Waking Up in the Morn'

I love to see the creativity of my son, Stephen. Using his small Flip Video camera, he put some interesting ideas into action in this short film. Enjoy!

Great job, son!

love at first sight

I got my first iPhone a few months ago. I don't believe in love at first sight, but in this case, it happened. Instantly.

I love my iPhone. I absolutely love it. There is no denying that. Just opening the perfect little Apple box was an experience I took in. Go ahead, laugh. Or mock.

At first it was just a new gadget and I spent lots of time searching for cool apps and playing words with friends, with friends. Friends like Pat Santavenere, who I ended up beating our first 9 games. Not that I was counting or anything.

I am a stay-at-home Mom who home schools, which means on most days I am in my dining room surrounded by books, correcting papers, reading Mystery of History, and chasing my little bandits around the living room. Having a 3 and 4 year old and then also a 10 and 13 year old makes for interesting "conversation gymnastics". One moment I'm explaining to baby girl why biting her brother is not a loving thing to do; the next moment I'm trying to answer a grammar question. Yes, it makes for a random day, every day.

The four walls can feel at times like they are closing in on me. My iPhone is my connection to the outside world.

In just seconds, I am able to virtually leave my four walls and reach into another stay-at-home Mom's four walls, right to her. Texting little things about our day, sharing the antics of one of our children in picture form, or just a little back and forth adult convo via text between friends. In short, it paves a way to connect with someone else and I appreciate that. It can actually bring sanity to some of my crazier days.

When I was smack in the middle of organizing the Run For Your Lives 5K, my iPhone became such a useful tool. I was able to correspond with people quickly through email and texting. Updates could be posted on Facebook immediately. Tweets could be tweeted. Documents I needed while out were available at my fingertips. If someone needed a contact, a few taps of my finger and it was done. Right then, right there.

Being relatively new to the world of smartphones and social media, I am learning that everyone has a different set of etiquette/manners when it comes to how and when we can whip out our iPhone or Droid or Blackberry.

What is considered rude by one person is considered perfectly fine by someone else.

So here are some questions I have been asking myself (and others) and now I want your feedback.

1- If you are meeting with someone - a friend, business partner, family member - anyone really, is it inconsiderate to read and respond to a text message? What about repeated text messages?

2- If you are in a store, going through a drive-through window, or someplace similar, is it inconsiderate to be talking on your phone or bluetooth device?

3- If you are hanging out with friends in a casual atmosphere at your home or watching a movie (key word: casual), is it inconsiderate to read and respond to ongoing text messages?

4- Are there times that you turn your phone off completely?

I still love my iPhone, probably even more than when we first met. But I shouldn't love it more than actual human beings. I confess that sometimes I do. After all, it does what I want and asks nothing of me. I certainly don't want others to feel that I don't value them or their time when they are with me, whether it's in a meeting context or just hanging out having fun.

All of this amazing technology provides far more ways to connect and interact with others. As an extrovert, it's dreamy. But it's also dangerous. After all, like every other good thing, it comes with challenges and temptations.

As a mom, my children are watching me. They are learning. They are taking their cues from what I do every day. My actions are teaching them what I value. This is incredibly important.

So please - help me out by sharing your thoughts!

Run For Their Lives 2011

Check out this video that was shown at Brentwood Church this past Sunday, highlighting the Run For Their Lives 5K on October 29th.

The creators did a fantastic job at showing us the bigger picture and reminding us why we participated in the first place. Keep praying for your girl. :-)

Maryland is featured!!

A Reason to Run....or Walk

YOU can make a difference in someone's life by participating in our race or making a donation.

Join us on Saturday, October 29th.

Visit www.freedom424maryland.org for all the details....

jr. homeschoolers

David is my most eager student this year, begging to do school work.

He's four.

Abbie, wearing my old glasses again (frames busted out) is most eager about being the teacher.

David loves to practice letters.

A certain little one feels left out and pouts a bit that it's not her turn.

She has a great pout face, you gotta admit that!

But, when it's finally her turn, and she shows Daddy how she can count seven snakes, she's super happy!

As for me, I'm just happy that David gets to color another yellow sun in his calendar square.

homeschool: week two

The apple doesn't fall from the tree, does it?

I often wonder why Abbie, loves to do her school work wearing something that I consider part of our dress-up bin. You know, the bin that holds spiderman costumes, star wars outfits, pirate-wear, and even a Hillary Clinton mask! Don't ask....

Yesterday, she grabbed a pair of my old glasses, lenses busted out. And, well, she put them on and wore then the entire day.

I chuckled and walked into the other room, only to see Matt...dressed like this, reading.

Aaaaaahhhh, just another day in my little world!

Home School: Day 1

Well, it wasn't picture perfect, believe me.

The morning began rough. Everyone woke up late and I barely had enough faith to begin what will be my 10th year of teaching.

It's hard to say goodbye to the summer. Right on the heels of two weeks at the beach and a night at an indoor water park, it's hard to get started with schedules and studies, book reports and science labs. Before even starting, I feel behind.

Here is our day in pictures. I didn't include a shot of Jayda squeezing herself in an empty school bin. And I didn't even take a picture of what the living room floor looked like when I was doing school with the big kids. Let's just say, David and Jayda enjoyed playing with every toy.

Every. Toy.

But here's a snippet of our reality.

Right before lunch we all gathered to learn about people that are living in what is called "Garbage City" in Cairo, Egypt. David was so sweet as he prayed, "Lord Jesus - please keep the people living in the trash safe. Especially the Mommies and the Daddies and the babies."

After lunch, while I did some school work with David, Abbie begged to be Jayda's teacher and happily took her into the kitchen to practice counting and identifying her ABC's.

David was so eager to start. I guess he feels like a big boy now!

Abbie worked on her math using Teaching Textbooks, and she did so in cowboy boots!

Stephen chose to tune his guitar on his break...

The rain is still beating down, the laundry baskets are full of dirty clothes, and I'm not sure what we are having for dinner. Day one is almost over but there is still so much to do.

It's helpful to remember that "Motherhood is a hallowed place because children aren't commonplace. Co-laboring over the sculpting of souls is a sacred vocation, a humbling privilege." (Ann Voskamp)