What You Find Out

When I gathered together with a group of ladies the other evening, one woman shared,

"You know what you find out when you get older?"

"You find out that all the things you thought were so important, 

are not important at all."

I love gleaning these nuggets from those wiser than I, so I've been keeping those words in my heart these past few days.

It isn't clothing or the closest parking space or football or what's for supper or laundry or upgrading your house or getting a new cell phone or having more money.

It behooves me to remember that the things that are most important often turn out to be the most intangible. 

Something about the above snapshot makes me think about what's most important. 

Dominique

Probing

Somebody asked me a very probing question the other day.

"Do you have any stipulations with God?"

When it comes to surrendering everything to God,

when it comes to letting Him do what He wants in my life, 

do I have stipulations?

This week, every day, all day, 

I want YES to God's will,

without any of my own stipulations. 

Dominique

This is a snapshot of a favorite spot at our cabin.  

On Blessings

In a society where kids are a "handful," I like to take the opportunity to celebrate the ways that the Blossoms are a blessing.

- When weevils invaded my pantry, the Blossom army helped me tackle it.  I was tired and overwhelmed and they made a big project doable with their helping hands.  Children are a blessing.

- When a busy day was coming up on the morrow, the Blossom2 prepared all the proponents for the Rugged Mountain Man's beloved ham and bean soup, while Blossom3 made the cornbread to go with it.  That day ran smoothly because of their willing hands.  Yes, children are a blessing.

- When my sister and I were wrangling six kids amongst crowds and long lines, Blossom1 reminded us that we still hadn't visited the corn box yet.  It was the perfect thing for wiggly, energetic kiddos to do while I procured us pierogi.  Blossom1 is getting her logistics game on with well-timed ideas! 

Friends, children aren't perfect, but sometimes we need to take the time to see, remember and celebrate the ways they are a blessing!

Dominique

Photo credit to my mother-in-law!

Reasons that Tiptoe

Many folks might think that the reason I'm so "game" for homeschooling is because I'm weird (I am*) or because I was homeschooled (I was), but the reasons I both like and love homeschooling tiptoe up behind me daily. 

When I call school to order after marshaling everyone through breakfast, devotions and chores and I find Blossom4 playing with play-doh at her desk, I can roll with it.  Instead of breaking out the flashcards I had planned, I ask her to form letters with the playdoh, while reviewing the very sounds/letters we were already going to work on.  The play-to-school transition doesn't always have to be stark and strict.  This is just example of "how we roll."

Today when I plopped myself down on the floor with my cup of tea and two lists of spelling words, Blossom4 naturally joined me as I tested Blossom1 and Blossom3 consecutively on their words.  Simultaneously, I listened to Blossom4 read, playing a game of "Opposites" with her or giving oral math instructions.  A school day in our Academy in the Hollow is a constant lesson in cooperation and logistics for all the Blossoms AND me.  

With extra curricular activities that fall on Thursdays and a few on Tuesdays, I'm grateful for the flux that I'm free to keep in our days.  There are lighter science assignments on days that there are 4-H meetings.  There are heavier history and science assignments on every day but Thursday to add a little "give" in our busiest day of the week.  We focus instead on our core work and breathe a little easier.  The work that must be done in a school year is completed, but it's divided up daily in ways that work for us.  

The Blossoms' education is tailored in a way that no other person can.  I have a front row seat to everything: their overall educational strengths, down to their daily struggles and all the ebbs and flows in between.  Each afternoon, I tailor the next day's work assignments based on our goals for the year and anything that needs to be addressed.  Sometimes I do this without their knowing.  Sometimes we talk about this.  Sometimes they tell me this.  When one Blossoms needs to review six certain flashcards, we do... in whatever ways I devise.  I tweak from day to day and sometimes right in the moment.  

I have another Blossom that occasionally makes embarrassing pronunciation mistakes.  Our pediatrician and I have already deemed this not worthy of formal speech therapy, but rather, needful of extra parental attention.  Rather than magnifying her embarrassment, we're practicing reciting, enunciating and dramatizing some fun poetry.  She adores it, and even asks if we can do poetry yet, when we're really making sure a speech habit doesn't become a speech problem.  

That feeling after a morning of good work and delightful discoveries, when we gather around the table for a hodge-podge lunch of Micro Farm harvests, when I sink into my favorite chair and delve into our current read-aloud, oh that feeling!  This is another thing that keeps me going on the bumpiest days.  It's the beautiful harmony toward which we strive.

Dominique

*I have no problem being called "weird," because I am content in the realization that I do things differently than the cultural norm.  

~ All these crazy awesome mushrooms were discovered on a hike at our cabin.

The First Few Days

"So, how's school going?" you might ask, if I bumped into you at Walmart.

Though we just started school, meaning actual book work, last week, we had about a month's worth of school in already.  4-H science related projects, project book work, posters, research and Fair work really comprise a lot of our summer.  It's definitely a perk of homeschooling that that and their other interests can be integrated into and built upon in their whole education.

The Blossoms squeezed in a trip to Grammie's house right before we started school.  They returned and we hit the ground running.  They seemed to slide right back into the school routine, like throwing on their favorite pair of comfy crocs.  I was relieved, to say the least.  Perhaps we've hit a groove over the last few years in understanding how to juggle the demands of multiple grade levels.  However, our first week was quickly hijacked when all four girlies came down with a nasty cold.  Many times I assign work to girlies on the couch; it's yet another perk of homeschooling.  You may be too sick to "go to school," but in this school, you can still do a lot of school when you're not feeling 100%.
Not so last week!  

We opted for rest and they recovered quickly.  We were then able to enjoy the holiday weekend with the usual micro farm work, a family get-together, purchasing rabbit supplies at a show, getting a little reorganization done in the house, grilling and heading to the Lake for a swim.  Now we're settling back into the rhythm again.

It's been exciting to see Blossom4 embracing her official Kindergartner role.  We seem to have picked right back up where we left off in May.  I truly enjoy being an integral part of their learning journey.  The victories are so much more meaningful when you sloughed through the muck with them.

When I reflect on the bumpier moments of our school days, I realize that much of the harder times are character issues surfacing.  Sure, most of us would rather not have crying or whining over a school subject, but it's really not much different than the crying or whining you might hear from your kid when you tell them to clean their room or stop sitting on their sister's head.  It's a character issue either way.  When it comes down to it, I'm thankful I get to be the one to tackle it with them and I'm hopeful that we're forging strong character day by day.

On Who?

From the time I was a teen, I have wanted God to move in a mighty way in my life.  

I am not satisfied by the life of an average Christian.  

I expect to read the Bible and learn something daily.  

I expect to receive concrete answers to prayer regularly.  

I expect to see miracles happening in my days.  

I expect to live life swimming upstream with His grace.  

I expect to do the hard, right things by His power.

But, I see how easily we can develop preconceived ideas about how, when, why or where we think God should move. 

God moves on the hungry, the faith-filled and the humble.

He doesn't care for our formulas, preferences or comfort zones.  

Are we hungry?

Are we brimming with faith?

Are we humble?

Let God have His way in us!

Dominique

Wet Brushes Rock!

I've got thirteen years' experience caring for a whole lot of blond girl hair in this house, not to mention a lifetime of experience with my own long hair.  That's why I feel a tad qualified to share a brush that revolutionized our hair care routine over here in the Hollow.

After one of the Blossoms' visits to Grammie's house, the girls came home with a slew of Wet brushes she'd purchased for them.  I'd never heard of this brand, so I didn't know what to expect.

This brush is specially formulated to detangle wet hair gently.  I'll be honest with you, it didn't take long for us to figure out that...

IT WORKS.

It is the gentlest and most effective brush I have ever used to detangle scads of wet hair, even the dreaded overly chlorinated tangled wet masses of hair.

Without being probed or asked, Blossom1 calmly said to me while brushing out said pool hair,

"I used to think that taking care of long hair was hard, 

until we got these Wet brushes.  

Now, it's easy!"  

I agree, as I no longer dread brushing out the little girls' hair at the end of the day.  We also use these other Wet brand brushes for every day use, but have found this brush to be the true game-changer.

Dominique

#mamalifehack

#girlmomhack

#easyhaircare

#getawetbrush

No, I was not paid to write this.  I wrote it because these brushes really work for us.  

Also, THANKS, GRAMMIE.

Where To First?

I've been thinking about something I've deemed the "Go-Tell" phenomenon. 

It seems that in this information sharing age, if something happens, we go to our phones and tell someone.  Whether we text, post, blog, email, whatever, we go and we tell. 

There's a lot of good in technology, no doubt about it.  I'm thankful that I can share thoughts with you.  I'm thankful for the connections that texting has helped to foster.  I'm thankful for all the good, in its place.

Yet I feel convicted to share that I find myself going and telling everyone else, before my Father God.  

Did something amazing happen?  I can shout victorious words of thanks, with a holy happy dance!
Did something confusing happen?  I can whisper the need for wisdom, with my head buried in my hands.
Did something horrible happen?  I can petition the throne room of grace, with tears upon my face. 
Did something regular happen?  I can call out for grace for my everyday "normal" life to glorify Him.

This week, I want to remember:

To the throne room first.

Dominique