Sniff, Sniff

I’m so touched! I’m new in the blog world, and already people love me! Thank you, thank you to whoever nominated me in 3 – count ‘em – 3 categories of Sally’s contest.
Just think: me, an Encouraging Frugal Homemaker. And I’m a finalist in the Frugal Category! I guess I’d better hurry up and write something frugal.
This would be a great time to add the new Frugal Homemaker link I discovered yesterday.
But honestly, as the Headmistress (whom I would really love to Meet for a Mocha) said, “…if you were nominated you are already a winner, but really, it’s true, at least for me.”
Me too, Headmistress. The contest sounded like fun, but I never expected to be in it.
Well, now that nominations are closed and finalists are posted, don’t forget to vote – and please do take Sally’s advice to check out the blogs that are new to you before you vote. I’ve already discovered a new treasure this morning, and I suspect there are many more on the list. After all, each nomination is somebody’s favorite, and the finalists received multiple nominations.

Warm Fuzzy Encouragement

I receive a surprising number of comments that say my blog is an encouragement to others.
This surprises and delights me, but it also encourages me.
I sometimes find myself feeling discouraged and overwhelmed: yes, I have more children than average, but is it really so hard to train them well, to keep a clean house, to cook nice meals, to spend time together reading and schooling and sewing and playing outside…if I try hard enough, surely it is possible to consistently do everything that I feel I should do. After all, it’s easy enough to knock a couple of items off the top of the Priority List when we’re feeling motivated. Why can’t I do it every day?
But to know that others are encouraged by what I write tells me that others are sometimes discouraged. They know what it’s like. They fall short. They struggle to do well and to do better.
The fact that others are encouraged tells me that not every mother with less children than I has it all together. Not every mother with more children than I has it all together. As a group, mothers don’t have it all together. We are human. We don’t accomplish every single thing we can and should, every single day. We strive to do better, and it’s good to know that our sisters are striving for the same goal.
It is also encouraging that not one reader has accused me of complaining. My job is demanding, but ahhh – what rewards! I struggle to do well and occasionally grumble at my own failings; but I would never complain about my blessings! The very fact that I am so blessed fills me with gratitude and a hunger to do better.
sigh…I guess I just want to say thank to you to all the people I’ve met through my blog – I feel I have a whole new circle of friends here in front of my little glowing laptop screen, and it’s a warm fuzzy feeling. Or maybe it’s just the chocolate I ate.

Our Little Bedwetter

She’s old enough to care now, with no end in sight. Every now and then the nighttime wetting seems to wane, but just when we think it’s over, it becomes a regular occurance.
This is not a great concern to us. We are not really inclined to sink a lot of money and time into the high-tech systems we’ve heard about. Bedwetting runs in the family, so we rather expected it eventually, and Her Age is not a grand old age to be still experiencing this problem.
However, A Girl of Her Age is at a perfect time to learn to be self-sufficient in taking care of the problem. Our little wetter can strip her bed when she gets up, and start her sheet, blanket and clothes in the washer all by herself. This is a huge morale booster to a child who was becoming frustrated and embarrassed by the issue.
Another big help was when we finally settled on a sleeping “system.” Previously, she had been sharing a twin bed with 2 other small sisters. For obvious reasons, they were not entirely kind about waking up wet, and the mattress had to go. We had to figure out what to do about this before we replaced the mattress.
We tried pullups: too expensive as a long term solution.
I bought extra large washable training pants: very uncomfortable and they just didn’t do the job.
I bought an absorbant crib-size mattress pad to go under her while she slept: again, it just didn’t do the job.
We put trashbags under her: they were slippery and noisy and sticky and just wouldn’t stay in place.
She even slept on the floor: but carpet is just as hard to properly clean as a mattress.
Finally, we hit upon our solution. In the past, to help with space issues, we have often slid a twin-sized mattress under the ever-present bunkbeds as a makeshift “trundle bed.” Slide it out at night, put it away during the day.
This time, for several reasons, we went with a crib mattress.
If she wakes up wet, she can change her clothes, pull off the sheet, and grab a new blanket. In the morning, she takes care of her laundry, and nobody even really notices.
Some advantages of a crib mattress rather than twin size:

• She can pull it out and push it in herself
• Easier for a Girl of Her Age to strip the bed and make the bed alone
• Less laundry (smaller sheets and blankets)
• Most have a waterproof covering so they wipe clean
• Cheaper
• If it survives, it will take less storage space until the next bedwetter comes along…

Our daughter can’t wait until she will wake up dry every night – she hates that cold clammy feeling in the middle of the night. She’s delighted on those rare occasions that she wakes up to use the bathroom, and she eagerly takes daytime naps because she seems to sleep a little lighter at night when she’s well rested.

But in the meantime, she is so thankful to have a low-key way of dealing with her little problem. So am I.

Dinner Monday: Taco Chicken

Hubby taught me this easy family recipe while we were engaged. It’s a favorite now, and several of the girls request this with corn for their birthday dinner. Mexican rice and/or beans make a nice side dish too.
If you have a small family, you may want to cut down the recipe.

Taco Chicken

8 lbs. of chicken legs/thighs or other parts
4 Tbs dry taco seasoning (2 packets)
3/4 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup water

Rinse and trim chicken parts as necessary.
Combine taco seasoning and bread crumbs in a bag or bowl.
Shake chicken to coat, and place on 2 large pans (jelly roll pans work well).
Pour 1/2 cup water into each pan, sprinkle with leftover crumb mix, and cover with foil.
Bake 45 minutes at 350, til juices run clear. If you’re using two pans, remember to switch places halfway through, unless you’re blessed to have a convection oven.
Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes to crisp.

Public Schools aren’t all bad…

Wise words from Tulip Girl’s dad, courtesy of her hubby:

“People say public schools are bad, but that isn’t true. They’re very good at what they were designed for — to create people who could work in factories. They teach you to arrive at a bell, go to lunch at a bell and leave at a bell. You learn to sit at a desk and do the same work everyone else is. These things don’t really have anything to do with education.
People don’t realize that these things aren’t inborn. In the old days, people regulated their lives by the schedules of agriculture. It took public schools to teach people to show up to the factory on time.”

Could this be part of the socialization that homeschooled children are missing?

Top Sellers at Vision Forum

If you need a little help filling your virtual shopping cart to take advantage of Free Shipping today and tomorrow, here’s what other people are buying:

1. League of Grateful Sons (DVD)
2. Jonathan Park Vol 3 (CD) w/book: The Winds of Change
3. Jonathan Park (CD) Library
4. So Much More
5. Coming In on a Wing & a Prayer
6. Liberty Doll with Nightgown
7. How to Be a Lady
8. Best of Film 2005 (DVD) Festival
9. Military Surplus Helmet K-0
10. Jonathan Park Vol 2 (CD) w/book No Looking Back
11. Thoughts for Young Men

A few favorites in our house:

• 3 Man Slingshot – Great fun with water balloons! hmmm…I wonder if this would work for snowballs, for all you northerners?
• Supermags – super strong magnets for building amazing and facinating geometric structures. Not cheap, but worth it! Don’t waste your money on the Dollar Store variety that look the same; these are many times stronger. More fun than you can imagine!
• What’s a Girl to Do? How to Wisely Invest Your Daughter’s Time – not directed at young girls, but several of our daughters have told me recently that they overhead the first part of this, and are dying to hear the end.
• The Beautiful Girlhood Library - The stories of Nan Harper, Sacagawea, Dolly Madison, and Priscilla Mullins. Also available separately. Looks like a picture book, but with lots of meaty text. Our 9yo is quite taken with the series!
• Alone Yet Not Alone – this true story of sisters kidnapped by Indians and reunited 9 years later (retold by a descendent) was riveting for all of our girls.
• Boy’s Throwing Knife – we have a good bit of Indian blood, and couple of years ago my uncle taught us to throw knives and tomahawks. The girls really enjoyed trying out this throwing knife (it’s on Lydia’s wishlist), and it’s well balanced for accurate throwing.
• Forever Flashlight – every kid needs a flashlight, and this one never needs batteries. Need I say more?
• All American Boy’s Crossbow – The Big Boys in the warehouse had a blast testing this item when it first came in, and hubby bought me one to try out too. It’s officially my toy. Who says crossbows are just for boys?
• The True Story of Noah’s Ark – Retells the Biblical account of the Great Flood, with particular attention to separating Biblical facts from human additions. Beautifully illustrated, with an entire section in the back devoted to the logistics of the ark. Did you know the ark had the capacity of over 500 railroad cars, or 45,000 sheep-sized animals? That’s room for each type of land animal, with plenty of space left over for food storage and exercise areas!

I’m off to prowl for leftovers…the best part of the post-Thanksgiving holiday. Pie for breakfast!

Thanksgiving menu, Texas style

Thanksgiving was 82 degrees, and what started as a joke turned into I’m-only-joking-if-you-say-no.
Instead of heating up the house by cooking a turkey all day (see here for an explanation), we joined my sister, her husband, my brother, and hubby’s brother to grill steaks!
The menu:

• Veggie tray with baby carrots, broccoli, sweet peppers, and sweet peas
• Crackers – the good ones – with White Cheddar and Bacon spread
• Baby dills, olives and marinated mushrooms
• Steaks, thick and juicy, grilled outside to perfection, courtesy of my own dear hubby
• Portobello mushrooms, grilled with lots of garlic and butter
• Twice baked potatoes
• Green bean casserole
• Cranberry relish
• Fruit salad
• Green salad (which nobody touched)
• Homemade rolls

Dessert:

• Apple pie
• Pumpkin pie
• Pecan pie
• Peanut butter pie
• Blackberry pie

Thank you Lord for food, fellowship, and family!

Thankful Thoughts

How could any of us ever list all of our blessing? But here are just few of the things I’m especially thankful for today:

1. A husband who leads and encourages me, says nice things just because he loves me, loves his children with his whole heart, embraces his role as a husband and father, and brings me dark chocolate.
2. The 7 living children God has given us, and the new child growing within me.
3. Our little stillborn Sarah, who reached the end of the race before us (June ‘03) and reminded us of the sanctity of life and what a tremendous blessing each and every child is, when I was in danger of assuming that we could just “pop out a kid every 19 months.”
4. The modern luxuries that make our lives so easy: indoor running water, hot water, kitchen sinks, dryers, refrigerators, ovens, doors, lighting, and more. We did without all of these for varying periods of time while living in/building our new home. Life went on without them (with surprisingly little hardship), but they were such sweet blessings when we regained them one by one!
5. Family nearby, and family far away.
6. A church body that loves fellowship.
7. The joy I hear in our house, when the family spontaneously bursts into songs of praise.
8. Red meat, portobello mushrooms, and other such blessings.
9. Fall in Texas – my new favorite season!
10. The Source of All Joy, Who gives us the ability to take joy in our blessings.

pssst…Who loves Vision Forum?

Be sure to check your email this weekend: For the first time ever, Vision Forum will be offering Free Shipping on orders placed Friday and Saturday!
Don’t forget to check out the specials while you’re getting your free shipping:

• Free calendar with all orders over $100
• $10 gift certificate toward your next order when you spend $150
• Free nightgown with purchase of Liberty or Evangeline doll
• Vision Forum clearance outlet

Spread the word, and if you haven’t already joined the email list to receive notice of Vision Forum specials, do it here.

It’s All Bible Time

Recently, a reader asked about Bible time for little ones, and I gave her a couple of recommendations, hoping that others might chime in – and a few did. But I want to follow up by telling a little more about how we “do Bible time” in our home.

Rather than putting a heavy emphasis on private time with God, we have endeavored to create a culture of worship within our home.

This does not mean that we don’t encourage and require private Bible reading; this too is usually part of the girls’ school day. But it means that the Bible has a far larger place within the family culture. We don’t limit its use to one area of our lives.

All Scripture is God-breathed, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof,
for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be
perfected, thoroughly furnished to every good work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17

We pray together before each meal and at other times of the day.

We start school each day by reading a chapter of Proverbs together. This is part of the children’s read-aloud practice. Together, we choose a proverb of the day to write on the white board, discussing the implications and applications, and why that particular verse is appropriate to our family today.

Catechism is a regular part of our school.

For writing/penmanship, the girls often copy a Scripture passage.

History and science are done many different ways, but always tie into God’s acts of providence.

The children hear Scripture every time they are corrected, chastened, or rebuked. They are encouraged to use Scripture when admonishing a sibling to obedience. The very young ones sometimes use Scripture to chasten their dolls.

We sing Scripture songs throughout the day, and listen to songs of Scripture on CD. Some current favorites:

• Go To the Ant by Judy Rogers
• O Sing A New Psalm by the Serven family
• Sing Unto the Lord: the Psalms of David for Daily Living

The girls are awakened nearly every morning by their father joyfully belting out, at the top of his lungs, “Arise my Soul, arise! Shake off thy guilty fears!…” He is especially joyful if he can purposely make his voice crack at the word, “guilty.” This is a family tradition which the more mischievous children are already imitating, much to the chagrin of their sleepier sisters. Someday the sleepers will also see the joy in this.

Family discussions around the table deal with issues from a Scriptural viewpoint. Movies are evaluated in light of Scripture. Books and music receive the same treatment. Goals, holiday celebrations, clothing standards, and bedroom maintennance are all filtered through the pages of God’s word.

We have family worship at night.

We have begun closing our traditional Friday Night Pizza Fellowship with hymns, Psalms, and a brief Scripture reading.

We look forward to Sunday worship and fellowship as a fixed part of the Sabbath.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it describes our attempt to write God’s law upon the doorposts of our house, to discuss it when we rise up and when we lie down, when we come in and when we go out…

And these words which I command you this day shall be in your heart. And you
shall carefully teach them to your sons, and shall talk of them when you sit in
your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you
rise up. And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hand, and they shall be as
frontlets between your eyes. And you shall write them upon the posts of your
house, and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9

We don’t do this perfectly, but we do it self consciously. We want our children’s minds to be so thoroughly permeated with God’s word, so accustomed to thinking within that framework and filtering every thought through it, that they cannot and will not operate outside of it.

Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Proverbs 22:6

We are God’s people. We acknowledge that we (that everything) belong to Him, and our lives are to be dedicated to Him. The implications of this knowledge are not limited to certain spheres of our lives; it affects everything we think, do and say.

Therefore whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to
the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

We believe that if a Christian writes a book, it is a Christian book. He doesn’t just dedicate a paragraph somewhere or other to a summary of the gospel. His worldview will – must – inescapably permeate his book.

By the same token, if a Christian makes a movie, it is a Christian movie. Ditto for paintings, buildings, poetry, and animal husbandry. If a Christian fries an egg, he self-consciously fries it to the glory of God. It is a Christian egg.

We are raising children. If we call ourselves Christians, we must raise our children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. In order to achieve this we must soak, simmer, permeate, and pickle them in God’s Word.