Joey's coming home today!

Yes!!!! Joey returns home from Virginia tonight at midnight!!!!
I will be very happy to see him but very sad knowing how sad it will be for him to leave Virginia.
You know......some of the abilities a mother has is hard to swallow sometimes. Being able to really feel your child's pain when they are sad is hard!!!! Its like taking on THEIR pain.....don't us mom's have enough pain of our own lol.

Well, yesterday was day 2 of working out!!!!

Here is a little joke I recieved in an email about working out...



Weekly Fitness Plan

Day One - Beat Around the Bush
Day Two - Buckle Your Shoes
Day Three - Drag Your Heels
Day Four - Jump on the Band Wagon
Day Five - Shop Til You Drop
Day Six - Pave The Road
Day Seven - Toot Your Own Horn

On Alternate Weeks, you may employ this program:

Day One - Jump To Conclusions
Day Two - Push Your Luck
Day Three - Run in Circles
Day Four - Grind to a Halt
Day Five - Throw Fuel on the Fire
Day Six - Put Your Foot in Your Mouth
Day Seven - Lift Your Spirits

Be Creative
Do you have some exercise equipment collecting dust in the corners?
If you do, here are a few - tongue in cheek - suggestions to put it to good use:

Got some dumbbells? They make great meat tenderizers, especially if you want to save some money on the cheaper cuts of steak - beat them silly with the dumbbell and you'll have a great meal to chase the workout with.

Got a thigh master? Perfect for wedging your child's door open at night, without letting the animals push it wide .

Rubber bands stuck in the drawer? Kids love these for toys and it's a great way to play tug of war with the dog.

Resistance bands just laying around? Stretch them between two hooks and you have a great place to hang clothes up out of the way.

Exercise ball taking up space in the closet? Kick ball in the backyard just got pretty hilarious, but don't let the kids smaller than the ball get hit with it - they may get run over.


~~~~Nikki here again!!! That really hit too close to home there!!! But it made me laugh.
But seriously, yesterday was day 2 of working out. It was a good one. Not only am I running, but I'm using the machines as well.
First of all, I walked right past that thing that tells you how FAT you are....but knew that if I got ON it, it would give me even more determination to lose what I need to lose so I got on and got weighed.....EWWWWWWWWW 159 pounds. YES, I'm actually posting my weight here for everyone to know. Now understand this, 159 is what I weighed at 20 years old when I was 9 months pregnant with Michael who is my oldest son almost 20 years old. I was not happy to see that number. At least Mike was kind and said I didn't look like I weighed that much.
I would like to see 125 pounds again but that means a loss of 34 pounds. Mike said he doesn't think I need to lose that much. But I am bound and determined to at least lose 25.
So, here is what I'm doing. I still enjoy my few cups of coffee in the morning with my creamer.
But during the day, I drink water and have my V-8 juice. I eat low fat vanilla yogurt with grapenuts and honey. I eat toasted whole wheat bread with just a smidge of peanut butter spread on it. YUM!!!
I am very careful with what I'm doing because when I work by butt off at the gym, I don't want it to be for nothing. I have to do this. The people I go work out with go in the pool and hot tub. I haven't had a bathing suit in years. Haven't felt confident enough in a bathing suit in years......but I need to get one and swim some SERIOUS laps!!!! Now THAT is exercise. Now, my gym membership is good for 3 months.
I ask myself ...what after 3 months. Will I continue? My guess is probably yes. I'm not a young'in (hahah) anymore. I will be 41 in December and as a woman ages, and her body stops producing estrogen....EWWW I HATE THAT WORD.....then my bone density starts to decrease...(along with the brain cells in my noggin ) so its best to keep up with what I'm doing even if I don't have weight to lose.
So, once I lose the weight, what happens to all my fat clothes?
HAHAHA....SOme people keep them around ...JUST IN CASE....I'll see my mental state once I get to that point.

Well, my post wasn't intended to be funny today...except for the little joke I threw in there.
But I hope it added a little giggle to your day.

Does anyone read this blog at all anyway?????
Nikki

Storms

Today and tomorrow is supposed to bring rain and thunder.

Besides the tornado's that could happen and damage home and lives, I LOVE a good thunderstorm. Not just an occasional boom but a good, good thunderstorm. I love the sound of the pounding rain, and the smell of the air during a storm. What power!!!

God is really there people. Just open your eyes. That dandelion in your front yard, that you HATE, God is in that too.

THose knats that you whisk away because they are annoying, YEP God's in that too.

God's handywork is everywhere.

Its not just in the things that we consider to be beautiful.

His handywork is in everything.

That includes His whole creation.

Take a moment to really look and see his creation as HE sees it.

Enjoy the picture!

Need a motivator!!!

Well, today that will seem like me!!! Its a good thing Angel and Tony are such good helpers!!!!
Days like today I wish I had a laptop with wireless that I can sit on the couch in the living while the little ones play cause I can chat with ADULTS on the computer....while my brain is turning to mush with these little ones!!!!
Actually, I'm hoping to try to change my perspective. If I had to do this to live....I wouldn't be complaining. I know alot of single parent daycare providers that run their childcare from 6 in the morning until midnight just to make a living for their family. Wow!!!!! They don't even complain :)
After my work day today, I plan to go get a gym membership at our local Y. I am approximately 30 pounds over weight and its time to change that. I hate my clothes I wear, and I hate even trying to think about taking my kids to the pool this year. Sooooo, add that to my crazy schedule 3 evenings a week.
I know I can do anything I set my mind to with God's help. I need help to find the energy to be able to do this.


Ok, I'm off to change the life of a child!!!!

HAHAHA

God Bless

Nikki

Diary of a Madwoman!!!!

Some think that my life is like a psycho woman!!!!
Those who live a pretty slow paced life look at me like I'm completely crazy.
Here is my life, summed up in a paragraph or two.
I have a FULL childcare.
Full time I have twins that are 21 months, a 3 year old and a 4 year old.
Then 3 days a week add to that a 1 year old about 8 hours each day.
Then after school, I have a 6 year old, 7 year old and a 10 year old. The only thing is by the time the afterschoolers get here, the twins leave.

Add to that my NORMAL routine of house and home and groceries and life with kids...AND HOMESCHOOLING!!!....well, the mind starts to twist a bit.

THEENNN...add to that my 71 year old dad coming to live with us in 2 weeks. Trying to get a room renovated for him.

Am I crazy? Am I just do far gone to even see it????

Some days I feel really gone ...especially when the hormones hit me. THEN, it takes all I have just to make it thru my day. Thank God for friends who try to give me some sanity back.

Joey is in Virginia Beach this week visiting friends. He comes back Friday around midnight ...so actually its Saturday.

I hope you all take what I've written above pretty lightly lol.
Yes, I'm very busy but its always been like this really. Just lately I've gotten back into the childcare setting full time so it will take me some time to get in the swing of things again. Somedays it does SEEM harder than others...but most of the battle is in my own mind. I need to work with my own thinking and making it positive instead of negative and it really helps alot!!!!!

God Bless you All
Nikki

Positive Quote today!

POSITIVE QUOTE OF THE DAY
-----------------------------

I think of life itself now as a wonderful play that I've written for
myself... and so my purpose is to have the utmost fun playing my
part.

-- Shirley MacLaine


I LOVE THAT!!!!
I know that we have choices to make each day that when made, have consequences to lead to what happens in our lives daily!

For example; Your child does something wrong. You can correct the wrong in a way that would be good for that child and for the relationship as mother and child or you can put that child down which also is making that child make bad choices when he or she grows up by modeling the behaivor he or she has learned from you.

I will try to live out my life on stage as a Broadway play.
Have a favorite one?

I do..Sound of Music.
So, would my family think I"m nuts if I start singing "The Hills are Alive"????
Have a blessed Day
Nikki

Just more me stuff...

The depths of our spirituality does not depend upon changing the things we do, but in doing for God what we ordinarily do for ourselves.


-Brother Lawrence

Hmmm.....I got that in an email today.
Now, if we are doing things differently and changing our perpsective on why we do what we do, won't that sometimes mean CHANGING what we do?
I think the first part AND second part of the above quote go hand in hand.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anyway, whats new here?
I'm getting Joey ready for his FIRST plane ride. At 3am we leave for the airport then he has a flight that leaves at 5:30am. He should arrive in Virginia Beach around 9am....He will return on Friday night the 8th close to midnight. I hope he has a good time but he's never been on an airplane before. I'm sure he will be fine but its a learning experience for sure.

I'm also trying to find all..yes ALL of my regular photographs and scan them into my computer to save on disk. That is a huge job but I think it will keep them safe incase anything should ever happen to them.

I don't know why I make more work for myself lol. I'm always trying to complete some grand project even though the daily things I have to do don't even get done because I just don't have the time.

Well, gotta straighten up the house. Kids should be gone within the hour then bible study 2 hours later.
Hope you all enjoyed the update
Nikki

Usborne books!!

I just became a distributor to sell Usborne books and while I was looking around locally for someone to sign up under, no one even knew what Usborne books were!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was shocked!!!!

www.usbornebooks.com

You can look at some of the books and see the fabulous quality these books are!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am hoping to be able to furnish my childcare with these books and help promote education thru these as well!!!!

If you want to host a show, let me know!!!!
Nikki

How to spend our surplus checks!!

~~~~This came from an email. Its funny....but true.

How to use Your IRS Rebate check

As you may have heard, the Bush Administration said each of us would
get a rebate check to stimulate the economy.

If we spend that money at Wal-Mart, all the money will go to China.

If we spend it on gasoline it will go to the Arabs.

If we purchase a computer it will go to India.

If we purchase fruit and vegetables it will go to Mexico, Honduras,
and Guatemala.

If we purchase a good car it will go to Japan.

If we purchase useless junk it will go to Taiwan and none of it will
help the American economy.

We need to keep that money here in America. The only way to keep that
money here at home is to spend it at yard sales, since those are the
only businesses still in the US.

---this is a Calgon take me away moment!!!

Ok, when you've had a bad day, and you want the "Calgon Take me away" moment,

think of this picture. Oh the colors are beautiful ...you can just hear the sound of the waterfall.

Oh the things our Good Lord has created just for us to enjoy!!!!!

Anyone ever feel like this??

Anyone ever feel like that is you on the water????

It's friday!!!!

Hello everyone!
Anyone else sooo glad its Friday?
I appreciate my weekends so much more NOW than before I was doing childcare.
I love my weekends mostly for the aspect of sleeping in!!! I wouldn't mind doing childcare on a Saturday as long as I could sleep in until noon hahaha.

I had an interview with a mom of an 11 month old. Hopefully, everything will be approved for her for state paid care and I will have him 2 days a week, a total of 10 hours a week and I will get $75 a week. If I have a child Part time hours, which is between 7 hours and 25, then I get that amount for care. Thats not bad for only 10 hours. But if she doesn't get approved for state assistance, then I will probably only have him 5 hours a week which means only $3 an hour. Anyway, it won't be too bad. Any little extra helps out!

What else is new?

Well, my visit with my dad comes to a close today. He's been here almost a week and he leaves today around noon. I will miss him but I'm hoping he will be back to stay for good in a couple of months.

Even though tomorrow is a day off from daycare, I still have to go to a Child Abuse Class from 9am until 4pm. YUCK!!! I hate this kind of class. I will walk away sickened by this and it will rip open my heart. But its a required class that I have to attend so ....I do what I gotta do.

I'm trying to sell my wax dipped scented bears again for Mother's Day that is coming up.
I am in the process of uploading pictures of the animals I have for sale onto my blog site for the little creatures.

Two scents are the top sellers. Love spell and Bouquet of Roses!!!!
Let me know if you are interested. I will post the blog address soon
Nikki

What is happening to our children?

I want to know what is happening to our children?
All of this violence against others and themselves?
These children are killing their family...their friends?

I do not remembering this happening as a child growing up.
Was it still there but I didn't notice?

Every day I read the news and I see some kind of child or teenage violence.

I don't understand.

Some say, "oh kids are kids"

Thats bull!!!!

Parents, take the reins from your children and start giving your children some old fashioned discipline.

I'm not saying to give them a beating. Discipline means TEACHING. I'm not saying to Punish them, but discipline them. Are there any parents out there who know the difference between these two words?

Both of those words can be done in love.
Parents, are you investing more time in your job than in your own children?
Do you take time to really listen to your children?
Do you know your children well enough to see, just by the look on their face, that something is bothering them?
Do your own children trust you enough to tell them where THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG!!!!

Children are a blessing from the Lord. Treat them that way.
If you recived a set of china as a gift. You would take care of that china so well. You would display it for everyone to see. You would handle it with care so it doesn't get broken.

Children also need handled with care.
If their spirit gets broken, sometimes a little glue just won't fix it.
If their spirit gets broken there is a scar that can be left that never mends.

Do you want that for your own children?
Think back to your own childhood. What happened in your past that hurt you so badly that to think about it again brings pain to your heart?

Do you want that for your children as well.
Parents, do what it takes to get your children back?
Mothers, be home with your children if you can.
If you can't then you need to work EXTRA hard to be there for them whole heartedly when you ARE home.

This isn't an easy task at hand but your children are worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, I will get off my soap box now.
Nikki

Nikki on April 14th

Hello everyone!
Yes, its 6:15 am and I wish I were still in bed.
I wanted to write about my weekend and the thrill of a life time I had. YEAH RIGHT!
I found out a few days ago that Deal or No Deal was coming to Pittsburgh which is about an hour drive for me. I've ALWAYS wanted to be on that show so I said, OH YEAH!
I drove an hour. Stood in line OUTSIDE the mall in the cold for 8 HOURS, then inside the mall for another hour, and for what? I got 20 seconds to tell someone something exciting about myself. THen I was told thank you very much. Now, that might now mean anything. It doesn't mean its over for me because this happened to alot of people and later got called to be on the show and win alot of money. But it was something interesting to do thats for sure.
They should have given out T-Shirts to everyone though. We got nothing but 20 seconds lol.
The things I saw while standing in line though. There were mothers with SMALL babies there in line for those 9 hours. Remember 8 of them were OUTSIDE IN THE COLD!!!! These babies were only a couple of months old...
There were people in short shorts and tank tops..and least they STARTED OUT that way. Then off to the mall to buy some REAL clothes hahaha.
THere were people in costumes, trying to get theirselves noticed!!! It was interesting to say the least. One of the questions on the application was " What was the most outrageos thing you've ever done"-----Going to this casting call has topped my list now!!!!

And on another note, where did the nice weather go?
My weather says it feels like 30 degrees outside? I like the 70 degree weather we had a few days ago....and so did the trees and bushes cause I see buds beginning to appear.

I guess I should try to be content with whatever weather the good Lord gives us. He determines it all anyway :)

God Bless
Nikki

The Cab ride

"The Cab Ride"

When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, and then drive away.
But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation.
Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door.
This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself.

So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice.

I could hear something being dragged across the floor.
After a long pause, the door opened.
A small woman in her 90's stood before me.
She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie.

By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years.
All the furniture was covered with sheets.
There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters.
In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.

"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman.
She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb.
She kept thanking me for my kindness.
"It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated".

"Oh, you're such a good boy", she said.

When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"

"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.

"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice".

I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued.

"The doctor says I don't have very long."

I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.

"What route would you like me to take?" I asked.

For the next two hours, we drove through the city.

She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator.

We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds.

She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl.

Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now"
We drove in silence to the address she had given me.
It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico.
Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up.
They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move.
They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door.
The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.

"Nothing," I said "You have to make a living," she answered.

"There are other passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.

"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you." I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light.

Behind me, a door shut.

It was the sound of the closing of a life.

I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk.

What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift?

What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?

On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life.

We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments.
But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID, OR WHAT YOU SAID, ~BUT~THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.

Nikki

Something scary just occurred to me------

With the violence that is happening in our public schools, I just had a thought occur to me today.
I need to start checking backpacks upon the children coming to my home in the morning and after school.

With me opening up my home to families that come from all walks of life, I need to make sure that no weapons of any kind come into my home.

It never occurred to me until today that I would have to do this. But , its better to be safe than sorry.

Its sad that these days, this precaution has to be taken.

Very, very sad..................

Pray for children all over the world....
NIkki

Who DOESN"T love a bit of logic.....

Oh how I wish this kind of logic actually worked!!!!
Who's with me on this one :)
Nikki

Denial is in the eye of the person denying :)

Boy do I relate to that little cartoon somedays!!!!

What reality will you guys accept?

Maybe we all need a reality check.

Sometimes I have such bad days...but they are bad to me but not to anyone else. Thats when I have to step back and really take a look at the situation. Maybe its not as bad as it seems. Sometimes my reality is based on my hormonal state.

YIKES>>>>>Did I really admit to that?

Hahaha!!!!

God and Potato Chips......

Is God Dancing on Your Potato Chips?

Not too long ago I had "one of those days."
I was feeling pressure from a writing deadline.
I had company arriving in a couple days and the toilet was clogged.
I went to the bank, and the trainee teller processing my deposit
Had to start over three times.
I swung by the supermarket to pick up a few things
And the lines were serpentine.

By the time I got home, I was frazzled and sweaty
And in a hurry to get something on the table for dinner.
Deciding on Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup,
I grabbed a can opener, cranked open the can,
Then remembered I had forgotten to buy milk at the store.
Nix the soup idea. Setting the can aside, I went to plan B,
Which was leftover baked beans.
I grabbed the Tupperware container from the fridge,
Popped the seal, took a look and groaned.
My husband isn't a picky eater,
But even HE won't eat baked beans that look like caterpillars.
Really frustrated now, I decided on a menu that promised
To be as foolproof as it is nutrition-free:
Hot dogs and potato chips.
Retrieving a brand new bag of chips from the cupboard,
I grabbed the cellophane and gave a hearty pull.
The bag didn't open. I tried again. Nothing happened.
I took a breath, doubled my muscle, and gave the bag a hearty wrestle.
With a loud pop, the cellophane suddenly gave way,
Ripping wide from top to bottom.
Chips flew sky high. I was left holding the bag, and it was empty.It was the final straw. I let out a blood curdling scream.
"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"

My husband heard my unorthodox cry for help.
Within minutes he was standing at the doorway to the kitchen,
Where he surveyed the damage:
An opened can of soup, melting groceries, moldy baked beans,
And one quivering wife standing ankle deep in potato chips.
My husband did the most helpful thing he could think of at the moment.
He took a flying leap, landing flat- footed in the pile of chips.
And then he began to stomp and dance and twirl,
Grinding those chips into my linoleum in the process!
I stared. I fumed. Pretty soon I was working to stifle a smile.
Eventually I had to laugh. And finally I decided to join him.
I, too, took a leap onto the chips. And then I danced.
Now I'll be the first to admit that my husband's response
Wasn't the one I was looking for.
But the truth is, it was exactly what I needed.

I didn't need a cleanup crew as much
As I needed an attitude adjustment,
And the laughter from that rather funky moment provided just that.
So now I have a question for you, and it's simply this:
Has God ever stomped on your chips?
I know that, in my life, there have been plenty of times
When I've gotten myself into frustrating situations and
I've cried out for help, all the while hoping God would show up
With a celestial broom and clean up the mess. What often happens instead is that God dances on my chips,
Answering my prayer in a completely different manner
Than I had expected, but in the manner that is best for me after all.

Sometimes I can see right away that God's response was the best one after all.
Sometimes I have to wait weeks or months before I begin to understand
How and why God answered a particular prayer the way he did.
There are even some situations that, years later, I'm still trying to understand.
I figure God will fill me in sooner or later, either this side of Heaven or beyond.

Do I trust Him?

Even when he's answering my prayers in a way
That is completely different from my expectations?
Even when he's dancing and stomping instead of sweeping and mopping:?
Can I embrace what He's offering?
Can I let His joy adjust my attitude?
Am I going to stand on the sidelines and sulk,
Or am I willing to learn the steps of the dance he's dancin' with my needs in mind?
I'll be honest with you: Sometimes I sulk. Sometimes I dance.
I'm working on doing more of the latter than the former.
I guess the older I get the more I realize that
He really does know what He's doing.
He loves me and I can trust Him.
Even when the chips are down.

~Author Unknown

One more reason that I homeschool....

I love collecting articles like this. Its sick to see how young these children are that these problems are coming from. Oh thank God for the ability to homeschool.
The first one is about a 7 year old bringing a loaded gun to school.
The second on is a 3rd grade classs plotted to hurt their teacher.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/01/school.guns/index.html

http://www.news4jax.com/news/15755299/detail.html

So many people think this doesn't happen in young children. They think it only happens to hormonal teens....Look again people.
Be careful....
Pray for these children. All children in the public school system
Nikki

What do you see when you look at nature?

Daily Christian Wisdom

I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting system though which God speaks to us every hour; if we still only tune in.


-George Washington Carver

More interesting thoughts :)

Opportunity may knock once,
but temptationbangs on your door forever.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Quit griping about your church;
if it was perfect,
you couldn't belong.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

If the church wants a
better pastor,
it only needs to pray
for the one it has.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

God Himself does not propose
to judge a man
until he is dead.
So why should you?

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Some minds are like concrete,
thoroughly mixed up and
permanently set.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Peace starts
with a smile.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

I don't know why
some people change churches;
what difference does it make
which one
you stay home from?

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

A lot of church members
who are singing
'Standing on the Promises'
are just
sitting on the premises.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

We were called to
be witnesses,
not lawyers or judges.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Be ye fishers of men.
You catch them -
He'll clean them.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Coincidence is when
God chooses
to remain anonymous.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Don't put a question mark
where God put a period.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Don't wait for 6 strong men
to take you to church.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Forbidden fruits
create many jams.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

God doesn't call the qualified,
He qualifies the called.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

God grades on the cross,
not the curve.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

God loves everyone,
but probably prefers
'fruits of the spirit'
over 'religious nuts!'

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

God promises a safe landing,
not a calm passage.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

He who angers you,
controls you!

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

If God is your Co-pilot -
swap seats!

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

Prayer: Don't give God instructions
just report for duty!

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

The task ahead of us
is never as great as
the Power behind us.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

The Will of God
never takes you to
where the Grace of God
will not protect you.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

We don't change the message,
the message changes us.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

You can tell how big
a person is
by what it takes
to discourage him.

*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*

The best mathematical equation
I have ever seen:
1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given.

~~~Nikki here :) Some great thoughts. WHere do people find these little things that they pass on thru emails :)
Be Blessed

Happy Easter !!!

I wanted to wish you all a wonderful Happy Easter!!!!

It is a day to rejoice about!!!!

May your day be blessed :)

Nikki

Just stuff :)

Good morning all!
Yes, for me its 6:30 in the AM and I am up. NOT awake, but up. Still working on coffee cup number one.

Daycare has done alot for me but one thing is get me up in the morning. SOmetimes when my before school kids have gotten off to school, I would climb back into bed for a couple of hours but that will stop as of Monday because I have new kids starting.

A family of 3 kids will be here. One is 6 and will be before and after school but because it will still be spring break on Monday, he will be here all day. Then I have his two sisters. One is almost 3 and one is 4. They will be full time as well. About 8:00 am to 4 or so PM. I am excited but apprehensive. My work really begins now. Josh who is one of my before and after school kids and is 7 will be here all day on Monday as well so 4 kids all day. Haven't had that in a LONG time. Financially its a good thing. Of course, I won't see most of the money until the state sends me a check on the 20th of the month. But it will come.

WIth daycare I have to be VERY organized. I have paperwork to fill out daily and computer programs that have to be kept up with. I have to keep up with my laundry and house cause with people coming in daily, things have to be kept clean.

I'm glad Angel and Tony are done with school for the year. THey finished their end of the year testing and just have to work on little things like reading and stuff that I want them to practice all summer.

Since one of my before and after school kids will go full time in the summer, I am not going to fill his day spot. Sooo that means I have a spot for one more child.

The stomach bug has been kinda hitting us. A couple of the kids haven't felt really good lately.

I hate this time of year when everyone is sooo sick.

Well, thats it I guess.

Its Easter Egg decorating today.
Nikki

Why go to Church?

~Nikki here..I'm reposting this from an email I got. I thought it had a great point!!!

Why go to Church?

If you're spiritually alive, you're going to love this!
If you're spiritually dead, you won't want to read it.
If you're spiritually curious, there is still hope!

A Church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.

"I've gone for 30 years now," he wrote, "and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can't remember a single one of them. So, I think I'm wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all."

This started a real controversy in the "Letters to the Editor" column, much to the delight of the editor.

It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher: "I've been married for 30 years now. In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals. But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals.

But I do know this.. They all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work.
If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.
Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!"

When you are DOWN to nothing.... God is UP to something!

Faith sees the invisible, believes the incredible and receives the impossible!

Thank God for our physical AND our spiritual nourishment!

All right, now that you're done reading, send it on! I think everyone should read this!

"When Satan is knocking at your door, simply say, "Jesus, could you get that for me?"

What does YOUR child see?

This was sent to me in an email and I thought it was worth passing along. Give it alot of thought :)


WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you praying to God, and I knew there is a God I could always talk to and I learned to trust in Him too.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care "the least of these my brethren."


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it and I learned we have to take care of what we are given to be good stewards.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes and I learned that sometimes things hurt , but it's all right to cry.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared what I did and what happened to me and I wanted to be everything that I could be to please you and God.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.


When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, "Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking."


---Nikki here....many good things to think about.
But many things to pray for too. I know a family that is very close to my heart that are going thru some TERRIBLE difficulties....Satan is attacking their family head on and they need prayers. I don't wish to name them hear but God knows who they are and what they need just please pray for these friends of mine. Thank you

Friday has arrived!!!

This was my first "real" week of working with daycare. I mean, I've had the 2 year old here and there but this week I had a real schedule to work with for my before and after school kids.
It was great. The two school age kids I have are great. The 10 year old plays great with both Angel and Tony!!! They get along sooo well together.

On Monday I will find out if I have two more kids enrolled. A baby who is 5 months, and his sister who is 3. That will be like 8-4. I would LOVE that!!! So, things are coming along.

Its been slow but slow is good for me in order to get used to doing this full time again.

I have many plans with this extra money.
1. Pay off bills
2. Fix up my house
3. Do things with kids we haven't been able to do for a while . For example, weekend trip to Pittsburgh or something. Cedar Point this summer....etc.

I can't wait.

If anyone in the Martins Ferry area or Wheeling area read this and know someone who have some baby items they are planning to sell at a yard sale, let me know. I am looking for things like a bouncy seat, exersaucer, play ring, anything to help with a baby and keeping him occupied and happy.

Today, I feel good. Better than I have in a couple of days. There was a stomach thing going around. Joey had it pretty bad but hopefully he is doing better.

May God Bless you all!!!
Nikki

Calling all Homeschoolers!!!!

Where is Spring?

The above picture speaks more words than I can write...

Many are ready for spring and I am definitely one of them!!!

I had my food program interview yesterday and all went well. YES!!! Also had an interview with a mom for after school care for her 10 year old son. It went great. He hit it off with Angel and Tony pretty well too!!!

Ok I'm off to check about this crazy weather I'm hearing alot about.

Some say we are getting alot but so far, I haven't seen that ....

Later gators :)

Nikki

More info on me..

Todays question:

Who gave you your name and why? Did you have a family nickname? How did you get it?

My name, Nikki is not short for Nicole as some may think. It's just plain old " Nikki".

My dad's name is Nick so being the first born in the family, I was named after my dad. Its funny because I have only one sibling and her name is Tami. She is 5 years younger than me and I am named after my dad but she is most like him lol.

Nicknames for me? Well, family all called me Nikki Sue growing up. WHen I visit family now, I feel like I'm 10 again being called Nikki Sue but hey, it IS my name but that is how my family knew me.

~~~~Ok Nikki here....I hope these little question and answer things are interesting enough for you all!! I am posting a new and updated photo of the family that was taken at Christmas time!

ENjoy

Nikki(aka Nikki Sue)

A bit more personal...

I have this book called Reflections from a Mother's Heart.
Its a bit like a journal but there are things you write about that you would like to preserve for your children. What I am going to TRY to do is write from it on my blog a little ....to give my readers..(however many there are of you lol) a little insight to me.

What was your favorite pastime as a child? Did you prefer doing it alone or with someone else?

What comes to mind is a card game that my Grandma Baker taught me when I was a little girl.
You see, alot of my childhood I lived only a few seconds away from my Grandmothers house.
When I grew up and went back to the old house, it had been torn down but my view of her place and my old house was not what I thought it was. Its great to keep memories because they are a huge part of who we are as individuals.
She and I would play a card game called Nutsie.(not sure if this is the correct spelling)
It was kind like solitaire but it was a game that could be played with more than one person. I couldn't explain to you how it is played but it was something that came to mind when I read the above question.
I preferred playing it with other people. I don't usually like playing games alone anyway.

I challenge you to think about this question a while and find your own favorite pastime as a child also. Why did you enjoy it?

Be Blessed on this beautiful Lord's Day.
Nikki

Navy Transition....

Something hit me the other day that never occured to me before.
It was the fact that I won't be moving again in 3 years lol. It may seem very simple to most but for a person who moved 17 times in 20 years, its a big deal.

I was thinking about the friends I've made since moving to Ferry and it occured to me these are the friends I will have for a long time. Its awesome!

I was thinking about Angel's best friend Sydney and it occurred to me that this is someone she will grow up with and won't have to leave again!!!

What a great relief!!!! There are still many transitions that I go thru. Some DAILY.....with Mike retiring from the Navy. But all in all, things are smoothing out alot. God has straightened a path that I thought for a while to be Mt. Everest. God is good.

I am very thankful to be back home after being gone for so long.

I love my church family! Its great knowing I don't have to find another one in 3 years. Of course, I struggle with trying to fit it all in. I want to serve in so many ways in my congregation but I have to serve my family too. Not only take care of my own family but also run my own daycare business. I know with having my own daycare, I serve families who would not have encountered God in any other way. Whether they are here for a few days or a few months, I plan to be the light that some have never even seen!

Be Blessed
Nikki

Whats New?

Hi everyone!
I am in the process of gathering my resources to start my preschool program each morning from 8:30 - 11:30. I have developmental skills checklist for 2 years old thru Pre K and try to work with each child to attain those skills before Kindergarden.

I seem to have a problem though.

It seems people are looking down on me. Not sure why....

Yes, I have mostly been a stay at home mom for the past 20 years but during that time, I've had my own daycare business for most of that 20 years. I've been state licensed, state certified and Navy certified. I've also been a big part of my own soap and body care business before where I made and sold items I made.

I know about my own business, I know about teaching as I've been homeschooling for many, MANY years.

I make it my business to know children and when I tell people I have my own daycare, they ask me if I TEACH anything to children????
Teaching is my business and raising these children to be GODLY adults is included. Not only do I teach the basic skills, I run my business like I live my life, to give the glory to God. I let people know that I am a Christian and will run my business likewise which means teaching the Bible and stories in the Bible and character lessons that bring about Godly character.

Just because I don't have a college degree doesn't mean I'm less than someone who does.
Anyway, guess I needed a vent!!
Thanks for listening!

I am now STATE CERTIFIED!!!

I had my initial inspection to get my certification for childcare today. It lasted a whole 45 minutes and it was easy. Let me say this...God surely blessed my inspection today. THere are soooooooooooo many things she could have really given me a hard time with but she didn't. I've been working on this since summer and it went great.

Let me say this....God is good. For the longest time, I have NOT been looking forward to doing this. I've been dreading it actually but the past month or so...I've noticed an attitude change. This is MY business. My OWN buisness and yes if God blesses it, it will be full and run smoothly.
I am gaining some self esteem that I've been missing for a while. I know being a mother and teacher to my own kids is very rewarding. But no one really gives you much praise for doing it.
With daycare, I hear people tell me how organized I am, how well I work with kids , etc. I don't say this to brag so I hope its not coming off like that. I love being a wife, mother and teacher.
Now, I have a chance to really make difference in lives of children that are not mine.

I also have the chance to teach my children the aspect of this buisness as well. I incorporate my kids into this as much as I can cause there are so many life lessons to be learned with what I am doing.

Thank you God for changing my attitude.
Thank you God for blessing me with this certification.

Now, just to wait for all those wonderful phone calls....

God Bless you all,
Nikki

PS Keep us in prayer please as we just got over the bad flu and now Angel and I are sick with COLDS ....will we ever recover completely???????

A New way to look at a deck of cards...

A New Way to Look at a Deck of Cards

It was quiet that day, the guns and the mortars,and land mines for some reason hadn't been heard. The young soldier knew it was Sunday, the holiest day of the week. As he was sitting there, he got out an old deck of cards and laid them out across his bunk. Just then an army sergeant came in and said,'Why aren't you with the rest of the platoon?'

The soldier replied, 'I thought I would stay behind and spend some time with the Lord.

'The sergeant said, 'Looks to me like you're going to play cards.

'The soldier said, 'No, sir. You see, since we are not allowed to have Bibles or other spiritual books in this country, I've decided to talk to the Lord by studying this deck of cards.

'The sergeant asked in disbelief, 'How will you do that?''

You see the Ace, Sergeant? It reminds me thatthere is only one God.

The Two represents the two parts of the Bible, Old and New Testaments.

The Three represents the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.

The Four stands for the Four Gospels: Matthew,Mark, Luke and John.

The Five is for the five virgins there were ten but only five of them were glorified.

The Six is for the six days it took God to create the Heavens and Earth.

The Seven is for the day God rested after making His Creation.

The Eight is for the family of Noah and his wife, their three sons and their wives -- the eight people God spared from the flood that destroyed the Earth.

The Nine is for the lepers that Jesus cleansed of leprosy. He cleansed ten, but nine never thanked Him.

The Ten represents the Ten Commandments that God handed down to Moses on tablets made of stone.

The Jack is a reminder of Satan, one of God's first angels, but he got kicked out of heaven for his sly and wicked ways and is now the joker of eternal hell.

The Queen stands for the Virgin Mary.

The King stands for Jesus, for he is the King of all kings.

When I count the dots on all the cards, I come up with 365 total,one for every day of the year.

There are a total of 52 cards in a deck; each is a week - 52 weeks in a year.

The four suits represent the four seasons:Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.

Each suit has thirteen cards -- there are exactly thirteen weeks in a quarter.

So when I want to talk to God and thank Him, I just pull out this old deck of cards and they remind me of all that I have to be thankful for.'

The sergeant just stood there. After a minute,with tears in his eyes and pain in his heart, he said,

'Soldier,can I borrow that deck of cards?'

( this was sent to me by someone unknown thru email)

Where oh where is springtime???!!!

Anyone else out there ready for SPRING?
I can't wait to see everything in bloom and slightly warmer weather. Understand I don't like the really hot weather, but spring time temperatures would be a nice break from winter cold.

Whats new here?

Tony has been fever free now for 2 days so YES!!! the flu is over!!!!

Still no "new" news on the certification thing. I thought I would have heard something but when the bad weather hit, I guess they quit setting up appointments. Who knows....I guess it just gives me more time to get my stuff done.

HOpefully I will have more to report the next time I blog.
Cya cyber friends and family!!
Nikki

I'll rethink NOT getting a flu shot next year!!!!!

Before moving to Ohio, I've never had the need to get a flu shot. Why?
Cause I never get the full blown flu!!! Well, I can't say -NEVER- anymore. The flu had ME down for 5 days straight. Angel had it at the same time as me, and within a day it was Joey's turn and last night Tony started. HOpefully it will run its course and leave forever :)

I saw a neat little saying on a local church's outdoor sign.

It read:

Do you want to destroy your enemy?
Make him your Friend!!!!!

Oh I loved that!!!!!

I am close to being done for my childcare certification. I should be hearing soon on when they want to schedule my home inspection. So I am checking things off a little at a time trying to make sure I'm covered with everything!!!! Don't want them to have to find something and put off giving me my certification even a month longer!!!!


I miss my church family! I hate being ill but hopefully soon, I will be back :)

God Bless
Nikki

Oh this is sooo true!!!

IF YOU GIVE A HOMESCHOOLING MOM A COOKIE
by Sher Birmingham


If you give a Homeschooling Mom a cookie, she'll want the recipe.
She will plan a complete unit study on the History of Cookies.
The family will take field to a farm and see where we get eggs, milk and grain.
At home they will make butter out of milk. The children will want to start grinding their own grain.
Mom will purchase a Bosch Universal Kitchen System.
She will remember she will need a new list of cookbooks.
So she will order An Introduction To Whole Grain Baking w/ CD, Desserts, The Cooking With Children CD, and Lunches & Snacks Cookbook by Sue Gregg, also Whole Foods for Kids to Cook.
Mom orders a 100 lb. bag of wheat berries.
Now she will grind her own wheat grain into flour.
The children remember the farm field trip and knowing they can't possibly get a cow they beg for a few chickens.
So to a trip to the library to research how to build a chicken coop and to how to care for chickens.
On the way out the door Mom see the book, "Chicken Tractor" by Andy Lee & Pat Foreman.
They stop by the Feed and Seed to pick up materials and ask where to purchase the chicks.
There the clerk tells them about egg that can be incubated.
He sells them a book on hatching eggs, eggs, and incubator.
At home Mom and the younger children set up the incubator while Dad and the older children build the chicken tractor.
Back to the library to pick up gardening books and more books on chickens.
The oldest daughter now starts a business grinding flour for the her friend's families.
While her younger sisters are selling homemade cookies to their neighbors.
The boys have started building a new chicken tractor because they want more eggs for breakfast.

That cookie that started this all. the homeschooling mom's three year old ate it.(---based on If you Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Numeroff. Sher Birmingham is wife to Bill and author to Successfully at Home Business, School, and Cooking; her website is _http://www.SherBirmhttp://www_ (http://www.sherbirmingham.com/) .)

If your a MOM you must read....

WHY GOD MADE MOMS
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.


How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my Mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.


What ingredients are mothers made of ?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.


Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.


What kind of little girl was your mom?
1. My Mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.


What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?


Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinking cap on.


Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.


What's the difference between moms & dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.


What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.


What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.
If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

Homeschooling..which IS the right way?

The Right Way to Homeschool by Leslie Murgatroyd


Before I pulled my eight and ten year old children out of the school system, I had become friends with a neighbor who was already homeschooling. I asked her if I could come over one day, to “watch” so I could “see” how they homeschooled. When I arrived, my friend was folding clothes on the kitchen table and one of her sons was lying on the floor (in his pajamas, mind you!) doing some sort of “school work”– math, I think it was. The other boy was sitting on the couch reading. They would occasionally ask her questions and she would occasionally remind them of something else they needed to “do”. And that was about it! Not at all what I had pictured in my mind!
I came away thinking, “I can do that!” I also still had this mental picture of us sitting around the kitchen table (not on the floor!) “doing school.” So, that's where we started...at the kitchen table...eventually.


Initially, we just had fun! We went on hikes, picked wild flowers and pressed them, had picnics in our front yard, read lots of books aloud, frequented the library, baked, experimented with baking soda and vinegar...

One day we walked to the local cemetery. There, we studied “math” as the kids tried to figure out how old the people were when they died (1916 − 1995 = 79). We also discussed the differences in our lives now and in the life of someone who was born in 1916 (the beginning of “unschooling”? Nah...there is no way I could do THAT!).


Then I decided it was time to DO something. So, I started looking at curricula. One of my “complaints” about the public school system was that it had not been academic enough. Too much time was wasted teaching the kids how to recycle, how to wash their hands and tie their shoes, and so forth. I wanted those academics! I wanted my kids to memorize the multiplication tables and diagram sentences! After all, that's what I did when I went to school, right?


I ordered books from a popular curriculum publisher after attending one of their “motel meetings.” My kids now had language books, books to improve their reading speed and comprehension, history books, health books and reading books. We were all set! I also got a popular set of math textbooks, with the company's box of manipulatives and all!
I even made up a schedule, allowing the kids to sleep in a little, of course. We started our “school day” at 9 and ended by 1 or 2. This was the life, as far as I could tell! The best of both worlds my children were getting the proper instruction, and the one-on-one attention they needed, yet there was still plenty of “free time” for them. I smugly sat back in my chair to watch.


Lo and behold...the kids came to me one day and said, “This is just like 'school.' We might as well still be in public schools!” (insert a whiny tone of voice). Imagine my complete surprise! I had thought I was doing everything “just right.”


“Okay,” I thought, “so we'll toss out some of the 'books' but not the math book!” My son started watching a lot of TV. Things like the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet...and I mean, hour after hour...and he started to read...book after book. I was amazed at what he was learning. I was frequently heard saying “WHERE did you learn THAT?” It might be an absolutely gorgeous day outside, but instead of wanting to go out and play, he'd often be inside...watching tv...usually, the History Channel.


My daughter started taking a quilting class. She had never learned that lost art of “sewing” before...didn't have the time. I was amazed at the fabrics she selected for her quilt–absolutely gorgeous and very creative. I could never have put those fabrics together in my own mind to come up with a quilt like that. She's made two more since then, and always dazzles me with her ability. She has also made herself clothes, and adorable pillow shams for her bed.


Meanwhile, it wasn't long before the math texts produced tears in the eyes of my kids. They learned to hate math. So, out went those books along with the others. I was starting to get a very nice collection of slightly used curricula!


We decided as a family to start going places and doing things. We spent time in Yosemite, walked across the Golden Gate Bridge, canoed, ferried, went to museums, zoos, to Canada, interesting factories, and every water park we could find. We also attended our state homeschooling organization's family camping trip and The California Home=Education Conferences. We were having fun...and the kids were learning.


They might not have been learning the same things as their peers in the public schools, but they were truly learning–not just memorizing for the next test. They were learning about things they wanted to learn about–not just what some government employees decided they should learn. Hmmm...maybe this “unschooling” thing was something we should consider?


My kids became even more involved in the 4-H Program. They took projects in: model rocketry, dog obedience, market sheep, horse, breeding sheep, quilting, small engines, rabbits, leadership, dog agility, horsemanship, arts & crafts, market beef, babysitting/CPR, and electricity. Their 4-H Record Books became our language program! Weighing animals, increasing and decreasing feeds, became part of our math program.


At some point in there, I had my first major PPA (Parental Panic Attack). I decided that the kids really needed to “learn” math. So out came the math textbooks again. And out came the tears again! I was forced to find something different, and I discovered some workbooks (Key Curriculum) that went over much better than the other textbooks had.


My son is an unschooler by nature. He has proven this to me over and over again. Despite my interference! He does not learn from reading a textbook–he is still allergic to textbooks...any size, any shape, any form. He can learn, however, by reading the maintenance manual for his Yamaha dirt bike! He can learn from watching TV shows. He learns from all the books he loves to read! He learns from life itself. He knows a lot about auto maintenance, just from watching his dad! And I guess that's what unschooling is all about! I don't tell many people that he “unschools” because most people don't understand what that means. I still don't understand exactly what that means. I just see that it works...for my son.


My daughter is a little more eclectic. She doesn't have allergies to textbooks, although there aren't many that appeal to her. She has occasionally asked me to purchase some for her, and I do. She's more likely to want to be like her peers. They have books, they do assignments...and she'll give that a try. I'm wondering how far she'll get with the Basic College Math book I recently bought her... But, she's happy to know that if she doesn't like a particular book that I've bought, she won't be made to use it. (Someday, I'm going to get rich from the Recycled Resource Room at the state homeschool conference!) But she also learns from life. She volunteers at our local vet clinic...says that she might want to be a vet some day. She is taking on more and more leadership roles in 4-H...last year treasurer of the club...this year president!


I used to be very supportive of the public school system... I volunteered in classrooms, was treasurer of the PTA, headed school fundraisers, was on Site Council, etc. I even worked as a teacher's aid for several years! All this was part of trying to make it better for my children. Then I realized that it wasn't going to work. It was time to bring them home, where they belonged in the first place. I had always been one of “those” parents...you know, the one who looked forward to spring, summer, and Christmas vacations...the one who was sad in the fall when the kids went back to school. You know the type...we are far and few between! I quit my job as a Medical Assistant so that I could be home with them. My husband works overtime, so that I don't have to. It's not always easy being a one-income family but it is worth it!


So that's how we have homeschooled in the five years since we began. We've gone from “School at Home” to being eclectic unschoolers. What I have learned from all of this is that there is no right or wrong way to homeschool. It gets back to my basic philosophy in life: “whatever works!” It's been hard, for me, because I'm the kind of person that wants to be sure I am doing things “right.“ It was hard for me to realize that there is no “right” way when it comes to homeschooling. But, my kids are teaching me that. Loud and clear!


-----}Nikki here....
This is something I struggle with all the time. I've been homeschooling for many years.
I hate to hear the kids say " I don't like school"....isn't that what most kids in public school say??
Sometimes, its good to sit back and relax and know that this isn't about public school...its about the love of learning we are trying to teach our kids.......

What about Resolutions...just try these.

Just For Today!

1. Just for today I will be happy. This assumes that what Abraham Lincoln said is true, that "most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." Happiness is from within; it is not a matter of externals.

2. Just for today I will try to adjust myself to what is, and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my family, my business, and my luck as they come and fit myself to them.

3. Just for today I will take care of my body. I will exercise it, care for it, nourish it, not abuse nor neglect it, so that it will be a perfect machine for my bidding.

4. Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort, thought and concentration.

5. Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways; I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out. I will do at least two things I don't want to do as William James suggests, just for exercise.

6. Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can, dress as becomingly as possible, talk low, act courteously, be liberal with praise, criticize not at all, nor fault with anything and not try to regulate nor improve anyone.

7. Just for today I will try to live through this day only, not to tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do things for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to keep them up for a lifetime.

8. Just for today I will have a program. I will write down what I expect to do every hour. I may not follow it exactly, but I will have it. It will eliminate two pests, hurry and indecision.

9. Just for today I will have a quiet half hour all by myself and relax. In this half hour sometimes I will think of God, so as to get a little more perspective into my life.

10. Just for today I will be unafraid, especially I will not be afraid to be happy, to enjoy what is beautiful, to love, and to believe that those I love, love me.

If we want to develop a mental attitude that will bring us peace and happiness, here is Rule #1:
Think and act cheerfully, and you will feel cheerful.


(mine here)---One day at a time so you don't feel discouraged when you had a bad day!!!!
Written by Sybyl F Partridge in 1916 and printed in "How To Stop Worrying, And Start Living" by Dale Carnegie, 1951

Love this picture!

Happy 10th Birthday Angelina!!!!

She turns 10 years old on the 10th of January!!

Happy Birthday to my dear daughter!!!!

Rubel Shelly thoughts....

Taken from www.heartlight.org


A New Year's Prayer by Rubel Shelly

Holy God of Heaven and Earth,

I know that a thousand years are as a day to you, but we humans are bound up in time. As a new year is beginning, please teach me to ...

care more about people and less about money,
enjoy my work but not let it enslave me,
and laugh more easily than I did last year.

As I get ready for 2008, help me to remember things that are easy to forget ...

that it might well be my last year,
that some people are counting on me,
and that you have things for me to do.

Lord, with the things I have accumulated over the years, please let me ...

shake off the monotony of life,
try some new things in this new year,
and mend some broken fences.

And, Father of Mercies, please teach me in this new and unspoiled year to ...

lighten up and enjoy children, sunsets, reading, and long walks,
avoid quarrels and work at being a peacemaker in this world,
and start next year with fewer regrets than I bring to 2008.

May we live it for your glory!I cannot know what this year will bring, and I am grateful for that! But help me ...

eat less junk food,
exercise and take better care of my body,
and learn to enjoy the simple pleasures of life.

Above all other things, Father, I want to be your instrument for ...

easing somebody's too-heavy load,
relieving some sad person's misery,
and introducing some lost soul to Jesus.

Come what may in the year about to begin, may we live it for your glory, within your will, and to your delight.
We pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Im playing around with my new camera that takes video!!!

Enjoy!

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Why do bad things happen to good people? That was something that was discussed in part in our Bible Study last night.Because of the tragedy of Opal Thomas, there are alot of things that might be going thru the minds of Christians and Non Christians alike.

Maybe some doubting questions..." Why would God allow this to happen to such good people?"

I have asked myself questions like this for a long time. I think the biggest tragedy that happened in my life was when my mom died of cancer when I was 11 years old.
It was awful to watch my mom dwindle away and not see family pulling together. My own family was falling apart in so many ways.

But here is the thing....

The person I have become today is (I believe) very much related to what happened to me in my life. That tragedy made me focus on the person I wanted to be and how much children, husbands and family really mean. Of course, I didn't REALLY come to realize it all until I became a Christian many years ago, but when my children need me, I'm here for them. I try not to take my family for granted because I know first hand it can be gone in a moment.

Why did this happen to the Thomas's? I do not know. But God knows and I know that Harold loves God and trusts God. The song that comes to mind is " My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on Jesus name, On Christ the solid rock I stand all other ground is sinking sand...." Our faith must be on Christ and what He did and what promises God has made us time and time again in scripture. Maybe this was Opal's time and God wanted to spare her the suffering by taking her in a way that she didn't suffer and the docs have said that she did not suffer so that is great!!
Alot of people will see how Harold and his family from National Road are handling this loss....What a statement to make to the world!!!! God may be bringing many people to Him thru this loss. Yes, its our loss but her gain. She is with the Lord. She will be there waiting for Harold for when his time is called up yonder and those she left behind. Oh what a sweet reunion that will be.

Harold and the Thomas family, I am very sorry for your loss. I will be praying for your family during this incredibly hard time. I didn't know Opal well, but what I did know of her was all fantastic.
Harold, please know that if there is anything I can do for you, don't hesitate to ask.
A little poem I found online..

Comfort

Surrounded by friends
yet all alone
the one I loved
God has called home
the hugs of friends
helps ease the pain
and I know my loss
is my loved one's gain
but tears now flow
across my face
as I long for just
one more embrace
then comfort comes
and I see Christ's face
He hugs my loved one
and I feel God's grace.

Author Unknown




Opal, you will be missed here on this earth by many, many people.
But someday, all of God's children will be together and the reunion will be sweeter than our imaginations can even conjure up.
Until then dear sister,
Until then
Nikki Vilano

The grinch that stole Mommy!!!

The Grinch That Stole Mommy

By Jenny Runkel


I hate the Christmas season. Ok, maybe hate is too strong a word. That's the problme with being a writer. Everyone pays really close attention to your words and if you're not careful, they come back to haunt you in one way or another. So which word really pinpoints my feelings about Christmas? Bitterness? Melancholy? Cynicism? Dread? Hmm…that has a nice ring to it. Yes, I think that just might be it. I dread Christmas.

Sad, but true. I dread “the most wonderful time of the year.” I should be traipsing around town spreading cheer and drinking Peppermint Lattes, but I just can’t. To tell you the truth, I feel more like curling up into the fetal position and trying to sleep my way through the craziness. There is just something panic-inducing about the month of December. I have never sat down to try and outline what makes me so anxious whenever I hear Bing Crosby dreaming of a White Christmas, but with another yuletide quickly approaching, it’s high time I did just that.

Maybe it’s the catalogs that arrive before I’ve even finished sneaking the KitKats out of my kids’ Halloween bags. Those things are relentless. The catalogs, I mean. They clog my mailbox daily, promising lifetime guarantees on “gift solutions that make life easier.” Let’s think about that for a moment. Does a chocolate fondue fountain really make my life easier? What about a hand-held gnome that repeats phrases you give it in a “gnome accent?" You know what would really make my life easier? Not getting any more catalogs! Maybe it’s the supermarkets. I went to the grocery store on November 1st this year to do my weekly shopping. I expected the Halloween candy to be on sale and I knew Thanksgiving trimmings would greet me at the door—stacks of cranberry sauce, perhaps even rows of Indian corn. What I didn’t expect was to be hit in the face by Christmas. Literally. A gigantic inflatable Santa smacked me in the head just as I walked down the greeting card aisle. On November 1st! The clerk hauling Jolly St. Nick to his appointed spot apologized profusely, saying that she didn’t see me around the corner, but I know better. I saw the look on Santa’s face as they headed down aisle 14 to meet up with the candy canes. He was definitely smirking.

Maybe it’s the magazines lining the checkout counters. While I’m wrestling my kids away from the Skittles (and remembering that one of them hasn’t had a dentist appointment in ages), I’m faced with photos of darling children in precious Christmas sweaters making their own ornaments and baking cookies while Mom is scrapbooking the moment as it happens. AUGH!!!!

And then it hits me. I don’t really dread Christmas itself. It’s the pressure of the Holidays that make me woozy. All the glitz and glitter that the stores and commercials try to sell us has left me feeling empty and small. Real holidays, at least the holidays I’ve experienced, usually involve hurt feelings and awkward conversations. The catalogs, stores, and magazines don’t show you that side of things. They show the plastic side of Christmas.

It’s not the decorations or shopping that make me crazy, it’s the expectations that I’ve attached to those things. I’ve been listening to my inner “Should” without even recognizing it. This voice tells me what I’m supposed to do, how I’m supposed to look, how my children are supposed to behave. Apparently, it doesn’t stop there, though. It also tells me what the Holidays are supposed to be like. It tells me that I should bake cookies and put up Christmas lights. I should get the perfect gifts for my kids’ teachers, crossing guards, and coaches (not to mention friends and family). I should decorate the house and create a warm, cozy environment. I should write the perfect holiday letter and take the perfect holiday photo. I should catch up with all my long lost friends who send those same perfect letters and photos to me. I should record all these fantastic moments for eternity with pictures and videos. And I MUST do it all in precious Christmas sweaters.

I’m exhausted just thinking about it all. I am paralyzed by the sheer volume of things that need to be done. What am I doing to myself? To my family? This is Christmas, not the Mommy Olympics. Although sometimes it feels like it, there is no one watching my every move and waiting to give me a score, The loud echo of The Should doesn’t have to govern my actions and attitudes

No more! I am a smart, successful woman. I have the power and ability to overcome the lure of The Should and start enjoying the winter wonderland along with the best of them. From now on, I will listen to a new voice in my head. One that is a little more gentle, a little more wise and a lot more sane. I will call this my Maya Angelou voice. She sits on a windowsill in my mind waiting to comfort me with a smile and a nod. When I feel the urge to deck something other than the halls, I will hear her say to me in her warm, buttery voice,

“It’s ok to say no. You don’t need to attend all those parties and volunteer for every activity.”

“Put your feet up and take care of you for a change. When’s the last time you had some peace and quiet?”

“You are not alone. Just about everyone gets stressed around the holidays.”

“Be creative. There is not one right way to do everything. Revel in your unique approach.”

“Work smarter, not harder. Figure out what you’re not great at and let someone who is lend you a hand.”

“Enjoy the little moments. You will one day miss the way your child furrows her brow when writing to Santa.”

“Be gentle with yourself and with others. That is a gift worth giving.”


My inner Angelou. She makes me feel better already. There’s one problem with my plan. The Should won’t go away easily. It’s comfortable in my head. It’s been there for a long time and if I’m not careful, it will choke out Maya at the first sign of stress. I’ve got to think up a way to take that annoyingly persistent whine out of my head before it ruins yet another Christmas.

An epiphany! I know what I will do. I will order the Talking Gnome. I can give my Should another home and this time, instead of sounding like me, it will have a “silly gnome accent”. Maybe that Gnome really will make my life easier, after all.

Mary's Choice
by Phil Ware

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





The story is familiar, maybe to the point that we have forgotten how incredible it is. Some have trouble accepting the virgin conception and birth of Jesus because it is so outside our experience. Since we believe that God created and ordered a universe beyond our comprehension, it is not so difficult to believe he could create a child in the womb of a virgin. What is truly amazing to me is that this young, peasant, pious, small-town Jewish virgin would accept such an awesome and challenging task.
Let's read the story again with just a few questions and comments to help us hear the story again and rejoice.

Do you think Mary ever imagined an angel would speak to her personally? (Luke 1:26-29 TNIV)

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

How could Mary think God would notice a poor girl like her from despised Nazareth? Even the Bible itself reminds us that people of Mary's day asked, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" Why would God notice her, in this out of the way place, among a group of people with no claim to power or position? (Luke 1:30-33; John 1:46)

But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
Legend has it that Jewish women often prayed that they could be the mother of the Messiah. But could Mary actually dare to pray such a prayer? What right, what claim, did she have to even be able to utter these words? The angel's words pull back the curtain of life and help us see God's grace at work. (Luke 1:34-37)

"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail."

How could she believe God would bless her when it appears in every way that he hadn't? After all, she was poor, her country under the heel of the Roman boot, and her people had been under political subjugation for hundreds of years. Mary had no financial or legal claim to expect God would bless her in this way. Yet Mary does believe that God has seen her situation and has come to bless her, and through her, the Almighty would bless his people! (Luke 1:46-49)

And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has been mindful

of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,

for the Mighty One has done great things for me — holy is his name.

Looking at the horrid political situation of her time — coupled with the religious hypocrisy and power struggle — how could Mary think of Herod and the Romans, yet still pray for God’s deliverance? God's deliverance seemed blocked by the power-mongers and the dishonest religious leaders in the system. Yet Mary proclaims: (Luke 1:50-52)

His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.

He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;

he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

He has brought down rulers from their thrones

How could she believe God would bless her so?
but has lifted up the humble.

Don't you think it must have caught in her throat when she saw Pharisees & Sadducees gloating in their rich and religiously arrogant sense of superiority? But, Mary steadfastly trusted that God would turn the tables and make things right for his downtrodden people. (Luke 1:53-55)

He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

remembering to be merciful

to Abraham and his descendants forever,

just as he promised our ancestors."

Most of all, Mary surely realized the mess she would bring on herself by accepting this challenge! How could her friends believe her? Wouldn't her reputation be trashed as the rumors of her pregnancy swirled in the small village of Nazareth? She must have realized that even going to live with Elizabeth during her pregnancy would not silence the skeptics and she would be disgraced in her home town — for how could anyone understand this miracle inside her? (Luke 1:56) Don't you think she knew her son, Jesus, would one day be called "Mary's Boy" because no one would believe his miraculous conception? (Mark 6:3) Most of all, Mary surely had to anticipate possibly losing her betrothed husband, Joseph, for how could he understand? (Matthew 1:18-24;Joel 1:9)

Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth grieving for the betrothed of her youth.
When given the open challenge of bearing the Messiah miraculously conceived in her womb by God's Holy Spirit, Mary said, "Yes!" This is the power of God's miracle — Mary is willing to partner with God in a mystery she could not fully understand. Mary said, "Yes!" to the challenges and joys as well as the surprises and wounds. She said, "Yes!" to the precious moments she would share with her baby, but she also said, "Yes!" to hearing her son being called Mary's boy in ridicule. She said, "Yes!" to wonder of the Magi and their gifts and also said "Yes!" to the horrifying moments as she watched her boy crucified before a hardened and mocking mob. While she could not anticipate where all this would lead anymore than she could understand the miracle of her son's conception, Mary said, "Yes!"

You see, one verse, the miracle verse of the whole story, stands out. When faced with this blessing and this cost, with this joy with such challenge, Mary answers the Lord with these incredible words of pledge: "I am the Lord’s servant ... May it be to me according to your word." (Luke 1:38)

Such is the stuff of miracle and grace — the gift of character that forms us to be like the Savior and provides us our way back to God!

Boy its been a while

Things have been so incredibly busy here that I haven't had much time on my own computer.

My two oldest boys computers died and they are almost fixed. Michael got his back and Joey is supposed to get his back no later than Tuesday. THEN I only have to share with Angel and Tony lol!!!!

Its been a busy season getting ready for the Holidays. This week finds me making cookies and fudge....planning Christmas dinner, ordering my Heavenly Ham, wrapping presents, still BUYING presents lol, and trying to find joy in the midst of all the craziness.

I've been going thru many trials and tribulations lately but I have to say that God is bring me thru each and every one of them.
Its like I'm being carried. It feels so peaceful knowing that I'm not alone.

Tuesday I have an interview for a new day care girl who is 2. She will come 3 days a week so thats a good start since my daycare inspection probably won't even happen until the end of January. Boy Ohio is sooo slow at trying to get their providers ready to accept kids. Its almost like they don't want us.

Well, the weather sure was frightful today. COuldn't even venture out for church. This morning, weather wasn't bad but we decided to wait until evening to make sure the roads had been cleared. We got ready to go to evening church when the snow started to come down and come down heavy.....soooo needless to say, we didn't make it.

well, there's an update. They have been few and far between but I hope to do better once I have more time to get on here lol.

Blessings to all
Nikki