Another Year Down

We have officially survived Year Two of homeschooling and still like it. Jacob finished up first grade by showing us how to diagram a sentence while Dan finished kindergarten by explaining some intense math facts and both demonstrated their mad geography skillz. Next year we add on Libby and I double my Starbucks budget.

We help Daddy

With Mommy away, everybody has to pull their load. Just like in the book...


And helping Daddy means that you get to do a lot of things...
Like laundry...

Or getting dressed...

Or cleaning up around the house...

And that can be exhausting!

So come home soon Mommy!

Disclaimer: No children were harmed in the filming of this blog post. But a woodpecker was defeathered.

Children = Manipulators

I may have once daydreamed about how I would be the perfect Mom, anticipating their every need and stage of development so as to prevent any rough patches, thereby carefully and lovingly raising perfect children. Now we have 6 children and reality has set in. They are manipulative little...gems. I make perfectly delicious and nutritious meals and I get screaming, wailing, teeth-gnashing and this.

I strive to fulfill their lives with classical, Christian home education and I end up negotiating with a 6 year-old to finish his fact sheet by allowing this.

My initial plan was so brilliant. Where did I go wrong?

My Mothers' Day Present Sucks

Let me open by saying I'm an intensely practical and "thrifty" person. Thrifty is in quotes because some others would be tempted to put stronger words there. I think they are jealous because I can make a pair of shoes last 6 years when they were designed to last one. The utilitarian, first-born side of me struggles with superfluous things like nick-nacks, jewelry and shoes aren't black/white/brown. I may not be there but I hear the feminine gasps as they desperately search for a dislike button or any way to voice their desire to burn the gender-traitor at the stake. And since I've already painted myself into the corner I might as well boldly proclaim a few more of my errant, heathen thoughts. I don't understand why places like See's Candy even exist. Why spend $40 on a box of mystery chocolate when Snicker's Bars cost $0.50 and are perfectly delightful?


So I married a man who agrees with me. I broke him of his societally-taught need to spend $5.00 on a piece of folded cardstock with a cheesy poem in it on special occasions. It has been years since any designer chocolate entered our dwelling and don't get me started on "made-for Mother's-Day" diamond heart pendants. Last year around this time he gave me a gym membership because he knew that's what I wanted. This year he gave me a vacuum cleaner because he knew it's what I wanted. I adore you Erik, and your sucky gift!


And because I'm not a total revolutionary or feminist I gladly allowed the boys to choose and prepare my Mothers' Day feast.

O-bla-di, o-bla-da...

I waited to write until I thought I could do it with minimal bitterness showing through the cracks via sarcasm and general snarkiness. Our little 6 month old buddy went to live with his birth father on Monday and our 2 month old will probably be leaving soon too. It will be easier to send the little guy off because we know the situation, but with our older guy we don't know enough of what God is doing to understand.


But I believe in an almighty God who is sovereign over all things, even judges and social workers and He has allowed this. Now it's my turn to trust and obey. Sometimes I do better at that than others. Yesterday I yelled at someone else's little girl in the McDonald's playground (she was up in the play structure) because she looked and was dressed like Libby, who I had called down, but didn't see because she was standing behind me while I berated a stranger's child. Way to go Super Christian!


I also want to berate every person who tells me they've thought about doing foster care but couldn't do it because they would get too attached to the kids. Why are we so comfortable with safe, easy, non-messy ministry but turn our backs on the blaring, gut-wrenching work that stares at the church undone? I absolutely know not everyone is called to this and therefore they shouldn't do this and alot of people say that just to fill the awkward lulls that happens sometimes but, I beg you, don't say it to me this week.

But life goes on. We are going back on the list and we'll sign up to do this again and again and again until God calls us to quit. I rejoice that I can be His hands and feet in loving these little ones, even if my heart gets broken in the process. Meanwhile, it's baseball season. And I want to laugh so Go my favorite sports team, go! Score a goal unit! Go get a snowcone...

Hypothermi-a-thon

Thank you to all of you who made donations to Child S.H.A.R.E. as Erik ran the LA Marathon on Sunday. 26.2 miles of goodness! We are so proud of him because not only did he run 26.2 miles, he did it in the most ridiculous weather Southern California could have come up with for the first day of spring. Here and here are some quick articles to sum it up. This picture sums up what the kids thought of it. The babies definitely had the best seats.Still wish I had a picture of the foot long string of snot hanging out of Daniel's nose that a kind grandmotherly stranger walked up and cleaned for me but I was too worried for my precious camera's safety since buckets of water were falling from the sky. Maggie is quite proud of Daddy's medal and is quick to tell you that he ran for her! I didn't get a good pre-race picture because he left the room at 4:20 am but this is what the ride home looked like!

So...anyone game for next year?

Running for Maggie

This is our daughter Maggie. Child S.H.A.R.E., an organization founded in 1985 to challenge and equip local congregations to recruit and support foster and adoptive families, helped us adopt her into our home. In gratitude for their wonderful help, Erik is running the LA Marathon on March 20th.

There are currently more than 20,000 children in foster care who need families in LA County ALONE.

Support children in foster care by sponsoring Erik in his LA Marathon run. Donating through this site is simple, fast, and totally secure. To go to the secure donations page, click here. Please remember that no donation is too small and every dollar helps to bring a child closer to finding a home.