N-n-Nest

I've been meaning to post about this for weeks! For Ezra's school, we're using My Father's World Kindergarten. Its SO much fun! Each week focuses on a different letter, theme to go with the letter, and character quality/spiritual lesson to go with the theme. Our favorite week was the week we learned about N-n-Nest.

We started out the week learning about nests, how birds build nests, and how there are lots of different types of nests. We learned how, just as a mother bird cares for her eggs, God takes good care of us, too! Here are just a few of the scriptures we discussed:

Psalm 91:1-4a:
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!"
For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence.
He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge;
His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark.

Psalm 17:8-9:
Keep me as the apple of the eye; Hide me in the shadow of Your wings From the wicked who despoil me, My deadly enemies who surround me.

2 Thess 3:3:
But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.

and also,

John 14:2-3:
"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you.
If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

Praise the Lord! Its awesome to bring God's word into every aspect of our day, for He is a living God, with us continually!

As the week went on, Isaac was thrilled when he found an abandoned bird's nest on our gutter pipe. He was able to get it down, entirely intact, and it was fascinating to see how it was made. We believe it was probably a Robin's nest, as it is a good solid mixture of mud and dried grass. It was surprising to feel how heavy it was!

For the finale of our week, we made our own nests. Not just any nests, but CHOCOLATE nests! Yum! This is how we did it: We melted chocolate chips in a pan, and I spooned it into individual bowls. Then I put a tablespoon of peanut butter (almond butter for Ezra) in the bowl and mixed it all together. The boys had pretzel sticks for grass, and marshmallows for eggs. Then we put the completed nests in the fridge to let harden. The end result was a messy, delicious treat! Here's our adventure in pictures!

The finished product:

Enjoying the treat (and the mess!)

The Business of Being Born

I've mentioned a few times that I am very enthusiastic about natural childbirth. I personally would homebirth all of my babies if I could convince my husband of it ;-) I feel that childbirth *is* a natural experience, one that God created women for, designed our bodies with the specific purpose of accomplishing.

I also feel that the medical world has changed this natural event into a fear-tinged "illness" that needs to be monitored, controlled, and intervened with at all times. We have a friend who finished medical school and told me "Childbirth is the most dangerous thing that can happen. Its so unpredictable!" I was floored that years of medical teaching has taught him to have that attitude!

When Nathan was born, he was delivered by a Certified Nurse Midwife. It was the best birth I have experienced so far. All of my births have been natural, but always on the "doctor's time" - don't push yet, let's break your water, let's wait, let's hurry, no you can't get up, you can't use the bathroom, you can't push that way... the midwife just sat back, waited, and watched. She offered suggestions when I asked, she allowed me to move how I needed to move, push how I needed to push, encouraged me to listen to my body and my body's timing... it was so relaxing and pleasant - the way birth should be!

The level of intervention in childbirth alarms me, as does the fact that homebirth is actually ILLEGAL in some states (including my own). Hospital births did not even start happening in this country until the turn of the 1900s. Only for the past 100 years, in all the years of human existance, have women all of the sudden "needed" medical assistance to give birth.

I was excited to see that a new Independant Film has been made about this very issue, called "The Business of Being Born". Check out the trailer, and then see if there will be any screenings near you! Netflix will be carrying it, so be sure to put it in your queue! Even if you don't agree with my opinions, it will give you some interesting things to think on.

I wanted to add that there is another cool resource regarding this topic called "Born in the U.S.A." which was released as a television documentary. This website has some birth stories, offering the differing views of OBs and Midwives for each case, information about safety during labor and delivery, as well as an extensive list of resources. Enjoy!

1 Corinthians 11:8-9

I am listening to a teaching CD entitled "Becoming Your Husband's Helpmate" by Beverly Bradley from Family Ministries (I have been so blessed by many of their materials, please do check them out!) She made a point that really brought home something for me. I have read and re-read the scriptures about the roles of a man and a woman in marriage, as it is my goal to serve the Lord through my role was wife and mother. I don't always succeed, but it is my heart to do so! The amazing about scripture is that it is alive - verses that have been read a hundred times can suddenly become more real than ever when God reveals Himself to you through them.

She said to read 1 Corinthians 11:8-9...

For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man;
for indeed man was not created for the woman's sake, but woman for the man's sake.

After this, she said look at 11:9, and put YOUR man's name where it says "man":

for indeed Michael was not created for the woman's sake, but woman for Michael's sake.

Then she said, now, put YOUR name where it says "woman":

for indeed Michael was not created for Erin's sake, but Erin for Michael's sake.

All of the sudden, this scripture became real to me! For some reason, its so easy to read something and look at it from a distant outsider's perspective... but just by making it personal with our names, suddenly, I see!

I have a distinct purpose, a reason for my very creation! The boys have a book called "I Was Born to be a Brother"... and I now have a renewing of the fact that I was "born to be a wife"... but not just "a wife" - Michael's wife. What a blessing! How exciting! The Lord knew in his foreknowledge that Michael would exist, and knew that he would need a suitable helper, and thereby appointed me with this task, while I was still being formed in the womb. Amazing!

With this personalization, I also have a deeper understanding that by serving Michael, I am fulfilling my calling in the Lord. What direction and purpose He gives us!

I will confess that this has come at just the perfect time (God is always good like that!). I have struggled recently with selfishness and a bad attitude, giving Michael a very difficult time of things while I focus on "me" and what "I want". But that is not what the Lord wants from me. It is not my job to be my husband's Holy Spirit or to lead him to a higher level of righteousness... only the Lord can accomplish that. My responsibility is to demonstrate the love Jesus has for Michael, through loving him as a wife.

I praise God for His infinite mercy and wisdom!

The Stupendous Spaghetti Spoon

This post is a tribute to Sarah, my sister. When we were young, I would call her "Sarah the Stupendous Spaghetti Spoon", while she would call me "Erin the Excellent Eyeball (Eewww)". When I wanted to be heartless, I would change the "Stupendous" to "Stupidest". Aren't older siblings fun?

Anyway, my sister brings such joy to my life. She is my sister by blood, my best friend, and best of all, my sister in Christ! I learn so much from her faith, her struggles, her achievements, and her walk. I am truly blessed to have her. I am excited - in just a few months she will no longer be 11 hours away, but less than 2! I can't wait to be able to spend more time with her. We have so much fun together!

Here is some beautiful photos she donated to my camera while I was unaware. It made me smile to find them! Aren't her new glasses cute? :-D

When Toddlers Read

I was at the craft store with Joel, who is fast approaching his 3rd birthday. I was on the phone with my lovely and wonderful sister, trying to help her choose a yarn for the hat I will be knitting her. Joel was looking at some knitting needles, and then said "Look, mom - what this says is "I can play with these"!"

Weird! I personally thought they said "U.S. Size 7". Can't blame him for trying, though!

Enjoying God's Creation

At least once a week, we try to get out for a Nature Walk, usually on the Nature Trail at Stone Mountain Park. Its a nice loop, a little less than a mile but with some terrain, a stream, and lots of nature to explore. We went today and enjoyed a wonderful surprise - we saw two deer! At first they bounded away from us, but as the boys got quiet and we walked slowly, the deer became interested. They let us watch them for a few minutes, and returned the interest, before slowing disappearing into the foliage. It was so neat! Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera (the ONE day I leave it home!) but I told the boys they can remember the images in their brains for as long as they want. ;-)

A few weeks ago the boys did their first "nature journal" entries. We don't bring the journals every week, but when we do, we plan a picnic lunch so they boys can take their time with their journals. Here are some pictures of our nature journaling!

The Nature Trail

Self-portrait of Nathan in the Ergo!


The boys working on their journals

Isaac's artwork - I was so impressed by the detail!

The nature walks are such a nice break to our day and overall week. Its a blessing to be able to get out and enjoy God's beautiful creation, and watch how things change through the year!

Adventures!

The curriculum we're using with Isaac is called Adventures in My Father's World. We just finished up Week 5, and we're having alot of fun with it. So far, the most memorable week has been Week 4, when we learned about Native Americans. The timing was perfect, because all week we read about Native Americans, made Tepees and Wigwams, and at the end of the week was the annual Pow-Wow at Stone Mountain park, so the boys were able to see everything we had been learning about. Here are some pictures!

Our homemade Tepees and Wigwams

The boys in a real TePee

Isaac shot a bow and arrow

Our favorite part was the ceremonial dances!

Some books we enjoyed were The Rough-Face Girl, by Rafe Martin; Squanto, Friend of the Pilgrims, by Clyde Robert Bulla; and Naya Nuki: Shoshoni Girl Who Ran, by Kenneth Thomasma.

Inside their Brains....

I think its great fun to hear the interesting things that pop out of my childrens' mouths. Its like a little window into their brains, and what's going on in them. Here are a few examples:

A few days ago, Isaac was telling me he wants Footie PJs in his size. So we googled them and every specialty website has them for $25-$40! So I told him that it was a bit expensive. Later that afternoon we were at WalMart and there were footie PJs in Isaac's size there for $9.88! So Isaac was very excited. We were telling Michael about it that evening, and when I said we found them cheap at WalMart, Michael said "Well, go figure" and Isaac said "Yeah, well, their sign does say they always have low prices. Always." (No wonder companies spend millions on marketing to children! It works!)

Tonight we passed a shopping center with a Petco in it. Isaac said "I know why its called Petco - its a Pet Company!" so I said "That's right!" Ezra chimes in and says "Yeah, so when the workers go home other people come and stay there" and I was confused, so I asked him "hmmm... what are you talking about?" and Ezra said "to keep the pets company!" (Duh mom!)

Joely is always coming out with new and interesting thoughts. Lately his question about everything he sees or hears about is "Will it bite me?" and "Will it kill me?" I have no idea why he wonders about these things. One night while making dinner, Joel was keeping me company and we were talking about Jesus. He said "Does Jesus have a gun?" and I said no, and he asked "Does Jesus have a sword?" and I said, yes, the Bible does say Jesus will have a sword". Then Joel nodded and said "So when Jesus comes back, He's going to kill me so I can go to heaven with Him?" YIKES! I cleared up that he's not going to KILL us to take us to heaven... he'll be taking us with Him because He loves us and wants us with Him. I'm glad Joel shared that misconception with me before it got worse!

Nathan does not share insights with me, yet, other than "Oog, oog, ugh". He also does not eat any solid food yet. Unless you count scraps of paper, dustbunnies, leaves, and whatever he can scavenge off the floor. When I offer him delicacies such as peas, bananas, sweet potatoes, and peaches, however, he gags and make a face as if I've played the worst trick on him in the world. And crawls off to stuff a clod of dirt into his mouth. I will say that mama's milk is doing his body good - he is over 20 lbs at 9 months old, and wearing 18 month sized clothing. He's standing on his own and pushing walking toys (and other items not intended for the purpose) all over the house. So I'm not too worried. ;-)

While the Cat's Away...

The mouse plays... or blogs, that is :-) I feel like I never have time to blog about all the fun little things that go on in our hectic day to day life. Michael is away for the evening (playing poker with the fam) and the boys are in bed, so now's my chance! I've got a big bowl of ice cream and a list of things I want to make note of. So let the fun begin!

First, a few days back, I was "tagged" by my dear cousin, Sarah. Here's the deal with tagging, so I gather:

The rules:
A. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B. Each player lists 6 facts/habits about themselves.
C. At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.


However, I don't really know 6 other blogs to go to and tag. But I can do A (already completed!) and B.

Six things about me...

1. I am passionate about serving the Lord, and being a wife and mother. I could go on and on about these aspects of my life. They define who I am, and I love my role.

2. If I were to have a job outside of the home, I would want to be a Midwife, Lactation Consultant, or Doula. I am passionate about pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, and would love to be encouragement to other women in these areas.

3. I can stick my entire fist in my mouth, something I never knew was an extra special talent until I realized not many others can. Apparently, I have a big mouth!

4. Michael and I consider ourselves "quiverfull" (stemming from Psalm 127). We leave our fertility in the Lord's hands, meaning, we do not use birth control, even the "natural" kind (unless you count breastfeeding, but that's something I do regardless). Yes, we may just end up with 14+ children. We may just end up with the 4 we've been blessed with so far. We trust in God's provision and are grateful for all of the blessings He's given us.

5. I am a weirdo and enjoy scheduling. Michael thinks its an odd hobby, but I'm pretty good at it. Its fun to make an excel sheet and see how everything can line up and fit together. Not to mention, a schedule is terribly practical and can make room for so much accomplishment in a day!

6. My favorite outfit is my long brown skirt, black tank top, orange hoodie cover-up and light blue crocs. Add my baby on my back in the Ergo and three little boys in tow, and viola! There I am. I've looked and looked for an avatar like that, but just can't find one that suits. So you'll just have to use your imagination. I'd post a picture, but I'm the only one who uses a camera around these parts, so pictures OF me are rare and far between.

Liberal Irony

Here is a statement about the "Freedom of Choice Act" that is being pushed by NARAL (Pro-Choice America):

Following the Supreme Court’s closely divided and bitter decision upholding the Federal Abortion Ban, it is clear that the right to choose is facing a new level of assault. That’s why the pro-choice community is working to guarantee the right to choose through the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) – a measure that will codify Roe v. Wade and guarantee the right to choose for future generations of women.

(Full document can be seen here: http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/Abortion-Access-to-Abortion-FOCA.pdf)

Does anyone else see the irony, or just poor choice of wording in the above statement? More specifically, I'm referring to the last line - "...guarantee the right to choose for future generations of women."

The future generations of women that aren't aborted, of course. They're not actually concerned about the rights of those they choose to kill, only the ones they choose to allow to live...

If you find this as absurd as I do, visit the ACLJ and watch their video about it - at the end there is a petition to sign.