One of the real reasons I homeschool

Last week while my Mom was visiting, she asked, "Have you talked to your sister?"

"No, why?"

"Well, your nephew got sent to the office for returning from lunch with no shoes on.  He got in trouble, and eventually they retrieved his shoes from over the school yard fence, but they had no idea why he did it".

"He ended up telling your sister that after playing "it" on the playground, a mob of 2nd graders had attacked him.  Two boys held him down so a little girl could slap him.  After hitting him, spitting on him and calling him names, they threw his shoes over the fence and told him that if he told anyone, they would shove him in the trunk of a car.  So, he didn't tell anyone."

But his Mama sure did!  The principal and teachers held a meeting with some of the kids and whatever happened, whatever they found out, ten 2nd grade students were suspended from school.  The teacher told my sister that she had never seen or heard of anything like it from such little ones.

He went back to school today, so my heart is heavy for him.  But I trust his Mama who has chosen this path for Him.  And I trust the Savior that she follows.  I know that even though my initial reaction was, "He can just come to Auntie's house and get his schooling.  He never has to go back to that place!" that every mama knows best for her own children.  God speaks to each mama about her own babies.  And God has a plan for each and every one of those babies.  Whether they go to private school, public school, homeschool, or a combination of each at different seasons, God knows the "when" and the "why".  And His plans are for good.

"'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 a hope and a future.  Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you,' declares the LORD..."  Jeremiah 29:11-14a

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Random and Lesser Known Reasons Why I homeschool

Besides the fact that I want to train up children to love God and serve Him with their whole hearts, the fact that I love spending all day with my guys, that I want the privilege of teaching them and discovering their God given gifts and talents with them, and that I will never forget the day my then 3 year old son sounded out his first word and immediately looked up and thanked me, besides all these major reasons, their are a few trivial and less publicly mentioned reasons we moms homeschool.

I homeschool my children because:

It is easier than getting them all dolled up in matching shoes early in the morning.

They are the only ones who can stand to spend the whole day with me.

The lines are shorter if you take them to Disneyland on a Wednesday.

I really wasn't paying enough attention the first time I did 4th grade.  It was the 80's and there was a lot of neon clothing involved.

Yellowstone is less crowded in October.

We can head to the beach and start working on our tans in May---and put it in our lesson plan books for school credit (Woot, woot, Nature Studies---starfish and sandcastles).

WalMart is so less crowded at 10 am.

And, well, my husband doesn't trust me at home alone all day---I might start a blog, or cut the cable (again), or sign up to host foreign exchange students.  He doesn't like to see me bored.  He figures four boys will keep me busy.  So I am teaching them how to dream big and drag him into wild schemes as well.  All day long.  Except when I'm blogging.

Breakfast Hotdogs anyone?

So yesterday I was a little freaked out about the amount of buns we had left vs. the amount of actual hot dogs in the fridge.  I was a little concerned that the poor buns would languish on the counter without a mate until they finally got thrown out.  (No, there's no deep psychological significance here from my college days, really).   So, I tried to sell the boys on the hottest new breakfast item on the menu.  Banana instead of dog, peanut butter instead of mustard?  Who wouldn't love that?  I threw a little cinnamon on the top as insurance and made my pitch.  I had two takers and a third who broke down after watching the others' delight.  The other buns got slathered with butter, sugar and cinnamon and sold at a discount.  I'll have to talk to Hubs about nailing down a more accurate bun::dog ratio next time.

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Creative flow

He is very serious about his work.

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Making my men happy

Today was a happy day indeed for the men in my house. A recent bout of laryngitis has rendered me physically unable to scream, yell, nag or otherwise indulge in any of my likewise helpful habits. My Dad has benefitted the most from this I think. He was not shy in his enthusiasm for my condition.

I spent the day researching tearooms and sending emails inviting My Mom and sister and even a long lost friend to compensate.

On a serious note, i feel it was a good spiritual lesson for me. I have been trying to learn to be patient and hold my tongue. Today helped me to choose my words carefully and think about the value of our speech.

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Dopplegangers: Four Score and Twenty Pounds Ago.....

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The New Year

I have been making all kinds of resolutions in my head.  Getting up earlier, going to bed earlier, starting a new diet, focusing on some values that I want to pass on to my boys (Amy Carmichael's tenets of love, loyalty, unity and service), new homeschool routines.  Over the last several years I've gotten down the habit of rehearsing my shortcomings and making a plan of attack.  It feels good to start the year with a plan.

But as I went to write these in the journal that I use to write my letters to God, I felt a little foolish.  These "plans" seemed so trivial.  Not bad by any means.  Who has never heard that "to fail to plan is to plan to fail"?  But here I was, standing before the God of the universe who cares so deeply for every detail of my life that He planned them all Himself before time began.  And I changed my mind.

My goal this year is Jesus.

That is all.  I have resolved to love God with all my mind, heart and soul.  To focus on the Hub of the wheel more than all the spinning spokes, which has only served to overwhelm and dizzy me anyway.

I want to be so focused on Him this year that I can taste Him.  

"Taste and see that the LORD is good."  Psalm 34:8a

I want Him to open my eyes.

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you..."  Ephesians 1:18

I have my little goals scribbled on scrap paper anyway, to keep the health department from shutting down my kitchen in the meantime.  But I want my focus to be to draw near to Him each minute of each day.  I know He will tell me what He wants me to work on in my life and when He wants me to work on it.  

Of all my past goals, the ones that revolved around Him where the ones that mattered anyway.  If I could distinctly identify one habit that has changed my life the most over the years, it has been my (near) daily Quiet Time with my LORD.  No weight loss program, organizational tool, or cleaning strategy has changed my life the way God has used my daily Quiet Time to change me.  And I am joining a Scripture Memory Team through the LPM blog that will hold me accountable to memorize 2 Scriptures a month because the blessings I reaped from my far from perfect participation 2 years ago blessed me beyond measure.  

But just right now, I don't want any smart action plan to distract me from the importance of the One the plan is for.