Hiding

It dawns on me that I'm hiding

and I realize that as His child I am free

and when did oppression have such a strong voice

and when did I start giving it space in my heart?

Because oppression is only able to thrive

when we tiptoe around it and refuse to call it by name

but when we claim it and come clean and ban it from our rooms

we are able then to conquer it with light and joy

Light and joy comes only from God above.

So I come from hiding, singing a song to Him,

The one who put that music in my heart;

the One who truly has set us free. Indeed.

John 8:36
So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

New and Improved

You remember our favorite mode of transportation? Back when we had 1 little girl on the tag-a-long and 1 toddler who was happy with her PBJ's in the caboose?

Well, with the addition of our third little gal, Miss Georgia Reese,



came the decision to expand "the train." Holland has now graduated and announced her desire to ride like Liv--"like a big girl". So you'll have to check out our new ride:

We parked it next to our Subaru for comparison:


Brian is great at keeping the train upright and up to speed. He is also a master at turning a corner and dodging pedestrians who don't know their right from their left and who stare at us as a sheep would look at oncoming traffic with no intention whatsoever of moving out of the way. I included this picture to prove to y'all that Brian does need me, and I do put forth effort on my part as "the stoker".



He may say otherwise, but I swear to you that this u-turn he is making is to pick me up. "Oops! We forgot, mom!" Seriously? It is also proof that I do work. I also pinch bottoms if the captain complains. There may or may not have been a water bottle or two dumped over a certain captain's head.

No reason to gape with your mouth open at my behavior. This is all good and normal whilst learning how to tandem ride together.

Speaking of learning to ride together, the girls' tandem set-up actually shifts, and they have to also pedal together. It was pretty hysterical listening to them work things out the first time we ventured out.

"L-I-V! Your making it too hard to pedal!

"If you don't pedal, then I'm going to..."

"Now it's too easy! Stop doing that!"

These comments and more were heard along the greenbelt for about the first half of the ride. The next hour or so were spent laughing hysterically as they learned how to work together--so hard was their laughter that they almost fell off their bike at different times. What a treasure to see these sisters working together. Learning how to give and take. Going, as their mama constantly reminds from the stoker seat, not too fast and not too slow. :o) I also need to admit that these two little chickies learned in two hours what Brian and I are still learning 4 years later.



We love riding together. Brian and I get a decent workout, the girls appreciate the beauty around them as they are out and about, and Reese is happy and nappy in the back. Other perks: Not having to worry if the girls are in the way of other bikers, or cars while crossing the street. Both girls are braver about going faster when on their own bikes. We can all hear each other and have conversations while riding!



Happy biking to you and yours!

Feast on Ordinary

"You're getting so big!" said the younger to the older

and yes--the bone under the pillow speaks loud and clear

of passing years

Yet, she is still not so big

as she parades and yips and high pitches

her way around the room.

And she grabs her tiny box

special made for youthful mouth

and part of the little girl is put away

Content she is to be passing this way

and I--well, I am, too

For it is a rite of passage that speaks loud

Speaks of textbook

and of average

and says that all is as it should be within

For there was a time

between these walls

when sickness reigned

So thank you, Lord

for this moment

while I feast on ordinary

And I will not lament

the passing of time

nor will I wish it to stop

So ticking clock

tick away,

God's minutes are a gift.

Watercolor Class

Part of our homeschool schedule is spent on exploring notable artists throughout history. The girls and I really enjoy pouring over their paintings, discussing the colors, dark and light, what catches our eye first-off, and the interesting details of the characters displayed within the frame. After we take a good look, we will read about that particular painting and sometimes even get a glimpse into the mind of the artist and what he was thinking while painting. We have loved getting to know these artists. Holland's favorite is John Singer Sargent, particularly this one. It's called Carnation Lily, Lily Rose. It was born out of Sargent's wish to paint the affect of the sunset--shown with the perfect colors, shadows, and light--combined with the light of artificial chinese lanterns. This meeting of colors and shadows wasn't easy to paint, as Sargent had to set up his station and the little girl models as well, every night for 2 minutes. Over and over again, day after day, until the painting was finished. Liv's favorite of Sargent's is the depiction of Robert Louis Stevenson. The girls were fascinated to see Robert Louis Stevenson because part of their schoolwork included a book of poems that he had written, called A Child's Garden of Verses.

Personally, I love art as it gives way to the idea that there is no one way to tackle a problem. It also relieves stress, is a wonderful vehicle for expression, and is a fine, quality activity to do together. When completing art, I only have 3 rules:

Rule #1: There is no such thing as a mistake. All "mess-up's" can be fixed or turned into something better. For example, one day Holland drew a green flower. She was distraught because she thought it looked messy but, because she had used crayon, she couldn't erase it. So we talked about her options and she eventually decided that she could turn her green flower blob into a round green shape and put some rays on it. She called her painting, The Day the Sun Turned Green. Tears dried up. Everyone, especially Holland, was happy.

Rule #2: No tears, especially about "mess-ups" (see Rule number 1)

Rule #3: follow specific rules about technique, subject, etc., otherwise--no other rules.

We've only recently explored watercolor, but one of our recent favorites is called wet in wet. You just apply watercolor to wet paper. The first time I tried this, I was so fascinated by the bleeding colors. You can also heighten the interest by creating a crayon resist watercolor. Draw on your paper using a white (or for young artists, light gray) crayon. Press hard. Wet paper, then apply pigment. The paint naturally pulls away from the crayon. It's such fun.

The girls recently completed their paintings using the wet in wet method. Here are the simple steps to making your own.

First make sure to have your paint and palette. You don't have to worry about getting fancy supplies. Cups will work beautifully, and any watercolors will do. I like to use the tubes that need to be mixed with water because it's easy to mix colors and vary the intensity of the pigment.

I do love good paper, though. You will want thick, absorbent, specially-for-watercolor-paper. I get ours at Michaels or Joann's with the 40% off coupon. (Hint: Michael's accepts Joann's coupons!)

Either pick an item to be drawn, or allow for free design. This time, the girls were working on a specific assignment. They had to pick a fruit or vegetable, or a flower from our garden to draw.

Liv's Choice:

Holland chose a flower from our garden:

I think I am seriously in love with gum erasers.

The girls have finished their drawings and are waiting for paint:

I place the paint in the palette, mixing colors if necessary and add a touch of water, then mix. I have found that a medicine dropper works wonders when adding water to the paint.

Then apply water to the paper:

Now you can start applying the color.

Have a roll of paper towels nearby, or napkins. It works wonders to blot the paint if the bleeding of the paint gets carried away.

If the paper gets dried out in different areas, just use the dropper to add some water to a certain spot:

The girls were so excited with how their pictures turned out. Holland's flower:

Liv's artichoke:

I hope this inspires you to get your paint on and create some beauty around your home, but more--in the minds of your special little people.

We Are Cups

We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled.

The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over and let the beautiful stuff out.

-Ray Bradbury, excerpt from Zen in the Art of Writing

English Daisy

"Don't you think Daisies are the friendliest flower?"

-Kathleen Kelly, You've Got Mail, 1998

First the poppies, and now this:

The other flowers are following suit and showing their pretty faces.

I said "hello!" and "welcome back!" recently to our English Daisies. Also known as Bellis Perennis, in the family of asteraceae. The most notable feature of English Daisies are the tubular petals. A baby has only 2-3 layers of these petals. As it matures, the layers increase in number.

Happy Memorial Day!

Thanking God today for those who put other's first; for those who are so brave and fierce in their love for our Country.

God Bless America.

Only The Best

...for our baby.



Note: image has been cropped to show guilty party.