For I know..

Ive been meditating this week on Jeremiah 29:11.. "For I know the thoughts I think towards you says the Lord, thoughts of peace.."

I went to the park yesterday with the kids. One we hardly visit. I took my journal and while they ran, explored and played, I sat on the park bench and pondered the verse Id been meditating on that week. 1 John 14:20 "... and I will reveal myself".

The sun shone down on my back, warming my soul and I quietly marvelled at how the big lingering cloud of grey held back. For a while I glanced over my shoulder and considered how much time we'd have before it hit... and after a while, I stopped looking. It was as if something held it back.

So we went home, an hour or so later, my soul richer.

Today was a full day, busy, and I could feel my body telling me it was tired. The verse Id chosen for meditating this week is Jeremiah 29:11. Its one of those verses where you just kinda think is pretty Christian cliche. But I wanted to allow it to seep into my soul afresh.

Come 4pm I looked at the mess around me. Homeschooling tasks to wrap up, dinner to prep, toys to pop away, tired kids to organize and a thought popped into my mind "why not go back to that park?". I reasoned it away.. no time.. and then Tim came to me "mum, can I earn some money?"... and there was that prompting again "why not go back to the park and then when you get home, get his help to cook dinner?".
I didnt argue with it twice.

We got down to the park and there I spotted it. My journal. Sitting untouched, unharmed, on the park bench where I had unknowingly left it the day before. I hadnt yet missed it...

but God knew...

Suddenly Jeremiah 29:11 came to life "For I know the thoughts I think towards you Fleur".

Have you ever stopped and considered why it doesnt simply say "I think towards you, says the Lord". Why add "For I know the thoughts"?...

Gods thinking towards us is not accidental. That 'knowing' is an intimate knowing. A purposeful, intentional investment of love, time and energy. Not only that, but He purposefully thinks towards us PEACE. His heart towards us is the calm, rested, balanced, healthy, unharried, quiet stillness, in everything we face.

I considered again my journal. I hadnt even known it was missing yet, but God knew and as I considered why He'd even bother to prompt and direct my afternoon to a second visit to a park the Words came to mind "I've got you covered".

He does have us covered, in EVERY situation we face...

That relationship that seems too complicated?
That health problem that wont go away?
That car issue that needs your attention?
That decision that your wondering how to make?
That conversation that you know you need to have? ......

He's there whispering "Peace. Ive got you covered."

Family Devotions..

Psalm 1 tells us "And on His law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water".

Can I ask you a personal question? Does your life, does the life of your family, reflect that of a flourishing tree?
That is not a far fetched ideal or a task too hard for anyone. Its a promise God has given us, a joy that is ours to know. Yet I get how hard it is to maintain the discipline.

Our home library shelf boasts all manner of childrens Bibles and Ive invested in some terrific Kids Devotionals too. I own numerous womens devotionals And while theyve been great, its easy to give way to inconsistency.

So one of the ways in which we have worked to keep the Word consistently central to our lives, is to simplify.

Each day we choose the corresponding chapter of Proverbs to match the day of the month. Out of that, I pick one verse to study together with the kids and look at.
Often I read it and then ask them what they think it means, or how it relates to them. It never ceases to be interesting how they will relate scripture to their own lives and things they see around them.
God blesses His Word! And so Ive been amazed how many illustrations and precious nuggets have sprung to mind to share with the kids as we read and meditate on that verse.

Here's a glimpse of how it looks for us..

Yesterday the kids and I were meditating on Proverbs 16:20 "Those who listen to instruction will prosper". We talked about how we can thrive in anything we undertake when we remain teachable and are willing to obey those over us, or to receive counsel from someone even if we think we know better. Of course the kids were able to relate that to being obedient to Dad and Mum.. and I shared how as a grown woman, I can do that with those around me. We looked at the next part of the verse "those who trust in the Lord will be joyful". It raised a neat topic.. we NEVER have a reason not to be joyful if were trusting and obeying God, no matter how impossible the situation seems. We can ALWAYS obey God without question and know He has our best in mind. They discussed that in the light of how we respond to issues around us and I used it to be honest about where Ive failed to exhibit joy in some of the difficulties Ive faced. I shared how Ive learnt to accept the unchangeables issues that come along, and how I can release them into Gods hands knowing Ive done everything.. and that God is a God who relishes the impossible.
And yes, you bet I found it challenging :)

After talking it over, I print the verse out and have the kids write it down in a scrapbook and then illustrate it whatever way they like. The illustrations are often my favourite part as the kids will liken a proverb to an interest, or to something real for them. Its such a great insight into your kids hearts!!

I dont rush them, sometimes this whole process can take an hour. They have decorated the cover of their scrapbooks up with photos of themselves and weve laminated them and we keep them as absolute treasures. It takes time.. but here is the neat part.. God LOVES it when we meditate and learn from His Word and He is faithful to His Word to let it yield a harvest. Sometimes we dont see that fruit straight away.. but take note.. and watch for it.

In the evenings, Sam often reads to the kids out of a story Bible while I clean up the kitchen and get ready for the evening. Sam has a gas lamp that he takes into their room, turns out the lights and lets the room come to life with that camp style feeling of stories around the lantern. The kids LOVE it.
Truth is, I love it. Every now and then I will sneak in and listen and go away so challenged.

Last night Sam was reading to the kids about the first miracle Jesus ever did, turning water into wine at the wedding. Sam stopped to add some details that made the kids grin such as "you know, Jesus didnt turn the water into $6.99 Countdown on special bottles.. he turned in into something expensive". I laughed when I thought that over and then he said something that hit me at the core.. "Mary told the servants, 'do whatever he tells you'". There it was again! Obedience without question. I reminded the kids of the verse this morning and how when we obey, God can do the impossible. And so our hearts burst!

After reading we prayed together for the people in our lives who lack, and we prayed for the amazing and impossible.. restored eyesight, healed spines, new skin and restored relationships... and of course our precious wee boy within.

After kissing the kids goodnight, I lay on my bed and allowed my heart to reflect upon those servants. I wondered how their lives had been forever changed as they watched Jesus turn plain water into wine, because they obeyed. Did they ever forget? Did they ever see life's impossibilities the same? I pondered how Jesus could have placed thousands of dollars in the servants hands instead, and sent them for the local winery.. that would have been great. But He chose to make His first miracle a representation of what was to come.. His life poured out. Expensive. Miraculous.

Its easy to fall in love with Gods Word when we stop and meditate upon the amazing revelations that can be ours to know.

25 weeks

Hey baby boy!
Were somewhere around there.. 25 weeks! Im not rushing those weeks. I love every moment youre in. I stop mid sentence in conversations just to feel you kick and wriggle and dont hesitate to bare my belly for any willing hand that wants to feel you. And I love it.
The other morning I woke up and placed my hand on my stomach. In my dozey wake up mode, I could feel the perfect form of a wee leg sitting up top and I traced my hand gently along it, smiling. Does life get any better than this?
You add something to our family, kind of like a tickle. The anticipation and delight of you sets a sparkle of grins and giggles across our lives.

I guess one of my favourite aspects of this pregnancy is have prior wisdom. I find myself staring in the face of all the consumerism, must have outfits and baby gadgets and thinking "whatever was wrong with simple?". But its more than that. I puzzle that anyone would try to outdress the gorgeousness of newborn baby skin, fresh new lips, the sweetest smell this side of heaven and the most blissful feeling of delight.

I love what you add to our family in terms of preparation too. Not in the stuff sense, but the way lifes routines carve a way for you. Ive had to teach the boys to do more.. help with meal prep, pop away toys, clean up a mess that might be nothing of their own. Were all better for it. Ive also learnt to play more. I make myself stop and ignore time while having a game of Monopoly or Battleships. Who cares if it takes 2 hours? I get that these days go so quick and I want to treasure them.

Its made me a lot more playful. Perhaps caught between the tension of watching the older ones fast grow up, and also knowing that you will soon be here and babyland will strangely be thrust upon us once more. Ive found myself not caring if things arent perfect, or if I havent caught the moment on camera. Instead Im more inclined to stop and breathe in the moment for what it is... and love that its mine to know.

Sweet pea, thank you for all you add to our lives. Thank you for being you!!
The proudest mama ever.
xxx

Kids Wardrobe Style Ideas..

I love tastefully dressed kids and I love quality clothing. With time, effort, trial and error Ive found some great strategies for creating stylish kids wardrobes that work in affordable ways.

* Know their colours/ sizes
This is a fun to do with them. Go visit the library and get out the colour style books.. then take them out and have them hold up colours against themselves to see what works. Boys are just as interested as girls in this. For fun, get fabric swatches and make a little wallet for them.. my hubby still has his from years ago and is confident in choosing garments that set his skin tone off

* Limit items
Hand me downs can be great, but Ive learnt first hand that your children will tend to rotate 3-4 favourite t'shirts at the most.. any more than that equals clutter and mess. I keep the kids wardrobe pretty stream lined and limit each season to; One best/ church outfit. 2 play outfits, 1 rough play/ art, 1 jacket, 1 nice jumper, 1 windbreaker and a pair of jeans or jean shorts (season depending)

* Get them to help choose
My boys love clothes shopping every bit as much as my daughter. I do most of mine online but I let them be part of the process as theyre far more likely to wear something that they helped choose

* Buy clothes for birthdays and Christmas
I love tucking Pj's in stockings and a nice t shirt for summer days. Theyre essentials but it makes it fun when its part of the present opening. I also love tucking in accessories.. underwaar, scarves, hats, togs, sunglasses, towels.. theyre all things a kid needs. I keep my eye out throughout the year for good sales and keep these things aside

* Have a colour theme for each season.
My daughters wardrobe this summer consists of blue/ yellow and melon. I often keep my eye on European colour trends to preempt whats likely to hit NZ shores and plan accordingly. Having a limited colour palette works because its FAR easier to co ordinate jackets, accessories, shoes etc. In winter it was one colour.. rose pink. It meant she could grab pretty much anything from her wardrobe and it was likely to match.
I also try to translate one colour across all the kids and make it work for a cohesive 'best' outfit. This summer its navy with yellow accents. This makes for a great deal more family photo opportunities (and yes, I co ordinate mine and hubbys to work too).

* Shop their wardrobes
Jeans cut off make great jean shorts. Boys shorts can work for girls too. A little re hemming, a bow or a lace pocket added, and a feminine style is born.

* Buy quality over quantity
We often shop online through Next, M&S or search French and European labels on Trade Me such as Petit Bateau, Monsoon, TU, Boden etc. Ive personally found the fit is much better on my slimline kids, but the quality is greater and the clothes last much longer. I also love Pumpkin Patch NZ because they will take back ill manufactored items and credit you. Ive taken back jackets that are 2 years old and theyve still honoured their word

* Let them sell off the things they grow out of
This serves two purposes; firstly they are inspired to take better care of their clothes, and secondly, they get the joy of spending money. I list them on Trade Me and let them take the photos and help present and price them fairly. The money they make isnt a huge amount, but often enough to purchase that longed for Lego set

* Care for what they have
Wash their clothes less and spot clean marks off, rather than wash the whole garment. It not only saves you washing, but gives items a longer life. Treat stains instantly. I cant recommend enough this amazing little stain soap bar my Mother in law introduced me to.. nary a stain has survived under its use. We have Vanish stain remover in NZ, but nothing is as good as this wee stick from the UK.. Vanish Stain Stick Bar. I know you can find it online for $12 on Fishpond

The Story of You..

To my Little mannies #4. Tears fill my eyes to write that.
Because you are something of Gods gift to us, a gift we didnt plan in our 'longterm' sight. A reward for handing the pen over to God, and saying "Will you write the next chapter?"..

You see. From the moment Daddy and I married, we knew we'd have 4 kids. When Amy was born, we thought we were done. In my heart, there was an ache for more. But when youve spent 10 years preparing yourself for the inevitable finish, I imagine you expect the grief and ache. At least thats what I told myself.

Gods ways our different from ours.

The past 18 months, 2 years, have been something else. Daddy and I have gone through disappointment, pain, loss and being stripped. It might have been easy to simply write up lifes mantra there and then "Trust no one". It felt that way. But I believe God allows all these things for a reason, even the storms. And while the storm whirled around us, I found that instead of leaving me bitter, crushed and disillusioned, it instead peeled off layers of my heart. Yes, it hurt.
But the pain isnt the ending.

In the peeling off... I came face to face with a reality: The desire and knowing grew in me that our family was not complete. And as God is able, He also ministered that desire into Daddys heart... a trust, anticipation, of more. More of the heart of Jesus towards His plans and purposes. God gave us the scripture "I run in the path of your commands, for you shall enlarge my heart". Pain can often crush and harden the heart.. yet in Gods hands, pain can serve to do the very opposite, and open up a capacity thats beyond our 'norm'.

Shortly after, I dreamed I had a girl, and a boy. We did go on to conceive that precious daughter, who is now with Jesus in heaven. Although not even "scanned and identified".. her identity remains sealed up there. A treasure.
And then there was you.

You, I knew, were going to have the heart of a Daniel. I understood how all the stripping and storm, was preparation for you. And you, I know, are a reward. A joy. A gift entrusted.

It makes me weep.
Because I know you have a Daddy whose integrity has shone in the face of opposition - he has championed the way for you.
Because I know that the discernment God has gifted to us, enables us to raise you beyond our human weakness.
Because you are a new beginning.
Because I know God will take you into places of high influence, and that our hearts will be beat proudly.
Because I know you will be asked to stand, and that at times it will break our hearts too.
Because you bring a sense of joy and adventure into our lives.

Precious wee man, where we had placed a full stop, God has put a 'to be continued' and here on in, were all on this journey of unknowns together. Unknown to us, but known to Jesus.

Its so wonderful, amazing, delightful, to have you along for the ride.

We love you immensely.
xxxx

For the love of the library..

Going to the library, is like for me, what coffee is to others. In fact, truth be told, I think its more. (Cause I have never been able to truly enjoy a coffee out that compares to the Nescafe Vanilla Latte sachets you make at home). And if Im going to have a drink out, its got to be something decent.. like Turkish Apple Tea, or a Feijoa smoothie, or something that hits the right notes.

Moving on.

Pop in my hands a decent book and a decent drink, and Im happy.

Here's some of my favourite reading:

Cookbooks -
Jaime Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Annabelle Langbein, Barefoot Contessa etc. Although I do love to eat a nice dessert, I actually love to cook mains and I really love a cookbook that tells a story, such as this beautiful one, 28 Days in Provence by Shannon Bennett.

The humour of travelling with kids, interwoven with using fresh market food and ingredients that are real. And the photography.. Id quite like to buy the book and rip it up and frame the images. It might make you want to move to the Provence region. Or plant a vegetable garden. Or visit the local market with new eyes.

Biographies -
I dont enjoy 'teaching' books. I know, there are some great ones and I have them on my shelves. Biographies however, I never tire of. An amazing story of someones life and their testimony sticks with me and encourages my soul.
Here's some of my favs;
Through Gates of Splendour by Elisabeth Elliot
The Heavenly Man
The Cross and the Switchblade by David Wilkerson
Hudson Taylor
Vanya
His Perfect Faithfulness by Eric and Leslie Ludy
One of these, however, I have read over and over.. its impact far reaching in my life: The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. This story is impacting beginning to end. Her simple family life in their humble abode in Holland, and the security of a gentle Fatherly presence, interrupted by the divine orchestration of her secret work during the Holocaust of World War 2, which had her, and her sister, sent to Ravensbruck. Ive been gripped with suspense everytime Ive read it and cried everytime too. And Ive read it about 5 times, maybe more.. it never gets boring.

Parenting books -
Seriously, we own at least 20 at first count: Ian Grant, Celia Lashlie, Steve Biddulph, Michael Pearl, Tedd Tripp.. Its not hard to pin a favourite as I have two. The first is about food and eating, Ive written about it before, "French Kids Eat Everything" by Karen Le Billon. I love it because its truly changed how we eat, and made our table a joy. But I return over and over to a book I bought in my teenage years, before said hubby and family were even on the scene: The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot. Its not a book of formula's but of the story of her childhood. There are so many beautiful ideas in there.

Family Reading -
Sam and I read to the children a lot. Sam has a whole library of Childrens Bibles and loves to go through them with the kids. I read to them the chapter novels.
Some hits in our home have been; The Barn Chronicles by Rosie Boom, Stuart Little by E.B White, Charlottes Web also by E.B White, YWAM Christian Heroes stories, The Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis. Our favourite books this year have been Tumtum and Nutmeg adventures by Emily Bearn
These are just the sweetest little stories about some little mice and the fight against good and bad. The endings are always so endearing. I loved reading them, as much as the kids enjoyed hearing them. This book inspired many a miniature mouse room being built by the kids out of our recycling. It was so fun! NB: You will however, feel guilty about ever killing a little mouse again ;)

Homeschooling a Preschooler

Amy is just turned four but she has been biting at the bit to start learning like her big brothers.

I didnt want to start her too early, ya know, more work for me and things like that. But it was proving more work to 'entertain' her with those 'activity box' ideas etc, (go ye Pinteresters), so we leapt. "We" being I did the planning, and Sam cheered me on telling me how great it is that our girl will be reading by four a half. No pressure or anything.


So here's what were using


Character:
This is first up on our day but we have this amazing little series by Agapeland called "Character Builders". A set of 16 episodes of animated stories about kindness, goodness, gentleness, self control, patience, obedience, faith, honesty, responsibility, thankfulness, sharing, confidence, love, politeness, joy and peace. The old version can be found on you tube, but it isnt as good as the newer one. You can see the newer animation on you tube under Character Builders Trailor. I used to teach my kids in Sunday School from these.. and I still get teary eyed when I hear the song "peace". My boys have all watched these through several times over, so I dont make them watch them, but somehow they always can be found grouped around the screen and noting their favourite episodes and laughing at the same things that tickled them when they were Amys age. Character is timeless. So are these DVD's, I think. NB: Agapeland often has a voucher online, google it. They retail $69US from Agapelandmusic.com

Maths:
I found a neat starter book by Gold Stars called Starting Maths which comes with gold star stickers.. and what kid doesnt like stickers?! Its fairly basic and requires me to be on hand, but I like that.. its relationship building. There are many others in the series and I have a feeling we will be chowing through them over the next few months. c/o Book Depository $7.35. Free shipping worldwide.
When Im confident she has these under her belt, we will start No Nonsense Number Emergent activity sheets. I own the books to stage 2b, and love them because they fit NZ curriculum. They were a pricey investment at $44e, but worth it. From that we jump to Math U See.. but thats a couple of years away.

Reading:
It all starts with phonics and weve happily followed the Jolly Phonics programme for years with great success.
We use the Phonics Handbook (Book Depository $45.94) which has all the printable activity sheets and teacher suggestions. I also use the pupil workbooks 1-7 ($23 set) for ease of having all the work bound, and the sequence set out for me. We also use the Finger Phonics books in the series ($66 set) which are great, not least because they have these neat grooves in the pages where they can feel how to form the letters. I also have the DVD ($21) which backs up the learning at the end of each week. If you can, purchase the whole set.. otherwise start with the handbook alone. That will more than adequately suffice.

In addition to phonics, I read to Amy, a lot. Daily. We make weekly use of our mobile library (the library bus) that stops just down the road from us. We choose lots of picture books, as well as early readers. While Amy cant yet read those, she often sits beside my youngest son as we work through them.. and is becoming familiar with sounding out and patterns in reading. I try to keep an eye out internet wise, for great book recommendations and often put a hold on these so they are ready for us each week, on the mobile library. It costs .50c per hold.. but still cheaper than the parking and petrol, I justify.

Handwriting:
Im using Letterland Handwriting Practise 1 ($8.19 B.Dep) , and again, I sit beside her and remind her of her pencil grip and formation.. ie "letters always start at the top".

Spelling:
Were just working our way through the top 100 right now. Heh. I joke. Actually, when we have letter recognition at about %50, I will introduce the sight words. We often play sight word bingo (I got given it) with the kids so that helps. I'll introduce the plethora of sight word activity ideas soon enough. See pinterest for ideas here, be warned, you will need chocolate and coffee. Just sayin.

Science:
Mudpies to Magnets by Williams. Rockwell. Sherwood. Look no further. (B.Dep $17.79)
Theyre simple activities, and often I have one of the boys work through them with her, or I alter it slightly to fit what suits me. For example, todays sheet was on seed sorting.. but I wasnt in the mood for grouping seeds, so we planted tomato seeds instead. She thought that was way more fun anyway.

Art:
The worlds your oyster! I personally dont think anyone needs a resource book when there are just a world of ideas for art everyday found on the internet. We use activity books like the one in the picture, My Town, by Delphine Doreau (B.Dep $17.01) for special events like eating out, visiting somewhere special, and particularly for Amys love of things European following our trip to England/ Paris last year. I try to feature crafts around her interests and learning and were never stuck for ideas :)

I hope this list helps those who are wondering about homeschooling and where to start, or like me, trying to recall the best things to do with a preschooler when the older ones are well under way. Im glad this list will be here too in another 4 years when this bundle inside reaches the same stage and Im wondering again "how did I do it?" :)