This weeks chapter in Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur is on the life of Ruth. It is a story of loyalty and love as we look at her devotion to her mother-in-law Naomi and how God brought Boaz into her life as her kinsman-redeemer husband. My answer to this weeks question is also a love story, the story of how God brought my husband into my life.
“Nothing happens by ‘chance,’ but God is always behind the scenes, working all things together for the good of His people (Rom. 8:28). There is no such thing as ‘luck’ or ‘fate’ for believers.” (page 77)
Given this truth, tell us about a circumstance in your life where you now see God was working “behind the scenes” for your good.
Most of you who read this know our story. Sean asked that I not post it for the world to read because of the personal nature (you'll understand if you read it). And if you'd like to read it just let me know in the comment section and I'll email it to you.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
80's Comeback
If you grew up in the 80's you'll get a kick out of this post I just read over at BooMama's blog. I laughed so hard I cried. I went to school in the 80's and even though I wasn't allowed to watch Molly Ringwald movies and I thought acid wash jean were ugly back then, I still was an 80's child. Reading what other moms thought of "skinny jeans" and what their "mama uniform" consists of was just too funny. It also made me feel better about only having one pair of capri pants and a couple of skirts that I wear with my cotton t-shirt collection.
Friday, August 25, 2006
The Verdict Is In
Yesterday we received a call from UCLA to give us the results of Tuesdays 3 hour assessment. After 8 therapy sessions and 3 long assessment sessions, they determined that Evan's tics had not significantly improved as a result of the program. It is what we thought also. His tics have changed and are slightly less impairing for him, but he still has no control over them. Actually, the group that we were assigned to didn't address controlling ticks so I'm not surprised.
UCLA has offered us the other treatment option now that the study portion is done. This was the group we were hoping to be assigned to. It will address how to be aware of the tics and how to control them using competing behaviors. The example I always use is a tic of waving your arms up and down. A competing behavior would be to tighten your arms into your body so they physically can't wave. Your body is still doing something, but it is not as noticeable or tiring.
We are hoping to take a bit of a break from the driving, and start up after the new year. It will be another 8 weeks of therapy, but will not include assessments or video taping or filling out a bunch of forms. Yeah!!! Even though it has been a lot of work, we are very thankful for the opportunity for Evan to receive help relatively free of charge. (We just have to pay for the gas there and back!)
We think that it has been very helpful for Evan to be a part of this study. And he has said throughout that he really enjoys going. We were assigned to the education group. Most of what they taught us there Evan didn't know before. He has been much more open to talking about his Tourette's Syndrome (TS) now than in the past. We have also found out that some of what we thought were ticks are actually not. And some behaviors we didn't know were associated with TS are actually quite common, like sleep problems. This is important in how we deal with certain behaviors. Ticks are involuntary and many times he doesn't even know he's doing them. But, sometimes the line between sinful behavior and behavior caused by TS is not so easy to distinguish.
I have been reading a book called Blame It On The Brain? by Edward T. Welch. He is also the author of When People are Big and God Is Small, a book I just finished reading. He seems to have a very thorough understanding of psychiatry and brain research but looks at it through the lens of scripture. It has been very helpful in understanding what role the brain plays in relation to injuries, disorders and disease. He also helps address where sin plays a role in these areas and gives suggestions on how to treat the physical brain issues, and the sinful heart issues. One of his suggestions is to first of all find out as much as you can about the disease or disorder you are dealing with. Going to UCLA and spending time with people who specialize in childhood anxiety and tic disorders has given us a much deeper understanding of Tourette's Syndrome.
God is dealing with some of my heart issues as I drive down to L.A. as well. Driving in heavy traffic in an unfamiliar city with a baby who is fussy, and a 7 year old who gets car sick has brought to light anger and frustration I didn't know was there. And feeling physically weak isn't something I'm used to (not counting bed rest). The drive there and back, especially this last time, has made me be dependent on God for each moment. The day before I was to leave I wasn't sure how I was ever going make it. Sean was not able to take the day off of work, and Evan had to be there on that day to be within the parameters of the study. If I didn't take him, we would forfeit the rest of the study and the opportunity to receive the next treatment. As I was driving down, I had time to think about where my faith was. Was it in my ability to control the situation or in God? God helped me to see that He was taking care of us, and I had to talk to myself to remind myself of God's sovereignty in this situation. This has been a difficult season, but I am confident that God will use this situation to work for the good of Evan and myself. (Rom 8:28) I just have to keep reminding myself that, since I all to easily forget! Thank you so much for praying for us. We sincerely appreciate it.
UCLA has offered us the other treatment option now that the study portion is done. This was the group we were hoping to be assigned to. It will address how to be aware of the tics and how to control them using competing behaviors. The example I always use is a tic of waving your arms up and down. A competing behavior would be to tighten your arms into your body so they physically can't wave. Your body is still doing something, but it is not as noticeable or tiring.
We are hoping to take a bit of a break from the driving, and start up after the new year. It will be another 8 weeks of therapy, but will not include assessments or video taping or filling out a bunch of forms. Yeah!!! Even though it has been a lot of work, we are very thankful for the opportunity for Evan to receive help relatively free of charge. (We just have to pay for the gas there and back!)
We think that it has been very helpful for Evan to be a part of this study. And he has said throughout that he really enjoys going. We were assigned to the education group. Most of what they taught us there Evan didn't know before. He has been much more open to talking about his Tourette's Syndrome (TS) now than in the past. We have also found out that some of what we thought were ticks are actually not. And some behaviors we didn't know were associated with TS are actually quite common, like sleep problems. This is important in how we deal with certain behaviors. Ticks are involuntary and many times he doesn't even know he's doing them. But, sometimes the line between sinful behavior and behavior caused by TS is not so easy to distinguish.
I have been reading a book called Blame It On The Brain? by Edward T. Welch. He is also the author of When People are Big and God Is Small, a book I just finished reading. He seems to have a very thorough understanding of psychiatry and brain research but looks at it through the lens of scripture. It has been very helpful in understanding what role the brain plays in relation to injuries, disorders and disease. He also helps address where sin plays a role in these areas and gives suggestions on how to treat the physical brain issues, and the sinful heart issues. One of his suggestions is to first of all find out as much as you can about the disease or disorder you are dealing with. Going to UCLA and spending time with people who specialize in childhood anxiety and tic disorders has given us a much deeper understanding of Tourette's Syndrome.
God is dealing with some of my heart issues as I drive down to L.A. as well. Driving in heavy traffic in an unfamiliar city with a baby who is fussy, and a 7 year old who gets car sick has brought to light anger and frustration I didn't know was there. And feeling physically weak isn't something I'm used to (not counting bed rest). The drive there and back, especially this last time, has made me be dependent on God for each moment. The day before I was to leave I wasn't sure how I was ever going make it. Sean was not able to take the day off of work, and Evan had to be there on that day to be within the parameters of the study. If I didn't take him, we would forfeit the rest of the study and the opportunity to receive the next treatment. As I was driving down, I had time to think about where my faith was. Was it in my ability to control the situation or in God? God helped me to see that He was taking care of us, and I had to talk to myself to remind myself of God's sovereignty in this situation. This has been a difficult season, but I am confident that God will use this situation to work for the good of Evan and myself. (Rom 8:28) I just have to keep reminding myself that, since I all to easily forget! Thank you so much for praying for us. We sincerely appreciate it.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Accountability and Prayer
It is getting harder and harder to write for the GirlTalk book club. I am enjoying the book, but last weeks "assignment" had me in tears. I was not because I didn't want to write it (like when I was in Junior High), but because the subject was painful. My husband deemed it not my best writing effort, probably in part because of my emotions. And I had been hesitant to post it anyway because of the personal nature of my response. So I have chosen not to post it here. But because I view this blog as an accountability of sort in this writing adventure, I felt I needed to explain why the post was missing.
On another note, I have just gotten back from L.A. (8 hour round trip) and need to turn around and do it again this week. I am feeling extremely weary. And to top it off, my neck just went into spasms again today, and I can hardly move it. Would you please pray for me? I am not going to be able to make it this week on my own strength. I know that I never can, but today it is more evident to me than other days when I feel healthy and rested.
On another note, I have just gotten back from L.A. (8 hour round trip) and need to turn around and do it again this week. I am feeling extremely weary. And to top it off, my neck just went into spasms again today, and I can hardly move it. Would you please pray for me? I am not going to be able to make it this week on my own strength. I know that I never can, but today it is more evident to me than other days when I feel healthy and rested.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Ice Cream Maker Recipe
We have been enjoying making ice cream this summer with our new electric Ice Cream Maker. This recipe is from the booklet that came with our machine. The kids loved it.
Slushies
4 cups soda, lemonade, juice or Kool-Aid, chilled (do not use sugar free product)
Turn machine on and pour liquid into freezer bowl and let mix until thick and slushy, about 15-20 min. Serve immediately.
We used red Kool-Aid and it tasted just like a Slurpie.
Slushies
4 cups soda, lemonade, juice or Kool-Aid, chilled (do not use sugar free product)
Turn machine on and pour liquid into freezer bowl and let mix until thick and slushy, about 15-20 min. Serve immediately.
We used red Kool-Aid and it tasted just like a Slurpie.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Using a Food Scale
Even though it is not technically an appliance, since it doesn't plug in, I store my scale with my appliances so it came to mind. Plus, I use it for a couple of really good institutional size recipes.
When I was in college I cooked for a small Christian camp during the summers. Thankfully, one of my nutritional science classes was Quantity Food preparation. The text was a book called Food For Fifty. I used that book several times each week up there at camp and I still use it today. In addition to tables and charts that help you plan how much to buy to feed 50 people, the book has over 400 recipes that each have 50 portions. I know that sounds like a lot, however now that I'm inspired (again) by Jessica to try once-a-month cooking, I'm thinking that some of these recipes would be perfect, no doubling or tripling. I may cut the recipes in half, but then again, the way Evan has been eating lately, maybe I won't!
The first one is for a very tasty Coffee Cake. I usually pan it out into 4 lasagna type baking pans. The beauty of this recipe is that you can make the batter the night before and bake it the next morning. I have also frozen the batter and thawed the night before baking. It also tastes good if you freeze it after baking. Just thaw and reheat.
Coffee Cake
Topping:
10 oz butter or margarine (2 1/2 sticks)
1lb 4 oz sugar (2 3/4 cup)
3 oz flour (3/4 cup)
1 oz cinnamon (4 Tbsp)
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
*Using a flat beater in a stand mixer mix ingredients on low speed until crumbly. Set aside to be used later as topping.
3 lb 6oz Flour (13 1/3 cups)
2 oz baking powder (4 Tbsp + 2 tsp)
2 lbs sugar (4 1/2 cups)
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp salt
6 eggs, beaten (10 oz)
1 1/4 quart milk (5 cups)
1 lb 10 oz butter melted and cooled (6 1/2 sticks)
1. Combine dry ingredients in very big bowl.
2. Combine eggs and milk; add to dry ingredients.
3. Mix on low speed until dry ingredients are just moist. (I use a hand mixer for this since my Kitchen Aid is not big enough.)
4. Add butter and mix on low speed for one minute (or until it is all mixed in).
5. Scale dough into four 9 x 12 x 2-inch pans, 1 lb. 1 oz per pan. Or you can just eyeball it. I usually do.
6. Sprinkle with reserved topping mixture, 1/2 lb per pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until done. (I usually have to bake longer for some reason.) Allow 5-10 extra minutes if you have refrigerated the batter the night before since the batter will be cold. (Again, I think I've had to bake longer maybe even up to an hour total to get the center to come clean with a toothpick.)
I remember this recipe for Mac and Cheese being really good at camp. I haven't tried freezing it yet, but I think it will work.
Macaroni and Cheese
3 lbs. 8 oz Macaroni, cooked, and drained
12 oz butter ( 3 sticks)
8 oz flour (2 cups)
2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp Dry Mustard
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 gal milk
4 lbs cheddar cheese, sharp, shredded
1. Melt butter, stir in flour and seasonings. Cook 5-10 minutes.
2. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly with wire whip. Cook until thickened.
3. Add cheese to sauce. Stir until cheese melts.
4. Pour over macaroni and mix carefully.
5. Scale into baking pans.
Topping*
1 lb bread crumbs (4 cups)
6 oz butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1. Mix crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle over macaroni and cheese.
2. Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes until 180 F.
When I was in college I cooked for a small Christian camp during the summers. Thankfully, one of my nutritional science classes was Quantity Food preparation. The text was a book called Food For Fifty. I used that book several times each week up there at camp and I still use it today. In addition to tables and charts that help you plan how much to buy to feed 50 people, the book has over 400 recipes that each have 50 portions. I know that sounds like a lot, however now that I'm inspired (again) by Jessica to try once-a-month cooking, I'm thinking that some of these recipes would be perfect, no doubling or tripling. I may cut the recipes in half, but then again, the way Evan has been eating lately, maybe I won't!
The first one is for a very tasty Coffee Cake. I usually pan it out into 4 lasagna type baking pans. The beauty of this recipe is that you can make the batter the night before and bake it the next morning. I have also frozen the batter and thawed the night before baking. It also tastes good if you freeze it after baking. Just thaw and reheat.
Coffee Cake
Topping:
10 oz butter or margarine (2 1/2 sticks)
1lb 4 oz sugar (2 3/4 cup)
3 oz flour (3/4 cup)
1 oz cinnamon (4 Tbsp)
1 1/2 tsp. Salt
*Using a flat beater in a stand mixer mix ingredients on low speed until crumbly. Set aside to be used later as topping.
3 lb 6oz Flour (13 1/3 cups)
2 oz baking powder (4 Tbsp + 2 tsp)
2 lbs sugar (4 1/2 cups)
1 Tbsp + 2 tsp salt
6 eggs, beaten (10 oz)
1 1/4 quart milk (5 cups)
1 lb 10 oz butter melted and cooled (6 1/2 sticks)
1. Combine dry ingredients in very big bowl.
2. Combine eggs and milk; add to dry ingredients.
3. Mix on low speed until dry ingredients are just moist. (I use a hand mixer for this since my Kitchen Aid is not big enough.)
4. Add butter and mix on low speed for one minute (or until it is all mixed in).
5. Scale dough into four 9 x 12 x 2-inch pans, 1 lb. 1 oz per pan. Or you can just eyeball it. I usually do.
6. Sprinkle with reserved topping mixture, 1/2 lb per pan.
7. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until done. (I usually have to bake longer for some reason.) Allow 5-10 extra minutes if you have refrigerated the batter the night before since the batter will be cold. (Again, I think I've had to bake longer maybe even up to an hour total to get the center to come clean with a toothpick.)
I remember this recipe for Mac and Cheese being really good at camp. I haven't tried freezing it yet, but I think it will work.
Macaroni and Cheese
3 lbs. 8 oz Macaroni, cooked, and drained
12 oz butter ( 3 sticks)
8 oz flour (2 cups)
2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp Dry Mustard
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 gal milk
4 lbs cheddar cheese, sharp, shredded
1. Melt butter, stir in flour and seasonings. Cook 5-10 minutes.
2. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly with wire whip. Cook until thickened.
3. Add cheese to sauce. Stir until cheese melts.
4. Pour over macaroni and mix carefully.
5. Scale into baking pans.
Topping*
1 lb bread crumbs (4 cups)
6 oz butter (1 1/2 sticks)
1. Mix crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle over macaroni and cheese.
2. Bake at 350 F for about 20 minutes until 180 F.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Deep Fryer Recipe
I normally don't like fried things. (It must be the nutritionist coming out in me.) But, my kids absolutely love it when I make homemade chips. We don't keep chips around much so it's kind of a special treat. It is also really easy if you have a deep fryer.
Homemade Tortilla Chips
Package of corn tortillas
Canola Oil
Salt
1. Fill the deep fryer to maximum level with oil and heat to 375 F.
2. Tear tortillas in fourths and fry 10-12 at a time until crisp (just a couple of minutes).
3. Drain on a paper towel and salt according to taste. They are best warm, but my kids like them the next day too.
If you watch the first batch you'll get an idea of the time required to make them crisp. The more tortillas you use at a time, the longer it takes to fry. You just need to keep them separated a bit. These go great with Taco Soup!
Homemade Tortilla Chips
Package of corn tortillas
Canola Oil
Salt
1. Fill the deep fryer to maximum level with oil and heat to 375 F.
2. Tear tortillas in fourths and fry 10-12 at a time until crisp (just a couple of minutes).
3. Drain on a paper towel and salt according to taste. They are best warm, but my kids like them the next day too.
If you watch the first batch you'll get an idea of the time required to make them crisp. The more tortillas you use at a time, the longer it takes to fry. You just need to keep them separated a bit. These go great with Taco Soup!
Crock Pot Recipe
I have a thing for small kitchen appliances. I just love them. Weirdly enough, I even ask for them as Christmas presents. A couple of years ago, I asked for and received a new crock pot. I had been using my grandmothers orange one from the 70's for awhile. So now I have a really big one that I use all the time. Here is a great recipe I got from my friend Samantha. It comes from the Fix-it-and-Forget-it cookbook on page 36.
Taco Soup
Taco Soup
(Eats more like a chilli)
makes 6-8 servings
1 lb. ground beef or turkey, browned and drained
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
15 1/4 oz can corn, undrained
15 1/2 oz can red kidney beans, undrained
15 oz can black beans, undrained
1 envelope dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix (other brands work well too)
1 envelope dry taco seasoning
1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours.
3. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, chips or cornbread. Add a salad and you've got a meal!
makes 6-8 servings
1 lb. ground beef or turkey, browned and drained
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
15 1/4 oz can corn, undrained
15 1/2 oz can red kidney beans, undrained
15 oz can black beans, undrained
1 envelope dry Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix (other brands work well too)
1 envelope dry taco seasoning
1. Combine all ingredients in slow cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low 4-6 hours.
3. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, chips or cornbread. Add a salad and you've got a meal!
Saturday, August 12, 2006
My Book Club Contribution
I did it! We went out of town, so I didn't procrastinate, but wrote my little paper on Tuesday to send to GirlTalk. I actually feel embarrassed to post it now because I have been in such a bad mood since I got back yesterday, hardly the ideal of being a helpful wife to my husband. And, I realized that it was actually from reading Feminine Appeal (not the book that's featured in the book club!)that I got this idea. Oh well, here it is anyways.
If you write to GirlTalk and send it in, I'd love to read it even if they don't publish it. You can read what they did publish here. It was very inspiring.
We start school on Monday. So I'm planning on posting something easy and fun: a weeks worth of recipes featuring some of my favorite small kitchen appliances. (I had a lot of spare time to think while driving to and from L.A.!)
How did this chapter influence how you think about your true priorities as a woman?
I think I first have to ask myself, "What have been my priorities? What have I spent most of my time thinking about and planning for?"
This past year, I've spent a great deal of time planning homeschool lessons for my two older kids. I've spent a lot of time thinking about my new baby, and all the demands and joys that go along with baby girls. I've spent too much time and effort trying in vain to get my "body" back. And I've spent a lot of intentional time with good books that have helped me to grow spiritually during a time of upheaval with my church and friendships.
As I look at where my priorities have been, I reflect on where I've placed my husband in my planning. Yes, I love him and know in my head that he is to be my first priority after my relationship with God. But when I look back at the past year I don't think I put as much effort in seeking to be as creative and intentional in being a helper to him as I did in other areas of my life. By God's grace, I am seeking to understand my husband better and embrace God's design for my role as his wife.One practical way I am trying to do that is by asking him what I can do around the house that would help him. How freeing this has been since I obviously can't do very household chore every day. However, I can usually do what he's mentioned in adition to "my" list for the day. This has helped me to prioritize how I spend my time in a way that is effective for my family and blesses my husband.
If you write to GirlTalk and send it in, I'd love to read it even if they don't publish it. You can read what they did publish here. It was very inspiring.
We start school on Monday. So I'm planning on posting something easy and fun: a weeks worth of recipes featuring some of my favorite small kitchen appliances. (I had a lot of spare time to think while driving to and from L.A.!)
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Tour of Homes
Welcome to our home! Although we won't post it on the official "BooMama" site, she is the inspiration for letting other people into your home who read your blog, but aren't able to visit your house. We have added on to our home recently. And many friends and family who live in other states have not gotten to see Sean's handiwork.
This is our front door. My poor flowers are not looking too hot after the recent heat wave. Usually they are a glorious riot of blue, my favorite color.
My favorite thing about our living room is our new (used) piano. I just love to hear my husband play. I told him whenever I am stressed to sit down and play worship music. It soothes me like nothing else. The leather furniture we bought on eBay! The chair with the ottoman is my favorite place to read and have my devotions.
The next two pictures are of our kitchen and dining room, where we used to homeschool until Sean built me a homeschool room. Yeah!!
This room functions as our homeschool room, family room, TV room and library. We start school next week so I'm glad that I had the extra motivation of taking these pictures to get it cleaned up and organized. It sure doesn't stay that way for long once school begins!
I just love having a walk-in closet, not for my clothes, but for my school supplies.
Upstairs, we built new rooms for the older kids. Evan loves everything to do with airplanes, especially vintage World War I and II.
Amy likes her dolls and "old fashioned" things. The vanity was her birthday present wish this year. Sean found it at an estate sale for a steal. The canopy bed was mine when I was a little girl. I'm glad my parents saved it.
This is the kids bathroom. When Sean went to Uganda on a mission trip last year, he brought back the cute little wooden animals that matched the "jungle" theme. 
This is our bedroom. My kids gave me the hardest time about taking a picture of it clean, not piled with laundry like it usually is!
I just love how Emily's room turned out. My mom made the crib bedding out of a black and white toile and the softest pink fabric that we found on Wal-mart's $1 a yard table.
Tour of Homes (Continued)
I was having problems uploading pictures so here's the rest of the house. This bathroom (guest) is my favorite. It's hard to see the color, but it is a really pretty purple. The lower part is beadboard my friend gave us. The mirror Sean's dad gave us.
Here is our guest room. It is also the place where I do my blogging.
Here is our guest room. It is also the place where I do my blogging.
This is our back yard. The little house you see in the background is the kids play house.
Before the heat hit, we had tons of flowers. This picture also shows the kids "clubhouse" that Sean built and the patio.
I hope you enjoyed the tour!
Why We Don't Publicize Our Blog
Just a side note on why we don't "publicize" our blog for now. Sean has extensive personal experience with identity theft and fraud (not that that he's wanted by the FBI or anything like that). And while I was in college, I was briefly stalked by a homeless man. Because of this, my husband is particulary protective of me and our children. I am thankful for God's provision in my husband as I was very nieve and trusting of everyone (to a fault) before I met him. Thank you for your understanding to those who have had to ask for our blog address.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Book Clubs and Learning to Write
For the past year I have been wanting to join a book club. I haven't been able to because the clubs met too far away or were at a time of day I couldn't make. So, I was thrilled when Girltalk announced they were starting a book club. Finally, I could read a book (a really good book at that) with other people and experience it with them.
The ladies at Girltalk are assigning a chapter per week to read and a question about how the chapter pertains to your life. If you want, you can e-mail your answer to them and they will pick one answer to post each week. Of course, it is completely optional. They hope that the writing process will help you to put your thoughts together and learn more from the book. It probably will. But......
I hate to write. I've always hated to write. I used to cry in junior high because I hated it so much. I even cried in High School a few times over writing assignments. By college, there were no more tears, but it still was not my favorite thing to do. So normally I would opt out of this part of the book club. But, I need to teach my kids how to write. And the one thing I learned in college about writing is the more you do, the better you get. So, I am going to write each week and send it in to Girltalk. Then I"ll post it here because you probably won't ever see it there. I'm hoping that with the extra practice, I'll gain a little more confidence and sharpen my skills in order to better teach my kids.
This week the question at Girltalk was, "How does your life feel ordinary and how can it be truly extraordinary?" (We are reading Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur.) I had lots of great ideas floating around in my head. I re-read the chapter assigned. And I waited until the last minute, the day it was due, to write about it. Then we had unexpected company come for the night. Our computer is located in our guest room so I never wrote anything. My first lesson to myself on being a better writer is one my High School teacher Mr. Gier used to tell me over and over again, "DON'T PROCRASTINATE!" He even wrote it in my year book. Seriously, he did. It's so nice to be a grown-up now and not have my grade get knocked down because my paper was late.
Part of the reason I didn't write earlier was because I was on a cleaning spree. We start school in a few weeks and I also have been working on taking pictures of our house to post here and be a part of BooMama's Tour of Homes. (Even though I'm late in joining!) My husband gave me an A for cleaning, and my son even thanked me. I was also prepared for unexpected company! So it turned out alright.
But next week I'll write out my "paper" earlier in the week. I hope I've learned my lesson. My husband, who is a very good writer, has promised to help me edit and thus teach me a bit. And if anyone reads this and sees something that could be written differently, or fixed grammatically, please, please tell me. I don't have Mr. Gier to mark up my papers with red anymore!
If you want to join the book club, you can read all about it at Girltalk by clicking here.
The ladies at Girltalk are assigning a chapter per week to read and a question about how the chapter pertains to your life. If you want, you can e-mail your answer to them and they will pick one answer to post each week. Of course, it is completely optional. They hope that the writing process will help you to put your thoughts together and learn more from the book. It probably will. But......
I hate to write. I've always hated to write. I used to cry in junior high because I hated it so much. I even cried in High School a few times over writing assignments. By college, there were no more tears, but it still was not my favorite thing to do. So normally I would opt out of this part of the book club. But, I need to teach my kids how to write. And the one thing I learned in college about writing is the more you do, the better you get. So, I am going to write each week and send it in to Girltalk. Then I"ll post it here because you probably won't ever see it there. I'm hoping that with the extra practice, I'll gain a little more confidence and sharpen my skills in order to better teach my kids.
This week the question at Girltalk was, "How does your life feel ordinary and how can it be truly extraordinary?" (We are reading Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur.) I had lots of great ideas floating around in my head. I re-read the chapter assigned. And I waited until the last minute, the day it was due, to write about it. Then we had unexpected company come for the night. Our computer is located in our guest room so I never wrote anything. My first lesson to myself on being a better writer is one my High School teacher Mr. Gier used to tell me over and over again, "DON'T PROCRASTINATE!" He even wrote it in my year book. Seriously, he did. It's so nice to be a grown-up now and not have my grade get knocked down because my paper was late.
Part of the reason I didn't write earlier was because I was on a cleaning spree. We start school in a few weeks and I also have been working on taking pictures of our house to post here and be a part of BooMama's Tour of Homes. (Even though I'm late in joining!) My husband gave me an A for cleaning, and my son even thanked me. I was also prepared for unexpected company! So it turned out alright.
But next week I'll write out my "paper" earlier in the week. I hope I've learned my lesson. My husband, who is a very good writer, has promised to help me edit and thus teach me a bit. And if anyone reads this and sees something that could be written differently, or fixed grammatically, please, please tell me. I don't have Mr. Gier to mark up my papers with red anymore!
If you want to join the book club, you can read all about it at Girltalk by clicking here.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Questions about Tourette's Syndrome
Evan has gone down to UCLA medical center once a week as part of a research study on childhood tics. Each week he has homework to complete that corresponds to the following weeks topic. This past week he was asked to list questions he and his family has about Tourette's Syndrome, tics and any other related symptoms. If you have any questions would you please e-mail us or post them here in the comment section? We will get a chance to talk with the psychiatrist about them next week, August 11. If you are interested we will let you know what we find out.
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