Things have been crazy busy here, and it's been difficult to get back into the swing of things. It's been difficult to get anything accomplished. This post has been sitting on my computer screen for the last three days, waiting for the last two things to be accomplished. As well as the overflowing hamper of clean laundry to be foldes, the dishes sitting in my kitchen, the toys sitting on the floor, all waiting for some attention.... It's going to be a crazy-busy end to summer! I'm looking forward to fall!
1. Last week before last we were in Denver, visiting Nick's parents and going to CIY Know Sweat with our youth. I think I could do a whole post on why I like Know Sweat better than MOVE (what I guess you could call their "general" conference). First, it was great spending some time with Jan and Earl! And it was a lot of fun watching Eliza get to spend so much time with them and getting excited every time they came home from work/errands/etc. She always thought she had to go with Nana wherever she was going.
2. Yeah, Know Sweat. I thought it was excellent. MOVE has become this production, a lot of performance artists, rock concert style music, videos with little purpose beyond entertainment.... Don't get me wrong. MOVE is good. MOVE can be very powerful. Some of their videos, the ones with purpose, can really drive a point. Only, it plays on the emotions more than getting these kids to get real about Christ. The kids wait for the emotional high every year. Know Sweat didn't deliver that. It didn't deliver dodge-ball tournaments or talent shows or excessive amounts of free time. It didn't go for hours at night, the music getting louder and louder the more "heart-felt" the session got. You came. You worked. You worshiped. You learned, a little bit. Basically, you learned something to live out and then you were asked to go live it out. I think it pushed the kids in new ways, and I think that was great. Not every day was easy (though I didn't get to be there for the days, only evening sessions). But I hope the kids learned some real life skills to go away with: serving others, maintaining a good attitude, watching their tongues, being mindful of their witness, etc.
3. On to more "shallow things": I got an iPhone. For the first time, I'm geeking out about a piece of technology. It's cool. The greatest thing about it is that it actually works (my prior phone was definitely heading south). But I do admit I really like some of the apps. Not the least including an LOGOS app, the Bible software I use to study at home. Now there are resources at my fingertips. Sweet. I actually have "phone love."
4. I've been researching homeschool preschooling for Eliza. I know. She's not even two yet. But, the truth is, I love reading about this stuff. I love planning it. My plan for Eliza is not to do any very formal preschooling. Mostly, I just want her to play. But I want to give her directed play opportunities that will hopefully help her learn her ABC's, 123's, etc. I am definitely formulating a plan for her education this next year. The goals thus far: potty training, removing the binky, and recognizing numbers and letters. If there might be a few books that she loves so much that she can "read" them from memory, that would make my year! If you are interested in seeing what I'm collecting about homeschooling, you can view my Pinterest board where I'm posting some things. It definitely is not exhaustive. Some of the things I'd like to pin, I haven't been able to. And there are other resources that I have to "re-find" (i.e. can't remember where I found various articles) and get them up there. Though, to be honest, I could likely pin the entire Simple Homeschooling website. I've found so many helpful and thought-provoking articles there!
5. The garden is beginning to produce! So far we've had beans, some cherry tomatoes, and I have a few summer squash and zuchinni sitting on the table waiting for me to cook them up! We've had some peas, but so few that most of them are going to be used to save for seed next year. Our pickling cucumbers are looking iffy. And I was so looking forward to making some pickles! But we shall see. I'm waiting for that plethora of tomatoes to hit so I can start making ketchup, salsa, and red sauce! Ah, waiting for the day...
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