School Daze and Ice Cream Craze

It was a beautiful day in PA, but as I walked out the door late tonight, I noted that the air had that snappy winter feel to it. You southern moms whose blogs I like to read...I'll be thinking of you as we go into hibernation. This is why it has been so great looking at southern beach houses with my cousin Jennie as we try to plan a spring, family vacation. Ahh...warmth.

Well, it has only taken me a month, but I think we have finally fallen into a school routine. This year's homeschool routine has emerged via playpens, fast movement on my part, a willing seven year old pre-school teacher, organization, and lots and lots of prayer. I realize I will now be homeschooling until I am fifty five years old. (Is there a law against that?) I always lament over the fact that the younger kids don't get to do some of the neat things that the older kids did when they were little, like the fun little science experiment books, or sitting and reading books with me for extended periods of time. I guess they have different things though, like lots of siblings to play with, or going to band, or watching older siblings play instruments, or going to ballet. It's interesting that when Mitchell was little he sang the Donut Man and Wee Sing Praise and my young ones now skip straight from learning to wave bye-bye to singing Britt Nicole and Toby Mac. Every day I long for a little peace and quiet, yet there's something really great about living in a somewhat chaotic household full of people. I know that someday when my house is quiet, I will look longingly back on the chaos.

Christian found a great way to entertain himself the other day. Here's his pyramid made completely of Ritchey's Ice Cream containers. Now, I could tell you that we ate all this ice cream, or I could tell you that we just collect them to freeze applesauce in.....I think I'll just let you believe what you want.


My dear little ballerina...


Now this is one tired girl! She has an absolutely grueling schedule. She gets up promptly at 10:30 or 11:00am, she eats, watches Barney, eats, plays with Gracie, eats, falls asleep, eats....well, you get the picture. We say "She eats and sleeps with a vengence" She thinks I should feed her constantly and she is almost impossible to wake up and can fall asleep sitting stark upright.
Yesterday, I gave her a bowl of cereal and walked out of the kitchen for a few minutes to help one of the other kids with something and returned to find her fast asleep with her face lying in a puddle of soggy cereal. (Not sure if there was any drowning danger or not :) ) Crazy, huh?


And then there are our wonderful friends who we are so blessed to have as neighbors as well. Alexa's day was made when Faith let her hold her. So, here's Faith and Alexa...

And here's Faith and Zach, whom she lovingly calls "Zackol"...

I was reading today about Moses. And I was thinking about how God gives us grace in our weakness and how that is enough for whatever may come. He is our sufficiency, because we are completely and utterly destitute in and of ourselves. It is only by Him, and for Him, and because of Him that we fight this good fight of faith. Praise God, that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Because if I can offer Him my weakness and in return He gives me His strength, that's a pretty precious promise. So often that's all we have to offer...weakness. But I will most gladly hand it over, "so that the power of Christ may rest upon me".

Much love
Cherie