Cultivating Childhood

I haven't wanted to read anything this month.  I've been exhausted with a husband out-of-town for 10 days, a four-year old that has begun lashing out in anger whenever he doesn't get his way, my cold that hasn't gone away for over a week, and nursing a burn I gave myself while pouring myself boiling-hot coffee.  My normal outlet for peace is usually to find a good spot to curl up and read a good book.  For some reason, I haven't even wanted to do this.  (Probably because I feel like I should be reading some of my good parenting books, but I don't want to think about parenting when I'm taking a "break" from parenting when the kids are in bed). First-World Problems....  The "argh! I can't do what I like because I have two living wonderful children who need me to help them.  And pity me - I have a mess in my house right now - you know, that structure with four sturdy walls and a roof that keeps us safe from the weather and other dangers. An

Did I mention I got a new smart phone for Christmas?  It's wonderful to have everything at my fingertips, but I still haven't figured out all the different ways to use it.  This includes using it as a camera.  Sure, I know how to take pictures, but I don't have a good way of getting them off.  I can email them individually, but it seems like a headache.  However, with knowing that I always have a camera with me, I'm not taking my big camera with me everywhere.  I'm discovering though that that means I'm just not getting any pictures of anything. Here are ALL the pictures I took with the big camera this month: Making Valentines for preschool and other friends... We're always reading... Z loves trying to weave.  It's pretty hard for him, but he perseveres... This month has been more of what we started in January.  We've looked into and pursued options in a couple of different mission organizations, met with our pastor, got passports fo

N's Independent Reading: Jotham's Journey The Dutch Twins by Lucy Fitch Perkins Imagination Station #10-13 Magic Tree House #25-28 Nate the Great History/Social Studies: Hero Tales by Dave and Neta Jackson The People of Thailand by Dolly Brittan Valentines Day: Stories and Poems Saint Valentine by Robert Sabuda The Many Lives of Benjamin Franklin by Aliki A Picture Book of Thomas Jefferson by David Alder Thomas Jefferson Builds a Library by Barbara Rosenstock Buttons for George Washington Those Rebels, John and Tom by Barbara Kerley The Declaration of Independence ill. by Sam Fink Fun Picture Books: Crazy Hair by Niel Gaiman The Origami Master by Nathaniel Lachenmeyer Peek! A Thai Hide-And-Seek by Minfong Ho Tree of Cranes by Allen Say Yoko's Paper Cranes by Rosemary Wells How to Train a Train Science: How Many Teeth? by Paul Showers The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses by Joanna Cole Under Your Skin by Mick Manning Magic School Bus Germs

This may very well be our last year living in the United States.  And these last few months have been full of researching, emailing, skyping, networking, and lots and lots of praying about where God is leading us in the future. Although we now know we won't be losing our home for the building of the Sound Transit Light Rail, God has turned our thoughts to different places and opportunities.  There was also a shift in Phil's job, and a timely sermon series on your calling in life that almost brought me to tears each week.  A feeling of "I want to go and do Kingdom work!" has been so strong that it's been difficult to sit still. This journey started last June with the Sound Transit letter, but it really gained more speed in January.  To start with, we had a lovely time connecting with Phil's cousin and family who are missionaries in Indonesia as church planters.  We spent New Year's Day playing in the snow at the base of Mt. Rainier on a gorgeous afterno