The Garden of Daily Living

this was in our Garden Club Newsletter:

PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:
1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash selfishness
4. Squash grumbling

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:
1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another

NO GARDEN IS WITHOUT TURNIPS:
1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another

OUR GARDEN MUST HAVE THYME:
1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULTIVATE WITH LOVE

Journal Entry Ideas

If you journal, would like to start a journal, have your kids journal (maybe through the summer?!), here are some fun "starts" to journal entries.

I am thinking.....

I am thankful for.....

From the kitchen (list room you are in) I.....

I am wearing.....

I am creating.....

I am going.....

I am reading.....

I am hoping.....

I am hearing.....

I am smelling.....

I am worried.....

I am learning.....

I am needing.....

A few plans for the rest of the week.....

One of my favorite things.....

Organized Choas: Tip of the Week #6

I've always had a thing for bald men. Now I think I'm in love!

Don't ask me why both my Mom and my Sister knew how to use these Beauts and I didn't, but yes, that is the sad truth. After my sister posted on Magic Erasers in her list of Favorite Things I asked both her and my Mom if they really used them to clean their showers, and they were like yah.....duh!...don't you?!

I have been known to #1 either NOT clean the shower ( I know, kind of gross, I don't let it grow mold though, that is where I draw the line! heehee) OR #2 use a whole bottle of foaming cleaner and strip down and scrub the shower and then finish with my shower. I do not recommend this. Chemicals, mist and tender skin do not go together. But you see, I had to have clean shower LIKE my Mom and Sister, and that's how I thought they did it....drats! Now their secret is out and I'm going to spread it all over the world! YOU TOO CAN HAVE A CLEAN SHOWER LIKE MY MOM & SISTER!

I got all raisin-e and spent 30 minutes in the shower with one of these Magic Erasers and they really do work...I promise! No fumes and no chemicals. Just a little scrubbing. I got buff arms from it too...wanna see?!

So save your skin and your pride and go out and buy some of these!

Mickey is Calling!

Disclaimer: Some of you will understand this post.....& some of you will not.

Yes it has only been six month since we vacationed at Walt Disney World for 10 days. SO?!

Yes we "do" Disney almost every year.

Yes it is the most magical place on earth!

The kids and I were talking the other week about where we'd like to go on vacation this year. Of course DISNEY was mentioned! (I'm so glad my kids "understand", they must have Mickey shaped DNA like I do!) We talked about how funny it is that we just love being there and that we just can't explain it. We also talked about not mentioning Disney to Dad because he might flip! He loves Disney, just not as much as some of us in the family. Yet, I find it interesting that he planned our honeymoon to end with a Disney Cruise.....hmmm! Anyhoo...the kids and I did mention it to Dave and then we spent the next hour reminiscing about our last trip to Disney.

The next day was supposed to be warm here, so we decided that would be the best day to gut the garage and spring clean. As we were taking everything out of the garage, Bethanne yells....."I found a Hidden Mickey!!!" Sure enough...there it was....calling to us....! How can you NOT think about Disney when it's always just right there?!?!

By the way, the garage looks AWESOME! Amazing what a mess you can make while remodeling in the winter. The garage is the only place to do a lot of stuff.

And well, is Disney in our near future? We will see!

Love is...

A group of professionals posed the question, "What does love mean?" to a group of 4-8 years olds and the answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think.

• Love is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way.
• When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis, too. That's love.
• When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.
• Love is when a girls puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.
• Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.
• Love is when someone hurts you. And you get so mad, but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings.
• Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.
• Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy, and she takes a sip before giving it to him to make sure the taste is okay.
• Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss.
• Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.
• When you tell someone something bad about yourself and you're scared they won't love you anymore. But then you get surprised because not only do they still love you, they love you even more.
• Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it every day.
• Love is like a little old women and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.
• During my piano recital, I was on a stage and scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore.
• My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.
• Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.
• Love is when Mommy see Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.
• I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.
• I let my big sister pick on me because mom says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her.
• Love cards like Valentine's cards say stuff on them that we'd like to say ourselves, but wouldn't be caught dead saying.
• When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.
• Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross.
• You really shouldn't say "I love you" unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.

TEACH magazine, author unknown, Spring 2009

His WORD on the web...

A dear friend of many years has finally put her Bible Studies on the internet and I wanted you to know about it! Mary Treat has, and continues to be, a major spiritual influence in my life. I sat under her teaching for many years at Calvary Chapel Spokane and have had the privelege to meet with her outside the church for Bible Study. She is a wonderful lady, though not perfect, and I think you will definately enjoy her studies as much as I have.

hiseternalword.com

Blessings on you as you study His marvelous Word!

How to Exasperate Your Kids...

I wrote this list down during a Homeschool Mom's Night conversation awhile back. I took them to heart...

How to Exasperate Your Kids:

Don't apologize.
Never admit you're wrong.
Model hypocrisy.
Fail to keep your promises.
Batter them with words.
Abuse verbally.
Make discipline too severe.
Show favoritism.
Embarass them in front of others.
Give no "time" warnings.
Trying to be their buddy or pal.
Withhold firm discipline & training.
Discipline inconsistently.
Assert parental authority weakly.
Consistently believe "evil" of them.
Don't listen to them.
Neglect them.
Threaten them with rejection.
Never communicate approval.
Overindulge.
Reward insolence.
Criticize when they are sharing their feelings.
Cease time of chastisement before it has produced humility.
Have higher standards for them then you have for yourself.
Demand to much of them.
Over protect.