Reflections

Day 1: I laid down for a nap hungry. I woke hungry. I went to bed hungry.  I remembered that while simple foods fill they do not satisfy.  Fats and proteins and all the extras in between are hard to let go of.

Day 2: JoyAnna (5) was reflecting on the purpose of eating rice & beans and then asked "So is it EVIL to be rich?"   No, my dear, not evil, but certainly tricky. Makes me think of Proverbs 30:8-9: "...give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread. Otherwise I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?'  Or I may become poor and steal and so dishonor the name of my God."

Day 3: Josiah (7) getting ready for school: "The bad thing about Rice & Beans month is that we don't get to eat school lunch."  Something inside me sank. This is our third year participating in R&B month and we attempt to keep the family discussion open as we brainstorm the guidelines for how we will participate.  While R&B month is about sacrifice, it isn't only about what we give up.  Typically our boys pack their lunch four days and get to buy at the school once a week.  By not buying, we save almost $28.  But what is $20, $30, even $300 when our hearts are frustrated?  Does God really desire such a sacrifice?  We took a moment today to re-consider our decision not to buy school lunch during R&B month.  We posted a wall chart with the areas where we can save this month.  We can buy what we choose and then chart our spending and savings... with cheerful hearts.

Day 4: John Z. (10): "Hey! It's Ash Wednesday. We should eat lentils & rice today!" We made LENTil, brown rice, apple muffins & LENTil & rice burritos! Happy Lent!

Day 5: JoyAnna (5): "If I could choose to eat rice & beans or lobster, I would choose rice & beans and not that other yucky stuff!" Ha, ha! I guess it's all a matter of perspective, right?

Day 6: JZ reacting to black bean & brown rice flour brownies: "I'm surprised by the unexpected freedoms during Rice & Beans month!" I smiled. The same restrictions that seem to suffocate also open doors of liberation. Beautiful.

Day 7: Tonight was our weekly celebration meal. We scheduled four of these during our "fast" with each child rotating the menu choice. JoyAnna chose swirl pasta with white sauce, meatballs & carrots with dip. Celebration meals are super fun. Everyone is soooo grateful and full of delight over that which was considered routine merely a week ago. I love it!!

Day 8: A couple of us came down with the stomach bug.  Rice cakes & ginger ale are serving us nicely. We are blessed. 

Daniel getting ready for some red beans and rice...

 Bryan enjoying some meatless chili... Mmmm!

Josiah's spanish rice & refried bean food art

Rice & Beans Month!

"It's here, it's here!  Rice & Beans month is here!" 


That was the excited exclamation of our then three-year old on March 1, 2010- the first day that we participated with our friends at Lahash in Rice & Beans Month.  


During the month of March we join with a global community in limiting our food freedoms so that we can better understand the lives of many of our friends across the world.  We then share the money that we have saved by our simplicity with our friends specifically in East Africa.  

This year our family started Rice & Beans month a little early to accommodate end of March Spring breaks and travel.  Today marks day eight for our family.


Would you like to join us for Rice & Beans Month?  Each person and family decides how they will participate. There are a zillion of ways to join in simplifying our diet for the purpose of solidarity and sharing... and our family is consistently blessed by the journey.  This year we are choosing to eat muffins & sandwiches for weekday breakfast & lunch, rice & beans for each dinner meal and rice & beans for every weekend meal.  Also, each of the kids will rotate choosing one "celebration meal" a week. 


Our friends at Lahash put together a fantastic devotion & recipe book for R&B month. We'd love to send you one if you're interested.  Just drop us a line. 

Of School & Seasons...

Today the children and I went to our local elementary school and took a tour.  In 21-days our boys will begin their first experience in public school.

We came home,  I baked up a batch of sweet potato fries, poured myself a diet dr. pepper, shed a few tears and then took a trip down memory lane.  I was remembering the past six years of home education.   

I graduated with a degree in elementary education, got married and had four babies in 5 years.  In 2006, I walked into the local school to register John Z. for kindergarten and walked out crying.  I thought I was signing him up for half-day kindergarten, but the schools in our area were running a full day program.  I wasn't ready for that.  So, out of a love for being with my son, Main Elementary & Pre-school was formed.... 

John Z. was the best student a teacher could want. He loved learning and worked happily, diligently...and independently!  Keeping the pre-school constituency happy & occupied while caring for a newborn was more of a challenge, but we managed and had fun making memories together.

5-year old John Z. working on his "squiggle" (creative writing)

JZ's finished squiggle.  Can you read it?

3-year old Daniel doing folder games...

...and he figured it out!

2-year old Josiah following along with a book on CD

Josiah's FAVORITE pre-school activity was getting to play in the rice bucket!

The following year, John Z. was in first grade and we decided that homeschooling fit our family and we wanted to give it another year.  That year the boys took the bus to school four mornings a week.  It was a short ride, but they LOVED it!

Taking the bus from the living room into the upstairs schooling bedroom

Year after year, Bryan and I have discussed and re-evaluated schooling for our family.  Home schooling has provided continuity in education in the midst of five moves in five years and a couple of deployments sprinkled in.  We've needed...and loved the stability.  

But now...

Well, now this teacher needs a sabbatical.  I'm tired.  I love my kids.  I love home education.  I love this life...and I'm tired.  

God is kind gives rest to the weary.  We are currently living in a town with highly rated schools and we are registered to join the public school party on 4 January 2012.

I never doubt this decision, but I cry over it daily.  I will miss our kids.  I will miss this life.

I will miss the "I-Finished-My-Math-Book" celebrations when we eat special food and the celebrating student gets to open a present.... his new book!

I will miss the creative, fun, family learning....

I will miss seeing these three heads leaning over their work when I come down the stairs....

Yeah, I'm really going to miss this season of home education.  John Z., the child who once asked if I would teach him through college, has asked if we will ever homeschool again.  It's very possible.  Probable even. Time will tell.  

Until then, we take a link off of our chain each day as we count down until the start of a new season.  As I look over at the chain, I weep.  My eye catches the photo on the wall.  There's comfort for my ache.  God is good and Jesus lives.  We are blessed.

If this yard could talk...

In September, we moved to Ohio.  While thinking about family housing for this move, we opted to consider renting a place in the local area (vs. base housing).  One reason: a yard.


Our kids are getting older and running space is sooo nice.


Our yard has been fabulous.  


If it could talk, I know that our yard would have fantastic stories to tell.


Tales of boys wrestling...



...and of girls pondering

Exciting adventures with imaginations soaring...

...and eager sons learning

Ballads of leaves dancing...



...and children delighting

 Reports of Daddys savoring childhood moments...

 

...and children thrilled by the attention

 

It is a good life here on Main St.

Figures, Digits & Units

We're going to break our bloggity-blog hiatus with a lovely list of numbers....

The children & I enjoyed 68 days of traveling around 10 states clocking 7, 778 miles on our powerful, little, tire-toating Odyssey.

Meanwhile, Bryan has been gone from our family for 184 days working across the ocean in the land of sand. 9 more days until he returns.

Annnnnd...15 more days before we move 353 miles east into this happy little home.

That long driveway BEGS to be used.  Please come visit us... we'll count down the days!

10/90

 

 We took a short trip to FL to celebrate life with Grandpa & Grandma Main.

John Z. is 10.  He is beginning to think about the life he wants to live.  

The person he wants to become.

Grandpa is 90.  He is reflecting upon the life he has lived. The person others will remember.

The Land of Enchantment

Hello from lovely New Mexico!  Our little tribe has been sunning in the Land of big skies & green chile.  We have LOVED getting to spend time with my growing up family...

 Do you see a family resemblance?

Post-supper clean-up.  Mom took this photo and I think it's so cool.

 

Look at our tongues!  Lala bought us Icee drinks!

Lovely ladies planing together.  Lala is so good at finding things that JoyAnna loves to do.

Working outside with GrandBOB... and getting paid too (their favorite part!)

 Some pool basketball with Uncle Dante

Snuggled in watching a movie while Mama goes out... 

This being with Grandparents stuff sure is wonderful!  We are so blessed!