back on track

I am back. I am over the hump. I felt it yesterday, but I am positive after today. I feel calm, cool and collected. And as you would expect, the whole family is happy if mama's happy. The kids have noticed it too. I bet all together they told me at least a dozen times today ... I love you. I feel swell.

Today we made it to church. We left only 5 minutes late. Yes I am proud that it was ONLY 5 minutes. (Honey, we got one of the last 6 parking spaces left near the building!) Afterwards we ate at Longhorns with my parents. YUM YUM. Then home and all the kidlets took a nap. AHHHHHH! I played Boggle online for 2 hours. It's so addicting. Around 5 pm #1 finished a book that he wrote and illustrated. I will post pictures later. It was about Wonder BOY saving his city from a bad guy who kept setting buildings on fire. In the end, the bad guy killed Wonder Boy and then he came back to life. (Jesus?) After he reappeared, he killed the bad guy. A totally boyly (that is #1's terminology) book. Danger, bad guys, heroes and death. Then he wanted to read it to me while I video taped him reading it, like they do on Between the Lions. After the short book all the kids decided to make puppets and put on a puppet show. I helped tape a few things, but the design was all their own. Next came dinner. When the daddy is out of town, I read to the kids while the eat their supper. It saves us from boring conversation, like ... What did you do today? Uh, let me guess, I know everything that happened since we've been together all day long. They really get excited when I begin the book. Normally it extends to after dinner and we all pile up on the couch and read some more. Anyways, we read a book tonight called .. Hedgehog Bakes a Cake. At the end of the book it gave the recipe. Next thing you know we are baking a pound cake. It was so delightful to see them so interested in all the details of baking. #1 read most of the recipe to us and everyone pitched in. It came out of the oven just before bedtime, (at little late bedtime tonight). I really liked it, so did #3. The other two didn't think it was all the great.

I honestly really enjoyed today. I avoided many frustrations by being firm with consequences for negative behavior. I felt so relaxed. I love seeing the way my kids learn and create on their own. I feel like I am drifting towards "unschooling" (it is a homeschool term). I haven't used my Weaver curriculum in weeks. I don't miss it either. I just found out about Konos. I want to find out more about it. (Thanks Sprittibee for the info!) It sounds like it might be right up our alley. My goal tonight is to be asleep by 10:30, wake up at 6:00 am. Workout with Billy and Denise in my own living room. Shower, read the word, and be ready for the day at 7:30. Truthfully, I will be shocked if I actually follow through on all this. Who knows? Maybe I will be disciplined enough.

Oh, I know I mentioned this last week about the sermon series from our church. I PROMISE it is really really really good. Again, it is about temptation. Every kind of temptation you can/will face. I want to buy the series on DVD and put it in the hands of everyone I know. Here is the link: You can listen or watch it.
Forty-One Days, Pause, Part 1 & Soul Provider, Pause, Part 2.