything up while I went back to my mom's to get the boys. We had dinner, took a walk outside (the weather has been fabulous), talked to some neighbors, then it was bathtime again. I called last night a bonus bath as I usually only bathe them every other night. But Josiah got his 9 month pictures taken at Penney's this am, so they had to have baths last night.
This morning I woke up at 6 to get showered before the boys woke up, which is why I felt a little crappy I think. My mom watched Isaac again while Josiah got his 9 month pictures taken. The pictures turned out beautifully. I spent more money than I wanted to of course. We got back to my mom's, had lunch, then came home, and it was nap time. Thankfully, again, both boys are napping!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Book #5
I finished Atonement last night. For the very first time in my life, I'm going to say that the movie was about as good as the book. Don't get me wrong, the book was very good. But the movie pretty much covered it all! The movie did not deviate from the book much at all. For the first time the book was kind of ruined because I'd already seen the movie. The novel was every bit as sad as the movie was too. In fact, when Keith & I walked out of the theater I didn't even know if I could call it a good movie because it was so heart-wrenching & tragic. I don't know if I'll read any more books from this author, Ian McEwan, unless they're highly recommended.
Next I'm going to read 1984 by George Orwell. This is one of Keith's favorites that he's been dying for me to read ever since we got married. I don't know why but I finally have an interest in it-probably because of today's political climate. I may read the Duggar's book at the same time too. I haven't decided yet.
Next I'm going to read 1984 by George Orwell. This is one of Keith's favorites that he's been dying for me to read ever since we got married. I don't know why but I finally have an interest in it-probably because of today's political climate. I may read the Duggar's book at the same time too. I haven't decided yet.
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