I've Moved!

I've moved blogs!

From now on I shall be writing over at:

dawehsbeloved.wordpress.com

Find me and follow me there; this will be my last post here. See you at Wordpress!

Dirt

All the toys in the world cannot replace the great outdoors. Give my boys a room full of toys, and they are bored in an hour or two. Give them a few quality toys, and their attention will be held a little longer. But give them a backyard, a field, a forest, or a stream... and their attention is held for days. Weeks. Years. Heck, I'm still captivated.

All one needs is a little dirt, a little imagination, and a little (or a lot of) room to roam.

Pooh Sticks

Blue

Ouch!

I'm dealing with mastitis here, people!

A Little Kingdom I Possess

I resonate with 13 year-old Louisa May Alcott on this one:

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Words: Louisa M. Alcott, cir ca 1846:

A little kingdom I possess,
Where thoughts and feelings dwell,
And very hard I find the task
Of governing it well;
For passion tempts and troubles me,
A wayward will misleads,
And selfishness its shadow casts,
On all my will and deeds.

How can I learn to rule myself,
To be the child I should,
Honest and brave, nor ever tire
Of trying to be good?
How can I keep a sunny soul
To shine along life’s way?
How can I tune my little heart,
To sweetly sing all day?

Dear Father, help me with the love
That castest out my fear!
Teach me to lean on Thee and feel
That thou art very near.
That no temptation is unseen,
No childish grief too small,
Since Thou, with patience infinite,
Dost soothe and comfort all.

I do not ask for any crown
But that which all may win;
Nor try to conquer any world
Except the one within.
Be Thou my Guide until I find,
Led by a tender hand,
Thy happy kingdom in myself
And dare to take command.

Found HERE.

Great Books

I belong to a Charlotte Mason online forum, which has totally revolutionized my philosophy of homeschooling. Other than giving me the confidence and direction I need, the greatest blessing of the forum has been the members' recommendations of great pieces of literature. Last night I was swept away by the thought of these (Sorry, I can't get the pictures to link to the page!):

Opal Wheeler wrote a set of children's books called "The Great Musicians Series." I haven't read them yet myself, but they come so highly recommended by these women that I am overjoyed to discover them.

What a wonderful way to introduce classical composers! Each book has a matching CD of the music the book describes. So exciting!

Alone!

Really alone.

David has left me home sweet home to my dear, sweet self. Yesterday (and the day before) he took all three kids (plus a neighbor) to the park. That left me home with only The Cowboy, The Sheriff, and The Lady.

But today.

"I'm going to go get pizza, Babe, then I'm picking up Solomon. Bice (that's Benjamin, you know) is coming."

Ellenor looks up, alarmed. Yelling, "Buh-Bye!" she shoves Benjamin out of the way, runs down a step and clings to his leg with an ear-piercing shriek. "Want to come too, Missy-Miss?" he says.

He loads them into car seats when I notice The Cowboy and Sheriff hovering. "David? Are they going, also?"

Long, pointed look. "Yes, Babe. We're ALL going." The Sheriff and The Cowboy climb in the van just like a couple of kids, and I grin.

The Lady is holed up in her bedroom with the door closed, and I do believe this makes me--as much as I can be--really and truly ALONE.

And I don't even have to make dinner.

(He's such a star!)