FIT TO BURST.......book study

This summer a few moms and I did a book study on
the above book, Fit to Burst, by Rachel Jankovic.
It is an awesome book for mothers with young children.
It is a sequel to her first book, Loving the Little Years.
I would highly recommend both books.
I was leading the book study and I looked online for
maybe some study questions to do together as a group and I found none.  So, I  made my own.  I thought maybe
other moms may be doing this book as a study at their
church, with a MOPS group or even just casually with friends.  Here are my questions that I came with for each of the chapters.  I hope they will be helpful to anyone thinking of doing this study in a group.  Here is a little except from the book, just to get you interested : )

"When we do the dishes, when we correct the children, when we mop the floors, when we sort out the clothes and clean out the basement.  When we do all these little things full of gratitude, we are making a difference in the kingdom of God."

There are 18 chapters in the book but they are all pretty short.  The whole book is only 128 pages and a very easy, yet encouraging and challenging read.  I'll post the chapter titles too.

1. The Paradox Perspective

    When and where do you find it the hardest to give and sacrifice?

2. The Unbaked Biscuit

     Do we do things for our children, or others, out of "mommy guilt"?

3. The Mean Boss

     Do you complain to your husband? Are your expectations too high? Are you a mean boss?

4. Panning for Gold

     What do you think is the best way to lay down gold in your children's lives? 

5. Discipleship of the Mundane

     How is this "snapshot" culture affecting our mothering? What bothers you the most, the mundane or the change?

6.  When the Milkshake Runs Low

     When do you feel the most like you are being zapped of energy or "yourself"?

7.  The Time is Now

      Is there something in your life that you want or need to be doing now?

8.  Home Fires

     How do your feel like you are doing communicating your husband's love to your children? How can you better do this?

9.  A Table Served

      How can you make your family meal time better and more memorable?

10. Well Eating

       Is there any way we are too consumed with food or using food to separate us from others?

11. Faith Grows

      Are you worrying over the spiritual state of your children or not taking their faith seriously? 

12. Ungraceful Parenting

      Do you lean towards "all law, no grace" parenting or "all grace, no law" parenting? How can you find the balance?

13. Judgey Pants

      Are we too busy judging ourselves and others to be learned from and learning from the people around us? 

14. Wound Up

       Which of the 3 stresses do you most frequently deal with?

15. A Little Morning Rugby

      When is it the hardest for you to stay "clear and calm"? How can you change this?

16. Popping the Weasel

      Are you able to laugh at your life, your children, their mistakes, etc. and still discipline sin?

17. The Long-Term View

      Do you have a problem keeping the long-term view when you are stuck in the everyday mode?

18. It Ever Shall Be

      Do you struggle with discontent instead of being grateful, particularly in your mothering role? 

      

Children's Book Analogy.....What Stage Are You In?

This past week I met with some friends that I "do" life with.  We've been together for over 10 years now, have helped raise and loved each other's kids and been there for each other through the good, bad and the ugly.  We all have some grown children now, some married and even one of them became a grandmother this week!  We talked about how hard it is to let go and push our precious ones out of the nest.  To let them test their wings and fly. To trust God with them. Then I ran across an old post by my mentor/friend who went to be with the Lord this past year, Barbara Curtis.  She talked about the stage of life when we have adult children and mentioned these books and it got me thinking..........

Oh, what a precious book above.  Have you read it to your children?  Most moms in the US have read it many many times, frequently with tears in their eyes.  For those who have never read the book or have forgotten the story, it is about a mother rabbit who will go anywhere and become anything for her little bunny who wants to run away from her.  This bunny wants to be independent and free, but is still very small and in the end he realizes he needs his mama.  The story ends sweetly with them hugging, kissing, etc.  But, in some ways this book is a bit "creepy", at least that is what my teenagers and college students would say. The mother doesn't want to let go and doesn't want the baby out of her sight.  This is all well and good but at some point, she will have to let go.  I am in that stage now, at least with some of my children, ........so now I must let go and relate to this book........

So, has everyone read this book too?  Most of you moms probably even had this book read to you by your own mother  : ) 
The dog keeps going and going and has a friend that keeps popping into his life saying "hello, good-bye, do you like my hat, etc."  and then leaving again.  He never knows when the "friend" will show up and has to keep saying hello and good-bye and maybe throw in some advice, comments, etc.  This is my life now.  I need to let go.  I need to get use to those older ones coming and going and many times asking my opinion, being my friend, maybe even being my little child for a moment or two, and then they run off again to their next big adventure.  And this is OK.  I need to accept it and not be a "creepy mom" who can't let go. 
So, in the midst of cleaning out my kitchen desk drawer this week (yes, I'm still organizing) I found a typed paper my father had written called "What It Means To Let Go."  I was shocked to see the header!  He must of typed it up to use in a Sunday School parenting class he taught many years ago (he died in 2006.)  Here are some of the points he wrote:

To "let go" doesn't mean to stop caring, it means I can't do it for someone else.

To "let go" is not to cut myself out of their lives, but realize that I can't control another.

To "let go" is to not try to fix, but be supportive.

To "let go" is not to deny, but to accept.

To "let go" is not to enable but to allow learning from natural consequences.

To "let go" is not to regret the past, but to grow and live for the future.

To "let go" is to fear less and love more.

Good job Dad!  

Books I'm Really Enjoying at the Moment

This book has been such a blessing to me over the past month, I just had to share. And no, I'm not getting any sort of kick back from these promotions :). The book is above is by a homeschooling Mom of 6 and its such a lesson in thankfulness, contentment and finding joy in the ordinary. It has really taught me how to see everything in our lives as a gift from The Lord, who is a loving Father that wants to bless us immeasurably! The book in the picture is the devotional version and has a journaling section. The regular book is awesome too but I'm loving this in my quiet time.

This above book is a life changing nutritional book.  It is chock full of wisdom, insight, recipes and health information.  I would recommend this to any mom who wants to eat more healthy, loose weight or has hormonal issues.  Serene and Pearl truly do give down to earth advice and recipes.  Everything is practical and played out in their own lives and they are both very budget conscious as well.  I have loved this book and feel so much healthier!  It's over 600 pages so that is why it's about $30.  You can purchase it from the Above Rubies website or amazon.

Well, happy reading everyone!  Start off the year with a good book!

A Favorite Book/A Favorite Author

     On October 30, this past week, a woman I greatly admired and an author whom I loved, went to be with the Lord.  It was a sudden death, so hard for those left behind, and she left behind a loving husband and 12 beautiful children.  Many of you out there may of already know about her death and loved Barbara as much as I did.  Though I never met in her person, we communicated over email and we considered each other "soul sisters" (her words, not mine :) Above is one of her first books and probably my favorite.  It's such an encouragement and inspiration to mothers, plus her testimony and story is weaved throughout the book, which makes it so interesting to read. 
     I first heard about Barbara almost 4 years ago when my #9 child was born with "a little something extra."  I was in shock after receiving the Down Syndrome diagnosis and began to pour over books about DS and about families with these special children.  She had written a chapter in a book entitled "Gifts."  There she told how her #8 child, a boy, was born with DS and then her and her husband went on to adopt 3 more sons over a period of about 8 years with DS as well.  I was marveled.  I ordered other books she had written and discovered her blog. I finally got the courage to email her and to my amazement she emailed me back pretty quickly and answered just about all my questions in a long personal email.  We then, over the years, emailed back and forth and she even posted some of my blog posts on DS in her blog.  You've probably noticed her blog banner at the right bottom corner of my blog.  She was very political, pro-life and out spoken.  My husband and older children also loved to read her blog.  I will miss her so much.  Just knowing she was an email away if I had a pondering questions and I looked so forward to meeting her in person one day.  I know now it will be in heaven and I know she is in a much better place.  But please be in prayer for her precious husband and children.  This has all made me realize how short and uncertain life is.......don't take anyone for granted.
     

An Awesome Book

I've recommended many books in past posts, but I've never written a whole post about one book, until now.  I don't know the author or publisher, so there is nothing in this for me : )  But this is a great book.  I've read many books on parenting little ones over my 20 years of parenting and this is probably one of the best ever.  It's a quick, easy read.  In fact, I finished it in a few days and quickly picked it up again to read it through a second time.  I don't know if I've ever done that with a book.  If you want a good, uplifting, practical book that is worth the money, order this! The author has 5 children under 6 at the time of writing the book, so she knows what she is talking about and is living it too. I put the link at the bottom of this post. Here are a few little nuggets from the book that especially hit a cord with me........


"Your children are not a situation. They are individuals.  Disciplining an individual for a collective situation is a great way to alienate your children." 


"While your children are little, cultivate an attitude of sacrifice. Sacrifice your peace for their fun, your clean kitchen floor for their help cracking eggs.........Prioritize your children far and away above the other work you need to get done. They are the only part of your work that really matters."





loving the little years

A Boy's Passage

Turning 13 for a young man is a big deal in our family.  My husband years ago read the book "Raising a Modern Day Knight" by Robert Lewis. It is a powerful book that we highly recommend to parents, particularly fathers, of boys.  We do a special ceremony at 13 and then again at 18 for them.  My third son turned 13 this past April and like my husband has done with my other older two sons, he took him on a special camping trip.  This trip also included close family and friends with their dads as well.  They had a great "man time" camping and on the second night of the trip had a special ceremony for Christian.  This past time was the largest crowd they have had on one of their trips and my husband said it was truly a powerful time of exhorting Christian to godly manhood.  My sons, and even my daughters because they have heard it so much, all know the definition of a real man, as taught by Robert Lewis in the above book:
Real Men.......Reject Passivity
Real Men.......Accept Responsibility
Real Men.......Lead Courageously
Real Men.......Expect God's Greater Reward
Other men chimed in encouraging their sons as well and Christian's older brothers and friends shared some awesome things too.  I wish I could of been there, but I know this is a sacred time for young men and I'm so glad my husband has been faithful in planning these times for each of them.

My husband on the trip with four of our six sons......Matthew and Patrick were a bit too young to go.

They were in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and had great weather.

Christian with his 4 special friends.....all fine young godly men!

If you would like to read more about this from my husband's perspective, here is the link to his blog post about it.....it's much better than mine : )

http://jacobsenfam.blogspot.com/2011/06/passage.html

Helping Our Husbands Be Better Fathers

My husband wrote a blog post a few months ago about how us women can help our husbands be better fathers.  So I thought in honor of Father's Day tomorrow  I would post his ideas.  These are things that he tells me help make him a stronger dad and enjoy it more.   I try to do these things, but many times fall short.  Anyway, I thought it was an interesting list from a man's perspective.

1.  Pray with your husband daily.  Even if it's just a two minuter prayer, it's so important to "connect" spiritually.  And praying together for your children is so important!

2.  Give him good chapter books to read to your children at bedtime.  My husband loves this and it's such good "daddy time" before bed.

3. Don't over burden your husband right when he comes from work.  Give him some down time and some "happy time" before dumping on him all that is wrong in the house or with the kids.  Also, be sure to give him a proper welcome when he comes home.  I think this means dropping what you are doing and greeting him with a kiss. 

4.  Defer and show respect to your husband, especially in front of your kids.  Men crave respect and we should always talk positively about our husbands.

5.  Pray daily for our husbands to be better dads.  I love the books by Stormie Omartian..."Power of a Praying Wife" and "Power of a Praying Mother." 

6.  Help your husband with his schedule.  I like to meet on Sunday evenings together and go over the upcoming week with him.  Make sure he has important things down on his calendar......like ball games, date nights, meetings, graduations, etc.

7.  Notice when he does fathering well. This means complimenting and praising him.

May we all inspire to be godly wives to the wonderful men that God has given us.  Yay for Fathers!!!!

Prolactin and Oxytocin.....The Mommy Drugs

God is so awesome and has made us so wonderfully.  I think the way He has created our bodies to breastfeed is incredible.  I love prolactin and oxytocin!  Did you know that prolactin and oxytocin are not only bonding hormones, but are "love" hormones.  I won't get into an anatomy lecture on how a mother's body releases these hormones when we nurse.  They are basically what make the milk and make it "let down."  The awesome thing is that prolactin causes a flood of love and bonding and oxytocin in a relaxing hormone.  I know that I feel so much different when I am nursing.  I'm not naturally a calm, relaxed person.  I can be very intense at times and "emotional."  I also am very high energy and my husband thinks I'm rather hyper.  When I'm a nursing Mom, however, I'm so much more chilled and relaxed.  The messy house and dirty kitchen don't bother me quite so much (and yes, at this time in my life things are pretty messy ;) Nancy Campbell in her devotional "The Power of Motherhood" (which is awesome by the way and you can buy it at aboverubies.org) has an entire chapter on breastfeeding.  She says, "Every time time milk lets down the mother experiences the feeling of relaxation and calm and often becomes sleepy.  God is good.  When we do things His way, we get His benefits.  He knows that mothers need this calming affect and He has graciously provided it for us."   God knows I so desperately need these benefits right now!

My little nursing champ is 3 weeks old already and is eating constantly.....well, almost : )

Praying For Our Children

Recently I shared on praying for our children at a Mom's group that meets at my house.  I thought I would share some of the things we talked about. 

 Praying for our children is such an awesome responsibility and so very important.  So many times we get bogged down with this and that parenting style or this and that parenting book and worried about so many things pertaining to our children.......like schooling options, friends, extracurricular activities, media influence.  And while all these things are important, we tend to neglect praying daily for our kids and speaking blessings over them.  I love the book "The Power of a Praying Parent" by Stormie Ormartian.  It is a powerful book and I highly recommend it.  I have been using this book for over 10 years now.  Another book I recommend on prayer is "The Blessing" by Gary Smalley.  It talks about speaking and praying blessings over our children, similar to how the Jews pray.  I love to do this on my morning walks.  

To quote Stormie, "If you are not covering you children in prayer everyday, you are leaving their lives to chance."  What a frightening thought!  She also says, "God has given you spiritual authority over your children, and your prayers have power.  This doesn't mean there will always be an immediate answer.  Sometimes it can take days, weeks, months, or even years. But your prayers are never meaningless.  If you are praying, something is happening."  

I like to seek God specifically for each child and write down in my journal prayer requests for them and any area their are struggling in.  My husband and I also pray together for them, which I think is very powerful.  Prayer is not something you have to have long stretches of solitude and silence to do either (we all know that with small children this is hard to come by : ) I like to pray when I'm doing laundry, the dishes, in the shower, in the van driving around and like I said on my walks. 

Colossians 4:2 "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."

Quiet Please, It's Quiet Time!

My sweetheart sleeping in....

Lately I feel like I'm yelling the above title more during my morning devotions than I should be.  I wake-up between 6 and 6:30 every morning depending on if I'm walking or not, but I do that specifically so I can have some time to pray and read my Bible before the house gets too loud and crazy.

 I've trained my kids that this is quiet time.  So there is no loud talking, running around the house, TV, loud music or loud playing during this time.  Most of the time they behave themselves pretty well. I've been doing this since they were babies, so they know the routine. We make the below drinks for them....warmed milk with just a drop of coffee.  (Yes, my Norwegian husband started them on this and says everyone in Norway does it, even though he has never lived in Norway : )

So my kidos sit with their warm drink, a Bible or Bible book and cuddle next to me.  But sometimes, if I sleep a little late or they wake-up a little early, things get a little louder then I want them to.  I need my time quiet and preferably alone to start my day.  I have to have that time with the Lord or I just feel like my day doesn't go right.  Even if it's only 15 min!  Lately it's been 30 min. and that's OK too but I just want to encourage y'all to not neglect your time with God everyday and it is possible to do it with a house of small children.
Below, under my chidren's Bibles, is my favorite quiet time mommy devotional.  It's by Nancy Campbell of Above Rubies.  I love all her things, but I have gone through this devotional probably 5 times over the last 10 years.  I love it!  It's called "The Power of Motherhood."  You can buy it off her Above Rubies website (amazon has it, but it's much more expensive.)  You will be encouraged as a mother and challenged as well.  It's just full of scripture.  I highly recommend it!

Duggar Comparisons

Notice our clothes are not very "Duggarish" : )

I love the Duggars, especially now that I am finally getting around to reading their book.  I must admit though, that initially I had a hard time with them having all their kids on TV and I didn't like all the people making fun of them.  But I guess I've gotten kind of used to reality TV and it so nice to see a happy, Christian, functional family on a major station!

Anyway, as you can tell from the above picture, we basically have half the children that the Duggars have and yet, we get so many comments comparing us to them.  Yes, I am a Christian mother with a large family and we do homeschool (at least until high-school and then my older ones have gone to a private Christian school.)  But I know that I am no Michelle Duggar.  I do inspire to talk more like her though.  She has such a gentle and quite spirit and reading her book is really inspiring me to be more soft spoken and well "sweet."  Does anyone else feel this way?  Just talking in her Arkansas, high voice to my kidos, especially when they are acting up, makes them stop and listen and many times laugh.  

I really don't like though when people, especially strangers, say "Oh, you're just like the Duggars!" Do y'all with large families out there in blog land get these same comments? I've been wanting to do a "Duggar comparison" post for awhile..........so here goes:

1.  We have half as many children, but I've only had 3 less pregnancies than Michelle.

2.  Her and Jim Bob are a "little" older than me and my husband.

3.  They have 4 sets of front loader washer and driers.  We have one set ( I told my husband that this means we should technically have another set : )  Actually, we get along just fine with one set. They must do a lot more laundry than us.  Her books says they do 40 loads a week and we do 10 with only half as many people.  Maybe they wash towels and sheets all the time, I'm not sure.

4.  They go through the same amount of milk that we do a week, which is 7-8 gallons.......hard to believe!

5.  They go through 16 boxes of cereal a week and we go through about 3. 

6.  Their grocery bill each month is exactly double what ours is, so we are pretty much on the same track.

7.  All their kids take violin.  All of mine take piano.

8.  My kids do organized sports, the Duggars do not.

9.  They homeschool all the way through and it seems like they are not into college.  I'm hoping all my kids do go to college, but I won't force the issue.  I want them to follow the call God has on their lives.

10.  We live in suburbia, not out in the country and my kids are allowed to play with other children.  We do limit TV, though I'm sure we're not as strict as they are.

Well, that's about it.  This post is pretty random but it's actually been on my mind for a while. Hopefully one day I'll get to meet Michelle!

My Mom with all my kids on Christmas Day.  She is always so happy and positive when we announce a new little one is on the way.  I'm so blessed to have her!

My Take on Pregnancy

     OK, here is a picture of me when I was almost due with my last baby.  It was 2 weeks until his due date and I wasn't real happy with my darling husband taking this picture.  Anyway, I have actually had 10 full term pregnancies (I had one precious son who was still-born in 2000, but that's another blog post.) Since I have gone through so many pregnancies and also am an RN that worked on a high-risk prenatal floor for 2 years, I thought I would give some "pregnancy bullet points" as I call them.  So here goes:

1.  Morning sickness is yucky and I've tried just about everything to stop it.  Nothing really works, you just has to persevere through it.  Thankfully you will get amnesia regarding this and really not remember how bad those 8 weeks were.  But, I have found that hot tea and toast in the morning is a life-saver, as well as Vit. B6, and eating protein and carbs basically all the time.  Don't worry about weight gain at this time, just get through it.

2.  Keep exercising through out the pregnancy, unless your doctor or mid-wife has told you otherwise.  I usually can't exercise much the first trimester, but when I'm feeling better than I go back to my regular routine of 3 days of cardio alternated with 3 days of strength.  I do love the book "Pregnancy Pilate's."  It has a great routine for each trimester and I do that once or twice a week for my strength day.  Walking is great for cardio.  I did jog through half of a few pregnancies, but I don't think that's really the best for your uterus if you plan on having a lot of babies.

3.  Take childbirth classes (I love the Bradley Method) for your first pregnancy and we even took a refresher course during our second pregnancy.  I really wanted to avoid a c-section and managed to until #8.

4.  Eat healthy and really don't double your intake (which I did with my first baby and gained almost 50lbs).  I love the Brewer Diet (you can google it) for pregnancy, even though I probably only followed it strictly for 2 of my pregnancies.) I do allow myself to have one dessert a day as long as my weight isn't creeping up too much.  I do usually gain 35-40 pounds each time.

5.  As far as getting the weight off, breastfeed and exercise is what I tell women.  Try to exclusively breastfeed for at least 6 months and them keep breastfeeding until at least 12 months.  This keeps your body making lots of milk and burning calories.  Get breastfeeding support.  You may need to do this before the baby is born.

6.  Enjoy the pregnancy.  I treat each pregnancy like it were my last.  You just never know if you will carry a precious little one again.  Buy cute clothes ( I love Target and ebay for this) and indulge yourself some.

7.  Rest everyday on your left side-especially the last trimester.  This keeps fluid down and is good for the baby and you.  Get good sleep at night now and be all ready for baby by 37 weeks, cause you never know!

Well, I know this isn't all inclusive, but it's all I have time for today.  Feel free to ask any questions!  

My Favorite Homeschool Recommendations

Books:

The Successful Homeschool Family Handbook by Dorothy Moore and Raymond Moore
Mommy, Teach Me: Preparing Your Preschool Child for a Lifetime of Learning by Barbara Curtis
Mommy, Teach Me to Read: A Complete and Easy-to-Use Home Reading Program by Barbara Curtis
Homeschooling at the Speed of Life: Balancing Home, School, and Family in the Real World  by Marilyn Rockett
A Charlotte Mason Companion: Personal Reflections on the Gentle Art of Learning by Karen Andreola
Educating The Whole Hearted Child by Sally Clarkson

Managers of Their Homes by Teri Maxwell


                                                    Websites:

NCHE. com (North Carolina's HS website)

Youcanhomeschool.org (some general information and FAQ)
Sonlight.com (a literature based homeschool curriculum and support)

Abeka.com (traditional textbook homeschool curriculum)
Timberdoodle.com (eclectic, hands on homeschool supplies, great for younger children)


                                         Tried and True Curriculum:


Abeka Phonics and English
Horizon's Math (K-grade 6)
Saxon prealgebra and algebra
Calculadder Math Drills
Reason For Writing handwriting
Building Thinking Skills
Spelling Power
Apologia Science
Five in a Row Literature for younger kids
The Story of the World

Managing Laundry

Does anyone else ever feel like laundry is taking over your house?  You know, not only the daily clothes, but dirty towels, sheets, friend's clothes that get left over here and even doll/teddy bear clothes!  You know I'm glad I have all this laundry to do, I'm not complaining, really :o)  I do like to do laundry compared to other chores around the house though.  I think it's just because I like clothes.  Also, a friend shared this with me a back when I only had 3 kids......she said that as she folds clothes she prays for the person whose clothes she is folding.  I don't always do this, I must admit, but I try to.  Anyway, so as to not get overwhelmed with laundry, I do one large load everyday.  I have a large capacity upright washer and drier and I fill it very full.  I alternate between a light or white load and then a dark load the next day.  I have a basket labeled with each child's name and as soon as it comes out of the drier and is folded, I put it in their basket.  When their basket gets full, then I put it at the bottom of the stairs and they have to bring it up and put their clothes away.  Usually I fold clothes after dinner is cleaned up.  I take the load out of the drier and put it on the kitchen table and my husband and a few kids help me fold.  A child throws down all the dirty clothes from upstairs and I put on another load.  I do sheets on Saturday.  I used to be pretty obsessed with changing all the sheets weekly because this is how I was raised but now I just try to wash everyone's sheets bimonthly.  I know some large families have their older kids do their own laundry, but with only one washer/drier set, I feel like this would complicate things.  My older kids do know how do laundry and now my one son in college is doing his own, thankfully :o) Oh, their is a book by one of my favorite authors called "Lord Meet Me in the Laundry Room."  It is a great mommy book and encourages moms to take laundry time as a quiet time to spend with Him, if you can.  Well, off to fold clothes!

Managing Chores

Well, I have started a new chore system with my kids and I had to share it.  It is actually working! I bought this book by Teri Maxwell called "Managers of Their Chores".  I'm using a version of what she recommends.  I would highly recommend the book, even though it is pricey (and a little preachy), but you can do her system without buying the book.

     Basically, this is how it works.  You make a list of all the chores/jobs that need to be done around your house on a daily, weekly, monthly schedule (the book does help you with this part, but you can brain storm or use another      Well, I have started a new chore system with my kids and I had to share it.  It is actually working! I bought this book by Teri Maxwell called "Managers of Their Chores".  I'm using a version of what she recommends.  I would highly recommend the book, even though it is pricey (and a little preachy), but you can do her system without buying the book.      Basically, this is how it works.  You make a list of all the chores/jobs that need to be done around your house on a daily, weekly, monthly schedule (the book does help you with this part, but you can brain storm or use another list online).  We have 10 daily chores that need to be done, about 40 weekly jobs and about 10 monthly jobs.  Then you buy a little clipper/holder for each child and each day you "divy" up the jobs.  Each child has their regular chores they do everyday, such as make bed, clean room, etc.  Then each of my children gets 2 daily jobs and 2 weekly jobs each day except Sunday.  On Saturday we do daily jobs plus the monthly jobs.  Of course, when we first started this I had to do training on most of the chores for the younger ones and even some of the jobs for the older ones.  The book recommends assigning the chores/jobs to each child that they do each day or week.  But, I like assigning the chores daily and my kids all get excited (well, the little ones do :o) about what "jobs" they have each day.  It keeps things exciting to mix it up a little.  One thing I also do different from the book is that I have a daily kitchen helper.  Each child knows what day of the week that they are kitchen helper.  Kitchen helper gets no other jobs for the day because they are the dishwasher unloader and loader.  They also help me prepare and serve each meal and set the table.  list online).  We have 10 daily chores that need to be done, about 40 weekly jobs and about 10 monthly jobs.  Then you buy a little clipper/holder for each child and each day you "divy" up the jobs.  Each child has their regular chores they do everyday, such as make bed, clean room, etc.  Then each of my children gets 2 daily jobs and 2 weekly jobs each day except Sunday.  On Saturday we do daily jobs plus the monthly jobs.  Of course, when we first started this I had to do training on most of the chores for the younger ones and even some of the jobs for the older ones.  The book recommends assigning the chores/jobs to each child that they do each day or week.  But, I like assigning the chores daily and my kids all get excited (well, the little ones do :o) about what "jobs" they have each day.  It keeps things exciting to mix it up a little.  One thing I also do different from the book is that I have a daily kitchen helper.  Each child knows what day of the week that they are kitchen helper.  Kitchen helper gets no other jobs for the day because they are the dishwasher unloader and loader.  They also help me prepare and serve each meal and set the table.  

     Below you can see a picture of how we hung up their holders for the jobs and how I assign them.  We've been doing this for about a month now and I feel that my children are working more with better attitudes and my house seems cleaner and straighter on a daily basis.  Hope this helps someone out there and if you live near me, you can borrow my book........happy cleaning!

Teenagers.......it really is worth it!

The other day I was at the gym and heard two moms talking. I could hear them in the locker room but they didn't know I was listening. They were talking about children growing up and becoming teenagers. One of the women sounded very depressed and discouraged. She kept saying that it just wasn't worth it and that she might as well of not even had children. She said that her teens were horrible and disrespectful and even if she made it through these years that were just going to leave anyway. The other woman gave very little encouragement she just kept saying that maybe they would give her grandchildren. I wish I had had the boldness to interrupt and say something encouraging but not knowing either one of them, I did not. I wanted to tell them, that yes, it is worth it! They grow up to be your friends and fellow soldiers in God's army. Yes, they will leave, but they will marry and hopefully give you lots of grandbabies to love on. I know the teenage years can be hard and somewhat scary to look forward to for those with young children. But I just wanted to encourage you that with the Lord it is a wonderful journey!

My first child is William, 19 years old now and doing great. Really, for all of you with toddlers, it does pay off. He is cute, smart, grounded but most of all loves God and is very passionate about his beliefs. He attends UNC Chapel Hill and at the moment is a pre-med major. He got his EMT certification this summer and just got hired at a Durham EMS station. He plays bass guitar for our church's campus ministry and is also involved with Campus Crusade on the UNC campus. He was homeschooled through 8th grade, and I'm so glad I got to spend that time with him, because it all goes by so very fast. I cried a lot the first week he moved into the dorm, even though he is only 25 min. away. I'm so glad we get to see him weekly!

My second child is Benjamin, 17 years old and won't stop growing! He was a big, fiery child from the start but is turning into a great young man of God. We had to be tough with him as a toddler, but it has paid off. He loves God and has such a servant heart. He is planning on going into the ministry and has 1 more year of high school after this year. I am homeschooling him presently, which basically is just making sure he gets to his classes he is taking out of the home and watches his computer classes. I'm so glad he is around a lot right now because he plans on attending a Christian college out of state.

My third child, and first girl, is Anna who is now 15. She is such a jewel! She loves God with all her heart and is so passionate about reaching those who don't know the Lord. She will invite basically anyone to youth group, even the "starbucks" girl that she just met. She has tried a few sports, but is basically an "artsy" girl. She is great at ballet, singing, drama and piano (anything having to do with the stage). Even though she is the oldest girl, I have tried hard not to have her work too hard around here helping with her younger siblings. She loves children though and has had a lot of practice. She really wants to go full-time on the mission field after high school, but we are encouraging her to get some practical training first in either nursing (I'm biased) or education. I'm praying she stays close by for a few years after high school.

I guess I wrote this article just to brag on my teens and to encourage those with little ones, that yes, it is worth it. My husband and I have a long way to go with all our other younger ones, and even with these older 3 we are not out of the woods yet, but it is so fun seeing them grow and morph into their individual bent. I would highly recommend four books on parenting teens.......these are "How to Really Love Your Teenager", "Raising a Modern Day Night", "Raising Daughters of Virtue", and "The Power of a Praying Parent." Prayer is such a huge piece of the parenting puzzle that is not talked about enough. Pray for your kids everday. Speak blessings over them. Pray over their rooms......it will pay off. Happy parenting!