Picture Update

Elise's Preschool PartyThe Loot

Cinderella Snow White, Betty Sue, and the Baby Bear

FaithLyn and Me after her Kindergarten program last night

We all enjoyed the program...Judson danced and clapped through the whole thing!

Doin' her Thang!

Aww SHOOT, MAN!!

Well. It is a sad day here at the B Casa! And not just because I just watched the Little House episode "School Mom". You know....the one where Miss Beadle breaks her ankle when the horse gets spooked and Mrs. Ingles is asked to teach. She teaches the older boy Able McKay how to read in about a week. He's fluent by the end of the show....Man that one gets me EVERY time! I thought I was hardened enough but no. I cried again! Sometimes that show makes me yearn for simpler times. By simpler I only mean times when everyone walked everywhere and had more time for each other. Not the make your own bread every day from scratch days....

Which brings me to our current sad state. My kneading blade in my Bread machine broke. I didn't even realize it. But it's dead. And today I am mourning. The worst part? I looked up the company online and it's so old that they don't make them anymore and DON'T EVEN PROVIDE REPLACEMENT PARTS!!!?? What is a girl to do? Surely you don't expect me hand knead me bread and sweet treats? I don't even have a stand up mixer to do the work for me. Yeah, I don't want to be Caroline Ingles.

Anyone have a bread machine layin' around gatherin' dust? I would be willing to give it some tender loving care!!!

Post Anti-TV Update

It would be a lie if I told you we have breezed through the last few days with out even a thought about TV and what we could be watching. We(I) have thought about it. The girls, mainly Olivia, has asked REPEATEDLY to watch. But frankly, we are too busy to watch TV right now.

As you can see Mount St. Laundry erupted on my couch Monday. The sad thing is, that wasn't even all the clothes yet! I had three or four more loads to add to that. So, Monday, thanks to some sick kids we were able to stay home ALL day and get some work done. I am not thankful my kids are sick but Mondays are super busy and following a super busy Sunday makes for a pretty hard start to a new week. We started by making some yummy chocolate pumpkin muffins. Then we tackled the floors in the living room and kitchen. With that done we moved on to the TV room to tackle the natural disaster on our couch. I broke out the Little House on the Praire DVD's and got busy. I folded and watched and cried and folded and watched and cried....by the 3rd episode I was sufficiently hardened to the pulling of my heartstrings by Ma, Pa, Laura, Mary, and Carrie. That's when I really got busy! I got all of those clothes folded but they are still waiting to be put away. Along with the 3-4 other loads that now need to be folded. It's a start!
We took a little break from folding to play.

I know I still have a long way to go. It is amazing to me to see how much more I get accomplished with out the added pull of keeping up with my "hollywood family". I have also been able to see some of the other habits that are leading to my ineffectiveness in my home. It's good. We haven't dug the bunny ears out of the trashcan. We won't. But there are some signs that I am starting to feel the effects.

Actual Conversation This Morning:

Dan: Kel, do you know what the weather's supposed to be like today? Is that front going to hit?

Me: I DON'T KNOW! I don't know anything anymore! WE DON'T HAVE TV REMEMBER!?"

Dan: "Kelli..."

Me: heavy breathing as I leave the room.....

We never even watched the news! I am a lunatic! But at least I have the ability to change that.

Don't I? I mean I am not just crazy am I? It's the withdrawl talking...it can do crazy things to you....CAN'T IT? HEY YOU! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME!?

Update: for those of you that like to keep up with these sorts of things....

The front rolled in this morning right as everyone left for school. I can hear the wind whistling under the doors and around the windows. It's a nice and gray Fall kind of day! Now I have to get back to my clothes. Mary and Laura are about to be invited to a town pary at Nellie's house...I don't want to miss it!

Here We Go Again!

Some of you know our love hate relationship with TV. We LOVE to watch it and HATE what it does to our family. Some of you also know that if a TV is on Dan will stop whatever he is saying/doing/thinking and watch...open mouthed...like in a trance. If I want to bring my children from any room in the house all I have to do is turn on the TV. It doesn't matter what time of day or how loud the volume....they come RUNNING!

I often use evening TV watching as my way to hear adult conversations....Dan is a youth minister and a Seminary student. He is wonderful at balancing it all, but I am just saying...he's busy. I SHOULD be busy. If I weren't glued to the TV most evenings of the week I bet I would get lots more work done, or more reading, or at least more sleep.

There isn't anything wrong with watching a program or two. But it is certainly no substitute for life! I have an idea of what I would like our family evenings to look like. That ideal does not include 3 hrs of TV viewing.

There are so many things I want to do with the kids before they get so busy we hardly see them. I want to read LOTS of books out loud and someday I hope they will read to me. I want to study the word and memorize scripture. I want to live in a clean and peaceful home. I want to think more of what would be fun for my kids instead of what would be the least amount of work for me. TV makes me selfish. It ROBS my family of time spent together learning about each other and interacting with each other. It ROBS me of my joy in service.

BUT TV is not a thief. I invited it into my home! I let it entertain my children so I can read or write on my blog or even get dinner ready. SO I am ready to admit that I have to change this.
We got rid of our bunny ears today. After letting my kids watch 2 1/2 hrs of cartoons this morning. I am ashamed to even admit it. I am more ashamed to admit that this has become more of the norm than exception. BUT NO MORE! I am taking back control. From now on when we watch something it will be a deliberate choice. A deliberate choice of WHAT we watch and for how long.

We have done it before and will no doubt walk this road again but for now I am determined. I wouldn't be honest if I didn't tell you I am a little scared too. You see TV has become a convenience for me. And convenience is good.....until you become dependant on it! Then you are just a slave to one more thing that makes life EASIER. I want this family to have a choice to be slaves to righteousness, not sitcom and ease.

This is, I am sure, one of those things I will have to tell my children "builds character." And as much as I hate to say it, it won't kill them or me for that matter. Now I will no longer feel the rush to get the kids to bed so I won't miss my show. And hopefully we will all reap the benefits of some renewed creativity.

We will probably still be doing some of this (our family movie theater night)
But hopefully no more of this (afternoon snack and tv watching)

Here are some of the ideas I have to fill the TV void my kids will surely feel:
-Baking
-Crafts
-School time with Mom (I have some workbooks to use)
-More responsibility with housework
-Playing more games together
-READING!!
-Coloring
-Play-time stations (this is where I pick out certain toys and put them in separate rooms for alone play time)
-Books on Tape
-Playing outside together
-Walks
-Science walks
-Prayer walks

Well the possibilities are nameless! I have two good friends who encouraged me in this decision! So thanks, girls, for showing me the way and helping me get a head start!

Obedience

That's the theme.

It's the emphasis of my bible study this week.

We had some issues with E during the children's sermon this week at church. (that, and how we handled it was also emphasized at our bible study ;)

We have a 14 month old son who is now walking.

We have a Kindergartner who is WAY to wrapped up in all the boys at school.

And we have a 3 yr old who wants her way.

Obedience has been on my mind A LOT.

It's not something I have been mirroring for my children lately.

Here are some of the scriptures that have been playing on repeat in my head the last few days.

• 1Samuel 15:22 "...To obey is better than sacrifice...."
• John 14:23 "Jesus replied, 'If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching..."
• Jeremiah 7:23 "...Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you."

Obey: to do as asked; to yield to someones command or wishes. (according to my NIV concordance)

We yield to the wishes of our Maker because we believe He knows best. It is an act of self-discipline. We YIELD. We do it out of love. We love Him and trust Him. It is the same with our children. We must love them ENOUGH to expect obedience. It is the natural order set before us from the beginning of time. The Creator created man, Adam, and set down the rules. It was only ONE. He disobeyed. Because the Creator loved us all so much He already had a plan in action to redeem all of mankind from disobedience. Disobedience is SIN. James 4:17 "Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." It's that simple.

But it really isn't that simple, is it? You see, in my opinion, the hard part is the yielding part. That's the hard part for our children, too. To yield means to give up the possession of something; to give way to. We have to give up the possession of our will and give way to the will or commands of our Creator. It's not always an easy thing to do.

But if we love Him....

we will.

These Boots Were Made for Walkin' and That's Just What They'll Do!

Well, I guess it's official. Judson is a walker now. Yesterday he took his first steps without us goading him. It was before lunch and he walked away from the fireplace a couple of steps on his own toward us at the oversized chair. I made a huge deal of it all and immediately staged a do over so I could record it for posterity. It was big stuff. I, of course, knew he could do it long ago but the little stinker works on his own terms. It was pretty fun. If only I could get him to stop pulling things off of every flat surface he can now reach.....

Surprise Visitor!

We were so pleasantly surprised by news that Uncle David's work brought him SOOO very close to us last week! He was only an hour and half away for the day. So he drove the hour and a half and spent the night with us......well, he rested for a few hours. He had to get up VERY early to make it to the airport for his flight home. We got an hour or two of good visitin' in before bed. The girls were so pumped to see Uncle David!! He is a legend around here! They waited up for him to get here and we sat and visited with him while he ate a sandwich then he read them their bedtime bible story. The big girls were glad to give up their bed for him. They were super sad, though that he wouldn't be here when they woke up.
Even though I told them SEVERAL times before we even left the bedroom that Uncle David was already gone they came tearing through the house to see for themselves. Alas, he was IN FACT already gone.

We were all sad we didn't have more time with David but we sure did enjoy him. What a super treat on a reagular Thursday night. It also gave me a super sweet reason to *miss* the VP debate. I am so DONE with this election year! (DON"T FORGET TO VOTE!!! NOV. 4)

It certainly wasn't the easiest thing for David to come see us...I am sure it made his Friday LONG, but we sure did feel special that we got to be his pit stop for the night!! It was just enough time to make us realize how darn much we miss him! These years in our families lives don't offer lots of free time and it's only going to get crazier....But we sure do love our families! We are so blessed by them all!

I had to make sure I got a picture to document the event.

I will leave you with the song that sweet little Elise was singing Friday morning while getting ready for preschool....you will have to imagine your own tune

"Uncle David, Uncle David, we love you. I wish you could have stayed longer.
Uncle David, Uncle David, Uncle David , Uncle David, we love you.
I wish you could have stayed longer....."

It made me smile, anyway. And it is just SOO TRUE!