Home-Ec Days

Every now and then, probably at least once every two weeks if not more often...We have what I call a "Home Ec" day...

Pete's boots

These are the days like today when I wake up and assess our house and schedule and realize that we need to learn and "do"  much more than "school". A "home" can only take so much "school" before an intervention is necessary.


Most of our school kids have been sick all week. On top of that we've had water seeping into our basement calling for three days of shop vac duty to be performed bi-hourly,  yielding three 5 gallon buckets each round that had to be hauled outside and dumped. That kept us busy. On top of that a few 25 lb. food bags got a bit wet which prompted me to can beans, which is a whole other story. And on top of that Grace has been our of town and Hannah hasn't been home much. 

Joe's boots

 So, today is a Home-Ec day. We will catch up on laundry, clean up the mud-room, put away the beans and canners, vacuum (thoroughly), eat three meals, store away all of the rainy-day sick bed toys and books, clean the bathrooms again etc...

  I do not like categorized learning; as if we only learn while seated at a table with a book and pencil. Learning happens all the time and is actually a way of life. This morning, I sat in the quiet with Peter, my 5 year old, and had a long discussion about the seasons. I asked him  questions and told him all about the changing seasons and what each one brings. The other day I told  Joe that since he's better we can get back to "school" and he replied "Why can't we just go outside and do something"? He really learns better by doing...after all he's only 8 and he's a BOY!

All muddy-time for a bath!
I love Home-Ec days. My girls think of all sorts of things to do that "count for school" depending on their bent. Some like to clean and organize, others will get into baking. They are eager to get the house in shape...all motivated by the freedom that not "having to DO school" brings. I have them record everything in their daily logs- they like to see how much they can jot down in there. Children need to know how to do more than push pencils. They must know how their clothes get clean, what is takes to make a meal, where all of the garbage goes (and comes from), that it takes wood to build a fire, that toasters get really full of crumbs that need to be cleaned out (especially at our house--we are huge toast lovers here), that little brothers LOVE mud and make messes and that Mom isn't the only homemaker living here. We practice all of these "lessons" daily, of course, but it's much more fun on Home-Ec days! 

Who I will include in this depends on how dire the situation. Including only the younger children allows the older ones to press on with their studies while they have the chance to learn new skills. Once the basics are covered we will be free to sew, write letters, blog, draw...whatever... inspired by our now tidy, clean, uncluttered home! And tomorrow or next week when we resume our school schedule we will be able to find the right book, sharpen our pencils, walk through the mud room all over again. At least for a time.

"Before They Ask..."

     Fatigue and nausea were all I seemed to know during the first few months of carrying Mary. Feeling sick and exhausted I flopped on the couch, next to Jeff, early one morning just after our children had left for school. The prospect of getting through the day was a bit overwhelming with toddlers who needed me and lots of work to do. I made up my mind to call her and Jeff agreed.

 

Just moments later... the phone rang and it was Lori (the girl I just mentioned) calling to say that she had the day free and was wondering if she could come and help me? Tears of joy and relief flowed as I told her what I had just been thinking. You can imagine how happy she was too, to know that it was the Holy Spirit that had prompted her. 
 I don't remember whether the nausea lifted but I do know that the overwhelm did! God was watching out for me and performed this small miracle to let me know it. Immediately, my mind went to the verse: "And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Isaiah 65:2

That's not the only time our family has been on the receiving end. Sometimes it's been hard to be humble - to admit my need and that I can't always manage, stay on top...whatever. Always it has been a blessing, for I have formed friendships with "my girls" that live on.  
Once, I asked a friend, whose daughter was helping me weekly, how I could ever repay her? She told me I'd not be repaying her but passing on the blessing to others in years to come. This week my daughter, Grace, is away helping a family who is expecting a little one soon. I love having my girls help other Moms.

     God's Word says that "it is better to give than to receive". But remember, that in order for others to get to "give" someone has to be willing to receive. It's a bless-bless situation.

If Mama Ain't Happy...

"If MAMA ain't happy, ain't NOBODY happy"! The first time I saw this on a sweatshirt or some wall hanging I thought it was cute and took it to mean something like:  "You All Better Make Sure Your Mama is Happy or She'll Make Sure Your Not (including YOU, Dad!!)" I didn't like it!

The "mood" of the Mom surely sets the tone for the whole household. We call it a "mood" but let's be real and say that the behavior, actions, countenance, spirit and love of a Mother effect everyone around. It' easy to call it a "mood" and excuse our behavior as if it's something we ourselves are at the mercy of  like everyone else in our presence.

But really, we do make choices. Smiling is a choice. So is singing. It's hard to have a miserable countenance while smiling and singing. Another thing we can control, with the help of the Lord, is our thinking. Debbi Pearl in her excellent book Created to be His Help Meet calls thinking bad thoughts: "stinking thinking". Thoughts like "what about ME" or "what a jerk my husband can be sometimes" seem common and possibly innocent enough, BUT nurse one of those for just a while and you'll have a full blown case of misery!We are taught in 2 Corinthians 10:5 to "Cast down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ..." This can seem like a full time job in itself considering that we have the Devil going about as a Roaring Lion seeking whom He may devour and that sometimes the thoughts just come. But, we also have the promise that if we resist the Devil...HE WILL FLEE. We must conscientiously replace the stinking thinking with thoughts that please God and line up with His Word! "Greater is He that is in You than he that is in the World", there's infinitely more power in thinking God's thoughts after Him than the power that Satan has to try to defeat us.

 The enemy is downright ruthless to us women. While trying to Bless God and follow His will, we often find ourselves physically tired and hormonally ambushed.  We stay up late, get up early and work when we're sick just to do what needs doing. A gentleman would see that we're frazzled and ready to break and offer some relief, but not him. Those are the very times he chooses to attack us. There is no compassionate thought like "Oh poor thing, look at her, she's plumb worn out just caring for her little ones and house... I think I'll just let her rest" Ha, that's the furthest thing from his hateful mind, because when Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.

Can we find a way to keep smiling? One thing I've learned is to LISTEN to my husband. I pray that God will give him wisdom to lead our family and that includes me. In the past I have scoffed at my Jeff's advice and attempts to help me. One thing he can always tell is when I'm tired. So many times I remember him telling me to take a nap when I had much to do:  company coming, personal (not necessarily God's) ambitions, house to clean, dinner to make etc... taking a nap would be, to my mind, the very thing that would ruin it all! He'd say "You're so tired, just take a short nap and everything will come together better for you afterward" and I'd scoff because usually this suggestion was to be followed right while my little ones were sleeping which was my "chance" to get things done. Turns out, it IS alot easier to smile when your rested! And things do come together better too. This goes for the going to bed late and getting up earlier bit also. There's a little quote in one of my cookbooks that reads "Go to bed! Whatever  you're staying up late for isn't worth it!" I like that.

Eating wholesome, nourishing foods will go a long way to help balance our hormones and blood sugar levels. I had to learn the hard way that it is important to eat a healthy breakfast that includes a significant amount of protein (especially when I was carrying a baby). On busy mornings, when I'd skip or skimp on breakfast to get more done or go somewhere, I'd be fine until about mid-morning when I would crash! Overwhelm would set it, I'd feel nervous, depressed and unable to cope with even little things like someone calling... "MOM". Sometimes I'd run to my room crying; feeling like a failure because of my lack of patience. Once I realized the importance of my morning meal, I learned to make it a priority. Now, I'm actually afraid to skip it! This is another area where God gave Jeff wisdom to guide me. It was he who observed this blood sugar drop and would ask me what I had eaten. I have a sweet memory of the time he made me sit down while he fed me peanut butter with a spoon! I laugh now but it was serious business then.

What will our children, our husbands, or our guests recall about us in years to come?  I've had to lay aside alot of my personal (not necessarily God's) ambitions, cut corners, take naps and learn to keep meals and other things simple. Have you heard about the woman who cut so many corners while raising her children that eventually she had cut away everything she could, leaving a circle of love around her family? There are hundreds of thousands of good things we can do but, we must learn to choose to include or exclude them according to what we can reasonably fit in and still smile.

It is convicting for me to write all of these thoughts on smiling. I'm sure my older children will remember me less for that than some. My life in Christ is a work in progress. The more I realize how He smiles on me, no matter what I do or am, the more free I feel to smile on my family.

So all of this is to say... I think the little saying is an important one after all. "If Mama ain't happy, nobody's happy". You won't see that on my sweatshirt or on my wall but I think I'll write it out and hang it in my bedroom where I can be reminded. By God's Grace I want to do whatever it takes to have a happy home!


One time, years ago (although it could have been yesterday) I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror as I was scolding my children. I looked really ugly and the image has stuck with me. Thankfully, there aren't too many photos like that so I've posted a few happy-face ones.