Stepping on the Moving Sidewalk

This past year Connor and I went through "Experiencing God" together.  One of the things that struck Connor and I was the picture that God is always moving, He always has a plan and we need to move to where He is moving.  So often we hear, "Well, you should wait until God shows you where you are to go." and while that may be true in some cases,  Connor and I were convicted that sometimes we just need to get on God's moving sidewalk.  God is already moving, He already has a plan and sometimes we just need to start walking in whatever direction God seems to moving towards.  It is far easier to steer someone who is moving than to steer someone who is at a complete stand still.  Since Connor was a baby we have told him Jeremiah 29:11, 
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.""  

And sometimes following God's plan for our lives require us to make a move trusting that God will stop us or direct us differently if we are going in a way contrary to His plan. 

We have always wanted our kids to be excited and challenged by the plans that God has for them.  We have told them Isaiah 32:8, " But the noble make noble plans, and by noble deeds they stand."  We have told them that they can do the hard things, they should strive for the impossible, they can change the world for the better, for God says that all things are possible through him.  We have tried to prepare them spiritually and academically.   We have asked them to be excellent in whatever they do because we want them to be prepared for when God's plans start moving them.

I always thought this was to prepare them for college and beyond.  You know, for when they aren't kids.  To properly prepare them for when they are adults.  You know, many years from now.  Not now.  For the future, very distant future.  You know, for when I was ready, umm, I mean when THEY were ready.

Apparently, God had other plans, good plans.

God's sidewalk started moving for Connor this spring and it was moving fast.  Through out the past 5 or 6 years, we have noticed that one of Connor's passion has been for programming.  We have done the best we can to help him follow that passion through coaching First Lego League teams to catering his education to buying even his birthday and Christmas presents in mind of his interests.  Connor started learning programming through a program called, Scratch, through MIT.  http://scratch.mit.edu/  Through the years, he has become a Curator, then a BETA tester and has become known to the creators of Scratch.  He met the creators of Scratch this spring in Denver and they gave him a challenge to find a way to use Scratch and SNAP! to control hardware, like the LEGO NXT, WII Remotes, Leap Motion, and others.  Connor managed to do that and was asked to speak at an International Scratch Convention in Barcelona, Spain.  He worked really hard to prepare 4 different talks to Computer Science Educators around the world.  He had some ups and some downs but more than anything he showed who he was and what he was capable of.  

Connor and I talked a lot this spring and summer about choosing to get on God's moving sidewalk.  We didn't choose the time frame but we firmly believe that God did.  Connor willingly choose to take the very brave step of following God's lead and then working very hard to do it well.  

More than anything else, I am so proud that Connor was willing to put himself on the line to do something extraordinary but scary.  To be willing to be open to failure but trusting that God would not let him fall.  To be willing to step on to God's moving sidewalk even though he didn't know where it would end.  

I can't wait to see what God has planned for my boy but in the mean time, I am going to ask him to work hard and achieve more than he thinks he can because who knows what God will ask of him next.

Click to see one of Connor's Projects
Click to see one of Connor's presentations.

 Connor at a famous church in Barcelona

Connor in a panel discussion on integrating software and hardware

Connor leading a workshop

Starting the School Year in a Great Way

First Day of School Pictures From Days Past

The kids and I have been home for 5 days in the entire month of July.  Connor, between Bible Bowl tournaments and speaking in Barcelona has been home even less.  What this means is that I am desperately trying to play catch up with school plans.  However, there are some non-negotiables in my planning for a the start of a great school year.

1.  Start getting the kids on the school schedule several weeks before school starts.

2.  Put together chore charts and start them at the same time you start your schedule.

3.  Have some meals put in the freezer and have a list of easy crock pot meals.

4.  Start school slowly.  Add a subject or two a week until everything has been added in.

5.  Have a fun first day of school planned.  (Brooke, this is for you!)

I always have fun items for my kids on the first day of school.  For instance, I always give my kids their favorite candy bar and yes, they can eat the whole candy bar on that day.  (Which only happens on the first day of school)  I have some fun pens, pencils, notebooks and bookmarks for each child.  For younger kids this may mean items from the Disney store with their favorite Disney character.  We also have fun shirts for the first day.  In previous years, we have done tie - dye shirts for the first day but this year (shhhh!)  I have gotten them shirts from Think Geek.   I usually have a fun book for them that has nothing to do with school work.  Being that mine are older now, I got unique office items from Think Geek for them for the first day.  I also think if you have pre-schoolers they need to be included in this bounty.

Plan a fun breakfast.  My kids like me to make homemade pop tarts.  I use puff pastry or make whole wheat pie dough with a filling of cherries, apples or blueberries and put their initials on them.  I will also cook up REAL bacon or sausage.  (At my house, we generally only get turkey bacon or sausage) 

Dad goes into work a little later and prays over each child and Mommy.  

We take pictures and measurements and post them on our growth chart.

I have a picnic or fun lunch planned and then have a lighter school day.  Go to the park or the pool in the afternoon.

6.  Know that the first week will be hard but the second week will be harder.  Plan a date night for the first or second week of school.  

Review the article below.

10 Practical Things Every Homeschooler Should Know 











Categories: parenting

Wisdom and Foolishness

Summer is a terrific time to read Proverbs and work on character training.  I love that God gave us His Word to guide us in raising our kids.  Throughout the years reading and memorizing Proverbs have held us in good stead.  This is another old post but a good reminder for us all.

I have been reading Ted Tripp's new book, "Instructing a Child's Heart". My poor children, I read a book and then they have new training. It's a wonder they don't sit down and cry each time they see me with a new parenting book.

Anyway, Mr. Tripp was writing about the difference between wisdom and foolishness. He mentioned a verse in Proverbs which started me off on a hunt in Proverbs. I decided that I would read a different verse to the kids each morning to help remind them that they have a choice in how they respond to instruction - with wisdom or with foolishness. I challenged them to think about what they would rather be known by, their wisdom or their foolishness. I told them that I would use those words when I saw either behavior in them.
So far we have read,

Proverbs 1:77 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Proverbs 9:7He who corrects a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,
And he who reproves a wicked man gets insults for himself.
8⁾Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you,
Reprove a wise man and he will love you.
9Give instruction to a wise man and he will be still wiser,
Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

We did have a brief talk about who they took instruction from and that we need to be wise in those decisions as well but that they have a choice in taking instruction to heart whether in school or in everyday life. Our children can choose to be fools or to be wise boys and girls - oh and that appropriate consequences follow each decision.

Oh and Caileigh does NOT like to be told that she is making foolish decisions so she made much better choices yesterday! I don't think the boys like it either but they weren't near as vocal about it.

Categories: parenting

Chore Card Go-Fish

Summer is a great time to add and change chores.  If we train our kids in summer, the fall and school will go so much easier.


Every quarter or so, the kids request a change-up of their chores and so we play Chore Card Go-Fish. No, you won't find this anywhere else, ( atleast I don't think so) I made it up on the spur of the moment to avoid having to buy one of those spinny chore chart things. It's as fun as picking chores can get and it means that I don't have to assign chores - woohoo!

Anyhow, here's how it works:
1. I sit down (usually once a year) with my fly-lady control journal ( Go to http://flylady.net/ for more info on that) and write out all the chores that need done on a daily basis and a weekly basis. I divide weekly basis chores into Thur and Fri chores to make cleaning day a little less tedious. ***Please Note*** I have spent time teaching my kids from the time that they were small how to do these chores. If I have a brand new chore on the list, I teach them how-to do it before I expect them to do it on their own. This is an important step in NOT exasperating your kids.***
2. I get index cards and write all the chores on them indicating whether they are Daily (D) Chores, Thursday (T) Chores or Friday (F) Chores. I try to have multiples of three so they divide easily. For instance we have 12 (D) chores so they each get 4 (D) chores and so on.
3. I have the kids come for the picking of the chores. It's an event because they are usually desperate to get rid of the chores they have.
4. I pick one child to start and they pick a chore from the (D) pile and then each child gets a turn to pick until all the (D) cards are gone. We then move to the (T) and (F) cards until all the chores are picked and each child has a stack.
5. Some rules:
A. THERE IS NO WHINING OR COMPLAINING ALLOWED. See Phil. 2:14
B. They children may trade cards with like days. (D) can only be traded for (D), (T) for (T) and (F) for (F).
C. Once all trading is done, the list is final. There will be stiff penalties for whining or complaining, see rule A.
D. All chores are expected to be completed during the time frame allotted. We have a schedule that they helped put together. Chores not done will result in more stiff penalties.
6. I put together the chore list using Edu-Trac but you could make up your own. I print out the lists and put them on clipboards to be checked off daily.
7. In our family, we pay for chores. This is the way we chose to help our kids manage money. If you do not do your chore well, your pay will be docked. Your chores must still be done regardless, as all privileges will be revoked if they are not done to my standards. We have three jars for money, a tithe jar, a savings jar and a spending jar. You must tithe 10% and save 40%. At the end of the year, we will match your savings (of that year) for college or whatever you want after high school. This is our way of encouraging our children to plan for their future and our college savings account. Connor is about to break us. We might have to move to matching 50%.

8. I put the cards away until the next Chore Card Go-Fish.

Hope this helps!
Categories: parenting

My Boy is Amazing

Scratch Conference,2013


Check out the fourth line down under speakers. That's right, my 15 year old is speaking at a Computer Educator's Conference in Barcelona.
God is doing amazing things in this special young man's life and it is a joy to watch!

Brag Alert!

At the beginning of Connor's high school journey, I was encouraged to read , "How to be a High School Superstar", which basically encourages high school students to follow their passions.  The premise is that students who follow their passions are more likely to have direction in college and are more interesting to colleges.  We gave the book to Connor and then had him read "Do Hard Things" and "Start Here".  I took a hard look at Connor's schedule and re-worked my high school plan with an emphasis on math, science and computer programming while still maintaining a rigorous high school experience.  I took many of the extra English Literature and History programs that I planned off his plate.  Note that we still kept an Honors program level in all the subject but made time for him to follow his passion daily.

This has worked beautifully.  Actually, far too well for my piece of mind but I am so proud of his accomplishments.

Check out some of his latest projects.  You need to know that Connor's screen name is technoboy10.
You might also need to know that Scratch is a program from MIT which teaches kids basic programming.  SNAP! Is an extension of Scratch.  Connor is a curator for the Scratch site as well as a Beta tester.


SNAPExtension wiki



Blog mentioning Connor..



Categories: parenting

The Habit of Excellence

Homeschool Handbook


I have been thinking and praying over the idea in this article for over a year now.  I feel very passionate about the idea that we, as homeschoolers, should not only train our children in the way they should go, but to teach them with academic rigor.  I want my kids to be prepared to do whatever God has for them which means that I have to teach them with academic excellence.  Not to mention that, if I had my way, the next generation of Doctors, Professors, Politicians, Teachers, Moms, Dads and World Changers would be taught to have Godly character and to have academic excellence.

 I want them to be Godly and Educated and that has to start when they are young.  Honestly, it starts with Scott and I as their parents setting goals and then working side by side with our kids to achieve them.  It doesn't mean that I am a Tiger Mom ( most of the time) but it does mean that even when I don't feel like it or am crazy busy, their education is my first priority during the hours of 9 and 2. It means that every math problem they get wrong gets re-done, generally with me sitting next to them.  It means we edit and re-edit papers.  It means they have to read the assigned pages of a book whether it is their favorite genre or not.  It also means that we sit together and read and discuss the Bible.  It can also mean that we can learn and play at the same time.  Whatever we do, we want to make excellence a habit.  Sometimes we succeed and sometimes we do not but we are going to persevere until our successes outweigh our failures.

I will get off my soap box now and let you read the article.  Let me know what you think.  I love hearing from others.








Categories: parenting

Valentine Blessings

This year I found some great ideas for Valentines from the Pioneer Woman site.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/homeschooling/


We had a great time using our new camera to make the special effects and then printing them out and attaching them to candy to hand out to Bible Bowl.

We have given out all of Blessing Bags from last year so tomorrow we will also make new bags.  We found the bags to be a really great way to show that we care.  It has been wonderful to have something tangible to give to the homeless in our area.  

To find out how to put together your own Blessing Bags you can go to:

Joy's Hope

Categories: parenting

Tea Party Manners and Little Mermaid

****We took the twins to The Melting Pot for dinner tonight to refresh some of their manners.  I noticed that their best manners were a little rusty, and as we had a gift card ( Thanks, sis!) we decided it was a perfect opportunity to do some re- training.  I was reminded of this post as we left. It is a great idea to teach manners BEFORE you need them at a family reunion or wedding or something like that.  They don't come naturally but if we train our kids ahead of time, we can all go into situations with a lot more confidence.***






Earlier in the spring, Scott (the wonderful man he is), bought tickets for all of us to see the "Little Mermaid" musical in a pre-Broadway engagement here in Denver. Last night we made a night of it and saw the delightful new musical and had dinner at a restaurant in downtown Denver. We dressed up and headed for a fun family evening. When we arrived at the restaurant, I mentioned to the kids that I expected "Tea Party Manners". At various times through out the year, I plan a "tea party" complete with tea, sandwiches and the ever important scones, boys too. These parties have a dual role, one to have fun and the second to teach manners. The boys learn how to seat a lady, Caileigh how to be seated, how to place a napkin on our laps, eat with the proper utensil, keep our elbows off the table and to sit up straight in our chairs. "Tea Party Manners" are the extra special manners we need on special occasions. Then when we go into a situation that requires those manners, I just tell them I expect tea party manners and they know what is required of them. It's so much easier to teach those manners before they are needed at a wedding, Thanksgiving or dining out before a show. They best thing is that they are confident and secure in what they know and go into those situations with ease.

Last night was no exception, they behaved like young gentlemen and lady (or a Princess according to Caileigh) and shined like the stars they are. Speaking as a very proud Mommy, several restaurant guests made a special point of coming over to remark how well mannered and beautiful our children were. The show was amazing and I loved watching the faces of my enthralled children as they watched the magic unfold on stage. It was a memory making evening for all. Oh, and the kids got 5 marbles each in their reward jars for exceptional behavior. Maybe you should have a tea party soon!



Categories: parenting

Christmas 2012 - 3

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: parenting

Christmas 2012 - 2

 

 

 

 

Categories: parenting

Christmas 2012

Grams and her great-grandkids

 

 

Categories: parenting

12 days of Christmas Study

Here is a very quick overview of our study this season.

Main Book - The 12 Days of Christmas by Helen Haidle

12  Days of Christmas - the story behind the favorite Christmas song.

I also found an old used workbook that had coloring pages and there are some fun counting books on Amazon.

We started our countdown on the 13th but traditionally it starts on the 25th and goes through Jan. 6th which is Epiphany.

One fun thing we did was to go on a 12 Days of Christmas Ornament Scavenger Hunt.  We went to at least 7 or 8 different stores to find an ornament that represents each day.  Some are traditional and some are hysterical.  Some of my favorites are the Dancing Hippo Lady that represents 9 Dancing Ladies or the western dressed cow that represents Maids a Milking.  We giggled and laughed and joked through the evening and made some wonderful memories.  When we got home we took a gold and silver pens and labelled each ornament and then each day as we read the day, color the sheet (mostly) and put the ornament up.  We also did a small St. Nicholas celebration and a fun St. Lucia Day celebration.

Christmas Ideas

I am posting previous Christmas blog posts because I have gotten some questions on Cmas Unit study ideas.   Hope you find an idea that can work for your family.  We are doing a 12 days of Christmas Study.  When I get it a little more nailed down, I will let you know!


 Categories: parenting

Re- do Christmas Carol Advent, " From Humbug to Hallelujah"

Making shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child to care for the poor - the beginning of our unit study

We are so excited for the new animated "A Christmas Carol". We had planned to read the book and we have a daily devotion on the Christmas Carol so voila! a unit study for our Advent Celebration!
"A Christmas Carol" has so many great lessons that we as Christians need to embrace. It speaks about loving others, valuing people over things, making the most out of every minute, and keeping the joy of Christmas all year long. I am looking forward to watching the kids embrace these ideas as we move into the Christmas season.
So, for those of you with older elementary and up kids (the book and movie can get intense - although the Muppet version is lots of fun) here's my plan:
Read the unabridged version of the book as an before bed read aloud. Watch the movie and then use this great devotional we got several years ago called, "from Humbug to Hallelujah". You can get the devotional from, www.teamsundays.org/advent. I've found a great site for more unit study ideas as well at, http://www.squidoo.com/Dickens-Christmas-Carol. There is also a Progeny Press Guide for those who really want to go in depth.
I find that we have a much better (and more fun) Christmas season if I have a unit study planned for the weeks we have off from school. It's also more meaningful and it keeps the kids interested to hear the Christmas story from new points of view. We'll probably do crafts and plan meals based on the Dickens time frame as well.
Advent begins November 29th. Time to get busy!




Categories: parenting

The Best job Ever!

Check out my newest article!

Homeschool Handbook Sept/Oct 2012



For those of you who haven't seen the Homeschool Handbook it is a really great homeschool magazine and not just because they print my articles.  I have found some great helps as well as inspiration from their pages.


Categories: parenting

What Makes Great Kids?

Recently, I have had several rather intense conversations about what makes great kids.  These conversations have been in rather odd places to have such intense conversations, a birthday party for people I have only met a couple times, over dinner with some acquaintances, and after church with parents of kids I teach in Sunday School.  By intense, I mean, parents asking me very directly what Scott and I have done and exactly how they can do it.  Step by step instructions as it were.  I generally can help if someone has a specific question, like what to do if your child constantly interrupts?  Well, teach them the interrupt rule and teach them that it is rude and love is not rude.  What do I do with kids that won't go to bed?  Keeping putting them back in bed and then make bedtime 10 minutes earlier the next night for every time they get out of bed.  Specific questions I can answer.  What have we done step by step to make cookie cutter great kids?  That is a much harder to answer and one  I am afraid I don't have a pithy reply to.

Why don't I?  Well, because firstly, the glory goes to God.  Like every parent, we are trying our very best and sometimes we fail, miserably, and when we do, it's God who picks up the pieces.  It's God Word that teaches us what to teach our kids.  It's God who loved us first so that we can love our children.  It's God who gives us the wisdom to know what is important and what's not.  It's God who teaches me that I am a sinner and need to have mercy and compassion and forgiveness just as He has mercy, compassion and forgiveness.  It's His Word that runs through my head when I am about to shout at my kids and stops me in my tracks.

Maybe that is the first step in making great kids - God.  After all, He loves them even more than I can and in the end, they are His kids, not mine.

Maybe that's what I am going to answer next time.  The first and most important step in raising great kids is God.  It's recognizing that we can't do this alone and that we desperately need Him in our lives.  For us and our kids.



Categories: parenting

10 Practical Things Every Homeschooler Should Know

This an old post but as we are a couple months of school and I have talked to several Moms who are struggling, I thought I would post this again...



I have been talking to and seeing on message boards homeschool Moms discouraged about their first weeks of school. The kids are whiny and complaining, no one likes their curriculum and all the Mom is doing is putting out fires, not teaching. This is especially true of new homeschoolers. Where are the idyllic days spent reading with their child or making amazing lapbooks or crafting an amazing project based on what they are reading in history? They have heard about other homeschoolers getting all of this done and more. Why does it seem like it is a constant battle just to get math and Language Arts done? Why don't the kids seem to be enjoying the great projects that Mom has loving prepared? What has happened to the beautiful lessons plans that Mom has slaved over? Homeschooling is hard.
Don't worry and take heart. The first weeks of school are always the worst - sometimes even the first two months are bad. It takes everyone awhile to get used to this new regime. For a regime change has occurred especially if the child has previously been in a traditional school setting. Life has changed and there are new rules in place.
Don't change curriculum in the first two months for it may be less about curriculum and more about character training. It is more likely to be more about testing Mom than in a bad test score. It may be about seeing if Mom is really serious about this schedule than about whether the new schedule works. It may be about expectations, both Moms and the kids. So don't jump ship until the seas stop rocking and then you can take a serious look at what's working and what's not.
Here are some practical things that I have found to be helpful:
1. There is absolutely no whining or complaining in school. period. Teach your child Phil. 2:14-16. God doesn't like it ( and neither does Mom) so don't do it.
2. Have consequences pre-planned for whining and a lack of diligence. If you whine in our house or are not diligent in your work - you get more work but if you are, you get a marble in your jar which at a certain level will reward you with a special treat of some kind. This method works great with older kids, try a treasure box with pre-K - 2nd, filled with cheap little toys. Make sure and find something to reward your child with daily.
3. Have realistic expectations. A child will not sit quietly and let you read to them for hours. I learned this hard way. Let them play quietly with legos or color or draw while you read, it will go better.
4. Start school slowly. Add in the basics the first week, then slowly add in everything else. You will all be happier - trust me.
5. Plan fun things if the kids have been diligent. If the kids work diligently then take them out for an ice cream or better yet wait until Dad is home and give him the good report and then Dad can take them out while you have a bath.
6. Don't compare your homeschool with someone else's. Your friend, who homeschools, does not always have her act together either. Her house is not always clean and her husband does not always come home to a well-prepared dinner and her children do not sing like the VonTrapp's.
7. School time is sacred. Don't take phone calls, don't plan Bible studies, don't answer the door. It's your number one job for that time period. Limit outside activities during school hours. I don't do anything in school time, not co-op, not piano not anything. That's what the afternoon is for.
8. Have an ending time. School ends at this time - no matter what. Pick up where you left off the next day. Do your most important subjects first. I have a four day schedule so that I can use Fridays for pick up subjects.
9. Schedule time for cleaning and laundry and dinner prep. Most of my housework happens on Friday. Look at flylady.net for help in scheduling housework. Check out allrecipes.com for great slow cooker recipes. Dinner is done and you don't have to worry about it.
10. Make time for yourself and your husband. Schedule dates and keep them. Go out with your girlfriends or even just call them (after school of course). Have a mandated quiet time each afternoon, everybody goes to their room for atleast and hour - including you.
Homeschooling is hard but so is every good thing. Parenting is hard, marriage is hard, being a Christ-follower is hard but they are worth all the pain, sweat and tears I put into them. Homeschooling is the same way. More than worth it. There is nothing that I would rather do then to train and teach my children so that they will be ready for whatever amazing plan God has for them.
Have some other ideas that help you? Please let me know, my homeschool isn't perfect either and I could use all the help I can get.

I Love Homeschooling

I love home schooling.  I really do.  Yes, there are days that are hard and sometimes I just don't feel like home schooling but at the depths of who I am, I love it.  Here are the top reasons I love homeschooling my kids.

1.  I love to be able to talk to my kids about God.  I love to be able to stop in the middle of a history reading and say, "Do you see how God prepared the way for the Good news to spread?  The Romans made roads across the known world which allowed the apostles to spread the news farther and faster."

2.  I love the "a-ha" moment.  I want to be the one to see my kids when the light bulb comes on and they get a concept or conquer something they have been struggling over.  It is the best part of my day.

3.  I love to be able to tailor my kids learning to each of them.  I can allow them to follow their passions while still maintaining a rigorous base of academics.  I can allow Caileigh to draw her summaries or let Collin build a Lego model or even watch as Connor makes a program to show his Chemistry results.

4.  I love to take learning outside of the books.  We can build a ballista while studying Roman armies, make Johnny cakes when studying early American history or take a field trip to the Scottish games where they also have a Roman encampment.  ( Can you tell we are studying Rome?)  When we bring the books to life, learning happens more fully.  It becomes a great memory not just a memorized fact.

5.  I love to have the opportunity to teach character training and academics all at the same time.  Being able to teach perseverance, diligence, self-control, obedience and contentment all while teaching math is a beautiful thing.

6.  I love to learn.  Selfishly, I love to teach my kids because I love to learn.  I get excited about all the new things we are going to learn.  I know I was never taught half of this information and I love to be able to learn it along side my kids.  It's fun!

7.  I love that my kids get to be who God made them with out too much outside pressure.  No one is telling them that they shouldn't love to learn or that it's too Geeky to read Programming manuals for fun or that their clothes or hair or whatever makes them popular or not popular.  They thrive on being originals.  They take pride in being able to play the piano or recite Latin nouns or discuss whether the Aenid by Virgil is just a copy cat version of The Odyssey by Homer.

8.  I love the sheer amount of time we get to spend together.  Yes, I have to teach how to be kind or what to do when we are frustrated with each other but I consider it a privilege to do so.  I get to teach them conflict resolutions while they are young.  I didn't learn many of these techniques until Scott and I were engaged, what a leg up they will have in their relationships.

9.  I love the ability to help them reach their potential.  I know I am the meanest Mom ever, but I love to    encourage them to try harder and learn more.  To do the hard thing not the easy thing.  To reach higher and achieve more.  I love to see when they surprise themselves by achieving something they didn't think possible.

10.  I love that I get to spend my days with the most amazing people on the face of the earth.  They are incredible and it is a blessing to spend my days with them. 

Here are few pictures showing why I love homeschooling so very much.

Homemade pastries on the first day of school.

Dressing up as a Magistra for the first day of school.  Acting and teaching at the same time!

My beautiful children - enough said.

Finding like minded friends that make learning together so much better!

Family outings which disguise the fact that actually they are learning opportunities.

Letting my kids be who they are, even if it scares me a little.

Having Dad being an integral part of the learning process.

Character lessons - see you are not so big and mighty even if you are 14.

Categories: parenting

Happy 40th Birthday, Scott

I loved you when we were in our 20's and we were getting married, having babies, and lived in 2 apartments and owned 3 different houses and life was crazy.

I loved you when we were ( okay, I stll am for another precious 5 months) in our 30's and we were raising toddlers who all of a sudden are teens and pre- teens and life revolved around our little family.

I will love you now that we are in our 40's and will prayerfully experience kids graduating and going to college and possibly getting married.  Then it will come back to the way we started, the two of us. 

I loved you then, I love you now and I will love you forever!


Categories: parenting