Atmosphere

I like to think today has been one of a sweet and learning atmosphere around here. We got to do some cool sand art from our neato Toy Story 3 project box from Aunt Nicole. (These pics are from the other day when we got to do tattoos and decorated 3-D foam punchout characters.)

Can you tell this was her first time with Playdoh? Yes, that's what's dribbling down her chin.

We also got to make some shortbread cookies together. We used our neato animal cookie-cutters from ♥IKEA♥. Unfortunately, the boys weren't too excited about the taste - I think I overbaked them. But they loved making them and agreed to try them again next time, when I cook them better. :)

We got to read together, something that's been a little neglected lately. We all miss it very much, so I'm jazzed to have it a priority again.

My princess and I got to spend some alone time together, since the lawn guys were outside interrupting her nap. All. Day.

After plenty of playing with our awesome new train set, we packed up and headed to church. We all love our church so much, but Wednesday nights are our favorite. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to their teachers, as they will be promoting to their new classes next week.

To top it all off, the boys got to cheat and watch some cartoons after church, too.

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I am so very excited to finally be able to hibernate in our house for a while. I love my sweet babies and have missed alone time with them so much these last few weeks. I can count on my hand the number of days in the last two months that we've been able to stay home all day. It's been a great summer of fun and a little adventure, but I'm definitely ready for a time of peace.

We miss our daddy very much already though. He's our strength and comic relief.

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Slowly but surely absorbing some Charlotte Mason goodness... Humbling stuff right here:

“That he should take direction and inspiration from all the casual life about
him, should make our poor words and ways the starting-point from which, and
in the direction of which, he develops—this is a thought which makes the best
of us hold our breath. There is no way of escape for parents; they must needs
be as ‘inspirers’ to their children, because about them hangs, as its atmosphere
about a planet, the thought-environment of the child, from which he derives those
enduring ideas which express themselves as a life-long ‘appetency’ towards things
sordid or things lovely, things earthly or divine” (Parents and Children, pp. 36, 37).

Grace, Grace, God's Grace...

On my mind a lot lately. And C.S. Lewis' The Problem of Pain has been an amazing study in God's goodness and what it means. The clearer thoughts below are from him. God is good. In our finite, created minds we don't know what good actually means.

God is good. All the time. All the time, God is good.

One of those sayings we believers share as a sort of pep-talk. But do you notice, we usually mention it when we've come out of a challenge or prayer-filled season of life with favorable results? The results we were hoping for that would be most convenient, comfortable, or safe? Not to say those aren't great things to pray for. But how often do we remind each other that God is good when we aren't exactly enjoying His responses?

Good doesn't simply mean kind. Kindness, when taken to its extreme, is more akin to hate. Kindness means you desire total comfort, fun, "happiness", and ease for the one you are kind to. If this is what you limited someone's or something's life to (as if it were possible), they'd never grow. Physical growth hurts. Mental growth frustrates. Spiritual growth is agonizing sometimes.

God is good.

I have a lot more to note on this topic, mostly from this amazing book, but I have to go back and review, then finish it up. I haven't been able to read it in a couple of weeks, so I'm dying to get back into it.

Please.

Read.

This.

Book!

Susannah Wesley's 16 Rules

I only just now found this site, so I have no comment on it itself yet, but I love this list they provided. These are the sixteen rules Susannah Wesley had for her home and child-rearing. I love them because they are sensible and just put into words a lot of what we feel are the important rules around here, though we've failed to properly and simply outline them like this. Excepting a couple of them, like #1, #2. And there are a couple I know are major weaknesses on my part, but I do commit to be better at.

1. Eating between meals not allowed.

2. As children they are to be in bed by 8 p.m.

3. They are required to take medicine without complaining.

4. Subdue self- will in a child, and those working together with God to save the child's soul.

5. To teach a child to pray as soon as he can speak.

6. Require all to be still during Family Worship.

7. Give them nothing that they cry for, and only that when asked for politely.

8. To prevent lying, punish no fault which is first confessed and repented of.

9. Never allow a sinful act to go unpunished.

10. Never punish a child twice for a single offense.

11. Comment and reward good behavior.

12. Any attempt to please, even if poorly performed, should be commended.

13. Preserve property rights, even in smallest matters.

14. Strictly observe all promises.

15. Require no daughter to work before she can read well.

16. Teach children to fear the rod.