Athena in a Minivan

Salute to my fellow "Messies"

Albert Einstein said, "If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk?"

Charlotte Mason Moment

Today we had one of those Charlotte Mason moments where our learning and our play all went together. We read the story Bruce and the Spider and The Black Douglas from Baldwin's 50 Famous Tales Retold.  These are stories about Robert the Bruce and Black Douglas during the War of Independence between Scotland and England. The boys loved the stories.

They then headed to the box full of Playmobile characters and waged a huge battle like the one we had read about. We started collecting characters at their fifth birthday. We got the castle and Viking boats. We have added various pieces some strange like Santa and reindeer and some fun like a nativity. We have unicorns, princesses, princes, knights, lions, swords, standards, trees and camels. Tuesday morning is the best as they carry Playmobile on sale!!!

This is the castle set up for battle. Sundance and Butch worked for 30 minutes to get everyone set up.

  This is Butch's Robert the Bruce. Later in the day, he became King Peter from Narnia.

This is Sundance's Robert the Bruce and Black Douglas. They too became King Peter and King Edmond. The Virgin Mary got a crown and sword and became Queen Susan.

No one can attack this castle. Butch worked so hard to get everyone in the right place and about 2 minutes after this picture was made, a giant Toddler came along and well...lets just say...the castle was toast.

What to do on a Cold Day

In Texas we have about one week of bad winter weather. During this time, the entire city shuts down. You see we get ice, freezing rain, so smooth you can not distinguish it from water. It is impossible to stop on a sheet of ice. Imagine trying to drive on a hockey rink. You know you are pushing the brakes but your wheels just keep on going and going and going until you stop when you run into another car or a concrete post.

We just received a call from our pastor's wife (and my Sunday School teacher) that church is canceled for tomorrow. We will have some home worship tomorrow and then hours of keeping three young, rambunctious boys entertained. We received Disney Scene It for Christmas and Honey loves to play Heroscape with them. I hope to get in a nap in at some point. I am going to make Chicken and Dumplings for lunch. I think I will also make some gingerbread.  

The weather folks say this will last until Monday night. It will be a welcomed break and time to relax, play, enjoy Honey's being home, cook some comfort food, watch some good movies, play with my kids. Tonight I am thankful for all that God has given us; a warm home, a full pantry, Chai Tea, warm clothes, packets of Hot Chocolate, a beautiful family, and much needed rain.

Alyson Z!!!

How wonderful to read my blog and find my cousin Alyson has been reading!! She is such a dear and I am only sorry we do not get to see each other more often. It is crazy, we live in the same general metroplex area which covers 12 counties but we still live about an hour and a half apart due to crazy traffic. We see each other at important events like weddings, funerals, etc. We both have twins and another child but hers are all girls and mine are all boys. I would love to see her and her family more often.

Alyson and I are close to the same age but she is the same generation in our family as my children are. My grandfather and Alyson's great-grandfather were brothers. WJ (my grandfather) and Roy were the two oldest brothers in a family with 5 brothers and two little sisters. My grandfather left home at 14 to go to high school. He and Uncle Roy were both teachers and their wives were both teachers. Alyson and I are both teachers.

(My parents did not have children until they were in their 30's and I did not have children until I was in my 30's so that puts the generations in our immediate family spread apart.)

God has blessed Alyson's mom with a healing miracle this past year. We have been praying for her. God has brought her through this and I am grateful to him for his healing.

Alyson, I am so glad you have been reading this...NOW...let's get together!!

This just flew over my house...

My son saw it out the playroom window and shouted for us all to come and see. I ran outside, camera in hand, and snapped pics of this balloon. I love living in Balloon country!!