Joy-FULL February 2011 ~Day 16/Simple Woman's Daybook

Here's is another Simple Woman's Daybook entry. LOVE, love, LOVE these posts, and how they insist that I slow down, think coherently, and organize my feelings into word pictures. Here we go.

For Today...February 23, 2011
Outside my window... the sun shines bleakly through the thick clouds that are so rare here. It is breezy and cool. Although cool is relative, of course : ) Dan still rode his motorcycle to work.
I am thinking...That I'm glad I gave myself today 'off' I've been busy all day, I can't imagine how I would be feeling if I hadn't been a slacker today, HA!
I am thankful...for boys that have played so nicely together today. Playing imaginative games, helping one another out with chores and school, and coloring all together. It is sweet! I'm also thankful for filed taxes and the anticipation of getting our money back soon. Does that make me shallow?? I sure hope not!

From the learning rooms...today, very little. Just a math and spelling lesson. Usually, we get much more accomplished, but that's why we needed a break today, so we could get to those other things that pile up when we aren't looking.
From the kitchen...nothing yet. Dinner is Steak Fajitas. YUM~O! Other meals this week include ham and bean soup, lasagna, pizza, a popcorn and veggie tray night and to my everlasting shame, beanies and weanies. BLECK, but the boys love them, so I am allowing them their disgusting treat. I'll have salad! LOL!
I am wearing...jeans and a layered t-shirt, along with bare feet and ridiculously SHORT french braid. I still feel a bit bald after this month's donation of hair.
I am creating...sassy new hairdos, mended jeans, creative boys and a happy hubby. And less mess due to still unpacking boxes here and there that keep appearing.
I am going...to work later this evening, running the Mama taxi later this week, and taking a trip to the library, too.
I am reading...a fabulous book that breaks down the constitution into little phrases and makes it understandable. If you've ever wanted to really get INTO the constitution, read this book.
I am hoping... that Dan has a wonderful birthday on Friday, and that school continues to roll along in the smooth fashion that is has been for the past few weeks!
I am hearing... Dan's router buzzing in the garage as he creates cutting boards for friends, D and DT playing video games together, and Patrick sighing loudly over having to use the dictionary to finish his spelling lesson. Outside I can hear Shadow barking at the Fed Ex truck as it rumbles past, and the cars driving in and out of the neighborhood. All nice, homey sounds, well except for the router, it's noisy, LOL!
Around the house... a load of laundry waits to be folded (as always) dinner is about to get started and the WHOLE house could use a good dusting. But, pictures are up on the walls, the floors and counters are clean, as well as the bathrooms, and I know where all the library book are for once : )
A few plans for the rest of the week...Dan's, my Mom's and Lily's birthdays this week, GAME NIGHT returns after cancelling last week for a road trip, work, work and more work for Dan and I both, and homeschool just keeps rolling on. Oh and James and T will be over tonight and Friday so Jodi can tutor. A nice full week.
A picture thought I am sharing with you... A few of my wild hooligans that I can family. Dan and Derek during the gymnastics meet on Saturday in Phoenix. And David working on his handstand press.

This post is brought to you by The Simple Woman over at her site, appropriately named http://www.thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/ Check her out!

Joy-FULL February 2011 ~Day 15

I find JOY in the small things, the simple things, and the quiet things. A chat with a friend, a letter in the mail, a good book, a thoughtful comment, an appreciative hubby, cheerful boys, or a kind cashier at the store. These are all 'little' things, but they do bring cheer to the heart. The stillness of the morning before the regular mayhem and chaos take over, a cup of hot tea with an encouraging/funny/helpful blog to read, laughing with friends at game night, the mountains in the distance, or driving back into our town in the late evening and watching the lights as they twinkle from the distance getting closer and closer. A secret whispered in the ear, whether it be from a sticky faced 5 year old, or a question from a teenager, or even something silly from the hubbs about where he hid the chocolate stash from the kiddies. : ) I love going to from room to room after the boys have been shooed off to bed, and finding them all reading a new book, or realizing that they've all piled into one room because they prefer not being apart. Hearing Dan say that he wants to live here forever. These are all little things on their own, but together they make one wonderfully JOY-filled life. I am blessed.

Now then, where IS the chocolate???

Joy-FULL February 2011 ~Day 14

I {heart} homeschooling! I do, it's great! I get to spend time with my boys, who will be grown and gone before I know it, I can teach from a Biblical perspective and I can decide how and what they learn. There's so much more to it, but those are the overriding principles of it. Teaching a child to read, do his letters correctly and finally "GET" math, that brings me great JOY. I've learned so much from teaching and learning alongside of the boys. All my boys know how to bake, care for babies, clean the house and how to have friends that aren't in their exact age bracket. I also give 'how to be a good hubby' lessons, LOL! They are curious, and we can chase down those curiosities. Just yesterday we discussed Siamese/conjoined twins (what they are, how they form and how cooperative they must be for each other) texting and cell phone usage etiquette, and the history of Valentine's Day. And that was all before lunch. : ) Other times, we watch animal videos, How It's Made video clips, do crafts, go to the farmer's market, or read a 'classic' and then watch the movie to see if they followed the storyline. If there's an 'old' version and a 'new' version of the movie, even better. One we really enjoyed last year was "Around the World in 80 Days' which David and Patrick managed to read in just 2.5 days. I could go on for days about how much JOY homeschooling brings me, but I'll hush.

I will add this disclaimer...

I don't think homeschooling is the best choice for everyone. I don't think that sending your child to public or private school is anyone else's decision but yours. I'm not a public school basher, or a private school hater. We just do what works for us, as should you. Please don't anyone think that I'm judging you if you don't homeschool.

Joy-FULL February 2011 ~Day 13

Still behind. Gotta catch up, hold on, here we go~
Today I want to just quickly mention something that bring me JOY. Taking these trips with the family for David's gymnastics has just been wonderful. We rarely go anywhere outside of our town, as we're all basically homebodies, but we do like an occasional adventure and these have provided just the right amount of excitement. We plan it all out, we pack up and head out. We get to watch David enJOY his new found sport and that brings us JOY. It also prevents us from wasting the whole weekend in front of the TV, running errands or just wasting time in some other fashion. It also makes us appreciate how much we enJOY being home. (see previous post) We've been to Rio Rancho, to Albuquerque twice, we're heading to Phoenix this weekend and before the season is done, we will have been to Albuquerque again, had a meet here in town and possibly even Colorado Springs for Regionals. Along the way, we've visited with old friends, made some new friends, squeezed in some family fun like putt putt golf and our first visit to a tapan grill restaurant, and had several delightful conversations that only seem to happen in the car on a long ride. Such a blessing this has turned out to be! Thanks you Jodi for helping us get started. : )

Joy-FULL February 2011 ~Day 12

I LOVE being home. Love it, love it, LOVE IT! I love watching the boys wake up each morning all sleepy-eyed and bedhead-y, I love sending Dan off to work with a full tummy, a tasty lunch, a smile and a wave. I love keeping the house neat (err, most of the time I love that) I love being able to run my errands during the day when less people are crowding the stores. I love homeschooling, I LOVE being the one that gets to spend time with them and I love having dinner ready at 5:30 every night. Call me old fashioned, call me June Cleaver, Suzy Homemaker or Betty Crocker, call me irrelevant and outdated, I don't care. I just LOVE being home. It brings me great JOY to be able to provide for/contribute to my family in this way.

Joy-FULL February 2011 ~Day 11

My goodness I am behind! Let's get this back on track with a few shorty posts. For today, the generosity and kindness of my friends that read this blog bring me JOY. They never complain when I am late, offer kind comments when something touches them and they almost all write things that inspire me. So today, it's all about YOU~

What brings you JOY?

Joy-FULL February 2011 ~Day 10

(Kayla, this one is just for YOU! EnJOY the guilt blanket)

Again I'm late, but several of the past few days have just flown past stuffed full of life, errands, school, chores, baking and then my 'real' job. I use quotes around it because I consider my REAL job to be this one at home, but the world considered my real job to be the one at Kohls. For today, let's focus on Kohl's. I enJOY my job with Kohl's. I do! It's late at night, doesn't interfere with our family time much, doesn't require us to purchase another car, hire a sitter or go to public school. It's a pretty good compromise as far as jobs go. I also enJOY the people that I work with, the ad set team is the hardest working team on the property. Just ask us, we'll tell you *winks* Actually, because only 8 of us are trained to do ad set, we always work with the same people each night, so we've become friends and teammates instead of a revolving door of new faces each night. I will admit to enJOYing my employee discount, too! As a whole, it's not a bad gig. Dan is happy because I'm working, I'm happy because I'm honoring him and God, and not having to 'sell out' to accomplish my goals. All in all, it's great!