The Snowball Room

While pushing snow with the Bobcat, Matt built a fort for the boys. Ethan calls it 'the snowball room.' Ah-dorable. It is fun for all ages, and most species.

Slide included.

A blank slate for dangerous stunts.

Who says winter isn't fun? Not these boys. (Maybe their mama.)

Happy Birthday Laura!

Today is my Aunt Laura's birthday. She is a Super Aunt and we love her to pieces. My mom says that she "fills up my (Jen's) soul." Happy birthday! We love you!

Coming Out

I want to homeschool my children. There, I said it. As a people-pleasing eldest child, it makes me a nervous wreck to come out and say that. How to educate your child can be one of those divisive topics right up there with breastfeeding, spanking, and cosleeping. It is not right for every family and every child, but I really believe it is the right choice for my children. Matt is not convinced but we are talking and praying and are going to 'practice' a little this season to see how it works for our family.

One of my main concerns about public school is all-day kindergarten and the intensive reading program that is thrust upon the kids. Ethan spends hours every day outside or running around inside making up elaborate games and scenarios with Evan. At times he will sit and color but it can't be scheduled for him. I can't imagine telling him to stop reading to his stuffed animals or playing Legos just because some arbitrary schedule has deemed it time to sit in a circle. Also, living out in the country means that he will spend some significant time on a bus, further cutting into the time to be an independent little boy. It would also mean a strict bedtime, which would really cut into the time he gets to spend with his dad.

Being able to choose a biblically-based curriculum greatly appeals to me. Being able to learn with my children and spend all those hours reading together, exploring together, playing together greatly appeals to me.

Am I freaked out about it? Yes. When I printed off the forms to file with the State Dept. of Education, my fingers went numb and I felt nauseous. What a tremendous responsibility! But God's grace is sufficient, in everything, and this is no exception. Every parenting milestone has been preceded by a journey filled with excitement, fear, and lots of messes. Homeschooling seems like much more fun than potty training, and much easier than teaching a child to stop biting!

This is a good essay about the benefits of homeschooling and this, from my friend Kayla, is a good essay about how you don't have to homeschool to accomplish those goals. All of us just want to do what is right for our kids, and that is what makes all of us such good parents for our incredibly unique Children of God.

New Year's Eve 2010

We were cozily snowed in on Friday and looked forward to a quiet evening together. The boys and I had looked at calendars together and talked a little about days, months, and the start of a new year so I brought paper and a marker to dinner and cheerfully asked everyone what they had enjoyed about the past year and what they wanted to do during the next year.

"Scooping snow with Evan!" Ethan said. Yes Buddy, you can definitely do more of that.
"Candy canes!" yelled Evan. Uhhhh....
"Well, I really liked-" I began.
"Can I have a candy cane?" Evan asked.
"No."
"When can I have a candy cane?"
"Next Christmas. I thought it was fun when-"
Evan jumped out of his chair. "When I see a bear, I'm goin' to jump up and SHOOT IT!"

Happy New Year, everyone. May your lives be filled with the people you love, things you love to do, and free of bears.

Christmas Eve

Our Christmas Eve was perfect. I love everything about this celebration with my mom's side of the family, especially the church service and seeing row after row of people I love. Here are some of the boys' favorite moments.

Big Boy Cousins!!


Nick's new hunting knife was the Gift of the Year...

but there was plenty of other cool stuff, too...

Of course there were some Wild Times...

and luckily some Quiet Times...

And finally... to all a good night.

Advent

This is my favorite week of the year. There is always beautiful music playing, almost always something delicious in the oven, and the kids are almost almost always happily occupied with something crafty. I don't know who decided we should prepare for the birth of God's Son with baked goods and paint, but I love it!

"What are you doing?" I heard Evan ask Ethan.
"Making presents for Baby Jesus"
"Oh. Can I make sumpfing?"
"Sure!"

The Nativity Scene on their bookshelf is surrounded by paper cut up, colored, and taped back together in every imaginable shape.

Every good and perfect gift comes from above, from the Father says James 1:17.



I hope you are loving everything about this Advent, too; I hope that the anticipation of the birth of our Saviour fills your heart with joy today and tomorrow and every day of the coming year. In a few short days we will celebrate His birth, and then we can begin preparing for Him to again come to us with His everlasting grace.

Five

So I have a 5 year old. Pretty crazy. He is all boy, no hints of baby anymore. Well, except for when he is playing 'baby' and Evan is the dad who fixes tractors. But that's kind of annoying. He doesn't look like a baby when he's asleep, he sprawls out all long arms and legs. (Long being a relative term, of course, of which I am reminded after spending the weekend with my extremely long-limbed 'little' cousins. Relative to me, he is quite long.) He doesn't look like a baby in jammies, or in the bathtub. He rarely runs naked anymore at all, which is clearly a sign of maturity. Every precious bone in his back is defined and surrounded by sinewy little muscles instead of that squeezable, pat-able baby fat.

He can play quietly by himself with Legos, creating elaborate farm equipment and pirate ships. He consistently beats us at Wii games, and after a brief stint with a 'Good Sport' folder last spring, he is a good, well, sport. He is starting to read and I especially love to listen to him 'read' his favorite books, word for word and page by page. He takes care of the dogs and cats and chickens. He hauls wood and steers the truck and brings Matt tools before I can say 'what does that one look like again?'.

He is affectionate, compassionate, enthusiastic. Smart, smart-alecky. Kind, generous, brave, responsible.

I really like this kid.

What are you doing? he asked.

Writing about your birthday.

Do you have a 9?
Yeah.
Well press it!

9 Why?

Because! Today is December NINTH!

I think he is constantly annoyed by my denseness.

Right on schedule.