WFMW: Book Organization

I'm a book freak. I can't help it. Really, I'm pretty weird. Love the smell of them. Don't like to break the spines. That sort of thing. BUT I also like to read them.  :)  And I want the same for my kiddos.


So we have a "Book Room." That's what we call it. Because I wasn't clever enough when I established it to think of calling it a "Book Nook." Duh. Oh, well. Anyway, it serves its purpose. We have lots of great kids' books. (Keep in mind I used to teach public school.) And a place to read them in peace and quiet. Of course, we pull them out for naptimes and bedtimes as well.

Notice paperback chapter books and Little Golden Books are kept up high, while board books are kept on the floor in a basket. For obvious reasons.

But we also enjoy the library. A lot. And I let the kids each bring several books home with them. Noah is allowed an unlimited amount. ('Cause I'm so sweet that way. Shh. Don't tell the others.) How do we keep the library books from mixing with our own collection and, hence, causing major freaking out on this momma's part when books are due?! 

We keep a small basket next to a bedroom door in the hallway. All the kids have access to it. It's handy for rest time and for bedtime stories. And the books...after they've walked off...have a place to which they can return. If only momentarily.

Some of the books will inevitably be chapter books that will take us quite some time to finish, so those books and any of our own collection that we are "working through" go on a tray in the living room. So that they're less likely to walk off.  ;)


I'm participating in Works for Me Wednesday.

The Symphony

In response to Your Secret Name by Kary Oberbrunner, Chapters 8 and 9:

At first glance, these two very short chapters seemed to not have all that much to say, but what the author lacked in word count, he made up for in SPACE and QUIET, allowing God to speak. And when God speaks...

wow.

For instance, one great quote...

"All our baggage makes it hard for us to move, so it's a good thing God isn't waiting on us."

...provokes a flood-gate of real-life examples in my mind. Mucho baggage. Anybody else stuck in a side room surrounded by bags with ugly labels? And overwhelmed with the knowledge that you've got some places to go and don't know how you're going to get there dragging all this crap? I know about that room. And it's a discouraging place to be.

But I loved the note Kary received that taught him, in essence, that God didn't want him to be discouraged.

That really made me think. Hmmm... God. doesn't. want. me. discouraged.

You know why?????????

Because when we're discouraged, we are really saying less about OUR inability to deal with life and more about GOD'S inability in our lives. Think about that. How can we possibly think HE'S unable to move and work in our lives?! HIS strength is plenty...and perfect.

"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

The beauty is that He doesn't need us to do the moving. Faith is sometimes hard to drum up. In fact, in the times when we're at our weakest, it may be OTHERS who do the believing for us. It may be a mother who persistently quotes a Scripture over her child as he suffers from a speech impediment. It may be her belief in a God who can heal all things. And that amazes me. That in His providence and understanding, He even provides faith in our weakness. Faith on our behalf.

Another thing that jumped out to me was a moment in which the author felt like he had lost God. And he wondered how the things he was living through could possibly "harmonize with God's preordained plan." And I knew exactly what he meant. Because...ahem...I've lived. And life? Well, it ain't always easy. It ain't always pretty. And when life is hugely horrible...in the moment, when we're still reeling with the shock and trying to understand WHY...

Why did my baby have to die?

Why have I been rejected?

Why do I have cancer?

In those heartbreaking moments, we often lose sight of the fact that "it's not about us."

Our experiences don't NEED to harmonize with His preordained plan. Because His plan is not. about. us. It's about HIM.

But here's the thing. Those past experiences--those heartbreaking, awful, "I-can't-live-through-this" moments--they WILL harmonize with His plan. 

As time passes, you'll begin to hear the refrain. You'll see that in losing your baby, you now have compassion for others who have lost and a greater appreciation for the miracle of life. You'll see that while others may, God never rejects you--that you are held fast and close by His mighty, loving Hand. You'll see that your cancer is the tool He is using to shape you into a more beautiful creation.

In the end...you won't need to strain to hear the harmony. 

There will be a symphony.

Read other responses at Marla Taviano's blog. 

Project 365: Week 14

Sunday, March 28, 2010

Palm Sunday

At church, the children waved "palm" branches and shouted, "Hosanna!" while parading down the aisles during our worship time.

Please pay no attention to the fact that Saylor's dress is on backwards. Please. (Insert "humiliated lowering of head" here.)

Atticus did his fair share of palm-waving on the sidelines.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Saylor read her first real book today. She had no idea she could read that thing. How exciting to discover you can do something seemingly impossible!!

(Honestly, this particular video was taken on Easter Sunday--hence the Easter dress--because her mommy somehow lost misplaced the original video. How sad is that?)

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Today Noah found this white basket I wasn't using and decided to engineer himself a basket for his bicycle. Not a bad job, eh?

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

It's so nice outside and so HOT inside that we've been airing the house out every evening. Tonight Paul just had to go outside and catch these two roomies peeking out into the night.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Atticus has just recently learned to drink from a straw. Now he can enjoy kefir smoothies with the rest of us!

Friday, April 2, 2010

After the kids went to bed tonight, Paul and I got caught up on this week's episode of Lost. Our TV had spent the better part of this week disconnected and waiting on a repair man to come replace the capacitors in it. FYI: If you have a Samsung TV that starts clicking when you turn it on and taking longer and longer to actually COME on, well...your capacitors probably need to be replaced. Call Samsung and tell them you want it fixed. They'll coordinate a local repair man to do it for free. That is, if your husband is like mine and can get ANYbody to do ANYthing he wants.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

Today was Noah's first soccer game of the season. And yes, we ended up doing Upward Soccer again, despite our dissatisfaction with the program last year. One giant reason we came to this decision: the field is a whole TWO MINUTES from our house. Now you know where our priorities lie.

Celebrating Win #1

Go Hurricanes!

Y'all, I can't believe I've managed to keep this whole project thingie up for 14 weeks! Hooray for me and thanks to Sara!

Project 365: Week 13

Sunday, March 21, 2010

We have this great, really HUGE green belt behind our house. It's sort of a pathway for the deer. They travel back and forth behind our house, and even though we've seen them lots, it never gets old. Most of the time they travel in a group of about fifteen. Yes! Fifteen!! So, you can understand why it's so thrilling when we spot them. This morning there were just two, but they were all the way up close to the house. Of course, the big retaining wall still kept them plenty far off, which made me so mad that I wasn't prepared with the zoom lens on.

This afternoon was filled with Daddy fun.

(Paul was lying on the floor and would hold the kids up over his head, while lightly shaking his arms. The kids like to say, "Uhhhhhh" and then giggle at the vibrating sound it makes. These photos were taken from underneath their little game.)

Monday, March 22, 2010

Saylor and Gabe were playing with these animal puzzle cards today. Saylor was getting a little overwhelmed because there were so many, and she couldn't seem to find the correct word pieces to fit the animal pieces. Then suddenly she realized she could figure some of them out (using some decoding skills she didn't even know she had). Within a minute she had matched up four, and she kept it up, too!

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Errands.

And I used Magic Eraser on a little problem...

BEFORE

AFTER

So. Magic Eraser? Definitely magic.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

An impromptu after-dinner game. Always the best kind.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Somebody's got the giggles.

Friday, March 26, 2010

I've got Blender Batter Waffles soaking tonight for breakfast in the morning. (These waffles are super easy AND super healthy.) Yum yum!

Saturday, March 27, 2010

We went to my nephew's birthday party today. He's a St. Patrick's Day baby. So hard to believe he's already five years old! Precious, precious boy.

Sara's Project 365 is where it's at!!!

Project 365: Week 3 (Officially)

Well, would you just look-y here? I've actually managed to stick with this thing for a second week! Yeah...I'm so awesome.

Sunday

While this didn't actually HAPPEN on Sunday (oh, no...THIS happened a few days before CHRISTmas round about the time my kids were causing THIS other awful tragedy)...

...Sunday was the day I said, "Enough!" I MUST have a replacement shelf ASAP! And then I said, "Where can I find one? And how much are they?" And then I did nothing about it because...well, I don't know. I'm dealing with far bigger crises in the world. But--not to worry--I'm STILL griping mentioning that it would sure be nice to have my shelf back in the fridge.

Monday

We usually read books after lunch and before naps. We don't usually do it quite like this, which is what prompted me to get my camera. Because this really gave me a good chuckle. Of course, it only lasted five to seven minutes TOPS, but it was a good (very CUTE) five to seven minutes.

Tuesday

This is the stuff that goes on around here. On a daily basis. No kidding.

How many of you are wishing YOU had a clothes line like this in your living room? Right AT your front door. What. No takers?!?

Goodness. And I didn't even show you the picture of the Parent Trap-esque booby trap (made entirely out of yarn) that was my bedroom. MY bedroom. Yeah, it was so cool I almost couldn't stand it. (Oh, wait. I couldn't stand it. Hmm.)

At least Atticus liked it.

Wednesday

I made these Oreo Truffles for my friend Krista's birthday.

Oreos happen to be her favorite thing. But she's got a ton of willpower and generally stays away. (You know. Except when her friend brings her a package or makes a dessert out of them. I'm the devil.)

Here's the recipe. It is ULTRA easy.

Oreo Truffles

1 (1 lb. 2 oz.) package Oreo cookies

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened

16 oz. bark chocolate (regular or white)

Crush cookies to fine crumbs in a food processor. Set aside about 1/4 cup of crumbs. Mix the rest of the crumbs with softened cream cheese. Form 1-inch balls out of entire mixture. (Makes approximately 40-45 truffles.) Dip balls into the melted bark chocolate and set aside on wax paper to harden. Before chocolate hardens, sprinkle balls with remaining 1/4 cup of crumbs. Refrigerate one hour before serving. Then store covered in refrigerator.

They are scrumptious. Not healthy, but scrumptious. I prefer not to get bogged down in the ingredients of CERTAIN things. Like these, for instance. But don't say I didn't warn you.

Now for a little something to dress it up.

Thursday

Thursdays we go to Academy. It's always a long, hard day for all of us. Saylor unwound at the piano.

I believe she was singing "This is my Father's world. Hum hum huh huh da da. Da da dee da huh-uh da da. Hum ha.........hum" (every eighth note in its place) when I caught her here.

I didn't even know she knew that song.

Friday

Friday we met Krista and her kiddos at a local indoor playspace. We were there for over two hours for a much-needed play time! But somehow I totally forgot to pack my camera. Duh. After our time away, though, I was zapped. We decided to have black bean burgers ('cause I can whip them up in no time flat) and have a family movie night. Noah made all the preparations. I was SO excited at the prospect of sitting in these assigned seats for an entire feature length film. Yikes!

But once the movie started, and Noah looked like this...

he didn't notice the chairs being moved aside for softer alternatives.

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the film...

...and the food.

And if you haven't seen this...

you should. Take it from me.

Saturday

Friday night (after our family movie night) just after going to sleep, Saylor awoke suddenly and threw up. (Yay for us!) After sleeping on the floor next to the toilet (aren't I mean?) she seemed to be fine the next day. We took a mini-road trip and found out she wasn't. Good thing we had brought along some plastic shopping bags just in case. That night after supper (and mind you, her supper consisted of plain water and plain pasta) she vomited again...a TON! I gave her a bath and washed her hair (I'm sure you can imagine why). This is what she looked like after all that.

This is the way she rolls when she's sick. You'd NEVER know anything was wrong with her. She's just as perky and go-with-the-flow as ever. She was too busy nursing her baby...pig (I have no idea) in her sling and acting crazy to be bothered by a little ol' stomach bug.

Okay. So that was my week. Top that! :)