Don't Forget! CWCC

Those of you who participated last week in the Creative Writing Crash Course, don't forget this week's is up and awaiting your links! If you are participating privately, I'd love to hear from you about what you've been doing. I'd also welcome any questions or feedback!

A Mustard Plaster for Your Chest Cold

In this season of H1N1 and all other sorts of yucky bugs, I thought I'd share a recipe shared with me several years ago. It is your basic old fashioned mustard plaster. (and in case you are wondering...it's safe for children too!)

Mustard Plaster
10 level TBSP of flour
1 level TBSP of dry mustard
Mix with enough water to form a paste.

Put olive oil on your chest area and then spread the paste on top of that.

Cover with a towel and go lay down and relax. (I prop myself up on pillows so I can breathe easier.)

Leave on for 15 minutes or until skin starts to turn pink (prior to the 15 minute mark). Rinse with mild soap and water. Repeat up to 2 times per day.

It does start to burn after a bit, but nothing unbearable. However, DO NOT try to leave it on any longer than 15 minutes!

We are all finally well here! Praise the Lord! But, I know so many others who are still suffering through with various bugs.

I must admit I am more wary of being out and about in public places than I can ever remember being in years past. So, before leaving me a comment, please be sure and wash your hands thoroughly. ;o)

The Annual Pumpkin Patch Trek

WARNING: MY CHILDREN ARE ADORABLE SO THIS POST IS PICTURE HEAVY!

Several years ago, some friends of ours began an endeavor known as Harvest Farms. They were just plain ole farmers with a vision...a vision to keep the farm afloat with pumpkins...lots and lots of pumpkins!

We visited the farm the first year they were up and running. A few months later, we moved away and had not been back until this year.

Let me just say WOW!

The business has grown tremendously and we were thrilled to see the fruits of their labors. Our friends told us that the week prior to our visit they had sold 19,000 lbs of pumpkins and seen 2200 people come through the doors. For a tiny town in the middle of nowhere that is utterly amazing!

Here are a few of the "attractions" we enjoyed at the Farms...

The Hayloft Slide

The Tractor Derby

The coolest bike ever!

A horse just the right speed for Keian.

Later, we headed out to the pumpkin patch to choose our pumpkins. Megan found this "little" number.

At $.25 a pound with 5 children buying pumpkins, you have to do some weight guess-timation and some mental math along the way. Ty asked me if I thought it weighed about 8#. I tugged at it and said, no, probably more like 10#. AHEM....it was

26.4 POUNDS!

Word to the wise...pumpkins weigh more than they look!

Following Megan's lead, Keian was off to find his perfect pumpkin...

Ever hear of "Sour Pumpkins?" lol

But, all was well, and everyone found their perfect pumpkin, including little Micah.


And thus ended another pumpkin patch trip! What a blast!

How We Homeschool Preschool & Kindergarten

Over the years, how we homeschool has changed as we've changed in our philosophy and style. One of the biggest changes has come in the area of how we school our preschoolers and kindergartners.

I began homeschooling when my oldest was 4 1/2. I sat him down at the table with a long and involved (and rather teacher-intensive, I might add) curriculum and purposed to teach him to read within 2 months or else. We made every craft, took every field trip, and read every book that curriculum suggested. By the end of the year, he was reading and

I was exhausted.

However, my next child threw me for a loop. She's the polar opposite of my oldest and so I figured I would wait to school her until she showed more readiness. However, one day she announced she could read the word "office" (and every other word for that matter) and we realized teaching her was going to be an absolute mystery. She still just suddenly learns things and hates having someone actually "teach" her.

Now, I've added #3 to the mix. She's somewhere in between. But, there is something they (and all children) have in common...

They are sponges.

My first child is the kind of sponge that wrings himself out quite often, so you are never in doubt as to what he knows. My second child is the kind of sponge that rarely wrings herself out, only to suddenly and without warning get you all wet. My third child is just happy to be a sponge.

So, how has this knowledge changed how we homeschool?

Well, we've relaxed...A LOT, and we've learned to school them through everyday LIFE.

So, here's a taste of how we homeschool our preschool and kindergarten aged children...

Organization:



Each child has a black crate ($2.50 ea) with their name on it. The crate contains their books, their pencil box, and a folder with each subject velcroed to it.



The preschooler's crate has 1 coloring book and his pencil box which contains washable markers, 2 fat pencils, crayons, glue stick, and preschool scissors.

The kindergartner's crate contains her folder with 1 math sheet and 1 handwriting sheet tucked inside, her reading book (Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons), and her pencil box with the same contents as the preschooler's.

On the outside of the kindergartner's folder are these velcro tabs:
AM CHORES, CHORES, MATH, HANDWRITING, PHONICS
As she completes each one she moves the velcro tab from the outside of her folder to her chart on the pantry door.




Her completed worksheets go back in the folder and the folder goes into the COMPLETED box where I can check them and reload them each night.


(This system began as a modified Workbox System for large families that I found at Peace Creek on the Prairie blog. I have since modified it even more to fit my family's needs and preferences.)

Workbooks:
My kindergartner has only 2....Horizons Math - K and A Reason for Handwriting - K.
My preschooler has a coloring book. (The $1 kind from WalMart)
I load one sheet per workbook, per day into the kindergartner's folder (the preschooler has free rein of his coloring book). If she wants to do more, all she has to do is ask and I tear out another for her.

Schedule:
I hesitate to even call the way we school our littles a "schedule", but for lack of a better term, this section describes the basics of what their "school day" looks like.

After everyone finishes chores, we begin school. Usually that means everyone starts in on their workbooks. The bigs do their independent work while I work with the kindergartner on her 1 math sheet and her 1 handwriting sheet. Occasionally, one of my older children helps her if I am busy with baby or finishing up in the kitchen. My preschooler works at the table alongside everyone else cutting and coloring and gluing his coloring book. (yes, I allow my preschooler to cut AND glue)

After the kindergartner finishes her workbook lessons, she and the preschooler and I move to the couch to read. They love this time and I cherish the snuggle time I get with them. Usually we begin with Leading Little Ones to God, followed by child-friendly books I've gathered from various book lists (more on those sources in a bit). By the time I am finished reading to them, the preschooler has had enough of sitting still and goes off to play. At that time, I do 1 reading lesson from 100 Easy Lessons with my kindergartner.

That marks the end of anything resembling formal schooling. It takes about 30 minutes from start to finish.

Life Lessons:
Here's where the true schooling takes place. My littles spend copious amounts of time with me in the kitchen, outside, and on the couch. We cook, measure, talk ingredients and life while we work in our teeny-tiny kitchen. Outside we make contraptions from rope and buckets, build campfires, read, and explore nature (yes, there is nature in the city!) On the couch we cuddle and read and read and read. Life is a running dialogue with God's awesomeness at the center of it all.

That's what homeschooling is all about.

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.
Deuteronomy 6:7

Now, for the book list sources I promised to talk about.

I'm a book junkie...a bibliophile, if you will. Since I was in grade school, I've made lists of books I would someday read. I still have some of those lists! (this LIST being one of them)

For my littles, I use lists from several different sources. Here are a few of those sources:
1. Honey for a Child's Heart (I got my copy from Paperback Swap!)
3. Old Fashioned Education book list
4. Ambleside Online book list
5. The Well-Trained Mind resource list
6. Five In A Row Series List

It's very easy to use lists like these. Simply take the list to your library and find several of the titles listed. As you read them to your children, check them off the list. Also, don't forget to engage your child as you read...point out things in the pictures, ask questions, have them tell back to you what you read. You will quickly see a LOVE for reading develop, and reading opens all sorts of doors because books can be about so many different subjects.

As you can see, homeschooling preschoolers and kindergartners need not be daunting and scary. Grab some good books, find a place to curl up together, and enjoy each other's company. There really is very little extra they need.

(Micah "snacking" on the the name tag from his older sister's crate)

Awards & A Few More Jewels

Right here and now I am going to admit something...

I am TERRIBLE at doing anything that involves blog awards. I just never seem to get around to it because frankly, I am overwhelmed by the stipulations behind the awards. However, I've received some very wonderful awards from some very wonderful bloggers over the years. Recently, I've received the following awards...

from Audra at Penny Pinching Penguin

from Heather at My Red Apron

and
Kara @ Home...With Purpose

from Angela at Eternal Outlook

Because I just have to be different and not follow the rules, I'm linking back to them and also adding links to a few more jewels I've found lately. Thank you for the kind awards all, and here are the links...

1. Falling Apart Just To Hold It Together from Eternal Outlook

2. The Life and Death of Mary Anaya from The Omaha World-Herald.

3. Step Away From the Beanbag Chair and No One Gets Hurt from Crumbs on My Floor

and a...

Just visit THIS POST to find awesome giveaways from several different blogs. Our very own At The Well is giving away Vision Forum CD's!

Creative Writing - Grab Their Attention & Keep It (A)

Part 2 of The Creative Writing Crash Course.

If you are just joining us, you can read the introduction to our little Creative Writing Crash Course and then start with Part 1 of this series - The Message.

*****

First impressions are important. The first few words you utter upon a page are crucial. They will determine whether or not anyone keeps reading. They either whet the appetite, making the reader want more, or they make the reader yawn with mediocrity and walk away from the rest of the page.

However, you cannot simply grab your reader with one ferocious shake at the beginning and expect them to sit through 17 more paragraphs of ordinary, everyday blah, blah, blah. So, this creative writing session is all about how to:

Grab Their Attention & Keep It
lesson A

1. Tell a story and refer back to it

Ask This:
Do I know any good stories that help convey my message? Are they quick to the point and engaging? How can I kick them up a notch so people will want to read more? What aspects of the story can I use along the way as I write the rest of my post?

Know This:
Some people are natural story tellers. You know them...they tell story after story about all these outlandish things that you are just sure could never happen to any single person, but you know they aren't lying. The same thing could happen to someone else and the story would be excruciatingly boring, yet when it happens to Mr. Storyteller, it has drama, excitement, tears, and laughter. What Mr. Storyteller is good at is "kicking it up a notch." A story is only as good as its storyteller, so what you need is an arsenal of descriptions and stories that capture your audience. Then, as you continue to write you are able to weave the story into the tapestry of your writing so as to hold your audience's attention.

Do This:
Come up with 1 funny story and/or 1 serious story (preferably from your own life) and write down the basics of it. For instance:

The lights during the wedding dance were shining right past the bride and groom and directly onto my husband and I.

Now, take each noun and see if you can add more description to it that makes the story pop (remember not to overdo so people don't start rolling their eyes).

The blinding lights from the DJ station at the wedding dance shone right past the blissful, (and thankfully, oblivious) bride and groom and directly onto my husband and I, who were sitting ever-so-casually against the far wall.

Now kick it up a notch. No, I don't mean lie...I mean take what happened and make it worth reading. I'll do it and then explain how I did it:

The blinding lights from the DJ station at the wedding dance shone right past the blissful, (and thankfully, oblivious) bride and groom and directly onto my husband and I, who were sitting ever-so-casually against the far wall. Staring into those two bright lights, neither one of us could resist...my husband slowly brought his hands, shaped to resemble antlers, to the top of his head as I turned sideways and proceeded to make shadow puppets on the wall.

The real story is...we didn't make a spectacle of ourselves like it sounds. Everyone was watching the happy couple (we think...these lights really were very blinding so there's no telling how many were watching us too), and my husband's antlers and my shadow puppets lasted all of a nano-second. It really wasn't much of a show. But, kicked up a notch, it makes for a good story.

Now, you try!

2. Be real, but encouraging

Ask This:
What part of my life can I share that my audience can relate to? How can I show the real me without making this the most depressing post ever? What has happened in my life that I have learned from and can share with my audience as a way of encouraging them?

Know This:
When your reader can relate, they read. When they see themselves, they read. When they find encouragement, they read.

Do This:
Go back and look over the list of posts from #1 of Creative Writing - The Message. Chances are those posts were more you. What about them spoke of you?

Now, make a list of who you are in real life...what makes you you. This is NOT a list of who you wish to be nor is it a list of all your negative traits. Be real.

Lastly, randomly read a few of your blog posts and consider if your reader is getting a true picture of who you are. Are they edified by what you have to say or does misery love company?

Here's my take...

My blog posts:
Obviously, what makes my grief posts real is that I really am grieving. I really do miss my little girl, and I really do struggle with so many things pertaining to this grief. It pretty much just pours out of me in these posts. The quiverfull posts are similar. Being quiverfull has not been a simple road. I have walked it with years of no babies and years of many babies. I am passionate about what being quiverfull truly means..."letting God control your family size." I've witnessed first hand how very little we have to do with it, so there is a lot of emotion behind my quiverfull posts.

Who am I?
I tend to be both sarcastic and silly.
I am a thinker and an over-analyzer.
I have a one-track mind when I need something resolved.
I am a reader and a writer.
I love my children and my husband fiercely.
I am reverent in all things pertaining to my faith.
I'm too efficient for my own good sometimes.
I think out loud.
I often have to have the obvious stated to me.
I am forgetful.
I am an introvert married to an extrovert.
and the list goes on and on and on...

A random read reveals...
I definitely see myself because this blog has always been very Amy-ish (wow, I say that word out loud all the time, but to see it written down, it looks peculiarly like "Amish" doesn't it?). However, at the other blog (that I no longer use, by the way), I see evidence of someone I don't know. She is someone who thought she had to sound all put together and polished. She only appeared every now and then, and I even wrote a post about her, but I honestly don't know who she was and I hope she stays far, far away from this blog!

As for being encouraging...
I know my grief posts are pretty raw at times, but for the most part, I think I manage to avoid being a disparaging mess from beginning to end in most of my posts. The comments I receive from all you lovely readers tell me I'm headed in the right direction.

3. Shock 'em and then pick 'em up off the floor

Ask This:
Is there something I can say that will really grab the reader's attention without overstepping my boundaries?

Know This:
Have you read The Daily Poop? Sandy knows precisely how to shock a person; however, she doesn't leave you there all shocked and stupified. She picks you back up and explains things to you like a good slap in the face. (lol...love ya, Sandy!)

Now, shocking your reader doesn't mean you say something rude or mean. It means you say something off the wall to grab the reader's attention and then you explain yourself. Hopefully, the next exercise will help you see what I mean...

Do This:
Take this phrase and build the bare bones of a post around it...(this post can be about anything)

I've Had Enough!

Notice this isn't some rude, horrible thing to say, but it is something that catches the attention. Your readers are going to read that and think, "What in the world has happened???" So, tell me...what have you had enough of?
(I'm not going to build a post around this because I don't want anyone inhibited by what I write.)

*****

Today's Final Exercise:
OK, folks, time to start formulating your posts...you know, the ones you talked about in Part 1 of this course. We've got some interesting topics on the table...some serious, some fun, some informative. Start thinking about how to begin your post so that you captivate your reader's attention.

Part B of this post is coming soon with more ideas on how to grab and keep your reader's attention! Link up your answers to these exercises and any posts you've done that you would like to showcase or have other critique. (Do separate links for each post, please).

Links to other posts in this series:
Introduction
Part 1 - The Message
THIS POST IS PART 2 -
GRAB THEIR ATTENTION & KEEP IT (A)
Part 3 - Grab Their Attention & Keep It (B)
Part 4 - Choose Your Words Wisely (A)
Part 5 - Choose Your Words Wisely (B)
Part 6 - Wrapping It Up

I Just Wanna Be Right

"Lord, make him less selfish so he can see my way is right."

That was my prayer.

And I was serious.

I knew my way was right. I knew my husband's way wasn't going to work. If his way did work, it would only be by some fluke, which would really be

aggravating.

Thankfully, it only took me a matter of seconds to hear how selfish my own prayer truly was, but that hasn't stopped me from finding myself in this situation many more times since.

Human beings just wanna be right. Even when faced with the Holy Word of an Almighty God, they wanna be right. They want to twist what God says by removing words and changing meanings all so they can be right. Now, that is

aggravating.

God is the same:

Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow. His Word didn't change to become more

Relevant, Sensitive, Tolerant

It is what it is...which is Right. Read it. Live it. Whether or not YOU are right really has very little to do with it.

So, what do we do when faced with situations where we want to be right?

God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

1 Peter 5:5d

Grace and humility...couldn't we all use a dose of those two?

And what about when we think we know better than God?

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the LORD.

Isaiah 55:8

Our view is distorted. That's why we have to be in the Word because when we do things on our own, well...

There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death.

Proverbs 14:12

Enough said?

How to Make a Grapevine Wreath

As a child, I used to follow my mother deep into the woods near our lake cabin and harvest long strands of grapevine. Our feet would crunch deliciously on the leaves underfoot as we drug those vines back to our home in the cool autumn air. A few weeks later, those vines would become beautiful wreaths for the holiday decorating.

Decorating with grapevine is a beautiful, natural way to decorate your home during any season, but for the holiday season, it just seems perfect.

When we lived in the house with the nice front porch, I would go into those same childhood woods and harvest from the same trees my mother and I harvested from. I would take those vines and thread them over and around the railings on my porch in large frolicking loops. With golden garland to shine in the daytime and twinkling Christmas lights to shine at night, I created a festive atmosphere from grapevine that didn't cost me a dime.

Grapevine grows wild just about anywhere, but it is rather fond of evergreen trees. The picture at the top of this post was taken next to our lake cabin (note the characteristic leaves for those of you worried about accidentally making a poison ivy wreath--don't laugh, I know someone who did just that!). I also found a goodly amount of grapevine growing wild on my chain-link fence right here in the city!


I carefully pulled the long strands from the fence and laid the vine out on the ground. This time of year is good for harvesting grapevine because it is still fairly pliable. If you wait much longer, you won't be able to get a tight wreath from it. However, if you are going to use it the way I did for my porch, you can harvest well into November.


Next, I plucked all the leaves off the vine, which my daughter gathered into a lovely bouquet.


After the vine was stripped of its leaves, I wrapped it over and over again in a circular shape to create my wreath. As you can see here, I only had a small amount, but I'm using mine as decoration for a candle. If you are going to make a wreath, you will need as much as it takes to create the thickness you desire.

I took my "wreath" inside and let it dry in that shape for about 2 weeks. It turned brown and became stiffer, holding it's shape quite nicely.

I'm not going to give you concrete examples of what you can do with your grapevine other than the few ideas I've offered here because really the possibilities are limitless and your imagination is the best guide of what you can do with this lovely bit of nature. In fact, even if you do nothing but add a candle or put a bit of ribbon around it to hang outside your door, there is something elegant in its simplicity. One of God's little creations that makes me smile.

Want to see other Do-It-Yourself Fall Projects?
Click here:

Oh, Desi?!

OK, she's probably going to hate that I'm singling her out, but I have to tell her and you something. First of all, I am really enjoying her posts from The Crunchy Mommy (I'm on the crunchy side too, ya know!)

Her latest post, Rambling Thoughts, is WAY more than just rambling thoughts. It is a well thought out post on reaching the lost by *gasp* LOVING THEM!

So, anyway, since she showed up at my blog a few days ago, I've been trying to comment on her blog or email or find some way to get a hold of her to let her know that I can't comment or email (there have been a few of you having this problem with your blogs I know), but that I want to!

Also, she's joining in the Creative Writing Crash Course and started with THIS POST. So, Desi...if you're out there...I would LOVE to hear more about Making a Small House Fit Your Family! (and I think others would too!)

And to everyone else joining in the Creative Writing Crash Course, I won't be adding the next lesson until Monday, so keep thinking through the questions from Lesson 1 and let us know when you've added to them on your blogs (for those of you who have started, but not finished! :) )

Do We Really Want a Simpler Life?

Remember my post on The Simple Life?

The things I listed there were things I have to do on a regular basis to keep my life simplified. However, I often wonder if those of us seeking after simpler lives are truly serious about simplifying things?

Living simply isn't some easy thing you just wake up one day and do. It is a culmination of many, many choices made each and every day. Most of those choices are anything but easy.

Sure we feel serious. We stomp our feet, raise our fist to the wind, and vow to change everything by Friday.

But living simply is not that simple.

How about #8 on my list of How To Simplify...

Rid Your Home of (or at lease keep a tight rein on) Distractions

Now, let's think hard for a second. Are we really willing to get rid of things in our home that distracts us? Or do we kind of like the distraction they create? Is there any distraction we *think* we have a handle on, but we know in the back of our minds we really don't? Are we hanging on to something that is crowding for our attention because we're not sure we can (or want to) do without it?

So, let me ask you this...

Does living simply require sacrifice?

I believe it does. The simple life is the self controlled life.

While simple living is not a God-mandated thing, self control is. I do not believe you can have a simplified life that is not characterized by self-control. Excesses are reined in, distractions are held back, and the important things in life are clear and in focus.

So, take a moment to ask yourself if you really do want a simpler life. Are you willing to sacrifice and practice self-control the over the things that are hindering you from that simple life?

It's not easy and it's not something that happens over night. It's baby steps toward the things that matter and away from the things that don't.

Here's what I'm doing this week to lead a simpler life...

Reading to the children outside in the fresh air.
and
Changing my computer habits.

What are you doing to simplify?

{ps-don't forget to join us for the Creative Writing Crash Course. We'll be taking it at a slow and simplified pace so you can enjoy the ride.}

Creative Writing - The Message

To read a short introduction to this crash course, click on the picture or HERE.

Is everyone here? Raise your hand if you're not...(don't all good teachers use lame jokes?)

Welcome to Part 1 of The Creative Writing Crash Course. Can you feel the electricity in the air? (Rub your feet along the carpet and touch the person nearest to you...trust me, there IS electricity in the air!)

If you are able to spare an uninterrupted moment, I would highly encourage you to read this post straight through. That way you have a "big picture" in your mind when you come back to this post and work through all the little snapshots.

You'll find I refer mainly to the content on your blog, but this isn't necessarily only applicable to blogs. There are many different venues for creative writing and the basic principles are the same.

Ready to start creating? Here we go...

The Message

1. Who is your audience and what is your purpose?

Ask This:
Who reads your blog? Who do you want to read your blog? What past posts have gotten the most traffic? What kind of posts on other blogs do you enjoy reading?

Know This:
Everything written has an audience (even your diary!). You don't need to change who you are and write things just for your audience, but it does help to know who is reading. If you are writing mainly to young ladies, then your tone will be different than if you are writing to seasoned mothers. You will use different analogies and assume they have a different knowledge base.

It's best to concentrate on the audience you already have. They are there for a reason and ignoring them while you seek after new readers just isn't nice.

Do This:
Go back through old posts and find which ones had the most comments. While this isn't a sure-fire way to find out what topics are most popular, it is the easiest. Study those posts and comments and figure out what made them special and who the audience was/is.

The posts I have written that have gotten the most traffic have been those on Grief and those on being Quiverfull. There are several other topics that get a fair amount of traffic as well, but these are the biggies.

2. What do you know?

Ask This:
What does my day consist of? How is my life unique? What things do I know that could help others? Have I seen another blog post about something I do, but in a different way?

Know This:
No one wants to toot their own horn, but for most of us, we aren't even sure there is a horn to toot. Stop thinking about it as telling others how to do something and more as sharing what you've learned, imperfections and all. Be real.

And no matter what, know your subject. I once walked out of a book signing when I realized the author knew nothing about the subject of the book she had written. The book was an adventure about photographing polar bears. She had never seen a real polar bear and she wasn't even a photographer. She had no credibility in my eyes.

Similarly, I could never write a post on adoption because I've never experienced adoption. I have no credibility and it would be ridiculous to act like I do. However, if I were to start the process of adopting a child, it would be a wonderful idea to blog about the process in order to share with others. I wouldn't have to know everything about adoption, but it would need to be personal.

Do This:
Brainstorm your life and come up with a list of 5 topics that are part of your life (hopefully, some of them coincide with the list you made in #1). My list looks something like this:

grieving the loss of a child
freelance writing
homeschooler for 7 years
larger than average family
all things crafty

3. Is the topic worth discussing?

Ask This:
Is this interesting to anyone? Can I find enough to say on the subject that will make a worthwhile post? Am I too emotionally involved with this topic and will find it difficult to keep my emotions from running this post (emotions are good, but not when the reader has trouble wading through them)? Would it be better to just keep my thoughts on this topic to myself? Will my talking about this serve any worthwhile purpose? Is what I want to say God-honoring?

Know This:
Not everything needs to be written about, and not everything is easy to write about. If you find yourself having difficulty writing a particular post, let it go for a while. Come back to it later and make sure it truly was something worth writing about.

Do This:
From either the list you made for #1 or the list you made for #2, pick a topic and begin brainstorming ideas for a post pertaining to that category.

For instance, someday I'd like to write a post on Hospitality in a Large Family.

4. What do you want your readers to feel and know after reading what you've written?

Ask This:
Do I want my reader to DO something with this information or do I want them to FEEL something? Am I able to take this topic and clearly convey a message?

Know This:
Not every topic is easy to work with, but just about any topic can be transformed into a good post depending on the viewpoint you choose. The spots on my carpet and the fact that I have no idea how to get them cleaned up is only going to hold my reader's interest for a short time. However, if I can take that topic and parallel it with something much deeper (like how we are unable to remove the spots in our lives on our own and thus need the saving power of Jesus), THEN I have an awesome blog post in the making. More on this in #5.

Do This:
What would I like my reader to know about the topic I've chosen?

For a post on Hospitality in a Large Family, I would want my reader to realize that there is no need for a mother of a large brood to quit having people into her home. However, her expectations must change and her definition of hospitality must be redefined.

5. Choose an analogy and make it the driving, yet subtle, force behind your post.

Ask This:
What kind of things go along with my topic? Can I take one of those things and make an analogy that makes sense with the message I am trying to convey?

Know This:
A vision for the direction your writing is heading in is imperative. A good theme or analogy makes the subject "pop" and brings to life what you are trying to convey.

Do This:
Brainstorm anything and everything that comes to mind when you think of your topic. (this is just like a word association game) Choose one thing from that list that makes a good analogy for your topic and then brainstorm all the ways you can make that analogy "work" for the message you are wanting to convey.

For my topic: Hospitality in a Large Family, a brainstorming list would look something like this:
teacups, fine china, wedding dishes, candles, fireplace, warmth, soft glow, lively conversation, Mary vs Martha, my mom, family atmosphere, comfort, small kitchen, antique table, mismatched chairs, casserole, desserts, coffee, good friends, joyful noise, etc.

I could take something like my antique table and make a list that looks like this:
My antique table is large like my family.
The wear and tear of my antique table is what makes it beautiful and familiar.
It's imperfections are endearing.
My antique table is the centerpiece of my home just as I want hospitality to be a centerpiece in my home.
Those who gather at my antique table are not there to admire my table, but are there to enjoy what my table represents.

***Once you have some thoughts down, try writing a post. Don't get carried away with your analogy, but make sure it is subtly there and you use it to your advantage.

*****

Now, one last exercise:

Why is a Raven Like a Writing Desk?
This question, asked by the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland, is the perfect example of taking random everyday stuff and meshing it in a creative way. So, here's how it works...

1. Look up from your computer. What is the first thing you see? (ugh...my daughter's stuffed monkey...this should be interesting! lol)

2. Pick a room in your house. (my kitchen)

3. Answer this question: Why is [the room you chose] like [the item you saw]?

My answer: My kitchen is like my daughter's stuffed monkey because it is ugly.





Did you follow along with these exercises and want to share? Add your name and post to the McLinky below! Be sure and leave comments on the other posts, so we can all learn from each other!

**To clear up any confusion...
If you do a post containing the exercises you've done here, then link to it, so we can all share. There's no right or wrong way to do it and you are welcome to add the button to the top of your post.

Links to other posts in this series:
Introduction
THIS POST IS PART 1 - THE MESSAGE
Part 2 - Grab Their Attention & Keep It (A)
Part 3 - Grab Their Attention & Keep It (B)
Part 4 - Choose Your Words Wisely (A)
Part 5 - Choose Your Words Wisely (B)
Part 6 - Wrapping It Up

Harvest Blog Party

So, Lynnette at Dancing Barefoot came up with this spur-of-the-moment blog party and since I am all about spur-of-the-moment, I thought I'd join in! Those of you doing the Creative Writing Crash Course should join in too...it will help get those creative juices flowing!

1. What is your favorite thing to snack on while you're blogging?
milk chocolate chips and peanuts (mixed together in a glass bowl)

2. What is one thing you wouldn't want to live without?
my Bible...it's pages contain my life scrawled out in notes and underlines

3. Beach, Mountains or Farm? Where would you live if you had a choice?
well, if I'm want my husband to come with me, it had better be the mountains!

4. What's your least favorite chore/household duty?
cleaning the kitchen

5. Who do people say you remind them of?
someone they know

6. Prefer parties and socializing or staying at home with the fam?
hmmm...like them all!

7. What's your all time favorite movie?
Gone with the Wind

8. Do you sleep in your make up or remove it like a good girl every night?
yikes...do I have to answer this? yeah, well, there's your answer. *blush* (pun intended!)

9. Do you have a hidden talent or a deep desire to learn something that you've never had a chance to learn? What is it?
I've always wanted to learn to play the guitar.

10. What's one strange thing you're really good at?
popping my cheek while singing the song, "Lollipop, Lollipop, oh, Lolli, lollipop..." My kids marvel at my talent.

11. What first attracted you to your spouse?
the puppy he was holding

12. What is something you love to smell?
cinnamon (oh, and I really like the smell of gasoline too)

13. Tell something about you that you know irritates people.
my forgetfulness

14. When you have extra money (HA!) what's the first thing you think to do with it?
buy books or fabric or hit the thrift store (where you can sometimes manage to buy both those things plus much more!) I'm all about the biggest bang for my buck!

15. Are you a silent laugher or a loud laugher? What makes you laugh the hardest?
somewhere in between...I laugh the hardest when my husband and I get together with friends. My husband is just naturally funny and everyone gets to feeding off each other and we end up laughing all evening! I love it!

16. Where is your favorite place to shop?
A thrift store in Kingman, Kansas our family calls "Granny's Store." Ty's Granny goes there every Friday, so when we can, we try to join her.

17. What's one thing you'd do more often if you had more time?
Scrapbook

18. Are you a big spender or frugal?
I'm schizophrenic

19. Who is your favorite character of all time (from a movie or book)? (Can't be real)
"Melanie Hamilton" from Gone with the Wind...long ago, I would have said "Scarlett", but I've grown up and Melanie's quiet grace is much more appealing to me.

20. Would you want to be famous?
nope...but almost famous would be good (I just don't want "Take a Look at Amy's Flab" splashed all across every magazine in the checkout line, ya know?)

Free Kitchen Planning Forms

I've told you before how much I enjoy a grocery list with pretties. Well, if you'd like to have pretty lists and don't have the time to work them up yourself, Sheri at Nourishing Heart & Home has fun downloadable Fall and Winter Planning forms for FREE on her website!

Get them HERE!



Also, take a moment to check out Finer Things Friday. I linked to my post on SIBLINGS.

Let the Creative Juices Flow

In 2000, I graduated from a liberal arts college with a degree in English. Writing has always been a passion of mine, but it was the classes I took and the professors I came in contact with while attending college there that really honed my skills as a writer.

But guess what?! You don't have to go to college to work on your creative writing skills! All you need are a few exercises you can practice right at home to train your mind to think creatively and then write creatively.

With Georgiann's comments on my post about Logic as an inspiration, I'm offering a crash course in creative writing here on the blog that will hopefully inspire you to write with more meaning and feeling and beauty. Not that I have the market on creative writing (trust me, I don't), but I do enjoy the written word immensely. I love the way words look and feel and taste (yes, words do taste!), so I figure anything you are that passionate about ought to be shared.

There is a button in the sidebar you can grab to put on your own blog to get the word out. We'll be starting on Monday, October 19. I'd like to keep it nice and informal and as un-scary as possible. If you want to link up, fine. If you don't, fine. If you want to have your writing critiqued, fine. If you'd rather just work on things yourself, fine. Creative writing is something that is uniquely you. I guarantee you will see progress whether you join in publicly or privately.

So, crack your knuckles (never mind, don't do that...it's really bad on your hands!), start your engines, and let the creative juices flow!


Would you like to take the Creative Writing Crash Course? Read the following posts:
THIS POST IS THE INTRODUCTION
Part 1 - The Message
Part 2 - Grab Their Attention & Keep It (A)
Part 3 - Grab Their Attention & Keep It (B)
Part 4 - Choose Your Words Wisely (A)
Part 5 - Choose Your Words Wisely (B)
Part 6 - Wrapping It Up

In Memory

October 15
Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

I hovered over her casket, knowing they would soon come to close the lid and that would be it. I would never hold her or touch her again...at least, not this side of Heaven. I fought that moment with every primal-mother instinct within me until I forced myself to let go and crumple into a heap of agony. It was Valentine's Day 2008, and the thin, frail body that had housed my precious daughter's soul, was being laid to rest.

The grief of losing a child is a feeling like no other. Although, I would never wish this pain upon anyone, it seems there are many who walk this road. God bless you on your journey. May you never fail to feel God's comforting arms around you.

In Memory of:
Baby Roberts '00, 8.5 wks gestation
Baby Roberts '03 13.5 wks gestation
Emily Sofia Roberts 7/4/07 - 2/10/08






If you have lost a child and would like to honor them today in the company of other grieving mothers, please join us at

Raising Children Who Actually Like Each Other

(photo of Megan & Micah by Lynnette Kraft)

She scoops him up her arms with a smile and kiss. He pulls her hair and she laughs.

They talk through the darkness about how the guy who was given grasshoppers as an ingredient on Iron Chef really got a bum deal and shouldn't have been kicked off. Then they come up with their own grasshopper-laden recipes just in case they're ever in the same position.

He dresses his little brother up in his old Cub Scout gear and talks excitedly about how when little brother is old enough, big brother will be his den leader. Eight years age difference is no difference at all.

If I threw the word

SIBLING

out there, what words would pop in your head?

RIVALRY? IRRITATING? AGGRAVATING? ANNOYING?

Does that word bring anything pleasant to mind for 99.9% of families?

Not really.

Yet, what I just described to you comes directly from the pages of my children's lives. I didn't make those scenarios up, and if you ask, I could come up with a hundred more just like that.

My kids like each other.

And to a lot of people out there,

THAT IS WEIRD.

When I was in school, there was a family who was thought of as "weird." They were a sibling group of 4 who would hold hands, talk excitedly to each other in classes, and hug as they passed in the hallway. They always said they loved each other and they never cut each other down. They were just so weird.

Then I grew up and had a family of my own and I found myself looking back on that sibling group and hoping my children would be that "weird" someday.

And they are.

Was it accidental? Not really.

Was there something I did that magically turned them into friends overnight? Not really.

My siblings are all much older than me, so I never really saw what a true sibling relationship looked like from the inside. But what always intrigued me most about large families (before I actually had one) was the relationships between the siblings. Some sibs seemed to have nothing but fondness for each other while other families lived each day as a battle.

Why the difference?

Well, you could argue homeschooled versus non-homeschooled and have a fairly sound case, but we all know homeschooled families who's children fight to the death every single day just as we all know non-homeschooled families who truly enjoy each other's company.

But as a whole, homeschooled siblings have better relationships within the family unit than non-homeschooled siblings, so there must be something at work that can be applied across the board.

The thread I see holding together these sibling relationships (homeschooled and non-homeschooled alike) is that the primary socialization of the child takes place within the family unit. If nothing else, this type of socialization is easier for the homeschooled family to achieve. When the siblings are in each other's company 24/7, it naturally lends itself to a fostering of that relationship. Non-homeschooled families must work a bit harder to keep the family unit in tact, but it is not impossible.

However, proximity doesn't cause closeness between siblings all by itself. There is much more at work that is often a direct effect of the choices we as parents make for the family.

Here are a few that come to mind:
Does the family try to limit activities that separate the family unit?

Of those activities that do separate the family unit, does the rest of the family support the activity as a whole group? Meaning do they attend recitals or competitions as a family and cheer on the participating member?

Is the household a joyful place to be? A haven from the world?

Do the parents encourage and protect the sibling relationship or do they allow behaviors that tear apart siblings...tattling, selfishness, bragging, etc?

Do the parents themselves find joy in being around their children? Children very quickly pick up on the parent's attitudes toward the children and follow suit. If there is a child in the family who irritates one of the parents and that parent isn't discreet about their mutterings concerning said child, the other siblings will pick up on this attitude and begin to mimic the parent's attitude.

Does the family have a purpose, a vision, as a family unit? (Read Jumping Ship by Michael Pearl for more on this.)

No, my children are not perfect and fights do break out, but there is no doubt they love each other dearly. They truly miss each other when one is not there, and when someone has been gone longer than a few hours, they spend hours "catching up". I love it!

Take a moment today to watch your children interact. What does it look like? If it's not what you would hope for, then what can you do to foster a better relationship? Children who actually like each other truly are a blessing on so many levels...I pray that all of you might experience this kind of joy within your home!

(Looking for more ideas on raising children who actually like each other? Check out Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends by the Mally Family.)

And this is DEFINITELY one of the Finer Things in life...