Traci's Testimonials

Yesterday we celebrated my baby girl's 6th birthday. I decided to give her a party reminiscent of my younger years complete with tacky streamers, multi-coloured balloons, homemade cake with sprinkles, and musical chairs. I understand that this is not the type of celebration common for this era. Children today have more trouble deciding between renting out the zoo or local movie theater for the day than the chocolate vs. vanilla crisis of yesteryear. My little one was thrilled with the party's simplicity. She waited with anticipation at the door for each guest to arrive eyeing the size and shape of each package under their arms. She had decided to invite not only her friends but also some of the older girls' friends so they wouldn't have to "hang out" with six-year-olds. She's so thoughtful.   When the guests of all ages had arrived, we began with a rousing game of Hot Potato. Out of the eight girls present only three had ever played before. I found that ...

Today was a frustrating day. I have a few of those every now and then. They usually happen in cycles... around every 24 hours. It was raining today and I love rainy days because I don't have to worry about children's minds wandering from their school work to the plethora of activities awaiting them in the sunshine. We started promptly at 9 and moved seamlessly through math and language arts until our break at 10:30. I have learned that one should not stop while on a roll however my children vehemently disagree. The 9 year-old has taken to watching the clock very closely during the late morning. She looks like a thoroughbred at the starting gate. When the minute hand makes that final move onto the six, it's like she hears a starting pistol inaudible to most human ears. The break is good in theory. It allows us to breathe and regroup. I enjoy the stopping part of it. It's the getting back at it that kills me. I have a few kids that are studious and co-operative. When I...

Sunday is my favorite day of the week. Usually. This past Sunday morning started with a bang. Saturday night we decided on having a family movie night and invited the Pevensey children, Aslan and the White Witch to regale us with tales from Narnia. The boys fell asleep before Beaver accused his wife of being a sub par chef so when the movie ended we just threw blankets over them and left them where they were. By 6 a.m. I had been lying awake in bed for hours due to a disturbing dream but I was determined to stay put until the alarm sounded. Just as I was starting to drift I heard the BANG that started my day....and you thought I was just being coy. One of the Buddies had rolled of the recliner he'd fallen asleep on. Most children would cry and run to Mama after such a rude awakening. Not my boy. No, he decided it was fun and tried several times to recreate the accident. When my eyelids refused to close I reluctantly dragged my resisting body from the warm...

Wednesday is Library Day in our house. My children love the library and we are blessed to have one within walking distance from our home. Then again, everything in our town is within walking distance from our home. We have been frequenting it once weekly ever since the 5 year-old was born. Mrs. Donna, the librarian, is excellent with the kids and so supportive of our homeschooling that it makes visiting a real joy. I have taken to letting the 3 girls go without me to pick their books and movies and so far it's been a smashing success. I love seeing what they choose for themselves, it gives me a glimpse into what truly interests them and that's exciting for me! However, I wasn't expecting one thing my eldest decided to return with this week. As the girls headed out the door I reminded them to use discretion in their choices and to get the boys some good bedtime material. They always take a cell phone when they go and call me repeatedly to ask if this book is ok or i...

After the 9 year-old's finger mishap we decided that the kid should take a little break from the recreation scene. A few days ago we lifted the ban and allowed them to visit the brand new park across the street. I've never been a big fan of neighborhood parks. They are fraught with danger! Dangling from the monkey bars is a broken leg waiting to happen! The discarded candy that's still partially wrapped is too tempting not to pick up! The merry-go-round goes 'round way too merrily and usually draws blood at some point. But much more scary than any of these is the presence of other children. Now, I love kids! I think I've proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt. They don't even have to belong to me for me to love them. Kids are great! If nothing else, they are a constant source of comedic entertainment. But there are those few kids who are not entertaining. Those few who ruin every one's fun. My daughters ran into these kids this past week. First, you must und...

I found this a while back and felt it appropriate to post today.............. 1. Please stop asking us if it's legal. If it is - and it is - it's insulting to imply that we're criminals. And if we were criminals, would we admit it? 2. Learn what the words "socialize" and "socialization" mean, and use the one you really mean instead of mixing them up the way you do now. Socializing means hanging out with other people for fun. Socialization means having acquired the skills necessary to do so successfully and pleasantly. If you're talking to me and my kids, that means that we do in fact go outside now and then to visit the other human beings on the planet, and you can safely assume that we've got a decent grasp of both concepts. 3. Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir practice, baseball game, art class, field trip, park day, music class, 4H club, or soccer lesson to ask her if as a homeschooler she ever gets to...

This past weekend I was single parenting temporarily since my husband had been invited to attend a golf "thing". The idea of getting together with my mom had been tossed around and at the last minute she decided to make the two hour trek north. I was glad that I didn't have to drag 5 children and a dog down to the 'rents for an overnight stay. That translates into about 3 suitcases worth of stuff . Instead Gramma packed up her reusable grocery bag and the "granddog". She is watching my canine niece while my sister vacations in Florida and we're stuck in 12C temperatures. But we're not bitter. Sadie is a Dane/Shepherd lap dog that slightly resembles Yoda with extraordinarily long legs. She is sweet but I'm quite sure she thinks she's a Jack Russell. The visit was lovely. The kids enjoyed having Gramma for a sleepover. Oh, how I wish I could end this post right there. Before mom left the 9 year-old said her good-byes and trotted off to play a...

I have been reprimanded in recent days for allowing my blog to idle. Believe it or not, I can become busy from time to time. I apologize. I didn't know there was any sort of vested interest in my ramblings but I'm delighted there is! Yesterday started out as any normal sort. I was up before dawn packing Hubby's lunch. Looking forward to what lay ahead; lingering over coffee and conversation with Ryan until 6, Bible reading and prayer, then my morning chores until the kitchen is invaded by bleary-eyed, zombie-like children muttering something about Frosted Flakes. Had I known what kind of day it would turn out to be I would have let my husband starve, skipped my daily dose of bean juice, let the animals outside to hunt and gather for themselves the way God intended, and crawled back under the covers. It was grocery day, like going to Disney but FUNNER! Ugh. I always like to clean up before we leave for a few reasons. First, so I don't walk right back in to a chaos to mak...