Expectations and Contentment

Posted August 27th, 2007 by Jen in religion
9 Comments »

I was thinking of the parable of the workers in the vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16) a few days ago. For some reason, it came to mind as I sat with a friend discussing our lives as mothers, and I thought of this parable in a new way.

The gist of this story is that a landowner hired several shifts of men to work in his vineyard, promising each of them a denarius for the work. At day’s end, all the workers received their denarius, regardless of whether they had worked only an hour, as the last hired workers were, or had worked the entire day. Guess what? Great complaints arose from the workers who had been there the whole time.

v12 “These men who were hired last worked only one hour,” they said, “and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.”

One of the problems the early workers had was the expectation that they should receive more pay relative to the late workers. No matter that they were all told up front what the pay would be. Let’s say that none of the workers knew what the others were paid. All would have been happy with the denarius, as they all gladly accepted the work for that amount in the beginning. The problem wasn’t the denarius, it was the discontent that came as a result of a certain expectation based on a comparison with those around them.

I’m not sure how I’m making the leap to motherhood, but here goes. I feel an important lesson in this parable is learning to be content and not ruled by expectations.

Why is it that when the husband is away on a trip, and the wife is caring for the little children all by herself for an entire week, that she just does the job, rises to the occasion, and even enjoys the sweetness of that special time with the kids? But, when the husband is home, and let’s say that the wife still does the same amount of work, she grows resentful because there before her eyes is the expectation that he should help.

So, this friend of mine was asking, how do you do it all? She was struggling with raising her children, dealing with depression, and somewhat bitter toward her husband for not helping more, perhaps feeling justified in her attitude. So I answered her that the key to managing it all has to do with expectations. I asked about the mothers of old who routinely raised 10 or 12 kids with husbands off hunting or off to war. Oh, but they had the village, my friend says. Okay, the prairie mother who had no village around her to help in the care of the young ones? She did what was required, and had no reason to be harboring other expectations, because there were no alternatives.

When a wife has a child, she does not become a wife who happens to have a child; she becomes a mother. This motherhood should be a joy, a blessing, an honor. Not a job that she would like to be part-time at, or job-share with her husband, counting out how many tasks each partner is responsible for. Yes, the husband becomes a father. He should be responsible before God for his role in the family, and I’m not attempting to address him right now. Can the wife fulfill her role as mother, as long as she is physically able, without placing certain demands/expectations on the father?

There is a direct correlation between contentment and expectations. C. S. Lewis put it this way, “If you think of this world as a place intended simply for your happiness, you find it quite intolerable. Think of it as a place of training and correction and it’s not so bad.” If a wife views her role of mother as something glorious to be done, perhaps even a “pull up your big girl panties and get it done” attitude, she will find a good deal of contentment. If she views her role of mother as one in which she is entitled to certain assistance from her husband, her mother, her sister, or whomever, she will always be let down and will certainly succumb to discontentment. I would gently advise a readjustment of her expectations.

It’s okay to want fairness; for the workers in the vineyard, there’s nothing wrong with wanting greater compensation for a greater amount of work. For the wife, there’s nothing wrong with wanting fairness in the marriage - wanting your partner to help shoulder the child-rearing or household duties. That makes sense, after all.

Aah, that’s where we can err. Didn’t God say something about the wisdom of the world being foolishness? When Fairness and Sense are elevated above God’s ways, one can always expect strife. Here’s a litmus test of sorts to balance what you think is fair against the Word of God. God’s Word always trumps man’s expectation of fairness.

1) Are you being a servant in this situation where you feel there is unfairness?

2) Is there a biblical mandate that addresses the issue in question? (Such as “Wives, submit to your husbands,” or “Care for the orphan and the widow“).

I want for wives and mothers to really hear this. So much of the discontentment and resentment I see in a young mother stems from her feeling a right or claim to help in her job of motherhood. Of course it’s nice to have help - nothing wrong with that and please send some my way anytime! But when that becomes your expectation, dear ones, roots of bitterness are sure to grow.

Yes, we live in the 21st century, not the 1st or even the 18th. This is a different, complex culture and it’s not fair to superimpose the 18th century woman and her job of motherhood onto the 21st century woman. Oops, did I say FAIR?

The parable of the workers of the vineyard speaks so much to me about my work as a mother and wife. God has every right, as God, to pay 18th century wages to a 21st century woman if He so chooses. I’m not calling on wives to lower their expectations of their husbands. I’m asking wives to take God at His word and find contentment there. What wage, what promise, did He guarantee you, regardless of what the wife and mother next door receives? Don’t compare, don’t complain that you don’t have “the village” to help you, don’t try to control how God dispenses.

Here is what every good mother is promised: Her children will rise up and call her blessed. Proverbs 31:28. Whether you have all the extra help in the world or none at all, that’s your pay.

photo credit: www.nesegallery.com

Surviving Without a Microwave

Posted August 24th, 2007 by Jen in family life, health/cooking/food
15 Comments »

Kitchen life has been unfolding at a slower pace these days. When we sold our house over a year ago, the microwave went with it. We jumped right into RV life where microwave use was hampered by the fact that our only power sources were the generator and propane. So while the RV had a (power-sucking) microwave, the resident power-Nazi husband declared it off limits. Then, when we rented this house we’re living in right now, lo and behold, no microwave. No problem, I had already gotten used to life without the little magic box.

My friends ask, why don’t you just go buy one?! They are not that expensive, after all. Well, the tight-wad husband says we are not about to waste money on a cheap microwave when we’ll have a very nice one to go with all the new stainless steel appliances that will be in our new house that he’s building. Same reason we don’t have a T.V. Or dressers. Or a bed. Well, okay, I have a bed - it’s a mattress on a steel frame. You get the idea. Good thing I enjoy living simply.

So, the microwave. Reheating my coffee in the morning was my biggest concern. I must have hot coffee. Well, RV life introduced me to French press coffee. I boil water in a pan and pour it in the sexy French carafe. I reheat my coffee as needed in the pan. Now that we’re in a house, I do have a coffee pot I use (though nothing quite compares anymore to the richness of French press). But since I refuse to drink coffee out of anything but high quality ceramic, those plastic lidded mugs are out - thus the need to reheat. I also sip and savor, and will never get through a mug of coffee without the bottom third getting cold. And actually, since I’ve been drinking my coffee out of these cool coffee mugs with pewter logos (remember these?), I couldn’t put it in a microwave, anyway.

Here’s what I discovered: I can reheat my coffee in a pan on the stove in about three minutes. Is my life so high speed and busy that I can’t take three minutes to heat my coffee? If so, perhaps something’s wrong. It’s not like I have to gather wood, start a fire, and keep it stoked. I just turn a knob. Really, what would our great-great grandmothers think of us, complaining about waiting three minutes (in our warm, cozy houses) for our coffee to reheat?

What about left-overs? The horror! No microwave to reheat leftovers! Well, there is that dinosaur of an appliance called the stove. It reheats food remarkably well. Pizza - 10 minutes at 350. Casserole - 10 minutes at 350. Chicken - 10 minutes at 350. That’s my mantra: 10 minutes at 350. And honestly, I can understand reheating those particular foods in a microwave, but you’d never want to actually cook them in a microwave. The pizza would be soggy, the casserole would be mushy, and the chicken would be rubbery. And I always hated how microwave heated french fries tasted like wet sawdust.

The stove-top is just as clever at cooking or reheating. I found that my left-over rice was really tasty when I heated it in a big skillet with either a few tablespoons of water or oil. And if you think your popcorn days are over with no microwave, think again! I grew up fascinated with popping corn in a big pan on the stove, and today’s kids will love the novelty - just be sure to use a clear glass lid so they can watch the excitement. It tastes REAL, not fakey, oversalty. Do you see? The microwave steals away the fun, the interaction, the creativity to be had with food.

The baby bottle? Mommas, never, ever, put the baby bottle in a microwave. If there’s no microwave there to tempt you with its time-saving tentacles, you’re better off, perhaps. Just heat a pan of hot water and let the baby bottle stand in it for several minutes. No hot spots to burn baby, no loss of nutrition.

Here’s a lesson I’ve learned: after a readjustment period of cooking-time expectations, I DO NOT miss the microwave. Once I had it in my head that I needed to allow 30 or 45 minutes to cook dinner, not five, I learned to plan ahead and be prepared. And be prepared for better tasting food, by the way!

If you can bear with me a moment, there are health/nutritional reasons, too many to number, for choosing traditional cooking over a microwave. Here are a few, and follow the links for the full scoop.

From the USDA:

Do not let plastic wrap touch foods during microwaving. Also, plastic storage containers such as margarine tubs, take-out containers, whipped topping bowls, and other one-time use containers should not be used in microwave ovens. These containers can warp or melt, possibly causing harmful chemicals to migrate into the food.

Microwave ovens can cook unevenly and leave “cold spots,” where harmful bacteria can survive.

Cooking whole, stuffed poultry in a microwave oven is not recommended. The stuffing might not reach the temperature needed to destroy harmful bacteria.

From Delicious Organics:

Microwaves can destroy the nutritional value of food. For example, a 2003 study by The Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture found that broccoli cooked in the microwave with a bit of water lost up to 97% of the beneficial antioxidant chemicals it contained; by contrast, steamed broccoli lost just 11% or fewer of its antioxidants.

Studies done by Swiss food scientist Dr. Hans Hertel found that microwave cooking can result in unnatural chemical alterations to the food, such as increased cholesterol levels, more white blood cells, less red blood cells, and production of radiolytic compounds (compounds unknown in nature).

Those darn machines are so convenient and make our cooking lives so easy! Just be warned, and certainly do your own investigating. There is plenty of data out there that says microwaved food is just fine, but for me, there is enough unsettling information to make me think twice.

And there also remains a philosophical issue for me: the microwave is so symbolic of the fast-paced modern American way of life. What are some microwave equivalents in our way of life? Do you take time to read a good book or just watch a sitcom? Do you take time to go on a long bike ride with your kids or just sit them down with a video game? Do you take time to handwrite a loving letter to a dear friend or just dash off a quick email? Do you take time to cook a healthy meal from scratch or buy packaged, processed food?

Now the question is: Can I talk my husband into leaving out the microwave in the new house?

photo credits:
www.adventys.com, SFGate.com

Have you read?

Posted August 21st, 2007 by Jen in general
3 Comments »

Yes, my carnival round-up again.

The Christian Carnival at Parableman. And another one tomorrow at Chasing the Wind.

I like the post by Light Along the Journey - Enlarging My Soul. It was great to be reminded of the hymn Before the Throne of God Above; those words will move you and hopefully enlarge your soul.

Also, the view from her asks about Branding the Church.

The Carnival of Family Life at Why Homeschool.

Be thinking of Dana’s managing without her husband and upcoming travels as you read On a more personal note…

Sing For Him has a humorous post about the (Don’t) Stay at Home Mom. Need an answer for another curious bystander asking about socialization because you obviously don’t go anywhere?

The Carnival of Homeschooling at Home School Buzz.

I enjoyed Catholic Family Vignettes‘ mission statement in the post Why we homeschool.

The Educational Life has a great post at No Thank you, Mr. Disney. Just read the book!

The Carnival of Thomas Jefferson Education is up at Trinity Prep School.

Musings of a Prairie Girl shares about how It’s That Time Again, giving us a good look at what a Thomas Jefferson education means.

Labellavita asks us to Look and Look Again - be reflective and search out if you’re possibly recreating public school in your home.

Who even has time to read? Well, you know how time is. Somehow, we make time for the things that are important to us. Time is an elusive mystery to me.

What else are you reading? I’m reading Hosea.

Come, let us return to the Lord.
He has torn us to pieces
but he will heal us;
he has injured us
but he will bind up our wounds.
……
For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather
than burnt offerings.

And Church History in Plain Language by Bruce Shelley.

Many Christians today suffer from historical amnesia. The time between the apostles and their own day is one giant blank. That is hardly what God had in mind. The Old Testament is sprinkled with reminders of God’s interest in time. When he established the Passover for the children of Israel, he said, “Tell your son…it will be like a sign…that the Lord brought us out of Egypt” (Exod. 13:8; 16, NIV). And when he provided the manna in the wilderness, he commanded Moses to keep a jar of it “for the generations to come” (Exod. 16:33, NIV).

Happy reading, dear ones!

Happy Birthday, Son

Posted August 16th, 2007 by Jen in family life
5 Comments »

I like my new bike and helmet, Mommy and Daddy!

And thank you, big brother, for teaching me how to work my new car.

Deals with the Devil

Posted August 14th, 2007 by Jen in politics/world news, religion
4 Comments »

The Taliban released two female hostages on Monday, the Korea Times reported. There remain 19 South Korean hostages, 16 of whom are women. The Taliban have backed off somewhat on their demand for a prisoner swap, now demanding ransom - a total of around $10 million for the surviving South Koreans.

Supposedly, this release was a “gesture of goodwill” according to a Taliban spokesman. However, an unnamed source says the two hostages were freed for ransom, after direct negotiations between the government of South Korea and the Taliban.

I welcome the release of the two women, and praise God for this unfolding of events. However…

Is it right to make deals with the devil? I’ve been grappling with this issue of giving in to the demands of the Taliban. Every compassionate person in the world wants these hostages released. But what is the real price? It’s not $10 million and it’s not eight Taliban fighters being released. It’s a strengthened force of evil that gets more powerful every time it is fed through compromise.

I had to ask that question, WWJD? I found an answer of sorts in these scriptures. Mark 1:12-13; Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-15; John 1:19-2:25. These are the biblical accounts of Jesus facing the Devil in the wilderness. Jesus had been fasting for forty days and forty nights and he was hungry, as any man would be. The Devil came and tempted him with several deals. In exchange for Jesus dealing with the Devil in some way or another, and giving the Devil either legitimacy or worship, Jesus could have bread to eat, personal safety, or all the power in the world.

Jesus was in an extremely difficult position and was offered a variety of tempting compromises by the Devil. So I decided I could attempt a comparison here. In my little analogy, Jesus will be the Christian South Koreans and their advocates, and the Devil will be the Taliban. So the Taliban Devil comes to the South Korean Christian advocates, which group is also in an extremely difficult position, and begins to offer deals. The heart of the deals is a demand to recognize me, worship me, which is what the Devil really wants.

If the South Korean Christian advocates would respond as Jesus, they would first say, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” In other words, being held hostage, when offered freedom (bread) at the cost of bowing to the demands of the Devil, they should decline, believing that their life and freedom comes from the mouth of God.

Next, when the South Korean Christian advocates are guaranteed their personal safety as Jesus was (throw Yourself down and the angels will catch you, quoting scripture), they should respond, “You shall not put the Lord Your God to the test.” In other words, when the Taliban Devil begins to talk as if he is a genuine and sanctioned authority who knows the language of negotiation, do not be fooled.

And finally, when the Taliban Devil says I will give you all the hostages if you give me $10 Million (fall down and worship me), then the response of the South Korean Christian advocates should be “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord Your God, and serve Him only.’”

And what do you think would happen if the South Korean Christian advocates responded as Jesus did and refused to deal with the Devil? Would everything fall apart, would everyone die, would there be ruin?

No, I believe that we would have the same ending as given in Matthew 4:11: “Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.”

photo credits: Korea Times

Planning for the Disorganized Slack

Posted August 10th, 2007 by Jen in education, family life, religion
13 Comments »

How are you? Have you been busy? Of course. Me, too. The long hot days are winding down, and the last of my summer guests is leaving tomorrow. My thoughts are turning toward fall, which for many of us with children, means school.

I spent the day pencil in hand, scratching out a schedule in my Teacher Plan Book. I have four little pupils - currently 2, 4, 6, 8, who do we appreciate? Okay, I just had to say that because after next week, I can’t say it anymore, as the two year old will turn three. I do little planning for the 2 and 4 year olds, but the two older kids need a schedule.

This is the first time, outside of teaching in a classroom of 30-some elementary students, that I’ve sat down and felt the need to fairly rigidly schedule our homeschool day. It’s sort of like do or die. I have that business to manage, and it’s not going away, and I have the rest of life to manage as well, such as house and husband. I was feeling so incredibly overwhelmed and unable to do anything just a week ago, but once I started planning our days, I slowly regained my sanity and my sense of I can do this.

First, my husband gave me a kick in the pants when I said last week, “I don’t think I can do this. I need help.” His decidedly non-sympathetic response was, “Please, you have a Master’s in Teaching and you can’t figure out how to teach just four kids?” I shot back, “Well, it’d be a little easier without your business to run.” He corrected me, “Our business.” Oh, yeah. So, I don’t get to have a perfect little life where I just homeschool and run the kids around to fun activities all day. C’est la vie, right?

Next, I ran to God. A good place to run. “Help!” I cried. You have to know, and I’ve said before, organization does not come naturally to me. I feel like I need serious help in getting control of the mess around me. There are solutions. Like getting up earlier. Scheduling. Making Lists. Taking baby steps to do even the little things. Constant prayer has been my companion on this issue lately. Do I trust God to provide for my needs, even helping me to be more organized? You bet. I can’t explain how insurmountable this appears to be at the moment - it’s like I’ve been tangled up in a web and I’m too weak to begin fighting my way out. Where does my help come from? Oh, that’s right, from the Lord, Maker of Heaven and Earth. Ding, light comes on! Have I been spending time with the Creator? Not really, been too busy. Have I been studying His life-giving Word? Not really, been too busy. Okay, there’s the real problem. Somehow, I forget, until I’m at the bottom of the pit, that I truly can’t do anything apart from Him. But with Him, all things are possible!

Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
For the sake of Your name, O Lord, revive me.
In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
Psalm 143: 10-11

Now I’m ready for the Teacher Plan Book! I bought it at Barnes & Noble the other day, and as I cracked it open this morning and penciled in a weekly schedule, my anxiety began to melt away. Here’s the rough schedule so far, for the older two, and it’s a very simple schedule. Half-hour increments, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. [My four year old will be mainly working her way through Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, also she and the soon-to-be three year old will be playing with lumps of playdough or puzzles or reading with Grandma, who lives with us.]

Monday through Thursday: [for my 1st and 2nd Grade Kids]

9:00 Math: Ray’s New Arithmetics

pssst, I have to brag about this great find, less than half of what I would pay anywhere else - I just found it (same day I hit Barnes & Noble) at a little store in Bend that sells used curriculum - got the complete set! So, it’s from the 1800s, but come on, how much has math changed? It’s all I need for all my children for the next 8 years or so, can’t beat that deal. If it was good enough for Edison, it’s good enough for me. Hey, he’s a famous home-schooled wizard! Just need paper and pencil and some jelly beans or rocks or whatever for counting. No consumable workbooks, yeah!

9:30 Spelling: Spelling Workout, Modern Curriculum Press.

The kids are continuing their books from this past year, finishing up Levels A & B this month, moving on to Levels B & C, respectively. I like the spelling/phonics connection, the little stories, the writing pieces. Overall, a strong program.

10:00 Language Arts: First Language Lessons for the Well Trained Mind, by Jessie Wise.

Finishing from last year, about half way through the book. Cool, another book that’s not a consumable workbook and can be used for all four of my kids. This is a complete grammar and writing text, using copywork, narration, dictation, picture study, and other classical techniques. Can you tell I have a strong classical leaning in my curriculum choices?

10:30 History: The Story of the World: History for the Classical Child, by Susan Wise Bauer.

Also picking up where we left off, mid-way through Volume 1: Ancient Times. World history in a story book format with a Christian perspective. Hopefully we’ll be ready for Vol. 2: Middle Ages right after Christmas. Because of my multiple children, I ordered the spiral bound edition along with the reproducible activity pages. I really like this series. Consider ordering from Peace Hill Press, as I did, to directly support the author, who has done some outstanding work for the homeschooling community.

11:00 French: Miscellaneous.

I have such a variety of resources here. Games, stories, songs, videos. But, on a consistent basis, I will be using French Learnables and Le Francais Facile, along with the French conservation group. Again, picking up with those curricula where we left off last season. Le Francais Facile is designed for homeschool, Christian families - it’s very well-organized and phonetically based. There’s a Spanish version as well. The only possible drawback is that the CDs have a Canadian speaker doing much of the talking, so if you’re looking for that Parisian accent, there’s not a whole lot of it. The French Learnables, however, have authentic French (as in from France) speakers, so this makes up for the other program.

11:30 Science: Teaching Science to Children: An Inquiry Approach, by Alfred Friedl

This is a text I’ve had since my college days; it’s an older edition. I like the very hands-on approach, and this book has over 300 science-teaching activites included. I also have many other science books on hand that we’ve collected over the years, like Dorling Kindersley books and others. A Nature Journal (Charlotte Mason style) and nature hikes will be a regular part of our school as well.

12:00 Art/Music: Miscellaneous.

I will alternative activities here. Introductory piano (Alfred’s Basic Piano Library) which I will teach myself, even though I’m a beginner - any of you out there not musical? There’s still a lot you can teach your very young children. Art- painting, drawing, sculpting; Theater - remember my puppet theater?. This will be a very fun time, and a great way to end our formal studies for the day. Yes, it’s only 12:30 now, and we’re ready to eat lunch and be done!

People often ask me, “What curriculum do you use?” Or “What is your homeschool style?” As you can see, I mix and match. I use what I have, what I can get cheaply, or occasionally, I will pay full price for something I really like. I lean toward the Classical Method of homeschooling, as you can see from some curriculum choices that are laid out in The Well Trained Mind. I also love and employ many of Charlotte Mason’s methods, and I’m a little bit Principled as well, and very unschooled on certain days. I’m certainly not definable.

What is important to me are ideas like this: the knowledge of God is primary, discovering how we fit into God’s amazing universe is critical, living books should be predominant, history should be chronological, science should be practical and observable, free time and outside time should be ample, all subjects should be a series of relationships, and curiosity and wonder should be nurtured.

update:It’ funny, after I first posted this, I realized I left out two things that are such a part of what we live and breathe, that I did not put them in the schedule. I mean, who schedules in the need to have a drink of water? First, Bible, and second, living books. Neither is on the above schedule, because both are just integrated into our lives. We do not have a formal Bible curriculum at this point. We just talk about God and our Christian walk all throughout the day, in a very natural way, not as a separate “study.” Especially for young children, I think this type of integration is essential. Reading Bible stories is a part of our evening ritual, and is prayer. And the living books - again, not scheduled in, but we are a book loving family and my two older kids read on their own and I read to all of them several books a day, and we always have a longer book in progress that we typically do as a “Family Read Aloud” in the evenings, such as the “Little House” series or our current “Treasure Island.”

And just a few extracurricular activities I’ve scheduled in:

Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday afternoon, my 6 year old has Girl Scouts.
Every 2nd and 4th Friday afternoon, my 8 year old has Cub Scouts.
Every Thursday afternoon, all the kids have Gymnastics.

Other than that, afternoons will be for Quiet Times, Chores, and preparing for Dinner. For the younger kids, Quiet Time will usually be nap time. For the older kids, Quiet Time will be a time to spend with books of their choice for fun reading. And did you notice that I did not schedule anything for FRIDAYS? That day will typically be our Day Out. We’re members of the High Desert Museum, and we spend quite a few days of the year out there. And there are dairies to be toured, farms to be visited, trails to be hiked, and sights to be seen.

So, when does Mom work on her other jobs? 5:30 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. will be devoted to God first, then TeamMASCOT. The kids’ Quiet Time (typically 2 hours in the afternoon, about 1-3 p.m.) will be for the multitude household chores, like laundry and cleaning and some other jobs which the kids can’t easily help with, and any remaining TeamMASCOT work left from the early morning.

Can this disorganized slack of late step up to the task? Deep breath. I can do it. I’ve asked my husband to roll me off the bed at 5 IN THE MORNING - that’s the only way this will all happen. I do realize this schedule is subject to change, and I’m okay with that. I just really, really needed to get a handle on this. And above all, I’m trusting God to be my Helper.

photo credits: www.logosoftwear.com

**********************************************

Some current carnivals I forgot to mention:

Carnival of Family Life
Carnival of Homeschooling
Christian Carnival
Carnival of Principled Government

Wordless Wednesday: Frog Races

Posted August 8th, 2007 by Jen in family life
2 Comments »

Deschutes County Fair

Posted August 4th, 2007 by Jen in family life
4 Comments »

Here’s a mini-album of our county fair experience this year. This is the 88th Deschutes County Fair, and before that it was known as the Annual Potato Show - apparently potato farming was quite popular around here.

The kids are all about the rides. That’s where the expense comes in, along with fair food. I think I spent almost exactly $88 for the 88th annual fair - so appropriate…choke. I know, it could be worse. I read another blogger who spent about $200 at her county fair - I wanted to link to her and really embarrass her, but I can’t remember who it was.

The Boat Ride was, strangely enough, the favorite, and enjoyed more than once. Couldn’t we just take our aluminum boat out on a lake for free?

A bit more on the wild side (for my youngsters anyway) were: the Car Ride, which the two younger ones thought was the bomb, and the Lil’ Roller Coaster, which the two older ones met with those twin roller coaster emotions of sheer terror and adrenaline thrill.

An unexpected highlight came for my older daughter. After crying the entire way through this:

What, you say? Yes, the older daughter cried because the younger daughter, shown above, got the last ride. I had ONE ride left on the card, and this was the lucky girl who earned it. So, when we happened by the Cowgirl Trick Show with Karen Quest, on our way out of the fair, the older daughter received her reward.

Because here she is, my big 6 year old girl, chosen as the young volunteer to come up front and be the Cowgirl’s helper. She received her very own trick rope for her good work.

By the way, if Karen Quest happens to be at your county fair, and she’s at a lot of them, DO stop by. It’s comedy show meets rodeo, and you’ll get a total kick out of it - good family fun.

Next on the County Fair schedule, after $15 worth of Eberhard’s ice cream, was the Annual Parade. That was this morning.

First, here’s that daughter doing a pre-parade sidewalk show for the passers-by, with the rope she won that hasn’t left her side. Are you impressed, KQ?

Rodeo Queens, young and old:

Indians, big and little:

And to wrap up this mini album, it all came to an end with a much-needed street cleaner. All those horses, if you know what I mean. This machine really needed to come before the marching band.

See ya at the County Fair!

Taliban Murderers

Posted August 1st, 2007 by Jen in politics/world news
6 Comments »

I noticed a CNN story from July 22, in which a Taliban spokesman said that talks with South Korea over the fate of the 23 volunteer [Christian] aid workers were progressing well, and “the situation will be solved peacefully.” These South Korean Christian aid workers were seized by Taliban forces on July 18, while travelling from Kandahar to the Afghan capital of Kabul.

Well, the Taliban has murdered two of the hostages so far - as of Aug. 1, 2007, 10:30 a.m. Pacific Standard Time. The latest Taliban deadline has passed. My prayers go out to the families of Rev. Bae Hyung-kyu and Shim Sung-min.

Why, again, is any government negotiating with lying, murderous madmen?

I am on my knees praying for my brothers and sisters in Christ, who are being persecuted. Please join me.

The Afghan army has dropped leaflets in the Ghazni area where the hostages are being held, warning area residents of an impending military mission. I can only pray for God-speed, a successful mission, the saving of the South Korean Christians, and the destruction of the Taliban.

But under no circumstances should any of the governments or groups involved bow to the requests of the Taliban. No exchange of militant Taliban prisoners for the South Korean hostages. Giving in to the demands of terrorists only invites more terrorism. This is so very difficult, I know. The humanitarian loss is crushing. If my son or daughter were among the hostages…I am sure my emotions would cloud my opinions.

South Koreans are appealing directly to the United States for help in negotiating some kind of deal with the Taliban. Earlier this year, such a deal was worked out when the Afghan government negotiated an exchange of five Taliban prisoners for an Italian journalist who was taken hostage. The U.S. government is standing strong against those kinds of concessions, maintaining that this just increases the likelihood of future hostage-taking.

There is a gathering of South Korean families at the U.S. Embassy today. These families of the hostages are angry….at the United States. One young man carries a sign that says “Bush, talk to the Taleban.” And why is this situation the fault of the United States? Yes, we led the multinational force that brought down the Taliban regime in Afghanistan after the terrorist attacks of September 11. Does that mean the U.S. is responsible for the acts of every madman in the region? No, it’s just nice to have someone else to blame, somewhere else to direct your anger.

photo credits: Reuters

Carnival, early August

Posted by Jen in carnivals
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It’s the height of county fair time, and we’re heading over to ours tomorrow. For now, here’s some carnivals to visit:

The Carnival of Homeschooling (physical edition) is flying high over at Mom is Teaching.

I enjoyed the post on Bored, from Little Homeschool-on-the-Prairie.

Saving on Schooling is also a great post, with a list of stores that offer discounts to the homeschool teacher, from Percival Blakeney Academy.

Also helpful for the homeschooling parent in choosing teaching materials is What is a Living Book, posted by The Thinking Mother.

The Carnival of Family Life is hosted by the very creative Island Life.

The earth shook is a close-up look at Grace’s family in Japan.

You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do - yes, I think many moms have been where this one’s been, at Do You Weary in Well Doing?

The Christian Carnival is up at Crossroads.

Be sure to take a look at Dana’s post entitled Is our goal really to “bankrupt the American educational establishment?”

Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. A New Type of Faith Teacher is posted by Diane.

Enjoy the rides!