7 Quick Takes

1
My husband wakes at 3:00 a.m. for work every stinking day. This Lent I over scheduled myself in the evenings, so my poor guy has been in charge of putting the children down for the night. Trouble is, children resist going to be bed under the best of circumstances, but when everyone is crammed into one room it's a giggle fest every night. Sure, it's a large room, but these are kids. They consider the sleeping arrangements a "sleepover" and act accordingly. My poor husband has suffered long enough. Today, when he woke up with a sleep deprivation headache and nausea, I decided that now's the time to move the construction gear out of the master bedroom and move my husband and I in. He won't hear the giggles from that end of the house! My neighbors came over and helped put the plan into action. I went to the hardware store for my renovation gear so I can paint tomorrow and refinish the floors next week. When I left we'd got the bed moved and, in fact, my husband was napping up until...

2
...the "Check Engine" light went on in the van on the way back from the hardware store. I had taken all the non-napping children with me to give my husband a chance to pay off some of his sleep debt while the little ones slept, but he only got an hour or so before I had to call him for the game plan. Right now I am grateful to be able to...

3
...keep me and three kids entertained at my mother's house while I wait for the engine to cool down enough to get a good reading on the oil dipstick. My husband thinks we may just be low on oil. I sure hope so, oil being so much less expensive than engines.

4
Meanwhile I am trying to distract myself with a quick round of blogging at my mother's computer. I have on the world's worst outfit with hair I neglected to tame into smoothness after my bath. So, I am a fuzzy headed frump fresh from the hardware store and I have to lead youth group tonight. I tell you I am not above praying for the ability to go put my armor on to face the teens.

5

Available on-line here.

On the homeschool front, we have begun our "Reading Program." That may sound technical, but my entire program consists of the book Teach Your Child To Read In 100 Easy Lessons. I recommend it for everyone with a child who is in Kindergarten through Third Grade. I even recommend it as a tutoring tool for older children or young adults struggling with reading mechanics, fluency, or comprehension. In a little more than three months, the program teaches all the tools for reading. Non homeschooling families could take 15 minutes a day over the summer holiday and use this tool to supplement the school program. It is simply the best program I have come across. I go straight from this to literature and subject area reading. I only wish they would develop an app for this!


6
My youngest is three and is determined to learn to read with the rest of the pack. She's been singing the ABC Song to prove her mettle. The other evening, she grabbed my husband and I by the arm as we kissed her goodnight saying, "Now listen, now!" to prepare us for her latest rendition of that classic. This particular time she began with a prelude of  "A...B...C...D...I...N...G/Let me sing my ABCs!" before she started the traditional song. Either she's got a new CD without my knowing it or I have a miniature songwriter on my hands!  

7
Some administrivia:
In deference to East Coast interviewees, the Garden of Holiness at Deeper Truth Podcast time is moving from 7 p.m. Central to 6 p.m. Central (That's 7 p.m. to you Easterners).

Thanks to Jennifer Fulwiler, a fellow Texan, for hosting

7 Quick Takes Friday 

over at Conversion Diary.com