Basketball again

This Saturday morning, the boys had their first basketball game of the season.  When I got up early Saturday to make sure the sweatpants got put in the dryer, this is what I saw in the boys' bedroom.  :)  Does this organizational craved mom a world of good to see one child for one moment understanding it all.  They were so excited, and I was too.  Every Saturday now, until nearly Christmas, I will get to see my two sons run up and down the gym.  Thanks to their coach.  Thanks to all the coaches out there, who sacrifice their time for no monetary reward to shape and teach these young men.  May God bless you all.

An epiphany

Ok, so this is my idea.  I find a picture and I write about it.

These are two of my kids.  The youngest and the second oldest.  This picture was taken about five years ago.  So they would be 4 and 12 respectively. The piece of paper they are holding between them is a homemade diploma that the older one gave the the younger one.  The gown is her special blanket she hugged when she was a baby.  She is giving him a diploma for graduating her "Magic School."  I had no knowledge of said school until the diploma was presented.  

This picture reminds me of how the Holy Spirit has worked in our family to knit each member together.

Our children have not had a lot of friends outside the family.  We really did not plan it that way, but that is the way it has worked out.  They are good friends with each other.  What a blessing.  Such a gift that two siblings, eight years apart, can share this friendship.  It says a lot for the older one.  That she would care enough to be a part of her little brother's life.  Yeah, she is very special.  And I thank God for her everyday.  

More to come.

  

No way, two posts in one day?

So I really should be in bed, but I am just so pumped about getting a chance to put a picture on my blog.  Coupled with the fact that I got the printer to hook up to this donated laptop.  I am feeling like a techno genius.  I will be tired tomorrow.

I love these kids.  Ok, well I am biased, but they really are great.  For as long as I can remember, when I take a group shot, there always has to be a goofy one.  Maybe it is the way they can get through the serious ones.  

This chair is located at a small shop off the road that goes through Schroon Lake in the Adirondack Park in upstate NY.  When my family arrived in the states in 1968, they spent a few summers doing various things, like I remember a story of a disastrous camping trip.  But then, a parishioner loaned my family their summer house on Schroon Lake.  And the love affair began.  Schroon Lake has become almost a second home to me, and if there is one place I would love to live, it would be there.  As a child, we stayed at Camp of the Pines, which later became known as Son Rise.  I became a counselor there in 1988 and my husband Mark proposed to me there in 1989.  I wanted to get married there, but logistics prevented it.  I have visited there dozens of times and I can honestly say that my children would love to go there again if the opportunity arose, no questions asked.  

A picture

A treat, folks.  A picture.  Yes, This is a picture of a couple of my kids and one that I love so much she is like my kid.  This picture is taken at Niagara Falls, right by the Bridal Falls.  The water rushing behind the girls cascades over the American Falls.  We had the privilege to live about 20 minutes from this great National Landmark from July 2000 to July 2003.  We took many people here and I was never tired of going to see the Falls.  Every time I went, I discovered something new.  I always marveled at how very easy it was to jump into the Niagara River and thus go over the Falls.  There were times when I held onto my toddler Ruth's hand very tightly, just to be sure she never tried it.  This picture was taken in July of 2012, when that toddler was 13.  She is standing next to one of our dearest friends that we made while living in New York.  I am always amazed at the people the Lord puts into our lives wherever He takes us.  It makes me so very grateful to Him for His amazing gifts.  If you ever have an opportunity to go to Niagara Falls, do it.  You will not regret it.

Starting yet again

Well, here I am again.  Trying to start again.  No pictures.  Someday.  When that new computer comes.  I am so thankful that this old computer is still working.  I do have another laptop that I can use if this one gets cranky again, but I dislike the keyboard.  I have not figured out why the screen keeps shrinking and growing. But it was free, so I have no complaints.
I was tired today, more tired than I have been in a while.  Two Tylenol PMs taken last night probably did it. It was not good to homeschool today.
If anyone is reading this who homeschools, answer me this question.  What does it mean when people say they need to do more home and less school?  I think I am at that point right now.  But I do not know what doing more home looks like.  Or sounds like.  Or feels like.  This is my third year of consistent homeschooling, not counting the August 1999-August 2009 stint I had.  I guess I don't really count those years because I was just doing preschool to kindergarten.  But I guess I should count them.  Only one of my kids went to preschool for both years, that was my oldest, Dorothee.  Everyone else did not go.  And only Esther and the boys went to kindergarten.  I felt a nudge to homeschool since 1998, but only was able to do the younger ones.  I had an opportunity to homeschool all of them in 2009, but got cold feet and tried working full time instead.  I learned a lot about myself in those two years, mostly that I really enjoy being a homebody and doing home stuff.  So why is it that I struggle with doing home with my kids?  Sigh.  Then in 2011, I decided if I was ever going to live with myself when I was older, I really needed to jump in with both feet.  I posed the question, "Who wants to stay home next year and do school at home."  Four out of the six thought it was grand, the older two liked high school too much.  Go figure.  Last spring, I asked my husband, "What should we do about Ruth and high school?"  He said to try her there and see how it goes.  I miss her.  She is learning a lot, but she says there is a lot of stuff that she already knew.  So she did learn some things those two years at home with me.  Except to type fast.  I am putting that on the curriculum.
Well, I am done.  Hope I get to write again soon.
Thanks for reading.