Mornings

   I like mornings, before the rush. I am almost always the first one up. It makes the day run so much more smoothly when I am able to take a few minutes to breathe...ALONE. I start the coffee, let the dogs outside and leisurely go about the house doing whatever must be done to make each particular day run most effectively.
   I like that we have time to patiently care for our animals needs. That they aren't abandoned and yet expected to behave regardless of hours spent alone.
  I like that we homeschool our boys. I like that I hold the key on deciding if they need to be blasted out of bed with a fog horn or if they need extra time to rest. Life gives us all the need for both, a mother knows how to monitor this best.
  I like that we have lovely mornings with bible studies lasting as long as we can push the envelope. We can eat our breakfast and calmly sip our coffee...or whatever, while we are mulling over life's complexities.
  I like that we have time to exercise together. It is fun to do with others and a great way to start the day.
  Of course we all shoot out like rockets after the morning rituals. The neat thing is we individually get to carry the joint morning experience away with us. Mornings can make or break our day. A good one gives us energy. A bad experience is tough to compensate. I agree with those who say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. I'd like to add to that statement. I think we would do well to consider mornings being the most important time of the day.

Monkey Pod Games

    A few months back, you know before our world went noodles, "Monkey Pod Games" http://www.monkeypodgames.com/ asked if I would be willing to review a few of their games.

   I am here at last, full of chagrin..here's the story.

   I agreed, HELLO who in their right mind would turn away  free family night activities. Well we thought it was awesome. As a matter of fact Ricky said he was going to get on the blog http://mostlysanevincents.blogspot.com/ he shares with his brother and write reviews on all the activities he loves most. Of course he was banking on an array of bliss-filled packages arriving on our doorstep. That was short lived.

   The games arrived. We played the games. Life went nuts. We packed the games...and the laptop.

  We are now, obviously back to our normally scheduled program....well enough to share our experience with you anyway.

   The first game we tried out was "Ludo"  which is basically "Sorry"  To put it simply we loved it! It's easy to set up, easy to understand! This game is great because you can grab some quick snacks for the game table, set up the game in a giffy and you're ready to go! This provides some great time w/ the fam. without the gloom of "a game that will never end". No fear of brain cells that are too overwhelmed to "get the instructions" Understand I am  not insinuating that it is without challenge. It is a game of wit and strategy.  This particular version is actually a wooden box. When you open the lid, where the pieces are stored, it becomes the game board.  It latches shut with loops of red rope and two pegs, which is brilliant.  We have enjoyed sitting on the back patio sipping blueberry tea and playing this new awesome wooden game. Because of its travel ease, we've also taken it on a picnic with us. We plan to take it camping this summer. http://www.monkeypodgames.com/Wooden-Ludo-Large/M/B002XF4OZM.htm

  The second game we tried out is called the Soma Cube. Like, Ludo it is a wooden game. Both are aesthetically pleasing earning them a position on the wooden games shelf in our living room. You know vs the second class citizen shut away in the closet... umm the cardboard and plastic games.

    Anyway....Soma Cube is a set of wooden pieces, your job is to take them apart and put them back together in 240 different ways. The first day we played we where on the middle of the floor. The two boys and I had our heads in a triangle. Our bodies were shooting out from the game that lay in the center of said triangle. After reading the instructions several times we finally figured out the step by step directions for the first construction. The next step was going through the process alone with only the figure of a finished construction pictured. This proved to be MUCH harder. That day we only found two more solutions.  The next time we pulled it out we placed it in the middle of the table. We were stumped on a particular figure. One by one through out the day we continued to go back to that table trying to find the new solution. We needed a new way to build. We couldn't conquer it, so we'd walk away. It followed our thought's, so we'd go back and stare at it. This game is kinda like a cross between the family jigsaw puzzle endeavor and the let's try and conquer the Rubic's Cube generational curse.  http://www.monkeypodgames.com/Soma-Cube-3d-Large/M/B0012LJAMA.htm   We loved it! We hated it! We wanted to pull out our hair, We wanted to throw the pieces across the room. Non-the-less when we finally did feel the victory of conquering one of the figures we were on a natural high!


   Thank You Monkey Pod Games for giving my family these beautiful, sturdy, mind stretching games!!!

Cleaning, books and other important things in life.

   Speaking of spring, that is... um...as in my previous post, I have been "enjoying" the annual spring cleaning phenomena with a bit of a twist. Riding on that wave of energy I have a nice orderly home. I have purged the clutter, well except for my secret life long hoarding project.

Okay, fine! So the issue has been well documented! Yeah, so maybe it's not all that "secret".

For the few of you who have somehow escaped the knowledge, I hunt books. I save books. I have a mission to replace a great number of stolen books. Seriously, if I don't what will my grandchildren read? I mean have you been to a book store lately? How about the public library-a sad state of affairs, I'm sorry to report. Despite the enormity of my collection and the you've-got-to-be-kidding-me look on the faces of those who helped us move all-those-boxes-of-books, I really do give away boxes of books every year. Can I get a witness? Come on Jenny, Jacki, Claudia...anyone?
   At any rate this is the time of year to open windows and listen to the rhythm of spring....and do some serious cleaning! As I alluded to earlier, the endeavor went a bit differently for me this year. We moved, yes again and only four months later! That is a huge MESSY story that will have to wait for another post. For now let's just say it made getting rid of un-needed clutter, freshening everything up, completing projects and restocking much easier.
   Not that I'm advocating a move every four months. The stress of moving is enormous, especially when it's not your choice, when the decision is made for you. Casa de Vincent went noodles for about a month, and is only starting to recover. We have been placed in a very difficult situation. Scheduling has been, well...interesting to say the least. Moving at the end of the school year after moving four months previously during the holidays is umm....NOT FUN!!!

Did I mention that we homeschool, run a home business, have two sons with spring birthdays and our baby is graduating from 8th grade...WHILE WE ARE MOVING!!! Can you spell EXASPERATING???

     While discussing a totally unrelated issue with a sweet friend of mine...who doesn't even know she gave my spirit (that also needed some spring cleaning) some wonderful words of wisdom. She reminded me that I am glad we homeschool. We had no losing of friends, because there was no changing of schools. I am blessed. Another spirit cleaning friend, whose words ring in my ears even as I sit here, reminded me of what others all around us are living through and have no choice but to "deal with". I am blessed. Thank you Jesus for loving me through my tantrums. Thank you for looking to my needs (and a home that can house my books). Thank you Jesus for your majestic rule. Thank you for my cleansing rejuvenation.

Thank you God for Spring

It's Spring! With that comes gorgeous blossoms & absolutely wonderful rain....and errr, um.... hailman building hail storms, warm evening picnics, watch through the window thunderstorms, sunny swims &  kite flying wind.  Ricky has been keeping a weather log for Physical Science this month, it has been hilarious! Hooray for the wild ride of springtime! Hooray for the sights, sounds and smells of a quintessential Spring day, which to me means the magic of the unknown. However I mostly adore the sweet aromas from those lovely releases of green and the freshly pounded dirt. These are restorative actions for the earth and my spirit. 

"The day the Lord created hope was probably the day he created spring"~Bert Williams

.....and although I loved the beautiful weather of a few days ago heading out for a walk around the new neighborhood, sitting out in the yard lazin' around with a book, cloud watching with Ricky, some great conversation with Billy in  the garden, conducting schooling outdoors at the picnic table, leading to evening meals placed there as well.  I also love the movie watching snuggle time & the game playing that stormy days tend to bring. Rain brings a calming peace with it.  Let the rain, rain, rain come down, down, down!!!