Homeschool Week 1 - Creation

So our homeschooling has begun - I have to be honest. I doesn't feel like school. Matt gently reminded me that this is what school looks like when you are 3. I do love to know that we have a purpose and a direction with our time at home. The days had started to feel so long and random. Each activity that I planned out for the week took about 1/4 of the time I expected it to, so I'll need to give more thought to that. So far, it's gone well. We have enjoyed learning about creation this week and doing various activities using that as our focus. Here are a few of the things that we did. Please keep praying for wisdom and guidance for me and for sweet times with O and B. I am not sure if I'll post from every week, but I"ll try to keep you up to date with how it's going. If you have any ideas of things you have enjoyed doing with your kiddos recently, please let me know!

Monday:
Read creation story from The Big Picture Story Bible.
God made all things collage.
ABC's of God's world. (my favorites from this were G - ground, T - toes V - volcano)
Music time singing the songs we know about God making us or all things.



Here are the boys and all of their animals that God made.



A new version of the mighty fortress - Mighty Fortress God's world! (Notice all of the animals God made are now in the world)



Thursday:
Read the creation story out of the Jesus Story Book Bible
Color/assemble Owen's own creation book (found worksheets for this online).
B colored his own sheets.
We also had some animal/plant/world mix and match cards that O could organize or play with.

"The Boy Who Went Away"

Tonight I read Owen this story - "The Boy Who Went Away" from his Read Aloud Bible Stories vol. 2 by Ella K. Lindvall. They are some of our favorite Bible stories - easy to read, simple points, and yet they don't skimp on the content. They get right to the heart of it! As was the case tonight. We had a rough evening - lots of melt downs. I think he's either tired or getting a cold or both. So we arrived at bedtime after a series of melt downs and discipline times. We both apologized to each other for getting angry and we forgave each other. We then sat down and read this story. What strikes me about this is the way that the Father receives the son after he has sinned and then returned. VERY different from the love I have for Owen when he sins. A great comfort and a great challenge. May we all grow in our understanding of God as our Father and the love He has for us, and may we all grow in the way we express that love to one another.

"The Boy Who Went Away"
(Luke 15:11-24)
"A big boy lived with his brother and his daddy.
The big boy was not happy. He didn't want his daddy to tell him what to do.
So one day -
the big boy took all his pennies and said "Good-bye." Then he went FAR AWAY down the road.
NOW his daddy couldn't tell him what to do. NOBODY told him what to do.
Nobody said "Eat your carrots," or, "Don't DO that," or, "It's time to go to bed."
The big boy did just what he wanted to do. Every day.
He took his pennies to the store. He bought just what he wanted. He had lots of fun until one day -
his pennies were all gone. "I know what to do," the big boy said. "I'll work. Then I'll get more pennies."
So he worked. He took care of a man's pigs. But he never got enough pennies. he was hungry. Every day.
At last the boy thought, the men who work for my daddy -they have lots to eat. I'll go home to my daddy.
I'll say to him, "Daddy, I've been bad. I haven't pleased God . I haven't pleased you. I'm sorry."
So the big boy started walking. STEP STEP STEP went his feet. STEP STEP STEP STEP all the way home.
His daddy saw him coming. His daddy ran and put his arms around him and gave him a kiss.
"Daddy," said the big boy, "I've been bad. I haven't pleased God. I haven't pleased you. I'm sorry."
His daddy wasn't angry. Oh, no. His daddy said, "Quick! Bring my boy some new clothes! Bring him shoes!
Bring him a ring! My boy has come home! Let's have a big dinner!" And they did."

First day of school

Yesterday was Owen's first day of school for this year. He is attending the school through our church again this year two days a week. We had a countdown again from day 10 down to day 1 to help Owen get ready. When there were 2 days left he felt sad because he would miss me and B. By day 1 he was ready. By day 1 I was sad that I was going to miss him! As long and hard as our days are, I love having him home. SO...many tears were shed Tuesday night in a good conversation with Matt and then when Wednesday came we were ALL ready. He enjoyed his first day and his friends and teachers. We are excited for him to have the chance to learn and grow and be loved on and to be taught about Jesus. We look forward to what the Lord has in store this year! We love you O!

p.s. you can also be praying for us as next week we will begin some homeschool things on the days that he is at home.

Thank Heaven for Little Boys

One of those few days!

It's been a rough few days with our sweet #1. I don't even know how to describe it. But it feels like we took a step back about 6 months. Such a strong clash of the wills (mine and his) at every turn. "Buddy, we're done watching that show now, please turn off the TV and we'll go do art." "But I want to watch one more." "Buddy, we talked about only watching one, and that is what our plan is. Turn off the TV and let's do art or..." "NOOOO....I WANT A SHOW!!!" That would ensue for a while. I would discipline him throughout it all and finally he'd calm down enough to listen and talk, we'd pray (again) and move on with newness of life. But yikes. At every turn.

So, I say all of this, not to complain about my precious son or to vent a hard few days, but to process through it all and ask for your prayers for God to work in his heart and ours through this process. I feel like I constantly tell him "do this" or "don't do that" etc. It's hard to know when to give a little and when not to. IT's hard to know that I"m really teaching him about the love of God through Jesus in the Gospel when I am constantly correcting him. But I guess that shows him that I care and that I don't want him to continue in that sin and that my love for God my obeying God comes before a smooth series of events in a day.

Perhaps it would be good to remember to " casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7) and "And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9)

Some sweet shots for me to hold onto in the hard moments!

Fall is here!

And with it, long sleeves and Chick Fil A jersey day!

I love fall and so the first day we could wear long sleeves, we did! We pray that the love between these two would grow and grow!



Thanks to our friends the Brocks, we were all decked out in our family favorites! JMU for Matt and I, Carolina Panthers for Owen since he was born in Charlotte, and the Redskins for Baxter because he was born in Virginia and because he's a Purdy. (Owen's shirt is actually 24 month size like Baxter's...it was a little snug to say the least, but he loved it) We failed to get a picture of the Brock family all decked out in Denver Bronco gear, even little Gray! Oh, and for dressing this way, we all received a free Chick Fil A sandwich! How can one turn that down?!



Another one of Owen's great shots of Matt and I!



Again, we love to see their love grow and pray that they will be close friends and dear brothers in Christ!

Belle Isle

As one of our last family day activities before the fall, we ventured to the James River for the FIRST time. We loved it! We went to a place called Belle Isle. You walk over a BIG suspension bridge over to the island and walk around trails and play on rocks. We'll certainly be going back again soon. Owen especially enjoyed it. He even got to go "peeps" in the "James River Forest" (a group of bushes next to the rock we ate our lunch on. Makes sense if you think about it.)

Here is some of the fun we had.





Here is a video too.

Fun around the house

Here are a few fun things that we have done around the house recently.

One of our homegroup friends is a police man! He came by for a quick visit the other day before he was called away to protect our city!



Enjoying a little snack/show time together. Usually B is still strapped into his booster for snack time, but every now and then he gets to sit on the couch too.



Owen has enjoyed making "MIGHTY Fortresses" a lot recently. It has evolved into a "Might Fortress Library." (It was only a matter of time with the amount he and his daddy love books and libraries!) Here are O and B in the library.

Mom of two BOYS

While we have very many crazy BOY moments around here, this was a sweet one on the calm side.

A neat givewaway

I don't normally do this type of post, but I found a neat blog that is doing a jewelry giveaway. Click here to find out more.