Archives

A Fork in the Road

Aug22

A funny thing happened to me while my husband and I went on a walk through our neighborhood last week. I saw a fork in the road, a table fork! The crazy thing is that it was within 5 feet of an intersection and a stop sign. Now, if that wasn’t a sign from God, I don’t know what would be. It’s funny how this post has a road theme- like my post about street names earlier. I really am not preoccupied with roads or streets!

Well, after receiving that “sign” 🙂  I have been looking at this school year and trying to be cautious and not committing to anything more than what I already have planned this year. I am also trying to see when I come to a decision, which fork in the  road I am to take, not just leaping into things and then stopping to ask the Lord if that’s okay or whining after I have made the decision. You probably do a much better job than I do about the decision-making process, but if you are like me, why not join me in carefully considering what to add to the school year before committing to doing something?

I rode my bike back to where I saw the fork, but alas, it was no longer there. But…. I DID take a picture of the intersection. 

Road Names- Really?

Aug1

Here is a new vocabulary word for all of you wordsmiths out there: onomastics.It means the naming of things.

On my journeys all  across town (I logged 7,500 miles with in-home tutoring and teaching at PEP last year) I have come across some funny street names. I even live in a strangely named neighborhood myself. My abode is in a “themed” neighborhood where many moons ago our subdivision was named Twilight Estates. Here are some of the names of the streets throughout my neighborhood: Planet, Astro, Saturn, Venus, and Jupiter. I think the irony of all of this is that somewhere along the journey of life I have been called a Space Cadet. Now, I actually am one since I live on a planet. I bet you can’t say that! 🙂

There is another part of town that has two roads that intersect- Grinn and Barrett. There are also names throughout town such as Storybook Lane ( I expect to see Snow White and the dwarfs come out of one of the houses), Zig Zag, Devil’s Backbone and Crooked Tree. I found some interesting ones on the internet: This Aint It Road, Candy Cane Lane, and Lonesome Road (I guess they don’t get many visitors there).

Have you seen any funny street names? Please share as I am sure we can all use a smile.

One Thing at a Time

Jul28

I am reminding myself as the summer is beginning to wind down and August is rapidly approaching that I can do all that I have before me if I just take small steps. I met with a friend yesterday who reminded me of this and thought you might need the encouragement as well. Take one thing at a time and if you don’t know where to begin consider the following:

  • Write a list of what needs to be done.
  • Set reasonable goals. Don’t try to tackle a year’s worth of lesson plans for 4 children in one day.
  • List the tasks in order of importance.
  • Dedicate time to accomplish these tasks (I know that sounds like a no-brainer, but oftentimes I think a task will take a shorter amount of time than it actually does!)
  • Do you feel like the task is too big? Break that down into smaller steps. For instance: 1. Clean the House A. Clean bathrooms B. Wash kitchen floor C. Vacuum rugs 2. Laundry A. Sort clothes B. Load washer C. Set timer to get load out of washing machine
  • Will the project take longer than you have and you are feeling paralyzed? Set a timer for 20 minutes and see how much you get accomplished. Revisit the task until you complete it.
  • Do you need uninterrupted time to get the task done? What about calling a friend or family member and asking them to keep the children for a while. You can reciprocate when they need a day to themselves.
  • Give yourself permission to not be Super Mom. Let’s face it, we can’t be all things to all people.
  • Celebrate when you accomplish the task. Take a short break, do a victory dance, or eat a piece of chocolate.
  • Begin on the next task.

Matthew 6 was a comfort to me this morning, particularly verse 34.”Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Gifts of Homeschooling

Jul18

“For me??” is what I used to say as a child if I received an unexpected gift. Homeschooling has certainly done the same thing to me as I am sometimes surprised at the wonderful times I have had homeschooling. Here are a few of the unexpected rewards I have received:

  • Cuddle time on the couch
  • Dreams shared
  • “Ah-ha!” moments
  • Sharing life as a family
  • Being real
  • Sharing my passion for the Lord and life with my sons
  • Seizing the moment
  • Field trips
  • Thinking outside the box
  • Sock fights
  • Hugs and kisses (Still- even though they are young men)
  • A lifetime of memories
Feel free to write a few of the gifts you have received homeschooling. I’d love to read them.

Mind Your Manners!

Jun27

Dale and I loved watching Disney’s animated version of Robin Hood with the kids. There is a scene where the little sister bunnies say to the older brother, “Mind your manners.” Here are some resources that you can use to reinforce loving your neighbor as yourself (in word and deed).

Everyday Graces: A Child’s Book of Good Manners by Karen Santorum

365 Manners Kids Should Know: Cames, Activities, and other fun ways Children Can Learn about Etiquette Sheryl Eberly

Dude, That’s Rude! Pamela Espeland

Shepherding a Child’s Heart, Tedd Tripp

Bringing Up Boys, James Dobson

Extreme Pursuit: Winning the Race for the Heart of Your Son, John Davis

Bringing Up Girls, James Dobson This comes highly recommended by my family who have girls.

Raising Children Without Going Insane, Jane Evans I haven’t read the book, but I liked the title and read the first several pages online; it looks like a good book.

The Five Love Languages of Children, Gary Chapman, Ross Campbell

Are you addressing character issues with your children and would like some stories to read that address some of these? Need a book that will give guidance about dealing with “heart” issues? Here are some books to help. No, I don’t have all the answers, but I know it helped to read books that encouraged me to keep on going.

The Book of Virtues, The Moral Compass, William J. Bennett

Books that Build Character: A Guide to Teaching Your Child Moral Values through Stories, William Kirkpatrick While I haven’t used this myself, it has been favorably reviewed and I plan on reading it.

Do you have a recommendation for a book or audio series? Please share what has helped you.