secret hand code

Zack is keeping all enemies out of his fort (which is a blanket hanging down from the top bunk). He told me this morning that I was the ONLY one in the family aloud to enter, and I felt pretty special. But before he let me in, I needed a secret code. One that had to be written on my hand. The kid will look for any excuse to write on bodies/clothes/toys/walls, but this time I fell for it.
He told me that if it ever comes off, I will be booted out of the fort forever. And, so my friends, I will never wash my hands again. It's TLA.
PS. my siblings (and husband) make fun of my crooked pinkies. I can't straighten them... and if I try, it looks like I have a missing finger. Turns out, I'm not perfect after all.

Oprah's OWN network

I don't have any TV channels, which means I didn't follow Oprah's survivor-style competition with ten finalists who wanted their OWN on her network. It seems a bit odd that haven't been interested in watching it considering the fact that I auditioned myself (and made it all the way into Mark Burnett's production studio) last June.

Tonight after the kids went to bed, I watched the finale HERE. What I will say after watching is that I am still SO GLAD I tried out, even though it wasn't "successful" for me. I made priceless memories with my little sis and family in Los Angeles. And what I know-- without a doubt-- is that I could never have competed against these talented, successful individuals that were chosen for her show... the top two contestants would have blown me out of the water.

Do I still want my own show? sure. I would absolutely LOVE to travel around in an RV with my family and explore the country... I've thought about pitching the idea to other networks, but then I get busy cooking dinner or reading my kids or feeding the dog that I just haven't gotten around to it. Sometimes I wonder if it was just some random idea I acted upon in the summer 2010 or if someday that experience will be a stepping stone for something realistic.. and amazing!

Have any of you read The Alchemist? If so, what did you think? I was inspired by it, but found myself really annoyed that I can't put a finger on what my "dream" or Personal Legend is.. I don't think it's manifest itself yet...

About a month ago, my husband and I went listened to an incredible presentation by Dr. Shanon Brooks who talked about the difference between your OCCUPATION and your VOCATION. If you asked random strangers on the street the meaning of these two words, chances are you would get the same answer= a career or what you do for a living. The dictionary would define occupation as a job, but states that the word vocation comes from the Latin verb to call... and was referred firstly as the call of God. These two words are completely and totally different. The majority of people working have an occupation but is that job their vocation?

I think the educational system in this country is training students with skills to get jobs, but there is little passion behind what they choose to do for a living. I do not speak for everyone, but I believe a vast majority of adults are very unhappy in their careers. Are we trained to find a vocation? There is so much pressure to get good grades and high test scores... and it's sad that there isn't more emphasis on natural talents and abilities and PASSION. Some people aren't great test-takers, but that doesn't mean they won't make incredible employees & owners of businesses.

I might be getting a little carried away this evening with my thoughts, but that's what blogs are for, anyway. As a mother, I want to inspire my sons to grow up to be WHATEVER they want-- garbage men, artists, doctors, milk men... WHATEVER it may be.. as long as they are passionate about what they do and happy when they wake up in the morning. Being a mother is my vocation and I am proudly working hard in my occupation raising strong, determined young men, but I think my personal legend goes way beyond that-- where to? I am not sure yet... but I will go to bed tonight thinking about it...

things I loved about today

there's a high probability that my kids will go to "real" school next year. I am an optimist and know that whatever happens, it will be for the best. In fact, I know that just by talking about sending our kids to school has been a good thing for my family... these past few months, I have been able to better appreciate the time that I spend with them... because I know that if things ever change, I will really miss the way they were. Today I was thinking about all the little things I love about schooling my kids at home and decided I want to write them down, just in case I ever forget.

• I love reading books in bed together. Today it was Achoo! a kid's science book. It's all about germs and it's really disgusting.... which means my boys loved it.
• I love eating breakfast whenever the heck we feel like it. Sometimes it's early. Sometimes it's around lunch time. But it's never rushed and it's always pleasant.
• I love watching Simon do whatever the big boys do... build blocks, paint, run with the dog, count out loud, recite the pledge, pretend to read with his finger pointing at the words. He is such a lucky kid to have his siblings home all day.
• I love catching Ben studying-- about anything, for no reason at all. Today I found him curled up with two encyclopedias, the A & C. He told me he wanted to find out when the first car was invented, so he looked it up in the C, but it referred him to AUTOMOBILE. Then he said, "Don't you think it's crazy they were nicknamed CARS when car is really short for carriage? I think they should be nicknamed MOBIs." Sometimes I just want to freeze time and keep him 9 and freckled forever.
  
• I love taking a naps with Simon and Zack while the older boys played legos. Not that I won't have plenty of time to take naps if they were in school, but today I slept soundly, not worrying about what time it was or if I would be late for the school bus to drop them off...
• I loved meeting Aaron for lunch and bringing all the kids. This is the third time this week (he's been busy at the office) and it's so much fun being together as a family. No one is missing out-- everyone is together and we always have a good time.
• I love playing slug-bug in the car and "dancing" to YMCA when it comes on the radio. Anyone driving next to us could probably guess what song we were jammin' to.
  
• I love going to the park with our homeschool co-op group. The weather is beautiful and we basked in the sun today. I relate so well with other moms who have their kids home all day. We just "get" one another.
• I loved watching Luke bathe Simon from beginning to end. These boys have learned so much about how to care for a baby. They are going to be excellent dads.
• I loved making dinner at 3, again with everyone in the kitchen. I love when they are anxious about cooking.
  
• I love that the evenings are always homework-free.
  
• I loved beating them in Rummikub three times in a row. Can't touch this!

I know these things are trivial, but they are important to me. Like I said before, no matter what happens, it will be for the best. But today, I am really grateful to be a homeschooling mom. If you are slightly thinking about homeschooling or if you ever get a chance to spend all day every day with your kids, I would highly suggest you take it. It has been one of the greatest blessings of my young mothering career. I wouldn't give up this "trivial" things for anything.

eggies

Yesterday was a hard day. I was super busy all day, but ABSOLUTELY NOTHING got accomplished at the homefront. The house was a mess. Clean laundry was strung all over the couches, I didn't feel like cooking anything, etc. etc. Around 9 PM, I read the kids a story and went to sleep quickly after. I don't even know what time Aaron came home from work.... long after we were snoring.
This morning I woke up with zero ambition. Facing a messy house and dishes in the sink in the morning is sometimes more that I can bear. As I was changing Mr. Poopy Pants and putting him in the bathtub because he has a perma-diaper rash, Zack came running up the stairs asking if I want salt and pepper in my eggs. Uh-OH. What's going on downstairs?? I recruited Luke to get in the tub with Simon while I assessed the damage in the kitchen.
Much to my surprise, Big Ben (the chef) was supervising Zack in the kitchen... and together they were making scrambled eggs and oj. They cracked two eggs and mixed them in a small pot. Nothing was burning, no mess was made. Just two little boys making breakfast for the family because there was no cereal in the house. Oh how I love these boys!
Ben got the baby out of the tub and put on his diaper while I cooked a few more eggies. (Two won't ever feed our family of 4 strapping boys.)
Luke gets dressed and joins us at the table. Simon dishes out everyone's plates.. while Zack coaches.
And those eggies taste yummy, with or without salt and peppa!
We all had a very enjoyable breakfast... until Simon spilled his orange juice, anyway.

Some days are not rewarding... at all. But then the sun comes up and your kids make breakfast, all by themselves. And even though dishes are still piled up in the sink, everything seems right in the world.

just a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

we've been busy around these parts. playing games, running outside with the dog, lincoln logging, shopping at thrift stores, playing at the park, cooking up a storm... you know, the usual.

I have been away from the computer because I've had my nose in a couple of books.. I started The Alchemist on Saturday and finished Sunday. On Monday, I picked up The Hiding Place and only have a few pages left. Both books have been inspiring and so uplifting. I want to BE more and DO more with what I've been given... I am truly blessed and feel such a deep gratitude for my little family. I still love homeschooling and being around my little rascals 24/7. Life is good. "Winter" in Vegas is beyond beautiful. Why don't you come for a visit?