going stir crazy (a peek in my journal)

 

photo credit

 

In my life this week…

 

Any guesses where my car is?  We’re not getting a new muffler, but that cartoon made me laugh.  I’m car-less today for inspection reasons and I’m going batty!  Mind you, Trevy’s sleeping so I couldn’t go anywhere anyway.  But still.  My skin is positively crawling!  

 

I guess that’s just kinda how I’m feeling lately anyway.

 

Restless.

 

Restless at home.  Restless at…well…everywhere else.

 

And then I did a crazy thing and prayed.  Gasp!  No really, though.  Have you ever in a moment of weakness just verbally vomited your guts out to Jesus while driving home from the market?  And then things happen that make you think maybe He listened? 

 

Yeah. Me too.

 

And now I’m restless.  Oh so restless.  I hate feeling restless.  I’m a nester now.  My restless days ended with my missionary tour.  I can’t even say why or what I’m restless about.  It’s just this feeling.  This thing.  That I can’t shake.  But I’m not energetic any more.  And I’m already over committed as it is.  Besides, I like vanilla now.  Ya know.

 

Oh, and remember how I was griping about the foot of snow last weekend?  By Tuesday it had all melted away and, no joke, the kids were running around barefooted like we live in Florida and not the arctic!  Sheesh.

 

  In our homeschool this week…

 

Despite the restlessness in me…we’ve actually done fairly well with our routine this week.  I created new checker-off-ers for the kids.  Which they found hilarious when I forgot to add some subjects!  It was just a rough draft, kids!  The old system had stopped working so I did away with it before Christmas.  And just never got around to replacing it.  Me thinks this could have contributed to the sluggishness in routine we’ve had.  Along with other random life stressors.  Checklists help.  They help the kids stay on track and keep plugging along.  And they help me stay on track and plug along too! 

 

Speaking of plugging along, the 5th Grader is just about done with Saxon 5/4!  Only, like, 3 more lessons to go.  Yikes!

 

And the 1st Grader is just so darn cute.  Especially when her eyes get all lit up with the magic of learning something new.  Like adding a column of three single digit numbers.  She thinks she’s hot stuff.   

 

 

 

Those kinda moments help tame the restless heart inside. 

 

 

Helpful homeschooling tips to share…

 

If you’ve been putting off purchasing a foreign language curriculum for your kiddos.  Maybe today is your lucky day (although I hope it’s mmmmmmine)!

 

Because Katie’s French Language Café has a Rosetta Stone give away! 

 

And if you want to enter as me, I totally wouldn’t mind.

 

 

 

I am inspired by…

 

For those that might be here for the first time, let me backtrack for a sec.  I have a little guy.  Well, not sooo little anymore.  But he’ll always be the baby to me!  Anyway, I have this little guy with some special needs super powers.  He inspires me daily!  You know, when he’s not thoroughly exhausting me!   And then even in his exhausting moments, he’s inspirational.  And so are all the little friends that joined us last Sunday for our first Winter Special Olympics session!  (I am the co-founder of the Young Athletes program for our community)  My most favorite moment, was when all the mobile children and their “buddies” formed a human tunnel for our less mobile super wheelchair-ing heros to roll through!  I’m all misty right now just remembering.  A beautiful beautiful thing.

 

Trevy at the Track & Field station during the Fall Season

 

The pride and joy I feel in being part of something so special also helps tame the restless thump thump thump inside.     

 

 

Places we’re going and people we’re seeing…

 

Ice skating.  Of course.  Cause really, it’s just the best thing evah! 

 

And Art Club.  We now have 12 kids joining us!  The class is huuuuge!  So huge, in fact, that we’re going to split the little guys into their own class next week.  I’m so happy the kids have this.  Trevy requires so much time/energy/what not…we don’t get to do as many play dates as I’d like.  This class is helping ease that mommy guilt!  And hopefully is meeting their “friend” needs!   

 

 

I’m reading…

 

When I was young, I read voraciously.  Anything.  Everything.  Especially all things historical fiction.  Which I’m still drawn to. 

 

But then Life happened.  Kids.  Laundry.  Dishes.  Homeschooling.  There just wasn’t time.   

 

Last year, I started reading again.  I’ve read more books than I can remember this year!  I try to pin the goodies.  Because I always like idea shopping from others.  But also, so I can look back and see what I’ve read!  Because my memory is toast!

 

Recently, I started to feel a little tug inside.  Holy Spirit, is that you???  Because…in the spirit of transparency…I’ve been spending so much time reading books.  But neglecting the One that I need the most.  Which could also explain the restless heart syndrome. 

 

So this week, I opened to Ephesians.  Since that’s the book we’re digging into at church. 

 

I’m not sure when I last read Ephesians.  But I am sure, it’s been awhile.  Since before Trevy.  And everything that changed when we learned he was sick.  And our whole life was going to change as a result.  I’m going to link in a portion that really spoke to my soul.  But I have mixed feelings about doing so.  I don’t want it be misleading.  I’m not a super saint.  In any way, shape or form.  I don’t brew a cup of tea each afternoon.  Dim the lights.  And meditate on spiritual things.  I long to be that woman.  Someday.  But for now, I’m just a mom.  A wife.  A daughter.  Who was drawn to Jesus as a girl.  And has stumble bumbled after Him since.  But He has always been faithful.  Despite my depravity.  And when I opened His Love Letter this week He was again faithful.  And spoke to my heart…

 

  …that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is  the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ  when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places…  

 

Oh how I need that.  How I need so much more of that.  The heaviness of this life can be so exhausting.  I need my eyes enlightened and focused on the Hope that he’s called me to.  The Hope that is to come…

 

Anyway…

 

That’s enough sappy about that.  I totally had no plan to share all those guts.  It just sorta flowed.  Moving on…

 

 

A video to share…

 

 

 

…danielle

 

 

 

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