Table Talk Cont.

So I ask my family the question I pose to you all earlier this week. Their responses were : we communicate really well, we have lots of fun together and we know what real love is.  I am glad to know my kids can see these things in us. We are together all the time since we homeschool and run our business out of our house. Sometimes we all need a break but for the most part we all  just get closer. Right after I started homeschooling, people use to ask me if I got tired of my kids, the truth of it is no. The kids do not pick up all the attitudes that they picked up at school before and they don't have the pressure to be a part of something they are not sure of or not mature  enough to decide upon yet. It seems there is more and more today to take our time away from the family;so lets all make an effort to stay connected as families .

Table Talk

I was reading one of the blogs that I follow this morning and she was talking about discussions at the dinner table. I am an advocate of eating together as a family. I think we learn alot when we sit down together and give our children time to talk. Anyway, this family has a jar that they keep questions and topics in so they can draw one every night to discuss. While I think sometimes it might a little much, sometimes it could be lots of fun. I might just have to try this. The main point is have a conversation with the family. Talk about things and include everyone.This helps us to stay close and I think it helps our kids to know they could talk to us about anything.So here is my challenge to you: do this one night this week. I'll even give you the first topic to start with: What do you like most about our family ? I will try to post again later on how this discussion went and you feel free to come back and do so as well. I look forward to hearing the responses. I know our kids always surprise us.

Chores

We are changing up the chores around our house this month. The boys have chores they have to do around the house, but this month, we added a couple of extra ones. This has been a great source of entertainment for me this week. My oldest son is now doing the laundry for he and his brother.He started out doing it the first day and when the first load was done, his brother said are you folding them too? To which he replied yes that is part of it. lol Then he promptly told him that he needed to put his own clothes up,NOW!! Well, here we are a couple of weeks into this thing and I have not seen a load in the washer for awhile,I am wondering when they are going to run out of clothes .Guess I will wait and see if they start the smell test....Hope this one doesn't backfire on me.

Now the youngest ones new chore is to keep the entryway and bathroom clean. The entryway in itself is a job because that seems to be where everyone drops whatever they are carrying when they come in the back door. It seems odd now that there is nothing to trip over in the floor there. I think he may have been the main culprit,as his bedroom floor now is a little more cluttered.At least I can close that door.The bathroom is another story all together . He has done a good job cleaning it,and then trying not to use it. His brother on the otherhand is not cooperating. After cleaning it this week, then seeing the next morning that his brother did not rinse the sink out after brushing his teeth,he had a mild meltdown. I might have enjoyed this a little too much. He promptly marched in the gameroom and told his brother that he had just cleaned that room and he needed to clean up after himself!  I think they have a  whole new understanding for housekeeping.

"Life ain't Fair"

 We have a saying around here that "life ain't fair". Anytime someone complains we say you know what ...Life ain't fair. It may sound harsh but I want my kids to be able to deal with things. Things are not always fair but you have to pick up and go on. Well I tell you it seems lately I am having one of those...uhhhggg,I don't want to...why me times. Everytime I turn around life is throwing something else at me. I am onen of those people that hates for anyone to know something is bothering me so I hide everything. Well I can't anymore... I don't like it ......I don't want to be a grown up anymore..... WHinnnnnnnne,noodle legs(picture it). Ok, deep breath. I will get up off the pity pot ,flush and remind my self that life ain't fair. I know there are lots of people hurting in the world and I really have a wonderful life. I just needed a little melt down.

Thanks for helping me stay sane.

Karate Class Lessons

My youngest son started Karate a few weeks back. It is a neat little program and he is so excited. Just thought I would share a few pics and thoughts about it.

 This is a picture of the kids shoes all outside the door of the room they practice in.

This one is of the kids after they get inside the room and start stretching. 

I know my mind can be a little warped sometimes but I thought it was a little funny that the shoes were all sitting there and around the corner,all their owners were also sitting on the floor. In just a short hour, the shoes would be there waiting for the kids to reclaim and the kids would be there waiting on the parents to claim them. I thought about how as Christians we sometimes leave(fall away) for a time but the Lord is always there waiting to claim us. There is comfort in that. No matter what happens, we will always have someone who wants us. What and AWESOME God we have!!

Mom and Dad Time

I had someone ask me a question this week: do you and your husband do anything for fun besides haul the kids around?  Well if you know us very well, you know that most weekend we are gone with the kids to a rodeo somewhere.We have always said its just what we do. We really enjoy all the rodeos and the fellowship. We do however like to do a few things alone. Now when we sit down to try and think of something to do, it might still revolve around roping somehow.HA HA. Sometimes we just go out to eat or to a movie or play Marioon the wii. After nearly 20 years,Tommy is still my best friend. We do know what each other is thinking and can say words without speaking. We still have lots of fun together. What about my friends out there,what do you and your spouse do together for fun? You must keep it up or when the kids are grown and gone, you will wonder who this person is that you are living with.

Art

We are in Houston visiting family for the next few days. If you didn't know it, several of the museums here are free on thursdays. I decided this would be a good little feildtrip. We headed over to the fine arts museum as it is just a few blocks from us. It is huge! You go through one building and cross a tunnel under the street into another one. There is so much to look at. My youngest was well, not too impressed,fine arts is lost on him. He was a little embarrased that there were so many naked statues and pictures.There a few exhibits that were pretty different that made his mind work. I think his favorite was the piece made out of metal bowls,measuring cups,sifters and other various kitchen things. I enjoyed the all the different styles of paintings and lots of photographs.You just never know what migh jump start someones mind.I bet in a few years TJ would have a whole different outlook on some of the things in there. Then again for those of you who know him, he might not....

Weather

I used to live in west Texas. The weather there can change in the blink of an eye. It can literally snow,rain and burn you out all in one day. Oh yeah the wind blows a little too...like rocks rolling across the road. I will never forget the time the sand blew so bad we had a blackout condition,scared my husband to death. He had never seen anything like it. It is something. I feel like that weather is slowly moving towards us. It seems to change so much and the wind blows lot more here than I remember it blowing years ago.Somedays I feel like my life is like that too,ever changing minute by minute. I know God is the ultimate planner and knows what he is doing. I think he is trying to teach me to be a little more laid back and ready for whatever he wants...not my controlled scheduled. I am not sure I really like it ,but I guess I am learning. I think as the days go on, we will continue to see the craziness and confusion in the world these days. We are being prepared to deal with it no matter what.At least that is what I am thinking and it seems to calm me and help me let go. Although I am leaving a few scratches in the dirt along the way.==================================