A funny thing happened at the hotel

We had our first family hotel stay. (Did you know if your family is larger than 5-you have to have another room?) It was a local hotel. My aunt and uncle and cousins and kids were visiting from Illinois and they were staying one night at the hotel so we joined them. Our "large" family had to book a suite--where the mysterious middle door opens. Our suite had a little kitchenette and living room with a fold out couch attached to the regular 2 bedroom hotel room. Very unique to me.

A great time was had by all. With seven kids under the age of 9, the pool was a huge attraction. It had a kiddie pool right in it for the little ones and a seperate hot tub for the big ones. :-) Ahh!! (Ryan even got to show off his painted big toe nail that he let Sarah paint bright pink because no one would ever see it.) We swam and ordered pizza and swam some more (yes, we waited 20 minutes-my cousin has lifeguard training). Then we slept all night and swam again in the morning. We said our goodbyes and the kids and I cleaned up, packed up, and headed to the van (Ry was already at work).

As I shut the back door on our luggage, I noticed some scratches accross the back. I followed them. They were all the way around the van, at least twice! Someone had viciously "keyed" our van. I calmly let the hotel know, and my husband, and we called the police to file a report. It was now lunch time, so I pulled out the emergency box of graham crackers for the kids while we waited for the officer. "Do you have any enemies, Ma'am? Perhaps an angry ex?" Perhaps the vandals had you confused with someone else.

We left for home but had to stop to get gas first. When I opened the gas door, a small pile of dead leaves fell out. Something a child would do - no doubt. SOmething clicks in my brain. I ger a flash of everything my boys have destroyed--wallpaper, furniture, toys, walls, closet shelving, towel bars--I bend closer to look at the scratches near the gas door. Yes...there and there again...that looks like the letter "m". Only one boy makes "m"s like that.

I calmly bring Marc to that side of the van. I smile. I control my voixe. "Is that your "m"?" I ask.
He smiles, swelling with pride. After all, mama loves his "m"s. "Yes," he says expectantly turning his eyes toward me.
"And what did you use to make your m?"
"Oh, a sharp shiny rock."
"Did you go all around the van?"
"Yes, " he's still smiling a little but he's wavering. Perhaps my fake pleasant tone is fading, "I wanted to make it beautiful for you, Mama."
I hugged him. I was glad his heart was in the fight place, but we need to work on modes of expression here. So now you know, the rest of the story.
:

Weekly (sort of) Wrap Up

1. Science week this week. Tim and Sarah worked on reports on Body Systems. Tim is tackling the Skeletal System and Sarah is doing the muscles (She was quite delighted to learn the heart is a muscle, as her last report was on the heart.) Tim loves games and we found one about bones. ABCya! Skeletal System Game: Learn the Bones! We use the Power Point program and then have the kids present and grade one another on presentation, including points for eye contact, smiling, and knowing their slides well. Mama grades them as well. This week, they also did some of their own typing! (Thanks, Heather, for BBC - Schools - Dance Mat Typing - Home

The weather won on Wednesday. It was so beautiful, sunny and warm for Michigan in March. The boys had story time at the library while Tim and Sarah worked on their writing and daily grams, but that was it for school today. Sarah had dance at 1:30, and while I usually stay at the studio and do school with the boys, we left and went to the park. We played pirates at the playground, threw rocks in the water, watched a swimming duck leaving trails on the pond, and tried to catch a couple seagulls. Tim even dug holes in the sand. After dance, we ran errands, and headed to another park for one more hour of the glorious feeling of sunshine warming up your clothes and hair, and made it home just in time to leave for church.

1. We are also entering Reading Rainbow’s Young Author’s contest this year (k-3^rd. grade). Reading Rainbow Young Writers & Illustrators Contest Sarah created a great story called “bunnies and raspberries” contrasted to Marc’s “The Scary Pirates”, which is also great in its own right.

1. I love it when God winks at me. One of my goals this year is for Tim and Sarah to learn their books of the Bible and that’s also the current focus of Children’s Church. We read the list of books every day and found a song on youtube. YouTube - Bible Books

We listened to Stuart Little by E.B. White (author of Charlotte’s Web) and enjoyed it but found ourselves disappointed in the ending, which didn’t feel like much of an ending at all as Stuart had not yet found his bird friend, Margalow.

Tim is also reading Tom Swift and the Aerial Warship (our 2^nd. Tom Swift book) and Sarah has started Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.

The week ended with Sarah and I attending the ballet, “The Squire and the Scroll”. It’s based on the book of the same name by Jennie Bishop. Wonderful book about the importance of living by God’s word. Check it out at your library. It has knights, a dragon, a princess, and a quest. Wonderful to see live performance that gives God the Glory.

Packages
By Elizabeth K. Rooney

If I could wrap
a field of butterflies
I'd package them
for you.
I'd put in all the colors
and a lot of sunshine, too.
I'd gather up a summer breeze
and all the fluttering
and wrap them with brown paper
and tie them up with string.

I've only words for wrapping
and only rhymes for string.
With these, beloved of my heart,
I give you everything.

Gentle leading

Crazy Mom has been at it again. This time, she again got right down on her knees and pleaded with God to forgive her mistakes and let His grace fill in all the gaps where she has messed up with the kids. She asked for wisdom, patience and gentle leading. The Lord brought to mind one of her favorite verses from Isaiah, “He gently leads those that have young.”

Boy, did she need that gentle leading. On Tuesday, there were pencil marks on the boys’ wall, but no pencil. She vaguely wondered how long the marks had actually been there and if a pencil would fit in the floor vent. On Wednesday, they had dumped out all their toy baskets and built a “barricade!” so “no one can enter!” No wonder they were playing so good and quietly in their room. ”We did it shushly mom! Isn’t that great?”

“It’s great that you know the word, ‘barricade’”, managed Crazy Mom as she chalked up another chapter in her endeavor to always find the positive. On Thursday, the little girl cried during Science and the boy flatly refused to do his daily gram and sat on his bed for a LONG time.

But Friday was library day and all went well, all had fun, all got books, and crazy mom was once more counting her blessings. “Are my twins really five already?” She wonders one moment, while “Thank goodness they are finally five,” is her very next thought. As the days start to blur into weeks and months and years Crazy Mom will continue to rely on her faith, and she is grateful for coffee, chocolate frosting (yes, out of the container with a spoon), and that gentle leading.

What are the chances? Note the picture on the computer screen (yes, it's a TV screen). My slideshow was running. The picture of the two babies in the highchairs are my Marc and Luke on their first birthday, eating cake. Meanwhile, in the foreground, Ryan is carrying Marc and Luke's fifth birthday cake! I couldn't have planned this photo better, and I love it! Thanks, God, for winking at me again.

Texas Highlights

Finally, for those of you interested, the highlights of our Texas Trip:
1. The bad news is that I am a “severely affected” female carrier of XLRP. The part of my eyes where my vision loss is most severe are the best parts for driving. Genetic counselor seemed happy I had given up night driving and also strongly suggested that I only drive in ideal conditions in the middle of the day. (Only 7 short years and the Tim-taxi can drive). It was also very cool to see a 3d image of my laser-scanned retina on the computer. Technology is so amazing. The good news is that my three cousins are “mild, no symptoms, and no symptoms.” Retina Foundation of the Southwest - Dallas, Texas

2. More good news is that on the research front, great strides are being made, and the future possibility of gene replacement therapy as treatment is very exciting. The gene that carries XLRP has also been isolated and that holds the promise of genetic testing for families sometime in the future.
Other highlights:
1. Who shot JFK? Lone gunman or conspiracy? We went to “The 6th. floor”. It’s the 6th floor of the book depository building where Oswald shot the president. You can look down onto Dealey Plaza and parking is behind “the grassy knoll”. The 6th. floor is now a museum with a really cool audio tour. For you history buffs visiting Dallas, this one’s for you.
2. The Phantom of the Opera. Yes, I’ve finally seen “the Phantom”. Fabulous music. I love live theater.

Things Kids Say

These are Marc's eyes. He has been saying some interesting things these days. Here are a few tidbits for your amusement. Marcisms:

"Mom! You are making the kitchen smell all dinnery! yum...."
"Why does my body tell me to stop running and get all tired when I just want to go?"
"Why do we need night time?"
"I wish we had battlestations, Mom!"
"Why don't we have any armor?"
During Bible, we are learning Luke 1:37 "Nothing is impossible with God" and Mark wants to know, "why don't we have a Mark verse? There's a Mark in the Bible you know!"

Lucism:
While waiting for dance class, there is a room full of moms just for Lucas to entertain. He overheard one mom mention her husband, Tim. He went right over and joined the conversation, putting his hand on her shoulder, "That's my brother's name."
"That's my husband's name," she replied. Lucas immediately turned to the other mom in the conversation and asked, "What's your husband's name?" "My husband's name is Mark, " she answered. "That's my other brother's name!" he exclaimed, smiling widely. He immediately turned to the woman seated in the next chair. "What's your husband's name?" he inquired. "His name is Vince," she answered. "Oh," he intoned, obviously disappointed. Not to be deterred, he moved to the next woman and repeated his question. As he made his way around the crowded room, the original two ladies turned to me, "what is his name?" "It's Lucas," I answered. "I don't think he's going to find one," she said.

"Could you please die over there? This is MY space."
"Mom, why don't you call me "your majesty" today?"

Here's a couple Sarahisms too.
"Do not argue or complain about anything. PHILISTINES 2:14"
"Look, Mom, I can melt snow with my bare hands!"

Do you find yourself joining in with the fantasies sometimes?

Momisms:

"Even the King has to wash his hands."
"All knights will remain seated while eating lunch."
"Your mission, should you choose to accept it, will be to retrieve the mail today."
"If this room is not clean, a disaster beyond your imagination will occur!" (Oops, I saw the Phantom in Dallas--guess that was my own fantasy imposing upon reality).

God is winking at me again

God has been so gracious to me. (Perhaps He knows me best and that I do like to have cheerleaders in my life to motivate me. I am not motivated by criticism, but rather devastated.)

I have only ever encountered positive feedback about homeschooling. Even complete strangers have said, “That is great!” (Granted, I’m not one of those homeschoolers who feels everyone should homeschool or that public school kids are somehow “less” educated than mine.) Sometimes I hear people explain how they are persecuted by friends, family, or complete strangers for their homeschooling choices, and I am amazed.

I have very supportive family and friends, and have not had to face this struggle (yet). In fact, I feel God sends complete strangers to encourage me. Case in point: The children and I were walking across the parking lot to the mall entrance on Friday. It was quite a walk but a pleasant day and I was talking about the signs and lights in the parking lot with Sarah and keeping the boys close, and as we neared the entrance, a woman kept step with us for a few moments and commented, “You can always tell the homeschool moms,” she began. I smiled and she continued, “not that your kids aren’t in school at this time of day, but that you guys are ALWAYS talking and teaching your kids.”
I laughed, “The world is a classroom.”
“That’s great,” she replied, “keep at it. Some parents don’t teach their kids anything,” and off she went.
It was just a moment, a little wisp of encouragement, and it made me walk a little taller as we headed indoors. Thank you, Lord, for your encouragement.

I didn’t get as much school accomplished as I intended. (I seem to write this every week—perhaps I need to review my goals so I am actually achieving them.) Coughing kids this week didn’t help things either.

Highlight: Tim and Sarah read chapter books all by themselves! We have some Magic Tree House books, which despite the “magic” have great history lessons and accompanying study guides. Random House Kids Magic Tree House
(Our local bookstore also did a class for homeschoolers based on this series a couple years ago..I keep hoping they’ll bring it back). Anyway, we have about four of these books on the bookshelves, and the kids came down and told me they each were reading one. That’s great, kids. I tucked them into bed so I could watch the Olympics. At 10:00, Tim came downstairs with his book. “Mom, guess what! I finished the WHOLE book!” He was so excited and I was so surprised and proud, that I had to pretend it was only 8:30. We’ve also listened to these on audio from the library.

We use Accelerated Achievement Accelerated Achievement
as our base curriculum and add to it as necessary. It’s nice to have a baseline. They use McGuffey readers http://www.mcguffeyreaders.com/important.htm
and next week, Sarah will finish the 2nd. grade reader and Tim will finish the 3rd. grade reader. I am very proud of them both. I love to hear them read their lessons out loud. Some days I am just amazed that they can read. I now have Tim asking if he can read over my shoulder. “Mom, can I please read what you are typing?”
For Science (Tuesdays and Thursdays), we put our reports into PowerPoint. That way, they can present to Dad.

For my kindergartners, we are tracing letters 3 days a week, doing phonics, and lots of counting. I also need to incorporate daily games for these guys too. I find it best to do school with them in the early morning, starting with a book and related lesson of some sort. I really enjoyed Before Five in a RowFive in A Row Literature-Based Studies with Tim and Sarah and I am just finishing it with Marc and Luc. I love anything that’s literature based.
Friday morning is “Library Day” each week, and all four of my kids fill up all four of the kids computers at the library.

Ryan and I are headed to Texas next week so I can take part in the following study (this can get pretty technical and is not my usual blog fare, but for those who may be interested, here it is.) I am excited about going and being part of this and a little apprehensive about leaving my kiddos. Please pray for all of us and our children's designated caregivers: Aleesha, Tiffanie, Kristin and Scott, and my parents. Thanks so much for your willingness to help us out. (We leave on Wed. and return on Sat.)

-Linked Retinitis Pigmentosa Carrier Phenotyping Project: The Search for Modifying Factors for Disease Severity

The purpose of this project is to detect genetic factors that influence the clinical consequences of mutations in genes causing X-linked retinitis pigmentosa (RP). Mutations in X-linked RP genes can lead to strikingly different clinical outcomes, even among individuals with the same mutation in the same family. While clinical variation is often seen among males, the most striking differences are seen among females. Phenotypes in “carrier” females can range from no detectible symptoms, to early onset, rapid progression of disease. Finding the factors that account for these differences will improve our understanding of the disease process. Of more importance, though, identifying these factors may suggest ways to slow or arrest the loss of vision in affected individuals. That is, if we can understand what makes individuals with X-linked mutations either asymptomatic or mildly affected, we may be able to use this information to treat patients with more severe symptoms.
The major focus of this project is the X-linked RP gene RPGR (retinitis pigmentosa GTPase regulator) and the clinical consequence of interest is the disease severity in female carriers of RPGR mutations. Mutations in RPGR account for 80% of cases of X-linked RP and affect more than 10,000 Americans. Further, studies suggest that approximately 30% of isolated RP is caused by mutations in RPGR, making mutations in RPGR the most common cause of RP. Males with a mutation in an X-linked gene such as RPGR are almost always affected, because males have only one X-chromosome, but female carriers of an X-linked mutation are often unaffected since females have two X-chromosomes and the second chromosome may provide protection from the mutation. However, many females who carry an RPGR mutation have clinical symptoms of RP, ranging from undetectable or very mild in some cases to severe loss of vision in others.
The project has several key aims. The first aim is to identify, enroll and characterize the families and patients with RPGR mutations. This will be done by Drs. David Birch, Dennis Hoffman, and Dianna Wheaton at the Retina Foundation of the Southwest in Dallas. The goal is to enroll as many individuals with mutations in each family as possible, to evaluate each individual with a panel of tests including advanced retinal imaging, to determine the range of clinical expression associated with each RPGR mutation, and to collect blood and DNA samples for genetic testing. Thus, one outcome of the project will be a comprehensive genotype-phenotype characterization of RPGR mutations.
The second aim is to test the hypothesis that genetic modifying factors may play a role in altering disease severity. We plan to approach this in two ways. First, we plan to investigate the role of two genes that interact with RPGR to determine if slight genetic variations within these genes can affect the behavior of RPGR. Secondly, we plan to test a large class of random genetic variants by microarry analysis in a genome-wide association study.
Finally, the third aim is to extend these studies to clinical variation in males with RPGR mutations.
The detection of factors modifying inherited diseases is a relatively new field of investigation. Completion of the project should substantially expand our understanding of the clinical consequences of mutations causing X-linked RP, and may identify new targets for treatment and prevention of retinal disease.

Things Kids Say

“When I grow up, I want to have five kids,” says Marc, holding up five fingers, “two boys and two girls.”
“When I grow up, I’m going to marry you, Mom.” –Marc
“Little Bo Beep SAT on her sheep,” says Sarah, giggling.
“And she always knew where to find them,” added Tim.
“Can I have another five birthday?” Lucas inquires.
“No, but you can have a six birthday next year,” answers Mama.
“Can I have another five birthday tomorrow?”
“Jamey, do you want to go outside with me? Deal or No Deal?” asks Marc.
“No Deal,” answers Jamey. (Jamey is our little friend who visits a couple days a week).
Sarah is finding all the states on her map that begin with N and saying them out loud,
“North Dakota, New Mexico….Nevada….New Hamster.”

Postcards from the Past

As homeschool parents who seize every opportunity to teach, and view the world as our classroom, we have added some learning ideas around our home. We have a clear tablecloth on our table over a map of the United States. We also have the times tables, the planets, and very large write-n-wipe A, B, C, D, and E, but this story is about the map.

I love to hear people’s comments about the map, not about the map as a tablecloth, but their stories about the places they’ve visited or lived.

Someone left her purse behind while traveling through Texas. Someone lived in Arizona and fell in love for the first time as a young girl. Someone else traveled to northwest Iowa every summer of her childhood. Someone else traveled to Minnesota every summer of her childhood. Someone was born in Florida. Someone wants to visit California some day. Someone has been to Mexico, but not Canada. Someone took his senior trip to Washington, D.C. Someone has been to Toronto. Someone toured a missile silo out west. Someone saw the Grand Canyon. Someone’s been to Vegas.

Listening to these stories is a little bit like receiving postcards from the past, and I like it. I have printed up blank maps for my children. They can color the states they have been to or driven through. Tim’s map includes five states, including California while Sarah’s has Kentucky and Ohio, and Marc and Luc each have the same four states. What would your map look like? http://www.nationalatlas.gov/asp/popups.asp?imgFile=../printable/images/preview/outline/states(u).gif&imgw=588&imgh=450

Five Things (that I love to wear in winter) and a shrug

1. Soft jeans-nothing better than my well-worn blues, one stretch away from a hole in the knee.

2. Bathrobe – warm and fuzzy from neck to ankles, this is what I wrap up in for Bible Before Breakfast.

3. Supersocks – comfy, warm, and handknitted by Mom, they go over the regular socks and

keep the toes toasty.

4. Clogs- knitted, soft slippers with leather bottoms; they go over the super socks (we have COLD floors).

5. Make-up – this means I am either off to church, or friends are coming over.

6. (Yes, there’s six; I saved the best for last). The Shrug

What’s my shrug? Oh, my shrug is wonderful. My shrug is what I wear around the house when I’m cold (basically, all winter). My shrug is burgundy, white and black. It’s plaid, and flannel, and a little ripped. It’s quilted and it’s missing at least two buttons. It’s actually a shirt of Ryan’s (the man who is rarely cold and has no practical use for a quilted flannel shirt). So it’s mine. It’s been mine for about 14 years now. I LOVE my shrug. Some mornings I heat it up in the dryer before wearing it. The shrug is not allowed out in public, for obvious reasons, but at home, I wear the shrug, proudly, happily, and cozy warm, ahhh….

Weekly Wrap Up (or tri-weekly )

Actually accomplished some school EVERY single day this week. This does not always happen, for various reasons, including appointments, running errands, or visiting Grandma.

We start every day with Bible with all four kids. It takes 10 to 20 minutes. We sing a song or two (or three), we read a Bible story from The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes by Kenneth Taylor. It always has great comprehension questions. Songs included “Joshua fought the battle of Jericho” (thank you, Tammy, for this CD), “My God is so BIG!” and the ever popular “B-I-B-L-E! that’s the book for me.” Then we all pray and say the pledge to the Bible. Then Marc and Luc are free to go, and the older two say their Bible verses from memory. We are also starting to learn books of the OT. (Who Judges Ruth? Joshua, Judges, Ruth).

We use 2nd./3rd. grade Daily Grams from the Easy Grammar program (which I used to teach when I tutored). Each page ends with a sentence combining exercise. Ex: Mary wants a pet. I want a pet, too. = Mary and I want a pet. Sometimes we turn these into really fun verbal stories. Mary REALLY wants a turtle, but I’m holding out for a kitten. We ended up getting a gerbil and naming it “Kurtle”, although Dad wanted to call it “snakefood”.

Science happens Tuesday and Thursday. We started reports on body systems. We watched a DK video about the “human machine”. (While these videos tend to be evolutionistic, they do have great info, and the kids get to tell me how the narrator got it wrong.) We also used the book “My Body” by Rayston and Hewitt, which has simple experiements (like dropping a pencil between open fingers and seeing if you can grasp it or if it falls down), and easy to read pages, so my kids did their own research on this one. Tim is doing the brain, and Sarah is doing the heart.

This week was good. All four kids attend the local CRC church on Wednesday nights, where Tim is in Cadets (he got to use a sander this week and had that predictable power tool gleam in his eye.). Sarah is in GEMS, the girl program, and loves it. She has an orphan card, and we pray for Hope, an orphan girl from Zambia every night. M and L have YOkids (young ones) and they have a blast in there, playing toys, doing a craft and snack. They also have gym nights, and movie nights, and they met a firefighter and learned about fire safety this year.
Those are our highlights this week. We do reading, writing, and math every day also.

The Adventures of Crazy Mom (Fellow Crazy Moms pictured here also).

When we last left our heroine, she was babbling incoherently into a thrice-heated cup of coffee while locked in the bathroom. Small children knocked, then pounded, making some sort of vague demand about tying balloons, but Crazy mom was oblivious to all.

But that was last time. Today, Crazy Mom is up to all new incredible stunts. Thankfully, Crazy Mom loves, adores, worships, and serves Jesus. Contrary to some beliefs, this does not make for an easy perfect live but can actually make life more challenging! Thankfully, there are benes. (you know, benefits), like her stalwart belief in John 3:16 and that Philippians 4:13 credo. She only exists as Crazy Mom through this faith in Christ.

Today, Crazy Mom was able to resist yelling at the children (except when they tore the living room curtain down after being told to “calm down” at least twice. Crazy Mom realized anew how much she needs God’s grace and forgiveness. She apologized for yelling. They apologized for their sin. All ended well.)

Crazy Mom was also able to convince two four year olds that “yes, indeedy, they did know how to clean up and that insisting to the contrary was not only unproductive, uncooperative, unkind, but also untrue and wrong.” Crazy Mom did tend to go on a little long as the lecture finally ended along the lines of “obey right away, all the way, and with a good heart.” Crazy Mom did that deep sigh thing she does, breathing in with the whisper“less of me” and breathing out “more of Jesus.”

Crazy Mom found herself in need of God’s grace as the day continued. She punished one twin for the other twin’s error and didn’t follow up in the “no more TV today.” promise because she needed a shower and TV keeps the troops stationary. She flatly refused to read a book because she was “making dinner” and yelled at the older two for goofing off while they were supposedly doing the dishes, “we are only making it fun, Mom!” Deep sigh thing again.
As the day ended and Crazy Mom felt the despair of her mistakes creeping in on her, she again turned to that Bible she loves and believed that God’s grace is sufficient and God will provide a way.

She tucked the precious hoodlums in, read them stories, kissed and hugged them, and prayed with them, genuinely thanking God for the responsibility and awesome privilege of being called Mom.

Maybe “Mom” to some, but to others who know her well, she is known as “Crazy Mom”. Tune in next time as Crazy Mom attempts library day, and the birthday party for two.

God, in His infinite wisdom, gave children only two commandments:
1. Honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12a) ATTITUDE
2. Obey your parents (Ephesians 6:1) ACTIONS
Matthew 18 points out that we are all children of God. So these children’s commandments apply to us as well. Our children will see us honor and obey God in our lives, especially if we share how we are honoring and obeying God. They need to hear and see our actions. We are not perfect parents, but we need to be an arrow pointing them to God.

I think sometimes we spend so much time trying to be "perfect parents" instead of being real parents. Do I share all my struggles with my eight-year-old son? Certainly not. But I do want him to see me go to God for forgiveness when I make mistakes. I do want to share why we all, even parents, need God's grace in our lives.

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."