A good deed does not go unnoticed, but it should.
A good deed always has strings attached, but it shouldn’t.
A good deed should never expect return, yet it does.

Few among us have mastered the art of true generosity. To give and hold nothing back. To give and expect nothing in return. Fewer still can recognize it. We look for and create the ulterior motive. Is no one truly magnanimous? Society no longer even recognizes the word, and yet, every now and again, we see it.

There are soldiers still sacrificing their lives for others. (Did you know that the “red” in the American flag represents the blood shed for our freedom?) There are mothers who feed and care for the severely handicapped until they are no longer able. There are those who foster the angry teenage orphan without expecting anything in return.
Not me, God, thankfully not me. Why not you? Are you willing? Why not die to yourself-your desires-and pursue God, yes, pursue God and see what happens…..who will you love in His name?

Choices-Choose this day whom you will serve

The proverbial “Spiritual Buffet” has many offerings but it is based on the faulty premise that man is basically good. And if man is basically good, what need is there for a savior? If you walk down the spiritual buffet, picking the parts you like, (Kindness is a fruit of the spirit), and rejecting the things you don’t (homosexuality is a sin), you have just invented your own spirituality. It’s one where you feel loved and comfortable, and yet, it seems to be missing something.

Look carefully at the small table there at the end of the buffet. Do you see it? Yes, the one with the red tablecloth. No, it’s not empty. Walk further down. There, the simple carpenter’s wooden cup, and the small sign. Can you read it without tears? It states, “Can you drink the cup I will drink?”

The Heart of Hannah

You know the Biblical story of Hannah, don’t you? She was heartbroken because she couldn’t have children. The other wife with the kids tormented her. The well-meaning husband asked, “Aren’t I better than ten sons?” Year after year it went. The passage does not say how many years, and I have pondered on this many times. Perhaps we just need to know it was year after year. Until the year they were again at Shiloh for the annual sacrifice, and again, Hannah was so sad in her heart, she couldn’t even eat. (See I Samuel 1).

This time, however, she stood up and went to the temple. She had business with God. I do not think this was the first time Hannah pleaded with the Lord for a child, but I do think this time was different. Hannah had a change of heart. She no longer wanted this child for herself, or for her husband, Elkanah, or even to spite her tormenter, Penninah. She wanted this child for God. So she could give him back to temple service. She didn’t bargain; she didn’t ask for any more children to be hers. It was a simple ‘if, then’ request. ‘If you give me a child, then I will give him to you.’ She recognized that God was in ultimate control and it was up to Him.

At first, the priest did not understand the distraught woman in his temple. He assumed she had been drinking, but when he realized the sincerity of her heart, he told her to go in peace.
The last part of this passage amazes me. It says, when she went away, she no longer had a sad face. God hadn’t promised her anything, she wasn’t suddenly pregnant, she had no idea about her future, but she no longer had a sad face. Why? She had surrendered it to God, completely, and now she could carry peace.

I spent many years studying this passage, trying to figure out Hannah’s formula for conception, wondering why God had closed her womb, as the passage states. I finally had to set aside all my own questions, and trust God completely, whether my future included children or not. I am still learning to trust Him, each and every day. There are many things I have had to surrender in order to “go in peace,” and peace is so much better than a sad face.
Go in peace.

Happy New Year 2010 Miscellaneous things kids say and yodeling.

Today is actually the last day of 2009. It's also the first day of the rest of your life. (By the way, so was yesterday, I just forgot to remind you.)
We have had a great vacation thus far. I asked Tim yesterday if he was enjoying his "vacation" from school. "Oh good," he responded, "we are on vacation. I was afraid if I asked, you would say, "time for school!' ".
I found Lucas in front of the register in the bathroom, soaking up the heat. "My toes are comfy-cozy," he said, "but my back got all melty."
Tim was explaining about ninjas to Sarah, "They can cut through cement with their bare hands!"
Marcus was listening intently, "Where do they get those bear hands, Tim?"
Tim built an elaborate carriage from blocks and was explaining the people and their jobs. "The queen is inside; these are the horses."
"What about that guy on the top?"
"Oh, he's the Heiar."
"The Heiar?"
"Yeah, he says, 'Hei!' to the horses to make them go."

I recently found one of my favorite songs on You-Tube. Yep, it's that yodeling one from the disco saints. "I like to yodel with my friend, Jesus." I am so grateful to be saved.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rEod75JTCw

Weekly Wrap Up
Let's see, Lucas had dental surgery Wednesday morning, I contracted a terridl code in my node on Tursday. Aaa-aaa-chooo, and yet, school still happened.. Most days anyway.

Highlights: SCIENCE (Tuesdays and Thursdays) We are learning about invertebrates. Can you name the 8 classifications of invertebrates? We can't yet either, but we are working at it. We learned about regenerating flatworms, jelly fish that weigh 60 pounds, earthworm predators, and I got to share the starfish story again. (You know, the "it made a difference to that one:" one.)

MATH: We also played math games. All you need is a deck of cards for math for young ages. You can play everything from war to base 10 games, and do counting and add and subtract. Base 10 games are where 2 cards have to add up to ten. like a 6 and a 4. We play base ten go-fish, and base ten matching. You can do sorting and matching and even the classic "cards in a hat", where you sit against the wall and take turns chucking the cards toward the hat to see if you can get them in. Actually, this is how I got Tim to start flashcards. If he got it right, he got to throw it. My older two now know older games, like rummy, which develops their strategy thinking. Let me just say, they have beaten me several times. I like TLSbooks.com to find math sheets. Free printable worksheets for preschool through fifth grade

Reading and History: We are working through our McGuffey Readers with 3 spelling words a day, and Tim and I are doing American History. It mentions the presidents and whenever a year is listed, Tim asks me if I was born yet. No, not 1814, no, not 1870....you get the idea. Last weekend he and I watched part of "The Presidents" series on the History Channel and they talked about part of the history we had learned. He also wants to know what dollar bill will have Obama's picture on it.

BIGGEST STRESS: It is tough to school Tim and Sarah and Marc and Luc. I know I did more with Tim and Sarah when they were Marc and Luc's age. I just seem to run out of day. During Wednesday's dance class for Sarah, I have a planned activity, book, and game with M and L so they get that once a week, but it's not once a day like it was with Tim and Sarah. T and S did school every day during Marc and Luc's naptime. I'm gonna rethink the schedule after Christmas, I think.

No field trips this week. We didn't even make it to the library. (yikes!)

http://www.homeschool-your-boys.com/HomeschoolYourBoyscom_News-august.html
This article confirms the journey I have been on in homeschooling my eight-year-old son and my four-year-old twin boys.
I am such a girl. Not only do I think and learn like a "girl", I grew up with sisters and girl cousins. The only boys I knew were at public school or church and they were just awful.Now I have three little boys I adore and I am still learning! Sometimes through trial and error, sometimes through prayer, and sometimes from little tidbits like this article, so I thought I would share.Here's the article:

Boys require a very different educational environment and teaching approach if we are going to help them reach their full potential.
In This Issue:
1. Boys SEE Differently

2. Boys HEAR Differently

3. Boys THINK Differently

4. Boys SEE THEMSELVES Differently

1 - Boys SEE Differently
Males have more rods in their eyes versus cones. Rods help us to see distance and speed. Females have more cones than rods. Cones help us to see color and shape. Because of this difference, boys tend to draw verbs with little color variation in their pictures while girls tend to draw nouns with lots of different colors.
When asked to draw a picture, Sally will draw a house with people and flowers and lots of pretty colors. Steve will draw a tornado which is knocking down a house - and his picture will look like a large black swirl.
Implications for teaching boys
Do not ask boys to draw something recognizable or to draw something with lots of colors. When we find fault in this way, boys begin to think that art is for girls and not for boys. Allow them to draw verbs and to do it in a way that is fast and furious. Don't hold eye contact with a boy unless you're disciplining him.

2 - Boys HEAR Differently
Baby girls can hear ten times better than boys, and this difference gets even worse as they get older. Boys can only hear every 3rd word or so of soft-spoken teachers. When boys can't hear what their teacher is saying, they tend to drift off - getting some boys the incorrect diagnosis of ADHD.
Boys also tend to make little noises wiggling and tapping pencils which are irritating to girls - but they don't even realize they are making them.
Implications for teaching boys
Speak more loudly than you normally would and be very expressive. Use lots of voice fluctuation and hand motions to engage boys. While working with your son, sit down next to him, spread the materials out and look at them shoulder to shoulder.

3 - Boys THINK Differently
We don't know all of the differences in how boys and girls think but we now know that their brains are arranged differently. We've all heard that we use the left side of our brain for verbal activities and the right side for art. Actually, we now know that this is only true in males.
Males who have a stroke on the left side of their brain lose 80% of their verbal ability. The verbal ability in females who have a stroke on the left side of their brain is much less impacted, proving that their verbal ability is spread across both sides of their brain.
There are many other differences in how male and female brains are arranged. For more details, see Dr. Sax's books.

Implications for teaching boys
Book learning is essential; but, without practical, hands-on experience, boys will hard a hard time grasping concepts that seem simple to us. They will disengage from their lessons. Boys need real world experiences in their education which engage all of their senses. Boys also need plenty of time outdoors. Boys have a hard time processing their emotions. Don't ask boys "How would you FEEL if..." questions. Ask them "What would you DO if..." questions. Boys like to have at least some control over their environments. Put each day's schoolwork into a folder and let them decide the order in which they will complete it. When studying literature, try these tips: Have boys draw maps based on clues in the book. Assign articles from the daily newspaper. Have them read books with strong male characters doing unpredictable things (i.e., C.S. Lewis, Hemingway, Dostoyevsky, Twain, etc.)

4 - Boys SEE THEMSELVES differently
Girls tend to underestimate their own abilities. Boys tend to overestimate their own abilities. Boys also enjoy taking risks much more than do girls. The more a boy takes risks the more favorably they are seen by their peers.
Danger itself gives boys a pleasant feeling of exhilaration as opposed to the fearful feelings it causes in girls. Moderate stress also helps boys to perform better as adrenaline causes more blood to flow to their brain. Stress has the opposite effect on girls.

Implications for teaching boys
Boys respond well to a challenge if there are winners and losers. A competitive team format works better than individual competitions for boys because they don't want to let their teammates down. Participating in single-sex activities such as boy scouts or team sports are very good for your sons. If your son seems to crave danger, take these necessary steps: Give them lessons with a professional (i.e., skiing) to help them to more accurately evaluate their own abilities. Supervise your child. Their risk is lower if they aren't allowed to be alone with groups of peers because they will be less likely to try to "show off" for their friends if an adult is present. Assert your authority - don't argue with your son. Don't negotiate. Just do what you have to do (i.e., lock up their bike).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By the way, the optimum tempature for learning for boys is 69 degrees, while it is 74 degrees for girls. If you set the temperature so that it is comfortable for you, you may find your sons falls asleep or their minds wandering instead of focusing on their lessons.
If you have the opportunity to set up a single-sex learning environment for your children that works well. Try using different methods to teach your sons as opposed to the ones you use to teach your girls and you will be amazed at how your sons respond to your efforts!
Armed with this knowledge, we can set up more ideal learning environments where we can engage our sons and help them to reach their full potential.

2009 Christmas Letter

Psst...hey, yeah you...it's me. I'm the house of the Westphals and let me tell you, if walls could talk...these people are some interesting folks. Seriously, they have these four little kids that are always saying the weirdest things. The four year olds pretended to be birds this morning and then got in an argument as to whether a "seagull" or an "eagle" was after them. The six year old girl colors all the time, and the eight year old boy is definately in charge. When all four dance around the house, my very walls shake.
They aren't your average family and some interesting stuff happened to them this year. The Dad started school at in January at some Christian university named Cornerstone where he goes to class one night a week. He hasn't been around much; that is, except for April and May, as he lost his job. It was a bit of a surprise for him but he's one of those who relies on God and the whole family started doing that praying thing they do. Sure enough, by May, he had a job. Not as much money as the first one, but it's an opportunity, right? Thankfully, they didn't miss any payments on me.
The mom is busy, but seems happy. She reads to these kids all the time, and does "school" at home almost every day, even in the summer. Don't get me wrong, they went to the beach and the parks alot too. Their van was always pulling in and out of the driveway, and they were as loud as ever. Singing and talking, and arguing too. But I do like having the kids around all the time. I think I like to hear them read as much as their mom does.
I think the mom is hard of seeing. (you know, like hard of hearing?). She never drives at night, and she always has lights on, really bright ones. It makes for a cheery house and I like it.
The little girl took up dancing this year, and it just tickles me when she tap dances on the floors, but her smile is huge and she loves to dance. All of the boys have soccer balls on the back porch and kick them all over the yard.
You know, I may not be a very large house, and although my siding isn't new, I'm pretty happy here being home for this family with all their fun goings on and their reliance on God for everything. Yep, I hope they stay here a long time, and I hope they have a merry Christmas. You have a merry Christmas too, and believe me, if you got this letter, I know that they love and appreciate you too.

Weekly Wrap Up of our Homeschooling Week

(This is a new feature to my blog I borrowed from a friend, I hope I can keep it up. It will be under the Weekly Wrap Up Label)

A blizzard blew in this week, and public school was closed, but not the Westphal Academy. We actually moved school upstairs this week to a card table in Sarah's room. (Her dresser is now in the boys' room.) Our downstairs gets really chilly in the winter so this gives us a new environment for a season.
My base curriculum since starting schooling is Accelerated Achievement. It's based on grade level and goes K-12. It has lots of literature, and as you homeschoolers know, curriculum is only a suggestion. I can add and subtract what I want to meet the needs of my family. I really enjoy the phonics program and so far, all of my children have enjoyed learning to read by using this method. There are cards to print and games to play. I just started it with Marc and Luc. I had forgotten how fun and easy it really is.

Each day this week, Tim and Sarah did their reading lesson, including a McGuffey reader lesson, and vocabulary words to learn and spell. There is quite a literature list (which I love) and we are currently reading Alice in Wonderland (this is on CD in the car). We also read Heidi, Charlotte's Web and Little House on the Prairie this fall. So, the weather outside is frightful, but inside it's so delightful, and since we've no place to go, let us learn, let us learn, let us learn!
Tuesdays and Thursdays are Science days and we are currently learning about Invertebrates. My power point is currently not working and the kids miss doing their reports that way. We are actually writing things down. Not much fun.

On Saturday we had a movie day. We read "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," earlier this year (on CD in the van) so we watched the movie. We all enjoyed it.

More things kids say

1. Tim recently picked out some stickers as a prize for some schoolwork he completed. As I looked up from our work, I saw bits of stickers all over his face. He was grinning from ear to ear, "look mom, I've got the sticker pox."
2. At mealtimes we share the worst and best parts of our day. Marcus asked Sarah what the worst part of her day was. She responded, "when I cried at the dentist." Marc's genuine response was, "How do you know?" This made everyone laugh.
3. In church on Sunday, Lucas asked me, "why do we sing, Mama?" "Oh," I whispered back during the song, "we sing because Jesus is in our hearts and we are so happy and thankful about it." "And mama," he whispered back, "we live in Jesus' heart, too. That's why we sing."

What's the deal with your ornaments?

A friend asked me this the first year Ryan and I put up a Christmas tree as a married couple. We had trekked out and picked out our first real tree. We put it up in our apartment, all green and bushy and larger than it looked on the lot, and wondered about ornaments. Well, we had one little box from my dear Aunt Bonnie. I think she had included it with our wedding present. It had about 9 blue and green shiny glass bulbs. So we hung those. It still looked big and green and bushy and mostly empty. I considered my friends question,"What's the deal with our ornaments?"

Hence, the first Westphal Christmas tradition was established. We decided that we would not buy ornaments for our tree. No, not just because we were newlyweds with little extra money, but because we truly wanted all our ornaments to be gifts. We wanted each one to be special. Although we didn't start soliciting ornaments from our family and friends, they had been to our house. They had seen the tree and they wanted to know, what's the deal with your ornaments?

That first Christmas we also put our Christmas cards in the tree, along with Aunt Bonnie's bulbs, and we liked it. That year, when husband hauled the tree out, a small bird's nest fell out, and we kept it. I like to think of it as our ornament from God. As the years passed, we received more and more ornaments. My mom put them on our Christmas gifts with the tag. My mother-in-law would give out ornaments to her family every Thanksgiving. Finally, the year came when I picked up an ornament and couldn't remember who had given it to us. That was the year we started labeling them. I put little tags on each one, including the year and the giver's name, sometimes a description. There was "Handmade Bell from Dave and Annette, 1996", and "Christmas Tea 1997 with Sandie". Each of our beloved ornaments had these cute little tags. Interested guests would want to know, "What's the deal with your ornaments?"

Then we would get to share our little story, our first tradition, and they would start to peer at the tags and ask questions. "Yes, that ornament was made by some missionary friend in Papua, New Guinea." "Yes, that's another one from the Dosenberries." "Yes, we received that when we were Children's Church leaders." "A student made me that snowman when I was tutoring at the Homeschool Building." "Yes, my mother-in-law loves snowmen, aren't they cute?" Now, my children ask me, "Mom, what's the deal with ALL these ornaments?"

They are gifts of love, I tell them. Each one has a story. I love to sit and look at the tree and think of all the wonderful people God has placed in our life, and how He has cared for us through the years. "Baby's first Christmas 2001 from the Bible Study girls" catches my eye. "Walnut Phillips 2000 made by Kristin" "Tim's first ornament made with Ellen 2003" "from your Dad 2009" Every now and then, I can still find one of those original blue bulbs, and smile, thinking back to how it all began, "What's the deal with your ornaments?".

Black Friday

You know how much I love shopping? NOT. So what spectacular deal could possibly entice me out to the mall on Black Friday?

Breakfast with Dad. Yep. My wonderful Dad, all to myself, albeit in a myriad of shoppers, albeit under the guise of his Christmas shopping for Mom, but yes, time without anyone but my Daddy.

Black Friday does bring interesting things to light. As you know (or you may not--you blog surfers know who you are), my dad is blind and carries the white cane. This does allow the crowds to part like the Red Sea for Moses, and the clerks are much more helpful. I can also say that I did not touch shoulders with anyone (except Dad) all day. And, who can say that while shopping on Black Friday?

But still, one of the most interesting things I noticed was while Dad and I waited in line. I saw a man who seemed out of place in the department store with his ball cap and Carhart jacket. Sure enought, I spied a tape measure at his waist. He held a nice pair of ladies pants up and looked them over front and back. Then he laid them on a display and pulled out his tape measure. He measured the waist, nodded and then flipped the pants over and measured the other side! He smiled approvingly, zipped his tape measure shut and returned it to his belt without looking. He waltzed off with an air of satisfaction about him. I thought to myself, "sizes, schmizes, all ya need is a good tape measure!" I also thought, what a guy! completely out of his element, and finding a present for someone he loves, isn't that sweet?

When I shared this story with my grandma, her reaction was completely different than my thoughts. She said, "Well, I sure hope he measured the inseam!"

Have you ever seen that classic movie "Overboard" with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell? She's a rich debutante who treats the sweaty carpenter terribly, but then she falls off her boat, loses her memory and the carpenter picks her up and claims her as his wife. He lives in a disaster zone with four boys, and she is so lost, it's hilarious. There's a scene where she is attempting to cook a chicken in a pot on the stove and half the body and toes are sticking out of the pot. She keeps rearranging the feet and mumbling, "I feel as if I've never done this before in my life."


Today, I am roasting my first turkey. I've read lots of articles, and been properly intimidated by Lynn Casberger's splendid table and the GOOD EATS scientist guy, so I think I'm ready to unwrap the package in the fridge. I don't relish the idea of touching raw meat. I read about how to rinse and even rub the turkey to clean off any bacteria. Ugh...I need gloves. I read about giblets (disgusting) and found the meat thermometer so this is it. Gulp. That scene from the movie keeps floating through my mind. "I feel as if I've never done this before in my life."

Things Kids Say

Things kids say

Marcus the Pirate, "Mom, Mom! Can you draw me the Jolly Robert?"
"You mean the Jolly Roger." "Yes! Draw it! Please!"

Lucas accidentally scratched Marcus while they were getting into their PJs, "Ow! He NAILED me."

I told Lucas it was time to put the game on the shelf. "Can you do it, Mom?"
"No, you are a Westphal, and you are going to be helpful."
"I don't want to be a Westphal," he said as he sadly walked away with the game, "I want to be an INDIAN."

Finding a Solution

I love it that I am teaching my kids to "find a solution" to their troubles.

I like it that they are becoming self-starters. They can formulate and implement ideas with an end goal in mind. They learn to think about their questions and investigate the answers. These things are important to a child's education.

As a parent, I love to watch this process develop. Usually.....

This morning I heard a crash from the bathroom, I heard, "uh, mom..." from my eight year old son. Then I heard water. I am very grateful for the water shut off valve to the toilet. This stopped the water from pouring onto the bathroom floor. While we used four bath towels to mop up the mess, I got the rest of the story.

"For some strange reason, mom, the toilet would not flush. So I decided to see what the problem was. But the lid was very heavy, and it fell into the back of the toilet and now there's a big hole, and all the water fell out."

Yes, this is our only toilet. Thankfully, I have a very intelligent father-in-law with loads of life experience. My husband explained to me that the toilet works on a siphon and if I simply dump a large bucket of water from the tub into the toilet, it will flush. My skeptical mind imagined a disaster, but I had a dancing beep boy next to me and an encouraging husband on the phone, and lo and behold, it worked. Yeah!

Five Things (in the cupboard) Five Things is my weekly (supposedly) interesting (supposedly) tidbit that sparks five things in your life that you are thankful for today.

1. Chocolate chips (need you ask?)
2. Coffee (see number 1)
3. A CPR chart for infants (hmm..twins are four..maybe I should take that down now..)
4. Cream of Tartar (you need this to make play-doh)
5. The calendar (a must-have, at least I feel organized)

Thirty Dollar Trip to the Children's Museum

Thirty? Isn’t that a little hefty? It is when you have a membership and you were expecting to pay nil. Last Christmas, we got some money from Grandma. So we bought a membership at the Grand Rapids Children’s Museum. Grand Rapids Children's Museum - A place where learning is ...

Not that expensive, really, and a fun place for all. Today, we finished school and off we drove, over the river, and through the city to the Children’s museum we go… A fun time was had by all. They all dressed like firefighters. Mark also dressed as a horse, a farmer, and a beekeeper, but I digress…

The tough part about the children’s museum, as with most things downtown, is the parking. We parked at a meter. It’s two hour parking. So it was either feed the meter or head for home. We headed for home, but by the time we said goodbye to all our favorites, returned the firefighter jackets and hats to the right place, picked up craft projects and went potty, we’d lost about 20 minutes. Sure enough, I had a bright chartreuse envelope stuck under the wiper.

It screamed the words Parking Ticket in all caps, in a font of 72. So, I opened it. Do you know how much a parking ticket is? I’m thinking maybe 8.00. Noooo…the city is bitter about how those college kids keep ripping up their tickets. It’s 20.00! Yes, twenty! I almost ripped it up in protest. ( You all know that’s not me.)

It’s payable to the county clerk treasury. So I called the treasury to get directions to the building, (after all, we’re already downtown and in ten days, the amount due will DOUBLE!) We promptly got lost, turned the wrong way on a one way street, turned around and called again. No, the number is not on the building, you have to go into the parking tunnel. Is there a sign? I think so. What does it say? I don’t remember, just turn into the tunnel. The tunnel? You can’t miss it.

We crossed the river (twice), Oh look, kids, the river! We missed the tunnel and turned around. Showed our bright chartreuse folder to the parking attendant. She smiled and nodded. We were in the right place, sort of. There were about six exits from the parking area, and none said “treasurer”. We asked the attendant. She still smiled a little as she pointed us toward the green double doors, can’t miss those.

Two information booths later, and two elevators (yes, two), we arrived to pay our ticket. Mark got his shirt all wet at the drinking fountain. Do you know what my kids do when they get wet? Yes, Marc lifted his shirt and was bare-chested for all to see. Put your shirt down. I can’t! IT’s WET!

Paid for the ticket. $20.00 please. Found our way out. Could not find the ticket for the parking tunnel. Talked to the attendant. She did not smile. $10.00 is the lost ticket fee. Ten! We’ll look for it. Hmm.. Back inside the green double doors we went, both elevators, asked at information to see if we left it there, asked at the pay ticket counter. Nope. Officially out of luck.

Parking attendant asked if we found it. Nope..no one was smiling now. Put my $10.00 in the machine, (at least it’s not $20.00) Left the parking tunnel.

Now, how do we get to our highway? It was actually above us. There must be a way. We crossed under our highway twice….I wonder how we get up there…we crossed over a historic bridge. Oh, look, kids, the river…(again). Finally found an entrance ramp. There was a yield sign at the end. (somebody let me in....)

Ok, we are on the highway. It’s 5:00 traffic, and look, construction ahead. The sun was sinking low on the horizon and we were headed, yep, you guessed it, west.

Four tired kids and one tired Mama made it home before dark (Praise the Lord! I can’t drive in the dark) and in time to make a quick noodle supper.

Five Things

Five Things on my “To Do” List
1. Pick up Ryan’s pants.
2. Bathe the kids.
3. Get wedding card and birthday card
4. Make cookies
5. Check Email

Five Things on the “I Did Today” List
1. Cleaned a spider out of a spy scope (Hot water works best).
2. Made a high chair from waffle blocks (It takes 9 blocks).
3. Sang like a pirate.
4. Shared the Thanksgiving Day story of when I sat in the blueberry pie (twice).
5. Found out “crayons aren’t born, Mom. They are made in factories.”

Thinking

“Mom, is God bigger than heaven?” My eight-year-old asked me this question. “That’s a very interesting question,” I replied (which is my standard I-don’t-have-an-answer-response,) “what do you think, Tim?” (That’s my deflection tactic).

“Well, you said when you’re in heaven, you’ll be praising Jesus so you won’t even miss me. Then when I get there, I’llI tap you on the shoulder. Then you’ll point at Jesus, and we’ll both praise Him. If you can point at Jesus, then you are in the same room or area or whatever it is. So if Jesus and you are both in heaven, then heaven’s bigger. But Jesus is God and he’s in our hearts too, so maybe God’s bigger. What do you think Mom?”

This got me to thinking, “ When we are on earth, Jesus lives in our hearts, but when we are in heaven, we are with God. Heaven is God’s presence. In heaven, it’s like we are living in the heart of God, so I suppose that if heaven is the heart of God, then God truly is bigger than heaven.”
What do you think?

I am Like a Pumpkin
God picked me like a pumpkin
and brushed off all the dirt.
He carried me and washed me
while He listened to my hurt.

He scooped from me the yucky things
Like greed, and sin, and hate.
He carved in me a new life
and a new look on my face.

But that is not the end of it,
God’s love is great to me.
He put His light right inside
for all the world to see.

Tim found my senior college yearbook today and asked me to show him the pages where I was pictured. Then he would look for me and make a guess as to which young college student was his mom. He mostly got it right. But then he asked, “Mom, do you have any more of these old-fashioned books?” Old-fashioned???

Acronyzation

Don’t we all love acronyms? Remember the monogram sweater craze of the early eighties? All three of the initials of your name in swirly script smack on the front of your chest, ready for acronyzation. Okay, remember that bossy girl? Yes, with the initials BAC? Bossy And Crazy, Biased About Control, Basic Attack Clone….you get the idea…
While negative acronyzation occurs everywhere from names for the CIA, FBI, positive acronyzation also happens. Did you ever get a birthday card with an attribute for every letter of your name? SAM. Sweet, Amazing, Marvelous…
I admit I am a huge fan of acronyzation. There aren’t monogram sweaters anymore, but there are license plates…My email includes MAD, Make A Difference. My son’s name is TIM. Not only is that Terrific, Intelligent, and Merry, but switch that to MIT, and you have a Man In Training.

I recently heard a great acronym for Sunday afternoons. It’s CPR. It stands for Chill, Play(and Plan) and Relax. Wait a minute…aren’t Chill and Relax the same thing? Exactly. Sunday is God’s plan for rest. So, LOL, CPR, and have fun with your POSITIVE acronyzation.

No Crying in Soccer

Soccer. That great sport that teaches teamwork in competition. Or so it goes in theory…Did you ever see “A League of Their Own”? Tom Hanks coaches a women’s baseball team during WWII years. At one point, he emphatically states, “There’s no CRYING in BASEBALL!” I have told my boys, “there’s no crying in soccer.” Or so it goes in theory…

Watching Marcus and Lucas do soccer this year has been not only challenging, but also entertaining. Picture the six four year olds on our team, trying their best to listen to the great “Coach Dan”, but not quite getting the drills. They sit on their balls, lie on the grass, try to take turns, and not use their hands. They pick up the cones and shout through them. Lucas keeps using his hands to line up the ball before he kicks it. Each player has his own practice ball, but some drills require setting half the balls aside and attempting to pass. Not every four-year-old wants to willingly give up his ball. There’s no crying in soccer.

After some practice, they have a “game.” Marcus and Lucas were so excited about their jerseys with numbers. They kept turning in circles, asking, “What number am I?” Two players on each team rotate out, so it’s four on four, with no goalie. The two players who are out are not supposed to cry, but sometimes they do. Sometimes they have to run to the potty. Sometimes they have to talk to everyone on the sidelines. Lucas, watch the game, say "Go Sharks!!" Don't cry. There's no crying in soccer.

The first game, Marc seemed to think it was football, and if you can land on the ball, then you win. You can also pull down any person in your way by yanking on their jersey until they fall down, even if they are on the same team. Lucas was convinced he could just pick up the ball. I think after a few fingers got kicked, he seemed to do better. When the coach says, “don’t use your hands,” you don’t need to cry. There’s no crying in soccer.

The next week went better. During practice, we lost Lucas to the next team over, and after some convincing, he joined our team again. The game went a little better. Marcus stopped pulling most kids down. However, our little gaggle of guys kicking at the ball moved onto the wrong field and got into the next game. A little bit of sorting and we were fine. Lots of crying when it was Marcus’s turn to sit out. Marc, there’ s no crying in soccer. And Lucas left the game, ran up to me, placed his hands on my cheeks and said, “Mom, you have to say, “GO SHARKS!”
Week Three went okay. There was a boy on the other team who laid down during the game and had to be coaxed to play. I was glad to see that other boys do that too. We were in charge of snack that week, and several times during practice and the game, Marcus and Lucas asked if it was time to pass out snack yet. No, not yet, don’t cry, there’s no crying in soccer. Listen to Coach Dan.
We have two sets of twins on our team. Yes, Austin and Owen are coach’s sons and they are twins, too. Interestingly, all four twins have the same practice ball, blue and gold. This has been a little confusing, but sharpie markers are great things. When Tim mentioned they should be called, “Double Trouble”, Sarah added, “No, it needs to be double double trouble.” Two more weeks to go this fall and then we will be done until the spring. Maybe in the spring, there will be “no crying in soccer”, or so it goes in theory…

Waxing Eloquent

Alright, more reasons to homeschool…Remember 8th. grade grammar? Parts of Speech, BAD sentences you had to label and correct. Then you did the same thing in 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th ? Frustrating, isn’t it?

Sooo, Ryan is in his college level business class and guess what’s in his textbook? Yep, those same old BAD sentences..he has to identify the problem, label the problem, and fix the problem…this, is just repeating 8th. grade (again) and has no benefit. It’s the premise..if you start with the BAD sentence…
Okay, so here’s my (slightly sarcastic) response.

Federal marshals have unique training. They do not look at counterfeit bills. They study the real thing. How do aspiring writers become great authors? How do artists improve their work? By studying the masters. Students even pick their favorites.

Why hasn’t this concept made it to the teaching of writing? Especially college writing. It seems we are all destined to repeat 8th grade. We look at really bad examples. These sentences appear randomly and are rarely, if ever, in context of any REAL piece of writing. (Yes, I am referring to numbered exercises). The student is asked to identify the bad part (modifier, clause, adverbial, etc.). Then the bad part must be labeled. Then it must be fixed to create a better sentence.

Apparently the purpose of this exercise is to identify and correct mistakes. However, this does not cross over into the students own work. At best, it’s busy work. At worst, it’s playing with garbage.

Why not find great business writing and emulate it? Even sentence combining exercises have more merit than identifying and fixing dangling participles.

As a teacher, I want my students to aspire to be their best. I am not going to feed them junk food. I want them to have the real thing.

There is great curriculum out there for home educators who follow my train of thought. LLATL comes to mind. Still, I was surprised by Ryan’s COLLEGE textbook. Perhaps a well-worded email to his instructor can help push things in the right direction. In the meantime, my poor husband is trapped changing around sentences for no apparent gain.

Paper Plate Art

Sarah now knows where the Drawing/Art books are at the library. Inevitably, we end up bringing at least one home every trip. This week’s choice was “Paper Plate Crafts”. So we bought an extra package of paper plates and began our little project. However, I realized we didn’t really need the book at all. We made paper plate kites, and swords, helmets, and shields, all on our own. We made birthday hats, masks, and flower petals with Sarah’s face in the middle. They came up with idea after idea. Sarah made a shark’s mask, and a queen’s crown with room for her pigtails. We ran out of time and paper plates before we ran out of ideas. So, next time you use a paper plate, just think what you could make with it first.

Homeschool Hints

Wipe Away Boards

These things are great. We’ve used them for numbers and letters and pictures. You can even laminate what you want and use a wipe away marker for those. Sarah and Tim are currently working on their cursive letters. It also really cuts down on the paper waste. It reminds me of the “slate work” in the one room schoolhouses of times of old.

Timing
No, not “timing is everything” timing, but the actual stop-watch kind. My kids love it if I “time” them, on their math sheets, flash cards, even on their writing wipe-off boards. Neatness still counts, but they love to be timed. Sometimes they race to beat their time from last time and sometimes they race each other’s times. Timing also works great with clean-up and getting dressed.

Choices

Which subject do you want to do first today? Math? Okay, do you want to do your game, your flashcards, your counting or your math sheet? (Once one subject is picked, there’s no picking another until all parts of that subject are done.) They also get to choose their treat. One treat for each subject. (I love it when they pick Hershey’s kisses because only Mamas can read the secret language on the “tags”. This one says, “Be kind to everyone.” This one says, “Daddy is proud of your hard work.”) I also gave my seven year old a page where he can check off each subject once it’s completed.

Challenge Fridays

I set up a challenge course while they wait in another room. The challenge course has stations. One station may be a page in their handwriting book. The next station is five math problems. The next is read a Dr. Seuss book to Marc and Luc. My 7 year old boy loves this and it motivates him to get things done. I am always amazed at how quickly he can accomplish this.