This last week, my 12 yo daughter decided my 6 yo daughter needed to learn to ride a two-wheeler (bike) without training wheels.

But… my 6 yo wasn’t really that into that idea. So my oldest got creative.

She took a necklace her sister has been trying to “borrow”, and turned it into a reward for her sister for learning to ride a bike.

The necklace has five stars of different colors on it, so Kate (my daughter) made up names for each of the stars and assigned a milestone step for each star.

The last star was pink (my 6 yo’s favorite color) and was earned with the necklace only after my little one succeeded in riding her two wheeled bike by herself in the cul-de-sac.

I first became aware of this, when I looked up from a project at my computer to see Kate pushing Little E on her bike around the backyard. I just smiled and periodically looked up to watch them.

Later they came in all excited that Little E was ready to try riding in the cul-de-sac. A little while later, I was called out to watch.

As you can see… Success!

The right motivation and a clever scheme from big sister, plus lots of encouragement, brought my 6 yo into the land of big kid bike riding

And Kate tells me she’s not a good teacher…

It’s a Sunday afternoon and I’m sitting here at my desk trying to get some editing done while the kids play. Outside it’s a beautiful day. After three solid months of colder weather, and even snow, the weather has turned to sunny and warm, with a gentle breeze.

The birds are in the trees out doors and the cats are lounging around. Yesterday I got out and cleaned up a couple of the garden beds and planted a few short-season, cool weather items that hopefully will grow before the weather turns hot.

Inside I have a small green house holding my tomato seedlings waiting for the cool weather to go away so I can plant them out in a few weeks.

The kids are playing on the patio right now, drawing with chalk and joking around with a friend.

Soon one or more of them will hop on a bike and take a ride around the yard.

That’s their latest thing – riding around the yard.

 Early last week, the kids dug trenches to drain the water out of the “pond” I showed you a few weeks ago, and now there’s bumps and bridges, and all the makings of a modest dirt/mountain bike track.

So they’ve been riding around on that. They won’t even go out in the cul-de-sac to ride now, because it’s so much fun to race around the yard with all the bumps and obstacles

It’s a wonderful beautiful day. And while I need to work to meet my deadlines, it’s a awesome thing to look up from my desk and see the kids playing and riding around.

In fact right now, Jazzy (Kate’s little Bichon) is chasing Kate (on her bike) around the yard.

Here is what it’s all about… enjoying a beautiful day, nature, and the companionship of family and friends.

Gotta love it!

Looking for ways to help with the devestation in Haiti?

Alecia Settle, a homeschooling mom & the author of Visualize Haiti, has given me permission to share this information with you.

Alecia’s ministry supports mission work in Haiti and around the globe, but she has a special affection for Haiti, as you’ll see…

Here’s Alecia’s advice on a few options to help Haitians right now:

Thank you for your concern about Haiti.  This has been a very hard week for our family.  We have worked in Haiti meeting physical needs in the name of Jesus since 2004.  We have a nearly 7 year old Haitian daughter we adopted at age 3.

As you are probably seeing on the news, the most immediate need is financial because supplies are so hard to get in right now.  This is due not only to the paperwork involved in getting them through customs, but it also means someone has to get down to customs to “negotiate” with the customs agent on a price to release them, assuming they aren’t stolen before they arrive. 

The missionaries actually living in Haiti have tried and true less expensive and more efficient ways of acquiring exactly what they need if they have the money.

I will be heading down over the next couple of weeks,  but in the mean time I will list several options of friends I know personally who will be good stewards of your money or donations:

 Baptist Haiti Mission

They have a church, hospital and school on site.

Manna Global Ministries

This is Church of Christ and has a feeding program, school, and medical clinic.  These are the folks I work with most.

 Chances 4 Children

This is my daughter’s orphanage and is non-religious based.

 God’s Littlest Angels

Operated by a Christian friend of mine.  You will see her interview with Matt Lauer on the website.

Please pray about your donations and give any way you feel led.

 Alecia Settle

Visualize Publishing, LLC

If you feel led, I encourage you to support the families of Haiti, in anyway you can.  Another option of course is to purchase Alecia’s book Visualize Haiti, where 100% of the profits go towards her mission work. And it is a beautiful way to share Haiti with your children, and make real the tradegy the Haitian people are experiencing.

…Shannon

P.S., Please feel free to share this with anyone you know who might be looking for a way to help the Haitians. It will greatly bless those who are on the island first-hand doing the work to help the children and families of Haiti.

Since we have such big goals for this year, we started back to school with something new and fun – creating vision boards. So that you can see what I mean, I shot a quick, candid video for you. Enjoy!
….Shannon

I’ve purposely avoided talking about the holidays here this year. Not because I couldn’t come up with any ideas, (on the contrary – I had over a page full), but more because this last month has been a time of quiet reflection for me.

A time to reflect on where I am at personally and professionally, and where I want to be, and a time to seek God’s wisdom as to which path to continue on.

At one point, I even contemplated shutting down this blog, but then within two days had more complements on the blog than I’ve ever had, so I guess you are stuck with me (thank you dear friends!!)

Each year I take the time to reflect, set goals, figure out what I should work on for the next year, but this year is a little different.

I took a look at all the things that I want to accomplish and asked myself, which would make the biggest difference in my life, in my family’s life. 

And it came down to two things. 

Accomplishing these two items – and they are big ones – would signficantly affect (positively) my relationship with my husband, with my children, and my health. 

 To accomplish such big things requires a strength and will that is much greater than my own, and I really needed this time to look within and confer with God on whether I could do this, whether I should.

I’m still in a reflection, planning mode, but am easing out of it, ready with God’s help to do what is necessary to break free and deal with these two areas of my life.

Please pray for me, for direction, for wisdom, and for strength. 

52 weeks to accomplish big things – it’s a short time, but with God’s help all things are possible. I believe that He wants me to move forward, to break free this year. But with belief must come action. For our favorite saying during times of intense effort is “Faith is an action word”.

As you contemplate your year, please celebrate your successes and then I hope you’ll take some time to spend with God and learn what areas will most impact your path going forward.

2010 is a good year. I can feel it. Can you?