Stress!!

I am a totally uptight person...well, not really...I have fun too. But first, I need order and routine, lists, organization, planning ahead for things, projects with checks beside them indicating they are finished. If I cannot at least mentally organize my 'to-do' list, I can easily get my feathers in a bunch! I have to be very careful to not be a super crab with my family just because I am a total Type A personality.

So lately, I just have a lot more than usual on my plate and by the end of last week, I felt extremely frazzled. Last Thursday, I had one of those nights where you can't sleep because you're thinking about all the stuff you have left undone or have yet to get started on. So in order to fall asleep, I needed a plan of action. The plan was a simple one: I decided when I woke up, I would list all the things stressing me out, large and small.

The next morning, with my cup of hot coffee and my fancy journal, I listed everything. I filled the whole front page with things on my mind. I don't really have a whole sheet of paper's worth of major things going on in my life right now, but just a whole lot of little things that are really stressful when you add them all together...like:

~a few house issues we need to deal with
~I'm planning VBS at my church in July and there's lots to do to get ready for that
~unfinished craft projects

~I need to order all our homeschool curriculum for next year and I feel really far behind

~books I've been meaning to finish and can't find time for

So after my writing therapy, I took a long look at my list....and the therapy seemed to work. My uptight brain immediately started to group all these items into categories like..."NOT THAT BIG A DEAL, WOMAN" and "THESE ARE EASY FIXES" and "ASK FOR HELP ON THESE." So, that helped a lot. Today, I checked out my list again and even days later, it seems much less intimidating. A few of these items were checked off over the weekend and a few God just worked out on His own. (*thank You*)

I hope you're not stressed out right now, but if you are, maybe try the "make a list, then categorize your stresses" tactic...it seems to be working out for me!

Noah's Summer Reading List

I've been meaning to do this for a while now, but I've just finally gotten around to typing Noah up a summer reading list. He's been reading like crazy, but I've picked some books that he might not normally chose on his own. He's already finished some of these books, but I put them on there anyway so he can have the satisfaction of checking them off. So when we go to the library, he can choose a couple books from his list. I think I may offer some small prizes for finishing the list like a candy bar or something. You can use our list for ideas for your summer reading.
Happy reading!

Poetry for Young People

The Poetry for Young People series is one of my favorite literature sources. I've struggled with teaching peotry in our homeschool, but being a Charlotte Mason fan I was determined to include it in our curriculum. If you want to read my review, head over to the Curriculum Choice for more details.

Happy Birthday, Mama!

(This is me and my mom almost 8 years ago on my wedding day)

Happy Birthday, Mom! I hope you had a great day! I love you so! And you know how all us girls always say we don't want to be like our moms when we grow up? Well, I can't remember if I ever thought that or not, but if I did I take it back because being like my mama isn't so bad! She's taught me so much about how to be a good mama. I think I'm actually more like my mom than not...even little things that I do sometimes I think, "oh my gosh, this is sooo Mom!" :) So in honor of your birthday, here's why I love being like my mama:

~being a stay-at-home mama and being proud of it!

~the Tupperware container full of sunflower seeds in the garage :)

~the children HAVE to have at least one fruit for breakfast and one veggie for lunch

~stay up late, get up early

~the love of green things...I'm learning, Mom :)

~we like to buy stuff...all kinds of stuff! You're way better about buying stuff for other people though.

~if you want somethin' done right, you've gotta do it yourself :)

~start your day out right with a hot cuppa joe and a good Daily Reading

~Love others above yourself~

Love ya, Mom!

Life Lessons

I usually don't read most forwards I get in my inbox, but I did read one today that was really inspiring to me. It was written by a journalist at an Ohio newspaper that had just turned 90. The article was simply 45 things that life had taught him. I won't list all 45, but they were all good. Here's some that I found especially good...

~Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

~When in doubt, take the next small step.

~You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

~Make peace with your past, so it won't screw up your present.

~Don't compare yourself to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

~Growing old beats the alternative-- to die young.

~Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

~Over prepare, then go with the flow.

~No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

~Forgive everyone everything.

~Your children only get one childhood.

~Yield.

~Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.


Life is good....have a great day!

Take-Along Guides

Hey there! Just did a review over at The Curriculum Choice on some of my favorite nature study books. I love these take-along guides because they are so kid friendly and easy to use. Go check it out to read the full review here.

Our Tadpole

We've had a lot of frog things going on at our house lately. Several months ago, I bought a frog habitat at Target. You can find something similar here...I couldn't find it at Target.com. We sent in a little coupon and a few weeks later we got a tiny little tadpole. It was really amazing watching it grow basically before our very eyes! Then one day he had back legs, several days later he had front legs, then a couple days later his tail was basically gone. Yesterday was the first day that he really looked like a frog. It's been very exciting.

I am a little worried, though because it seems like he doesn't know how to get out of the water and he needs to to breath...I don't know..do frogs just know how to do this on their own? He floats around a lot and looks like he's dead, but he's not so we'll see how he does.

This is Hopper...he's checking out his plastic lily pad. The instructions say he can live for six years...I don't know if that's possible!

This is Jarrod's finger to show how darn little he is! Anyway, pray for Hopper that he learns how to breath :) This is our family's version of a pet...one in a cage that doesn't poop everywhere!!

Lesson in Letting Go....

Last week, the boys said good-bye to a friend they had found at Grandma's house. I thought it was mean to leave the little froggy to die in a plastic box. They watched it for a day or so, then it was time to say good-bye. (cue the Andrea Bocelli music)

We hopped on our bikes and rode over to a little swampy area I'd seen on a run earlier that morning.

Here we are on our way...yes, I took a picture while riding a bike :)
Jack claimed it was actually his frog since he found it.

Hopper, Toady, Froggy, Jumper (he had many names) was ready to get out!

Sweet freedom! That's him in the middle of all that muck.

We wish you well :)

A Kid's Place

Last weekend, my very handy husband (and dad) put together this sweet little playhouse for the kiddos. We got a kit and it went together quite nicely. They've had such a blast playing in it :)