Riverbend Ramblings

Edited by Mrs. C: I'm sorry that the pictures are so small. Blogger is not being nice to me, and I'm having a very hard time loading pictures. When Mr. C and I were newleyweds I was, shall we say, deficient in my homemaking skills. I could cook a little, I could clean (if we were expecting company), and I could do the laundry. I knew how to iron, but I just let the clothes pile up, and then I ironed our clothes each day as we needed them. I reasoned that I had too many clothes to fit them all in my closet, and if I ironed them, they'd just end up all wrinkled from being jammed in the closet. Well, as time went on and our little blessings began to arrive, I finally got my act together and began to actually take care of our home. I became a better cook, I organized our home and developed routines to keep it clean, and I stopped procrastinating when it came to ironing. Our last home had a laundry area in the garage, so I had to do my ironing in my bedroom. A bad habit that I had was that I would set up the ironing board and then leave it sitting there in the middle of the room for, umm, days. That problem was solved when we moved to our current home. It has an indoor laundry room, which I love. My favorite part of the room is my ironing board. Every woman needs a hide-a-way ironing board! It is so easy to just pull the board down and put it back up when I'm through ironing. I never have to worry about the kids running through a room and tipping the ironing board over. It has an optional timer, which allows me to set a time goal (maybe 30 minutes), and I quit ironing when the timer goes off because the iron shuts off automatically. The lamp comes on when the timer starts, and it really helps me spot those wrinkles! I've only experienced two negatives with my hide-a-way:

1) It isn't as long as a traditional ironing board. However, the only time that is a problem is when I'm ironing a really long dress. It is long enough to iron Mr. C's pants on, so it still gets the job done!

2) I have to order the pad covers from the manufacturer since they are a smaller size. I haven't been able to find them in any of the local stores. They aren't expensive ($8 each), and they last a long time. Ironing for six people is a chore that I no longer dread. I often listen to sermon tapes or relaxing music while ironing. Ironing is also a good time for me to pray for my family. I pray for the person that wears the garment being ironed.

If only my Rowenta iron wasn't recently destroyed by the dog...

Kim at Life in a Shoe is hosting an AMAZING contest! If you are interested in winning over $700 in merchandise from Vision Forum, head over to Life in a Shoe to get all the details. Hurry, the contest ends October 13th! I received the Vision Forum catalog last year, and they offer so many wonderful, family-friendly items. Request one of their catalogs, and get a head start on your Christmas shopping! (You can also have a catalog sent to those grandparents who never know what to get your children for Christmas or their birthday--hint, hint!)

We've been taking advantage of the georgeous weather the last few days and have spent a lot of time outdoors. We've had "school" on the back porch the past two mornings. We've also been enjoying our lunch time in the garden. We have some large rocks in our front yard that the little girls enjoy playing on. Of course, they are really "mountains." While playing on the mountains, they discovered this fuzzy little fellow. I'm pretty sure it's an American dagger moth. Bookworm made a sketch of it for her nature notebook. We'll research it later.

We've also been enjoying the benefits of the cooler temperatures in the garden. Several of our flowers have finally bloomed, although not nearly as abundantly as last year. We lost one of our butterfly bushes to the summer drought. Bookworm has been sketching the flowers, too.

Well, I'm off to do a little bit of ironing (5 pieces a day is the goal) and then I'm heading out for a little reading in the hammock. Our current read-aloud is Kidnapped by River Rats, a book in the Trailblazer Books series. It is a story about two orphan children living in London during the 1880's who seek help from William and Catherine Booth of the Salvation Army. The kids are loving it and keep begging for just one more chapter. What a great incentive to get afternoon chores out of the way in quick fashion!

Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you had a great weekend. I spent most of Saturday preparing for Mr. C's homecoming; he had been gone out of state to a preacher's meeting most of the week. Friday night I kept the kids up late with popcorn and one of our favorite movies, The Fox and the Hound. I thought that they would sleep in on Saturday morning and I could get a head start on my house cleaning. Yeah, right!! A few minutes after seven I could hear Curly Girl and Mickey Mouse playing away. I gently reminded them to play quietly. Well, despite the warning, a few minutes later Lil' Nut came toddling out of her room begging for her breakfast. So, by 7:30 I was working on pancakes and bacon. I'm not sure what I did wrong when mixing the pancake batter, but apparently I added too much liquid, and the pancakes were a flop! Thankfully I had a box of nutritious pop tarts stashed in the back of the pantry. Later in the morning I decided that our mini schnauzer, Buddy, just had to have a bath. He has finally outgrown the laundry room sink, so I took him out on the driveway and used the water hose instead. It worked like a charm! He didn't squirm at all like he usually does. What a blessing! It was the most effortless bath I've ever given him! The day kind of dragged on like it will when you are anticipating something wonderful, which is what Mr. C's homecoming was. He rolled in around 3:00, and the kids and I were so happy to have him back home safely. We spent a couple of hours relaxing and then headed out as a family for bus visitation. As Bookworm was walking around the side of our house, she let out a blood-curdling scream. She came running and screaming, "There's a snake! It's under my window, and it's got its head raised up!" She described the pattern and size of the snake to me while Mr. C quickly went to see if he could find it. As he was walking back toward the rest of us, he suddenly spotted it. He ran and got a hoe, and that was the end of the snake! As it turns out, it was a timber rattlesnake. We were so thankful that the snake was raised up so that Bookworm could see it and not step on it! We called the other kids to come and look at it so that they would be alert when playing in the yard.   Thankfully, the rest of the evening was uneventful! The Lord blessed our services on Sunday; we had 4 new children ride the bus, and I had 11 little ones in my Sunday school class. Mr. C preached a great message Sunday night. I missed the morning service since I filled in for one of the Jr. Church workers, but I plan on listening to the tape of the sermon during my ironing time later today.

Tomorrow is the official first day of autumn, and I am so ready! The flag has been hung.

The front door is ready to welcome guests.

The foyer table and fireplace mantle have some seasonal touches added.

The air is considerably cooler than a few weeks ago, and the leaves have begun to flutter to the ground. I hope you enjoy the coming season as much as I do.

Happy fall, ya'll!

Today the children and I enjoyed a picnic lunch down by the lake. The weather was absolutely perfect (70 degrees and a clear sky)! After our picnic, we took a nature walk and gathered lots of pinecones and some of the first colored leaves of the season. Mickey Mouse was able to capture a couple of crickets and a butterfly. Bookworm investigated some different mosses we have been studying in science class. We had a wonderful afternoon!

I have a Fun Preschool Time scheduled with my little ones, ages 2 and 4, each morning. I don't use a set curriculum; I use a variety of inexpensive workbooks and materials I have printed from different websites. Here are a few of my favorite sites for preschool materials. Easy Fun School has a TON of great printables. The site's main page has a lot of resources for older school ages, too, including Unit Studies. Everything Preschool has some great thematic units, projects, recipes, and bulletin board ideas. P.E. Central has lesson plans for preschoolers geared toward improved balance, coordination, and physical skill. Preschool Education offers many thematic units and art project ideas. Letter of the Week is one of my all-time favorites. I have used this program for several years. Mrs. Lybbert, a homeschool mom, has developed a complete line of curriculm for young homeschoolers that is wonderful. She includes links for books, poems, composers, crafts, etc. Disclaimer: Mrs. Lybbert has links to some Mormon sites which I DO NOT endorse! Toddlers and preschoolers are little sponges that just soak up learning-- it you make it fun! If you work with preschoolers in your home or at church, I hope that these sites will be a help to you!

AIRPLANE: What Mom impersonates to get a one-year-old to eat strained beets. ALIEN: What Mom would suspect had invaded her house if she spotted a child-sized creature cleaning up after itself. APPLE: Nutritious lunch-time dessert which children will trade for cupcakes. BABY: Dad, when he gets a cold(he he), or Mom's youngest child, even if he's 42. BATHROOM: A room used by the entire family, believed by all (except Mom) to be self-cleaning. "BECAUSE": Mom's reason for having kids do things which can't be explained logically. BED AND BREAKFAST: Two things the kids will never make for themselves. CARPET: Expensive floor covering used to catch spills and clean mud off shoes. CAR POOL: Complicated system of transportation where Mom always winds up going the furthest, with the biggest bunch of kids, who have had the most sugar. CHINA: Legendary nation reportedly populated by children who love leftover vegetables. COOK: Act of preparing food for consumption. Or Mom's other name. COUCH POTATO: What Mom finds under the sofa cushions after the kids eat, dinner. DATE: Infrequent outings with Dad where Mom can enjoy worrying about the kids in a different setting. DUST: Insidious interloping particles of evil that turn a home into a battle zone. EAR: A place where kids store dirt. EAT: What kids do between meals, but not at them. ENERGY: Element of vitality kids always have an oversupply of until asked to do something. "EXCUSE ME": One of Mom's favorite phrases, reportedly used in past times by children. EYE: The highly susceptible optic nerve which, according to Mom, can be "put out" by anything from a suction-arrow to a carelessly handled butter knife. FABLE: A story told by a teenager arriving home after curfew. FOOD: The response Mom usually gives in answer to the question "What's for dinner tonight?" GARBAGE: A collection of refuse items, the taking out of which Mom assigns to a different family member each week, then winds up doing herself. GENIUSES: Amazingly, all of Mom's kids. GUM: Adhesive for the hair. HAMPER: A wicker container with a lid, usually surrounded by, but not containing, dirty clothing. HANDI-WIPES: Pants, shirt-sleeves, drapes, etc. HANDS: Body appendages which must be scrubbed raw with volcanic soap and sterilized in boiling water immediately prior to consumption of the evening meal. HINDSIGHT: What Mom experiences from changing too many diapers. ICE: Cubes of frozen water which would be found in small plastic tray if kids or husbands ever filled the things instead of putting them back in the freezer empty. "I SAID SO": Reason enough, according to Mom. JACKPOT: When all the kids stay at friends' homes for the night. JEANS: Which, according to kids, are appropriate for just about any occasion, including church and funerals. JOY RIDE: Going somewhere without the kids. JUNK: What you see when you look under the bed. KETCHUP: The sea of tomato-based goop kids use to drown the dish that Mom spent hours cooking and years perfecting to get the seasoning just right. KISS: Mom medicine. LAKE: Large body of water into which a kid will jump should his friends do so. LEMONADE STAND: Complicated business venture where Mom buys powdered mix, sugar, lemons, and paper cups, and sets up a table, chairs, pitchers and ice for kids who sit there for three to six minutes and net a profit of 15 cents. MAYBE: No. MILK: A healthful beverage which kids will gladly drink once it's turned into junk food by the addition of sugar and cocoa. "MOOOOOOOOOOM!" The cry of a child on another floor who wants something. NAILS: A hard covering on the end of the finger, which Mom can never have a full set of due to pitching for batting practice, opening stubborn modeling clay lids and removing heat ducts to retrieve army men and/or doll clothing. OCEAN: What the bathroom floor looks like after bath night for kids, assorted pets, two or three full-sized towels and several dozen toy boats, cars and animals. OPEN: The position of children's mouths when they eat in front of company. PETS: Small, furry creatures which follow kids home so Mom will have someone else to clean up after. PIANO: A large, expensive musical instrument which, after thousands of dollars worth of lessons and constant harping by Mom, kids will refuse to play in front of company. PURSE: A handbag in which Mom carries the checkbook and keys she can never find because they're buried under tissues, gum wrappers, a plastic container full of cereal, toys from a fast-food restaurant, a teddy bear, a football, wallpaper samples, a grocery list and several outdated coupons. QUIET: A state of household serenity which occurs before the birth of the first child and occurs again after the last child has left for college. RAINCOAT: Article of clothing Mom bought to keep a child dry and warm, rendered ineffective because it's in the bottom of a locker stuffed in a book bag or because the child refuses to wear "the geeky thing." REFRIGERATOR: Combination art gallery and air-conditioner for the kitchen. ROOM MOTHER: A position of great honor and responsibility bestowed on a mom who inadvertently misses a PTA meeting. SCREAMING: Home P.A. system. SNOWSUITS: Warm, padded outer garments that, when completely zipped and snapped performs two important functions: Protecting children from the cold and reminding them that they have to go to the bathroom. SOAP: A cleaning agent Mom puts on the sink on the off-chance one of her kids will accidentally grab it while reaching for the towel. SPOILED ROTTEN: What the kids become after as little as 15 minutes with Grandma. SWEATER: Special article of clothing that can ward away colds, flu and even pneumonia. "THAT WAY": How kids shouldn't look at moms if they know what's good for them. Also applies to how they talk. TOWELS: See "FLOOR COVERINGS" TROUBLE: Area of nonspecific space a child can always be sure to be in. UMPTEENTH: Highly conservative estimate of the number of times Mom must instruct her offspring to do something before it actually gets done. VACATION: Where you take the family to get away from it all, only to find it there, too. VITAMINS: Tiny facsimiles of cave people Mom forces you to swallow each morning as part of her sinister plot to have you grow up to be "Just like Daddy." WALLS: Complete set of drawing paper for kids that comes with every room. WASHING MACHINE: Household appliance used to clean blue jeans, permanent ink markers, loose change, homework, tissues and wads of gum. XOXOXOXO: Mom salutation guaranteed to make the already embarrassing note in a kid's lunch box even more mortifying. XYLOPHONE: Small toy musical instrument often given as gifts to children who show their appreciation by playing the stupid thing constantly, over and over, all day long! See also "DRUMS" YARD SALE: Heart-wrenching emotional process wherein Mom plans to sell kid's outdated toys and clothing that she decides at the last minute are treasured mementos she can't bear to part with. ZILLION: Amount of times Mom must have gone to the supermarket already this week.

I am a huge fan of "Gone With the Wind." Sometimes I think I should have been born in another time period. Recently our family had a chance to go back in time when we visited a 600-acre Southern plantation located on the outskirts of our town. A young couple in our church (I'll call them Mr. and Mrs. John) recently moved into the main house on the property to serve as caretakers. The house is on the National Register of Historic Buildings. The owner of the estate recently had to move into town due to his failing health, and Mr. and Mrs. John agreed to stay in the big house and keep an eye on things. This is what we saw when we arrived for our cookout. None of the pictures I took adequately capture the grandeur and charm of this old beauty. Here is the view from the front door. The downstairs rooms are filled with boxes and are sparsely furnished as the owners continue to move their things to their current residence, but I wanted to show you the window treatments and soaring ceilings. Can you imagine having to go after the cobwebs way up there? The owner's children occupied the upstairs rooms. Bookworm screamed when she saw this adorable girl's room and adjacent bathroom. Check out the toenails on the clawfoot tub! Oh, what a fun room! Behind the main house is a "summer kitchen." You can see the fireplace, but I forgot to take a picture of the huge commercial stove on the opposite wall. What a combination! Below is the pool house. The kids had so much fun splashing in the pool and jumping off of the wooden diving board. Mrs. John took me on "the Mule" (4WD vehicle) for a tour of the property. This outhouse is located somewhere out in the woods. I think it's missing something very important....a door! Below is a view of a little cabin on the edge of a 7-acre pond. It was such a peaceful spot!

I hope you've enjoyed a glimpse of our visit into the past. Scarlett O'Hara would love it here.

I've been playing around with my template today. We'll see...

Does your blog need a facelift? Mine sure does! Susie at Bluebird Blogs creates some of the most beautiful designs, and she is having a contest right now to give away two completely customized blog designs. You can get the details here.

My friend Christina has written a wonderful post that should convict and encourage every mom. You can read her challenge here.

What a week! I have been very busy the last few days (too busy to even check my favorite blogs-gasp!), but it has been a profitable week. Monday and Tuesday were pretty normal school days. The children used their art time to make birthday cards for Mr. C. The picture of the cake below was drawn freehand by Bookworm, and let me just say that I am envious of her artistic ability. I couldn't even trace a cake and have it actually look like one! I thought they did a good job on their banner, too. You can tell that we haven't covered the rules for apostrophes in contractions yet!

Mr. C has been doing the low-carb thing lately, so I did not make him his usual coconut creme birthday pie; he's not a huge cake fan. So, Tuesday night the kids made mini-cakes using the Reynolds FunShapes mentioned here. They chose strawberry cake with chocolate frosting. Their favorite part was licking the frosting off of their fingers-- hmmm, I wonder how they just happened to get their hands covered in chocolate???

Wednesday the kids were up with the birds to wish their beloved daddy a happy birthday. We tackled our school work and then headed off to a nearby town for Mr. C's birthday lunch. It rained ALL DAY LONG! Seriously, it never stopped until it was time to head to church! Thankfully the rain did not deter folks from being in the Lord's house. In fact, we had two visitors in our Patch the Pirate Kids' Club! We took our remaining cakes to church to share with the Club. I'm sure all of the parents appreciated the fact that I was filling their children with tons of sugar at 8 p.m. on a school night.

Thursday the weather cooled off considerably following all the rain. It was nice enough to head up into the attic and tackle the 15 huge Rubbermaid containers filled with my children's out-grown clothes. I am guilty of hanging on to every piece of clothing the kids have ever had, some for sentimental reasons, but most just because I know the next kid down the line can wear it, too! Well, I am happy to report that we now have only 8 boxes of hand-me-downs taking up space. Really, how many outfits do they truly need?!

On Friday I took 7 boxes of clothes to the consignment shop and told them to have at it! The woman who owns the store is probably hoping I never go up in the attic again, much less set foot in her store! Hopefully I will make some money on the clutter precious garments I relinquished. I have to admit, it was really hard to part with some of those cute little outfits that the kids wore when they were smaller.

After the burden-lifting, the kids and I went to the library (the librarians get scared when I walk in there, too) and to the grocery store. We went home and finished school, then back up into the attic I went. Mr. C and I puttered around until 1 a.m. gathering goodies for this morning's yard sale. Oh, yes, I am a glutton for punishment! We had great weather today, and we sold almost everything we put out. I think it helped that we ran a classified ad for our sale. Our little weekly paper for our itty-bitty town usually has 3-5 yard sale ads each week. Guess how many there were for today? 30! I kid you not!--but we still had a good sale. I have vowed not to have another one for at least 5 years.

My little darlings have been tucked in for the night, and I am off to finish up my Sunday school lesson. I hope you all have a blessed Sunday, and I'll "see" you on Monday, um, if I get my house cleaned up; it looks like a tornado blew through here!

Blogger in beta? Have any of you made the switch? Please leave any feedback that would be helpful to this tech-inept girl.

When I was young my mom told me that you always remember where you were/what you were doing the day something happens to change life as you know it forever. She said that the assasination of JFK was the most striking event in U.S. history that stood out in her lifetime. We both had a new day to mark on 9/11/2001. September 11, 2001, started off like any other day for me. My children were then 3 and 1, and I was 7 months pregnant at the time. I was a stay-at-home mommy doing my best to keep up with my kids and my housework. I remember making breakfast and listening to the Today show while cleaning up the kitchen. As soon as they broke to live coverage of the Twin Towers, my heart skipped a few beats and I thought, "Oh, no! What a horrible plane crash!" Moments later is was clear that something horrific was unfolding. I called Mr. C who was working the morning air shift at our church's Christian radio station. He was watching the news in the studio and was full of questions, too. My mom called a few minutes later to make sure we were doing o.k. I stayed glued to the television for most of the day. I kept the little ones busy playing in their rooms or watching videos in my bedroom. I spent a lot of time talking on the phone to friends and family just discussing each bit of breaking news. At one point I wondered if this was the beginning of the end. Later that evening, our pastor had a special prayer meeting at church for anyone in the community who wished to attend. We were able to come together and gain strength from one another and from the Lord. It was very comforting. I did not personally know any of the thousands of people who lost their lives that dreadful day. In the weeks to come I would learn about many of their stories and how the lives of those they loved were changed forever. I will never forget the images of the heros of 9/11. I will not forget the way our country united and vowed to stand for freedom. The feeling of patriotism was almost tangible. In the five years since the attacks on our great nation, our country has lost many sons and daughters fighting the evil forces that propegate terrorism. I am very thankful to all the U.S. military who fight to keep freedom alive. Today I will remind my children of what happened on 9/11. We will pray that those who lost loved ones as a result of the attacks will find the comfort that only comes from the Great Comforter. And I will thank God again for my wonderful, beloved America.

You know you are from Georgia If ...... 1. You can properly pronounce Chickamauga , DeKalb, Dahlonega, Smyrna, Buena Vista, Valdosta, Okefenokee, and La Fayette. P.S.. Atlanta = ADD-LANNA not AT-LANT-A. 2. You think people who complain about the heat in their states are sissies. 3. A tornado warning siren is your signal to go out in the yard and look for a funnel. 4. You know that the true value of a parking space is not determined by the distance to the door, but by the availability of shade. 5. Stores don't have bags or shopping carts, they have sacks and buggies. 6. You've seen people wear bib overalls at weddings and funerals. 7. You think everyone from a Yankee-state has an accent. 8. You measure distance in minutes. 9. You go to the lake because you think it is like going to the ocean. 10. You listen to the weather forecast before picking out an outfit. 11. You know cowpies are not made of beef. 12. Someone you know has used a football schedule to plan their wedding date. 13. You know someone who has a belt buckle bigger than your fist. 14. Almost everyone you know is either Baptist or Methodist. 15. A Mercedes Benz isn't a status symbol. A Chevy Silverado Extended Bed Crew Cab is. 16. You know everything goes better with Ranch dressing. 17. You learned how to shoot a gun before you learned how to multiply. 18. You actually get these jokes and are "fixin'" to send them to your friends. 19. On one side of the road there's Wal-Mart and on the other is a cotton field. 20. The directions to your house include "turn off the paved road." 21. "Ya'll" is a word. 22. Fried chicken is a major part of your diet. 23. Krispy Kreme dounuts are the only kind of dounuts you eat. 24. You call it a cold Christmas if you don't break out in a sweat in your new sweater. 25. Your whole town completely shuts down for 1 inch of snow or just the threat of snow. 26. People actually grow, eat and like okra! 27. You know the difference between a hillbilly, a redneck, and a Southerner. 28. Your dog and your wallet are both on chains. 29. Panama City Beach , Florida is a big deal. 30. You understand that at least once a year your car will turn yellow with pollen. 31. You know at least one Bubba, and maybe a few guys named Bo. 32. You say "tuna fish sandwich." 33. You use "Sir" and "Ma'am" if there's a remote possibility that person you're talking to is least 30 minutes older than you are. And finally... 34. You are 100% Georgian if you have ever had this conversation: "You wanna coke?" "Yeah." "What kind?" "Dr Pepper." One of my friends sent me this, and I just had to post it as I am a Georgia Peach!

I am always looking for ways to include my children in the kitchen. I recently discovered Reynolds FunShapes. These are the cutest little baking cups and pans. They come in a variety of shapes. You can also find some recipes and decorating ideas here. I think we'll try some of the Back-to-School cupcakes in our next cooking class. Yes, cooking is a fun class in our homeschool! Picture courtesy of Reynolds FunShapes web site.

Quote from Susan's Blog on Sept. 6th: "This morning has been really rough. We are now less than 1 week away from the baby's birth and on the way home from taking Marty to work, it hit me pretty hard. I had to pull over and cry and pray for a bit. I'm feeling better, but the tears are still just under the surface..." Please join in prayer to uplift this family during this tough time. Susan Godfrey will be induced on September 12th, with a potential c-section if things don't go well. Because the baby has potter's syndrome, it will die within hours of being born. They have known about it since the beginning of June and her blog has contained many heart-wrenching posts about the life alive within her that's safe until it enters the world. I just wanted to encourage all of you to add this dear family to your prayer list and pray for them whenever they come to mind. They have some very difficult days ahead. A 48-hour prayer chain has been started here.

Look closely at the bag of lettuce, right under the red label. Do you see what I see? The email this picture came in gave the following explanation for the amphibian in the bag: "The water that the lettuce was washed in was most likely contaminated with polywogs, and these became fresh, new frogs right in the packaging." That's gotta be one healthy frog. As the label says, I guess it's fresh! No, Sir, no Mexican salad greens for me! My advice--buy American or grow your own!

I've been so busy the last few days that I haven't had time to post about our wonderful outing over the Labor Day weekend. A young couple in our church invited us over to their house for a cookout on Saturday. Well, it's not exactly their house, but I'll have to post about that later when I have more computer time. In fact, I have tons of pictures of the house that I want to share-- well, actually, it's a SOUTHERN PLANTATION! We had a fabulous, relaxing day. Below you see Bookworm and Mickey Mouse spending quality time together on the 2-seater swing. I don't think they said a cross word to each other the whole day! I'll post more pics soon, I promise!

I've read several posts lately written by moms who are concerned about the immodest fashion trends being targeted at our children. I, too, have been appalled by some of the suggestive slogans on children's clothing. I have signed the Moms for Modesty Mission Statement here. I'm hoping that some of the "big dogs" in corporate America will take notice of the bloggy moms around the world as we unite to stand for modest clothing for children. As my children (girls in particular) are growing older, I find it increasingly difficult to find cute, appropriate clothing for them in the stores. Unfortunately, I am not a seamstress (although I would love to learn how to sew); therefore, I often feel that the search for modest children's clothing is a futile one. I scoff at the styles of clothing I see displayed in the stores that are geared toward my 8 year old daughter. My precious girls WILL NOT be parading around looking like some teenager on a music video or TV sitcom. My handsome son will look like a gentleman--you won't see his pants drooping down to his knees. No sir, my children will not be wearing these "trendy" clothes--not even around the house! I encourage all of you ladies to take part in this protest of the fashion industry. All women, whether or not they have children, should voice their opinion about the importance of modesty. Shop at retail stores that do offer modest clothing. If your budget is tight, look at consignment shoppes or on eBay. You can often find barely used modest clothing at very affordable prices.

I know that the autumnal equinox doesn't usher in fall until September 23, but I just can't wait until then to begin decorating for my favorite season. Today I'll be getting out all of my fall decor. Bookworm and I will spend the afternoon finding homes for many of my favorite fall things, and I'll be posting them throughout the month. HAPPY SEPTEMBER 1ST!

I usually walk through the house each night after the children are in bed and do a quick pick-up of stray items so that I'm not greeted by a messy house when I wake up in the morning. Last night after I kissed the kiddos and tucked them in, I walked into their bathroom to see if it was presentable. I was so pleased that they had remembered to hang up their towels and put their dirty laundry away after bathtime. This lineup on the edge of the bathtub was the only indication that little people had been there. I just had to smile.