Less than perfect

Women on the Fringe - This was a GREAT article about trying to be a perfect mom and not quite making it.

Anyone who has read my blog knows my struggles. Anyone who has met me knows my weaknesses. I'm the kind of person who wears my sins on my sleeve. I do have one thing in my favor:

I am blessed with a best friend.

My best friend is often not a nice person. My best friend openly admits she doesn't like people -- and it shows. My best friend doesn't decorate her house much at all. She doesn't put her kids in many activities -- it's too much of an effort and doesn't fit their family. She doesn't go out of her way to dress up or wear makeup. She says unkind things about other people, even her children. She complains alot.

My best friend is life-giving to me. She doesn't try to live up to anyone else's standards and loves without bounds and tries and fails and gets up again to try some more. She accepts me for who I am, without bounds. She grows in Christ daily and although she's not where she will be someday as a model of Christian living, she's faaaaar from where she began -- growth is her success, not where she's standing now. Everyone should be blessed with a best friend that is less than perfect -- it's a wonderful way to live!

Ten Books List

This can be a quick one! Don't take too long to think about it! Ten books you've read that will always stick with you! First ten you can recall in no more than 15 minutes!

1. Mr. God, This is Anna by Fynn (God is the realest reality of all no matter what anyone else believes)
2. Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher (As a child I relished how with hard work and responsibility and sensible living as opposed to living by emotions, Betsy finds her place of belonging)
3. Why Wait : What You Need to Know About the Teen Sexuality Crisis by Josh McDowell (As a young single, after I'd made a mess of my life I found the conviction, partially through this book, to make things different with God's grace)
4. The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom (God is sovereign even in the worst of times)
5. The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck (This was a gift from my romantic fiance and has emotional significance because of that. It validated that if reality tells you something new, don't be afraid to change the "map" in your head to reflect truth, not life as you used to believe it to be)
6. What's Going on in There? : How the Brain and Mind Develop in the First Five Years of Life by Lise Eliot (The complexity of brain development from a scientist mixed with the miraculous excitement of a mom -- author is a mom/scientist)
7. Catholic Education : Homeward Bound by Kimberly Hahn (As I read this book I kept audibly talking to the book in agreement with what it said about children and their place in our lives)
8. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder (I read this for the first time as an adult and loved the dignity and responsibility it gave to children)
9. Fertility, Cycles & Nutrition by Marilyn Shannon (For 20 years I was told by doctors there was nothing to help my painful, irregular cycles and severe PMS. In one chapter I turned the pages of my life that no one had ever understood and she HELPED.)
10. The Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis (I read this for the first time in highschool [just the Lion, Witch & Wardrobe] and it didn't do much for me. I read the whole series to my kids a few years ago and WOW!!! I've read parts over and over to myself just for fun. It's a serious escape to reality!)

Well, that was a fun travel back in time!

Homeschooling Highschool

So far...from everything I've read...all I've discovered is that "this is do-able" and preferable and adventageous, etc. I've been spending hours researching curriculae, books, distance schools, links..... and I haven't gotten any farther than ....'yes, we're going to homeschool for highschool.' I'm guessing all the research will all gel into a cohesive whole at some point...but right now nothing's gelling and I'm still researching. I know we've got another year, but I'm basing 8th grade on decisions for highschool - I just don't have anything decided, yet.

Once I figure anything out, I'll let you know...I'm flying blind, here.

Science Fair

We spent the ENTIRE WEEK completing our science fair projectslast week! I even told my friends not to call until it's over because it's taking up so much of our time. Here's a pictoral of our week:

"CAKES RISING : Baking Powder or Baking Soda"

"BALLOON ROCKET"

"FAVORITE GERBIL FOOD"

"VOLCANO ERUPTS, AGAIN!"

As Lent Begins...

We've all decided what we're going to sacrifice - each child came up with their own. And what family and personal prayer we're going to add into our days plus Lenten Adventure...

I'm a little sad. I love Lent. But the schedule of prayer and fasting will preclude me from doing any crafty, cool activities for Lent that we've done to describe it to the little kids in the past. They mostly understand and don't need the crafty activities. Then, I know, that just doing life and adding these times of prayer and sacrifice will take God's grace to get me through. I know--that's the point--relying on God alone. But I also know how much of a struggle it is to do and how much I fail. Today is busy with activities and checking each other's foreheads to see whose ashes have wiped off -- but I'm very reflective, considering the burden that sacrifice brings...and hoping for the strenth of God to carry me.

meal planning

Now that the science fair is over *THANK YOU, GOD!* (my apologies to all those who like science) I needed to get my house, life and school back on track. I spent several evenings planning and today was the culmination of all those plans.

These are my meal planning steps :

• choose 7 breakfasts
• choose 7 lunches
• and 10 dinners

I make my list from inexpensive meals. For our family of 6 (plus a baby) I have a list of
25 breakfasts (variations on a theme) with an average cost of $1.76
45 lunches with an average cost of $3.76
35 dinners with an average cost of $5.33

Those average costs are for the entire family. It doesn't include beverages per meal (which average $.95) or side dishes (which I usually have at least one veggie and averages about $1.25)

So, I plug and chug and made a menu plan for breakfast, lunch & dinner for a month (this time it was 6 weeks hoping to get me to Easter.) My goal is $400 for a month. This month I bought 3 fish meals and those were pretty expensive $8-10/meal just for the fish. I tweaked a few meals to lower my overall cost, so I could do it.

Yesterday I shopped for 4 hours (that was longer than it needed to take, but I ran into some glitches) and I came home and cooked 15lbs of hamburger, 6lbs of chicken (which left the remaining 9 to be cooked the next day), and 2 lbs of sausage. The girls and I (and a very pregnant friend came for a few hours -- she wanted to come help!) spent all day cooking. The boys helped some and were on baby duty alot. We put up 13 side dishes (mashed potatoes, garlic & cheese buscuits, cornbread and rice pilaf) and 17 meals (3 lasagna, 3 shepherd's pie, 3 sausage & rice bake, 3 sloppy joe, 5 omelet mixes). I also put up all the meat for the rest of the meals.

I ran out of time (and steam) and still need to make 10 meals worth (40 Cups) of Alfredo sauce, but then I'll be done. I'm so pleased that I don't have to mess with cooking for quite some time! One more item off my plate and we can focus on school! YEAH!!

Real Life

This was one of the best blog posts I've read! It's got a Christmas theme, but it is applicable anytime - REAL LIFE