Blessings of mothers

I just came across this blog entry devoted to mothers. It expresses my heart so please read it!

To the Tired Mama

A book, a book!

I feel lost without a book! As I was putting away some of the 109 extra books sitting on the coffee table, I realized that it is time to do a general clean out. Surely we have some books that we don't need to keep!

I realized I am not currently reading a good story type of book and I'm feeling bereft. (How's that for a $10 word?) I am currently reading two heavier reads. One is the KJV Old Testament (in Proverbs), and the other is Making of America.

Speaking of the OT, I ran across an article in the Church News that talked about a scripture in 1 Chronicles 12:33. This chapter basically reviews David's military. In this verse, it says: "Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: they were not of double heart."

I don't think I would have given this verse a second thought, but it's worth several. Am I one who can "keep rank" with the Lord's commands? Do I have a single-minded heart, devoted to following the Lord? Do I do what I'm supposed to and just what I'm required, or do I do the right things because my heart is with the Lord? I've had a complaining heart this morning, thinking what a thankless job Cub Committee Chairperson is and grousing about it to myself. This gave me pause to wonder what I would be thinking if I dedicated my service in Cub Scouts to the Lord and stopped getting ticked off at every little thing. It is easier to complain but not terribly productive and doesn't result in blessings to me or to anyone else!!! So onward to a new day and a happier attitude!

It's 9:30 and I need to organize

It is 9:30 in the morning, and here I sit bleary-eyed in front of the computer. I have been up for at least 2 hours! I think I just need to start going (and start school!) Dragon has already completed his math and his book report (yahoo!) and Steven is telling stories. We have breakfasted as well. School should have formally started already, and it has not. We need to burn through that so I can figure out what I'm doing with the Wolves tonight. Dragon and Monkey are excited that the last of their Webelos friends is now in 11-year-old Scouts so they will see him tonight.

I think we will read Mathematicians Are People Too in school today. We will also read about the Cyclops in Greek Mythology. We are studying the early Greeks and Greek Mythology right now.

Need lots of math---drill, drill, drill. Perfectly boring stuff! I have always hated rote drill (never did it either but I still managed to get good grades---hated the math contests though 'cause I wasn't quick enough). The boys need drill more---not totally rote---doesn't connect as well. Monkey especially needs hands on so we keep using the manipulatives to bring the concepts home. Dragon grasps mathematical concepts a little faster, but I'm looking for speed in solving problems! Dog Lover understands it better and faster. I guess she is more attuned to math or else she listens as I teach Dragon and then Monkey the same concepts. At any rate, they're about at the point. Dragon and Monkey smoke her in History though. They spend their time with some sort of history/geography/atlas book in their hands.

Maybe today or tomorrow we'll go to Barnes and Noble. Both boys have gift cards to spend. Much as I would like them to buy some books online, I suspect they will need to look through the books. We have two more of the Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites coming (vol. 3 and 4), and they are excited about that! In a week or so, I'll be buying The Trumpet of the Swan for each of the boys for Language Arts. That's the next book they'll be studying. I eyed another bookcase yesterday---a whopping $15 at Staples, but I'm not sure where I'd put it. It's a how-shall-we-put-it?

inexpensive, frugal, never-say-cheap,

looking 2-shelfer so I don't want it in the front room! (For $15, the shelves will probably bow under the weight of the books in less than 6 months.) I'd love to take a wood-working class so I could build furniture! Along with that, I wish I had gone to beauty college and learned to cut hair before I was married. I thought about both of those, and did neither. I would hate being a beautician, but I can think of lots of things I'd rather do than spend $20 every month on one daughter's hair. The same $20 would probably cover my sons. My own? $50 or so. Do you know how many books I can buy for that?! (At least complete our Harry Potter collection (Vol. 5), and Prelude to Glory collection (vol. 1, 2, & 7) all hard bounds.

Now that I have digressed so far afield, I need to get going!