Turning 3

Our Little Kalliope has moved from Toddler to Preschooler!  She has grown amazingly in the past year.  Here's last year's birthday photo:

And this years:

Notice the blurring of movement...that might say it all.  This girl is a girl IN MOTION!  She's busy talking, and walking, riding and hiding!  

Here are some of our favorite birthday moments . . . 

The kids pulled out the "Welcome Home" banner they'd made to welcome us back from Ghana.  

Kalliope received a sweet zebra pillow pet from  a long-distance family member.  He's very snuggly and is now named "Deeba" (that is Kalliope-speak for "zebra" if you hadn't guessed)

Farmor sent some new clothes and Kalliope was really so excited.  "My clothes?" she kept asking.

Dad-Dad sent a funny blue dinosaur.  Kalliope is very interested in dinosaurs.  She thinks they are dragons and she loves dragons because her favorite movie is "How To Train Your Dragon."

Gram and Fred sent a fun book, "Pete the Cat".  She had been introduced to this story through a YouTube video of the book (author telling the story and singing songs).  We love to dance around with Pete and sing, "I love my white shoes!" 

From her family, Kalliope got her first "American Girl"-style doll!  She was really excited about this doll.  I think it made her feel like a big girl.  And she is.

Bring on the Cake!

Auntie B stopped by to bring a gift, too.  A magnetic doll set!  

The girls went right to work getting the dolls all dressed up.

And from our friends, and fellow Ghana-parents in Cali, a wonderful book to share!

Happy Birthday, Baby Girl!

Daybook - January 17th: The Big Thaw

outside my window . . .  the Big Thaw is on and in a heavy-construction neighborhood (there are 8 houses currently being built, a few more lots being cleared and prepared) with a giant mud-pit in the middle of the road (stalled road repair) that means a lot of RED CLAY mud.  Yuck.


I am listening to . . . Diane Rehm's story about Mark Twain's biography.  He wouldn't allow it to be released until 100 years had passed since his death.  Not a lot of money for books right now, but this is one I might have to splurge on.  And the 3 at-home kids are busy at the kitchen table drawing and being silly.

I am wearing . . .  jeans (I know, I really need to branch out), colorful striped wool sweater, my favorite Dansko Almandine Tiger's Eye clogs.  I've heard people say that the new ones that are made in China are not as comfortable as the ones from Denmark.  It's hard to say.  My old ones are so comfortable, but I think that is because they are wonderfully worn in.  The "fancy" leather probably has less give than the plain, too.  But now that I've had them for a few months, I think they are just about as comfortable as my old ones.

I am so grateful for . . .  my husband's prayer/accountability group.  He gets up early each Monday morning and meets with two other guys he's been friends with for a long time.  They've helped each other through a lot.  I'm hoping to have the same thing someday soon!

I'm pondering . . .  my mid-year educational re-adjustment.  Seems like the cold winter days tend to make me feel the need to assess what is working and what isn't.  The basics are getting done, but I'm feeling the need to get back to including those enriching areas: nature study, poetry, art, music.

I am reading . . . my new First Things arrived this week!  It is still temptingly-wrapped in its plastic wrapper.  Still plodding through The White Queen (frivolous historical fiction).  Plato's Friendship.  The Reasonableness of Christianity by John Locke.  I'm enjoying the Plato.  The Locke is a very, very slow reading.  This may be on me "reading" pile for some time.

I am thinking . . . about friendship itself and my word for the year "Worth".

I am creating . . . my menu plan for Epiphany Season (Ordinary Time).  I sat down last night and wrote out my plan for the next couple of months.  Enough repetition to make my job easy, but enough variety to not be boring.

on my iPod . . . I've decided that in addition to my Orthodox podcasts, I'll balance out with some Reformed podcasts.  So, I've found a couple...my favorites right now are: The White Horse Inn and Ordinary Means.  I've noticed a decided difference in attitude between the speakers from each church background.  Orthodox speakers, even when very intellectual, have this amazing undercurrent of humility.  I've found the Reformed speakers less so...but I am enjoying getting a better understanding of the Reformed theological perspective.

around the house . . . laundry to be put away, Christmas decorations are taken down and waiting to be boxed up.

from the kitchen . . .  we have some bananas that are well on their way to being ready for banana bread.  I've also got some leftover rice I might make into rice pudding for dessert.

real education in our home . . . Well, as I said, I'm doing some thinking about our home school.  With the move we pared down to just the basics while we got the house settled and haven't quite gotten back to full steam, if we ever were there.  I am one to err on the side of letting my kids explore a new game or interest rather than pushing through with my own school plans.  This can be taken too far...but how far is too far?  Right now my kids are enjoying making a shadow puppet show in our coat closet.


rhythm and beauty in our home . . . we are trying a new schedule to accommodate Toddler L's needs.  Instead of trying to do one-on-one school while she is up with us, I am getting my older daughter (8) up early to do school before Toddler L awakes.  We then do the "fun" school subjects: history and science reading, projects, etc while she is awake.  Then after she goes down for her afternoon nap my younger son (11) and I get his school work done.  We've only done it for a few days, but it seems to work pretty well.

the church year in our home . . . looking ahead into the Epiphany season.  Considering what saints we might want to read about and what days to celebrate.


one of my favorite things . . . this will sound silly, but my mom and step-dad gave me the most delicious jam for Christmas.  It is called "FROG" jam - fig, raspberry, orange, ginger.  It is just heavenly!  I enjoy it on my leftover St. Lucia bread each morning.  And sometimes in the afternoon, too!

the week ahead. . .
:-: school meeting (eldest son's high school) tonight.
:-: a church meeting Wednesday night.  Need to think and pray about that one.
:-: L's adoption day anniversary Thursday (2 years since we passed court in Ghana)
:-: friends over for dinner on Saturday

picture thought . . .

My boys posing in front of a statue in downtown Fredericksburg, VA on our Thanksgiving trip.
I just love this photo.  H (on left) is 11, S (on right) is 14.

Peter Piper's Picks: Feb 20th - Lent Week 1

How was your first week of Lent?

I attended our Ash Wednesday service and had the opportunity to meet three people I've been on the lookout for for sometime.  One is a friend of a friend and also the wife of a local Anglican priest (Hi, AMY!).  She reads my little ol' blog, too!  (It was kind of embarrassing to meet someone who knows me first through my blog.)  The other two are a couple adopting from Ghana!  We shared stories and hope to have regular get-togethers when their children come home.

Today, I only have one link to share...but it is a fantastic one:

• The grandmother of all Anglican link collections: Lent & Beyond.  The blogger, Karen, has an astounding collection of links related to the church year and Anglicanism, but especially LENT.  Grab a cuppa, find a quiet place, and go enjoy some blog reading!

Have a lovely Saturday!

Peter Piper's Picks: Jan 30th - Daughter's Birthday Edition

Today is my dear middle daughter's 8th birthday.  Last year her birthday was a bit overshadowed by our impending departure to Ghana and my own baby shower for Baby L.  This year it seems a winter storm is going to keep us from some of our celebration plans.  So, I'm doing my best to make her day as special as possible.

So, this Peter Piper's Picks is dedicated to my sweet, creative, blanket-loving daughter!


Because Little E (hubby is Big E) is lovely, I'm sharing a Living Lives of Loveliness Fair at Among Lovely Things.  You'll enjoy some ideas for infusing the blah days of winter with a bit of loveliness.

She loves to take photos (got a camera for Christmas so she would stop hogging mine!). Some amazing photos to enjoy today from National Geographic's annual contest.  (you can download some for wallpapers, too!)

Little E (and the rest of my family) loves to chide me about my addiction to "Starschmucks", as my hubby calls it.

Since she's been homeschooled since birth (my only one so far who has not been in an institutional school setting), I'm including a link to a new-to-me page of great homeschooling inspiration and information: Best Homeschool.  (It is so good, I'm adding it to my Homeschool links in my sidebar!)

Ok, and she is really hard to say "no" to.  She's got a really good "aren't I too cute to say no to?" face.  But this post titled "8 Ways to say NO" is really gonna help me!


Happy Birthday, Lady Bug!

Daybook - Monday, January 25th

outside my window . . . the ground is entirely soaked and squidgey from last night's terrific rain.

in the kitchen . . . making chicken stock today for cabbage soup tonight.

around the house . . . my dining room table is finally cleared from all the laundry!  For now, anyway.

from our studies . . . this week we move onto MesoAmerica and volcanoes.  We are finishing a children's version of Canterbury Tales (the kids loved it) and will start Secret of the Andes.  Artist: Durer, Composer: still Edvard Grieg.  Still reading, but coming to the end of, Wind in the Willows.  This week's Latin phrase: "Dum spiro, spero", which means "While I breathe, I hope."

thinking about . . .  how to celebrate my middle daughter's 8th birthday.  We don't do big parties for every year...only the big years.  But she needs a bit of a fuss made over her this year.

listening to. . . it is very quiet this morning despite almost the whole family being up.  Right now I only hear the newspaper shuffling (eldest son reading) and middle son playing with Baby L.

thankful for. . . My sweet middle daughter and her amazing creativity.

reading . . . just finished Lost to the West. If you are a history buff and have any curiosity about the Byzantine Empire and the roots of the Renaissance, I highly recommend it.  What's up next . . . I think the Hidden Art of Homemaking by Edith Schaeffer.  Still reading Divine Comedy (well I say that, but I haven't picked it up in a while), Flannery O'Connor and Dorothy Sayers.

creating . . . continuing to create what I like to call an  "interim mess" while sorting out the house (giveaways and trash).

remembering . . . what we were doing this time a year ago - packing for Ghana.

~ ~ ~

to foster rhythm and beauty . . . this week I need to purchase daffodil bulbs to force for St. David's Day (Mar 1)

to live the liturgy . . . making some Lenten plans, right now collecting good fasting meal ideas for the whole family.  This year we are going to give up some things together!

to educate faithfully . . . stopping to ponder the ideas.

~ ~ ~

one of my favorite things . . . the Dollar Store mug my middle son gave me for Christmas.  (I know it was Dollar Store because I took them there to shop!)

a few plans for the upcoming week . . .
Monday: working at the store in the evening for a bit.
Tuesday: evening phone meeting (at home)
Wednesday: bible study and meeting in the evening.
Thursday: haircut for eldest son
Friday: coffee shop meeting and movie night
Saturday: Birthday for middle daughter!


Enjoy more Daybooks at Peggy’s!

Daybook - Monday, January 11th

outside my window . . . another frigid, icy day.

in the kitchen . . . I've not yet made my meal plan for the week, so I don't know!  Pizza tonight, though.

around the house . . . we are starting our household purge in order to get ready to put the house on the market.  This weekend I went through my bathroom drawers and cabinets and found enough junk to fill a large kitchen trash bag. Now we are on to the books.  Oh my, we have so many.

from our studies . . . this week we are continuing our history and geography studies on Africa.  I made a PowerPoint presentation to take to CC this week to share our photos from Ghana.  I think the two middle kids will do a presentation on adinkra symbols.

thinking about . . . Liberty and how the Great Books give the mind liberty to think clearly without centuries of muddling.

~~~

listening to. . . Bably L starting to make some "come get me up" noises.

thankful for. . . Auntie Beth in the nursery at church yesterday.  Baby L was able to go in with her (she knows Auntie Beth) and was pretty happy.  I got to go to church and sit through the WHOLE service...I even got to listen to the sermon!

pondering the words . . . "People are not won by arguments, but by the fire of our faith" - awkwardly paraphrased from Fr. George Calciu via Fredericka Matthews-Green.

reading . . . Started "On the Incarnation" by St. Athanasius.  It is, as you might expect, fantastic...but not nearly as hard to read as you might think.  If you have access to some of the Church Fathers' writings (see Christian Classics Ethereal Library for lots of them online), you shouldn't be daunted by their age!

creating . . . more space (through our household purge).  It is so freeing!

~~~

to foster rhythm and beauty . . . Christmas is now put away.  This week we are going to starting forcing daffodil bulbs for St. David's day (March 1).

to live the liturgy . . .  today we are going to talk about Baptism (after yesterday's sermon and readings on Jesus' Baptism).  We'll pull out and light the kids' Baptism candles.

to educate faithfully . . .  some days (like today) we get a late start, the trick is not letting that late start entirely derail our day.  There is a balance between allowing the kids to sleep in when they need it and have a slow start and working hard to stay on top of our work.

~~~

one of my favorite things . . . watching Baby L "bump" down the stairs with her siblings.  It is her favorite way to get down the stairs (and is the only way she can).

milestones in the past week . . . Baby L went into the church nursery and did pretty well.  Even though I forgot her pacifier!

a few plans for the upcoming week . . . Monday - school and a bit of work for me;  Wednesday - I have an informational meeting about "Daughters of the Holy Cross", a lay service ministry; Thursday - middle son has a best friends' birthday party; Friday - eldest son goes off to YouthQuake (a youth retreat).




Enjoy more Daybooks at Peggy’s!

Scholar's Year in Review: 2009

I pray that this new year brings each of you peace, hope, joy and love in abundance!

I enjoying looking back over my year as I plan ahead for the new one and in doing that I really enjoy reviewing my blog. Here are some of my favorite posts from the past year:

January
A Family Epiphany Celebration
Our chalking the door tradition has become a favorite for our family.


February
Hello from Accra, Ghana!
My only post from February, but I don't think I could have improved on this one anyway.


March
An Unexpected Lent
My extended stay in Africa becomes an unexpected, but appropriate Lent.

Pacifier Giggly-Girl
But this laugh made it ALL worth it.


April
7 Books for Prospective Homeschoolers
Considering homeschooling (or know someone who is?) - here is my list of great books to help you as you get started.

Quiverfull Questions
Some thoughts on the Quiverfull movement.


May
Pentecost: Reignite your Fire!
My thoughts on Pentecost and the Church this year.


June
Summer is Here!
Typical for me...deciding the start summer break on a whim - and some photos!


July
Ideas for memory work
Sharing some of what we do for memory work.

Baby L says Daddy and Doggie
She's just so cute.


August
Life and Land
Read The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck. Read Life is a Miracle by Wendell Berry. Loved both. Wrote about them.

First Day of Homeschooling
with photos!


September
Obama Meets Wordle
I love Wordle.


October
Embracing All Hallow's Eve


November
Anglican Advent Carnival

On Year Ago Today
Baby L - the first photo and today


December
In the Early Morning Light

A Survey of 2009

2009 Survey for the New Year

1. What did you do in 2009 that you'd never done before?
Adopted a child. Traveled to Africa. Was away from my children for more than 2 1/2 weeks.

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I kept some resolutions and not others. It is just not New Year's without a resolution or ten.


3. Did anyone close to you give birth or get pregnant?
Our adoption is in many ways like giving birth, so, yes.


4. Did anyone close to you get married?
no

5. Did anyone close to you die?
yes. A dear man from church whose presence is sorely missed.

6. Travel?
Ghana, West Africa!

7. Did you move anywhere?
No, but we hope to before 2009 is over.

8. What was the best month?
April - we were all home together for a whole month. I'd finally made it home from Ghana. Hubby was on paternity leave and the kids were done with school. It was AWESOME!


9. What would you like to have in 2010 that you lacked in 2009?
Acreage. Humility. I wish humility was as easy to procure as acreage.


10. What date(s) from 2009 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
January 21st - finding out we'd passed court the day before. January 24th - surprise baby shower. February 4th - we left for Ghana. February 5th - we met Baby L. March 21st - I was reunited with my kids after 6+ weeks and with hubby after 2. May 14th - Eldest son turning 13 and his Intro to Manhood weekend. Aug 26 - my 39th birthday

11. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Flying home solo with Baby L - who didn't sleep more than 20-30 minutes during our 20-some hours of travel. I get nervous traveling with hubby...this time I was entirely alone with baby and all that immigration to deal with. I was a little anxious about it, but it went fine. There were a number of God-sent helpers along the way.

12. What was your biggest failure?
Failing to be proactive to protect my middle daughter from the stress of having a new baby sister who gets LOTS of attention from strangers and friends. She seemed to be doing so well and then suddenly felt entirely overlooked. I'm trying to change that as best I can, or at least provide some sort of counterbalance.

13. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Nothing major - just the run-of-the-mill cold, flu, etc.


14. What was the best thing you bought?
2 yards of batik cloth from Ghana - it was quite inexpensive and made the most perfect baby wrap.


15. Whose behavior merited celebration?
All my kids - great helps to us with the new baby!


16. Whose behavior made you appalled and/or depressed?
appalled - politicians. depressed - our church vestry


17. Where did most of your money go?
adoption (fees and travel)


18. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Baby L!

19. What song will always remind you of 2009?
"Some Kind of African Beauty"


20. Compared to this time last year, are you: i. happier or sadder? ii. richer or poorer?

i. happier in some ways; sadder in others. My parents divorce is final - that makes me sad. Baby L is doing so well and we love her so much - that makes me happy. My dear neighbor has moved - that makes me sad and happy (sad: we miss them, happy: they've got an awesome property).

ii. Easily poorer. However, we are making headway in paying off adoption debt and we are doing (rather I am doing) much better on our cash budget.


21. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Reading.

22. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Blog reading. (can you believe I'd say that? I do enjoy writing a blog and reading a few, but I get sucked into my GoogleReader far to easily)

23. How will you be spending New Year's Eve/Day?
No idea. Would love to have some friends over for family games and such - or go somewhere...but don't know it that will happen. If not, hubby and I will enjoy champagne and maybe some episodes of Bleak House. New Year's Day - I'm making Hoppin' John and doing some school planning.


24. What was an unexpected surprise?
Getting Baby L's Certificate of Citizenship weeks after we returned home (without the expected extra paperwork).

25. Did you fall in love in 2009?
with Baby L - totally.


26. What was the best concert you've been to this year?
I'm not really a concert-goer these days - but we did go to see The Messiah, and it was wonderful.


27. What was your favorite TV program?
House and M*A*S*H reruns.


28. Do you dislike anyone now that you didn't dislike this time last year?
Yes, unfortunately. That's all I'm saying.


29. What was the best book you read?
The Good Earth. I really loved this book.


30. What was your greatest musical discovery?
African "High Life" music


31. What did you want and get?
an iPod Nano.


32. What did you want and not get?
an iPod Nano with a radio (the new one with the radio came out about a month after I got mine for my birthday. Oh, well!)


33. What was your favorite film of this year?
The Visitor. There have been a few others, but this is the one that popped into my mind.


34. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 39 - my last year in my 30s! Hubby took me out for an early morning coffee date in our sporty '69 Datsun convertible. It was a Perfect Start to my 40th year.

35. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Not losing large portions of data and pictures in a computer crash.

36. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2009?
Layered and slightly bohemian, I guess.

37. What kept you sane?
Being able to get mini-escapes to the coffee house with hubby or alone.

38. What political issue stirred you the most?
Health care bill. Obama's messiah-esque persona.


39. Who did you miss?
My Dear Neighbor!


40. Random Memories from 2009?
~ A frantic target trip to get baby supplies the day after our adoption was finalized.

~ Discovering coconut water as a rehydration drink.

~ The guy who carried my luggage off the airplane and all the way to baggage claim.

~ Middle daughter getting a shortish haircut and earrings. First rides around the neighborhood in the Datsun.

~ The hummingbird that got caught in our garage and our attempt to coax him out.

~ Middle daughter lining up 4 cheerios from largest to smallest each morning (representing our soon-to-be family of 4 kids).

~ Boys stacking dixie cups up into a "great wall".

I borrowed this survey from The Common Room.

Daybook - Tuesday, Dec 29th

outside my window . . . the sun gives an orange cast to the tops of the trees while the trunks are still in shadow. The sun will be up and bright soon. 25 degrees - c-c-c-c-old!

in the kitchen . . . Finally tried the "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" recipe and LOVE it. The bread is heavenly! It is so good I'm considering giving my breadmaker away. (well, not really)

around the house . . . Farmor (hubby's mom - that is swedish for Father's Mother) has finally arrived to celebrate Christmas! She lives in Virginia and got snowed in. It is fun to have the celebration continue!

on my iPod . . . Brothers Karamazov

from our studies . . . nothing this week - we are still enjoying our Christmas break. I do need to look over my plans for next semester and gather books, etc.

thinking about . . . 20+ acres, 1900s house, pond, and a 2 huge barns

~~~

listening to. . . my silly cat subduing a stray corn cob holder on the tile floor. (Why is a corn cob holder on the floor? Don't ask, I don't know!)

thankful for. . . hubby who has rescued my temperamental computer once again.

pondering the words . . . "For the real audacity of hope in politics is to know that our fondest hopes will not be realized through politics. Indeed, if our fondest hopes are such that they can be realized by politics, then our hope is a disordered hope."

First Things, March 2009 (somehow I missed this one - I was in Ghana when it came - so, I'm finally catching up on it).

reading . . . finally pulled the plastic off December's First Things. I'm planning a sneak-away coffee hour sometime this week to soak up some of the articles.

creating . . . a plan for getting our house ready for market


~~~

one of my favorite things . . . the old-fashioned looking knit stockings we purchased years ago from "Big Lots". The kids have their own, but these knit ones are for the adults. My mom even embroidered our names on them for us, so each adult has their own stocking.

milestones in the past week . . . Baby L had her first Christmas - at least her first with us. (I've no idea if there was a Christmas celebration where she was last year.) She really seemed to "get" the gift-opening process.

a few plans for the upcoming week . . . Today we hope to go back out to a property we are interested in (that'd be the 20+ acres). Middle son has a sleepover birthday party Wednesday. Hubby has some work to do on his non-profit organization before Thursday. I've got second semester planning to do. And of course New Year's Eve and Day are at the end of the week - no real plans for those, but we'll enjoy some champagne I suspect.


Enjoy more Daybooks at Peggy’s!

Daybook - Tuesday, October 13th

My Daybook for October 13th, 2009

(yes, a day late!)

outside my window. . . the sun is just about at its midpoint for the day. Warm, bright, and sunny with no clouds.

I am listening to . . . my kids taking their lunch break and watching "Leave It To Beaver"

I am wearing . . . jeans, pink short-sleeve top with a long sleeve cream top underneath. Somewhat messy curls pulled back by a headband. Danskos as usual.

I am thankful for . . . a relaxing evening at the bookstore.

I am pondering . . . the idea that that which is built on the solid rock of Christ will last, but this doesn't only apply to spiritual things! "...by the grace of God you may write a poem that will last through eternity...." James McDaniel. What an impetus to the creative spirit!

I am reading . . . finally spent my birthday book money: Czeslaw Milosz's collected poems, a collection of Flannery O'Connor's stories, and Lost to the West (a book about the Byzantine Empire). Still reading Dante and still re-reading the Four Loves (CS Lewis).

I am praying . . . for our mission team in Ghana.

from the kitchen . . . hubby made venison chili last night, and it is delicious!

around the house . . . pulling out the lap blankets and warm down comforters for the coming cool weather.

on my iPod . . . the usual NPR downloads and James McDaniel's CiRCE talk on the Incarnation of Christ's the impact on education.

living the liturgy . . . trying to get back on track with morning and night prayer using the Divine Office podcast. If you don't know about this podcast and are trying to pray the office, I highly recommend it.

educating faithfully . . . learning about ancient India this week, reproduction in animals, reading The House of Sixty Fathers, Children's Homer and Wind in the Willows. We've finally started nature notebooks! I hope I'll keep them up. I think we'll alternate these with our arts studies each week (2 days on each). I'm unsatisfied with our science right now. I'd hoped to do more hands on lapbooks and such. We've done one (and it was a hit), but I just feel unsettled about this area of our studies. Considering using Apologia's Zoology 3 for the rest of this semester.

one of my favorite things . . . my recently rediscovered sunshine yellow cafe au lait cup. Perfect for my morning coffee (au lait, of course).

milestones in the past week . . . Baby L went right into one of her godmother's arms without a second of hesitation!

a few plans for the upcoming week . . . Saturday middle son has his first "Club 56" event (club 56 is for 5th and 6th graders, sort of a pre-youth group), hoping to meet my Dear Neighbor for coffee Saturday AM, and Sunday is a celebration of my grandmother's birthday! We'll be heading back to the mountains for a big family celebration at my Aunt and Uncle's cabin. This will be the first time she's met some of her more extended family.

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Peter Piper's Picks - Sept 19th: Constitutional Edition

St Januarius, St. Theodore of Tarsus


One of my favorite speakers and writers and bloggers, Andrew Kern, blogs about US Consititution Day, Sept 17th. Did you learn the Preamble to the Consitution by watching Schoolhouse Rock, like I did?
ps - if you are a classical home educator, Mr Kern's organization is one you should know: CiRCE Institute. Their most recent conference is out on CD and it will rock your world. Seriously.


What's up in consitutional law these days? Spunky, as usual, has got her ear to the ground. Did you know education is not supposed to be controlled at the federal level? Hard to tell from the recent rhetoric coming from the White House. Check out these two posts (and others...and the comments section, always hopping at Spunky's place) - lots of solid info and many, many links to the issue at hand.


And who do we have in charge (dealing with our constitutional rights)? According to the witty and ascerbic Camille Paglia, "feather-preening bourgeious liberals" and the "back-biting mess" of the GOP. I don't agree with her politics, so it is surprising to find myself agreeing with her. But, I shouldn't be entirely surprised. This same phenomenon (having more in common with someone whose politics are WAY different than mine) happened to me while in Ghana a few months ago.


Finally, some good advice for Christians undertaking debate or discussion with others over political matters (or any matter, really) from Scriptorium Daily: 7 Suggestions for Christians in the Public Square.

Have a beautiful weekend, y'all!

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Don't miss today's Pentecost Carnival!

Blessed Pentecost to you! Our church service for Pentecost was amazing today and ended with an "altar call" (of sorts) for those who wanted to be re-anointed (or for the first time) by the Holy Spirit. I think the whole church came forward! I'll post more about that later...include photos of us in our Ghana garb.

Jessica has posted the Pentecost Carnival at her blog, Homemaking Through the Church Year. The carnival is incredible and full of wonderful posts! Don't miss it!


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7 Quick Takes: April 24th

One
Just started a funny little book called The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald about a "city" girl who gets married and moves to the country to start a chicken ranch. It was written in the 1940s, I believe. Quite funny and sweet. I love a book that causes me to laugh out loud. The last book I read that did that was In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson.

Two
My son got an "A" on his Latin final exam! Not only an "A", but the highest grade in the class! I wish I could take any credit for helping him achieve that, but with the adoption craziness, my Latin lessons with him went out the window. He's done that on his own this semester. I'm so proud of him!! It is the one area I required him to keep up with at all costs...guess it paid off.

Three
Our landscaping project is coming along. The beds in the front and to the right of the house have been laid and mulched. Yesterday, we went to buy a load of rock for the other side of the house and the back yard project. We are coming to the place where I can start planning flowers and bushes and trees. I've got my mind set on a few for varoius spots: dogwoods, azaleas and hydrangeas, but I need to branch out a bit, too. Any ideas? Keep in mind: southern, middle-class, suburb, small lot.

Four
Ok, I'm home from Ghana, baby is settling in, couple weeks of homeschool under our belts, hubby goes "back to work" (he works from home) Monday...life is getting back to normal. All except my housekeeping! I think I need to start FlyLady again. Any flybabies out there? How oh how do you jump back on the wagon after being off it for so long!?!

Five
A couple years ago I inherited quite a bit of silver (placesettings, serving pieces, trays, even a champagne bucket. Some of it was in pristine condition and some of it needed serious polishing. I polished my little heart out for a few weeks (I enjoyed it so much that I even started taking in friends' silver to polish!). Then I found these little 3M silver strips that you put in with your silver to keep it tarnish free. The strips treat the air (much like silver cloth does) to reduce the tarnish - ingenious! They have kept my silver beautiful for two years and have only been replaced once. However, I think I let them go too long inbetween replacing the old strips with fresh ones. My silver is getting black again. Time to polish...luckily I kind of enjoy it. How, you ask? I get a really good book on tape and polish away.

Six
So, we are approaching the teen years with our eldest. He turns 13 in May. Wow. A couple years ago hubby took him away for a weekend to have the "talk" with him and that included discussing dating and our family's approach. Recently, we've seen lots of "boy and girl" stuff going on in various groups church, co-op, etc. All innocent, but we feel it might be time to readdress this with him and as a family. There are some other families we are close to who are in the same place. I'm wondering what resources out there might be available to help us in that conversation (with our kids and among each other). Anyone have suggestions for DVDs, books, etc that discussing a Christian approach to dating, courthship, etc.?

Seven
I have another new blog (I know it is a bit of a sickness, no?). I love the idea of a commonplace book, but I find I won't keep one unless it is online. So, I've started an online commonplace book. I'm really enjoying it and having it online makes it so much easier to sort and organize. Come check it out: Forest of Things.

Have a lovely Friday! Go enjoy some more Quick Takes.


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Week 3 after Baby L's Homecoming

If you got an odd one-liner post earlier, I apologize! My finger slipped and hit the "enter" key and it got posted.)

L is doing great - as I keep saying, but it is really true. The siblings are all truly having fun together. Just this evening, H came and took L out of my arms saying, "Hand me that baby so I can go entertain her a while."

• This week her eating has continued to improve. She's taking solids much more regularly and is having fun feeding herself Cheerios. Bottles are regularly 4-6, sometimes she'll even take a bit more.


• She actually slept through the night! Back in Ghana, she had gotten to the point of sleeping through the night (11pm/12am to 5am/6am and then back down until 7am or 8am) pretty regularly. Then when we came home, we reverted to waking back up many times during the night. BUT - earlier this week, we got a full night! We haven't had a repeat, but I expect we'll start to get more and more of those long night sleeps!


• In Ghana and then back home, she seemed to have a moment every few days where something relatively normal really startled and scared her. We haven't seen her startle like that is quite some time!


• Church on Sunday was probably a bit too much and we entirely missed her morning nap (other than a short nap in the sling while I chatted with friends). But she did pretty well. She got quite upset (but settled quickly) when we went up for prayer (at the request of a friend). I think the closeness of the crowd was a bit much for her.


• Her babbling seems to have returned. In Ghana, we got lots of "da-da" and "ga-ga", but since we got home she's been very quiet, until the last couple of days.


• And finally, she is starting to crawl and pull-up!

Here are some photos:















See how talented she is?

The Cheerios are so good here!

What do you mean I missed my mouth?

Baby L's 2nd week home

Today is two weeks since we made it home with Baby L. I actually seems like a lot longer. Here are some progress notes and highlights:

• Got a clean bill of health from our pediatrician.
• Since we had records of her vaccinations with lot numbers, our pediatrician accepted all her vaccinations from Ghana. No repeat shots!
• She has moved from a bassinett beside our bed into her crib in the girls' room! In fact, last night Ella and she slept in there (in the room, not the crib) together and they both did great!
• Speaking of sleeping, she has begun to let us put her down for naps before she has fallen asleep (but still when she is really tired and has been all snuggled up).
• Her bottle-feeding has really improved! She is now regularly taking 4-5 oz, sometimes 6oz and at least once she took 7oz at one time! We've moved up a nipple flow speed which has helped and she's taken to it without being stressed about feeling choked. This is really big news!
• She's begun trying lots of new baby foods. When she is interested in eating solids she does great, but when she isn't forget it!
• The dogs' barks don't make her cry anymore and she tolerates them coming to say "hello" more and more. She is also quite interested in the kitties.
• She still insists on being in Mama's arms at certain times and there is no putting her down or passing her off. We are glad that she is showing a tight bond, but it does make it hard to get things done.
• Nighttimes are improving, but still we wake up with her (or she wakes before we go to bed) around midnight to 1am and then around 4am. Better than waking every hour or so!

So, that is a quick run-down of her adjustment status. We hope to have her at church this Sunday for Palm Sunday. It will be a lot for her and we'll have to watch for signs that she is getting overwhelmed, but I think she'll do pretty well.

7 Quick Takes: April 3rd - What is Normal?

Today marks two weeks since I returned home from Ghana. It took about 10 of those 14 days to start to really feel "back to normal". Not sure whether that is more due to time change, culture reacclimation, or just being away from my own "normal" for a month and a half. How different "normal" can be from one culture to another! How different normal can be from one person to another!

So, what makes my life seem normal? My time away certainly has clarified what makes me feel comfortable and at home...

One
Pajamas. I adore pajamas...in fact my husband might say I have a slight obsession with pjs. After a long, busy day nothing feels better than peeling off the day's clothes and snuggling into a comfortable pair. Of course, you might guess I have quite a collection and it is a sad day when an old, favorite pair has to be retired.


Two
NPR. My daily routine includes quite a lot of NPR. Liberal bias or not, the stories on NPR are good and more often constitute REAL news (or at least REAL human interest) than what I see on local or national news shows, which I stopped watching a couple of years ago. I really watch very little news on TV.


Three
Morning Routine. Quiet house, dim morning light, warm cup of tea or coffee, reading bible and/or devotional, checking email, reading some blogs, looking over my day's schedule and waiting for the first child to descend the stairs, the sign day has truly begun.


Four
My spot on the couch. We have acquired by "hand-me down" a couch and a loveseat to replace our couch with chaise that had its springs sprung by rambunctious children. It didn't take long for me to find "my spot" on the loveseat. Settling in to this spot at the end of a day ready to enjoy a favorite TV show, a little conversation, and a glass of wine - very normal.


Five
My bed with down pillows and down comforter. I love, love, love my bed. Two christmases ago, my mom gave us a gift certificate to Bed, Bath and Beyond which we used to purchase really nice down pillows. Combined with our down comforter (which we've had forever) they make a most cozy, fluffy, snuggly bed!


Six
The menagerie of pets. Ok, we don't really have a menagerie right now, but we do have two dogs and two cats. We used to have two lizards and their feeder crickets (which we also had to feed, so aren't they pets, too?). Normal is watching my cats and dogs do their funny, well-choreographed dance around each other. The cats sneak upstairs to avoid being excessively "loved" by the dogs. The cats sneak downstairs to make their mad dash for the kitty door. The dogs wait for the slightest cat noise or scent and then bolt after the cats. Sometimes one particular cat actually tries to seek out one or the other of the dog, but carefully to avoid attracting the attention of both. (When there is only one they are fairly gentle, but together they get all "pack"-like and a bit rough.)


Seven
Our books. We have a lot of books. Certainly not as many as some but more than most, I suppose. Often I find myself reading a different books in each room of the house - a book on homeschooling in the family room, a food book in the kitchen, a spiritual book in the library room, and a novel in our bedroom.

So, what is "normal" for you? Leave a comment here and then visit Jen at Conversion Diary for more "Quick Takes".

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Pacifier Giggly Girl

Here she is playing her favorite game. We were still in Ghana and it was so much fun hearing her laugh!

7 Quick Takes: Stuck in Africa!

Our 2 week adoption trip has turned into what will most likely be a 6 week adventure...if I'm lucky - and thus, the theme of my 7 quick takes today.

One
It is truly amazingly hot here. Really - like Africa hot. Even though the temperatures are not exceedingly higher than what we experience at home in North Carolina, the sun is much stronger and the heat is unrelenting. While here, I've realized that while it gets hot at home, we don't really have to deal with it as much at home - all our stores are air conditioned, our cars are air conditioned, and we have whole house air conditioning (not just a room or two).

Two
The past 4 weeks we have had to live day in and day out with a great deal of uncertainty: when would we get our approval, when would we get our visa (still a question), will there be electricity tonight, will there be water to take a bath or do laundry tomorrow, will our food arrive in the next hour, and so on. It teaches you to make do and live without holding too tightly to your own schedule.

Three
There are many sides to life in Ghana today. We've seen the extreme poverty that one often imagines in Africa, stayed in an area of lower to middle class apartments (our first guest house), currently staying in an upper middle class area (our second guest house), and we will soon enjoy another visit to Coconut Grove and its "upperclass" treatment. While there are areas that have no basic services (water, electricity, etc) within the city and outlying areas, there is also a very nice, modern, western-style mall. It is a culture of contrasts as it grows and strives to become a successful African democracy.

Four
The local cuisine is really delicious - at least to me! I'm a fairly adventurous eater, so others may not feel the same way...but I've enjoyed it all: Banku and Okra Stew, Jollof Rice, Red Red, Piri Piri, and LOTS of good fresh fish.

Five
"Obruni" - wow, who knew we'd get so much attention as "white people" (that is what "Obruni" means). The white mamas and black babies cause a big stir wherever we go. It is good natured curiousity usually, but the staring and pointing and shouting of "Obruni" is tiresome after a while. It is hard to be "on display" and watched so much. It is part of international adoption (and transracial adoption) to suddenly be "conspicuous", but that is all the more so here!

Six
The longer I stay here, the more I want to come back...but only so long as I can leave when I want to! We've had some major hurdles getting L's visa (and the other family traveling with us and adopting a similarly aged baby have, too). While I respect and appreciate the US's desire to make sure all adoptions are "clean", there is some disrespect being shown by the US Embassy for Ghanaian government's ability to do this in ways that make sense within their culture and legal system. I may post more about this when I return home as it is a long and involved story. We do believe that once our birth mothers' passports are completed (should be in 5 business days), we will be able to complete the US Embassy's requirements for evidence and we will recieve our visas! AND WE CAN GO HOME!

Seven
Thankfully, hubby has gone ahead and headed home to be with our other three kids. A month is just too long to be away...at least unexpectedly. I feel so much better knowing he'll be there soon. We expect that I'll have L's visa in about 10-12 days and should be able to leave on March 18th or 20th - depending on when we get the visa in hand. I'm not really looking forward to the 10 hour flight with my wiggly (she's amazingly strong and squirmy!) baby on my lap. But we'll manage!

Today is Ghana's Independence Day. I'm hanging out with L (who is having her morning nap - the only way I can manage any typing!) with the Independence Day ceremonies on the television. The uniforms make me wilt just looking at them.


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Hello from Accra, Ghana!

We are sweating it out in Accra! You've never really experienced heat until you've driven half an hour in a hot, cramped taxi in a fumey city, with a wiggly, sweaty baby on your lap...LOL!

I'll post more about our trip here, it has been a good one, but with some downs, too. The best thing, though, is that we have our new daughter and she is doing great! Want pictures?

Uploading is slow, so here is a favorite one until we get home...

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7 Quick Takes - Jan 30

Another week of Jen's 7 Quick Takes...

As I expected, blogging has been spotty, but I didn't want to miss the last 7 Quick Takes before e leave on our adoption trip. That' what's, obviously, been foremost in my thoughts this week, so you'll notice that trend in my 7 Quick Takes!

One
There are so many unknowns about our daughter for us! One of these is "How big is she?" We know that at about 2 months she was around 8 1/2 lbs which puts her in the 5% for weight here in the states. Based on that I'm estimating that now she'll be a little under 12lbs at 5 months. But her two month weight could be a weight reflecting a very low birth weight and her weight gain might be beyond the percentile curves...so she could be up to 16 or more pounds. Of course she could have dropped weight or slowed down on her growth and be still just barely past 10 lbs.

Two
This unknown means we have to bring clothes in many different sizes. I'm bringing a few 0-3 month, mostly 3-6 month, and a few 6-9 month. That goes for diapers, too!

Three
We had packed all our stuff (did a dry run) into 1 large suitcase to check, and 1 duffle-style and one small suitcase carry-ons. In our luggage we were carrying another duffle to help us transport home memorobilia and gifts. But instead we have decided to use both duffles as carry-ons and check both suitcases. Our carry-ons have all the things we "couldn't live without" (and couldn't purchase there) and a few changes of clothes for both us and the baby (my packing prowess is impressive!). On the way home we'll check everthing - except the bag with the gifts and memorobilia.

Four
I am amazed at the number of people who have offered to help - taking our kids, taking dogs, feeding the cats, loaning us travel items, calling in favors, etc. I'm not surprised - we have good friends, but I am really humbled by it all. Adoption is pretty good for gaining some humilty in many ways.

Five
Hubby and I are really looking forward to the adventure of travel ahead of us. We travel well together and enjoy visiting new places. We can't wait to see Ghana and experience the culture! I could pass on the heat, though, but there's no getting around it.

Six
In some ways, hubby and I feel like we are about to go on second honeymoon! At least it will feel that way for the first couple of days and then I suspect the baby will change that! Of course, after you've had more than one little one (especially when you get beyond 2), having just one to care for seems so easy.

Seven
Today is my daughter's 7th birthday! Happy Birthday Sweetie!


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