Light at Home

Homeschool Co-Op Semester Ends

Posted by My Heart Song

11/29/2013

We took part in a homeschool co-op this semester, as we've done for the last few semesters. Our co-op has been a wonderful addition to our homeschooling, providing social and educational opportunities for my kids and for me. Our co-op is made up of about 50 other local homeschooling families, all of whom are seeking to honor the Lord Jesus Christ within their families. Our group is committed to scripture memory and prayer, which is one reason why it's a big blessing to all who participate. I've written before about our co-op, so if you want to read more click here
or here.

My 5th grade daughter enjoyed these classes this semester: US Presidents (learning a little about each one, learning about the office and perks of the President, holding a mock election), Gym, Creatures that Defy Evolution, and Pinterest Crafts (some of the craft/art projects are on display in the above picture). She surprised me greatly by LOVING her Gym class. I hated Gym with a passion when I was younger, so I guess I expected her to feel the same way. But she loved the games and especially the weeks focused on learning to play volleyball.

My son is in Kindergarten and he chose these classes: Frog & Toad (they read books from this series and did crafts/activities related to the book's theme, such as kites or cookies), Gym, Animals, and Legos. I was not too surprised that my boy would also LOVE Gym class, since he has boundless energy. He really enjoyed all of his classes, though. Creating new things in Lego class, learning fascinating facts about animals, bringing home fun craft pages from Frog & Toad... he enjoyed all of it. In the picture above, he and his Animals classmates were classifying different stuffed animals into groups of birds, reptiles, mammals, fish, or amphibians.

Last week we had our last day of co-op and our end-of-semester program. All of the kids go on stage to recite the verses they've memorized, which was Romans 12:9-13 this semester. And we enjoy a night highlighting what classes and activities took place throughout the semester.

Now we take a break for a few months before the spring semester starts up. It is a joy to be a part of this group!

Siblings

Posted by My Heart Song

11/27/2013

My kids.

Soon there will be a third to add to this group, but for now it's these two. Constant companions. It will be interesting to see how our family dynamics change when the baby arrives. Three children sometimes means that one is often left out, but the age spacing of our kids may affect that a bit. Time will tell how it plays out for us.

My girl.

She wants a little sister, so we've had to talk about the possibility that she'll be disappointed if the baby is a boy. She's 10 years old. She goes goo-goo ga-ga over pets (especially dogs) but generally is not all that maternal when it comes to being around babies and small children. We'll see how she handles having a baby in our home again. She enjoys baking and working in the kitchen, so I expect she'll be most helpful at meal times.

My boy.

He wants a little brother, so we've had to talk with him about the possibility of disappointment too, if the baby is a girl. He's a few days shy of being 6 years old. He's always had a tender heart for babies, so I think he'll take to our little one right away. I expect he'll be a big helper - grabbing diaper changing supplies or pacifiers or whatever.

The age span will make things especially interesting. My oldest is 10 years old. By the time our baby is that age, my oldest will likely be moved out of the house. Kids grow up, that's one of life's certainties. What a joy to be a part of that process, as they grow and learn and mature and change.

Field Trip: Survive Alive & Fire Safety

Posted by My Heart Song

11/26/2013

Last week we enjoyed a field trip to a local children's museum that hosts a fire safety program called "Survive Alive."

Local firefighters led the students through discussion about fire safety, showed a brief video and then demonstrated how to get out of a house on fire.

There is a "house" inside the museum that is used for this field trip. The group enters the house and is in the bedroom. They are taught how to roll out of bed, crawl under smoke, feel the door for heat, and open windows if needed. Every child practices getting out of the house safely.

They met a real firefighter in full gear and were able to ask questions of him. They learned that he may look a little scary if he was in your house in the dark of night, but that he can be trusted and is a helper.

Kids practiced finding an outside meeting place and then using a phone to make a real 911 call, providing the information the dispatchers need.

The kids practiced "Stop, Drop and Roll."

This field trip was very well done and the kids all seemed to enjoy it. Until now we'd only talked about fire safety, but never had actually practiced these things. Now we need to practice a real drill at home.

Pregnancy - 38 Weeks

Posted by My Heart Song

11/25/2013

38 Weeks Along

We're down to less than 2 weeks until our baby's due date.

We now have our hospital bags packed.

We now have the baby's car seat situated into our van.

Everything seems to be ready.

There is little to do now but wait.

We love you, Baby Flutter, and we are excited to meet you face-to-face soon!

Family Photo Friday

Posted by My Heart Song

11/15/2013

Friday is here again which means that I try to post some family photos from our week.

We have the car seat ready for our baby. My son wanted to pose with it. Next step is putting it in our van to make room for baby.

My daughter loves the movie "The Sound of Music." One day she came up with this nun outfit. Love it!

It's definitely fall in our neck of the woods. Lots of leaf-raking has taken place. Our kids like to get in on the action.

Happy Friday to you!

November is already half gone, so make each day count!

We Love Reading

Posted by My Heart Song

11/13/2013

We love to read.

My husband is currently reading "The Mouse and the Motorcycle" to our son before bed each night. Boy, oh boy, is my son enjoying this! Watching him cuddle with Daddy and enjoy books just melts my heart.

A week or so ago I grabbed this picture of my daughter reading a book about trains to my son.

My daughter has lots of books that she is reading as part of her 5th grade homeschooling curriculum. Included in that are also some books that I read aloud to the kids. My son, though only in kindergarten, loves to listen in on those too. I don't mind admitting that I enjoy those books a lot too and often learn new things myself.

We love reading!

Pregnancy - 36 Weeks

Posted by My Heart Song

11/12/2013

36 Weeks Along

I'm tired.

My indigestion used to be a nighttime-only occurrence.

This week, however, it started to bother me all day long. Ugh.

I made a few last-minute purchases this week for Baby Flutter. Little by little, we're crossing things off the "get ready for baby" list.

We look forward to seeing you soon, Flutter!

Creative Kids

Posted by My Heart Song

11/11/2013

My kids are very creative.

One day this week my daughter created a spider out of some crafting cord. She attached a string and had herself a very realistic-looking spider puppet.

Then she created a second spider puppet for her brother.

Then they added a box-lid "stage" with a web (including some caught bugs for the spiders to eat.

They put on quite a puppet show and enjoyed this type of play for most of the day.

I love their creativity. I love days when they play well together (no, they don't do so every day). I love that homeschooling gives them the opportunity to play and learn together.

Pregnancy - 35 Weeks

Posted by My Heart Song

11/5/2013

35 Weeks Along

35 weeks along = ultrasound that confirms all is well (and reveals that Flutter has lots of hair and apparently chubby cheeks; Flutter also weighs in at a normal range around 6 pounds currently, which makes it highly unlikely that Flutter will take after older brother and be extra-large at birth)

35 weeks along = tired mama

35 weeks along = weekly doctor visits

35 weeks along = some false contractions

35 weeks along = indigestion that keeps mama up nightly

35 weeks along = mama better get a move on the last-minute to-do list because the last minute is quickly approaching!

35 weeks along = just a few short weeks until we meet Baby Flutter

Thoughts about Lay-Offs

Posted by My Heart Song

11/4/2013

About a month ago my husband was laid-off. You can read more about that in the blog post found here.

The last month has been stressful.

From a financial perspective, we've been alright because my husband received a severance package that covered his pay for the next few weeks.

From an insurance perspective, we've had to quickly educate ourselves on our options and make some short-term decisions to be covered.

From a home perspective, routines have been disrupted as my husband was suddenly at home more. "My time" on the computer has been much more limited as my husband has needed the computer for his job search (hence this blog has suffered from neglect... though the time away has been good for me, I think).

BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS!

Two weeks into the lay-off my husband got called in for an interview. The next day he was offered the job. He's now a cataloging librarian at our local public library. The position is for 30 hours per week but does offer benefits. It also offers many opportunities for advancement and professional development - something that was lacking at his previous employer. So we're excited and thankful for this new opportunity. And of course we're glad that it came fairly quickly into the period of unemployment.

I also should give thanks to God for the other silver linings in this lay-off. My biggest prayer requests through this period of unemployment has been for God to reign in my emotions and my tongue. I am so happy to report that He helped me greatly in that area. I was able keep a positive, supportive attitude with my husband. I was able to keep any negative thoughts from becoming words or actions that would discourage him.

My husband is naturally a hard-working, go-getter type and he brought that into the unemployment process as well. He dressed up each day and went somewhere (usually a public library) to spend some time, to look for jobs, to read up on literature in his field. He didn't allow himself to get depressed or dwell on what had happened. He moved forward in faith, believing that God had something better for him. I know that my actions and words could've poured water on that fire inside of him.

So, we are thanking God for provision, for work, for His Spirit's strength, for faith to move forward to the unknown.

Pregnancy - 34 Weeks

Posted by My Heart Song

10/25/2013

34 Weeks Along

The time is passing quickly.

My belly is growing quickly.

My husband and I finally settled on some names this week. We won't share them ahead of time, but it's a load off my mind to at least have settled the name issue.

Sleep is becoming more elusive at night. I consider it preparation for late-night feedings and such. I still take a nap most afternoons, which helps get me through the rest of the day.

People often ask if my kids are excited about the baby. My 10-year-old daughter remembers when we brought her little brother home almost 6 years ago. She remembers the crying and so she's not so excited about a new baby due to that one fact alone - the loud crying. My son, however, has no experience with a younger sibling so he's more excited (and doesn't know what to expect really).

Just a few more weeks until we meet Baby Flutter.

We love you!

Field Trip to the Zoo

Posted by My Heart Song

10/23/2013

Last week, before the turned more fall-like, we enjoyed a field trip to the local zoo with some friends. Our friends had a zoo membership pass and the attendant allowed all of us to get in for free with their pass.

We try to visit the zoo annually, but hadn't been there yet this year. So it was time for a visit. This zoo is a good size for us (especially for me, walking it in my 3rd trimester of pregnancy). It doesn't have everything a big zoo has, but it has enough - lions, tigers, zebras, alligators, monkeys, kangaroos, snakes.

After the zoo, we walked to a nearby playground. This is so fun that it rivals the fun of the zoo for my kids.

Yeah for local, free, fun and educational field trips!

A Week to Remember

Posted by My Heart Song

10/18/2013

This week, to me, is a week set aside to remember my miscarried children.

Why this week? Well, the whole month of October is set aside nationally as Infant and Pregnancy Loss Awareness Month. But my reasons are more personal. It was one year ago this week that we lost one of our babies - Isaac. And one year ago this week one of our other miscarried babies - Hope - we due to be born. So this week is a double-whammie of miscarriage memories.

Last year I posted about how much I hate October in general, but especially because of numerous negative experiences I've had during this month. You can read that blog post here. This year my outlook is much clearer and brighter than last year. A year makes a difference in perspective. Of course, the fact that I am currently 33-weeks pregnant is a constant reminder of the hope of new life after loss.

And so I say a prayer this week for others who have walked this path of miscarriage, asking for strength to carry on when our hearts so long to be with our babies in heaven.

And I thank God for the opportunity to be a mommy to all 6 of my children - the ones on earth and the ones in heaven.

We love you - Grant, Hope and Isaac!

Baby Traditions: The Cradle

Posted by My Heart Song

10/17/2013

This is our cradle.

This cradle is very special. My husband, who is both artistic and good at wood-working, designed and built this cradle.

The year was 2003. Our baby was due in August. We lived in a small apartment in downtown Chicago. We had friends, though, in the northern Indiana area. One of these friends had a wood shop and lots of tools, which he graciously allowed my man to use. My hubby made many weekend trips to Indiana to work on the cradle parts. Then he brought it back to our tiny apartment and put it together.

It is so very beautiful! And even more so because of the love that went into making it for our babies.

Here's one of our babes in the cradle. We use the cradle for the first month or so with our babies before they outgrow it. Then we etch their names in the bottom of it, as a record of who has used this precious cradle for their bed.

Someday we'll pass this heirloom on to one of our children as they move into the parenting stage of life.

Another beautiful baby tradition!

Baby Traditions: The Sweater

Posted by My Heart Song

10/16/2013

Here is "the sweater"

This sweater is part of a tradition that goes back two generations now.

When my mother was pregnant with her first child, a friend knitted this sweater and hat set for her baby. She put my oldest brother in it when she brought him home from the hospital. She continued to use this sweater for the "going home" outfit for her next 3 children as well, including me. Then she packed it away as a keepsake.

When grandchildren started arriving, she pulled it back out and has provided it for each of the grandchildren to wear. It's been shipped to Las Vegas, Chicago, Indiana and numerous locations around Wisconsin.

Here's my jumbo-sized son wearing the petite sweater. My mom thought it was small on her 9-pound baby 40 years ago... it was even smaller on my 11-pounder!

Last week my mom sent me a package with this little sweater in it, to include in our hospital bag for baby's going-home outfit.

A beautiful baby tradition!

Baby Traditions: In-Utero Names

Posted by My Heart Song

10/15/2013

My husband and I started a tradition with our first child, giving an in-utero name for the baby.

Back in 2003, when we were pregnant for the first time, we named our baby "Itty Bitty." This was the name we always used to refer to our baby, throughout the pregnancy. I was working full-time until my due date. My co-workers allowed me to set up "Itty Bitty's Pretty Piggy" - a real piggy bank in the office that collected loose change to start a savings account for the baby.

In 2007, our in-utero baby name was "Tink" (short for Tinker). This was a perfect name for our son, though we didn't know at the time if the baby would be a boy or a girl. Turns out that our son is such a tinker (he gets that from his dad), loving to take things about and explore how they work and try to put them together again. The name Tink stuck with him for many months after his birth, as one of his toddler cousins had a hard time switching her mind from Tink to his real name. :-)

We used the name "Spark" and "Peanut" for two of the babies we lost to miscarriage.

This time around, we call our baby "Flutter" which again turns out to be very appropriate. This baby is very active - more than I remember with the others. Lots of flutters, movements, kicks and pokes are happening.

We like to choose in-utero names as a help to connect with baby even before birth. A little more personal and less generic than just always referring to "the baby."

Tomorrow I'll share another of our baby traditions!

Family Photo Friday

Posted by My Heart Song

10/11/2013

It's Friday once again which means I post a few photos from our week.

We enjoyed a field trip to a local botanical garden this week. What fun! We are still seeing beautiful summer-like temps and lots of sun, which made the outdoor nature hiking a perfect activity.

My son has been doing a little bit more formal schooling now. Still nothing too intense, but learning how to properly write letters and how to pronounce letter sounds. It's a struggle for me to not compare him with his fast-learning older sister who was reading at age 4. He's almost 6, loves to be read to but isn't showing many signs of being ready to read by himself yet. It'll come.

The penny horse ride at our local Meijer store. A favorite that just MUST happen when we make a rare visit to Meijer.

The biggest apple we'd ever seen, ready to be eaten. We were blessed with almost 40-pounds of apples last week = applesauce coming out our ears, almost. We love our apples and applesauce!

Happy weekend to you!

Pregnancy - 32 Weeks

Posted by My Heart Song

10/10/2013

32 Weeks Along

The reality of our baby's soon arrival is settling in.

I've got the car seat ready and waiting.

Baby's hospital bag with going-home clothes is packed.

The weight of carrying around my big belly is tiring.

I'm not sleeping as well at night, tossing and turning from one side to the other all night long.

This week I had experienced one of those nasty charley horse pains in my calf that often accompany pregnancy. Ouch, ouch, ouch!

All day the next day - ouch, ouch, ouch!

Even so, I continue to thank the Lord for the opportunity to bring a new life into this world. Even with the pains and sacrifices, the outcome is worth it!

We love you, Baby Flutter! Just a few more weeks!

The Pink Slip

Posted by My Heart Song

10/9/2013

My husband has been laid off from his job this week. He'd been there 6 years. The company also laid off 20-some other employees, some of whom had been employed there for decades.

However, we have much to be thankful for.

1. We saw this coming a few months ago, hearing rumors that lay offs and cutbacks were on the way. So we've been looking at our budget and discussing "worst case scenarios" for a few months. This made it somewhat less stressful because we were as prepared as we could be for this happening (without knowing with any certainty IF it would really happen or not).

2. His company is providing some severance pay, pay for unused vacation time, and help with 2-months worth of health insurance. Of course all of that will help during this transition.

3. My husband is a hard-worker who is not looking for a handout. I'm so thankful for his determination and his work ethic. He desires to provide for our family, not sit around to collect unemployment on a long-term basis.

4. God knows all about this. God knew it was coming. God knows what tomorrow holds. He has good plans in store for us and we're excited to see what the next steps will be.

And so a new journey begins. If you think of us, join us in praying for God's direction and provision during this time.

A Pregnancy Devotional: Living in Me

Posted by My Heart Song

10/7/2013

1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us that God's Holy Spirit dwells within those of us who are believers in Christ. A few weeks ago we were focusing on Bible verses about the Holy Spirit and that one stood out to me. "Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you?"

I am 31 weeks pregnant. The idea of "living in me" naturally went to thoughts of my unborn baby. My baby is living in me. I love my baby. I make choices daily that are based on what is best for my baby. Recently my doctors encouraged some changes in my diet because that is what would be "best for the baby." Of course, I comply, because as a loving mother I want what is best for my baby. I comply even if the changes are a bit uncomfortable, even if they "cramp my style" or cause me to give up some things I love or crave.

Immediately upon having those thoughts, God brought about some questions to ask myself.

Do I respond so quickly and appropriately to the promptings of the Holy Spirit who is living in me?

When I feel His conviction, do I immediately change my ways to "do what is best" by Him?

Or do I somehow plug my ears to what He is saying, ignoring Him and what He is asking of me? Why?

I love my baby and therefore do what is best for my baby who is living in me. If I love the Holy Spirit of God who lives in me, do I therefore respond to what He needs or asks of me or prompts me to do in the same manner as I do for my baby?

I know that the answer is no. That sometimes my actions indicate that I love my baby more than I love God. I act like I can pick and choose what promptings to obey, based solely on what is easier for me or more comfortable for me or fits with my schedule.

The other incredible thing is that we need no interpreter, no testing to be done to figure out what the Holy Spirit needs or wants from us. The Bible makes it clear and He speaks directly to us. Unlike figuring out what is best for a baby, which requires medical tests and blood work and doctor's opinions, we need no mediator to hear from God through the Holy Spirit. He lives in us and we commune with Him. What a gift... and yet we squelch His voice so often.

Lord, make me mindful of Your Holy Spirit who lives in me. And not just mindful, but obedient to what He asks of me - whether it's a big thing or a little thing. I do care. And just as I would not neglect my baby or intentionally do something to harm my baby, I do not want to grieve Your Holy Spirit who lives in me. I do not want a hard heart to Your promptings. Help me in this area, I pray, Amen!

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