Have Some Fun!

It's April Fool’s Day.

Come on! Do something fun today. We are.

Over the years we’ve done everything from green eggs and ham, (delivered without a word or hint of smile, at breakfast) to vinegar soaked paper towels in the kid’s pillows (which they, in turn, would leave in Dirk’s truck).

One of my favorite memories is of my dad, the family breakfast maker, putting cotton in our pancakes. Man, those suckers were hard to cut! And chew! He was quite the jokester.

Today, we’re pulling an old trick out of the ol’ April Fool’s jokes hat. It’ll be Vaseline on the doorknob and saran wrap on the toilet seat. Probably not new for our camp-veteran teen boys, but it will be fun when they groggily stumble down the stairs in the morning to their normal first stop: the bathroom. Besides, Dirk said he’d clean it up. Just hope they only have to….well, you know.

Lettuce Grow a Salad

Right now is a great time to sow some lettuce seed, water it, and watch it grow. This is a great kid project with many teaching possibilities (spiritual, nutritional, learning responsibility, etc).

Lettuce can be grown in a vegetable plot, a flower bed or even a large flower pot. Just make sure your area receives around 6 hours of sunlight each day.

I planted mine in our vegetable garden. I used three types of lettuce: a romaine mix, a butterhead mix, and some mesclun. The first two are leaf-type lettuces and mesclun is a Spring Mix of several types of greens.

Prepare the soil by tilling with a spade or hand shovel. Then rake it smooth. Sprinkle your seed on the soil, not to heavily.

Use your rake to lightly cover the seed with soil. A good general rule is to plant your seed twice the depth of the seed, so for lettuce, that’s not very deep!

Next, I like to pat the soil with my hand, just to ensure that the seed won’t blow away and is covered with fine soil.

Now, using a sprayer on your hose, lightly spray the newly planted area with a mist of water until the soil is well-watered, being careful not to dislodge the seed.

Lettuce seed will sprout in about a week, depending on the weather. The most important thing is to keep the soil moist, watering as much as twice or more a day, until germination. Soon, you will see baby lettuce plants! (My seed packet even says, “guaranteed to grow”. And it is! I'll show you on Friday.

Let the lettuce grow to about 4 inches before harvesting for your salad. Pick leaves from the outside of the plant and allow the center to continue growing. You should be able to enjoy your lettuce until about the end of June, when our Oklahoma weather is too hot, and the lettuce will get bitter tasting and go to seed.

There’s something very spiritual about digging in the dirt, watching seeds grow into plants and harvesting! You’ll be hearing plenty more from me about gardening and life applications.

And let me know if you try it. Take pictures! Send them to me and I’ll post them here.

PS – another easy thing to grow for your salad is radishes. They grow so quickly, although many children don’t care for the flavor.

Friday Finds

A friend sent me this link: 31 Days of Prayer for Your Husband

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Staci McAuley wrote a poem a few years ago giving us a good perspective. You'll enjoy it! The Moon.

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Think the teens of today don't "get it"? Think again! Check out this awesome story from Anna's blog. Snap Shot

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Jon leaves Iraq April 8 and should be home in 24 days!!!

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Come learn the Foxtrot tonight at Beginning Ballroom Dancing. E-mail me for details

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Next week, we're going to "grow a salad"----I know you can hardly wait!! ; )

bee on a cherry bush by our garden

Family Night with the Guys

After dinner Tuesday night, Kody built a fire in the fire pit on the back porch and we did some marshmallow roastin’ and some “Office” DVD watchin’. (Have you seen any episodes? Very funny!). Yeah...we moved a TV to the back porch. ; )

It was a beautiful evening. Dirk’s dad walked down from his place and sat with us.

Now, Jacob prefers his dessert to be Marshmallow Flambe'..... ick!

Dirk roasts his to perfection (of course). Kody (after he got off the computer and after he washed off the hot, sticky marshmallow I dropped on his foot) roasted several, toasty brown.

Me? I’m not much of a regular marshmallow fan, but let me tell you! The coconut covered ones…..when they’re roasted? Well, it’s like hot Macaroon-on-a-Stick!

We heard the first frog croaks of spring, the coyotes howling in the distance and went to bed smelling like we’d been camping. But, hey…..it’s something my teen boys still enjoy doing together!

I’m there!!

Are You a Warrior? Really?

The message series at Lifechurch.tv right now is “Warrior”. If you didn’t get a chance to see it last weekend, it’s a “must-see”. Watch it here.

In the message, Craig Groschel says that the Church has emasculated our men, our warriors. I totally agree, but I think we women have had a lot to do with that. Even emasculating our own husbands.

Think about it:

We train them to put the seat DOWN after they use the toilet.

We purchase hair removal products, “encourage” them to pluck their eyebrows, and talk about the “disgusting rugs” on their backs.

We invite them into our frilly, pink, lacy bedrooms (or living rooms—hey! I’ve seen some!)

We relegate “their stuff” (hunting trophies, pictures of the guys, military things) into the garage, their bathroom, the closet.

We “encourage” them to speak nicely (translated: “act like me, a mommy”) to our children, even when they have misbehaved. “Honey, you’ll hurt their little feelings”.
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I don’t know about you, but if the tables were turned, and my guy expected me to be like him….well,…..it makes you think.

Maybe some of us shouldn’t wonder why when he:

Shuts down
Quits trying
Doesn’t want to be at home
Won’t go to church with us

Craig encouraged us girls to be Warrior Princesses, to stand by our Warriors . I’m thinkin’ there are a lot of us that just want to be The Princess.

Ouch....

A mother and her young son were standing in a long line at the grocery check out. She had only a few things to purchase in one hand and her other hand held the small hand of her son.

As his patience was wearing out from the lengthy wait, and his young energy could no longer be controlled, he began pulling away from his mom’s hand.

She had to hold tighter to keep him from running away.

“Ouch, Mommy, you’re hurting me!” he whined.

“It only hurts when you pull away”, his wise mother responded.

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I’ve recalled this story many times when I’m just not trusting God; when I think He needs my help; when I’m pulling and tugging to get my way.

I’m still learning just to let my hand rest in His….it doesn’t hurt so much that way.

Ps. 37:7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him.

You May Be a Home Educator if.....

A re-run, but one I want you, my readers to understand: what I believe about home education.

Add to my list. What makes a parent a “home educator”?

You may be a home educator if…..

*You teach your children to love God

*You teach your children to love and respect others

*You teach your children manners

*You teach your children how to do chores

*You teach your children to give

*You read to your child

*Building family relationships is very important to you

You are a home educator if you are intentional in your efforts to “teach a child in the way he should go”.

Somehow, we get caught up in thinking it's all about academics.

Are you a home educator?

Friday Finds

Here's a fun Easter project to do with your kids. Kim has posted the recipe for "Resurrection Cookies".

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The Donaldson's, an intentional home educating family share their "Family Nights" with us. Check out all 5 nights. You won't be disappointed!
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Amazing parallel stories of God making himself known on Patrick's and Scott's blogs.
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Lily and Sadie My cutie daughter, Ali is a licensed hair stylist. She is now accepting new customers! Some of her famed clients include me, Erin, Anna, Katie, Nicole, the wives of the Central Lifechurch youth staff, and many others! She gives a great cut and color. Just ask any one of them! And she's also good with kiddos. She prefers working from her home (her kitchen, in fact!), has her two precious girlies to entertain you and is less expensive than a salon. Catch her at aliruhman @ yahoo.com. (no spaces)
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Consider visiting one of the extra Easter weekend experiences at Lifechurch.tv. Leave your "Sunday seat" open for someone who only comes to church on Christmas and Easter. Dirk and I will

be ushering at Edmond's 7:00 pm Friday and the 5:00 and 6:30 on Saturday. Come see us!

Spring Break Trips #3

The next spring break trip we took with Kody and Jacob was to Nashville, Tennessee.

Dirk had discovered the Parthenon on PBS', "This Old House", and really wanted to visit this place. Plus, Kody, our newly developing guitarist was interested in visiting the Gibson factory.

Those interests, combined with the anticipation of seeing some new territory, sent us off for a five day trip.

The first stop was at The Parthenon. This is an exact replica of the actual Parthenon in Athens. It was built for the 1897 Tennessee Exposition (which later became the World’s Fair). The building houses a 42-foot replica of the goddess Athena (outstanding!). This is also the location of the Nashville Art Museum. This was an amazing museum!

The Gibson Factory, (which is in Opry Mills Mall) is the location of Gibson’s handmade mandolins, guitars and banjos. I could have watched these craftsmen for hours. We spent quite a long time here, and Kody came home with a new Epiphone Masterbuilt acoustic electric guitar!

Another visit was to the Gruhn Guitar store, an old store near downtown, which is almost a museum itself. The walls were filled with every type, color and age of guitar. We walked downtown where live music filtered from each small restaurant and bar, and then trekked across the walking bridge spanning the Cumberland River. We drove around the Music City area recognizing the names of many recording studios.

We got another hotel with an indoor pool! Is this Nashville, or what?! A swimming pool shaped like a guitar!

It was a great trip with lots of good memories. The boys still talk of it often.

And yeah…make backup copies of your photo files! I couldn’t find the ones from this trip…(the pool pic was on Kody’s myspace…)
I think they’re on a laptop that crashed about a year ago! Ugh!!

Ever been to Nashville? What did you do and see?

Family Night

Last evening the ManyMeadows had a Family Night!

We started with food (always). Mexican is a favorite--chicken enchiladas, Tex-Mex Rice salad (thanks Mandy!), homemade salsa and seven layer dip. Oh, and ice cream for dessert!

Grandpa read a rousing rendition of Jungle Book, then another of Dora the Explorer. Isn't he cute? Oh, and the grands, too, of course!


Then we moved some furniture, got out the pillows and gathered to watch "Dan in Real Life". Now, if you've seen this movie you know that it is centered around a large family, so we all found it quite humorous and very entertaining. We only had to stop the DVD about five times (not so bad considering we had a 4 yo, a 3 yo and a 2 yo still awake. ) We laughed, cried, and took away some great lines.

Some of my favorite bloggers were present! They're part of our family! Anna, and Katie, Abbi, Brittney, and Jessica! We missed Jacob who is on a mission trip and of course, Jon, still in Iraq, and Andrew's two girls, at their Papaw's in Texas. Altogether, there were still 18 of us! Yeah...we're a force!

Aunt Anna!









They love Abbi!

It was a noisy, fun, family lovin' time!

What are some fun things you like to do as a family?

Did you come from a large family

Spring Break Trips #2

The next Spring Break trip we took with Kody and Jacob was to some nearby Civil War battlefields.

For a couple of years, we had read and studied everything we could find on the Civil War. One of our favorite book series was Lee Roddy’s Between Two Flags.

We headed to northern Arkansas and visited two battlefields. The first was Pea Ridge National Military Park in Garfield, and the other was Prairie Grove, in….Prairie Grove! Both these battlefields have good museums with lots of swords and other weapons (which most boys really like!) and lots of areas to explore. Pea Ridge has a driving tour with locations to stop and see the cannons, and authentically dressed tour guides offering answers to questions and plenty of information.

Again, we stayed at a hotel with an indoor pool.

Going to actual locations of the battles made the trip exciting and fun and increased the boys’ interest even more. They were having “school” without even realizing it!

Do you remember an interest you had as a kid? Were you able to experience and learn more about it? Is it still an interest today?

Two Johns

Sen. John McCain and Cpl. Jon Simms, my son-in-love!
" Hey, Jon! We need you for security detail!"

OK - so maybe this guy isn't your favorite choice of a leader for the next four years, but hey! At least he was in Iraq with my son-in-law this past weekend.

Sealed it for me.

Spring Break Trips #1

As I mentioned on Friday, this week I will share some spring break trips we took in the past few years with our boys (before they got old enough to leave us for mission trips!) Our youngest boys have gotten many more privileges than their older siblings! In fact, they've been known to be called "spoiled". (Hey, having older parents must have some perks!) Taking two kids somewhere is quite a lot easier and less expensive than taking 7! This was the beginning of our semi-educational spring break trips.
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A few years ago, when our youngest boys were 10 and 8, we took a spring break trip all the way to ……Norman, Oklahoma! Our other kids had already married, were working, or were away on mission trips. So, Dirk and I took our youngest to see the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History. We also got a hotel with an indoor swimming pool since the boys love to swim and spent two nights in that faraway place!

Kody and Jacob already knew more about dinosaurs, Smilodons, Pterosaurs and the various eras than I would ever know (or care to know…). Dirk is quite a history fanatic, and absolutely loves museums, and even though this was a trip only to Norman, we built it up and the boys anticipated a great time.

And they weren’t disappointed.

While the Museum of Natural History is decidedly evolutionary in theory, the exhibits are outstanding. (This also presented an opportunity to discuss the differing view-points of many scientists and individuals) Most of the skeletons were discovered in Oklahoma and the museum has great displays of various Oklahoma areas including the birds, animals and plants of those habitats. A hands-on Discovery Room is a favorite with kids.

Besides the museum, we enjoyed eating out, a few Norman parks and some good quality time together all for under $200.

Do you like museums? Do you have some Oklahoma museums to recommend?

Friday Finds

Ready for a good laugh? Check out this video linked to Mandy Thompson's blog. She's my new blogging friend!

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Oprah....if she would only stick with fashion, cooking and make-overs! You need to be aware of this. And read these guys often....they'll make you think!

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A good science video here...with a great spiritual application. Show us some more, Patrick!

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If Dirk feels any better tonight than he does today, we'll be at Ballroom Dance tonight. Remember? We'll be learning Samba/Salsa! It will be a blast!! e-mail me for details

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Jon comes home in about 5 weeks! That's sooner than orginally expected!!! YAY!

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four of the grands at a recent birthday celebration

Have I told you?---I LOVE SPRING!

Have a great time next week if you're doing something special for Spring Break!

Big weekend plans?

Happy bloggin'!

Takin' a Break?

Ah….spring break. Are you excited for it? Or will it be just another week for you?

What are your plans for Spring Break? (that’s next week!)

If you homeschool, are you taking the week off from academics?

I’ll go first:

Absolutely! I always enjoy the week off. My boys are going on mission trips. One leaves Sunday, the other on Wednesday. The first one gets home Wednesday night, the second on Saturday night. ; )

No schoolwork for us!

Me? I’ll spend extra time with Dirk and we’ve got a family night planned (with most of the family) to eat (of course) and watch “Dan in Real Life” together. Oh, and we’re meeting Abbi’s parents one of those nights!

Next week I’ll share some of our previous spring break semi-educational vacations.

Gettin' Down and Dirty

Two years ago on spring break, we took our three youngest children (Katie, Kody, and Jacob) to Washington DC and spent five days touring the sites. Dirk had visited as a child, but the rest of us had never been. One of the most remote places we visited was Roosevelt Island. It was a place Dirk really wanted to see. And it didn’t disappoint. Since Roosevelt was such a conservationist, this island in the Potomac River between Arlington and Washington proper is a perfect location to honor his memory.

This quote by Roosevelt is lengthy, but worth the read…hang with me.


“It is not the critic who counts;

not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;

who strives valiantly;

who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;

but who does actually strive to do the deeds;

who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions;

who spends himself in a worthy cause;

who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

So let's not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don't give up, or quit. Galatians 6:9

What is your worthy cause?

Get sweaty!

Strive valiantly!

Daily Double Blog-Blog

We kept Erin’s boys (Kaden, 4 and Will, 2) while she was teaching dance Monday night. I was serving Will his dinner. As I handed him his cute little Barney plate with nicely diced chicken enchiladas, I said in my sweetest Mimi voice, “It’s hot-hot!”

Got me to thinking. What’s the deal? Did I think he needed to hear me say hot TWO times? Maybe he wouldn’t get it the first time? I don’t know…. I started feeling a little wacky!

Somewhere in the “Mom Book” (you know there is one, right?) I’m sure there’s a chapter about the importance of saying some words twice, double, so our kids will know we mean it, right? Or so we won't feel guilty if our kids didn't hear us the first time?

Then I thought of some others I’ve said over the years…..

No-no
Yum-yum
Night-night
Poo-poo
Pee-pee
Bye-bye

Have any others? Or any idea why we may feel it necessary to repeat ourselves like a silly maniac? Or maybe it's just me. ; )

Nighty-night....I'm off to bed-bed with Dirk-Dirk.

Momnesia

I was walking through the house one day last week and overhead the TV from Dirk’s office saying something about “Momnesia”. It was a morning program and I didn’t stop to listen, but I’ve thought quite a lot about that word since then.

Momnesia.

I guess that would be moms and amnesia mixed together. I really don’t need to define it. You all know what it is, even if you’re not a mom! You’ve either experienced it first-hand, or you’ve been the receiver.

The receiver is the one who endures the pleading and dare-I-say, whinings of such questions as: “Honey, do you have any idea where my check-book is?” (one of my most recent ones…) , “Baby, did you play with mommy’s keys? Because I can’t find them”, “Would you please call my cell phone? I have no idea where it is”.

Or you’ve been the kid that was left at church asleep in a nursery baby bed and your mom didn’t realize it until she was half-way home. (sorry Katie)

Now, if you are the offender (moms), then you’re the one who found your re-warmed morning coffee still in the microwave when you’re fixing dinner that night. Or you’ve found the laundry that never made it to the dryer still in the washer from the day before (we won’t even discuss what it smells like). Or you’re still looking for your checkbook that’s been missing for….oh, a couple of months now!

Now, part of this must be from all the blessings-slash-helpers you have around you at any given moment. Those sweet little hands that love to put your purse-things in her cute little pink purse. Or your son who likes to use your real keys to drive his “real” cars. Or you drive past the turn-off because your son is asking, “Mom, how do Transformers sing, and why don’t we have the movie “David and Goliath II, there’s a McDonalds, and wow! Look at that motorcycle, I need to pee”.

But, I have to tell you….Momnesia is still going on in my home. What’s my excuse going to be when my kids are all gone? Oh dear….guess I’ll always be a mom!

Cha-Cha

This is not us

OK - so we're not Fred and Ginger (yet). But, we learned a pretty mean Cha-Cha at Ballroom Dancing on Friday night. It was a BLAST! We're not great at it, but we know the basics now.

Next Friday we learn the Samba and Salsa.

Come join us! It's a beginner class.

7:00-8:30 lesson
8:30-9:30 dance
Transformations Gym
Kelly, south of 33rd in Edmond
$15 couple

Friday Finds

I met him on a Wednesday night when Anna was speaking at Switch. He is the new Associate Pastor at Lifechurch Northwest Campus,or N-Dub as they like to call it. By Saturday, I had a personal handwritten note from Scott Rodgers! Now is that a pastor’s heart, or what? Two Scotts? It’s a happening campus! (and I don’t even attend there!)
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You’ve read her blog before….she’s at it again! Check out this second part of “Actions”. Great lessons for your kids, great lessons for me! Thanks, Kim!
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Anna posted a great couple of questions this week about trust. And Cindy! Whew! Get in on the discussion….I sure don’t have it figured out. Any additional thoughts?
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And my other blogging daughter, Katie is still telling her stories of working in the ER at Edmond Hospital while she is in nursing school. Interesting!

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I’m having lunch with my daughters again today---we’ve decided to make it a monthly occasion! They’re beautiful (and silly) and some of my very best friends!
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We’re learning the Cha-Cha tonight at Ballroom Dancing. Each Friday night (but the 3rd) is a beginning ballroom dance class taught at Transformations Center, a gym located south of 33rd on Kelly in Edmond. 7:00 – 8:30 tonight. $15.00 a couple. The Cha-Cha is a blast! Bring a partner and come join us.

A Blast from the Past!

This is a picture I received from a new blogging friend I just "met" this week! I found Valerie from a comment she left on someone else's blog...you know how it happens. I left her a comment, she left me a comment. She sent me an e-mail, I sent her one back. She sent me this picture!

This is a blast from Dirk's and my past. We used to live here, on the top floor, in Shawnee, Oklahoma. It was called His House. It was a coffee house that Dirk and I ran clear back (before most of you were born!) in 1976-1977. We had bands and singing groups come in on the weekends and served coffee and soft drinks. Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) was new on the scene. We had upstarts like Gentle Faith, Honeytree, Kelly Willard, and a comic duo, Tom and Tuffy (TNT). It was a happening place and people came from all over. On Monday nights, we had Bible study. We had lunch for the highschoolers on Wednesdays. And Thursday nights was a night of special speakers on hot issues of that time. We were kids, it was ministry, and we loved it.

Dirk was finishing up at OBU, I worked at St. Paul's United Methodist Church. The funding for our salary and the running of His House came from many churches in Shawnee.

It was a fun and growing time in our life-before-children. I'd say it was even preparation! Hey, seven kids wasn't much at all after that experience!

What might God be preparing you for now that will affect your life in thirty years? It will come sooner than you think!

Teaching Ideas #3

Addition Through 20

There are a few tricks that are helpful when teaching addition to 20. Here are a few that helped all my children.

*When adding 9’s to a number up to 10, go back one from that number and say “teen”.

Example: 9 + 4 (go back one number --say "three-teen", or 13"

*When adding 8’s to a number up to 10, go back two from that number and say “teen”.

Example: 8 + 6 (go back to 5, go back to 4, say "four-teen", 14)

*Memorize the doubles

*Learn “doubles plus one” (ex. 6 + 7 is the same as 6 + 6 + 1)

Start slow, work on one trick at a time and master it before moving on to another. Soon, your child will have addition up to 20 memorized.

Have any additional tricks for addition through 20?

Please Remember

Today, as people in Ohio and Texas decide which candidate they will support in the November presidential election, many voters will choose based on their opinion of the war in Iraq. Today, whether you support that cause, or not, I ask you to remember our Marine son-in-love, Jon.

Jon has been gone from home since May, 2007. (read his story) He trained in North Carolina, then spent the summer in 29 Palms, California before heading to Iraq in September.

Jon

He is with a reserve unit connected to a battalion of over 1000 soldiers in the Anbar Province area of Iraq, near the Euphrates River. This is an area of over 70,000 citizens who are beginning to rebuild their city and lives. While many units of Marines are helping to patrol areas of rebuilding, new water resources and schools in Haditha, Jon’s unit, led by a very aggressive colonel, remains on a detail of searching out insurgents and weapons caches.

unit on foot patrol

weapons cache

His unit was recently relocated from a school where 50 soldiers lived in a small schoolroom with running water only in sinks. Now, the school is reopening (due to peace in the area), so Jon’s unit moved in with another unit of 200 soldiers. They are in extremely cramped conditions with no electricity, and no running water.

The good news, besides the rebuilding of Haditha, is that Jon’s unit will begin returning to Camp Lejuene, North Carolina as early as April 11. There he will be processed before returning back to Broken Arrow, OK the end of April or early May.

Please continue to pray for Jon’s unit, that they not get complacent or over-confident.

after a hard day at the office

Pray for Erin and her boys, Kaden, 4, and Will, 2. They have all been sick. (It was heartbreaking to hear Will recently crying, “I want my Daddy”.) Erin has been staunch and secure in her calling as a Marine wife, but is very ready for Jon to be back home.

We are planning a big family greeting for Jon and his unit when they arrive in Broken Arrow. And we can hardly wait!

presents for the whole unit from Erin and Jon's Lifegroup

Do you have a friend or family member in Iraq or Afghanistan that we can pray for?

Grands are GREAT!

Have I told you Dirk and I have six grandchildren? Yeah....they're the BEST! They're cute and funny!

Our daughter, Ali and her husband, Brad are the parents of our grandaughter, Lily, 3 years old. Ali is a hair stylist and works from her home. Last week she was cutting a client’s hair when Lily came in and informed the guest, “My mama and daddy say ‘dang it’.

Kaden, 4, our oldest grandson, was over yesterday and saw Kody’s Bible. He said, “You have a Bible too? What’s your Bible about? My Bible is about Jesus!”

Last year, before Jon left for Iraq, I phoned over to Jon and Erin’s house, and Kaden answered the phone. We chatted for a minute, then I asked him, “Can I talk with your mom?” He answered, “No, she’s in the shower……. with my dad”.

OK – you know it’s happened to you lately. Tell some of your kids’ funny comments.