Trying to Walk a Rat, Burnt Pizza, and More!

It's been cloudy all day and rainy this evening, but I am loving the temperatures. It is 67 degrees right now and the forecast says a high of 79 tomorrow. My kind of weather! The 7-day forecast is showing temperatures in the 80's the rest of the week with a 30% chance of showers nearly every day.

Austin's friend Aaron finally went home today. Before he left he said he "I may be back in a week, or two weeks, or three weeks, or four weeks, or next summer." I have a feeling he's going to be back long before next summer. He and Austin ordered some things off E-Bay that they are excited about so I'm sure he'll want to be back to play with them when they come in. Plus they have so much fun together. They've been staying up way too late though and today it finally caught up with them and they didn't get up until about 1:00 this afternoon. Austin said they slept 12 hours so that tells me how late they were up last night.

Michael was busy almost all day going places with Daddy. They started out at the laundromat early this morning (I'll explain why in a bit), then went to the grocery store, the landfill, Wal-Mart, PetSmart (more about this one in a bit as well), and then to take some groceries to a friend who is fighting cancer and unable to work right now. When he wasn't with Daddy he was pushing a stroller around the house. He told Gabe to get in and drink a bottle and then pushed him around the house.

And the trip to the laundromat? Well, Doug has been trying to help me catch up on laundry and finally decided the easiest way to do that was take it all to the laundromat and put it in the biggest washing machines he could find. When he came home with all that clean dry laundry it took very little time to get it all put away. And now we're enjoying the wonderful feeling of being caught up on laundry. . . . until tomorrow. Oh well. Sometimes it's worth it even if it doesn't last long.

And the trip to PetSmart? Amanda has been researching online how to train pet rats and decided she wanted a harness for her rats so she could walk them. So she convinced Doug (as in begged from the time he walked in the door from work Friday evening until they finally went this afternoon) to take her to PetSmart so she could buy one. We tried to put it on the calmest rat (Micki) this evening. Twice. But she didn't like it. I'm sure Amanda will go back online and get some more information on how to get a rat trained to wear a harness and keep at it until she gets it. That's just the way she is.

And now I'm laughing at myself because I just wrote a whole paragraph about training rats. Seriously? When did this happen! Sometimes real life IS stranger than fiction. I wish I had gotten a picture of it.

I did get a picture of this though. It's what happens when I get interrupted by wild kids and totally forget I put a pizza in the oven.

Thankfully we had three others so no one went hungry. And Austin actually ate part of this one just because he's goofy like that.

As for me, in between all these other fun things and lots of kids (seven daycare kids ages 6 months to 10 years, plus a couple extras just for fun) I worked on getting the menu and activity schedule and supplies ready for next week.

And now it's time to call it a day, read a few minutes and get some sleep.

Good night everybody!

An Awesome Interview, A Storm, and Other Ramblings

I had a great interview this morning with a mother and her three boys ages 8, 7, and 4. The boys were so well mannered and well behaved. They interacted well with the other kids and really listened well to their mother. I am so excited about having them join our group here. They will be starting here August 17, the first day of school. The oldest two will get on and off the bus here and the four year old will stay all day.

Austin's friend Aaron is still here. He came Friday evening of last week and is staying until sometime Saturday. The plan was for him to go home Monday but he asked and got permission from both his mom and myself to stay until Tuesday. On Tuesday he asked to stay until Wednesday. On Wednesday he asked to stay until Saturday but his mom said he had to come home today. This morning he asked again and she agreed to let him stay until Saturday. He and Austin are having a grand time and I enjoy having him around as well. Michael looks up to him like another older brother and Amanda treats him as well as she treats her own older brother - which actually isn't so great sometimes but. . . that's another story.

My helper left around lunchtime yesterday because she wasn't feeling well and called in this morning because she still felt bad. It was a really slow day anyway so it worked out well. I did end up ordering Domino's pizza and cheesy bread for dinner though just to make things easier. I hope she's feeling better tomorrow though. We miss her and want her to feel well. Get better soon, Mona.

A storm came through this evening that blew down some trees and there were a number of power lines down. Our lights blinked but came right back on. One of the kids was afraid of the storm and showed it by being hyper and trying to talk louder than the storm, most of the time right in front of my face. He was pretending that he was the repairman fixing all the electric lines and cable boxes, and telling me about every step of the way. I guess that was his way of feeling like he had some control in what to him was a scary situation.

Austin, Amanda and Aaron are at Bible school this evening. I'm glad they get to go and have fun but I will be a little glad when our schedule returns to something closer to normal. I'm a little too much of a schedule person sometimes, I guess it's my OCD kicking in.

Enough rambling now. I need to work some more on the schedule and lineup of studies for the new school year. I can  hardly believe it's just around the corner again. We won't start until the Tuesday after Labor Day but I have a lot of work to do between now and then.

Daily Adventures at Rose's House Monday July 27, 2010

It was so nice to get a break from the hot weather today. It still felt like summer but not like "the dog days" of summer. The kids were glad to play outside more and I was definitely glad as well.

This morning I made drew a hopscotch pattern on the porch with chalk. The older kids played hopscotch a little but the younger ones enjoyed it more. We just called out the numbers as they landed on them and they thought that was great.

We played with water in the water table. I think we need a bigger water table. Or maybe two of them.

We also got played in the back yard awhile. This was the first time in nearly a week we had been in the back yard to play.

Austin has a friend here who has been here since Friday evening. I think he may just have decided to move in with. Not really, but I know he's planning to stay until at least Thursday morning. I'm just happy to see the two having so much fun together.

Austin, Amanda and Austin's friend Aaron went to Bible School this evening. They seemed to have had a great time. They came home happy and a little wired.

Austin had an appointment for a consultation with an oral surgeon this afternoon. He's having a molar removed in about two weeks. I think the main thing Austin got from the appointment is that for a few days he can only eat soft foods - like yogurt, mashed potatoes and ice cream. Some of his favorite foods. No salad allowed which makes him happy.

Lots of fun today and more fun on the way tomorrow.

Genesis 14

1. At this time Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim
2. went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah Shinab kind of Admah, Shemeber kind of Zeboiim, and the king Bela (that is, Zoar).
3. All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of SIddim (the Salt Sea).
4. For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.
5. In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Repahites in Ashteroth Karmaim,  the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites in Shaveh Kiriathaim
6. and the Hroites in the hill country of Seir, as far as El Paan near the desert.
7. Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh) and they conquered the wholde territory of the Amalekites, as well as the Amorites who were living in Hazazon Tamar.
8. Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king Admah the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is , Zoar) marched out and drew up the their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim
9. against Kedorlaomer king of Elam, Tidal king of Goiim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar - four kings against five.
10. Now the Valley of Siddim was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills.
11. The four kings seized all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their food: then they went away.
12. They also carried off Abram's nephew Lot and his possessions, since hewas living in Sodom.
13. One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram.
14. When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
15. During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.
16. He recovered all the goods and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.
17. After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).
18. Then Melchizeded king of salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,
19. and he blessed Abram, saying, "Blessed by Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.
20. And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
21. The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself."
22. But Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have raised my hand to the Lord, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath
23. that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.'
24. I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me - to Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre. Let them have their share."

My Thoughts -
To many times I forget to stop and think about how my decisions now may effect me and those I love in the future. Abram knew that it was important not to allow the other kings in the area to have a reason to try to control the decisions he made in the future. By refusing to take anything from the kind of Sodom Abram ensured that this king had no valid reason to try to control him in the future (verses 22 - 24). This allowed him to follow God's leading without reservation.

Daily Adventures at Rose's House Thursday July 22, 2010

Working on "The Lord's Prayer" booklets.

Puzzle fun.

These pictures are actually from yesterday. It was so hot that no one wanted to do anything active and everywhere I looked this is what I saw.

Daily Adventures at Rose's House Monday July 19, 2010

Today started at 3AM when Michael woke up and crawled into bed beside me. He was very restless, swinging his arms around and tossing and turning. Doug couldn't go back to sleep so he got up, got ready for work, went to the store for milk, and ran an emergency call with the Rescue Squad before he even started work.

I dozed off and on between Michael's flailing around and then, when I thought he had finally settled down enough that I could get up without him noticing I slipped out of bed. This was around 4:50. By 5:30 Michael was back up and wouldn't go back to sleep. And so began another Monday.

It had been awhile since we got our the rice and beans for the sensory table. I put them in the freezer early this morning so they would be very nice and cold as an added sensory experience. The kids loved it.

We did some Math.

The kids enjoyed taking a close look at a grasshopper. It's hard to see but it's sitting on Gabe's hand. Gabe said he was having a staring contest with it.

The kids enjoyed playing with balloons during music and movement time. We ended up just doing a whole lot of moving with no music since the cord to my CD player misteriously disappeared. But it was fun anyway.

The letter of the week is Ff.

Queit time with music and books. And yes we did have music. I didn't find the power cord to my CD player but I did use my computer to play the CD.

We played two games of Memory this afternoon .  .  .

.  .  .  and then got out the craft supplies.

And here are some pictures of the fun they had during their free times.

It's been a good day, and fun day, a LONG day. I'm really hoping Michael sleeps well tonight. Not too sure how it's going to go though - he has already fallen out of bed once tonight.

And now I'm off to bed to get some sleep.

Personal Development - An Acrostic

Purposeful Living
Excellence
Real Relationships
Self-Discipline
Overcoming Obstacles
Never Giving Up
Acceptance
Leadership

Dreams Becoming Reality
Early to Rise
Vision
Extraordinary
Living Consistently
Optimizing Opportunity
Productivity
Mentors and Mentoring
Exercise Mentally and Physically
New Experiences
Transformation

Genesis 13

1. So Abram went up from Egypt the land of Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him.
2. Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.
3. From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier
4. and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord.
5. Now Lot, who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents.
6. But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together.
7. And quarreling arose between Abram's herdsmen and the herdsmen of Lot. The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.
8. So Aram said to Lot,"Let's not have quarreling between you and me, or between your herdsmen and mine, for we are brothers.
9. Is not the whole land before you? Lets part company. If you go to the left, I'll go to the right; if you go to the right, I'll go to the left."
10. Lot looked up and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan was well watered, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, toward Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.)
11. So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company:
12. Abram lived in the land of Canaan, while Lot lived among the cities of the plain and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
13. Now the men of Sodom were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.
14. The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, "Lift up your eyes from where you are and look north and south, east and west.
15. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring for ever.
16. I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.
17. Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.
18. So Abram moved his tents and went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Herbron, where he built an altar to the Lord.

My thoughts:

In this chapter Lot selfishly chooses the best land for himself. Yet we know that Abraham was greatly blessed in spite of this seeming disadvantage. I'm reminded that no o ne can ever thwart God's purposes and that I can be at peace knowing that God works for the best in the lives of those who love Him.

Daily Adventures at Rose's House Saturday July 17, 2010

Amanda is just loving Little Red, the guinea pig. Technically this is Doug's pet, but . . . we'll see.

Don't you just hate it when vacuum cleaner belts break?

A little math practice.

Coloring pictures to go with our Bible lesson - Jeusus Baptism.

Some imaginative play.

Perler beads remain a huge favorite with the older kids.

We had a good, fun day. More adventures tomorrow.