October 2, 2009

7 Quick Takes Friday: October 2, 2009 (Vol. 17)

in children,church/faith,emotions,family,finances/frugal ideas,homeschooling,humor

~ 1 ~

We’re studying early American history this year with the boys using Winter Promise’s American Story I. While we were reading on of our books (I believe it was The New Americans: Colonial Times: 1620-1689), there were some hints toward the idea of the Revolutionary War.

Jack said, “I hope the Americans win.”

And, being the ~~wonderful~~ bad Mom that I am, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Of course, I didn’t feel so bad, because I saw that little flicker in his eye that suggested that he really knew the answer and was saying it to be funny.

But, then he continued, “What?”

“Jack — who do you think won the Revolutionary War?”

“I don’t know.”

“Are we British or are we American?”

“Ummmm…American?” in that way of asking a question that kids do sometimes when they really do know the answer.

“Okay, so who do you think won?”

“The Americans?”

“Well, there ya go,” I said with a smirk.

~ 2 ~

During the same time of reading during our schooling, we were reading a few pages from Children’s Encyclopedia of American History. There was a little snippet about Benjamin Franklin on one page that we read. (Don’t worry — we’re reading more than just a snippet about him in other books.)

In telling about him, one of the things is said was that he had “made key discoveries about electricity…” (the emphasis on the word key is mine, not the book’s).

Eric heard us from the other room and he and I laughed so hard! The kids needed to be clued in to why that sentence was horribly funny. I told Eric, “Whoever wrote that was probably laughing his butt off about it.”

~ 3 ~

On the good deal alert front, I just noticed that the Wii has dropped by $50, taking it down to $200, plus Amazon has a $25 gift card if you buy the Wii through them. We love our Wii!

The other good deal that I just heard about is that at Motivated Moms, they have the 2009 Planner marked down to just $2. They are normally $8 for a whole year, but with having just released the 2010 edition, they marked down the previously marked down 2009 edition to $2. This is a great way to be able to inexpensively try it out to see if you like it enough to buy it for the new year!

~ 4 ~

Isn’t it funny how you can make friends with someone so deeply in a seemingly short amount of time? I first met my friend Amanda only about a year and a half ago. It was a bit longer ago than that, but that’s the first time we really talked at all. (Ironically, we actually went to high school together, though I didn’t know her, and I was in a class with her husband.)

And, now, I feel like all the time when I am talking I say things like, “Well, do you know what my friend Amanda does?” or “My friend Amanda said…”. People probably get tired of hearing about “my friend Amanda.”

I have thought many times about how God has blessed my life by bringing Amanda and her family into it. I especially thought of it last night. I had been having a hard time, and probably wasn’t the best of friends of the phone when we had a problem come up that Amanda and I had to deal with for our homeschool group. I later text messaged her to say that it had been a hard day for our family (because of news about a close family member who is having a very difficult time right now), and that I was sorry for being “a sucky friend and a whiner.” She texted me that she adored me.

And, even better, when I saw her later in the evening, without saying a word, she just came up and hugged me. It was a long, firm hug. And, I couldn’t help but have to fight back tears.

I suppose it’s a sign of a true friend when no words are needed, isn’t it?

~ 5 ~

It seems appropriate for number five to say that Molly has been counting down the “sleeps” until her fifth birthday. It’s pretty darn soon!

How do they get so old so fast?

~ 6 ~

Speaking of little girls, we were excited to find out that my sister-in-law (Eric’s sister), who is pregnant, is expecting a baby girl!

In a very odd twist, they (Eric’s sister and her husband) had sent Molly a gift card for her birthday and she went out on Tuesday and bought a doll that she named Elizabeth. Well, imagine our surprise to get a call (and email) confirming that their baby is a girl, and they will be naming her (yeah, say it with me) — Elizabeth. Funny, huh?

~ 7 ~

It’s been a week of some real ups and downs. When I was feeling particularly down, I saw that Amanda (from Encouragement Along the Way, not the Amanda from #4) posted on Facebook the following as her status, and it was really exactly what I needed:

His mercies are new each morning!