Author: kdorminy

Well, we are halfway through the day that I was dreading a bit.  I just wasn’t super excited about keeping the kids focused on school work when we haven’t touched anything school related in two weeks.  However, it has gone well.  So well, that I am going to type out how it has gone down in hopes that maybe we can do this again tomorrow.  I know it’s wishful thinking because each day around here goes so very differently.  But, here goes….

6:30-I wake up to quiet house and warm coffee, though it was freezing cold out from under the covers.  Enjoyed Day 2 of James study as well as a devotion that reminded me that God knows at what pace I need to be going.  He remembers that I am dust!  I need Him.

7:30-shower and then on to our “B”s.  BED (make it up!), BRUSH (your teeth and hair), BREAKFAST, BIBLE

8:30-Started school.  Girls started Math while I reviewed Mack’s sounds and then sent him off to watch LETTER FACTORY.  I started laundry.

9:15- Spelling Lists/FlashMaster when done

9:40-Geography (lines only)

10:00- Break–I switch laundry and then walk on treadmill because I am so out of shape…gracious…and kids put away school folders and then play wii

11:00- Writing and English

11:45-Kids go play store while I write this blog and then fix lunch.

12:15- Eat Lunch

1:00- Reading Time for Ruby (Sarah Noble)

1:30-Reading Time for Molly (four early readers)

2:00- Another Phonics lesson with Mack.

We’ll also start our Read Aloud of the Little House series tonight.

I’d say we’re off to a good start.  I really hope we can keep it up!!!  We can cover a lot of ground over the next few months….and then the weather will turn a little warmer….and then it will be summer time….the pool will open up and we will be there every day.  At least this is what I bribe my kids with off and on all throughout our home school days!  Molly heard me say something a while back, and she has hung on to it:  “Remember Mom, you said that we will do a math sheet and read a book and then go to the pool every day, remember you said that???”

Hope you have had a productive Day 3 of 2012!

Irv came to see us the Thursday before Christmas. We all went to the GA Aquarium for the first time and had a good time.  Friday we went to do some things for Josh at his office.  Then, we met Merrilee and Jason at Lenox Mall for a few hours of shopping.  Cra.zy.  And fun, too.  After shopping we went to eat together and finally crashed around midnight.  Saturday we got lunch ready since we were doing Christmas on Christmas Eve with Jason and Merrilee.  They came over around noon to eat and open gifts. They also got to watch the kids “perform” Luke 2.  After the gifts, we went to their church for an Eve service and really enjoyed praising God and reflecting on the greatest gift ever given…Jesus.

Sunday morning we made breakfast and then let the kids open their stockings.  We then got ready for church.  The service was really nice.  We came home and had yummy leftovers and then opened the rest of our gifts.  After that we all took an unexpected turn and went our separate ways.  Irv went to TN to be with Jason and Merrilee and her family while Josh, the kids and me all went to Augusta to see my family.  It was quite a whirlwind of a few days and my body was screaming at me to just lay down.  And so we did just that once we got home….and it was heavenly!  The rest this break was better than we’ve remembered in years past.

Here are some pictures:

Yes, yellow rice was something Molly really wanted from PawPaw.

Kids coming down the stairs Christmas morning

Here’s a sweet story.  Ruby asked for a LalaLoopsy Doll.  That was really all she asked for.  I found one at Target and wrapped it up.  She asked me regularly if I had gotten a doll for her.  I would let her know that I was at Target and there weren’t very many of those dolls left, which was true.  I never said yes or no on if I got her one.  On Christmas morning she opened a tiny gift that was a mini LalaLoopsy set.  She was so excited and said to her dad, “I love this!  There were lots of girls who wanted a big LalaLoopsy doll, so I am just so glad I got this one!!!”  A few gifts later she opened up the big Lala and was super excited!  Such a sweet girl.

I love a New Year.  I love a new day!!  One of my favorite verses is about how the mercies of the Lord are new every morning, and I so need that!!!  We started off the day in church hearing a good Word from our Pastor.  It was a beautiful reminder of what we’d like to leave behind and the hope Christ offers daily as we look ahead.

I have a few pictures I want to post of a couple of little trips that happened in 2011 that I don’t think I ever mentioned here.

1-The kids went to the National Fair in Perry, Ga with Josh and his dad in October.

They had a lot of fun and stayed for HOURS.  They ask us regularly if they can go back to the fair again.  I’m sure we’ll likely find ourselves in Perry, Ga come October 2012.

2- I tagged along with Josh to NYC in December.  He did a little work.  I shopped and enjoyed the sights of such a fun city.

We had a blast!  We ate at Serendipity 3, which was my favorite spot there when I went to NYC in 2006.  The weather was quite mild; we didn’t even need a coat!  The kids were well taken care of by their sweet sitter that even did school work with them!  I enjoyed every minute of being with Josh.  Every time I am away with him I am reminded that he is my favorite person on the planet to spend my time with.  I love us….I especially loved us in NYC near Christmas time with no kids and no agenda!

The only 2011 blogging that I need to take care of is Christmas Day…I may or may not get around to that….we’ll just have to see how this first day of the New Year goes….I’m thinking a nap is in my near future.  You gotta start the year well-rested, right???

 

Well, today is the last day of 2011.  I have to say—it’s been quite a year.  Tonight we’ll spend a little time playing games, eating some pizza and wings and baking cupcakes for the kids and reflecting on the year.  I have decided to copy my friend, Mary, and write each family member a little letter that tells them how I have personally seen them grow and learn over this past year.  I closed each letter with a snippet of how I will be praying for them as the New Year begins.  Maybe I’ll post them here a little later…..

For now, I hope you enjoy your last day of 2011 and look forward to the New Year with excitement!

“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.  So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.  Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem because he was of the house and lineage of David to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child.  And so it was that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered.  And she brought forth her first born son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn.

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night.

And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them …

…and they were greatly afraid….

Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.  And this will be a sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.’

And there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace, goodwill to men.’

When the angels had gone away from them, into heaven,

then, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.’

And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the Babe lying in the manger.

And when they had seen Him they made widely known the sayings which were told them concerning this child.

And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told themby the shepherds.

But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.”

I forgot about these pictures of Mack that I took over Thanksgiving.  He used to HATE to have his picture made.  I have plenty of proof that I could share with you, but I am sure you believe me.  He was always the one with a big pout on his face or with his arms folded and his head looking down.

However, he’s gotten a LOT more used to having his picture made.  And this particular night he was hamming it up.  Posing over and over again with different odds and ends at my parent’s house.  And there are many odds and ends around there this time of year!  Take a look at Mack….cracking me up.

At least he decided to pose with his cousins, though they aren’t at all interested in his photo shoot.  This little boy is so funny to me!  I have even more pictures of him with different items from my mom’s living room.   He was full of himself!

He’s also full of words.  He talks from the moment his feet hit the floor.  It can drive a woman batty after a while!  I have gotten fairly used to it though.  Josh hasn’t.  It is funny to see how much of Mack I can “turn off” if I need to think about something else or talk to someone else…I mean let’s get real.  No mom can sit and just hang on each word her four year old says, right?  But Josh tries to redirect him during dinner or other times and it just cracks me up because it works for about five seconds and then Mack picks up right where he left off.  So glad we have this little ball of fun as the caboose of our family!

The other night I went out to eat with a few friends and had a real nice time.  We ate at PF Changs and talked a lot.  A “funny” thing happened when we were leaving.  A young hostess stopped me and said, “Can I ask you a quick question?”  I said, “Sure!,” thinking she might ask where I got my shirt or what products I use in my hair.  I don’t know….that is just where I thought she might go.  But no.  She decided to say this: “Are you Mrs. Dorminy?”

Um, no.  I’m Kristy.  Mrs. Dorminy was the name folks called my mother-in-law when she was at work.

I said, “Uh-yes,” and searched her cute young face to jog my memory of where I knew her from.

“You taught me 7th grade at Webb Bridge.”

I said, “Oh, really?  I am so old.  How old are you???”

“Twenty-two.”

My friends proceed to get a kick out of me being called Mrs. Dorminy, and they loved being witness to that whole conversation.

I MUST add (because otherwise I just feel old) that she did say I was the most beautiful teacher she ever had.

Vain?  Maybe, but her kind words buffered the blow of the whole 9 years ago you were my seventh grade teacher, Mrs. Dorminy thing.

Our playskool nativity set was dusted off last weekend when we took down our Christmas decorations.  Gran gave this set to Ruby when she was one year old.  She used to carry the whole thing around all day long when she was younger.  Mack and Ruby realized Jesus was missing, so Ruby told Mack to go look for Jesus in his room.  Mack ran off on a mission….however, he came back with two dinosaurs.  Ruby told him that NO, NO, NO that is NOT going to work and that Jesus is the most important part of the manger scene and to go back and look again.  Mack said, in a serious voice, “Yeah, but we really need the dinosaurs, too!!!!!!!”

Really?  I don’t recall that they were there.

Only his sweet little four-year-old boy brain.

This same sweet little four-year-old boy has also broken the tail off of a donkey on my favorite nativity.  And he broke off a gift from one of the wise men in another nativity set that Josh brought from another country.  I finally had to draw the line and give them permission to play with two nativities in the house….the rest are MINE.

But if I were to contemplate this little exchange long enough, I am sure I would see how many times I rush around making sure I have the tree decorated, the gifts bought, the parties planned, the cards in the mail and more….and then in the silence I realize that I cannot find Jesus in all of my hustle-bustle.  It really does take effort to keep the main thing the main thing.  If we aren’t working towards keeping Jesus at the center of all we do, then He surely won’t be.

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On Sunday at lunch we were talking about what we could give Jesus for His birthday.  I love buying gifts for my kids and for others and decorating and baking and all that goes along with Christmas, but I SO DON’T WANT MY KIDS TO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT CHRISTMAS IS ALL ABOUT!!!!!!!!!  We have some ways of teaching them this that can be quite controversial, so for now I will just skip that part, though it may come up later since my convictions in this area seem to be growing stronger….we’ll see.

Anyway, back to the lunch.  Molly whispered to Ruby that we should give Jesus our heart (which Molly has already done, Praise the Lord!).  Ruby said, “Oh, you gotta say that out loud.  That is such a good answer.”  So Molly told us that we should give Jesus our hearts, which we said is so true….but then we asked if there was a tangible gift we could give Him.  “What if we get less gifts so we can give to Jesus by giving to others?” was the questions Josh asked.  There was a little bit of silence and glances among the children.  Molly said, “I wouldn’t mind that at all.  I don’t care if I get no gifts.”  Ruby piped up, loud and clear, “HUH!!  Wait and see—when it happens, you’ll care!!!”

My gracious.

We’ve got a long way to go.  And when I say WE, I am totally including myself.  🙂

I seem to do this every year–jump head first into Christmas right after Thanksgiving, which I guess is what usually happens to all of us.  However, I tend to cut myself short on time for posting Thanksgiving pictures!  I’ll share some more of our Thanksgiving pictures and show a few from our Saturday run to the local nursery to pick out a wreath for our front door.  I love getting a live tree, but it seems I am allergic and had a miserable December a few years ago….so we moved on to a pre-lit tree, but we replaced the tradition with buying a wreath!

And there I went–getting ahead of myself again.

What I wanted to say is that this morning I was reminded in God’s Word of how important giving thanks is to keeping my perspective clear as we head into a very busy, full, often-times self-absorbed time of year.  So even though we’ve all checked Thanksgiving Day off of our calendar, I won’t be checking off the act of giving thanks in all things.  Psalm 107:21-22 “Let them give thanks to the Lord for His faithful love and His wonderful works for the human race.  Let them offer sacrifices of thanksgiving and announce His works with shouts of joy.”

All the grandkids put their handprints down in the shape of a Christmas tree….Cacy will fill the red “ornaments” in with names and ages of each kiddo.  It turned out super-cute.

As you deck your halls, I hope thanks-giving will be in your heart and on your lips!

I am so grateful for the time that I spent with my family in Augusta for Thanksgiving (though the jury is still out as to whether we all ‘inherited’ a stomach bug that seems to be taking down other family members one by one).  Seriously, I am so glad that I got to spend a few days with my mom and dad and my sisters and their families.

My mom always does a great job at making holidays extra special.  She loves to decorate and make things festive!

She gets into details that I would be sure to overlook if I were in charge of setting the table.

But more than just the special decor on the table, there were very special people all around the table.

The kid table…they crack me up.  They did really well this year.  Everyone can eat on their own–now that is something to be grateful for!

So thanks Mom and Dad!!  We all had a great Thanksgiving at your house.

And just keep it to yourself how grateful you may have been when all of these little turkeys were out of your house!