Confession #23 - Naturally Sleepy

So you probably realize by now that I have three children.  I home school.  I teach them lots of things.  The first number they learn is the number eight.


I like to have a quiet house before 8:00 a.m.  On Saturdays (and some Thursdays) I like to sleep until 8:00 a.m. Most mornings I have my time with the Lord between 7:00 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.  If the house is "awake" it's a challenge for me to read the Bible and prayer journal.

The first number my children learned was the 8 as displayed on a digital clock. I told Faith when she was around 3 years old that she could get up at 8:00 in the morning.

At 2:38 a.m. I heard a little voice declaring that it was eighty clock and she was getting up.

So I found some masking tape.... and here you go....

Now I will need to do a little reconditioning as we're learning to tell time. Good thing I home school!

Love, Carra

I've been meaning to share my top books for raising little people.  As I ponder the life change that is coming sometime in the next three weeks,I pulled my "baby sleeping book" off the shelf to re-read in my "spare time" LOL.  But I will because the info in it is sooo good.  Not only that, it has helps and guides for grade schoolers and even a chapter on teen sleep needs.

Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child By Marc Weissbluth
Trust me, Gracie and Faith have been sleeping through the night since they were a few months old and still sleep 12 hours every night!  This book is my friend!

While I'm at it, here are my two favorite child rearing / discipline books.


Shepherding a Child’s Heart
by Tedd Tripp
This is tough teaching. It challenges you to focus more on the ultimate outcome (your child’s standing before God and her rebelliousness) than simply behavior modification. I find this hard to live out daily, but I am always blessed when I take the time to deal with confession, repentance, consequence and restoration.  I'm reading a second book by Tripp called "Instructing a Child's Heart."  It is really convicting and fantastic, but I need to finish reading it before fully commenting on it.  But I'm about 99% sure it will end up on my "essential" list.


Don’t Make Me Count to Three
by Ginger Plowman
This is the practical side of Shepherding a Child’s Heart.  It has great structure to living out the “big picture” offered in Tripp’s book.  She challenges you that how you allow your children to respond to you is ultimately how they will respond to God.  Do we want them to obey God the first time or delay until the last possible minute before consequences?  (i.e. counting to three instead of requiring immediate obedience).  Our girls know the phrase well:  “God wants us to obey right away, all the way and with the right attitude.”

And yes, I am three weeks away from the "big day" and I promise a "belly picture" soon.   I will be setting up the birth room with all the "stuff" right after our last student gathering (this Sunday).  I'll post a tour with a nice round belly-ed tour guide. ;-)

Love, Carra

Hands Free baby

I'm so grateful that God has brought this pregnancy to the halfway point! Since we aren't planning to have another ultrasound (we had one at 7 weeks to verify viability of the pregnancy before we told family), we will be finding out the gender of this baby...at birth ;-)

Yesterday I had a lovely time in the afternoon with my mom & sister sorting out baby clothes I've gathered and packed over the years. We sorted clothes and picked out a couple of blankets and three outfits each.

Sorting though all these memories (I mean, clothes) reminded me of when I first became a "mamma" over 6 years ago.

Even though Gracie was my first, I was grateful for the baby sling and the option of multitasking motherhood LOL. Now as I contemplate what life will be like with three kids, I'm even more excited about having my sling.

My mom made this one from a pattern we bought online. Since then, I have added several others just for the love of pretty fabric :-) If you are mom (or planning to be) I highly suggest you get a sling. It takes a little time to get used to it, but so worth it!

Love,