A year and half ago, one of my new years resolutions was to be more green. It has had a pretty big impact on us and the way that we do things. Some are obvious ways....we recycle more, we use more organic or natural products. But many ways I might not have expected. I think rather than becoming more green...we have become more simple. By simple, I mean living the way people might have decades ago. We make most if not all of our own cleaners. We use rags instead of paper towels, cloth napkins instead of paper. We compost. We make our own laundry soap. We have pretty much eliminated prepackaged food from our home. We make own bread, grind our own wheat, make bagels, tortillas, pitas, english muffins, etc. None have been perfected, but we are working on that. We hang dry much of our laundry. We try to buy efficiently, when we have to purchase. We have a garden now. We are much better about storing our food, and using it before it spoils.

All of this to say....simple is not really simpler. It is just different...basic. And very enjoyable. I appreciate our food much more when I see the work that it took to create, whether that be from my garden, or homemade bread. It make me feel better to use laundry soap that I made. There are so many lost arts, so much independency that I hope to recover.

We are working hard (at least I am), on getting rid of half of what we own. Half is not actually very realistic, but it does put me in the right mind frame. We own too much. It clutters our life. It stresses. It breaks, gets stained, ruined, lost. I want to own far less, and then be a better steward with what I do own. Our garage sale is in two weeks. We have lots to get rid of. And a lot more to go through before that time. My hope is that when it is finished. Everything will have a place. Every thing will have a home. And we will know where that home is!! Our goal is to earn enough to purchase the Little House on the Prairie DVD set. We are enjoying watching those immensely. I am sure we will make this goal, but it sure helps the kids to have a goal, and to see what they will be getting for all their giving up.

In short...my family philosophy...own less, appreciate and care for what you do own. And be grateful for everything. "What do you have that was not given to you? And if it was given to you, why to act as though it was not?" It's our verse for the week, and such a good reminder that all we have is actually God's, and needs to be cared for and used for His purposes.

Now to tackle the next drawer!

New School Books

Today Josiah's books for school came. I have been very excited about this, but Josiah did not seem to care...until the books showed up today. Then we were both excited. He opened box after box smiling with delight at all the books he would be learning from. He was especially thrilled with a math workbook that is at least 3 inches thick. It was exciting to see him getting anxious for school to start.

There was also big thick books for me! Didn't quite realize I would be getting so much work too, but I am delighted as well. I know there will be questions that Josiah has, and I am very anxious to help him discover the answers. I love that I will be learning all of this with him. We can talk about everything that he is learning at school, and I will be completely informed about what is going on.

Josiah pointed out something that I had not considered about online schooling. He and I both love to know what is ahead. I love the syllabus for classes. It let me know what to expect, what I would be learning, and what I needed. But in elementary school, you don't get that. You never know what you will be learning next. You don't know what books you will be reading...what you will study...what you may be doing. This is not always true, but often it is the case. So for Josiah to sit down with all the books he would be using to complete his 5th grade year...or at least the books a normal 5th grader would need was pretty exciting. He can figure out what he will be doing, just by looking at his supplies.

Well, we looked at them all, got them all put up on the shelf, his on the left, mine on the right with his science kit in the middle. We are ready...and excited.

PS. Josiah is already halfway through the math textbook...it's been 2 hours.

Busy...busy...desperately busy

It has been too long since I blogged. Especially being that it was a New Year's resolution, but oh, well. Lots has happened. Most specifically was Josiah's bacterial meningitis. But that is for another day.

This summer has been a lot of fun. I thoroughly enjoy spending time with my kids. I love summer vacation, and hate when school starts again. Lucky for me...this year Josiah will be doing an online academy, so I will be his learning coach/fellow student for a majority of the school day. He will attend Idlewild for a little also, so he maintains friendships and peer contact. But I am soooooo happy to have him home more! I hate when they leave for school.

Next week I will have my hands very full. Both my brother and sister will be going to work for the week, giving me 4 extra little girls, ages 4, 4, 2, and 1. I can't wait! My kids are very excited for "Cousin Camp" and are planning activities and things. We are also trying hard to clean up our house and "toddler-proof" is again, at least sort of. It has been a while since we had a toddler in the house, and we are trying to "purge" and go back to living in a "simple" house. That has left a ginormous pile of stuff for our garage sale right in front of our door. Today we got most of it picked up and taken up to Josiah's room. We have made quite a bit of progress toward the garage sale, but still have a long way to go.

Some of the things we need to prepare for "Cousin Camp". Menu that is easy, the kids will like, and we can stick too. Then need to get grocery shopping done on Sunday. Recipes....edible playdough, fun snacks, that kind of thing. Our character quality for the week is "gratefulness", so we are going to include the little ones and are printing our coloring pages, and making a porcupine out of pipe cleaners. We hope to run through the sprinkler, watch the newest VeggieTales movie, and read some books too. We also want to make concrete garden stepping stones, so we need to get those materials in the next few days also. I really wish we had a 15 passenger van, so we could go to the park, but alas...not yet.

To make us even busier! The Danskin Triathlon is the weekend. Tomorrow I will be taking my bike up to Seattle, and picking up my race number and such. The family has not been to the traithlon in a few years....rain, sickness, laziness on my part. But they are coming this year, and I am looking forward to that. Noelle did not want to go though, she doesn't remember it at all, and thought she would have to DO the triathlon. Poor girl. She was fine with it once I told her she could just watch. Though this really hinders my preparation time for next week, I am glad to have a little "me" time this weekend. I really enjoy the triathlon, and hope to really run this year. I have never really run well in the triathlon, but having finished two half marathons now...well, I'm hopeful.

Better get to work!