I Am Not Quite As Dumb As He Thinks

If you are wondering why it takes me so long to get to serious posts which take time and energy, it is because I am busy listening and shaking my head at comments like this:

Zachary: "Sarah, Mom said no to me, but since you are the only princess here and you have a really good puppy dog face, she will probably say yes to you."

or
Zachary again: " I can't do that chore Mommy because it takes a long time and my little hands get really, really tired."

No, only princesses and puppy dog faces do not work. Especially not after over-hearing that. And, you better believe he did that chore. Tired hands and all.

What's on YOur Table This Week?

Wouldn't you know that as soon as I say I am going to start posting menus our life gets all crazy and we are never home? Tonight is pork chops, sweet corn on the cob, and lettuce wedges with blue cheese dressing. Tomorrow is my birthday and I was just informed that Bruce and I will be going to my favorite tapas place.On Wednesday we are heading down to VA to be with my dad and help out a little. We will be gone through the weekend. I think we will take advantage of being in Fredericksburg over the 4th and take in some of the historic sights. So, there you have it for this week.

We Really Are Doing a Good Thing

I believe home-schooling is a calling. I believe every Christian parent is obligated to train their children with a Christian world-view, but I do not think it has to be done at home. There are things we sacrifice to keep the kids at home and their are things we sacrifice when we send them to school. That said, I have been doing a little research for a project and have been pleased with what I am finding. I know home-schooled children are graduating and doing terrific things, but it is always nice to hear others saying it. It makes me feel not quite so out there. So, if you are like me and like to be encouraged about the choice you have made, read these links.

http://crumbsonmyfloor.com/2008/06/25/just-had-to-post-this-after-my-post-yesterday/

http://classicalmom.blogspot.com/2008/05/homeschool-and-socialization.html

It's a Way of Life #1

I have decided I am not good at post series because I can never get the time to do one a day. Sorry if this goes on for too many days. I'll try to not have so many days in between, but no promises.

I am going to call my home-schooling posts It's a Way of Life. I really believe that is true, because if you try to separate it from every other parts of your life, you are going to fail somewhere. It is just not possible to live two separate lives and be perfect at both. Actually, you are not going to be perfect anyway, and you will fail at times. Maybe I should say I believe it is difficult to function and be productive if you try to separate it. When someone spends time with us they will detect a certain aroma. It may be stinky or lovely. It does not take very long for others to decide what this aroma is. The aroma could be any thing from chaos, to stringency, or productivity to laziness. As believers, first we must produce an aroma which shows that Christ lives within us. This will be very evident to anyone who spends time in your home. Sometimes you can even just step in the door and tell. This aroma really envelopes everything you do as a family. You can not develop this lovely aroma by having family devotions, praying, loving one another, and then being completely lazy about your home-schooling. I am afraid it all comes as a package. Have you ever had this really good smell going in your home and then there is this nasty diaper or something else awful. It does not matter at that point how many candles you have been burning or pies you have been baking all day. It just really stinks now. Now you have to revamp and work a little to get rid of the nasty smell. It is the same thing with your schooling. You cannot fool everyone by having this great aroma of Christ in your home, but completely nasty one in your schooling. The bad smell always wins over the good one. And it takes a little work to change things around. We all have different ways to achieve a wonderful smell in our homes. I love to burn candles and am pretty much a candle Nazi. I have one or two that I love and really do not use any others. There are others that use spray. Others love to just open their windows and air the place out. That does not work here in the midst of all of the farm land. Anyway, there are so many different ways to achieve a good aroma. Over the next few days let's talk about how we each do that in our homes. If you want to be thinking on that, the next post will be about the scheduling and getting it all in.

Building a Home

I think this is a great post over at Girl Talk.

Menu For the Week

I did not forget to post a menu. Bruce is out of town, therefore the kids are looking forward to all of the overly processed kid food they can eat. We will do Sonic one night, pizza one night, chicken nuggets another, and then maybe spaghetti. You see, Dad never wants any of these foods. No, I will not be eating this menu. I think I would be sick for weeks if I did. I will have salads and other more healthy things. It is so funny. I put so much thought and time into cooking healthy meals and they love them. But, nothing excites a child like the prospect of a few days of processed food.

Please Pray

I am not usually one to ask for prayer on this blog. There are so many things going through my mind right now it is hard for me to rest and be calm. My son has had a difficult year. I am so proud of the progress he has made, but sometimes his hurt just breaks my heart. Please pray for him. On top of everything here, my dad just had double knee replacement. I am trying to decide when to go home with the kids to help. I am not sure how much help I will be with the children, but I feel like I at least need to try. I am feeling emotionally overwhelmed. I would appreciate your prayers.