All posts by NerdMom

The Baby

I have just gotten home from the hospital. I have miscarried. Aparently the baby died about 2 weeks ago and now my body is going through the process. We are very sad but at peace. The kids are staying the night with friends and will be told tomorrow. It is now 9:50 pm and I was there at 11am so I am going to eat dinner and go to bed. Thank you for your prayers and please keep praying for us. All those who have emailed and commented, your words are precious and I will try to email you tomorrow. I will see you all tomorrow. God’s ways are not my ways and God’s thoughts are not mine.

Waiting, Trusting and Praying

As I am sure everyone has noticed, I have not been posting much (other than carnivals, to which I was obligated). I am going through a bit of waiting on God. I have been spotting since Thursday afternoon. It started light but it has gotten heavier. I am sharing this because a)I need an outlet and b)blog are supposed to be a sort of online diary. I know that this is completely in God’s hands but I really don’t know how this is going to turn out. I have been in bed since Friday (almost continuously) so I have spent a lot of time crying and praying. And that is ok. God has blessed me with 3 great, healthy, wonderful kids. He has allowed me to get pregnant so easy in comparison with many others. I have spent a lot of time talking to God and I know that He is in control. I know that His ways aren’t my ways and His thoughts aren’t my thoughts, but I know they are better. I also know that He loves me, my baby and my family and He is merciful. I also know that He does amazing things. My Nerdling (11 months) lived through a car accident when I was 20 weeks pregnant. My minivan was totaled and the injuries were minor. The toddlers each had a little bruise from the harness on their seat. NerdBug bit his tongue. Now the airbag sandblasted my face and arms but I didn’t have any scars (which amazed my OB). So I know first have that God does amazing things.
All that said, please don’t think that I am indifferent or ambivalent. Quite frankly I am crying as I am typing this. But God does all thing for His glory and I can not be silent about that. If I lose this baby, I will be crushed but not broken. For those of you who don’t know me, I (and my family) are easily invested. My kids all have plans, love and hopes for this baby. I was kissing the Nerdling after dinner on Friday. I was saying what cute kids I have and the NerdPie (3 yrs old) exclaims from the living room, “And there’s one on the way!”. I know God is big and great so IF something happens, He will heal my kid’s hearts.
All that said… I have been doing research on spotting and bleeding in pregnancy. I saw one stat (which might be exaggerated) that said if you have had a good early ultrasound (which I had) and you bleed. 90% are fine. I have also have seen many cases on the message boards of cervical cysts (no danger, just bleeding), early placenta previa, and just plain unknown reason that all resulted in healthy, happy pregnancies and births. Plus I have a pre-existing condition that lends itself to bleeding, never quite this much but some. So I am hoping to get in early tomorrow with my OBGYN (he was closed Monday) and then I will know something. All who read this pray for me if you believe. If you don’t, please consider believing.

Kid’s Comedy Carnival

Welcome to this week’s carnival. We have some very cute and very funny offerings. So let us start with the big stuff with Dana at Principled Discovery presents The One True God. Then we move on to the slightly smaller subjects of manipulation and biology insights from a 5yr old with Valeri at For a Season presents Eggshells. Then things begin to turn a little lighter;). Here we have some childhood logic with Eric at Renaissance Blogger presents Out of the Mouths of Babes. Then we have 2 submissions that both deal with songs. One child’s self analysis on her musical offereings with When You Put it Like That, How Can I Refuse? over at Here in the Bonny Glen. Then Sprittibee‘s kids like to torment Daddy with their original lyrics and a song he hates with A Badger, a Mushroom, and a Burger? It is so fun annoying Dad! Lastly, I have my own submission with a humorous look at Raising Boys!

Thank you so much for checking out this week’s canrival. Next week join in. Go here to submit your own great stories!

Related Tags: Carnival of Kid’s Comedy, Carnival, Family, humor, children

Raising Boys

I got this again on one of my email lists. I hadn’t seen it in a while. A disclaimer: This isn’t indicative of my sons or husband;).

RAISING BOYS

a) For those who have grown children, this is hysterical.

b) For those who have children past this age, this is hilarious.

c) For those who have children this age, this is not funny.

d) For those who have children nearing this age, this is a warning.

e) For those who have not yet had children, this is birth control.

————

———————————————

The following came from an anonymous mother in Austin, Texas (I’ll bet the
Austin Fire Dept knows which one!):

Things I’ve learned from my boys (honest and not kidding):

1.) A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house 4
inches deep.

2.) If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller
blades, they can ignite.

3.) A 3-year old boy’s voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded
restaurant.

4.) If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong
enough to rotate a 42 pound boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman
cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint
on all four walls of a 20×20 ft. room.

5.) You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using
a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you
get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.

6.) The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn’t stop a baseball hit by a
ceiling fan.

7.) When you hear the toilet flush and the words “uh oh”, it’s already too
late.

8.) Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.

9) A six-year old boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a
36-year-old man says they can only do it in the movies.

10.) Certain Legos will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year old
boy.

11.) Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.

12.) Super glue is forever.

13.) No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool you still can’t
walk on water.

14.) Pool filters do not like Jell-O.

15.) VCR’s do not eject “PB & J” sandwiches even though TV commercials show
they do.

16.) Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.

17.) Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.

18.) You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.

19.) Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like
ovens.

20.) The fire department in Austin, TX has a 5-minute response time.

21.) The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.

22.) It will, however, make cats dizzy.

23.) Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.

24.) 80% of women will pass this on to almost all of their friends, with or
without kids.

25.) 80% of men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid.

Carnival of Pregnancy

Welcome to the June 29, 2006 edition of carnival of pregnancy.

For many Pregnancy Can Be Hard Work as Mothering Times points out. For others Lisa McGarry tells us about One Pregnancy Scare Too Many! posted at Family Of Five.

Now you are pregnanct and puking, now what do you do? In my own article, Morning Sickness, I take a look at a great solution.

Kelby Carr presents Bed Rest Armchair Travel posted at Family Travel, for those of us where getting put on bed rest during pregnancy means even travel to the end of your driveway is banned, but there are many ways to be a bed rest armchair traveler.

KimC presents a glimpse at the end of prgnanacy withEvery six minutes, and ow! posted at Life in a Shoe, saying, “Live blogging my labor. It’s been start and stop for several days, but I think today is the day!” This is a great series ending with a handsome baby boy. Congrats Kim and Family!!!

Once that beautiful baby is here, then Spunky shares an Open Letter to her daughter.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of
carnival of pregnancy using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our
blog carnival index page.

Technorati tags:

carnival of pregnancy, blog carnival.

Morning Sickness

FInally, it has taken 4 pregnancies before I found a way around morning sickness. Actually, a girlfriend of mine shared her secret. I take about 200 mg of B6 in a 24 hour period (I spread them out throughout the day). At bedtime I take 1/2 a Unisom. It is great. Unless I am set off by a bad smell or a real gross sight I am fine. Now if only I could find a way around this exhaustion….

Pope Bans Modern Music

So I checking out GOP Vixen’s blog, as I often do, as she was talking about the Pope banning modern music in the Catholic church. According to a quote from the Daily Telegraph:

The Pope has demanded an end to electric guitars and modern music in church and a return to traditional choirs.

The Catholic Church has been experimenting with new ways of holding Mass to try to attract more people. The recital of Mass set to guitars has grown in popularity in Italy; in Spain it has been set to flamenco music; and in the United States the Electric Prunes produced a “psychedelic” album called Mass in F Minor.

However, the use of guitars and tambourines has irritated the Pope, who loves classical music. “It is possible to modernise holy music,” the Pope said, at a concert conducted by Domenico Bartolucci the director of music at the Sistine Chapel. “But it should not happen outside the traditional path of Gregorian chants or sacred polyphonic choral music.”

Now I do not agree with forming a church service around what will attract people but I so don’t agree with this and GOP Vixen’s analysis. First of all, what makes anyone decide what music is Godly and worshipful and what isn’t? Gregorian Chants and sacred polyphonic isn’t Biblical. As a matter of fact David used the harp and lyre. He even danced nearly naked (not something I practice personally) and it was pleasing to God. Others believed he was wrong but that judgement didn’t seem to effect God’s acceptance. I do understand that everyone doesn’t like the same worship styles but that doesn’t mean because you don’t like it, it isn’t godly.
But what worries me more is GOP Vixen’s analysis of Mass(sorry Bridge):

I have to say I’m with the pontiff on this one, though maybe not for the same reasons. Mass is about hard, uncomfortable pews, boring lectors and bad singing — and everybody knows Catholics are the worst singers. I find it rather off-putting to try to turn it into a hip social event, because everything has its place — go to Mass if you want to pray, go to Staples Center if you want a concert. The same theory with “Christian rock”: In my mind, there’s church music a la “Ave Maria,” and there’s rock music — and I don’t really care how and where rock artists worship.

This isn’t a new view. I have met many who believe that mass (and church) is a time to pay your dues. A kind of attitude that if you suffer through these things, God will have to let you into heaven (because that was the deal?). I haven’t found the verse that says the worse it is the better person you are or the better relationship you have with God. Maybe having a foreign experience at mass would just make it easier to leave God there. I have to say that I believe that Ave Maria is a beautiful piece. I sang part of it in junior high and I understand the jist but I don’t really know what it means. Worship is the out pouring of you heart. True you do worship in ways other than song but we are commanded to “make a joyful noise” (I can’t sing either). So, if your heart pours out in latin, great. Mine pours out a little different. Why would God consider mine any less?
I leave you all with something to contemplate. Worship is how you communicate love to your Lord and Savior. When I love, I love with all of me, musically as well as otherwise. Why lock God into one aspect of your musical taste and one aspect of you life as a whole. We are to continually be in prayer and communion. So if you like rock, get some with so glorifing lyrics. Spend a little time with God while you rock out. (If you are looking for recommendations, email me;)

*** A Couple of Notes
1) GOP Vixen has pointed out that this is not an official papal edict.
2) I have ammended that David danced naked. According to 2 Samuel 6:14 that he was wearing an ephod. In 2 Samuel 6:20 Michal accused David of disrobing and dancing. I was raised to mean he was in makeshift underwear. Others says it is more modest.

How much time does it take to Homeschool?

Time, it is the bane of a mother’s existence. We can’t seem to ever fit it all in. This is one of the problems that stands in the way of some families when it comes to homeschooling. I was reminded of this problem on Sunday. I was speaking with someone who had been informed that they should plan on 6 hours a day for homeschooling and they weren’t sure that they had time for that. So I come home to turn to the internet and my readers for info.

In a previous piece I wrote on time:

As I am doing preschool I start asking around as to how much time I should be devoting. One friend (who is homeschooling 4) said about 1/2 hour 3 times a week for preschool Then start at 1/2 a day for kindergarten and add 1/2 every year until 4th grade. There are sites that advocate an hour a day, 3 hours a day, and 5-10 a week.

I was wondering if my information was wrong. So I did more research. On eHow they warn you:

Avoid getting locked into “school hours.” It’s surprising how much more you can accomplish in three hours a day than a classroom teacher with 28 students can in six or seven.

eHow also had reminded me that the 3 hours isn’t all “teacher time” and I am already experiencing that. At 5, the NerdBug is already at a point where I can give him instructions and just be nearby in case he has questions. This is also true for art projects.

I also found a great point from Donna Young’s site that you have to make goals and not really run every day the same. There are things like spelling and vocabulary that you want to hit but only a couple of times a week. If you have long range goals that will give you a marker as to how much you need to do. (If you are working on how to schedule your day eHow had some great suggestions do make sure you check it out also.) One of the things I have seen over and over on different sites is that you are teaching your child and that will be different than teaching anyone else. I already see that one child is quick on catching certain concepts but need a little more help on other ones. Also timing is different for each kid. If I were to try to sit the NerdBug in one spot to do book work for more than 1/2 hour (at this point) he would get antsy and belligerent. Quickly he would loose the love of school. I do think as they get older (definately in high school) the kids will devote more time to school. In our house we try to learn 24/7 but sometimes it is sneaky. Everything from watching Jeopardy (NerdBug is starting to get those Bible questions) to cooking to “can you find a way to put all those toys in that box?” to sorting laundry. Also never forget about the learning that takes place between the ages. If you have a child that reads, they can read to the little ones. Right now NerdBug(almost 5) is helping teach the NerdPie(3) her letters while she is telling the Nerdling(10 months) about shapes and colors.

So all said, I believe that homeschooling is a sacrifice of time but it doesn’t cost everything. I saw on one of the sites that said first put in all your priority appointments and then fit in school around it. I know that Bible Study is a priority for me (or mom looses it;). I also am having a new baby this year so I am always off to the doctor. I also serve in my church and my kids understand why that is important. I think scheduling school the way I want makes it all fit better together. So what do all you out in the blogosphere do? I would love to learn from all you out there!