7 in 7: Day 4

Hello, August.

2013 has just raced by so far.  Unbelievable.

Let's take a look at where we were last August (in photos)...

Pheelings on Photography

So my readers probably all know by now that I enjoy writing.  Some of you also know that I can go on and on in my posts, too.  Fewer of you know that I also enjoy taking pictures -- mostly because I post so few of them here on my blog.

I have spent the past ten years or so, taking a lot of pictures.  When the kids came, C upgraded my 35mm Pentax camera to a digital HP camera and I began documenting pretty much every day of their lives.  I missed so much of their lives already that I didn't want to forget a single day that I got to spend with them.  Well, I don't take pictures every day anymore (but still most of them) because the kids are older and less cooperative and they don't really change in appearance as much at this point from one day to the next.

Over the years, I've been blessed to go from that first HP to a Nikon Coolpix to a Nikon D90 DSLR with three lenses and a great tripod (add a couple video cameras in the mix).  When people see my camera as almost a permanent fixture around my neck, I tell them that C doesn't get me jewelry like some husbands get their wives, he gets me camera equipment.  It really suits me better anyway -- I like the usefulness of it and I'm not allergic to it like I am most jewelry.

In all this time, photographing our kids and wildlife and landscapes as opportunities arise, then adding in church and sporting events just for something else to do in my slow-paced, un-busy life (ha), I have been satisfied being a picture-taker.  I snap pictures and photo journal, if you will, the goings on of life.

Over the years, I distanced myself from the word photographer.   The word terrifies me.

Two Gender Specific Blogs I Love

We have been blessed in this family with both boy and girl children.  We are raising both, men and women.  So I kind of like to make sure I'm constantly learning about both.

I'm a girl (aka, woman, but in my heart, I'll always be a girl).  So you'd think I'd know a lot about being one.  To a degree, I do.  But I only have my experience.  Our daughters share some similarities with me, but in many ways their personalities and character vary widely from my experiences.  So I find it's best to find out about the experiences of other women so I can help them grow into who God means them to be.

And boys?  Well, they are a complete puzzle to me.  I had two sisters and no brothers.  I learned about men from my dad and my husband.  But, I am increasing in my boy-knowledge thanks to my experiences with three sons.  But I want to help raise them into awesome individuals.  They are very different from one another and even different from my dad and my husband -- so reading stuff from other guys is important so I know how to apply that knowledge to each of our sons.

While Daddy's Away...

It never fails, when C goes away on business, the whole house groans at his departure.

Even though he took vacation to work on several household projects and in between our fun weekend, he made sure the oil was changed in my truck and that the van got a repair that we couldn't really afford but was necessary to drive it (a steering rod broke and the shocks needed replacing), he changed the battery in my remote locker-unlocker that lives on my keychain that had died several months ago, he even reattached the dishwasher to the countertop because it had shaken itself loose creating drainage issues -- as soon as he left, more things started breaking.

A New Decoration

Life is always one big adventure after another -- especially when we live with three boys.

One of them (we'll keep him nameless), "slipped while walking so, so carefully, Mama," on the stairs and decorated our stairwell wall with a new memory.

Everyday Extremes

In the morning, our oldest sons asked if they could take a walk together before we started school.  Frankly, I was a tad bit suspicious of this question because one of them loathes extra exercise and both of them don't often get along all that well unless they're scheming.

Against my better judgment, I allowed them to take a "quick walk."

Eye Rolling in Fun

Our son, Z, is entering a new phase of life.  We noticed the signs with H a couple years back and here we are again with Z.

In our experience, we've seen these changes taking place, result in surges of really aggressive behavior.  They come from seemingly nowhere and it can be really challenging to help them through such outbursts without affecting others too negatively.  They don't mean to do it and they always feel bad afterwards, but they haven't yet learned how to control these surges of aggressive feelings.

I find myself sending Z outside a lot when he gets like that.

Oh, Z...

I've missed blogging while relatives were in town.  So today, I'm going a little crazy here.

I have two good Z stories to share with you today...

This morning, we went to Target.  We had several items in the cart at checkout, including some ponytail holders S had thrown in there for a couple bucks.

Slender Man

Okay, so apparently, it's all the rage around here with middle school boys to spook each other with stories about Slender Man.  Have any of you heard about this mythical character?  There's a bunch of stuff online (go ahead, I dare you to Google it -- but I don't advise you to download games and such unless you trust the source), but the whole idea of it falls in line with spooky tales I remember from my childhood (i.e. Bloody Mary and the Candyman).

Sweet Moments

I think in most of my stories, Z comes off as a bit rough around the edges.  He is.  He's a boy, though, so I figure some of that comes with the territory.  However, I think I've also mentioned what a good teacher he can be and how sweet and gentle he is -- deep down.

Today, was a good reminder of this side of him.

Life Skills

I think most parents naturally teach their children a variety of life skills in the everyday occurrences of life.  However, lately, I have been thinking a lot about the idea of life skills and with one daughter a year away from adulthood (and possibly leaving home if her plans of joining the military come to pass), I was starting to wonder if we have taught her enough of the right kinds of life skills.

One Boy's View

As I delegated jobs this afternoon, I had Z go up to pick up the loft playroom.  He went willingly and after about 20 minutes he came down exhausted.

"That is the last time I will ever pick up Barbie's!" he said.

Table Manners

No matter how many meals we have eaten together as a family, my children's table manners never cease to amaze me.  Or lack of manners is more like it.

Truthfully, we have been caught being good a few times and people have come up to us in restaurants to say how well behaved our children are.  It does happen.  Those moments are sheer bliss, though completely shocking to me.  But I do appreciate the feedback.  It helps me relax a bit and realize that they are learning some decency.

Journaling: Day 25

Today's prompt led to a journal entry that came very naturally to me.  There are so many things I wish for our children.  But the hard part is selecting just one to highlight for my journal entry.  Here is what I decided on...

Boy Jokes

Okay, I've been meaning to post about this since the episode aired, but I got busy and distracted and nearly forgot until it strangely came to mind today when S was teaching E about the planets from a picture hanging in our homeschool room.

Update & Other Conversations

Just quickly, because I know my vomit posts have been numerous lately and I don't want you to think that's the only thing I talk about here, J is having a good day today.  She's been eating stuff on the BRAT diet (per doctor recommendation and despite newer evidence that this is not a nutritionally sound diet) and drinking apple juice and water, as well as trying to play low-key games and activities: television watching, Barbies, Play-doh, etc.  It's definitely a challenge to keep a girl with her spunk down for long, but we definitely don't want her overdoing it and going right back to sick tonight.  She's also remaining medicated for nausea, so hopefully that's helping her heal and not just masking the cause of her illness.

Saturday

I know it's technically Sunday, but I'm posting about what happened Saturday (hence the title).

Wonder Woman

We had a fantastic all-worship service tonight at church.  I even got to read a passage aloud, which was fun (Ps. 66: 2-5).  It was late when we got out, so we just went through the McDonald's drive-thru on the way home for a quick "dinner," so we could send kids to bed as soon as we got home.  Nothing fancy, but it got the job done.

Right now, the happy meal toys for boys are Green Lantern toys.  So the boys were thrilled to get these silly Green Lantern masks and they were wearing them the whole ride home, even while they ate.  Well, I guess it inspired H to start talking about comic book heroes and alter-egos (he's 12, so that's what they talk about).  He was quizzing C on the subject to see if he could remember very many.

Biggest Fool

Happy April Fool's Day, Readers.  Also, Happy Passover!  And, welcome April.

We had a good one here, today.

My sister's family was over for dinner this afternoon, like we do often on Sundays, and they got to enjoy our big April Fool's gag along with the rest of us.

Incremental Progress

In a discussion my husband and I had this morning about how things are going at work for him, we talked about the importance of celebrating incremental progress (presumably while waiting for something major and good awaiting us at the end of many more steps to go).  This idea is one that isn't new to me and is actually something I've tried to really make more of a priority as a mom and a homeschool teacher.

But sometimes, it's easy to lose track of the incremental progress and just feel so far from that final goal -- even when the big goal is so big it sometimes seems intangible or possibly unobtainable.