From the Teacher's Desk

The lazy girl's guide to the library:

1. Go to your library's website.
2. Choose the books you want (you can browse around by author, subject, title, and more) and put them on hold using your library card number. It doesn't matter if the book you want is already at your regular library, put it on hold anyway.
3. Check your library account in a few days and make sure all items you've put on hold for the week are there.
4. Go to the library where you've chosen to have your books delivered.
5. Go to the hold shelf and locate the letter of your last name.
6. Pick up your books and check them out. Make it out of the library in five minutes flat, even with four kids in tow.
7. Go home and read.

I Have Something I Need to Get Off My Chest...

Okay. The self loathing and anxiety attacks every time thank-you notes are mentioned need to end. Here it is:

I DIDN'T SEND THANK YOU NOTES AFTER MY WEDDING!

How tacky. How ungrateful. How rude. How thoughtless. How lazy.

James and I were overwhelmed by the kindness of every one who attended our wedding and brought gifts. We were so appreciative of those gifts and the friendship of everybody who gave. Why then, didn't we take the time to send out thank-you cards? I have no good answer.

Despicable, isn't it?

Time

Yesterday, I wasted a lot of time. I dorked around on my blog, read other people's blogs, checked email, browsed through some catalogs, read a little, you know, that kind of day. At about four o' clock, I decided I better snap out of it and get some things done before James got home. In just an hour and a half, I made a serious dent in the laundry, cleaned the kitchen, cleaned the bathroom, made dinner, and cleaned the living room.

After I had done all that, it got me thinking. What could I have accomplished if I hadn't wasted the entire day? Hmmm.

Memory Lane

I'm gonna do something really dumb and post some of the things people wrote in my high school yearbook, senior year (1994). Yes, that's me in the photo. I used to get up at five in the morning to get my hair to look like that. Wow. I should have slept in.

"Kristy
Well it's been a long one huh? Word processing was killer. That's when I decided I had a crush on you, the first day. I can honestly say you are one of the coolest girls I know, I just can't believe that my #1 sexiest girl is leaving me without a date. Take care don't forget me. I know I won't forget you Mike Hansen P.S. Call me so I can ask you out."

"I don't know you but your name is most likely Kristy. That is a very beautiful name kind of like you. Have a good summer. Mike."

"Girl, I dream! sometimes i look at rocks. I like to drive. I like to be human. I hate boiled hot dogs and cotingslingers. Cory Lynn Jacobs"

"Kristy my little one I'm going to put you in my suitcase and take you to a foreign land. your bud Nate Richins"

"Kristy helpful hints:
When you get hungry this summer make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich they taste great.
And when you think about doing somethign bad think of the consequence of a naked man jumping a barbed wire fence. Call me and we'll go out Adam Hunt"

"Hey Kristy
Howdy little pretty woman. I hope you remember our saran wrap job on Mrs. Fewkes portable. You probably do that's something you don't forget. Have the funniest life. C.J."

"Hooker!
Your the hottest on 2nd and State! I (heart) ya tonz and keep in touch (heart) Lindsay Jensen"

"Kristy and the Shalimar. Wow. Well, have a super life. You are very beautiful. Someone thinks you are special, I do. Love Mandi Erekson"

"Kristy, or as Joe says fatty,
you are one crazy girl. I love to be around you when a cute boy walks by. It's the funnest. Have a good time graduating FINALLY can you believe it? Take care. Call me and we'll go party. Erin Martin"

"Kristy-
I didn't know you too well, but don't ever steal my markers or I'll break your leg. Have a great summer. Tyler Crayk"

This one is from the hottest guy in the whole school. Yes, he was my boyfriend's best friend and I had a huge crush on him:
"Kristy It's been fun. I'm glad I got to know you a little better. I hope everything works out for you and Andy. He is a great guy take care of him for me when I leave. Best of luck Matt Smo"

And now these from my best friends. I still get together with them every month. I'm seeing them tonight, in fact:

"Hi Tiny your my littlest bud and you will always share a place in my heart I know that we will never lose touch. Good luck with Andy and keep him happy Love Chelci"

"Kristy Hey chic! This is the saddest thing ever but I know we will always stay friends. This was the funnest year ever and we have to have a kick ass summer! You are the bestest friend in the whole world. I know I am the biggest cheezer but what in the hell am I supposed to write? BFAAA Love, Jaycee"

Kristy Killer Babe-
Hey girl, you rock my world! Well we made it! Thanks for being a totally great friend!! (Talk to me goose!) I hope everything is groovin' next year. We have to stay in touch forever! I love ya tons!! The Courtster you know the #"

"Kris-
Yo chic! What's up with you? The memories we've shared have been the best. I love you to death and I will miss you more than life itself. But you're the best. Good luck with Andy You better write me and keep me updated Call me too! I love you-this isn't the end! (heart) ya Kole P.S. never forget cutie and hotty-they're the highlight of our senior year!"

"Kristy "cute" Keller-
Hey you hanging? This yr. has royally rocked. "Como?" I know that's what you're thinking huh? No lie. too bad you and your soccer player boyfriend are so cute together. A match made in heaven. We can't have a lame summer and not call each other or hang together K? I can't believe we're finally out of here. It's sad but cool @ the same time! Rock On! Shana Ulrich"

What does your yearbook say? I love it how everyone wants you to call them so you can go "party". I always halfway wanted to call some of these people (that I barely knew) over the summer and say "Well you said you wanted to party, so let's party!"

Doing the Best You Can

A few months ago, James and I were talking and he asked me to come up with a way to track our scripture study and prayer over a period of years. He wanted something that would look good on our wall. The photo above is what I came up with. I gave him this calendar for Christmas and he loved it. We started using it at the beginning of January and we've had family prayer and scripture study every day since!
I wish I could say that reading and praying every day has made this huge miraculous difference in our lives. The truth is, I find myself just muddling through, putting one step in front of the other, and doing the best I can. We have a cabin on a river in northern Idaho. I love to swim upstream in the river. I swim like the wind, not even taking time to take a breath. Then, I stop, stand up and look around. I'm in the same exact place that I started.
That's how I feel about life sometimes.
You can run, and drive, and fix, and cook, and teach, and soothe, and improvise, and fold laundry like there's no tomorrow, and sometimes at the end of the day you're left wondering what all the effort is all about and what you've really accomplished.
Doing the best you can sounds so noble, doesn't it? It sounds like you would be zooming through the sky with fireworks shooting from your feet, astonishing the world with your abilities if you did the best you could. The cold hard truth is that a lot of the time, doing your best isn't much. Often, doing your best isn't very graceful. Or inspiring. At times it isn't elegant or polished. Usually, doing your best just means that you didn't do your worst. There are days when you're glad the world couldn't look through your window and see what your best was that day, because it definitely wouldn't astonish anyone.
However, I've come to appreciate the "just muddling through". I believe in the power of putting one step in front of the other. I've been reading about David in the Old Testament lately. I can't get the tragedy of his story from my mind. "There is a lesson there", I keep thinking. I've decided that the lesson, at least for me, is to be found doing the things you said you would be doing. What was David doing out of bed looking at his neighbors in the middle of the night? Why was Bathsheba bathing on the roof in the middle of the night? Why did David ask his servants who she was? The lesson is to be found doing the right things, at the right time, in the right place. These choices seem so small, but eventually they led to adultery and ultimately to murder. What does all this have to do with doing your best? If you're doing your best, even if it's a little tiny best, you can still be found on the path. You will still be making progress, even if it's an inch at a time.
So while my best doesn't impress, it doesn't awe, it doesn't sing and shout, I'm still on the path, putting one foot in front of the other, and I can be found right where I said I would be, doing (even in a small way) what I said I would be doing.

Tagged

A: The rules of the game are posted at the beginning.
B: Each player answers the questions about themselves.
C: At the end of the post, the player then tags 3 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Here's all you never wanted to know:

10 years ago:
I got engaged.

5 things on my to-do list today:
1. Clean House
2. Write more Thank-You's
3. Do what didn't get done yesterday.
4. Do school
5. Girls laundry

5 Snacks I enjoy:
1. Chocolate
2. See's Chocolate
3. Hot chocolate
4. Homemade chocolate pudding (warm)
5. Chocolate shakes

What I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire:
Hire a cook, a maid, and a nanny!

3 of my bad habits:
1. Biting my nails
2. Procrastinating
3. Gossiping

5 places I have lived:
1. Montana
2.Utah
3.
4.
5.


5 jobs that I have had:
1. Chuck-A-Rama (!)
2. Shalimar Wedding Reception Center
3. Discover Card
4. Dos Serranos (waitress)
5. Mom

5 Things people don't know about me:
1. I almost got kidnapped once.
2. I've been thrown in jail!
3. I'm good at reading out loud.
4. Child stars irritate me.
5. I'm completely offended by commercials for tampons, personal lubricant, douches, and pills for E.D.!

I tag:
Wendy, Robin, and Brandy

Back to School

We started up school again today and I'm happy to report that it went much better than I anticipated. Also, I enjoyed it much more than I thought I would! I've been feeling so overwhelmed lately wondering how I was going to balance school with everything else. My patience has been really short too, so I was worried about that. I decided that instead of trying to keep doing our morning schedule (8am-noon), and struggle with trying to find something to keep Mary occupied during that time, we would try an afternoon schedule for school while the babies were taking their naps. This turned out to be a good plan. Less stress for everybody involved. It looks like the kids, in spite of our huge long break, haven't forgotten everything they've ever learned. Their math and reading skills appeared to be as sharp as ever. Yay.
Here's to small miracles.

A Funny

Just now I was fixing lunch for the herd. Mary was in her high chair crying for some spaghetti instead of soup. I was running around trying to fix soup for the girls, spaghetti for Kell, and a cup of herbal tea for myself. Meanwhile, Kate was crying at the top of her lungs in her swing. In other words, it was chaos. Keller, my ever sensitive Keller, who always knows my mood and what I'm feeling, said "Whoa. One mom versus four kids."
Amen.

Questions

Why does a new baby put the entire family into emotional free fall?
Why aren't babies born with stomachs that WORK?
Why can't we fit into our regular jeans the day after the baby is born?
In the Anne of Green Gables series of books, when Anne marries and has kids of her own, there is a woman who lives with them and does the cooking, cleaning, and occasional watching of the kids. Where did these women go? Why do only the ultra rich have "help" nowadays?
How can babies sense that they're not being held?
When will I feel normal again?
Why would we do it all over again?
Why does it have to be so physically traumatic to give birth?
Why am I ALWAYS low on iron?
Why can't kids just do what you ask?
Why do they have to drag out every toy and leave it where it drops?
How do I juggle it all?
Why do I want to eat nothing but chocolate?
Why does life have to be hard?

Our Baby Is Here!

Kate McKinlay Willhite arrived on Tuesday, January 15th at 5:43pm. She came into the world without a lot of fuss. She is sweet and we are glad to have her here! She also has three mothers! Me, Ella, and Mary. Mary thinks it is her baby. She screams "mine!" whenever anyone else tries to hold her. It's going to be a long couple of years.

Book

A few weeks ago I finished reading a book called "A Thomas Jefferson Education". Everybody in the whole country ought to read this book. In this book, the author, Oliver Demille tries to sell the reader on studying the classic works of literature.
To those who enjoy reading but don't spend a lot of time on the classics; I encourage you, read them. They may be difficult to read. Keep going. I've abandoned classics myself that were difficult. But when I persevere, it is always worth it.
There were a couple of paragraphs in "A Thomas Jefferson Education" that allude to "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Bronte, and how it is a valuable book for studying moral courage. I suddenly remembered my favorite quote in the whole book. I kept thinking about it. Then it was shown on Masterpiece Theatre on Sunday and I thought about that quote again. I decided I'd better write it down on my blog just to get it out of my head. Here it is, for anyone who has struggled to do the right thing (everyone).
First some background: Jane Eyre is hired as a governess in a wealthy man's home. She falls in love with this man and he with her. They decide to get married. At the last possible moment it is revealed that Mr. Rochester is already married (to a madwoman). Jane has decided that she must leave Thornfield Hall. Mr. Rochester begs her to move away with him and become his mistress. He uses every possible argument.
"...for you have neither relatives nor acquaintances whom you need fear to offend by living with me."
"This was true: and while he spoke my very conscience and reason turned traitors against me , and charged me with crime in resisting him. They spoke almost as loud as Feeling: and that clamoured wildly. 'Oh comply!' it said, 'think of his misery; think of his danger-look at his state when left alone; remember his headlong nature; consider the recklessness following on despair-soothe him; save him; love him; tell him you love him and will be his. Who in the world cares for you? or who will be injured by what you do?"
"Still indomitable was the reply- 'I care for myself. The more solitary, the more friendless, the more unsustained I am, the more I will respect myself. I will keep the law given by God; sanctioned by man. I will hold to the principles received by me when I was sane, and not mad-as I am now. Laws and principles are not for the times when there is no temptation; they are for such moments as this, when body and soul rise in mutiny against their rigour; stringent are they; inviolate they shall be. If at my individual convenience I might break them, what would be their worth? They have a worth-so I have always believed; and if I cannot believe it now, it is because I am insane-quite insane; with my veins running fire, and my heart beating faster than I can count its throbs. Preconceived opinions, foregone determinations, are all I have at this hour to stand by: there I plant my foot.' "
"I did. Mr. Rochester, reading my countenance, saw I had done so."

I try to remember this quote when I'm tempted to do something bad. It has saved me more than once. Isn't this the best argument there is for reading good books?

A Really Wonderful Day

Keller was baptized today and it was such a happy event! I felt the Spirit several times during the day and was so touched by the love of our family and friends who were there to encourage Keller in his decision to be baptized. Not that he needed any encouragement. He has been so excited for this day to come. He kept saying to James and I (afterward) "I love being baptized! I'm just so excited!" James told him that the joyful excited feeling he felt was the Holy Ghost telling him that he'd made a good choice.
After the lunch at our house, James and I gave him his scriptures. He was thrilled! He had to take them to the restaurant that we went to for dinner. I don't think they've left his hands all afternoon/evening. He just now came into the room and showed me a scripture verse that he'd found in the Bible that he loved and I guess I'll end this post with it:

"Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

Just a fantastic day, full of the love of God and the joy of what life is really about.

The Return of Victoria

I still remember the first time I discovered Victoria magazine. I went to the orthodontists office with my friend Jaycee when we were about 15. While she was getting her teeth worked on, I flipped through magazines in the waiting room. I picked up one with a beautiful photograph on it. I opened it and was astounded. There was an entire magazine devoted to the Victorian era?! A magazine for freaks like me who desperately wanted to travel back in time and wear those beautiful dresses, and live in a mansion that looked like a gingerbread house! A magazine filled with hair-do's from the past, food from the past, clothes, home decor and books, ALL FROM THE PAST!!!! I read the magazine faithfully for years until one month it inexplicably disappeared. Years went by with no Victoria.
Fast forward to last month. I stumbled across someone's blog and she happened to mention that Victoria mag was back! James surprised me with a full year subscription for Christmas and it came yesterday in the mail. He let me see it, because, he figured, it would be dumb to read the Christmas issue after Christmas was over. So, the above picture is what I did last night. I consumed an entire box of Godiva chocolates and read Victoria cover to cover. I enjoyed myself thoroughly.

Hijacking - Part 2

It's me, James again. I had one more thought that came to me a few days before the previous one and thought I'd share that too. The other day, as I was pondering while driving in the car somewhat of a parable or parallel came to my mind. The thought occurred to me that reading and praying everyday is like regularly contributing to your savings account. So often it is said, “Pay yourself first” in order to encourage people to contribute to their 401K plans and set aside cash for a rainy day. I have no problem saving money. It is something I want to do. It is something I have made a habit of doing. I should also contribute to my spiritual savings account. Those contributions, for me, need to be made daily thru scripture study and prayer. I know that if I will do this that I will be blessed to find greater blessings from the Lord. He will bless me in the fight against the adversary and will help me be a strong leader to my precious family. There are other parallels that can be drawn from this such as compounding interest being compared to the grace of God and the atonement. Or that when the stock market is low it is usually a good time to invest because of the inevitable rebound in the market. This might be compared to the especial need to read and pray when times are tough and often the Lord will bless you with greater rewards/returns. The main thing that really stands out to me at the moment though is the need to contribute daily to my spiritual savings so that when I retire I might be blessed to have a mansion in heaven.

This Blog Has Been Hijacked!!!

Hi I'm James, Kristy's husband. I'm hijacking Kristy's blog to post a thought that had an impact on me recently and I can't get it out of my head. Since I don't have a blog of my own, and if I did, I'm sure no one would read it, I thought I'd post on my lovely wife's blog instead. So here goes...
A couple weeks ago, I had been helping the kids clean for a couple hours. I had told them several times throughout the day to put things away when they were done playing with them. Kristy and I have been preaching this for as long as they’ve been alive but it seemed to be a theme throughout the day yesterday. So at the end of the day Ella went outside for all of 5 minutes. Shortly thereafter I got in the car to go pick up some dinner and of course Ella had left out her bike, scooter, and a push toy. I discovered this because as I backed out of the driveway I could hear something dragging under the car. It infuriated me to the point that I had to just drive away because I knew I would blow a gasket on Ella if I got out and came into the house to yet again reiterate the day’s theme and tell her to clean up after herself. After a few minutes the steam blew off and I instantly stared to laugh when the thought came to my mind that this is probably how God feels about me. He tells me over, and over, and over, and over again to read and pray EVERY day. I am probably prompted at least once a week to "pick up" (get it?) the pace and yet I don’t do it. How grateful I am for the Lord’s patience with me, for His infinite mercy. I hope I remember these lessons and am more patient and gentle in my admonitions to my children in the future, and also that I might not try the Lord’s patience any further!

Assets and Liabilities

As we were listening to the Little House books on CD as a family a few months ago, it struck me over and over again how much help the children were to the parents. Children were an asset. I kept thinking about how children are raised today, and how parents give, and give, and give to their children, and these kids sometimes turn out to be black holes of need and want, rarely giving anything back.
In a society like ours, where existence doesn't require all of our time and energy, it can be so easy to spoil a child. I look at the amount of toys and clothes my kids have, and it makes me shudder that they're surrounded by nice things and they don't take care of any of it! Then I listen to the story of Laura Ingalls, and how she cares for that rag doll of hers like it is a treasure. She had one Sunday dress and she was very careful never to get it dirty or tear it.
I'm not suggesting that we take all of our kid's toys away and give them just one set of blocks to play with. We're all products of our time, and it's okay if our kids get their clothes dirty, that's what washing machines are for! But there's a balance somewhere, I'm sure of it. Just as I'm sure that most Americans (and for sure their kids) are on the spoiled side of the line. I think we're producing a generation that "can never get enough of what they don't really need, now, my oh my..." So what do we do? Maybe we could try a couple of these:
1. Teach our kids good stewardship. We (meaning my family) need serious work in this area. Somehow teach them to make the things they've been blessed with last. Maybe if they mistreat a toy, then it gets taken away. Maybe if they leave their toys out to be stepped on and ruined, the toy needs to be put away for a time. I welcome any tips in this area.
2. Teach them not to be "consumers". It gets on my nerves that I'm called a "consumer" by the media, by corporate America, and anyone else trying to get their hands on my money. I devour my fair share of food, products, and resources like everyone else. But I'm more than a guzzler, an inhaler. I don't like to think of myself or my kids as brainless "consumers", prey to the marketing whiles of whatever is touted as "hot" this holiday season. I work hard to keep my kids from wanting the next big thing. One really good way to curb this tendency is to homeschool! Another really good one is to severely limit TV time with its commercials. Think twice before buying toys at random for your kids. Watch and limit the amount of "stuff" that comes into the house. Teach them (when they're old enough) to be savvy to common advertising tactics. Teach them to take the next big thing with a grain of salt. Let them know it really won't change their lives for the better. Be happy yourself, without that next big thing.
3. Wake them up to the fact of want and poverty. Don't just tell them that there are kids out there who don't have as many toys as they do (or any toys at all), show them. Take groceries to a family who has to make a choice between utilities and food. Take toys to a needy family personally if possible. Make a conscious choice to give to those less fortunate and involve your kids in the joy of it. This is a perfect time of year for it.
4. Teach kids to be obedient. Obedience has somehow become a nasty word in our generation of raising children. Like it somehow stifles their individuality or their free will. The truth is, obedience increases freedom. If your kids don't learn obedience from you, they'll have to learn it from a teacher, natural consequences (like heavy debt or bankruptcy, strained personal relationships, or difficulty with employers), or eventually a judicial system, none of whom love your child like you do.
We all hope to raise assets, not liabilities. Assets to us as parents, and assets to the world at large. There are a million different ways to parent. We're all trying to do the best we can. Maybe these tips will help you, maybe they won't make any sense at all. Take them or leave them. They're just my two cents!
Kristy

Just a Fun Website...

If you homeschool, you've probably heard of or seen this site, but it is so fun! It has all kinds of fun, interesting and fascinating videos (mostly taken from YouTube). There are science experiments, music videos, poetry put to music, funny animals, decomposing fruit and veggies...I promise your kids will love it. Here is the link:

greathomeschoolvideos.com


Enjoy the site!
Kristy

What I Don't Do

"And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a woman should run faster than she has strength." Mosiah 4:27


This post is prompted by three things: a previous post I did about how women can't do it all, and a post on my sister in law Lindsay's blog about how she thinks she's lazy (she's definitely not), and a great comment from my mother in law regarding Lindsay's "lazy post".

Here are some things that I've decided not to spend my time on in this season of my life:
I don't shop. Except for groceries.
I don't garden.
I don't do crafts.
I've decided to not sew anymore, for now.
I don't decorate my house.
I don't scrapbook.
I don't devote time to bettering my cooking skills. I feed the family and get it over with.
I don't play a musical instrument.
I don't "entertain".
I don't exercise regularly (though I would like to change that).
I have just decided that "couponing" will have to wait awhile.
I don't work outside the home.
I don't do service outside of my church calling.
I don't do household projects, such as painting a room.
I'm not involved in any sports.
I don't collect things.

There are many more things that I don't do, but I won't list them all. This isn't meant to be a negative post. I'm looking at it calmly and have made the decision not to do these things right now because every thing we do takes time and energy, and there's only so much that I have. When you make the decision to do something, there is another activity that you won't be able to do. Obviously, there are other things that I do spend time and energy on, and those are the things that I have chosen for this part of my life. Almost all of the things on this list are things that I wish I could do, and things that I want to do. But based on my limited time and endurance, I've chosen to do other things. And I'm glad! I wouldn't want to be doing them all at the same time!
So, now. What have you chosen not to do? Let's all celebrate what we don't do!
Kristy

Carschooling

Don't waste the time you spend in the car. Lately I've been amazed at how much my kids are able to learn while we're out and about. The main way that they've learned is through tapes and CD's.
We've listened to the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I can't say enough about these books! What a peek inside the life of a farming family a century ago. You'll have to hear it to believe some of the things they knew how to do. It was a good look at what every day life was really like for average people back then.
We've listened to Egyptian, Greek, and Roman myths and legends and they're fascinating! There is a particular guy who narrates these really well. His name is Jim Weiss. Look for CD's by him in your library's books on tape for children. They're not to be missed!
I ordered a series of CD's about the lives of the great composers. Though not as fascinating and well done as the Jim Weiss series, (I wish he would do some of the composers!) these have certainly been educational and have introduced my kids to the beautiful music and the lives of these interesting men.
Lately we've been listening to the multiplication tables put to music. It's pretty painful to listen to, I must admit. But, maybe it will help them learn their multiplication facts!
I've also seen CD's about the state capitals, and tons of other educational subjects...give it a try!
Oh! And by the way, there is an added perk to listening to stories in the car...the kids fight a lot less!
Happy Homeschooling,
Kristy

The Floating Baby

Is the floating baby countdown at the bottom of my blog giving anyone else the creeps? It should kick or move or something.