coffee talk. here. tonight.

yep. coffee talk on creative correction by lisa whelchel.

here. tonight. at 8 p.m.

come if you can.

~mk~

winter wonderland.

yep. it's another winter wonderland...

here on the east coast anyway.

some pics of our morning around our farm.

i tried to win the mom of the year award this morning...by going outside to play with the kids...

calli was not

~impressed~

at all.

bummer.

stopped.in.our.tracks.

what better way can you think to wake up to then the phone

ringing at 6:15 a.m. to let you know your children have a

two hour delay because of the snow? ;)

(and then another call at 6:50 a.m. to let you know there is no school,

but i was out of bed by then people)

i know. i know. i should be out of bed. but let me tell you.

winter's are r.o.u.g.h on me.

not so long ago matt was reminensing about how i "used"

to get up with him, make him some coffee,

pack his lunch, and

share a few words, at 5 a.m.,

 before he hustled out the door.

before kids. still working full time. well...and he needed

a lunch packed. those were his "construction" days.

now...there is really no "need" for me to get up and pack his lunch,

because i can "make" it for him when he comes "in" for lunch...

during the winter anyway.

lucky for me. some call me lazy. oh well.

nothing is better than a good snow day to stop us in our tracks.

life totally slows down.

and sometimes almost comes to a stand still.

here on the east coast anyway.

i am blessed, or spoiled, or just plain lucky to not have to "go"

anywhere to find work. it's all right here.

i love the snow...mainly because i don't
"have" to do anything in it. ;)

no plowing driveways, or pulling people out of ditches,

or shoot...even driving. (or...hauling tabacco for our hard working Amish neighbors, who don't drive. my poor husband left this morning at 6 a.m. and still isn't back yet. yikes).
~technically speaking, that means i should be out plowing the driveway, right?~
it's glorious. for me.

i hibernate. in the basement. with the kids.

who am i kidding?

i have been hibernating since i found out i was pregnant four months ago.

i guess that's what 33 years old does to a pregnant lady?

i cannot imagine being pregnant at 40.

i am sooooo *tired*. i don't remember ever being *this*

tired with any of my other 4 pregnancies.

~ i try to give myself a pep talk at the start of each day, ~

but it's highly unusual for me *not* to steal in a 20 minute nap each day.

i kid you not.

and i should be *out* of the tired stage.

oh well.

i suppose i will be tired for the next 18 years of my life,

due to child rearing, and then, i will just be heading into

"old", so the way i figure it, i just might get used to feeling tired.

there's going to be no way around it. ;)

smiles.

here's to a snowy day.

how will you spend yours?

today.

this is what i got in the mail *today*.

and last week, i listened to this...
(thanks janelle)

and *pause* my music to listen to this...




and...so i got this book too.
(did i mention i just had a birthday) ;)

and well...it didn't help that 
this little beautiful baby wasn't even 24 hours old, and that's like
too precious beyond words...tugging at my heart strings...i can't
WAIT to hold our baby... ;)

and you thought i wasn't serious. i am *totally* serious about

my new years list.

you just wait.

i can't wait. ;)

(i'm already a quarter of the way thru this book...)



routine.

it took me awhile to find a "good" routine that works for kaden and i, once he gets home from school at 3:30pm.

trying to figure out what's important to him and keeping him functioning and happy all the while...and keeping everything else running too...and the thing is that it changes. snack? down time? homework? hmmm.

from creative correction: "children respond well to consistency and routine. their little bodies need a certain amount of sleep each night, rest every day, regular meals, in-between snacks, indoor time, outdoor time, play periods, quiet periods, self-focused and others-focused intervals, uptime and downtime."

most recently, we've "adjusted" once again to his "needs." ;) he comes in, hangs up his backpack (which has taken almost all year to become part of his "routine",)  and runs outside again to play rollerblade hockey. this was taken right before it snowed. he is out there for hours, until about 5:30pm, when i make him come in to do homework, and then dinner...

 i am overwhelmed at all you homeschooling moms do.
i don't know how you get your kids to "learn" it all.

i cannot wrap my head around all that 1st graders learn these days.

i was under the impression as long as i read to my kids, taught them their abcs, how to count to 20 and how to write their name they were ready for kindergarten. wow. i didn't have it quite right, did i? or did i?
i am such a people pleaser. i want my kids to be the best they can be.
but does that mean that they won't have to work hard at reading or math?
could i have spent "more" time doing those things to better prepare them for the public school system?
i don't know. i don't have the answers.
all i know is that. kaden works hard at reading. it's hard for him.
and that's hard for me.
to see other littles thriving at reading. and he struggles.
he's come a long way, but not without frustrations.
so...we just keep plugging away.
will i do anything differently in preparing my others for kindergarten?
i don't know.
i think it's important to play outside and learn to get along
with your siblings too.

i, the "mom",  got my first geometry question wrong on kaden's homework

the other week. ~ME.~ (granted that math was never my strong point...besides making it to calculus in high school...i don't know how in the world i did that...smart friends, and lots of Cs i guess... :) ) he changed his answer because i "checked" his work, and  then got it wrong. it's going to be a long 11 years.  :)

 i guess matt should be the  homework guy. ;)

my new year. finally.

so, in reflecting yesterday on my birthday...

and over the start of the new year...

i began to think about things i want to do this year.

bigger, better, new, and different.

here's what i came up with so far...

a bunch of these good ideas came out of thriving family magazine...

i "bolded" my most favorite.

~ put notes of encouragement  in my kids lunch and snack bags

(now i do this now, but they don't read so well, so it doesn't get the job done...but maybe until the end of the year it will be better...i remember my mom drawing her classic smiley face on napkins in my lunches...)

~ have an after Christmas thank you note party...at the kitchen table...

(we did this TODAY...now they are done...and i told kaden this will be the last year that i MAKE him do them...)  :)

~ camp overnight in the basement (more often)

(this is really not a big deal, and the kids love it.)

~ switch places at the dinner table...this will really throw daddy for a loop. :)

~ have a family memory night, where the kids share their favorite memories.

~ start a prayer jar...each family member writes prayers or draws prayer

pictures and leaves them in a jar. at years end, look thru the jar, and talk about God's faithfulness.

~ give something away every month...

~ when my son or daughter or husband shares something with me, stop what i am doing, and look him or her in the eyes, and ask a follow up question.

~ say i love you to my spouse at the start of each day...

~ have a different family member call grandma or grandpa every week...(this usually isn't a problem in this house)...  ;)

~ choose someone from a news story-a starving child in Sudan or a captive

in a foreign country- and pray for him.

~ keep a running list of things my family is thankful for.

~ have a family "read and feed". provide favorite snacks, pillows, blankets

and a book to read together.

~ put all your christmas cards into a pile.  draw one card each week, and pray for  that family.

~ make a point of noticing the positives in your spouse and children.

let them know what you see.

~ pick a night, or day, and have it be "no screen night." turn off all computers

and televsions to do something fun as a family.

~ write a love letter to your spouse. (he will hate this. he hates my letters. :) )

~ pray a blessing over your children each morning.

~ once a month, invite a family over for dinner on the spur of the moment.

the house will be messy, the food will be delivered, and the evening

will be fantastic!

~ celebrate the little stuff. hang banners for goal scorers and shoe-

tying experts. honor tooth losers by serving pudding for dessert.

the rest are my own...

~ start organizing my kids money, into jars, labeled : save, spend, give.

(it is high time this happens...and actually pay them a small amount, for

being extra helpful and doing extra chores.)

~ invest in my friends. take time for them. be real. very real.

~ don't forget to nourish one of the most primary needs in our children:

the security of a mom and dad who love each other...now and then, i feel like i have to choose between being a good wife and mom. just stop it.

~ study the Word. write it down. memorize it. with my kids.

~ continue to make bedtime intentional. even when i am sooo tired.

~ exercise. that's all. just do it and stop complaining already.

~ learn to sew. and knit...all those cute things on etsy for my new babe.

~ don't walk away from a clean loaded laundry basket without folding it.

(i am having huge problems with this lately.)

oh. there are plenty more i could add, but i am trying to be realistic

and not completely overwhelm myself. ;)

happy january.

so a girl turns 33 today.

yep. you got it.

33 years old.

wow.

i reflected a lot on my life today.

how good it has been.

how blessed i am. how easy i have it.

thanks for all the texts, e-mails, phone calls,

sweet gifts and the yummy birthday meal mom and dad.

i was reminded to try not to take a single one of you for granted.

life can be snuffed out so un-expectantly, so quickly.

things can change in an instant.

for now. i am very thankful. grateful.

for all the special people in my life.

for another year i have been blessed with.

and for tomorrow i may tackle the things i want to pepper my

year with to make it better. different.

stay tuned.

and a grand 33rd i had.

thank you.

coffee talk. Sunday. 8pm. here.

yep. you got it.

women. moms. coffee talk. here. Sunday night.
this Sunday night. january 16th, 2011.

in my basement, by the toasty fire. at 8 p.m.

commenting on creative correction, by lisa whelchel.

chapters 2 & 3

come. whether you have the book or not.

come. whether you read the book or not.

come. whether you know me or not.

perspective. it's what it's all about in my book.

i love hearing it. and seeing it.

a new glimpse into being a mom.

some questions that have my heart stirring:

a) Besides spending time with God, how can we as parents represent  Him to   our children in a healthy way?

b) What practical things can you encourage your children to do that will demonstrate respect to their elders? to one another?

c) Practically speaking, how can you teach your kids to love God's commands?

d) What is the point of obedience?

e) What motivates your children to obey? Love or fear-or something else?   ~love this one. i know what it is in my house, how about yours?

just some things that have me stirring inside. can't wait to hear what you all have to say. and if you don't want to come or can't, leave me a line here with your insights. would love that. and if you didn't come last time, don't let that keep you away this time. this is not a book where chapter upon chapter builds on each other, it's a book you can simply open up and pick up where ever you want. love that too. hope to see you here. ~mk.

the.new.year.

i have such high hopes for this year. things i want to do, who i want to be, all kinds of things. and i hope to share them next week.

as of now, i am getting some last minute cleaning done, grocery list done (for sat), laundry, you know the drill. i am then, leaving my family, for ummm. 30 hours or so. fridge is stocked, and so are the cupboards, but rightfully so, they should go out to eat. ;)

(winter 2009)

today already feels so good. better than a lot of the days in the past couple of "funky" months. so...i am excited for a fresh winter start. hopefully i don't catch the funk again. i am done for the winter. done.  stay warm. it's snowing outside here in eastern pa...again...but not enough to do anything fun, like sled, just enough to get the kids outside and messy and snowy, you know...enough to make puddles on the floors from all their wet stuff when they come it. okay. off to the chores. happy friday. mis.

unmotivated.

okay. so. i haven't written in awhile. i have tried. and it didn't sound right or something. so it got trashed. or canceled. or not saved.

i am in a f.u.n.k. right now.

i.do.not.like.it.

i feel tired. i feel lazy and completely unmotivated. did i say i was tired? hmmm. how do you get out of a funk? or maybe you have never been in one...i don't know. but i don't like to be here.

so...going to a ladies retreat tomorrow, until saturday. i am hoping that this will be the first day de-funked. high hopes for that. ;) until then...i came across this, this morning...

...if you want to develop a consistent desire for Scripture, here are five things you can do:

     1. Remember the Bible's benefits. just as satisfying physical cravings releases feel-good chemicals in our brains, satisfying a hunger for Scripture releases spiritual benefits and blessings in our lives, such as increased wisdom, comfort and peace.

     2. Ask God to give you the desire for His Word. each day, ask God to give you a deep-rooted desire to spend time reading and studying the Bible. Then be alert for those inner promptings.

     3. Make daily Bible reading a habit. experts say it takes twenty-one days to develop a habit. decide on a reading or study plan and commit yourself to spending time in God's Word every day, whether you feel like it or not.

     4. Keep a spiritual journal. keep a record of how Scripture has affected your life. take note of how various Scripture passages have touched  your heart, motivated change in your life, or given you insight into life's circumstances.

     5. Customize your Bible study to fit your circumstances. a mother of three preschoolers might not be able to devote the same amount of time and energy to reading God's word as a woman whose children are in school. finding the method of study and reading that works for where you are right now will keep you from giving up in frustration.

                                                           ~Katrina Baker. Today's Christian Woman.

so this means tomorrow i will make a choice to not be in sweatpants. all day. now. [in my defense, i am in this funky stage. my regular pants are too tight, the next size up is too big. that just makes me crazy cranky,] so then, i just chose sweatpants. sorry to matt, the kids, jon, all the people who see me everyday in sweats. yucko.

i will also shower. and do my hair. and my make-up. hmmm.

and i hope to hit the bins on my way there. now how can that NOT de-funk my day? cheers. ~mk.

Creative Correction...TONIGHT.

for those of you young moms who are interested in coming over

TONIGHT

to chat over a book and coffee

about our troubles and joys in parenting

please join me at 8 p.m.

Feel free to come in jammies or comfies or whatever you like.

See you then. ~mk.

Happy New Year!

well it's already been a better new year than how we ended the last.

kaycee is feeling better and none of the rest of us are sick...yet. :)

yay!

high hopes for this first week of 2011...

Happy New Year!!

my friend made these cute tutu's for the girls for christmas.

isn't she sweet? so unnecessary, but what a special treat.

campbell's is "little miss Christmas",

kaycee's is "little miss America", and calli's is "little miss go eagles".

(no worries. she also got kaden a car to make and put together.
he's doing it right now...:) )

thanks kendra.