Shut the DOORS.

Kids say the funniest things.

The other day Malachi and Zeek we’re playing Wii, when I heard Malachi say, “Shut the front door!!!”

and

the door wasn’t open.

I walked around the corner and said, “Malachi…we don’t say THAT.  Where did you hear it???”

“A commercial.” he said.

“We’ll we don’t say THAT.” I said as I tried NOT.to.laugh.

He looked at me with a look only an INNOCENT boy can look.

He said, “You say it all the time.”

Um…yes, but when I say it….

I really want the door closed.   LOL

“Well…we don’t say THAT.” I said and walked back into the kitchen.

As I turned the corner I heard Malachi say to Zeek, “Why can’t we say that???”

Zeek said , “Because it doesn't MEAN THAT.  It means something opposite.”

I could almost HEAR Malachi thinking from the kitchen.

“You mean like…..Shut the BACK DOOR?”

LMAO

This. is. the. life.

Taming a lion cub.....

If I have said it once..I have said it 1000 times.

Malachi is a WILD ONE.
He could be described sometimes as UNTAMED.
A little untamed, wild...LOVING cub.

He tends to bounce ...not walk.
He loves to yell....not talk.

It is all I can do to keep him contained.
Sometimes just keeping him ALIVE is a full time job.
Just keeping him from RUINING his little body before he turns 8 has been a STRUGGLE.

And THAT is just his body....
his mind and soul are a WHOLE SEPARATE battle.

It is something that you fight for with all kids.
But...
Some are more easily trained than others.

Some easily go along with the flow, quietyly doing what you have asked....
Some OTHERS....have a harder time settling down. They have a hard time FOLLOWING directions and LISTENING....


Malachi tends to be excited and he has TONS of energy....ALL THE TIME.
Like enough energy to run me RAGGED, quickly.

He tends to have a problem with his TONE, and his ACTIONS..

At the begenning of the summer I declared that we wouldn't be doing our traditional bible study this summer....we would be doing something a little MORE INTERNAL.

We were going to spend the summer doing the messy work that sometimes gets neglected. We were all going to work on the things inside each one of us that seem "yucky".

I want them to see that life IS and will ALWAYS be a continual battle for righteousness. We make CHOICES everyday that determine WHO WE ARE.

Even at the young ages of 10,8,7,and 5....they can rule their destinies.
They determine their life....by their choices.
EVERYDAY.
It never ends,
you cannot rest.

It is a battle, after all.

I have tried to get them to undersatand that they are children of GOD...but the devil likes to SNEAK IN.
And, because he is WICKED....he is deceptive and cunning.
He preys on the minds of the youth...because they are easiest.
They are the MOST vulnerable.
They are the most CAREFREE.
They are the most "UNTAMED".

So lately, we have all been working on our "issues"....and trust me THAT is a FULL TIME JOB that requires 1.)tons of patience and 2.)a QUICK mind.

Malachi has a tendency to use his hands as a first reaction...instead of his words.
So... THAT is what we are working on.

I want him to be in control of his REACTION to things.
I want his FIRST reaction to be a righteous one.

This summer we have had lots of "talks" about his soul, his mind, and about God and how he SAYS we should act.

It has really been a blessing to reason with his little mind and watch him grow.

The other day he came into my room and said, "Mom, I have been acting good lately right?" as he hugged me.

I looked at his sweet little face and said, "Yes Malachi you have. Doesn't it feel GOOD to do the right thing? Doesn't it feel better than doing the WRONG thing?Can you feel it in your heart?"

He shook his head YES enthusiasticly.

"Everyday we have a choice...We can choose WHO we let in our hearts. We can choose God and feel GOOD...OR- we can choose to let the devil in and feel GROSS. But Malachi....WE HAVE THE CHOICE."

He lookad at me straight in the eyes and said, "I Know, Mom".
And he hugged and kissed me....
then he RAN off.

What a sweet moment in time...A moment that let me see that my WILD CHILD, just might be a little less WILD and a little more TAMED.

Up for the challenge?????

All kids are different.

They all learn differently.

Some "just get it" the first time.

Some ...."don't".

Some are SELF-LED.

Some AREN'T.

Some are EAGER to finish their work for the day...

Some...DON'T REALLY CARE about finishing....AT ALL.

Every child is so different and different things motivate them.

I have lerarned to WATCH and LEARN.

To be observant of my childrens different personalities.

Some are easier than OTHERS...believe me.

And what they say about BOYS being SLOWER at BOOKWORK and learning is TRUE.

But I have found that they are only SLOWER in SOME THINGS.

Zeek has had a harder time at reading, but whizzes thru math.

Now Malachi....he is 7 and in 1st grade.

THAT is FUN.

He has a hard time sitting still...well, he has a hard time SITTING at all!!!

He has a hard time keeping his concentration....on ANYTHING.

My daily mantra during school has become..."He is ONLY 7. He is ONLY 7. He is ONLY 7."

But I KNOW that if we LISTENED to "them" and he was in public school....he would be tagged ADHD.

But- In my opinion....most 7 year old boys are "ADHD"...

or

HYPER.

I have learned a few tricks on this journey that I thought I would share.

First....I give him copywork/spelling words he WANTS to write.
Like:

spiderman
superman
hulk
webs
heroes
etc.

It is funny how the word "them" can be "too long to copy"(insert WHINING).

But, the word "spiderman" gets NO COMPLAINTS!!!!

AMAZING.

I have also learned that he likes to be challenged.

Like with a TIMER.

We use a small "hourglass" timer....one that we got at the dentist...so it iis probably a "minuteglass"....and CHALLENGE him.

It is AWESOME how quickly he "gets with the program" when he feels like it is a challenge or race.

He has no PROBLEM finishing any of his work when he feels interested AND challenged.

What a concept???

After getting him to actually DO his work QUICKLY with minimal complaints....I feel like a WARRIOR.

One who just crossed used my JEDI-MIND TRICKS to LURE him into the LEARNING GAME.

and WON!!!!

Comming Full Circle....

Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories. ~John Wilmot


I love that quote....I love the wisdom in those words.

It is funny to me how we THINK we know everything....

When I was young....I THOUGHT I knew what was good for me.
I thought I was making GOOD decisions.
I thought that how I felt THEN was how I would always feel.

How naive.
How sad is THAT?
So prideful that I couldn't see past MYSELF.
So silly to think that I was "grown".

Making big girl decisions...with a little girl's mind.

Thinking that I KNEW who I would be....in the future.

LOL

I remember being pregnant with Zeek and thinking things like, "I will never spank my kids!".

or

"I am going to be a CALM parent...never yell, or get upset."

or

"MY kid will never play with swords or fight!"

When I look back I can't help but laugh at my NAIVE self.

What a kook...thinking I knew ANYTHING about ANYTHING really.

Not because I was young....lots of people go thru their lives and make GREAT DECISIONS at a young age. That is GREAT...but not MY STORY.

I was prideful and was USED to thinking I KNEW something.

I was USED to THINKING I was right..THINKING that I understood things.

I remember when Zeek was VERY YOUNG(under 1 year)...we met a family who had a couple of boys.

They were nice, sweet kids (about 6 and 9 or so)
but
they were playing some card "game".
Something with dragons and spell cards and points.

And I remember thinking to myself, "I would NEVER let my kids play with something that was about DRAGONS and SPELLS!!!! NEVER ...no way! Those are things of the devil! Uh-Uh...No Way!!!"


You see...there it was again...my PRIDEFUL SELF who CONTINUED to think that she knows ALL THINGS!"

LOL

I was so judgemental...without even knowing I was being judgemental.

I had JUST been saved about 2 years before and was still "SORE" from my former life.

I WAS going to be DIFFERENT.
I WAS going to please H.I.M.
Come fire or rain....I WOULD be different.
I WOULD make up for it.

I guess somewhere along the way I decided that in order to "make-up" for all things "former"....I would need to "set fire" to all things "not holy".

I thought that in order to "repent"...I needed to "purify" my life.

So...for MY KIDS- there would be NO DRAGONS, NO SWORDS, and NO SPELL CARDS.

see what I mean...Naive.

I know.

Stop laughing.

Well....Life is a journey and it comes full circle.

As I grew in my faith...I realized that Dragons, spell cards, and swords....have NO POWER over me or my kids.

As long as I teach them that the devil comes in all sizes and shapes...and that he can only come in when there is a door left open.

They have to know about caution in life....no matter what they have in front of them.No matter the situation.

As long as they are living for THE KINGDOM....then they are PROTECTED BY GOD!

No spell cards, swords, or dragons will harm them.

EVER.

Oh and BTW:
Today---My boys LOVE their YuGiOh cards....and all the swords,sell cards and dragons that come with them.

See.....FULL CIRCLE.

Amazing.

The RULES...

I have learned a few things on this crazy parenthood journey.

I remember days, before kids, that I thought things like,
"I will NEVER spank MY kids!"

or

"I will ALWAYS be patient and NOT YELL!"

WOW...my how things have CHANGED.

4 kids and 10 years later...it is safe to say I have CHANGED MY TUNE.

Over time I learned that I do not have the answers...

I cannot truly parent these kids without help.

I cannot shepeard their hearts in the right direction....if I don't KNOW the rules of the "game".

Luckily ...there IS a manual.

and

There ARE RULES.

They are all neatly tucked into 1 book....the Bible.

Early on, I quickly learned that I would NEED some sort of knowledge.

A knowledge that goes FAR beyond, "I will NEVER...." and "I will ALWAYS.....".

I would need a WISDOM that goes WAY beyond anything I was capable of.

SO .....

I turned to GOD....and his book.

I learned that patience and LOVE were going to be required.

It would be REQUIRED reading.......forever.

And believe me...over the years I CANNOT tell you how MANY times I have had to use

Phillipians 2:14
14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing,



We use it DAILY around here...seriously we START school off by reciting this TOGETHER.

EVERY DAY.

And I use it when Malachi is FREAKING OUT.

I have found that there is NOTHING like a warm bath and Phil 2:14.

It works wonders....

It calms the mind and the spirit.

Quickly.

Over time I have learned that SOMETIMES- RULES DO help....

Time Travel.......

How is it that you are 7????

How can that be possible???

It seems like just moments ago you took your first breathe.

It seems like just yesterday that you were learning to walk.

NOW.........

We can hardly hold you down.

We can hardly keep up.

We love you more than you could possibly know.

We love your sweet smile and your loving, tender heart.

May you grow into a strong, loving, God-fearing man.

And may you always remember to KISS your Mama.

Happy Birthday sweet boy!!!!

I love you....Mom

Black and white….or NOT?

"Ability is God's gift to man, achievement is man's gift to God"..

…………………………………………………………………………………………….

Sometimes teaching isn’t black and white.

What works for 1 wont work for ALL.

Some kids are MATH minded…

some are NOT.

Some will sit still and do their work…

Some will NOT.

I have figured out(after 5 years of homeschooling) that each child learns differently.

You cannot give every child a lifepac math book and say GO. 

It doesn't always work.

Sometimes they need OTHER WAYS to help their brain work.

Sometimes they are JUST BORED.

Malachi has been BORED.

He is a 6 year old BOY who would MUCH RATHER be outside on the trampoline, or throwing a football.

Who wouldn’t?????

BUT----

sometimes,

you HAVE to do things you don’t want to do!!!

I don’t WANT to do laundry sometimes.

I do.

I don’t want to cook sometimes.

I do.

I don’t want to clean sometimes.

I do.

Some days …

I don’t want to TEACH.

I do.

And THAT is what I tell them…

“You don’t have to LIKE it…you just have to DO IT!”

And it works…

They do it…usually.

But lately Malachi has been saying things like,

“I don’t like school.”

or

“School is BORING.”

To a homeschool Mom …THAT is like a DAGGER to the heart.

I work so hard to find FUN things to add in.

I mean really…

do you stay up all hours of the night looking for the perfect “FALL CRAFT” to do if you DIDNT LOVE IT????

REALLY????

No…you don’t.

Anyway…..

After Malachi’s HEARTWRENCHING comments,

I was determined to MAKE HIM LOVE IT!!!

Lucky for me….he was EASILY pleased.

1 dice + 1 paper+ 1 pencil= MATH FUN

Who knew???

I told him, “roll the dice-write the number in the first spot. Roll the dice and write the number in the second spot.  Then ADD. “

He smiled.

Like I said…

Sometimes TEACHING isn’t Black and White.

Oh Brother!!!!

Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can supply...  ~Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814

When you are the mother  of 4 kids that are homeschooled that  spends ALMOST every waking minute with your children ….you can’t help but notice how complex and unexplainable their relationships are.

Sometimes they LOVE,

and then they fight as if they were enemies.

Sometimes they hurt each other,

and then they help each other heal.

Sometimes they pick on each other,

and then they protect each other fiercely.

Sometimes they yell at each other,

then they read to each other sweetly.

Its a very COMPLEX relationship that they have.

Always dependant , yet INDEPENDANT.

So yesterday when Zeek was going to his friend Tai’s house …Malachi started to have a MELTDOWN.

He wanted to go…..BAD.

“Why can’t I go Mom?????  I want to go. WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY can’t I go????? PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.”

“Because your brother needs time with HIS FRIENDS sometimes. You have your friends over all the time. “

Truth be told….Zeek doesn't have that many friends that he sees.

He has a cousin that is a couple of years older, and Tai(who is 11).

I know he WANTS to be with friends…we just don't KNOW that many.

So….Any chance I have to get him together with a sweet god-loving boy…I JUMP.

When Shainee and I talked and she wanted to have Zeek over for the afternoon…We were THRILLED.

Well….SOME of us were thrilled. LOL.

We dropped him off and the remaining kids and I headed off to dance.

(Which was ANOTHER reason Malachi couldn’t stay…he takes DUDE HIP-HOP during that time.Sweet!)

If you have ever had a couple of kids in different activities …you can imagine the next couple of hours for me….Call me TAXI-MOM!

Then we picked up Jay from work and headed to pick Zeek up.

The ENTIRE time Malachi was in the back saying , “WHEN are we picking up Zeek???? WHENNNNNNNNNNNNNN?”

I mean seriously….if Zeek was in the car they would be arguing!!!!

CRAZY KIDS…..<3

 

 

When we FINALLY got there he was OVERJOYED!

Malachi was SOOOOOO happy to be with the big boys.

He was stoked.

They played and rode the “little motorcycle” around.

Then were SUPPOSED to be taking turns…but Malachi is kind of “balls-to-the –wall” so he was a little inpatient!!!!

He basically RAN AROUND behind Zeek and said, “I want to ride” while Shainee and I LAUGHED so hard that we almost peed our pants. LOL

Then in true form …Malachi got on the bike and rode it as fast as possible 1 time in a circle before ROLLING IT only to JUMP right up and say, “And THAT is why you wear a helmet!!”

all the while Zeek was right behind him ….ready for the fall!!!

Oh BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BIG WORDS…..

Today our dear friend Lara was here with “Coco” her sweet Baby.

The kids LOVE her and LOVE the baby.

Well …Today they were all out on the trampoline and Lara said, “I need to take the baby in because it is SOOOOO hot.”

Malachi looked at her and said, “Why??? Will she DISENTIGRATE??? “

Later on I asked Malachi if he knew what DISINTIGRATE means…

He looked at me as if I WAS CRAZY.

“It means to turn to DUST.”

OK.

I  love it when LITTLE PEOPLE use BIG WORDS…..

Datil Do it…….

 

Its funny how even kids raised in the same home, same parents, same LIFE, can STILL  be soooooo different.

All of our kids are sweet.

Most of the time.

All are obedient.

Most of the time.

Last night I was getting the kids out of the bath and I told Malachi to get out.

“No.” he said.

I said, “Get out before I count to 3.”

“No.” he said.

I said , “Now your getting out AND getting a spanking.”

He laughed.

So I got him out and spanked him.

He laughed…AGAIN.

I said , “Well , I guess I will have to use the Datil Pepper HOT SAUCE.”

THAT got a  reaction….

“No Mom, PLEASE. No MOM!!!!!!”

He begged .

He Pleaded.

He still got “Sauced”.

Please pray for us.

Pray that we don't need to plant an EXTRA Datil pepper plant….JUST FOR MALACHI!!!!

Vegetarian Déjà Vu….

As I said before…..Our kids ALWAYS want to be like Zeek.

He’s older.

He’s cooler.

He’s MORE fly!!!!

Last night we went and got the kids some food on our way home.

It was 8pm.

We were TIRED.

And I didn’t want to cook.

(Lazy, Bad, un-smart…I know.  But we were TIRED from swimming in the pool all day.)

So we got home I sat all the kids up with their food.

They had all(except Zeek-he already ate.) ordered chicken fingers and french fries.

(again-I feel BAD even WRITING it. UUUggghhhh.)

Malachi then took 1 BITE and said, “ Mom- I’m a Vegetarian!”

I said , “You are????”

He said, “Yes, every time I eat it now I think I can taste CHICKEN GUTS!”

I am SURE Zeek had SOMETHING to do with this.  LOL

He probably heard Zeek say that at some point.

So funny…they LOVE their Zeek.

Remember THIS STORY about Zeek?????

And I ‘ll bet you KNOW what Shahshas remark was when she hear Malachi say that…..

AGAIN…”I’ll take HIS!”

Such a sweet love these kids share…down to the CHICKEN. 

Football FUN!!!!!

It’s THAT time again…

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL????????

LOL

We are.

Spring Flag Football is BACK!!!!

And if you know us…..you know that we LOVE some football with Coach Matty and Coach Daddy.

We LOVE our “little Jags”.

This is Zeeks 4th season to play.

Malachi’s 2nd season.

AND

(drumroll)

SHASHAMANE is playing this season also!!!!!

Sweet GIRLY-GIRL.

I NEVER thought  I would see the day….

BUT- she decided that she wanted to play at the last minute.

Like THE DAY BEFORE PRACTICE last minute.

We were riding in the van and she said….

“I want to play SOMETHING.”

I said …”Play football.”

She got the weirdest look on her face..and said,

(as if to MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD)

“OK…but If it was the right TIME to get into dance…I would DANCE”

(This time of year is NOT a good time to start dance….recitals, end of year, etc.)

I said, “I know.” and called the YMCA.

She even got NEW cleats on Tuesday……FUN.

By Wed she was all signed up and ready to go.

On our way to practice she said, “Are there going to ba any GIRLS there?”

Uh-Oh.

I QUICKLY replied, “It doesn’t matter if there are girls there.  You are going to have fun and play.”

She smiled.

 

 

Practice went GREAT!!!!

Zeek JUMPED right in….as CAPTAIN.

Malachi was stoked and Shasha…

well Shasha was nervous .

The first 30 min of practice she had her arms crossed.

I think she was unsure of what to do.

LOL

But soon enough …she was right there with the rest of them.

Sweet Football Princess….

Go LIL’ JAGS!!!!!!!

 

Spiderman Adventures and Dinosaur Dreams………..

Malachi had his party today in what we “Floridians” call FREEZING weather.

It was 53.

COLD.

Malachi had a great time.

He played with all his friends at PROJECT SWING.

 

 

 

THEN….We sang “happy Birthday” and had DINOSAUR CAKE!!!!!

YUMMY!!!

  

Aunt Amy brought hot cocoa and we had a little food…….

AND…..

He got LOTS of GREAT PRESENTS!!!!!

(Thank You ALL!!!!)

Sorry for any gifts I didnt get pics of(football,PJs and Jags jerseyx2, Hot wheels, sword, ninja, electronic drum set!)

He had a great time !!!!

It means alot to us that even on a “FREEZING” day…we can come together and still be WARM.

ANd tonight after he played with EACH and EVERY toy and watched adinosaur movie he climbed in bed …

held tight to his new spiderman(thanks Aunt Ci ndy) and fell asleep surely having SPIDERMAN ADVENTURES and DINOSAUR DREAMS!!!!