Friday, October 25, 2013

Life

I went to the Cardiologist and am now 1/3 of the way through wearing a heart monitor.  The first night was the worst, I could not sleep.  My poor husband :(, I ended up bringing a flashlight into bed and checking the screen every five minutes.  When it goes off it sounds like a tea kettle :).  I have been able to relax now and am just looking forward to getting it off and hearing what the doctor thinks.  I have an echo next week to check for any abnormalities, am a little nervous about that, but again, will be glad to have it over with!

This month has been a blur.  I cannot believe this next week will bring October to an end and November is peeking over the horizon!  My youngest celebrated a birthday this past week!  We went to the zoo which was SUPER fun.  We capped the day off with some yummy treats.  We are listening to The American Girl "Rebecca" and still trying to get a school routine/rhythm down.  It seems like just as we do we get a whole slew of doctor appointments that we have to work around.  Oh well, such is life, huh?  I hope everyone's fall is off to a great start!  Have a great weekend!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, October 11, 2013

Ordinary

Ordinary.

I am an ordinary 37 year old mom who happens to homeschool.  I am average height, average hair color, average in every single way. 

And that used to really bother me.  Training to become a ballet dancer is rigorous, competitive, and cut throat.  The worst thing in the world to a young girl aspiring to be a great ballerina is to be told that she is simply ordinary, nothing special, nothing that would make someone sit up and take notice.  That means the dreams she holds in her heart of dancing Sugar Plum fairy in the Nutcracker and Odette in Swan Lake will either take place in one of three ways.  As she sleeps, in her living room floor with her family or her stuffed animals roped in to be her audience, or across a page as her pen tells the story she wished she'd lived.

This hope, these dreams kept me at odds with God for a long, long time.  I wanted so badly to look a certain way, to have been shaped and formed so that I could catch an artistic director's eye.  There seemed to be more than enough ordinary going around. 

Fast forward twelve years since I last entered a ballet studio to take class, ten years since I last slipped on a pair of pointe shoes, and eight years since I pulled on leotard and tights.  I have discovered something I wished I had grasped with both hands all those years ago, all those auditions when I sat weeping with disappointment.  I am ordinary because that is how God best saw to form me.

Why does the clay pot say to the potter 'why did you form me this way?' 

Hello, my name is Sunshine.  I am an ordinary 37 year old mom who happens to homeschool.  However, I am loved and was created by the most extraordinary, holy, awesome God. 

Monday, October 7, 2013

Happy Monday!  Today dawned cool, beautiful, and sunny.  We have already done some (not all!) school, been to the doctor office, and had lunch!

I think we like the Mysterious Benedict Society so we are forging ahead in our reading.  We are getting ready to start the History cycle again...we follow a four year cycle, and it is time to begin again!

We will be  listening to The Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Harriet the Spy, and Justin Morgan Had a Horse over the next few weeks thanks to the courtesy of our local library :).  I love, love, love read alouds, even more so when someone else reads to us :).  Speaking of that, don't you just adore when someone with a British accent reads a classic story?

OH, before I forget we got Pollyanna on DVD from Netflix, the Masterpiece Theater version....LOVELY.  We also saw The Croods - and ADORED it.  Such a cute movie. 

Well I better get back to it - have the loveliest of days!