The pond behind our house is frozen – at least 12 inches of solid ice – so it’s become the boy’s blank canvas to ‘create!’
They’ve made an ice rink to play soccer and skate, they’ve made forts, trails and whatever else they can imagine!
Clark’s snow angel
Their ice rink
After a recent snow storm, the boys noticed an elderly woman shoveling her driveway all by herself. All four boys grabbed their shovels and helped her finish.
So many books, so little time
I have a goal to read 50 books this year…here are a few I plan to read. Have you read any of these? Which one should I start with?
Life with Wrigley:
Luke and Wrigley both up at 5AM!
Having a puppy really is like having a new baby – so I’m kind of exhausted. The boys are amazing at taking him out during the day – but I’m up with him EARLY!
We’ve been “sleep training” him by putting him in the crate at night. The first two nights he whined a lot, but is now sleeping through the night. At first he was up by 5AM! He woke me and Luke up with his barking and whining. Now he’s sleeping til 6AM. That still feels too early, but I know he’s a baby and all my ‘babies’ like to wake up early.
Wrigley enjoys playing outside. Usually he’s only out for 30-60 minutes. We take him for walks (or he takes us for a walk)…and he plays with the neighbor’s doodles.
Luke completed his FIRST FULL WEEK OF SCHOOL! Though kindergarten began in September, he’s never spent 5 full, consecutive days in the classroom until now. Clark and Paul will start in February and George will continue distance learning for now.
These cards have opened up so many wonderful conversations with my boys!! I’ve loved having these on my dinner table. You never know what kids are going to say!
For staying warm in your office or bathroom, I love having a space heater! When I worked, I kept a space heater under my desk. Now, I keep one in my bathroom.
This is the coolest little craft for kids. They match up the stickers with numbers and make the prettiest pictures. Their art work turns out so cool you could frame it!
The Govino wine glass has been my favorite since my friend Nadia introduced them to me over 2 years ago. They are light weight, dishwasher safe and DON’T BREAK!
My sister is an Interior Designer and recommended these. WHERE have they been all my life? They make hanging pictures so easy! No hammers needed. No big holes!
I used my friend Stacey’s air fryer when I was at her house, then immediately bought one when I got home. They cook with “air” but it makes things taste fried! We love ours and use it all the time!
My husband and I both have these phone cases – he has this solid black one, I ordered the pretty floral one. I love that I rarely have to bring anything with me except my phone.
My mom purchased this book for me and my sister and we are loving it. Susie Larson’s authenticity, wisdom, and ability to weave truths into actionable faith steps is such a gift.
Thanks for reading?
Is there something YOU love from Amazon? Leave a comment!
Disclaimer: This are affiliate links. That means if you click on the item and choose to make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you!
2020 was full of firsts for all of us. We survived our first pandemic. Many of us home schooled for the first time. 2020 was the first year we went shopping for face masks.
My baby boy had so many big “FIRSTS” this year. I’m documenting them so I don’t forget!
First time snow skiing!
(March 2020)
He had SOO much fun and skied for six straight hours! That night, he couldn’t figure out why his legs hurt so bad. 🙂
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First time riding a bike with no training wheels!
(June 2020)
Now that we have Four boys on bikes, Ted and I need to get bikes!
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First lost tooth!
(July 2020)
He lost a tooth on the same day one of his best friends lost her first tooth.
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First time going to Elementary school!
(September 2020)
His first day of Kindergarten was also the first time we had a teenager in the home. September 14 was first day of school and George’s birthday.
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First time playing a team sport!
(September 2020)
He joined a soccer team and didn’t love it. He said he got kicked too much!
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First time Ice Skating on his own!
(December 2020)
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Firsts are a little bittersweet when it comes to your baby! However, I’m so grateful for this last little Egly and for many ‘firsts’ still to come.
I’m a full-time mom with a teaching degree. When COVID-19 forced my four sons to do full-time home school (aka: distance learning), I thought: ‘No Problem, I can handle this!’
I WAS WRONG.
It was so …very … hard!
Our first week of full-time distance learning was a train wreck.
If you would have peeked into our home, you would have (unfortunately) seen:
Yelling,
fighting,
frustration,
anxiety,
confusion,
crying, and
an iPad being thrown to the ground by an overwhelmed child and hitting another child who was seated on the ground.
By the end of the week I was so exhausted I thought I had the Coronavirus! I went to bed with a pounding head and an aching body.
SOMETHING HAD TO CHANGE!
No…
EVERYTHING had to change.
CHANGE had to start with ME.
My husband reminded me that STRESS is often due to not feeling like we have control and/or navigating a lot of change. Yep. That described us! He went on to share what we DO have control over is our: attitude, outlook, and the the actions we take.
I took the weekend to rest, reflect, and re-assess. I needed a higher perspective on home schooling my children. I had to remember that CHANGE is hard. Navigating this brand NEW learning environment and having to immediately perform was causing us to all feel stressed.
I am a person who loves to get things DONE. I like efficiency, and I enjoy checking off boxes. My preferences were NOT aligning with home schooling, and children are not efficient.
My GOAL to KEEP UP! and GET IT DONE! was wrecking our relationships. Very little actual learning occurred and we were all unhappy.
When the goal is to “Get it DONE” there isn’t time to absorb, discuss, reflect and learn.
Here were my new goals and actions:
1. Distinguish between controllable and uncontrollable.
I can’t control the fact that we are in a new learning situation, I CAN control how I act, as well as my level of preparation and time management.
2. I will prioritize my relationships with my kids over the assignments.
I will pause and think before I react to something my kids say or do.
3. Apologize.
I told my children I was sorry for being upset, frenzied, and impatient.
4. Realize we are all learning something new!
Remind the kids we are ALL new to this, and we were going to work on being patient and kind to each other. We would give each other grace.
5. Familiarize myself with their technology, passwords, and schedules.
6. Get more organized and prepared.
We kept their school stuff in one area.
7. Communicate with the teachers.
Remember the son who was so overwhelmed he threw his iPad? I told the teacher that our goal is no longer going to be to get everything done. We were going to slow down so he had time to absorb the information, reflect, and learn. She was okay with the fact that he may not get every assignment done.
8. Get more sleep.
The kids will be in bed before 9 and will wake up by 8 AM.
9. Come prepared and ready to work by 9 AM.
iPads are charged, everyone is fed, pencils are sharpened, and we’ve looked over the plan for the day.
10. Re-prioritize:
Focus 100% on their learning from morning until lunch. I will try not to get distracted by housework or my phone.
Switch my desire from ‘checking all the boxes’ to slowing down and really learning.
Choose quantity over quantity.
Less focus on grades, stronger focus on growing.
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These 2 things helped:
1. Prayer and Scripture
I ask God for help ALL DAY LONG reading my Bible fills my spirit and renews my strength.
2. Getting input from others:
Discussing better practices with my husband
Asking others what their best practices were and what was working for them (NOTE: talk to people who are more effective or more experienced)
Reading books or listening to podcasts that re-focus my attention to the big picture.
“Teaching from Rest” is an excellent book that walks you through how to teach with peace rather than frenzy! The author asks the question: If you knew your child was guaranteed to get into Harvard, but your relationship would be wrecked in the process, would you agree to that?
Are the days EASY now? NO!
It’s still a day-by-day, hour-by-hour challenge.
Do I feel more peaceful and prepared? Yes!
I’ve learned that most change can be bad in the beginning, messy in the middle, and extraordinary in the end.
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A few SMALL changes made a BIG impact!
How about you? What are you learning? How are you staying sane? What’s helped you? Leave a comment and thanks for reading!
My last post included the 50+ titles I read in 2020, here’s a list of my absolute favorites. These are the top ten (plus some honorable mentions). If you haven’t read these – I recommend you add them to your “to read” list in 2021!
Read this post to the end to see how to win two of my favorite books of the year. Giveaway has ended.
This book is a warm blanket on a cold day. It’s a gentle push in the right direction. The author is someone I worked with at New Life Church. He’s a great leader, pastor, and friend.
This book answers the questions:
How do we become the kind of people who know how to handle whatever life throws at us?
Being a mom can wear your down, this book will BUILD YOU UP! I know as moms that we don’t have a lot of time to read, but this book is WORTH your TIME!! Each chapter is SHORT and easy to read. This book gives you a ‘boost’ of inspiration for the day. Perfect for any mom with young children.
A super short, easy-to-read book that I could recommend to every person in this world. Whether you are grieving something simple like canceled plans, or something much larger – like divorce or loss of a loved one – this book is a MUST READ!
I think every family should own a copy of this book! The short devotionals teach something about science and how it connects us with God. This is one of those books where kids AND parents enjoy reading and learning together. We found each page fascinating.
This book was written by a parent and psychologist. I found it practical, extremely helpful, and even inspiring. It’s a book I’ll go back to again and again.
They say that truth is better than fiction, and this book is the PERFECT example of that. The author had me hooked from the very first page. She does an excellent job of recreating her childhood so the reader feels like they were there. I could feel her pain, joy, and disappointment. It’s an incredible story of survival, perseverance and resilience by four children being raised in the midst of poverty. Her story surprised me constantly – from how smart her parents were in some aspects, to absolutely dysfunctional in other areas. What an interesting story!
This is such a wonderful, powerful book. I listened to it on my free Hoopla app, but this year I’m going to buy and read my own hard copy. This book is full of good truths about the enormous love God has for each one of us – just as we are. This book would make a great gift. Thanks to my sister, Krista, for the recommendation!
Janet’s biographies are so easy-to-read and incredibly engaging! They are great books to read aloud with your children. If you are a home school parent – her books are a great resource for history. If your children need to read chapter books for school, I recommend these!
I read 6 of her biographies this year, and the ones I enjoyed most were:
Harriet Tubman!!! This book shares hard and fascinating stories about Harriet Tubman. I can’t believe one woman did so much in her life. She was a phenomenal woman! This book is a must read!
George Washington – My son George and I were so in awe of our first president after reading this book together. George said he wished I would have named him George Washington Egly.
Theodore Roosevelt by Janet Benge – An intriguing summary of Theodore Roosevelt’s life.
The book is the true story of a man who spends many years on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. After he works through the anger of being wrongfully imprisoned, he realizes they’ve stolen his life but they can‘t steal his joy. He chooses to make a positive difference right there on death row. He brought light and life to a very dark place. He gets to know each prisoner. This story shares an excellent example of CHOOSING JOY in ANY situation, as well as the difference that ONE PERSON can make.
Zig Ziglar is so inspiring and easy to listen to. Pick ANY of his books to kick start your year!
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5 Honorable Mentions:
God Smuggler by Brother Andrew – I wanted to add this to my top ten of 2020, but it was on the list LAST year (Click here to read that list), so I wanted to make room for other titles. This story is so incredibly inspiring. I could read it over and over. The book shares stories of Andrew bringing Bibles behind the Iron Curtain and the impact that had on people and churches. This book had one miraculous story after another. I read this book in 2019 and loved it so much that I re-read it with Clark in 2020. He enjoyed it too!
Catch Me if You Can by Frank Abagnale – Can’t believe these things actually happened! What a life! The book is better than the movie. This book would be a great one to listen to, but not good for young ears to hear.
The Dance of Connection by Harriet Lerner – a helpful and interesting non-fiction about how to understand and relate to others!
Their are affiliate links in this post. That means if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission. I will probably use it to buy books to giveaway here!
Sometimes people ask how I read so much. Here’s what I share about that:
I LOVE reading! You find time for things you love. Some people craft or build in their free time. Some like electronics or movies. I read.
I keep books in several places. One by my bed. An audiobook on my phone. A book by the couch. Another in the kitchen. One in the car. I always have a book nearby to read if I have a few minutes to spare.
On most days: I take 10-30 minutes to read in the morning. I take 10-20 minutes in the afternoon to read. In the evening, I’d usually rather read than watch TV, though occasionally a show wins my time. Currently it’s The Crown!
If I have to wait for my kids at a practice or an appointment, I’ll read.
I read WITH my kids. I pick a book and read one-on-one, or read SHORT segments with all of them.
The free HOOPLA app allows me to download excellent books for no cost, so I will listen to books while doing household chores or exercising.
Also #MinnesotaWinter means I’m indoors more through the winter and have some time to read.
Review: This book is a must read for every mom with children under 15. It’s full of practical tips and inspiration for raising young children!
Being a mom can wear your down, this book will BUILD YOU UP! I know as moms that we don’t have a lot of time to read, but this book is WORTH your TIME!! Reading just one page a day can give you a little ‘boost’ of inspiration for the day.
Review: A simple, yet good overview of Dr. Martin Luther King’s life.
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas
Rating: 10/10
Review: I listened to this autobiography of Frederick Douglas on my free Hoopla app.
Frederick Douglas shares stories from his early life in this book. He tells how he was separated from his mother before he turned one. Older slave women, who can no longer work in the fields, would take care of the young children until they can work. He said he never had any pants, shoes, or socks for the first 7 years of his life and remembers being SO cold through the Maryland winters.
When Frederick was around 7 (he’s not sure exactly of his age), he was sold to assist a woman and her son. Frederick was her first slave. He said at first, the woman was kind like a mother, but being a slave owner “changed” her. She became hard and mean. He noticed this over and over, how owning slaves changed people.
He shares how when he escaped to freedom, he expected to see poverty in the north, since Northerners did not own slaves. But the OPPOSITE was true! The North had class, wealth, and was full of people who worked hard without oppression.
Though many of the stories he shares about his life as a slave were hard to read, the book is excellent and I highly recommend it.
My next post will include a summary of all the books I read in 2020, followed by my FAVORITE books of the year!
It was a cold day with LOTS of snow. All four boys shoveled two of our neighbors driveways.
We played with our dog, completed a Christmas puzzle, then watched White Christmas (one of my FAVORITE Christmas movies).
Luke and Paul were excited to go to bed that night because they could hardly wait for it to be Christmas morning!
After the two littles fell asleep, George and Clark helped me put presents under the tree, then George created a scavenger hunt from the “elves.”
Clark set up some games around the house for everyone to play on Christmas Day.
Christmas Day:
Scavenger hunt for the littles:
George created a scavenger hunt from our ‘elves.’ He wrote a clue, that led to another clue, that led to another … all around our house. The final clue led to a gift from “Santa.” The gift was a game called “Ticket to Ride.” I’d read good reviews of this game so I thought my boys would like it.
I made the mistake of trying to play it with them right away, without having ever played before. I didn’t realize how many details were involved. I tried to read the instructions and play at the same time. This was a FAIL! I didn’t understand how to play, let alone how to teach all four boys what to do. We all got frustrated and quit.
Afterwards, I watched a YouTube video on how to play. I finally understood and asked my boys if they wanted to try again. The boys said no, they just wanted to open their other presents.
Opening presents:
Clark got football cards
Luke got an art set
Hanging new ornaments they received for Christmas
Our big Christmas gift to the boys was a dog (Read that story here) …but other family members had gifts for them to open Christmas morning.
I filled their stockings with some fun treats, hid the stockings in my closet, tied a long string around them, and wrapped that string all around the house. I gave the boys the end of the string, and they had to follow it to find their stockings.
The boys also did a “Secret Santa” gift exchange with each other. After Thanksgiving, I put the names of the boys in a bowl and they each drew a name. They have a $15 budget and get to pick out a gift for each other.
Luke drew George’s name and got him a puzzle (see below).
Paul drew Clark’s name and bought him football cards.
Clark drew Luke’s name and got him a remote control car.
George drew Paul and bought him some Pokemon cards.
Christmas Day Scavenger Hunt for the Parents:
Clark created “Wheel of Fortune”
Ted came in first
As a Christmas gift for me and Ted, Clark created a super fun obstacle course for us to complete. We had targets to hit with a nerf gun, matchbox cars that had to get past a certain line, a box to tear open to find a clue and a quarter, basketballs to get in the net, then a word to complete in a “Wheel of Fortune” type game. When we completed all our ‘challenges,’ we had to race to put our “quarter” on the winning circle to win a prize (see picture above). I won “Wheel of Fortune” and the matchbox car game, but Ted is way better with a nerf gun and basketball. He won and got a big chocolate bar. I was second and Clark gave me chocolate coins.
Christmas Day Walk:
It was COLD outside (7 degrees), but Ted encouraged us to bundle up and get outside with him, and I’m glad we did!
Christmas Dinner:
Steak, Brussel Sprouts, Bacon Wrapped Asparagus and …. French Fries. (I forgot to take a picture)
We Watched:
A Christmas Story – Ted and George love this movie. Since they watch “White Christmas” with me, I watch this movie with them.
We read:
The Christmas Lizard: this is a cute story of the Lizard climbing up the tree and hearing the different reasons Christmas is celebrated. The Nutcracker says “tradition,” the elves say “parties,” etc. When he gets to the very top of the tree he finds the Angel and the angel points to the manger and tells the lizard that the reason we celebrate Christmas is Jesus.
After Luke and Paul went to bed, I was able to talk George into giving Ticket to Ride another try. We both really enjoyed playing! I would only recommend it for ages 10 and up!
The Day After Christmas:
Luke got George’s name as his “Secret Santa” gift exchange. I helped him create a puzzle as a gift for George.
We put it together and it turned out so cool!
We also went ice skating with friends.
One friend lifted his hockey stick to hit a puck, and accidentally smacked Clark in the eye. It hurt bad at first (and looks really bad), but Clark was playing again in ten minutes.
We took another walk and had a snowball fight:
Get Ready …
Get Set …
Fire!!!
My boys received this “snowball maker” toy last year – it makes these perfect, round snowballs and saves your hands from freezing or your gloves from getting soaked:
Hope you had a Merry Christmas friends! Sending love from our family to yours!
Here’s a peek into our fall and winter. I love how my iPhone can take pictures and videos and turn them into this:
It was a long journey to get here … our oldest three boys started asking for a dog since, well, they could say the word “DOG!”
I was NOT excited about having a dog. I had a hard enough time keeping up with our boys, I didn’t want another thing to take care of!
However, this quote resonated with me….
“Every boy should have two things: a dog and a mother who lets him have one.”
― Robert Benchley
In 2013, we told George and Clark that when Paul was potty-trained, we’d get a dog! They were overjoyed. However…
Just as Paul was potty-trained, I found out I was pregnant. So, they boys got a BROTHER instead of a dog. Thankfully, they were okay with that … for a while.
Every subsequent Christmas and birthday – the number one requested item was: A DOG.
In 2020…we finally decided it was time. And you all know why. This year we were all stuck at home with plenty of time on our hands!
We got serious about looking for a Goldendoodle. However, I didn’t realize how expensive they could be. I was NOT going to pay what most people were asking.
I told the boys that if we were going to get a dog, we would have to find the right one, for the right price.
So the boys started praying. They asked God for a golden doodle dog for a ‘good price.’
I also saw Clark googling:
“Goldendoodles for less than one thousand dollars.”
For several months, we couldn’t find one. But then…we went for a visit to Tulsa.
Randomly at dinner, I told a friend that we were searching for a golden doodle, but could not find one for a decent price. This friend gave me the number of a local breeder who sells them for a very reasonable price.
There was MORE great news:
I knew the breeder’s family! I had worked with her brother-in-law in Colorado Springs!
I had friends with her dogs.
She had a litter recently born and they’d be available the same week that my in-laws would be visiting us in Minnesota!
Ted and I SECRETLY went to meet the puppies and of course, we fell in love. It’s hard to meet a puppy and not BUY a puppy!
This was finally the right breeder, the right dog, at the right time and the right price!!!
We bought one.
However…it was a secret. We would surprise the boys the week before Christmas!
When the puppy was ready, Papa and Nana picked him up and and drove him from Tulsa all the way to our home in Minnesota.
The Big Puppy Surprise:
When they were just a few minutes away, I took the boys upstairs. I told them we had to hang out in my room for a little while because dad had to work on something for Christmas.
While we were upstairs, Ted greeted Nana and Papa at the door and let them in. They put the crate in front of the Christmas tree, they put the puppy in the crate, and a blanket over the crate. Nana and Papa stood in front of the crate, blocking it from view.
Then…Ted came upstairs, knocked on my door, told the boys he was ready…and they came downstairs.
The boys were SOO excited to see their Nana and Papa.
Then, Nana and Papa moved to show the crate. They removed the blanket and showed them the REAL surprise – their PUPPY!
They exclaimed this as the BEST DAY EVER!!!!!!!!
The Best Christmas ever!
The best dog ever!
The best parents ever!
The best nana and papa ever!
They were thrilled and oh, what a memory!
Why the name?
All the men in our family have a “W” in their middle names…so we wanted our dog’s name to start with a W.
