More Ideas!

In my last post I mentioned a friend, Beth, who had shared some great blogs with me. She also has a great blog, which chronicles her days as a stay-at-home Mom with her two little girls. Beth taught elementary school, and is putting her ideas to work at home. Check out her blog at http://runningongoldfish.blogspot.com/.

One idea in particular has been a big blessing to Phoebe and me, and that is the idea of a "board". Each day, Phoebe and I talk about what day of the week it is, and Phoebe looks outside to see what the weather is like. The printables on the board are from http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/. Beth also had the idea of putting up pictures of what they do each day. We are still gathering pictures, but as an example, we have a picture of Phoebe and the library storytime teacher under Monday, because that's what we most almost every Monday. (Beth has laminated her pictures and printables...I think that will be in our near future.)

The board (this is what Phoebe calls it) is also a great place for me to hang up her weekly Sunday school lesson and monthly Mission Friends leaflet. After lunch we've started reading over the handouts and the listed references out of the Bible (idea stolen from our friend Sarah, who also has two great blogs: http://www.therolstons.com/ and for kids with egg allergies http://egg-less.blogspot.com/).

Side note: When I was preparing to transition from being a full-time high school German teacher to being a full-time stay-at-home Mommy, I wondered how I would get "professional development" for my new vocation. :) I had received some wonderful training as a teacher, and thought that as a Mom I would just have to pray and then go for it. God has answered those prayers far above and beyond what I could have expected or imagined! He has provided friends with experience, friends who are "in the trenches" with me, wise older women who have much to share, these blogs, books, and conferences that have all helped shape who I am as a Mom. And of course, He has used my own Mom and my Mother-in-law in huge ways.

Ultimately, the study of God's word is my guide. The verse that He used today to continue to shape my thinking about what it means to be a Mom was Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." My desires have been laid to rest. It is what He desires that matters now.