zzzzzz....

Ok, so I'm once again up before the sun with the wild one *sigh*.  Granted, I get my Bible study done before 6am, she watches her "therapy" video before the other children are awake which does allow her to focus solely on that and not be distracted by her brothers and sister. Right now she's sitting at the table with me finishing up her hot chocolate so she can watch one of her Signing Time video's.  I on the other hand am just trying to keep my eyes open while typing...Oh well, C'la'vie

For the next couple of days I'm watching one of my girlfriends 3 boys. She pulled a muscle in her neck, I'm keeping them so she can rest and heal. When I left her yesterday she was laying on the couch with her laptop on her lap and her husband taking care of her (hmmm..I now wonder how hurt she really is...lol). Acutally, we love it when the boys stay over, Jake and Luke love having more boys to play with, the girls, well they adapt... :-)  I always thought 8 boys would be great to have, I was right, it would be. I don't know how the girls would feel about that though.. ;-)

Well, it's time to start another homeschooling day, time to go wake up the youngins' (and try to get the teenager up, that takes a little more effort on my part. hehe).

Good Day

Some days homeschooling are good ones and some are not so good ones. Today is a good one, not great, just good, I like good. Don't get me wrong, great days are wonderful but as soon as the next day comes and the boys are bouncing off the walls (or ceiling or roof) the girls are crying and the wild one is absolutley refusing to listen (insert irony), it can be a real, REAL discouraging time. When I have good days on the other hand, the not so good days are much less of a discouragement as they are the pattern of things.

I love homeschooling all my children, been doing it for 15 yrs. and couldn't imagine it being any other way!! My youngest can be a challenge in more ways than the other 5 have been or will be, but it's a challenge God seems to think I can meet (must admit I don't think so at times), so it's something I could not give up on or give to someone else to do for me. 

So, here's to more good days! :-}

Boys

I love my boys! they are wild, crazy, rowdy, stinky, silly, loud, rowdy, stinky, oh wait... I'm repeating myself..lol Having 4 boys is a tireing experience, but I wouldn't trade it for the world (or a house full of girls! of which I have 2) Right now #4 thinks he's some kind-of ninja-cowboy. He made a whip out of binder paper..need I say more!?!!:\

Boys, gotta love 'em!:D

Ho Hum...

Today wasn't as much of a BLAH day as it was a ho hum day... Had a lot to do, and didn't really do it. Bummer, just more to do on Monday. :-p

Using her words...

Mommy, I did a good job... I want cereal... (Laura,Luke,Jacob,etc...)please move... Good morning beautiful... these may be ordinary phrases to many of you, but they are extra-ordinary phrases to this mommy!

You see, my daughter Grace is deaf, she lost her hearing when she was 5 months old due to bacterial meningits. When she was 8 1/2 months old she received Cochlear Implants. She is now 4 1/2 yrs. old and chattering up a storm. Language doesn't come easy for her, she has to work real hard to say her words correctly, there are many sounds she working on, a lot of them sound a like, an example if you tell her to fix her hair, she may try to fix her "ear" (what she calls her implants) or she may just touch her ears.

These last couple of weeks she has really turned a corner on her speach, she is articulating the sounds to the words she's saying much better and she's using words and phrases in the proper context. Modern Technology is so amazing to me. It's amazing how God would give us the knowledge to create such things. The fact that my totally deaf little girl can hear is a wonderful thing.

The first time she said "I love you" to me without any promps was one of the most incredible days of my (and my husbands) life. We were told she wouldn't live, and here she is telling me she loves me, God is so good! Now she says "Good morning beautiful" to me, she signs and says "I love you" all the time to me and everyone else!

I'm so blessed! I am not only her mommy, but I'm her teacher and her language therapist. That can be scary and nerve racking at times, but I know who's in control and who gives me the strength to make it through each day!

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Phil. 4:13

The Waltons

I love this show! We don't watch much tv, so the things that we do watch we want to be family friendly. Not todays worldy views of the family, but the views of days gone by. The Waltons isn't perfect (can't stand how the children talk back at times, use this a "learning time with the youngins')but I love how the theme is love and devotion to family. The grandparents are a vital part of the family unit, as the parents are. I also love the hard working nature and simplicity of the family. They're up early, and go to bed early (with the chickens as grandpa Walton would say), they don't have a lot, but what they have is enough. Their's is a home that is full of love for one another and a contentment with the things they have (for the most part). They live off the land for their needs and all their needs are met.
There are times I long for this "simple" life. The times we live in are fast paced, and getting faster by the moment. At times I think this recession has been a good thing for the family. It has caused us to slow down some, pick and choose the things we are going to spend our time and money on. We have found that staying at home with our loved ones is just as nice (or better) than some expensive getaway where we all do our own thing!
I love being a stay at home mom, I homeschool my children, I make a lot of things from scratch (not everything), I love reading to my children, listening to old time radio shows, reading and acting out Bible stories, going to the park, camping, and just about anything that will allow me time with my husband and children.
I love that I can instill in them a love for their Creator. I can teach them what it is to be a godly man, and to be a godly woman, to love and cherish the place God has given us in this world. To be soulwinners...
Having a house filled with the love of God is an incredible thing. The offerings of this world dull in camparison to what God has to give if we but ask.

Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tellthier children, and their children another generation... Joel 1:3

ER Time

Well, we spent the better part of the evening in the emergency room with Laura. The children (cousins also) were out back picking oranges from our very full tree, when a ladder fell on her. Laura was so petrified of going to the doctor she didn't want to get off the toilet seat and go to the doctors..:p poor baby! She ended up with 4 staples on the back of her head (and a well deserved happy meal!) She was such a brave little girl, while she did cry, she didn't scream, or throw a fit, she just did what she was told. As I was telling people over the cell to pray for her because she was so fearful of the dr. and of getting a shot (she was sitting right there listening to me talk)it made her feel good to know that people would actually pray for her like that. After it was all said and done, we talked about how she felt better because people were praying for her and how she was able to handle getting a shot (in her head mind you) and staples and that it didn't hurt all that much. She was able to understand in a little girl way how God listens to His people when they pray. ;D

I have a feeling that by the end of this weekend she will be on spoiled little girl! :-) That's ok, with me, after 6 children I believe in some spoiling when they get sick or hurt or just because!;-} Well, it's time to try to sleep (I usually have a hard time when one of my children aren't feeling well), but first I'll finish watching this episode of the Waltons. <3

Moving, again

Well, it looks like we will probably be moving, again!:( I just pray that this time will be IT for a long, long, long time!!!
We owned our home from the beginning of our marriage until the time we sold it (to move to Canada). Since we've been back we've been in 2 different homes, I really want to move into place that will be our home for a very long time. Somewhere were I can put up my homeschool "wall," shelves, pictures, and not worry about holes in the walls. I can plant flowers, and have a garden and not worry about the homeowner.
Well, it looks like we may have found such a place. Lordwilling, we have found a house where the homeowner lives out of country, and wants someone to move into their home that will make it their own. Someone who plans on living in it for a very long time. So, if it's the Lords will, we will be moving again. If He opens the door, then we know it's His will. Just keep trusting the Lord!!:)

Other news, the girls are finally playing well together. Grace has finally gotten old enough to play with her big sister in a "big" girl kinda way. Grace's communication skills are getting better, her receptive language is pretty much caught up to her age, and her expressive language is catching up. Her main problem is that she can't always get across what she's trying to say, so either she signs it (or makes up some kind of sound effect or sign) or she throws an incrediblely loud fit! yea for everyone in the house, or within a 1 mile vicinity. :p

When Grace gets real mad (at me in particular) she pulls her coils off her head (so she can't hear) and closes her eyes (so she can't see), that way she can scream to her hearts content! This is especially fun in the car, or even better in the store. Oh well, she's getting better with much prayer, prayer, prayer, the Bible, love and discipline!:)

Haiti

The news and the pictures coming out of Haiti about the earthquake is so heartwrenching. To see the death and destruction is awful, almost beyond comprehension. We need to remember this country and these people in our prayers, daily. Not only for their physical and emotional needs, but their spiritual needs as well. I know that there are those who are currently adopting children from Haiti, we need to remember them in our prayers as well.

Prov. 3:5-6

It's amazing how these verses can really get me through the day! Everyday is filled with it's own set of trials and blessings, trusting the Lord to lead me through the day is the only way I stay sane.
We affectionatly call our 6th child our "Wild Child." She is all that and then some!! She has some communication issues which add to her very STRONG personality. She starts the day at 4am and ends it around 9pm! :-p I try not to sit down to much during the day or...zzzzzz happens!!! I'm fighting it now... She challenges everything my husband and I thought we knew about discipine...lol She's also a great character builder for her brothers and sister...lol they endure her screaming (mostly due to frustration, and some just her), her extreme busy body self, and just her being spoiled (at least to me). Being in the hospital for 3 months and being the youngest plays on the grandparents (and anyone else for that matter).
My honey just offered to take me out for a coke, think I'll take him up on the offer of a few minutes of quiet and a coke!

New Year

Well, this is my one and only true new year resolution, I wanted to start a blog to write the going's on of the Taylor household. We are a crazy bunch of homeschoolers here in Central Ca. My youngest daughter is deaf and has bilateral Cochlear Implants. She is definitely my "wild child!" :) My husband is a pastor and works full time for the local newspaper, busy, busy,busy, but who isn't these days!?!!