The kids and I listened to C.S.Lewis' The Magician's Nephew via audio CD on the way to/from school today. When Polly and Diggery met the queen witch in another world, I commented, "How could they be from two totally different worlds and separate dimensions of time yet still speak the same language?"
The 4-year old responded, "That's easy, Mom. Remember the Tower of Babel? Before they built the tower, everyone spoke the same language."
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Last week, my 4-year old asked me to buy him a convertible.
This week, he decided he would rather have a rocket.
"When will you buy me a rocket so I can fly in it? How many dollars would I need to buy it myself?" he asked.
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His obsession with modes of transportation continues. Yesterday an old sports car, filled with lanky teenagers who gave us cocky grins, passed me on the highway. My son asked, "Mom, does their car have more horsepower than your car?"
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This morning at breakfast, my 4-year old told me that I should become a preacher. His sister added, "You should, Mom, since you are so good about teaching us the Bible."
While I appreciated their sentiment, I do not think the SBC would approve. :-)
I started this blog with the hope that it would serve as my personal journal where I would be inspired to write what the Lord is teaching me in the areas of faith, family, fitness, and freedom. Now that I have started writing a national health column and a local Christian living column for a secular news agency, many of my personal lessons and reflections are now being recorded in AP format in those articles instead of on this personal blog. So, now it seems that the primary content of this blog relates to topics that are not exactly newsworthy but still very dear to my heart. I hope my few readers will still want to stop by even if a larger percentage of posts are about our kids and our struggles to raise them up in the ways of the Lord.
A number of people, both friends here in America and friends serving overseas, have been asking me about our new schooling adventure. After three years of homeschooling, we decided this year to send our daughter to a brand new private Christian school that is very unique, unlike any other school in America or perhaps anywhere else in the world. We are still homeschooling our son and continuing our involvement in our homeschool co-op while we test out this new school concept with our daughter. I will be sharing my observations and maybe even my own assessments of the school's vision and effectiveness regularly on this blog for those who have asked for more information.
The school's motto is "Out of the Box: Learn it, Live it, Believe it!"
Sometimes we need to pull ourselves "out of the box".
Some of the "out of the box" ways this school functions that I have observed over the past two weeks include:
Attention is given to individual needs.
One student has a severe gluten allergy, so an entire classroom has been designated gluten free. Student lunches are kept in a separate part of the school and any gluten products are eaten far away from this student.
Other students have peanut allergies, so the entire school is peanut-free. Each student must thoroughly wash his or her hands before entering the classroom multiple times throughout the day.
The classical hands-on homeschool curriculum used at this school is ideal for teaching multiple students of various ages with a wide range of learning styles. The standard and excessively monotonous Abeka worksheets used in most Christian schools will never be found at this school. Instead, students learn by listening, reading, experiencing, and applying.
Students discover that learning can be fun. This school makes learning so enjoyable that our daughter wears a smile from ear to ear every minute she is there. Now, if we ever decide to pull her out of this school, we will need to drag her out kicking and screaming. She simply loves school now, as do the other students in her class, despite having four different temporary teachers in the first eight days. While I am frustrated that her original teacher had to resign, the school administration has adapted amazingly well to every hiccup or short notice change of plans.
Worship classes are a priority. Every student in this school takes a praise and worship class. Once a month, the weekly praise assemblies are opened to the students' families, so today I enjoyed watching the students "lead" us in praise and worship. One very young girl in the K-2 class seemed to especially get a lot out of the worship time. She waddled up to the front of the "stage" and sang with all her heart while shaking her little body with wild enthusiasm to the rhythm of the music as she heard it in her head anyway. While her little performance may have distracted others from their time of worship instead of directing their attention to the Lord, her childlike enthusiasm for the Lord both inspired and convicted me.
Students do not merely learn about Christian values, they regularly apply them.
When one student felt anxious and stressed, the entire class stopped working and went over to the hurting student to lay hands on her and pray for her.
When Biblical truths are revealed through the study of science, history, literature, or even math, the students pause to give God glory. One student even spontaneously exclaimed to her teacher, "Preach it!"
Every lesson points to God. The homeschool curriculum used by this private Christian school is hugely popular among homeschooling families because every lesson points to the divine Creator and gives glory to God.
How can Christian students study the wonder of the human body or the infinitely sophisticated design of any living creature or plant on earth without pausing to give glory to the perfectly creative, infinitely wise Designer? How can anyone study the Laws of Thermodynamics and not consider how the theory of evolution so obviously contradicts these basic laws of nature by claiming that order came from disorder and that life sprang out of non-life? At this school, worship is encouraged, not silenced.
I loved teaching social studies in our homeschool because the timeline and historical lessons tied in so beautifully with our Bible study. When we studied the Babylonians in history, we studied the book of Daniel during our Bible study time. When we learned about ancient Rome and their oppressive rule over Israel in history, we examined the gospels and the Messianic prophecies to better understand the Jewish expectations for their Savior. A similar course of study along a common timeline should take place at this school.
When studying geography at this school, the students also study missionaries who have been to those parts of the world. The students have initiated prayer times for the lost in those regions. When they studied Napoleon, they considered both his weaknesses (short and angry) and his strengths (brave, intelligent, effective leader). Then they considered their own unique spiritual gifts which were given by God for His wonderful purposes for their individual lives. They also considered this verse as it relates to Napoleon's conquests:
Matthew 16:26
What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
School T-shirt
The greatest difference the parents are observing at this school is the powerful presence of God. No matter what curriculum, methodology, or vision shapes a school, without the direction and power of the indwelling Spirit, the school functions in vain. During the worship assembly today, many parents and grandparents shared their personal observations which testified of the Holy Spirit's power and presence at this school.
Psalm 127:1
Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.
Getting out of the box is never easy, but so far, I'm glad we stepped out, and our Right Brained Girl is thrilled to the gills that we did.
Right Brained Girl started "real school" the day after Labor Day. The school has originally supposed to begin in August on the same day as traditional calendar public schools. However, by early August, the school had so many new students that the administrators knew they needed to find a larger facility. So during the three weeks before the school's scheduled start date, the directors found a new building, raised a team of volunteers, received donations of services and materials, and completed an extensive construction project to turn a warehouse into a school with multiple classrooms, an office, restrooms, lunchroom, science labs, etc. This school is located in one of the state's strictest counties regarding building inspections, and despite inspections being delayed due to one inspector's vacation schedule, the school only started five school days later than initially planned. The directors give all glory to God for miraculously working out all the details and for providing the resources required. Considering that I was blind in one eye and could not drive during the week school was initially scheduled to start, I consider the delay to be a wonderful blessing.
Our daughter is in a multi-age classroom comprised of students in third through sixth grades. She seemed nervous at first on that first day, but within five minutes of my departure, she had made lots of new friends. When I returned to take her home that afternoon, she was huddled together with all her new friends and told me to go back home because she wanted to stay there forever.
We loved her teacher and really liked the way she decorated the classroom to look like a jungle. Our daughter become very attached to her during those first three days. On day four, however, her beloved teacher had to resign due to unforeseen circumstances. Our daughter sobbed when her teacher left and continues to hope that she will return eventually. Since then she has had two wonderful substitute teachers who have both homeschooled their children and taught in public schools.
The first three days of school were spent implementing systems to organize the classroom. The students learned how to organize their notebooks and how to take responsibility for their assignments. They learned some interesting systems to encourage good behavior and practiced cycling through the various "centers". The students spent time getting to know one another while the teacher observed the students closely to assess learning styles and individual needs.
I initially thought those first few days were a waste of time and money, but I am realizing now how important those systems will be for managing the classroom and for making the best use of school time for the remainder of the school year. I am also learning new ways of motivating my own children.
The school's curriculum, which was initially created for homeschooling families, was finally introduced (by the substitute teachers) this week, and I do believe it will challenge our daughter. It has been hard for me to abandon my lesson plans, my curriculum, and my expectations for this school year. As a homeschooling mother, I was accustomed to having control and feeling like I know better than anyone else what my child needs, so the process of learning to let go has not been easy. However, God knows our daughter so much more perfectly than I do, so I am learning to let go and trust Him to give her what He knows she needs through this school.
The Lord placed a new thought in my heart this past week that is giving me more peace about this school decision. Perhaps this school choice isn't just about what she needs, but also about what the other students need. God has gifted our right brained child with an outgoing personality and a heart of compassion. Her class has already grown from 9 to 16 students. She strives to reach out to each new student. She wants to make them feel welcome and to ensure that no one is without a friend. I sense that God will use her in some way for His glory at her school. That is my prayer.
I am also realizing that there are some non-academic lessons, skills, and behaviors that a more conventional school setting may be more effective in teaching her such as:
The discipline to sit still while being instructed (as opposed to doing ballet or gymnastics while I'm trying to teach her at home)
How to take responsibility for her own work without being reminded and nagged by her mother (If she gets a zero for her grade, so be it. It's only 3rd grade. She seems to feel the consequences more strongly in a group setting.)
How to follow a strict schedule and be punctual
How to tune out distractions and focus on the work at hand
How to plan ahead and wait for others (Example: Bathroom, water, and snack breaks are taken according to a class schedule, not whenever each student feels the need.)
To respect others by raising her hand and waiting to be called upon before blurting out an answer
To consider the interests of others before her own by choosing to walk quietly through hallways so as not to disturb other classes
To be reminded daily that life is not all about her (In school, the teacher is not readily available to help every student at once. She must learn to work through the problem herself, be resourceful, and wait patiently until the teacher can address her concern.)
How to sit in a chair correctly (Okay, that is something I could easily teach her at home, but I needed an excuse to share these cute photos.)
Incorrect use of a chair (photo by BeasKnees)
Seated incorrectly again at our homeschool co-op (she still attends once a week)
Homeschooling has so many wonderful benefits, and I am thankful to have had the freedom to homeschool her these past few years. I am still really enjoying teaching my son at home. I often wish that our daughter was home with me instead of off at school (even more so when that early morning alarm forces me out of bed to take her to school on time each day), but I am also seeing the many advantages of giving her this new school experience. No matter where or how God directs us to educate each child, we must learn to trust Him to protect, equip, and work through our children for His perfect glory.
This week's top kid quotes all came out of the mouth of our babe who I think has inherited my predisposition for having bad hair days.
I have been calling our 4-year old "Echo" on this blog, but after a year of listening to him plead with us (and everyone else) to call him Joey, we agreed that his super hero public persona could be Joey, but he will keep his given name as his secret identity.
Joey's sister started school at a new school this week. She has been homeschooled up until now, so this week marked an exciting new adventure for her. I had suspected that Joey might miss her while she was at school. I could tell he missed her because...
this Bibleman battle ready boy...
Dressed as Bibleman
who is crazy about Cars (the movie), treasures Toy Story, loves Legos....
Dressed as Buzz Lightyear, he builds a Lego ship
and wears weaponry...
asked, "Can I watch the Cinderella movie during my TV time this week?"
Joey continued asking how lots of different things are made this week. He was most interested in learning how glass is made. "Mom, how is glass made? Is it made in real life like it is made in Minecraft*?" Thanks to Minecraft, he already knew the process begins with melting sand, so we quickly covered the basics of glass making.
*Minecraft is a virtual world video game my husband introduced to the kids much to my shagrin.
Then he asked me how tires are made. Having worked as an engineer for Michelin Tire Corporation for over five years, I was delighted to explain the complex process to him in minute detail.
Last night, my husband watched the President's speech. Joey came downstairs, looked at Obama on the big TV screen and said, "Dad, why in the world are you watching HIM?"
After receiving an explanation from his dad regarding why it was important to listen to what the President has to say, Joey said to me this morning while I was driving, "Mom, I think Obama does know a little (he emphasized the word "little") about God." That statement led into a memorable discussion about what it means to follow Christ and to know Him personally as compared to merely believing He exists or knowing facts about Him. We also discussed the sin nature, the process of sanctification, and how we must daily deal with our sin.
Kid Rock performed during the pregame show for a football game last night (ugh...the season in which many wives feel like football widows is upon us). Joey walked by the TV when Kid Rock was singing. He watched for a moment and said, "Kid Rock must be a Christian because there is an American flag behind him, he just said 'Glory', and he raised his arms to the sky pointing to Heaven."
Perhaps we need to have more in depth conversations like we had in the car earlier today.
Colossians 1:9-11
New International Version (NIV)
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, 10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,
Our 4-year old took roller hockey lessons this summer. I had hoped it might toughen him up a bit, but he enjoyed it mostly for the social interaction. He gabbed with the other two boys in his class and the two coaches like a teenage girl. This boy is definitely a people person.
Our right brained child took dance lessons this summer. She has not had a dance lesson since she was a preschooler and she was to be among the youngest in this class, so I feared she would not be ready. I was never very flexible or coordinated at her age, so my memories of dance lessons as a child are of feeling embarrassed and awkward. When it comes to line-dancing, however, I will get out there and groove no matter how silly I may look.
Knowing that a mom should never project her own childhood anxieties onto her own child, I kept my concerns to myself, and wow, did she ever surprise me. When I would watch her through the windows from the lobby area, tears poured down my cheeks. Not only could she keep up with the older girls who had been dancing for years, but she looked simply lovely out there, moving with poise and grace. This same girl bumps into something, trips, or hurts herself in some way nearly every day... just like her mama. How did she learn to dance so gracefully in such a short period of time? As her mother, I know I'm biased, but she really did surprise me.
The theme for the summer dance camp was "So You Think You Can Dance." At each lesson, the students would watch a clip from the TV show, and then learn how to dance in the particular style shown on TV. At the end of camp, they gave a mini recital with each dancer performing a snippet of tap, ballet, jazz, and hip hop.
After the camp ended, she asked if we could move to a neighboring city to be closer to this dance studio. We just discovered at orientation last week that a dance company is located right next door to her new school. She may soon be asking us for lessons every school day. Because dancing is so expensive (especially at recital time), time consuming, and may involve skimpy outfits or suggestive movements (although there are studios in the area that make modesty a priority), I had hoped dancing would not be her favorite activity. Horseback riding and Upward basketball are still high on her list, but dancing may be moving up to first place.
The kids and I have really enjoyed learning about their Cherokee roots over the past few years. In 2009 we flew out to Gilcrease Museum to see a special exhibition featuring 130+ pieces of my husband's grandfather's most famous sculptures. Three of Stone's most famous pieces are part of a trilogy he made for the Cherokee Historical Society to commemorate the Trail of Tears.
Stone said that "Uprooted" represents the Cherokees "pulling away from the ground they had been living on from the time they were born." It also represents "any people who are forced from their land because of the greed or lust of some more powerful race." It is carved in the stump of a red cedar.
Uprooted (one side)
Uprooted (other side)
The Exodus (walnut)
"By faith, enough survived the Trail of Tears to seed the new land.
By faith, they will sprout and make it better. For this they give thanks." - Willard Stone
Transplant
The kids were so fascinated by their great-grandfather's work and the story of the Trail of Tears that they dressed in authentic Indian buckskin clothing (hand stitched by a Cherokee woman), and each gave a presentation about the Trail of Tears to our homeschool co-op after we returned home.
So, when I learned that a Classical Conversations homeschool group in a nearby city would be hosting the Cherokee Extravaganza, I made plans to take the kids as a field trip. My husband even took the day off to join us.
We learned all about Cherokee crafts and weaponry. The kids enjoyed chiseling an arrowhead using animal bone.
I was especially impressed by the water proof double weave baskets that take many hours every day for weeks to make. Both kids loved the turtle shaker instrument, and our daughter, who beads jewelry for fun at home, was especially interested in the jewelry and decorative leggings and garters.
The dances were hilarious. Most were named after animals. My typically conservative husband went up front to participate in the quail dance while our daughter's face turned bright red with embarrassment. His mom said, "I knew he had it in him!"
While they were dancing, the lady seated next to me pointed out that the Cherokees giving the workshop all had jet black hair. One lady was at least 20-30 years my senior, yet her mane was still silky, shiny, healthy and black without a spec of gray. Were my husband 100% Cherokee, would his hair still be jet black today? He certainly has a lot less gray than his wife who is of Irish/English descent.
As we were driving home, an earthquake shook our city of residence for the first time EVER. Since we were riding on tires we did not feel the tremor at all. I'm disappointed to have missed out on such a historic moment, but at least we enjoyed a nice family day together.
Google provides interesting statistics to bloggers. Included with these statistics is a list a of top Google search keywords that sent visitors to that blog. Could this list of top search keywords or phrases summarize the content of the blog or at least reveal some interesting information about the blogger? Let's find out. If you are a blogger, check out the top 3 search phrases for your blog and decide if they provide a good synopsis.
Or, simply choose a sentence below or make up your own and fill in the blanks with appropriate phrases that use the top three keywords:
This blogger likes to _____________ , _____________, and ______________.
This blog is all about _____________, _____________, and ______________.
This blogger likes to ____________ with ___________ who _____________.
I'll start. My top three search phrases are:
#1: piriformis stretch
#2: cute 4-year old boy
(This one is funny to me because the page this search sends them to does not contain this phrase anywhere.)
#3: example of a lovable child
(This phrase is not on my blog either although our daughter did write a poem about our son entitled, "The Loving Boy".)
My sentence would be:
This blogger likes to do the piriformis stretch with a cute 4-year old boy who is an example of a lovable child.
Photography by BeasKnees
Indeed, my life is largely consumed with physical therapy and lots of stretches as I battle chronic athletic injuries which have gotten so bad that I have now officially given up running. Yes, I have a cute 4-year old boy, and my children are exceedingly loving. While I wish the keywords included something about the Christian faith, these keywords do tell quite a bit about me.
Now it's your turn. Please feel free to share your results in the comment section.
This blog post was inspired by the Veggie Tales song, "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything."
(lyrics here)
Video:
My version:
The Pirate Who Can't See Anything
She was the pirate who didn't do anything.
She just stayed home and lied around.
And if you asked her to do anything,
She just wailed and said, "I can't see anything!"
Well, she woke up to a call one day after Hurricane Irene.
Announcing a home showing so she had to get up and clean.
While pulling lots of crafts and junk from the corner of the kids' sty,
She somehow managed to fling an object into her right eye.
She was the pirate who didn't do anything.
She just stayed home and lied around.
And if you asked her to do anything,
She just wailed and said, "I can't see anything!"
The pain was intense like knockout punches followed by flaming spears.
She needed medical attention. Nothing could stop her tears.
Her daughter's car seat was not there, and the realtor was on her way.
She called a neighbor who by "chance" had her husband's car that day.
(which had more seats than her car, just enough for everyone)
She was the pirate who didn't do anything.
She just stayed home and lied around.
And if you asked her to do anything,
She just wailed and said, "I can't see anything!"
The neighbor had a spare car seat and could take them to see a doc.
The neighbor came to the rescue and helped her through the shock.
Her cornea was badly ripped, so she received a bandaid lens.
The pain got worse. She suffered much. She repented of her sins.
She was the pirate who didn't do anything.
She just stayed home and lied around.
And if you asked her to do anything,
She just wailed and said, "I can't see anything!"
Well, she couldn't read her Bible, so her her daughter read it to her.
She couldn't drive her car to see the doctor or the grocer.
She prayed for endurance until the agony came to an end.
An eye patch gave her some relief while her cornea did mend.
She was the pirate who didn't do anything.
She just stayed home and lied around.
And if you asked her to do anything,
She just wailed and said, "I can't see anything!"
She treasured all the prayers and support from each faithful, caring friend.
And renewed her commitment to intercede for them again.
She realized what a gift it is to have eyes that can behold
God's glorious creation and her loved ones both young and old.
Deuteronomy 4:9
9 Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
After opening her most recent Fat Cat account statement, she wailed, "Oh no, they lowered my rate again!" Now she's only earning one penny a month instead of two. Welcome to the recession, my child.
Quotes by our son (age 4):
While staring at a photo of a girl we sponsor in Haiti, he looked up at me with great concern in his countenance and asked, "Mom, why does her country's name have a bad word in it?" (FYI: "Hate" is a bad word at our house.)
Me: Son, clean your room.
Echo: I need a help! The Bible says, "Two are better than one."
Me: (Thinking to myself....what a smarty pants!)
Dad: Why do you need help?
Echo: Because my room is REALLY messy.
Dad: Who made the mess?
Echo: (pouty lip)
Some of the kids' recent comments have been amusing to me personally because they reflect pieces of myself. Like a rushing river, a steady current of questions pour from our lips without pause.
Echo: "Mom, how does this refrigerator work?"
Me: "Great question, son, but I think you may be too young to understand the refrigeration cycle."
Echo: How does the dishwasher work? What causes a hurricane? What makes the phone ring? I want to know how everything operates!
My curiosity about how things are made and how they operate led me to pursue a degree in engineering. Perhaps my boy, who currently prefers math and science over reading, will eventually become an engineer.
Before I aspired to become an engineer, I longed to become an inventor. I read biographies of Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, and Alexander Graham Bell repeatedly as a child and enjoyed trying to come up with ideas for inventions. Similarly, our right-brained-child is often busy designing some new invention (examples here). She and her brother might make a great team some day. She'll come up with lots of creative ideas for inventions, and he can figure out how to manufacture them.
I am a wife, mom, fitness junkie, and most importantly, a follower of Christ. This blog is a place for me to journal about some of my favorite passions in life: Faith, Family, Freedom, and Fitness.
My goals for this blog are to: 1) Remember God's great works 2) Grow in love, knowledge, and insight 3) Encourage others 4) Glorify the Lord!
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