Domestic Command Zones aka Chores!

A few months ago, I came up with our new chore system for this house.  This system was spurred by my frustration with some children cutting way to many corners getting their chores done and the general mommy feeling of... why am I doing everything?!?  Time for me to re-visit I am a Mother, not a maid. :)

So, I started with what needs done in our home? 

Then I listed exactly what was expected for each chore to be thorougly done. 

Put them onto index cards for easy handing out, easy transport, and laminated for easy wiping off.

Sometimes, it is a chore and a command.  For example, whoever gets "Clean Room" is responsible to clean their own room and inspect the other rooms.  They are responsible to check under the beds, behind the dresser, etc.  Takes the lead off my shoulders and trains them about what it's like to be in charge.

Another example, if they get "Vacuum" then they have to tell everyone to pick-up their stuff and follow through, not me.  

They are in Command of their zone, not me.  

Curbs some of the "it's just easier for me to do it myself" attitude that I can get.  

Made pockets for each child. Early morning I may slip in their 2 chores (1 for Hannah).  Or I may turn them all upside down and have each child pick.  Or I may be in "serious business" mode and assign chores according to who will complete it the best OR who needs to learn how to do it better when I have the time to teach individually.

I use these as either consequence chores or company's coming chores or I want a thorough cleaning chores.

When you have a big family, you might be like me and find yourself  repeating yourself over, and over, and over again.  Several months ago,  I lost my voice really bad for over 2 weeks.  This was my solution to my follow through with the children.  Now, I keep it on the back of the front door, and we use it when we need to "re-visit" expectations. 

 (DCZ is Domestic Command Zone-

hey- I have boys who would rather conquer and command than keep house!)

Life (as I know it)

Earlier this week, Paul and I went to another training seminar to pick up more "equipping". My sister-n-law came and cared for the children, but really, I think God sends her just as much for me, as for the children. I just love that woman. 

I am really enjoying the opportunities that San Francisco has to offer, but especially the new ARC skills that I am learning to most effectively love and serve people, which of course, begins in my own home.   Our most recent conference in Long Beach was all about people, our rehabilition program services,(you know the psycho-stuff)  and I learned some amazing yet practical tools.

Jesus said "you will know the truth and the truth will set you FREE!"   

Is it fair game to apply my new understandings to my children, why yes, of course!   (hee!hee!)

This new appointment and venture in our lives, is not soley set out for Paul and Rachel.  It is for the whole lot of us.  Our gracious God appointments the whole family, right down to little Mary.
 He is not a divider, sending us all to go our own separate ways, God is a uniter.

It has been almost a year of an uphilll battle in a lot of ways.  Not everything is "solved" from my perspective, but I try to commit my ways to the Lord instead of brooding, and I keep seeing God's creative provision!!

I take the kids out and about everytime I get the chance.   The children and I are trying to have some fun with all the (annoying) attention we get for being a "big" family.  Now we just pretend we're movie stars and we have paparazzi.  But really, people are so friendly and curious, I don't mind.  I do mind though when they ask me how old I am.

Here is a hidden picture game... can you spot all five?

Wherever you are in your journey, may you know the love and peace that our Living God has to offer.



Friends

I'm so glad the table doesn't stay empty for long...

Tea with friends.

A giant bumble bee flee into the kitchen and Papa Bear caught it under a glass for all to see.


Even with a move, and being perfect strangers to everyone, God is still blessing my family with friends.
Elijah has been to a couple of birthday parties and visited over at a couple of friends homes, fine Christian families. 
David has spent time over at friends homes, also good Christian families. 
I've visited over with some moms of the boys' friends while all our children played.
We've had a few friends come and visit too, such as the above darling girls, and a brother-sister set from the boys' school, and we even have our very own set of twin boys to play with across the street. 
I've been so blessed to have 2 friends from The Dalles come and visit. Did my heart so much good!  And because I've needed more overnight childcare than usual, I get to see my mom and sister-n-law often. 
We're also quite excited and looking forward to vacationing with our good family friends early summer (between the two of us we have 11 children!) And yesterday, a package in the mail from another dear friend from The Dalles.

I remember there was a time in my early Officership that I thought I would just live a friendless life.  Sure we had our people and staff, but it's an unfair burden to them by making them your "friends". We're not there to get our own needs met.  Slowly, but surely, God has brought people into our lives that become friends, good friends, add that to my childhood-always-friends, and I feel like one very blessed lady. 

Several years ago, one of my Home League ladies wrote this up on our chalkboard:
"If you want a friend, be a friend."  So it takes some effort.  I'm not always on top of it due to the needs of my family and ministry.  But I try, I pray for them, and I thank God for the special people we call friends.

Why God Made Babies Cute

I have this problem.  Selective amnesia. 

Everytime I have a child that enters the "mess-making" stage.

I rant and rave that surely, this is my messiest baby yet.  "None of the other children were like this" I say.

But then, my friends and family remind me "Rachel... you said that about Hannah, and Ann, and Elijah, and David too."  

"Oh, did I?"

Just recently I came out of the shower to find Mary had dumped an entire bottle of glue out.

I grabbed my camera for evidence.

I am convinced that God made babies cute so that we don't kill them when they do this.

In fact, I say a frantic "Oh my goodness Mary!!"

but melt when she gives me her *I'm so proud of myself smile*

And then we set about cleaning it up.

Ann is such a generous helper.

    "MAAAAAARY!!!".....
I have also recently washed countless stuffed animals after Mary has given them a swirly in the toilet, 
and found an entire package of baby wipes pulled out so that she could cover up her babies, a whole tube of toothpaste squeezed out on the toothbrushes she had lined up, smashed grapes all over the living room when she used the stepstool to pull them down off the counter and then pass them out to  her brothers and sisters, sharpee marker scribble on the wall!!  and other traumatic events that I'm trying to block out ;)

But...

"Love keeps no record of wrong."

So I'm just fine with all the things I don't remember. 


Thank you Lord, for the babies.

Resources

(I do hope you'll make the time follow along and click on the links I've provided, perhaps you'll have to take in this post on a few different visits.)

Eleven years ago, I turned up pregnant with our first child.  I began to check out books at the Library, suscribe to "parenting" magazines and ask lots of questions to the older women in my life.  I was hungry for knowledge and wisdom!  My Titus 2 women (and God is still sending them!), such as my mom,  a couple of ladies from our first appointment, and my in-law mom and sister,  were great examples and support to me, but what I found as far as books and magazines just weren't very satifsfying. Yes, there was some valuable knowledge, but it wasn't offering me a God-centered perspective.  Some of the more popular magazines basically left me envisioning my husband in an apron and lip gloss, all womanized, while I could go off and have all my selfish desires fulfilled with a size 2 body, after giving birth.   (btw- my husband is a great daddy, changes diapers, gives baths, anything really, and he is still all man ;)  

It seems to me that most of what the world has to offer us women is a way out of the nitty gritty of being a wife and mother. Tempting indeed.  I had to allow (continually btw!) God to change my perspective and attitude and embrace these relationships and roles in my life just as God, who ordained them, does. 

As the internet increased, I began discovering new, uncensored, non-money-motivated, Biblical perspective, resources.  Many resources were recommendations from friends, or ones that I ran across once I knew coin-phrases to google.

These resources have been so valuable and encouraging and inspiring to me as I find my way in being the woman God made me to be.  And the added bonus, is that when my "house in order" it spills over into the public ministry that God has called me to.  I feel authentic, sincere, equipped,  and quite aware of the spiritual battle that is going on in so many families. 

>The Bible- If God didn't mean it, why would He say it?  There is much to be learned in God's Word!  The Character of God, and our own nature.  The Ways of God and man's way.  And, the very pulse of it all, God's ever-reaching love for us and how we love others.   *Salvation*   *Holiness*    These are the ways that God desires us to love not just "others" but our families. 

>Blogs- I follow a few blogs and sit down very early most mornings with a cup of coffee in hand to check-up on my blog friends.  It's my "me time" when I am encouraged and inspired and come away with ideas and recipes.   My friend, Stacie, over on a fire fighter's wife, has brillantly equated blogging like being penpals.  (And I have had literally 100+ penpals back  when I was child and we wrote with pen and paper.  I was published in 2 magazines and my parents made me answer back every letter!)

A few things you should know about my blog-

• On my side bar is a list of blogs I follow and recommend.
• I have no idea who visits my blog.  I have a tally ticker on the bottom of my blog, so I just see numbers but my readers are free to come and go, lurk or whatever, I don't care. 
• If you visit my blog, I gaurantee you will feel better about your life- either you will be encouraged by our life or you will say "I'm glad I'm not them" and thank the good Lord for yours.
• I aim to be transparent and honest, but obviously there are still private matters, and even though it is a main part of our lives,  I mostly avoid public ministry posts because I do not want to divulge the things that aren't my story to share, nor cross the line of taking personal credit for the works of God in ministry.  
• I am fully aware of opening myself up for judgment, sometimes harsh or misunderstood (or fully deserved!)  But we are all to shine before others, not micromanage other's perception of us. 

>Websites-  I also have websites that are favorites of mine.  Those are also listed on my sidebar. Take a visit, I bet there is something there for you too.  I most highly recommend Vision Forum and Above Rubies.

>Education- Dare I go here??  Well, yes, I should.  There is an incredible amount of educating materials available on the internet.  While the Textbooks in public schools are edited with a particular agenda in mind (non-"offensive" non-"religious" non-"racist" non-"challenging") , the stuff you can find on the internet makes it so that you, as a parent, can resource your children above and beyond public-education. The  1911 Encyclopedia  is a great resource that answers lots of questions.   I also love the Happy Hearts Homeschooling blog that shares all sorts of old fashioned treasures for learning solid material.

And before I get to carried away here since this post is already quite long,
may I suggest that you take the time to read the following link:
Our Children
Written by the eldest daughter of General William and Catherine Booth.

 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his precepts have good understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.
-Psalm 111:10

Zoo

On Saturday morning, our neighbors took us to the zoo.

Isn't that sweet?

They have twin boys.

           We had a wonderful time. 
           The weather was perfect. 
           The animals are fascinating. 
           And we got friendly with our neighbors.

       For Narnia!

     We thought this sign was funny.
     Notice the bottom line.

 We brushed goats for a looooong time. 
 This goat was so longsuffering. 

         And this goat.

This one too.

             I call this one "Man and Goat"

                   Ann had a rough ride.

                      Mine was rougher though.

Does Paul look scared here? Confused? 

She scares me too ;)  lol!

           What's worse than pushing around a 9 year old?

           Trying to reach high speeds with your 11 year old.

~The earth is filled with His Glory~

Tick-Tock

Wednesday was my birthday (my twin brothers too!)

35 and counting.  I want to celebrate, I love having a day of guilt free my way day, but for me, it also reminds me that 

  I am running out of time... 

"Teach us to number our days,

that we may gain a heart of wisdom."

                                                                    Psalm 90:12

I'm trying to squeeze a lot out of this life, but I see that as I grow older, that some things just require more time, energy, and attention than others. That is where the wisdom has to come in.  I need to seek God,"what do I really need to be doing right now?"  I hate wasting time.  Probably because there seems to be so little of it.  I pray that the things that are most important to God, are most important to me.

Birthday Happenings!
After the usual early morning routine,
and taking the boys to school and getting gas,
I went to meet Paul at the ARC with the girls.
He was taking me to pick out my birthday present,
but before that, I was surprised with cake from our most wonderful staff.
I was also gifted by my 2 of my Comrads, an aromatic candle on my desk and later a decorative plate that is SO my taste and goes with my dream kitchen of cobalt blue and white and my heart for my home.
Paul put a lot of effort into my birthday, because he took me and the girls to a really nice shopping mall that of course he first "researched" to make sure they had the food and store I wanted.  We ate at this really delicious Japanese place.  I had teriyaki salmon salad.  Very fresh and delicious.
Then he wandered the girls and I around the mall to the Lady Footlocker store where I picked out a quality pair of running shoes.  I figured it's time to get serious with the shoes.  I don't want to hurt my feet.  
I had to hurry home after dropping Paul off at the ARC so I could change into my uniform and get the boys in time from school.  Then back to the ARC with a stop in the Thrift Store to buy David a tye-dye shirt for his 70's day today. 
We ate dinner and headed to Chapel.  Mary was quite the stinker because in all my birthday festivities she didn't get  her nap.  BIG mistake.  And that girl will not sleep anywhere but her crib.  Paul took the girls out for Chapel because it was my birthday and I wanted to sit with my sons and hear the sermon.
When we got home around 7pm, we still had more celebrating to do.  Paul had snuck home at some point and decorated!  I was really surprised.  We had cake with trick candles, and then Paul and the kids had me "hot and cold" for my hidden birthday gifts.  One gift card to Ross from each of the children- that made 5!  It was so much FUN!  (loud too)   And can you believe that I waited to open my birthday present from my Great Aunt Ruby until my birthday.  A lovely stationary set.
I was blessed- happy, content, refreshed.
God so loves us!