math can be fun!

And here are some websites for practicing facts without realizing what you're doing. Move over, flashcards!

http://www.mathfactcafe.com/

http://www.kidsnumbers.com/

http://www.aplusmath.com/

The middle one has math's form of space invaders!

recovering!

Josiah was able to have surgery this morning in answer to many prayers! The Dr. drained quite a bit of fluid from his right ear, put in new tubes, and said his adenoids pretty much covered the back of his nose. We're hoping for smoother sailing ahead.

It's been a quiet morning so far. Josiah's been a snuggler but he really perked up after some Tylenol with codeine. (We have learned that if one of the side effects to a medication is mood changes, Josiah will react. He's gotten pretty goofy but that's better than miserable.) He insisted he could help put together the 500 piece puzzle Eric and I have been working on. He's pretty good at puzzles but this one does seem to be just a bit above him (but I won't tell him if you won't!)

still on for tomorrow

In spite of the fact that Josiah woke up last night with a 103+ degree fever, he is still scheduled for surgery tomorrow morning. We are suspecting an ear infection and he's on an antibiotic. His fever is nominal this evening. We'll keep praying and see what happens in the morning!

raising saints for the Lord

I stumbled recently onto a treasure on the internet: Elisabeth Elliot's daily blog. While I think that most of what is posted there must have been written years ago, it is full of sage advice from this woman whom so many admire. I share the address with any who are interested: www.elisabethelliot.org/devotional.html. I think one of the things that draws me to her writings is her firm grasp on living the crucified life: one of self denial, gladly taking up the cross and bearing all things for Christ. This would be a hard pill to swallow if it weren't that she has lived it out repeatedly and successfully in her own life.

I enjoyed reading her blog today on teaching children self-denial. I can't help but believe this is a lost art in our day and culture. I know my youngest has tested me in this. Who ever thought I would have to discipline a child to stop requesting something repeatedly? To stay with Mom and not wander off? (Well, anyway, I never faced these behaviors with my first two.) I appreciated a few days ago when Elisabeth urged mothers to help their children know that our words mean something. "Come here," means something. "No" does as well. As children learn that words mean something, it will be easier to accept that when God says something in His Word, it means something as well.

It is easy to get wrapped up in my children and make them my life. However, it is a higher goal to help my children get wrapped up in the Lord and give their lives to Him. At times that will mean learning to yield their desires and not always be the center of attention regarding everything that takes place in the home. It takes self discipline and self denial. Lord, help me to have wisdom in this!

snapshots

In between cooking, cleaning, Christmas shopping, grocery runs, homework, piano lessons, sibling squabbles, Dr. visits, laundry, BSF, and Awana... are moments like these!

Good king Josiah was 8, not 2, when he became king. Good thing!

living the greater Reality

On her daily devotional, Elisabeth Elliot described the situation of a mother of seven children ages 15 to a toddler, trying to load her children into a van on Sunday morning after her pastor husband had left the house much earlier. You can imagine the state of so many children at different ages and needs. Elliot summed it up with these words, "As Baron Von Hagel said, 'The chain of cause and effect which makes up human life, is bisected at every point by a vertical line relating us and all we do to God.' This is what He has given us to do, this task here on earth, not the task we aspired to do, but this one. The absurdities involved cut us down to size. The great discrepancy between what we envisioned to do and what we've got force us to be real. And God is our great Reality, more real than the realest of earthly conditions, an unchanging Reality. It is His providence that has put us where we are. It's where we belong. It is for us to receive it-all of it-humbly, quietly, thankfully."

A good reminder for those times when things don't go quite how we planned...when children wake up sick (again!), messes are unexpectedly made and remade before us, relationships don't go like we wanted them to, phone calls come that seem to stop of all of life and take our breath away. God is the great Reality. His providence put us here. Look to Him in these moments.

the verdict

Josiah was back at the ENT today...and as healthy as I've seen him in about 3 months. However, considering he did have yet another setback a couple of weeks ago, the Dr. wants to remove his adenoids and place longer-lasting tubes in his ears. We are (more than) ready to move forward as it seems necessary to keep him feeling well and resolve all his sinus/ear issues, which he's been dealing with since last Christmas.* The surgery is scheduled for Dec. 11. I'm praying he'll be healthy that day!!!

*Eric reminded me that Josiah started in with sinus infections last Sept. (of 2007). He had a wonderful two month break this summer but has been sick every few weeks both before that and since. Poor little boy!