A Personality By Any Other Name Wouldn’t Be As Sweet

Rose Far And Wide by Ave Lainesaar

I’ve been AWOL for a while now, dipping deep into the well of family life, getting caught up in life’s happenings, that I haven’t checked in on the blog for a loooong time. But it’s okay. I’m okay. You’re okay. We’re all gonna be OK.

It’s been an incredible summer and I’m all too sorry to see it go. There seems to be so much more I wanted to do: experiences I wanted to share, memories I wanted to make. Yes, we started school on Monday. Strangely, I’m kind of all set on the planning side of things, but I’m just not mentally ready to transition back to “school mode.” So in one last ditch effort to postpone the inevitable, I want to share a bit about my summer. Perhaps if I keep talking about summer, it will stick around longer? (See how many times you can spot the word “summer” in this post!)

I started this summer well organized and ready. I prepped a summer binder stocked with monthly calendars clearly labeled with all our family’s pre-scheduled activities, daily schedule, cleaning schedule, chore assignments and rotations, summer rules and discipline strategies, personal goals, summer reading program papers including book lists and reading logs, a simple sort of “bucket list” of fun places to visit in our fine state, fitness forms and menu plans for myself. This baby was well oiled and rip-roaring to go! And I used it… for about two weeks. Maybe two and a half. It was a beautiful creation and wonderfully handy, but I just didn’t use it! Why?!

Well, one of my personal goals this summer was to implement some time for Mother Culture. If you’re not familiar with this Charlotte Mason concept, basically it’s about making time for Mom to personally engage in learning through literature — for me, this equated to just about 30 minutes to quietly read to myself during my kids’ afternoon quiet time. Miss Mason encouraged moms to always have three books going at a time: an easy read (novel), moderately easy read, and a difficult (stiff) read. As I have not been able to complete a book on my own in under 12 months for the last 7 years, I jumped on this idea! It wasn’t difficult to find material. I have a plethora of written treasures patiently waiting on my bookshelves. So I made my book list, downloaded audiobooks, and plotted my priorities.

One of the books I chose, a "moderate read” on my list (though it really was rather easy), is If I’m Diapering a Watermelon, Then Where’d I Leave the Baby? by Carol Barnier. It is hilarious and I felt like she was writing directly to ME… How’d she get inside my head anyway? I mean, she described me to a T! Remember my post on Driven Distraction? Yeah. Totally me. Basically, this book was written for the highly distracted mom — a “how-to” of sorts, you could say. She very empathetically describes the personality and sort of inner-workings of said woman, and she gives many tips and tricks on how to make it work FOR you & not against you (which is tricky business, I tell you!) I saturated myself in her wisdom, gleaned all I could of her practical advice, and contemplated her rich (and hysterical) thoughts on just what it’s like to live life as a distracted mom. I took so many great things away from this book! But perhaps the greatest is a deeper understanding of who I am & who God created me to be. How incredibly freeing it is when you can finally understand that you are who you are and it’s okay to be that way... Not that we should stay that way, because we should always be growing in our walks and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us into the image of God (Romans 12:1-2). But this little bit of acceptance -- I cannot even begin to express the joy it brings!

Not only did I receive a beautiful gift of personal freedom, but I was also deeply challenged. So many times I (and I’m sure many of you) have looked at and studied the examples of Mary and Martha in Scripture (Luke 10:38-42, specifically), and I’ve always viewed myself as a Martha. I’m a mom of four young ones. There’s simply too much to do to be still and sit there! I’m constantly working, working, working, setting things in order, taking care of messy kids, cleaning a messy house, too busy to just sit and be at the feet of Jesus. I have to at least fold laundry or sort mail or organize my contacts on my phone while I sit. It’s all about the multi-tasking, baby! Carol brings the Biblical sisters out again for examination in the last chapter of her book, and for the first time I was able to see a bit of Mary in myself. Now, I’m not all there. (Ha! in more ways than one, to be sure.) But it’s like I’m seeing myself through different glasses now. 

"We need to be reminded that every gift comes with responsibilities and that every responsibility comes with a gift. If we only see the work, we’ve missed the best part.

If you find yourself truly at odds with something in your life, step back for a moment and see if you can’t find a new lens, one that finds the gifts in your circumstances instead of all the challenges. Aren’t you glad that this is exactly how God see us?” (p. 83, If I’m Diapering a Watermelon, Then Where’d I Leave the Baby?)

And it clicked. As a highly distracted, unregimented person, I have resorted to controlling my environment (physical things, i.e. organization) to compensate for my lack of mental  organization. This can give the appearance of “having it all together” (*cough* Martha *cough* summer binder) and is, apparently, often perceived by others as such, but it is merely a facade — a white wash over the jumbled, tumble-down "mess" that is my interior. I have embraced, or rather clung to, this exterior structure and regiment as a sort of means to atone for my true personal “deficit." But there is still a part of me that longs to be able to be fulfilled in my natural, albeit sometime chaotic, tendencies (hello, Mary). I am still trying to figure this out. It is an ever back-and-forth song and dance between the two, and I struggle to find the balance.

I’ve been tapping into the different personality assessments out there lately — I can’t remember all the varieties out there right now as there are far too many! — but I think I’m gaining a little insight as I read & listen. I VERY much identify with this particular book on an almost cellular level. I mean, she nailed it! So I think that this highly distractible character is truly me. However, it is when I am under STRESS that I resort to the polar opposite: structure, regiment, orientation toward tasks, etc. This can be external stress (usually) or even internal stress, because somehow my natural tendencies can even overwhelm me sometimes causing me to retreat into the stronghold of order.

It’s all so confusing to unfold… My personality is so stinking complex! A virtual origami of personalities. Shoot. But I am vastly grateful for the assistance in learning more about myself thus far. (Thank you, Carol Barnier!) And I’m even more thankful for the peace and joy that my own acceptance of God’s acceptance brings! It’s been a long time coming. Thank you, Jesus!

Breaking Dawn: A Mommy's Midnight Musing

Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one. - Dr. Seuss

But if it's not, I'd be okay with it. It's been quite a night... 

A late start for sleep around midnight insured a tired morning to follow, but I was surprised to wake much earlier than expected when Madelyn needed a diaper change at 1 am. And of course she was wide-awake after that. (Could this have anything to do with my rare non-decaf coffee treat at 4:00 that afternoon?) So I lay with her and nursed her on one side, and we both fell asleep. Fast forward a bit to 3:30 am when M is getting restless again. I slide her over and roll over myself to nurse her on the other side, but she won't latch & then projectile vomits all. over. my side of the bed. Nice. I mop up, lay down cloth, remove both if our pjs, change another diaper, burp baby well, wrap her up and lay her in her bed before returning to my resting spot. But neither of us can get comfortable and the dog is busy shaking her head over an itchy ear in the next room. It's now 4:15 and we're both still restless. I cave. I pick up Madelyn, swaddle her tight and attempt to nurse again to fill that emptied belly. This time I'm sitting up. I read an article on exercise & hormone balance on my phone. I must post this to Facebook. Click. 4:30 rolls in as I type this. Husband is snoring, baby is lolling off to dream land. And I am awake. Now I have to pee and am starting to feel hot. Did I turn the air back on before turning in for the night? It was such a cool evening. Get up one more time to check... and turn it on. Ahh. It's Sunday: the Day of Rest. Back to bed I go. 6:30 alarms are going to come all too quickly. Good morning mommies of the world. Happy Sunday.

Futurecast: A Reflection in Mommydom

I don't know about the rest of you, but here in central Iowa, we have been enjoying unseasonably mild weather. And I'm loving it! Today was no exception, and as I stepped out onto my back porch this afternoon I was happily greeted by a cheery blue sky, delightfully warm sunshine, and a cooling blessed breeze. Since my mother-in-law had already swept my three oldest children away for play and "quiet" time at her house, it was just me and the babe, who was getting restless for her afternoon nap. So we embraced the beautiful day and went for a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood. As we walked, I talked with her about the sights around us and calmed her with sweet sentiments from my mommy heart to her tiny ears. (And I'm sure all you mommies out there know that when I say I talked with her, I really mean I talked at her, though it truly felt as though we were holding a genuine conversation.) In my musings, I mentioned to her how I love these precious days of infancy when she is so perfectly innocent, and I treasure watching her grow and discover and achieve milestone after milestone as her mind and body develop... But I am just SO excited for her to be two like her big sister, when she will become more independent and not so tied to this eat/sleep routine. When we can, as a family, envelop ourselves even more in glorious days like this one -- soaking in the golden rays of sunlight until they fade under a rainbow horizon, together digging our hands into the rich, fertile soil of our garden to work the ground and keep up with the weeds (now overgrown in our present-day garden plots) & harvest the great, nutritious fruits of our labor, climbing fences & trees, hiking forest trails, and picking prairie wildflowers. My soul longs to commune with the creation around me and I desire my children to all know the same longing and seek to satisfy it daily. I was explaining all this as she sweetly listened, never interrupting. "Doesn't that sound lovely?" I said. "And then your sissy will be eight, so she will be such a big help. And your brother will be six, so I'm sure he will be much more helpful as well..." My voice trailed off. Suddenly the realization of my aging little ones started to sting. My bright & shiny forecast for our family's future became overcast and dim.

Have you ever gauged your life by your youngest child? You know what I mean...  "When my youngest is finally weaned, my husband and I can start having date nights," or "When my youngest is finally in school, I will finally be able to spend time excercising regularly and get fit." Or in my case in this instance, "When my youngest is two, I will be able to spend more time outdoors and keep up with my garden." It's an easy thing to do, especially when you are in the midst of a season of little ones. I know that I go through this very thought process every time I have a new baby. They just take so much out of you! And when you're having them Every Other Year, it can feel endless. Oh, the things you can do without a tiny baby in tow who is dependent on you for every basic need! But the problem with making plans for when your youngest gets older is that... your older children are also getting older! 

When I caught myself daydreaming about the glorious future we will have, the numbers eight, six, and four dropped like an anchor to the bottom of my stomach. Immediately I began backpedaling in my conversation (or soliloquy, as it were). "But you can take your time getting there, my Little Bean. Two does not need to hurry. Let's enjoy this quiet walk on this glorious day, and well get to two when two gets here." Because I'm not ready to give up 1, 3, 5, and 7. Not yet. Not even for more sunshiny days, afternoon walks, or the largest green garden in the world. Not ever.

The Build Your Bundle Homeschool Edition Sale begins TODAY!

The homeschool web world has been abuzz for weeks, and now the day of unveiling has arrived... the Build Your Bundle Homeschool Edition Sale starts TODAY!! This sale runs one week only (7/21-7/28), so check out the deals and nab yours today! We are big on Charlotte Mason education in our home so I am highlighting that one here, but check out ALL the bundles to find one that's right for you and your homeschool (links below). You can't beat these prices!

The "Build Your Bundle" - Homeschool Edition sale is going on for one week only (July 21-28)! There are so many wonderful products and amazing deals! We are highlighting the Charlotte Mason Bundle below.

Take a look at the Charlotte Mason Bundle:

$377.35 ONLY $49.00 Save: 87% Amazing things await you in our Charlotte Mason Bundle! This bundle features a complete curriculum using the Charlotte Mason Methods for language arts, handwriting, and reading, a full geography curriculum, a plethora of resources for studying nature, artists, poetry, and a variety of "extras" just for mom! Learn all about Charlotte Mason and enjoy a special bonus (a $90 value all by itself)—the top 5 best selling G.A. Henty audio books from Jim Hodges Productions. This bundle is jam packed full of amazing resources your family will love! Buy more & save more! Purchase 2 pre-assembled bundles and get the 3rd one 50% off! See site for details. Checkout the items in the Charlotte Mason Bundle:

Write from History - Retail $22.95 With modern writing programs, children's weaknesses often overshadow their strengths, but with the Charlotte Mason Method of teaching your children to write all those frustrations will fly out the window. The Write from History series teaches children to write via the Charlotte Mason Method, children find writing to be easy and even fun. And when they are asked to put the various writing skills together, they do so easily and naturally. Write from History is an easy and effective way to teach writing, supplement history, and reinforce proper handwriting. Click here to learn more! Sheldon's NEW Primary Language Lessons - Retail $14.95 Sheldon's New Primary Language Lessons is a beginning grammar workbook for students learning the 8 parts of speech and the fundamentals of sentence and paragraph writing. This language arts curriculum is a gentle introduction to grammar and composition for students in the elementary grades. Writing exercises are in cursive and print. Click here to learn more! 50 States and Where to Find Them - Retail $30.00 50 States and Where to Find Them teaches children the states and capitals region by region through mapping exercises and quality literature. Children fill out a map of the region as they learn about each state. State lessons include historical information about the state and coloring pages of the state flower, state bird, and state flag. Each region wraps up with a crossword puzzle, a word search, and a bonus lesson pertaining to the region. Click here to learn more! The Charlotte Mason Way Explained - Retail $6.99 The Charlotte Mason Way Explained ebook consist of 30 chapters, 53 pages written by a veteran home educating mother of four, who has used the Charlotte Mason way to teach her children from preschool through high school. Practical insights of how to simply implement each of Charlotte Mason methods into today's homeschool, a reader will gain inspiration, clarity and focus on their own homeschooling journey. Click here to learn more! Recommended for you and found at this price only at the Build Your Bundle - Homeschool Edition Sale in the Premium Products Section: *Not included in the Charlotte Mason Bundle, available for purchase individually at 60% off. Handwriting - Webster's Syllabary with Phonics - Retail $15.00 This first book in the Handwriting Lessons Through Literature program teaches cursive handwriting through Webster's syllabary and seventy-five phonograms. Students also learn capital letters and numbers 1-100. Included in this file are both a vertical and a slant cursive workbook, each with its own unique set of writing instructions. Click here to learn more! Fine Art Pages Collection 1 - Retail $14.95 This fabulous artist study program that will aid you in studying famous paintings plus information about each work and the artist.In addition to the art pages, you will also receive some practical tips and suggestions about how to utilize the Fine Art Pages and get the most out of them for both you and your students. Click here to learn more! Reading Lessons through Literature - Retail $25.00 Reading Lessons through Literature is a pick-up and go Orton phonogram reading program organized around the stories in The Elson Readers. Like other Orton phonogram programs, it focuses on teaching reading through spelling. First children learn the basic phonograms. Then they begin writing their spelling words, analyzing them, and reading them for practice. And finally, they begin to read stories which include the words they've learned. RLTL teaches 75 basic phonograms. Click here to learn more! Level 3 Old Testament Overview Part 1 - Retail $28.00 On this trail Bible students will learn about the Creation, the Promises God made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and much more. Along the path they will also learn basic Bible geography through mapping exercises. Students will draw the timeline, identify biblical locations on a map, and recite memory verses and important facts from the Bible. Students who take this trail will be able to identify the people and places of the Bible! Click here to learn more! Jim Hodges Audio Books - Retail $90.00 Download the top 5 G.A. Henty Audio Books of all time! These exciting, historically accurate, uplifting stories in complete, unabridged recordings by Jim Hodges Productions will have your children begging for more! The titles include: With Lee in Virginia, In Freedom's Cause, Beric the Briton, For the Temple, and Winning His Spurs. Click here to learn more! Notebooking Pages: Trees & Plants - Retail $11.90 The Plants & Trees Basic Study contains 49 notebooking pages includes diagrams and pages designed to complement your child's basic study of plants and trees. Also included is Trees of North America, 344+ notebooking pages covers 43 of North America's trees. Wonderful coloring pages, choice of primary or regular lines, and a variety of layouts are included for each tree in this set. Click here to learn more! Notebooking Pages: Complete Birds Set - Retail $23.80 This is the entire collection of nature study birds notebooking sets! You will be amazed at all of the pages you will get in this bundle! This bundled purchase includes: All About Birds Basic Study Notebooking Pages, Birds of the World Notebooking Pages, North American Birds Notebooking Pages, and Tropical Birds Notebooking Pages. Click here to learn more! Notebooking Pages: Wildflowers, Weeds, and Garden Flowers - Retail $12.95 This set was created to compliment a nature study of flowers using the Handbook of Nature Study, by Anna Botsford Comstock. There are 8 designed notebooking pages for each Wildflower, Weed, & Garden Flower named in this study (over 45 plants in all!). Included are both regular-lined and primary-lined so they will work for all ages. Click here to learn more! NaturExplorers Fruit & Nuts - Retail $8.95 This unit will not only have you observing and examining fruits and nuts, you will learn to observe insect and animal behavior, watch for the effects of disease or weather on plants and be challenged to create meals, make models, create history reports and so much more! Also included is a slight focus on the Fruits of the Spirit in the Bible section with additional book, music and activity ideas to follow through with Biblical character training. This is a well-rounded unit chock-full of lessons to fit every academic area! Click here to learn more! Words With Wings - Retail $39 Introducing Words With Wings, an exciting new poetry curriculum and contest for kids. Each monthly lesson includes the simple explanation of a fun poetry form and poetic devices, a writing prompt, examples from the Words With Wings poets, easy 'how-to' tips, and samples from famous poets. Bible verses are woven through each lesson in a relevant way that inspires a love of language, as well an understanding of the language of His love. Click here to learn more! Discipleship: A Character Curriculum Using Scriptures - Retail $14.95 Discipleship: A Character Curriculum Using Scripture is a one, two or three year curriculum geared toward children who are learning to write and all the way to a high school curriculum. Each year curriculum has assignments for a 5 day week, however if you desire to take longer with this curriculum, just turn it into whatever year curriculum works for your own family! Click here to learn more! Because I Said So - a Biblical Study of Obedience - Retail $4.99 This is a brand new 26 page Bible study that teaches HOW and WHY we should obey through scripture and study of biblical people who struggled with the issue of obedience. Also included is a bonus hymn study on the beloved hymn, Trust and Obey. The study is perfect for family devotions, quiet time or homeschool Bible class! Click here to learn more! When I Survey - a Hymnological Journey to the Cross - Retail $4.99 When I Survey is a 12-day hymnological journey to the cross. Students and families will dig into the Bible and then support their learning with the study of a hymn. This study will empower you to set truth deep into the hearts of your children in a simple and easy way! Click here to learn more! Breakfast Stations Pack - Retail $2.99 This pack is just what every busy mom needs. You'll find 60+ days of breakfasts that your kids can make themselves in less than 3 minutes. They are healthy, fast, easy, and best of all...FRUGAL! Click here to learn more! How to Build a Strong Christian Home - Retail $4.99 Most of us love our families very much but we struggle in so many different ways, and sometimes we just need a little help and guidance to become the family we know the Lord wants us to become. Our families are a blessing and worth the patience, love, and time to invest in building a strong Christian home for God's glory and we can do this one step at a time. Click here to learn more!

BUY MORE & SAVE MORE!

*Lots of ways to save! When you purchase ANY 2 pre-assembled bundles you will get the 3rd pre-assembled bundle of equal or lesser value for 50% off! When you purchase ANY 2 "build your own" bundles you will get the 3rd "build your own" bundle of equal or lesser value for 50% off! Tell your friends about the "Build Your Bundle" - Homeschool Edition Sale using our referral system that is found on the top of the website! When 10 of your referrals visit our site using your unique link, we will give you a code to save 10% off your total purchase! *The B2G1 50% off offer applies to pre-assembled or "Build Your Own" Bundles only. Discount taken off the lowes priced bundle. See site for complete details and FAQ.

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