Soccer

I just got back from yet another soccer game. We are now finally in the playoffs. Summer soccer is not supposed to last 5 months, but thanks to the rain, it has. We won, which I guess is good. But, frankly everyone is ready to be done. The only reason we won really was that we were up two players on them. We had 10... they were playing with 8. As the weather gets colder, I start suffering from leg cramps, since we were going to play two games this week, I was taking it easy tonight. Last game on Thursday, we won't win that one, thank-goodness. I don't think I've ever played soccer in October before.

Loving Real Canadian

In what I believe is an attempt to compete with Walmart, the Real Canadian Superstore, is now doing a 50% off clearance on their meats, veg and baked goods. The meat is usually expires within the next two days, but I always drop the meat into the freezer if I'm not going to use it that day anyway. On Thursdays, I head in after dropping the kids off at school and hit the stores at 8:15 or so. By then the bright pink stickers litter the meat section.

Today I picked up- 5 packages of Ground Pork, 1 package of Ground Beef- 1 Oven Roast, and Two Club packs of Chicken thighs, for just over 29.00. I think I can get 10 meals out of it all. It works out to be 2.99 a meal. Awesome!

Canning Crazinesss

First, I'm sorry to all of you who read through RSS. For some reason I managed to post this before I was done writing it, so as such you will have already read the unedited, work in progress version. Lovely. Well, it keeps one humble. I haven't posted much as of late, as I have been very busy canning various fruits and veg. Like mad. A week and a bit ago I got together with two friends and spent two days canning about 120 jars of salsa. We peeled about 150 pounds of tomatoes. I've also put down, peach jam, strawberry jam, peaches, pear butter and plum ketchup. Tim made me promise that if he bought me a deep freeze, I would put down some apple pies (frozen that is) after our annual apple picking, and then.... I'm DONE. I've really enjoyed the whole canning experience, and am just hoping I've processed the jars well enough that I don't kill anyone! It has been a new experience and one that I've jumped into with both feet. I have to do it again next year, otherwise I won't be able to justify the expense of all the jars I've bought.

I've been thinking hard today about my chosen vocation. When we were in school, we were given grades and eventually chose to take courses based on our skill at different disciplines in school. I tended toward the arts, english, history even geography, and stayed as far away as I could from subjects such as math, science etc. (although the one exception to that was biology, for some reason I loved it, even though my grades were not stellar. I think that was more to do with the teacher than anything else!)

When going off to University, it only makes sense that we go into subjects that we excel at, and usually what we excel at is what we enjoy. Can you imagine what a farce it would have been to have me try and become a chemist? I would have failed miserably! And I would have hated every moment of it.

So I began thinking about my chosen vocation of homemaking. I would not say that this is something that I particularly excel at. It is often a hard slog for me to keep up with housework, plan the week well, and generally keep busy. I don't particularly enjoy it. There are aspects that I like, but for the most part I don't know that this is something I love to do. it has been a sobering realization, and one I'm fully aware that I need to change. When Tim and I decided to have children there was no question that I would stay home with them. It was far too important to us. We wanted our kids to have a parent around when and as they needed us. But I didn't realize how hard it would be at times.

So much of motherhood and wifehood (I know no such word but bare with me) is servanthood, and I know much of my discontent comes from a bad attitude, (and a wrong heart) toward the service. But after numerous conversations of late with mom's who are struggling to find joy in what they do, I've come to the conclusion that a lot of what they are struggling with also stems from a feeling that they are not doing a particular area well. For example, For me, it is very hard to find joy and to be content with general up keep of our house. I think it would be easier to be joyful in doing it if it was something I naturally excelled at. For my sister-in-law, she doesn't have this issue. She loves cleaning her house, and it is always in immaculate condition. I suppose it wouldn't matter as much if I didn't care if my house was a mess all the time, but it does bother me, so it is a constant source of frustration, and I constantly feel inadequate in this area.

So, how do we solve this Biblically? God requires us to be joyful in all we do, so how do we find joy in something we don't feel we do well? To be honest, I'm not sure I have an answer beyond looking to the Lord for help. Starting each day praying for contentment and asking that He turns our frustration into joy. Trusting that He has given us the skills necessary to complete the jobs given to us for His glory and above all serving our family, thus serving Him each day, and in knowing this, this should be our joy.

Children Do What They Are Taught

For some time now, I've had a growing concern about a couple of the girls in the neighborhood. These two girls are the same age as my kids, but their parents have a very different mindset. Their dad is determined to protect his two girls, a trait that is admirable, but in our opinion he is going about it the wrong way. He is determined to change his two daughters into weapons, ones that can be unleashed at any injustice, although according to him, limited to physical injustice against them. They are enrolled in martial arts, and are told to fight back if anyone lays a hand on them.

It has concerned me in the past, as the eldest daughter and Nick had a run in when Nick was bugging her. He didn't touch her, but drove her nuts, and the girl flipped and ended up hurting him enough that he was rolling on the ground. In a sense it served him right, but the lack of control was disturbing. This girl is being taught how to really hurt someone, and I can't help but believe that kids this young do not have the self-control to handle the ability to hurt someone.

Today, when talking to the mom, she mentioned that she had a call from the school yesterday. Apparently the two sisters were being bugged by two older boys. The elder girl got flicked (think two fingers) in the head by these boys, and the younger girl (abby's age) flew into protect mode. When it was done, one of the boys had a scratch down his face and the other a lump on his head from being shoved into a wall.

The father of these two girls determined because his daughter started it, she should not have to apologize. The mother did not seem terribly concerned that 5 days into school her 5 year old got into a fight with two boys.

It struck me that this child is only responding as she has been taught. She is being trained and told to fight back physically when confronted. She is only 5 and has no self-control to solve things in a civilized manner. So, is the child really to blame? It must be a terribly confusing time for her. She was hauled into the principals office and talked to, and told this was unacceptable behavior. The parents are (or at least dad is) telling her she did right.

My reaction when told was very much- "what else did you expect her to do?" But it did drive home to me very clearly how very careful we have to be when placing ideas in our kids heads.

I feel sorry for the two grade three boys. Can you imagine how much teasing they are getting? After all they were trounced by a grade one girl........

My Devotions

For months now I have been struggling with my conscience. Finally listening to what I know I have to do, I told my husband to wake me up at 6:30 so I could start reading and praying in the mornings. For so long I have been using the excuse that I would do devotions when Michaela was napping, or in the evenings. But, to be honest that almost never happened. And now, with our new schedule, Michaela isn't napping, and come the evening I'm just too tired, I gave in and have done what I should have done months ago. It helps that I've asked a friend to hold me accountable and keep asking if I am reading, between her and Tim I've GOT to!

I think Tim takes some sick pleasure in waking me up at that hour. I am not my best in the mornings. I stumble downstairs in a fog, and he laughs!

I have known for some time that I am not getting into God's word as I should. It has been the most frustrating experience, battling your own flesh. Part of the membership covenant at our church is that we promise to do private devotions. Each time a new member joins we all stand and say the pledge together, and each time that statements stands out to me and gives much shame. I read with almost a sense of relief Janis' blog this morning. She echos my heart almost exactly! One thing that particularly stuck me was this statement.. "One of the biggest things God was showing me was that far too often when I read early is to read the Bible as a story. With taking notes I am trying to focus on what God is revealing about himself and then looking to see how I need to be responding in accordance to the revealed truth." I need to think on this. Tim has been trying to encourage me to ask two simple questions when reading 1) What is God saying about himself, 2) How do I apply that to my life.

So onward I go... bleary eyed but for the moment determined to stick to this. The only problem being Michaela is getting up at 6:50, and I wanted a full 1/2 hour- so do I get up another 10 minutes earlier?

Their First Day

Up bright and early this morning. The kids bus comes at 7:53, so we had an early start. Tim prayed with them took some pictures, then off out the door! It is now 9:20 seems a little long to catch the bus doesn't it? Well, the bus didn't show this morning. All us parents waited an hour for the bus to turn up this morning, only to find out they hadn't dispatched one. So we ended up driving our kids to school, 45 minutes late. What a way for them to start the first day of a new school!

The upside, I got to stick my head into the classes and meet (briefly) the teachers. The good news being I found out Abby has one little girl in her class that was in her K. class, and she knew a couple of others. Thank-goodness! Nick seemed surrounded by boys he knew as well, which was good too. So, while it was a hassle and stressed the kids out far more than necessary, at least Mommy has a visual of where they are.

It is so quiet here now! Michaela is playing quietly and other than the tapping of the keys there is no noise. I miss them already!