to remember

I've been making the effort to wake up early and workout the past week and a half. It has made a huge difference in my attitude throughout the day. For example, while trying to clean the kitchen today, my daughters ransacked the fridge and destroyed the dining room. While trying to sort dirty laundry and put a load in the washer, the children threw all the clean laundry on the floor. And instead of getting angry, I took a minute to breathe, pray, and either find a way for them to help our distract them. I was also more receptive to inspiration/revelation that perhaps my kids are making the mess to get my attention because I've been focusing on cleaning and helping Brad Neeley (healing from foot surgery), and not on paying with them. I'm feeling overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done, but instead of feeling depressed and defeated, I know I can do it. Thank you, heavenly Father!

This isn't much of a blog post, I know. But a few friends have noticed that I haven't posted much lately, so I'm trying, but my posts are more like a quick thought while I'm feeding the baby. This was what I wanted to remember today in case I ever need to remember why an early morning workout is so important to me.

Books I've Read Lately

Year of Learning Dangerously (Quinn Cummings)
Unschooling Handbook (Mary Griffith)
Homeschooling Handbook (Mary Griffith)
Real Life Homeschooling: Stories of 21 Families Making It Work (Rhonda Barfield)
Dumbing Us Down: the hidden curriculum of compulsory schooling (John Taylor Gatto)
How Children Learn (John Holt)
Divergent (Veronica Roth) *audiobook
Alligent (Veronica Roth) *audiobook, unfinished
The Ultimate Guide to Homeschooling (Debra Bell) *unfinished
Moon Over Manifest (Clare Vanderpoole) *unfinished
The Hurried Child (David Elkind) *in progress
A Different Kind of Teacher: Solving the Crisis of American Education (John Taylor Gatto) *in progress
Story of the World, Volume 1 Ancient Times (Susan Wise Bauer) *audiobook, in progress

I might be a homeschool nerd?  Can you tell? I need some more non-fiction on this list!
What are you reading?

Update on Life

Samson is a happy baby.

Ruthe is obsessed with minions from Dispicable Me.  All minions known as "Bob." She's talking more, but leaves off the first syllable of most words, and invents many of her own.  some words are unmistakigly and perfectly enunciated, such as "yes" and "NO!" See translation guide below:
olo = water
oso = cereal
ik = milk
olor = i want to color a picture, give me crayons, etc.
ore = more
eese/peese = please
"ore oso peese" = more cereal please
tih = vitamin
ishy or ish-ish = fish
air = prayer

Naomi is my big girl 4 year old.  Man how time flies!