Things That Make Me Smile 1/12/18

Jake (12), Alyssa (9 1/2), Zac (8), Tyler (5 1/2), Nicholas (3)

Here we are with another mid-week Smile list! This week, I posted my Word of the Year, we had a family Nerf war, and we enjoyed another game schooling day.

1. Zac: "Nicky's so cute. No one could be him with cuteness."

Tyler: "Yeah, not even a twin of himself."

2. Me, correcting: "Don't talk to me like that."

Nicholas: "Ok, girlfriend!"

3. Nicholas, reprimanding: "Tyyer Jophis!" (Tyler Joseph)

4. The kids and I were playing Apples to Apples Junior. The word was glittering.
Alyssa, choosing a card: "I've got it!"
Me: "What is it? Glitter?"
Jake: "Nothing would beat glitter for glittering."
Zac: "What if someone had mom's eyes? That would win for sure. Nothing is more glittering than Mom's eyes."

5. Nicholas: "I love Daddy and eberyone and Mommy . . . and Daddy!"

6.

7. Nicholas, concerned, because Tyler had spent the night at my parents' house: "Where Tyyer? We lost Tyyer!"

8. Nicholas: "You put it in dere?"
Me: "Yep."
Nicholas, concerned: "You said yep?"
Me: "Yes, I did."
Nicholas: "No, you say yes, sir."

9. Jake: "I gave Papa a War Head (candy) once, remember? He didn't even make a face! {disappointed} I was expecting better results."


What made you Smile this week?

Things That Make Me Smile 1/5/18

Jake (12), Alyssa (9 1/2), Zac (8), Tyler (5 1/2), Nicholas (3)

How about a mid-week Smile?

1. Tyler, about food: "You know what's weird?" When it's hot it gets cold and when it's cold it gets hot. That's weird."

2. Nicholas, driving in the van, pointing to the sun: "Mommy, it's fowowing us!"

3. Zac, leaving the house: "I'm as ready as a ready little bug."

4. Nicholas, looking at a picture of Leighton and me at our wedding: "I wike dat lady. She pincess. I wike dat pincess."

5. Zac: "Nicholas was born in 2014. It seems like the years went by too fast."

6.

7. Alyssa, because I bought patterned Christmas paper towels on clearance: "Now when people come over they can see our pretty paper towels."

Zac: "Except, we only got 2 (rolls), so don't waste them."

Alyssa: "Trust me, I don't intend to." 

8. Tyler: "Mommy, I think you're a little angel."

9. Zac: "Mom, this book has 29 chapters, and I'm on chapter 6."

Me: "You have a bit to go."

Zac: "Twenty-three chapters, to be exact."

10. Nicholas, looking at a picture of Tyler as a baby standing and crying in a hospital crib: "He in jail! He need help!"

11. Jake: "Of all my body parts, if I had to pick one to be my favorite, which would it be?"

Me: "I don't know."
Jake, smirking: "I'd pick my nose."

What made you Smile this week?

Things That Make Me Smile 12/29/17

Jake (12), Alyssa (9 1/2), Zac (8), Tyler (5 1/2), Nicholas (3)

Happy Friday! This is the week we celebrated Christmas, Tyler lost his first tooth, and we spent quality time with family.

1. Alyssa was dressed up for church. Nicholas saw her and said, "You so pretty!" The next morning, she walked out of her room, unbrushed hair and still in pajamas. He looked at her and said, "You so pretty again!"

2. Zac, at Ikea: "I like the way this place is organized."

3. Reading Luke 2 before opening presents Christmas morning.

4. Nicholas: "Can I have sonts?"

Me: "Songs?"

Nicholas: "Yes."

Me: "You want me to turn on music?"

Nicholas: "No. Sonts."

Me: "Songs?"

Nicholas: Yes."

Me: "You want music?"

Nicholas, grabs my hand, pulls me into the kitchen, and points: "Sonts!"

Me: "Oh, croissants!"

5. Nicholas, talking about what he was going to do the next morning: ". . . after I wake up my eyes."

6. Tyler: "Mommy, I like how you're dressed. And I like your hair . . . And I like how you're smiling at me."

7.

8. Zac, walking into my room where a fire was burning in the fireplace: "Mmm, that smells so good. I'd like to have a shirt that smells like that."

9. Nicholas, because his food was hot: "Mommy, will you blow dis up, pease?"

10. Tyler: "Brussels sprouts are so good they make my head hyper!"

11. Me: "What happened to this room?! I thought you guys cleaned it last night."

Jake: "It's called Nicholas and 10 minutes. Scratch that. Nicholas and 5 minutes."

What made you Smile this week?

Word of the Year: 2018

When November rolls around and everyone starts preparing for Thanksgiving, I begin praying about my word for the next year. That one little word that will be my focus for the next 365 days. I've explained in previous years how this is different from resolutions in that this word is more of a redirecting of my life. It's a process with no specific end goal. This journey is meant to impact our lives and change them indefinitely.    

Prior years have been purge, praise, and teach. (I had no idea just how much that last one was going to perfectly fill needs in our life during my recovery, but God knew.) 

For the past 3 years, I've had multiple options for my word floating around in my head for weeks. I'd pray about the choices and wait for God to narrow it down for me, to make that word obvious to me and ingrain it on my heart.

This year . . . nothing.

Oh, I tested out a bunch. I'd hear a word and think, "Hmm, that might be a good one," or "I think I'd like to make that my focus next year." But that was it. It was just my own desires that were intrigued. The end of the year was nearing, and I was getting worried. "Lord, what do you want me to make a priority in our home? Which word should we improve in our lives?"

And every time, He'd answer in a whisper. Just a faint reply, but each time audible enough that I heard. 

Give.

This word had already been impacting our lives in an increasing amount the last many months. I think I was looking for a flamboyant display for a new direction, but instead, God had been weaving this passion quietly into my heart for some time. 

give, verb:

1. freely transfer a possession 
2. provide or supply with

Give. Time. Money.

Leighton and I are entering into our next stage of parenting. Our oldest is 12 years old and nearing those teenage years. His skills have advanced to the point where he can do just about anything around the house. Our youngest is 3. And though I desperately miss the coos of a baby and the unsteady steps of a toddler, I admit that his ever-growing independence is kinda nice. My kids still require a lot of me--especially adding in the home educating aspect--but my days are no longer filled with feeding and changing and getting-to-nap and soothing and all those things that a tiny one demands. I'm no longer in the someone-needs-me-every-second-of-every-day stage. The days are busy (obviously, because I am just now posting this 10 days into the new year, ha), but it's a different kind of busy. 

For years I had to step back from certain ministries because of my greater responsibilities. I was still involved, for sure, but there were some activities I could not volunteer to serve in because my little ones needed me, all of me. 

As my kids require less of me in their quest toward self-sufficiency, there's more of me available for others. I want to give of my time, my attention, my prayers, my concern. I want to be willing to minister more at church or help in the home of a friend. My family is my main responsibility, my number one ministry, but I want to make the time to give of myself to bless others.

But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Hebrews 13:16

Money. I know, it's not something people like to talk about. Everyone has needs. And, let me just say, with 5 kids in the house, someone is always needing something. Shoes--what do you mean they're too tight? Pants--why can I see your ankles? Socks--holes already? And you can imagine how much food is consumed around here. 

But, oh, the blessings and ways in which God has supplied. From my husband's well-providing job to the money-saving deals I find to the generosity and hand-me-downs of others, we find that every need is met and so many desires are fulfilled. We don't always have the best of the best, but how could we not be thankful when God cares for us so? 

Giving has been manifested throughout my whole life. My parents are the most giving people and have monetarily helped others in countless ways, and my husband has had benevolence imprinted on his heart ever since he depended solely on the gifts of others. But there is still a limit to our giving. 

I want to push that limit this year. 

That's a bit of a scary thought! And the reason I was hesitant to acknowledge that whisper of His reply. Trust me, I have a whole list of ways in which I could spend that money. (Home renovations, anyone?) But I truly feel that now is the time to focus on helping others. 

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. 

Proverbs 3:27

Our focus for 2018 will be giving of our time and money. Just like Jacob built an altar to solidify his commitment and Joshua set up a stone memorial as a testimonial of God's provision, this Word of the Year is my accountability to follow through with His leading. May God use us to bless others and teach us valuable lessons in return.




You can read more Word of the Year posts from my friends on the Homeschool Review Crew blog.

Things That Make Me Smile 12/22/17

Jake (12), Alyssa (9 1/2), Zac (8), Tyler (5 1/2), Nicholas (3)

Happy Friday! Last week I explained that since December was jam-packed with activities and I didn't take the time to record many quotes from the kids that I would be doubling up some Smiles posts. Hmm, about that . . . as I was working on this post, I came across a bunch of Smiles in my email.(When the kids say something I want to record, I grab my phone and quickly email the quote to myself because it's fast and convenient.) So it wasn't that I didn't take the time to write them down; it's that somehow I didn't see that they were there. Maybe the days have been busier than I thought. Or maybe I'm not as organized as I'd like to believe. Ha. Either way, here is a full list of Smiles for the week. Here's to a slower pace in the month of January.     

1. Jake: "I like that word--perpendicular. I mean, who doesn't?"

2. Jake: "Is a zebra black with white stripes or white with black stripes?"

Zac: "Black with white stripes."

Jake: "No. They're pink with black and white hair."

3. We went caroling and to the teen ugly sweater Christmas party.

4. Jake: "Mom, I'm bored. Can I do the laundry for you?"

5. Tyler: "I know how to get your hands the color of peanut butter . . . Cover them in peanut butter!"

6. Nicholas: "I have someping in pantry? Oh! You get candy down for me?"

Me: "No, you're not having candy for breakfast."

Nicholas: "Pease? I give you kiss. {puckers lips and kisses me} And hug. {hugs me} Now I have candy?"

Me, laughing: "No, you're not having candy for breakfast."

Nicholas: "But I give you hug and kiss!"

7. Our annual Christmas baking day with my mom. 

8. Nicholas, watching a movie: "Aw, wook at the baby! He so cute!"

9. Tyler, sitting next to me at dinner: "I get to sit next to my favorite mommy."

10. Me: "Toddlers are trouble."

Jake: "You don't have to tell me; I've lived with 4 of them."

11. Me: ". . . my little oceanographer."

Zac: "Technically, I bet there are at least 100 people who know more about the ocean than me."

What made you Smile this week?

Kids Say the Funniest Things: Part 15

Happy New Year! At the beginning of each new year, I love taking the time to reflect on the past. Life is busy raising and schooling 5 little ones. The days are over so fast, and the years are flying by. I try to keep a list of some precious quotes and experiences through my Things That Make Me Smile lists every week. If I don't intentionally record these things, I am prone to forget them. At each new year, I like to review these weekly lists to find some of our very favorite memories. The kids love when I read through these recaps with them. We all sit and laugh together, reminiscing about these special times. It is very precious to me.

As I began to work on the next installment of Kids Say the Funniest Things, I realized that I had never finalized the last one for 2014. The majority of the post was done, but was just needing some formatting and whatnot. Remember what I said about life being busy? Ha. Before I move on to the next year, here are the final months of 2014.  

These were the kids ages at the time recorded: Jake 8, Alyssa 5½, Zac 4, Tyler 1½.

SEPTEMBER

Zac, while watching a cricket and accidentally stepping on it: "I guess my shoes are faster than it!" 

Zac: "That's the stinkiest horse I ever met."

Zac: "Mom, I love you! I just spotted lightning!"
Me: "I love you, too. Lightning reminds you that you love me?"
Zac: "Yep."

Alyssa: "What's a throw pillow?"
Jake: "It's a pillow someone throws so if someone else is falling or something they have some place safe to land."

Jake: "We come from a very important family. Our ancestors were Vikings."
Alyssa: "One of our ancestors was a grandma."

Zac: "Remember when Ty gave me a bloody nose?'
Alyssa: "I remember it like it was yesterday."
Me: "It was yesterday."

Zac: "Mmm, dinner smells good."
Me: "Thank you, but I've barely started cooking yet."
Zac: "It smells cold."

Zac, playing the Wii: "Jake, you're the best boxer in the whole wide world!"
Alyssa: "Other than God."
Zac: "Mmhmm."

Zac: "We have everything except some things."

Jake, about Tyler: "Look at him! He looks like a perfect little boy who never gets into trouble. And then you turn your back . . . and wham! He throws a baseball at a lamp!"

Me: "What?"

Jake: "It's just a figure of speech."

Alyssa: "I like all of them, but my favorites are all of them!"

Jake: "Why do kids shove their toys under the bed?"

Me: "So they don't have to put them away."

Jake: "Nope. To keep the monsters away since there's no room!"

Jake: "As soon as I tasted the cookies (recipe here) I thought, An angel must have brought those down from Heaven."

OCTOBER

Jake: "Mom, I actually sharpened this pencil with my teeth!"

Zac: "May I have a piece of cake now, please? I done all my book."
Me: "You done it? How about you did it?"
Zac: "Yeah, I did done all my book."  

Jake, tasting the cake batter he made: "Mmm, coffee."
Me: "Who are you?"
Jake: "Jacob."
Me: "And since when do you like coffee."
Jake: "Mom, I'm almost 9. I'm going to need to start drinking coffee soon."

Jake: "Is it hazelnut or nasalnut."
Me: "Hazelnut. Do you know what nasal means?"
Jake: "No."
Me: "It's referring to the nose."
Jake: "So, Zac called it a nosenut?"

Me: "I'm going to do it by myself. It's ok if I spend a few minutes by myself every now and then."
Zac: "But you can't be by yourself! We don't want you to get too scared and lonely."

Alyssa: "Your wish is my command."
Me: "Except, it wasn't a wish; it was a command."
Alyssa: "So, your command is my command."
Me: "Exactly."

Zac: "Mom, I think I have fighting muscles! And they're invisible."

Jake: "Mom, can we get a lock for that drawer, please? Tyler's always getting in there. Or, can we just get a lock for him?"

Zac, holding his head after eating ice cream: "I have a giant breeze frain."

Tyler, pulling at his pants trying to fix a wedgie: "My butt stuck!"

Me: "Why are you chewing on your pencil?"
Jake: "Because I'm like a beaver!"

My Mom, about the praying mantis: "That's right, they're carnivores, not herbivores." 
Zac: "Actually, they're insects."

Jake, after we let the praying mantis go: "Aww, I wanted to keep it . . . or at least run it over with my bike."

NOVEMBER
Me: "Why are those clothes shoved in the corner of your room?"

Alyssa: "I put them there for safe keeping."

Zac: "I'm as wise as a bird."

Alyssa: "Mom! Jake's not playing fair! I'm cheating for Zac and Jake is helping him, too!"

Alyssa: "Pink in my favorite color, but purple is my emergency favorite color." 

Alyssa, listening to the southerners singing with a twang at our church: "Mommy, are they like cowboys or something?"   

Me, reading from a book: "What birds live by your house?"
Jake: "Woodpeckers."
Alyssa: "Robins."
Jake: "Blue jays."
Me: "Sparrows, grackles, mourning doves."
Zac: "Regular birds."

Me: "Did you hear me?"
Zac: "Yes, ma'am."
Me: "What did I say?"
Zac: "Uhhh . . . apparently I didn't."

Tyler: "Ty-Ty want someping eat."
Me: "What do you want?"
Tyler: "Um, candy!"
Me: "No." 
Tyler: "On crackers?"

Tyler: "Mommy, I want snack."
Me: "What kind of snack?"
Tyler: "Yellow!"

Alyssa: "I'm burning cold."

DECEMBER
Jake, concerned, while playing Lego Batman 2 on the Wii: "Mom, they're doing a lot of dangerous stuff."

Zac: "What do turkeys say?"
Me: "Gobble, gobble."
Zac, incredulously: "Gobble, gobble? I don't think that's true."

Alyssa: "My teeth itch."
Me: "How do your teeth itch?"
Alyssa, matter-of-factly: "It happens a lot."

Zac: "Knock, knock."
Tyler: "Who's there?"
Zac: "Robot."
Tyler: "I love robots!"
Zac: "No, Ty, you say, 'Robot who?'"
Tyler: "Robot who?"
Zac: "Robot I love you!"
Tyler: "Oh, thank you!"

Alyssa: "I have a mute button."
Jake: "You have a mute button?!? Do you know how many times I could have used that?"

Alyssa: "I'll eat anything! . . . as long as it's yummy."

Zac, holding a popsicle: "That's so cold, my hand would burn to freeze."

Jake: "Tyler is the cutest ever! His cuteness matches his troubleness."

Me, after reading Isaiah 7:14, while discussing names of Jesus: "Do you know what Emmanuel means?" 
Jake: "A guide, you know, like 'a manual.'"

Alyssa, about newborn Nicholas: "He's sleeping and eating! Babies are so talented."

Jake, about Nicholas: "Look how tiny his ears are! They look like mini cookies, you know like the little Oreos in the snack cups."

Jake, about Nicholas: "He's so soft and fuzzy, like a peach."

Me: "What are you doing? You're supposed to be in bed." 
Tyler: "Yeah, I supposed to be kiss this baby."

Jake, about Nicholas: "He's squeaking! Like a trumpet." 

My mom was holding Nicholas and patting his butt, trying to get him to stop fussing. Zac moved her hand, starting patting his butt, and said, "I think I have the right move" as Nicholas stopped crying. 

Zac, about his Christmas ornaments: "Mine are very fragile . . . 'Cause they're hot-glued."

Me: "Nicholas is going to be a week old tomorrow." 
Jake: "Already? It seems like just a few days ago he was a few days old."

Zac, watching me nurse the baby: "So he's eating? Chocolate milk or white milk?"

Jake and Alyssa read portions of the Christmas story before we opened presents on Christmas day. After Alyssa read her verses, Jake leaned over and whispered, "Good job reading. Don't worry, you'll get better at the harder words."

The kids were playing with Nicholas when I came to take him to change his diaper. As I picked him up, Tyler said, "Hey, you no steal that baby!"

Jake: "I had to pick a different Nancy Drew book to read to Nicholas. The other one had ghosts in it, and I didn't want to scare him."


That's all for 2014! I hope to have the next installment of Kids Say the Funniest Things soon. I hope you've Smiled a little as we've reminisced.