He is Risen Indeed!!
While the Easter Bunny did NOT pay a visit to our house this year, we did have a delicious Easter Lamb.
Kathy
Project 366 – Day 83
Category Archives: Events
Scenes from a Birthday Party
One of the joys of being a large family is that we have the opportunity to participate in many different birthday parties over the year. There are slumber parties, pirate parties, pool parties, rock-climbing adventures, bowling outings, and Chuck E. Cheese extravaganzas, to name a few. I keep telling the children to stop making friends with kids who have birthdays, but they just laugh. “Silly Mom,” chuckles Sarah. “All the kids we know have birthdays!” It is never a good sign when you are out-witted by your five-year-old.
Ready for the Party to begin!
This week Daniel, David and Sarah were invited to a Garden Party. How delightfully appropriate for this time of year, when Spring is in the air. At least it is here in WA. In Michigan, where my parents and siblings live, it is snowy and cold and there is not a single HINT of spring. Poor dears!
The children painted and decorated their clay pots, and then planted a flower in each one. Several of them even managed to plant the root part downward.
These girls are ready to paint, and they’re not choosy about what they paint!
They have been caring, tenderly, for their plants since they brought them home to live with us. As I am notorious for having a black thumb, able to kill even the hardiest plants, their flowers will only survive if I stay far away from them.
This morning, Daniel and Tim left the house on an errand. I can just imagine how their conversation went. “Maybe I should bring my plant with me,” Daniel worried. “What if Mom tries to water it or something, and kills it dead!”
“It’ll be fine. Mom’s not even going to be home,” Tim soothed. “She’s going to Costco, and you know that’ll take most of the morning.”
“Yeah, but what if she comes home early? It’s just a baby plant, and hasn’t even flowered yet!” Daniel is very attached to his plant.
Tim must’ve convinced him, because they left the plant at home. I carefully avoided being in the same room as it, lest it keel over and I be blamed.
Poor plant, it will never look this good again.
We can only hope they make it.
Kathy
Related posts:
WFMW – 5 for $5
Picture this: sunny days, warm weather, cute summer purses and…
Bathing suits, shorts and tank tops!
I don’t mean to speak for all women, but those first images make me smile and the others CRINGE!! In rainy Washington, summer still seems awfully far away. Those gorgeous, warm days are coming, however, and I don’t want to let these frumpy, sweatshirt days lull me into thinking I am safe from skimpy styles and beach wear.
What to do? What to do?
Last year I went through a period of depression at the onset of summer. Instead of spending some time over the winter exercising and keeping fit and toned, I ATE and lazed my way through the cold months. I had a full bin of cute summer things I never even touched — too tight or pinched to wear.
This year I am determined to hit summer with confidence. I might not have that model worthy figure (I think that’s a bit elusive for this mother of five) but I can at least spend some time NOW eating healthy and exercising consistently.
How to do it? How to do it?
I am a person who loves a new idea, plan or contest. I need motivation and external rewards to keep me focused. As I thought about how to motivate myself to get off my comfy computer chair and into the gym, the Lord gave me a fantastic idea. I say the Lord because this was truly divine inspiration.
If you look closely you can see a little sister in the picture.
This is NOT beach weather.
Our church is hosting a women’s retreat in April. This provided the perfect, natural deadline. I’m on the retreat committee and will be helping to coordinate things over the weekend. In other words, I will be somewhat in the “public eye.” I have the opportunity to greet the women as they come, welcome new people, share some of how God has put this retreat together and so on. Last year we performed a hilarious skit using the Lord’s Prayer. I was in my bathrobe for that one but you never know what they’ll come up with this year.
Talk about motivation!
Five for $5
The premise is simple:
- Everyone who participates donates $5
- Each person selects 5 healthy living goals (food, exercise, water, etc)
- You have 100 points per week – distribute your points among your five goals
- Report your total points for the week each Monday
- The two contestants with the highest cumulative scores receive first and second prizes dividing the registration fees
That’s it! It happened to work out that there are 5 Mondays until our retreat so it’s actually 5 for $5 in 5 Weeks. Isn’t that perfect!!
My Goals ended up looking something like this:
- A)Water: 64 oz/day (1pt/ day=7pts possible for the week)
- B)Food Recording: 6 days/ week (4 pts=24pts for week)
- C)Calories under 1700: 6 days/ week (4 pts=24pts for week)
- D)Cardio – 45 minutes: 5 days/week (6pts=30 pts for week)
- E)Wt training – 15 min: 3 days week(4pts=12 pts for week)
3 Bonus points if Cardio and Wt Training are completed for the week.
The response has been delightful! My initial thought was to invite only the retreat steering committee of four people (including myself). This soon spiraled beyond our group and we now have between 17 and 20 people participating. Almost every single person has thanked me for encouraging them to make some goals and Strive For Them! I’m thrilled that the Lord would use me to encourage others to develop self-control and a healthier lifestyle. Isn’t He creative!
I take no credit for the idea, it was whispered into my ear by the One who penned these words:
For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…(Titus 2:11-12)
I encourage everyone to steal this idea, grab some friends and start your own 5 for $5 group. Let’s greet the summer with joy and confidence, knowing we have been disciplined and healthy in our eating and physical exercise.
It won’t be long before my kids are packing lunches, gathering suits and towels and heading for the beach.
Grab the sunscreen and let’s go!
Kathy
Project 366
Related posts:
The Boys and the Girls
Camp meeting this afternoon for Joshua and his comrades. We picked up Rachel along the way and later convinced Emily Z. to come over for a visit.
Emily, Bethany and Rachel show their gorgeous smiles.
Young men and their walking staffs/sticks/handy swords are rarely separated, especially when you’re exploring the woods.
Timothy, Stuart and Joshua kneel chivalrously before the camera.
It’s a good thing those gentlemen were there to protect the ladies.
Kathy
Project 366 – Day 69
Related posts:
Do You Wanna Party?
Once upon a time, two sisters began a little blog for moms. They wanted to help foster a sense of community and support for moms (and their blogs).
Out of this desire came 5 Minutes for Moms, a place where women can meet other bloggers, discover fantastic mom run home-stores, be entertained and encouraged. This week the lovely hosts of 5 Minutes for Moms are holding a little blogging party. There are already over 800 blogs linked to the party and a collection of at least 150 giveaways and prizes.
That’s quite a goodie bag.
David went to a Pirate B-day Party today. Doesn’t he look the part.
So, if you’ve dropped by to say hello, Welcome to the Duckabush Blog! We’re a Christian homeschooling family with five children – ranging in age from 5 to 14. Grab a cup of something hot and tasty and stay for a spell.
Dh and I blog together quite a bit. He’s a wee bit funnier than I am (but don’t tell him I said so). If you don’t believe me, just read his post about car troubles or life as a typical, every day, run of the mill homeschooling dad.
Please, please, don’t leave a comment about how funny or witty he is. Those kinds of notes go straight to his head and he becomes quite unbearable.
This blog is a little bit like our life – random, messy at times, challenging, and whimsical. We write about family, homeschooling, our walk with the Lord, recipes, parenting, photography, and anything else that comes to mind.
Five Duckabush Kiddos.
Coffee and Chocolate are frequent topics.
Be sure to come back and say hello again some time!
Kathy
Project 366 – Day 68