The phone rang on Friday around 2 o'clock and it was my husband, "Honey, I am so glad Katie is at home with you doing Homeschool. There was another school shooting."
As he told me the horrific and tragic news, I couldn't help but mourn for the parents left behind of these precious children that were murdered. Then, my heart selfishly thanked God that it wasn't my Katie.
As we find out more about these children, it hits closer and closer to home. These children were all either Katie's age or within months of her age. 6-7 short years ago, mothers were giving birth to these precious babies within months of Katie's birth. Did they have any idea how precious every moment would be?
One victim's father said, “My daughter Emilie would be one of the first ones to be standing and giving her love and support to all those victims, because that’s the kind of person she is, not because of any kind of parenting my wife and I could have done but because those are the gifts that were given to her by our heavenly Father,” source
So here comes the big question. "Why does God allow bad things to happen? Especially to these sweet little children?"
I would encourage anyone with that question to click on this link.
It's no secret that our husband and I made the decision to teach Katie at home under God's direction. There are so many important reasons aside from her physical safety.
Abraham Lincoln (our 16th President) stated:
"The philosophy of the school room in one generation will be the philosophy of government in the next."
Monday, December 17, 2012
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Seeing Through a Glass Darkly
I had to share this article written by Debi Pearl of nogreaterjoy.org.
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." 1 Corinthians 13:12
~Eternity is so eternal, so terribly final, so completely forever. Death is not final. By the grace of God, it is not without hope.~
Twenty Two years ago a wonderful, sweet darling two-year-old boy, whom I loved, came down with a fever. Within 24 hours he was dead.
During the days after his death, while the family grieved, I kept his baby brother. I remember starting at my sweet Rebekah and feeling a sense of relief that it was not she who was taken. "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." What I am about to say will be hard for many of you to understand, but as an older woman I feel compelled to speak.
Death is not the worst enemy. When I was a young mother, this truth was simply beyond comprehension. To lose a child was my worst fear. I avoided long bridges because I was afraid I could not save all my children if the car plunged into the water. I carefully chose cars by the ease of opening the safety buckles and doors-just in case. I studied medications, familiarizing myself with potential problems and learning how to use alternative medicines. My natural instinct to protect my children, regardless of the cost was in full operation. God gave me that instinct. Along the way, other children whom I knew died , and I continued to cling to my children, trying to guard their safety. Yet how frail my efforts would have been if death had come calling.
When you are young and raising a family, death seems to be the ultimate loss. The grief is a pain you can only know first hand. When we are young we see through a glass darkly. As we grow older, life is not as big as we thought it was when it was all before us. Life in this flesh is quite temporary. I am not so old yet. Life is still precious. Death is still the enemy. I continue to cling to life, not only my own but to that of those I love. Yet my clinging has changed.
"For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known." 1 Corinthians 13:12
~Eternity is so eternal, so terribly final, so completely forever. Death is not final. By the grace of God, it is not without hope.~
Twenty Two years ago a wonderful, sweet darling two-year-old boy, whom I loved, came down with a fever. Within 24 hours he was dead.
During the days after his death, while the family grieved, I kept his baby brother. I remember starting at my sweet Rebekah and feeling a sense of relief that it was not she who was taken. "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." What I am about to say will be hard for many of you to understand, but as an older woman I feel compelled to speak.
Death is not the worst enemy. When I was a young mother, this truth was simply beyond comprehension. To lose a child was my worst fear. I avoided long bridges because I was afraid I could not save all my children if the car plunged into the water. I carefully chose cars by the ease of opening the safety buckles and doors-just in case. I studied medications, familiarizing myself with potential problems and learning how to use alternative medicines. My natural instinct to protect my children, regardless of the cost was in full operation. God gave me that instinct. Along the way, other children whom I knew died , and I continued to cling to my children, trying to guard their safety. Yet how frail my efforts would have been if death had come calling.
When you are young and raising a family, death seems to be the ultimate loss. The grief is a pain you can only know first hand. When we are young we see through a glass darkly. As we grow older, life is not as big as we thought it was when it was all before us. Life in this flesh is quite temporary. I am not so old yet. Life is still precious. Death is still the enemy. I continue to cling to life, not only my own but to that of those I love. Yet my clinging has changed.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Texas Twang
Oh it's the little things.
Well, we are Texans and there's no doubt about it! I just love my smooth talking Texas man. As much as I have fought to fight my Texas twang, it seems that there's no separating us. You know how the saying goes. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!
Yes, we should be our own country. :) But that's another blog.
Today we were reviewing the letter U. U as in the uh sound. Like Umbrella Bird.
So as part of our curriculum, I read the following sentence and asked her to tell me which word has the 'uh' sound: Jesus went back to Heaven.
She said, "tuh"
I read the sentence again except this time minus the Texas accent.
"Oh. Jesus." she said.
God bless all you Texans!
In lieu of the 'uh' sound, I just wanted to brag about the incredible luck we had today at the stuffed animal machines today. First try and we pulled out this 50 cent reindeer.
Well, we are Texans and there's no doubt about it! I just love my smooth talking Texas man. As much as I have fought to fight my Texas twang, it seems that there's no separating us. You know how the saying goes. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!
Yes, we should be our own country. :) But that's another blog.
Today we were reviewing the letter U. U as in the uh sound. Like Umbrella Bird.
So as part of our curriculum, I read the following sentence and asked her to tell me which word has the 'uh' sound: Jesus went back to Heaven.
She said, "tuh"
I read the sentence again except this time minus the Texas accent.
"Oh. Jesus." she said.
God bless all you Texans!
In lieu of the 'uh' sound, I just wanted to brag about the incredible luck we had today at the stuffed animal machines today. First try and we pulled out this 50 cent reindeer.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Spanking Wars
In lieu of my last blog about discipline, I decided to reveal a fun family secret we have sickly adopted. :-)
It all started one day.....
Here is the 'play by play lucky I had the phone camera near' shots!
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| Batter up! Do you see Daddy 'squenching' in fear?! |
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
The Wages of Sin
Our dishwasher that is a little over a year old mysteriously lost power yesterday causing Katie and I to hand wash the dinner dishes.
There are a lot of negative views about spanking. Some people were spanked as children and remember a fed up enraged yelling and angry parent. This is by far the absolute worse way to spank your child! There is most definitely a difference in effectiveness when you spank out of love and correction. When you speak calmly to your child, you show them your ability to exercise self control. A controlled parent will ensure the child they have no need to fear the parent loosing control. Instead they fear the punishment and not the parent.
The Bible says "Withhold not correction from the child; for if thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod and shalt deliver his soul from hell." Proverbs 23;13-14 Something happens to her when I teach her constraint. Not only is it a settling of the matter between us two, but it's also teaches her that negative action has consequences. The world us adults live in is full of consequences. We don't get spanked anymore as adults, our consequences are much worse. I would choose a spanking any day over dying in a car crash because I didn't obey traffic rules.
Our system was-I washed and she rinsed and set to dry. We chatted about things and were genuinely having a good time. Naturally, I am a little faster than her so her side of the sink still had a few dishes to rinse by the time I was finished washing. I stepped away from the sink as she rinsed and began wiping the counters.
Not long after, Katie turned around standing on her little stool with the water running and called to me sobbing. "Mom, I have been so mean to you. I feel so sad. I just feel so sad inside. Please forgive me, Mom." I rushed over and held her while she cried so hard.
School and life can be frustrating some days for us and parenting is not exactly a science. So her and I have days that don't go smoothly. Mostly last week and this past weekend has been a bit of an attitude struggle. It seemed she was getting spanked quite often.
Why we spank:
There are a lot of negative views about spanking. Some people were spanked as children and remember a fed up enraged yelling and angry parent. This is by far the absolute worse way to spank your child! There is most definitely a difference in effectiveness when you spank out of love and correction. When you speak calmly to your child, you show them your ability to exercise self control. A controlled parent will ensure the child they have no need to fear the parent loosing control. Instead they fear the punishment and not the parent.
The Bible says "Withhold not correction from the child; for if thou beatest him with a rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod and shalt deliver his soul from hell." Proverbs 23;13-14 Something happens to her when I teach her constraint. Not only is it a settling of the matter between us two, but it's also teaches her that negative action has consequences. The world us adults live in is full of consequences. We don't get spanked anymore as adults, our consequences are much worse. I would choose a spanking any day over dying in a car crash because I didn't obey traffic rules.
We are their only world.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Dooty Mitt Romney
Hey! We're back!
Lot's of fun stuff happening lately!
At completion of 6 weeks, we decided to take last week off to do some much needed visiting and outings!
We visited Aunt Kelly and Katie's cousins, Jude had a sleepover, visited Katie's elderly friend George suffering from a fall, took a trip to a Mennonite farm in Kemp, hung out with the crazy Genung clan, went on a field trip to Dallas Heritage Village with Paideia Homeschool Group, went to the Farmers Market in Dallas, and had dinner Mormon style at Chilis! Te he Jeremy Fortune was the only male among a group of 9 kids and 3 women! We had some funny looks.
What a great time we had spending with family and friends! Now, we are winding down from a week full of energy and getting focused back on school!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Sit by Me
Today was one of those 'let's take a holiday and get outta the house' days. We decided on eating lunch out together.
So we ordered our food, we made our drinks, collected our condiments, and chose the perfect place to sit. Having the terrible habit of watching people, I usually scout out a seat where, if at all possible, I can have no one in my view. It helps me to pay better attention to my company at the table.
This particular side of the restaurant had only 1 lady sitting by herself so I choose to sit her toward my back so I could focus on Miss Katie. I put Katie's food in front of my chair and she said, "Mom, can I sit by you?" I began to reason with her sweetly, "Katie, I would rather you sit in front of me so I can see you."
"I know Mom but pleeeeease?"
Friday, October 5, 2012
Sheltered
Raise your hand if you ever thought homeschooled children are sheltered! If we were on webcam, you would see one guilty woman in front of the computer.
I used to think homeschool was lame and so were the dorks who were homeschooled.
I assure you, I don't anymore.
Yes Katie is sheltered from harm. But from real life, hardly. Let me tell you why.
Since Jeramey and I went through a separation and attempted divorce, we have been provided with a constant stream of wonderful couples with failing marriages. Just when I think we've earned only a friend, it turns out the Lord has given us not only wonderful friends, but a marriage in need of the God's intervention. When God gives you something special, you know it's because He has a purpose. We are just rubble God has somehow used for building. He doesn't need us, but we are useful for those doubters who need to see to believe.
That being said, Katie has witnessed a lot of struggling marriages that at some point were separated. She has seen success and fail. Praise be to God for the success!
Katie is my faithful prayer partner that I am constantly reaching out to with specifics on these couples for prayer. She rides the up and down roller-coaster with us during the most critical times of prayer for divorcees. Katie has a pretty long list of answered prayers and her faith is great. Hence, I always turn to her.
I've said it before, I'll say it again! Life always correlates with our curriculum lesson for the day. Our memory verse for this week is "Bear ye one another's burdens" Galatians 6:2
I used to think homeschool was lame and so were the dorks who were homeschooled.
I assure you, I don't anymore.
Yes Katie is sheltered from harm. But from real life, hardly. Let me tell you why.
Since Jeramey and I went through a separation and attempted divorce, we have been provided with a constant stream of wonderful couples with failing marriages. Just when I think we've earned only a friend, it turns out the Lord has given us not only wonderful friends, but a marriage in need of the God's intervention. When God gives you something special, you know it's because He has a purpose. We are just rubble God has somehow used for building. He doesn't need us, but we are useful for those doubters who need to see to believe.
That being said, Katie has witnessed a lot of struggling marriages that at some point were separated. She has seen success and fail. Praise be to God for the success!
Katie is my faithful prayer partner that I am constantly reaching out to with specifics on these couples for prayer. She rides the up and down roller-coaster with us during the most critical times of prayer for divorcees. Katie has a pretty long list of answered prayers and her faith is great. Hence, I always turn to her.
I've said it before, I'll say it again! Life always correlates with our curriculum lesson for the day. Our memory verse for this week is "Bear ye one another's burdens" Galatians 6:2
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Flower Soup and Useful Weeds
Katie, Jeramey, and I love to ride bikes together. Katie will spot pretty weeds and flowers while riding, stop to pick them, and place them in her bag attached to the bike. This requires much patience from us adults! We don't particularly like stopping.
Remembering back to my childhood, I used to make what I called "flower soup". I would capture beautiful weeds and flowers much like Katie, put them all in a bowl, and pretend to cook a soup. So I mentioned this to Katie and she thought it was a splendid idea!
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| We added some bugs (for protein) since Daddy was helping ;) |
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Finish What You Start
"Finish what you started! Persevere!" has been screaming loud and clear to us through stories, school lessons, and life lessons.
Ricky Rabbit finished the race even though he knew he couldn't beat the better runner. Ace and Racer kept trying to win the championship ping pong game. Paul and Silas persevered and sang praises while in jail. Even the radio preacher this Sunday spoke about Nehemiah who had to organize and rebuild the wall of Jerusalem. That was more than a huge task! All throughout the Bible, story after story, is about normal people~just like us~having to work hard to complete the overwhelming and sometimes impossible. Today's memory verse is, "We shall reap, if we faint not." Galatians 6:9
So why have some of us Christians adopted the idea that if it's not easy, it's not from God?
"And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope;and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given unto us." Romans 5
We can get to that hope if we just start with patience!
The Word of God couldn't be more alive in this classroom! A little elbow grease has me savoring every moment of Katie's development. Watching and listening to her read sends my heart leaping bounds! Last years, "Finshing what we started" has given us a new wind..fresh confidence in finishing this race!
Monday, September 17, 2012
Obedience, Trial and Error, and God's Grace
I had a friend say to me, "What does Obedience look like, I don't even know!"
Here's yet another life lesson we've all learned.
I love how God can take our biggest mistakes and put His Word into action in our lives.
Here's yet another life lesson we've all learned.
I've mentioned before in my blog that Katie's job is to feed our dogs. Our oldest dog, Samantha, has been Katie's pet since she can remember. Charlie has been our sweet little addition. Some of Sam's most admirable traits is her wonderful patience and temperament. Samantha would lie still and quiet while Katie would dress her up in children's clothing, scarfs, goggles, glasses...you name it. She's often had tea parties in the tent castle with Katie! (she's tiny for her breed) They've been buds since Katie was about 18 months old!
We have noticed Samantha has become a little aggressive with Charlie. Now, Charlie is a bit annoying so I understood! We brought him home as a puppy and he's been terrorizing her since. Not only that, but now he's bigger than her..and a clutz! Plus, she's been in heat! ladies, we know what that's like! :)
Saturday, Katie spent all morning outside playing with the dogs. When she noticed the food bowl was empty, she filled it up. When she placed the bowl outside, Samantha began circling the bowl attacking at Charlie whenever he came near to eat. Sam has never liked to share her food with Charlie but human supervision has always corrected this issue.
I asked Katie to separate the food into two piles. She came in to let me know that her task had been complete. I looked outside and noticed Samantha was now guarding both of the piles and attacking at Charlie when he tried to come near.
"Katie, you may go outside but DO NOT touch the dog's food." I said to her.
"Yes maam." she replied
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Tempting Fruit
Before, I have made mention of how our curriculum runs parallel to events and circumstances in our home. Today hit right on as usual!
Katie told me this morning that she had a terrible dream last night. She said, "The Devil told me in a dream last night not to obey you and Daddy anymore. It was so scary but I didn't believe him because I know he's a liar. I told him 'No! I won't follow you'."
Katie has God's wisdom beyond her years.
Today, our curriculum was about how the devil tricked Eve in the garden. Here's what a part of our story said, "Wicked Satan said, "No, you won't die. God knows that if you eat from that tree you will become very smart. You'll know all about good, and all about evil. You'll be just like gods yourself.......Satan is a liar, and the Bible says he is the father of all liars. If we lie, who are we acting like? Yes, Satan. The Bible says God hates lies, and He loves truth."
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Sharpies and Red Pens
I LOVE first grade!
I think my Katie might just love it too!
Lot's of writing on the board, teaching to read, writing, excitement, fun games, tests, grades...etc.
Yesterday, I filled out Katie's work assignments. Since she rarely asks me to help her read directions anymore (I am guessing she has memorized sight words or is sounding them out), I have to check on her independent work fairly often. Upon checking her progress, she was already pages past her assignment in Math. I had no problem with this except that it was a practice exercise to follow up the next two days of math assignments to teach. Her eagerness excited me! I love getting the red pen out and grading. Praising her excellence! I love everything about school! Me, her...together...learning!
I not only love my child, but I like her. All the time. Every moment. Praise be to God.
I think my Katie might just love it too!
Lot's of writing on the board, teaching to read, writing, excitement, fun games, tests, grades...etc.
Yesterday, I filled out Katie's work assignments. Since she rarely asks me to help her read directions anymore (I am guessing she has memorized sight words or is sounding them out), I have to check on her independent work fairly often. Upon checking her progress, she was already pages past her assignment in Math. I had no problem with this except that it was a practice exercise to follow up the next two days of math assignments to teach. Her eagerness excited me! I love getting the red pen out and grading. Praising her excellence! I love everything about school! Me, her...together...learning!
I not only love my child, but I like her. All the time. Every moment. Praise be to God.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
A Growing Mom
When I first started homeschooling, I didn't know much of anything.
I still don't!
^That needs a LOL or something.
^That needs a LOL or something.
But, hey. I'm learning too!
The Bible says we are to meditate on scripture day and night. Joshua 1:8. But somehow, I just have never seen the point in memorization of scriptures. I have a bible, I can just look it up or even google it. I read it... so I comprehend it, right?
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
A New Season
I just love change.
Katie on the other hand is more her daddy's in that department. :)
So with the new grade and new changes, she has been a bit fearful. Being an adult, I have the understanding that a new grade is progression and not just a jumping in feet first to a new world. Remembering back to my childhood, my biggest fear was not knowing the teacher or the new kids. Somewhere behind that was the fear of what would lie ahead educationally.
Since Katie has the first 2 fears eliminated, she has expressed her fear to me of what lies ahead educationally.
I would say the grade change has her thinking a bit. We were driving to the store and Katie said to me, "Mom, what happens after school?" I said, "Well, you will get married and have children of your own; maybe college? God will direct your next step and you will know what to do." She said, "You mean go to another school where you are not my teacher? I don't want to do that Mom!" Reality settled in that I will be her teacher until the very end of school! Ok, so now her fear has a domino effect!! Yikes!
Rewind back to the first grade!! :) Today is her second day of first grade. We are beginning with a little ten week program called ABC's with Ace and Christi. With this program, she will learn good foundation in forming letters and also other subjects. Though my little artist can write away, I know it would not be wise to skip this step. After she finishes these ten weeks, she will be able to read on her own. Not just recognizing sight words, but she will have the ability to sound out words on her own. This program is phenomenal in equipping children with a good foundation to read! She is also learning how to work independently. She has an accountability goal chart that I fill out at the beginning of the week instructing her of what pages and subjects to accomplish.
Now, I had my own opinions about children working independently when I began homeschooling. I felt it to be a negative because it seemed a lazy way to teach children. To me, it put the teachers/moms involved less and the children more self learning. But I do believe I was wrong! As adults, we have to be responsible and work at our own pace. And aren't we always working on growing up?! Unfortunately. womp womp. :)
At the end of the day I asked her how she felt about this new change and if all her fear was over nothing. She said, "Mom, I miss you reading me the instructions while I answer but I really like doing it on my own too!"
All in all, Katie is doing so great! She makes me so proud everyday!
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" Eccl 3:1
Katie on the other hand is more her daddy's in that department. :)
So with the new grade and new changes, she has been a bit fearful. Being an adult, I have the understanding that a new grade is progression and not just a jumping in feet first to a new world. Remembering back to my childhood, my biggest fear was not knowing the teacher or the new kids. Somewhere behind that was the fear of what would lie ahead educationally.
Since Katie has the first 2 fears eliminated, she has expressed her fear to me of what lies ahead educationally.
I would say the grade change has her thinking a bit. We were driving to the store and Katie said to me, "Mom, what happens after school?" I said, "Well, you will get married and have children of your own; maybe college? God will direct your next step and you will know what to do." She said, "You mean go to another school where you are not my teacher? I don't want to do that Mom!" Reality settled in that I will be her teacher until the very end of school! Ok, so now her fear has a domino effect!! Yikes!
Rewind back to the first grade!! :) Today is her second day of first grade. We are beginning with a little ten week program called ABC's with Ace and Christi. With this program, she will learn good foundation in forming letters and also other subjects. Though my little artist can write away, I know it would not be wise to skip this step. After she finishes these ten weeks, she will be able to read on her own. Not just recognizing sight words, but she will have the ability to sound out words on her own. This program is phenomenal in equipping children with a good foundation to read! She is also learning how to work independently. She has an accountability goal chart that I fill out at the beginning of the week instructing her of what pages and subjects to accomplish.
At the end of the day I asked her how she felt about this new change and if all her fear was over nothing. She said, "Mom, I miss you reading me the instructions while I answer but I really like doing it on my own too!"
All in all, Katie is doing so great! She makes me so proud everyday!
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| Sweet Daddy! He'll be our Texas History Teacher soon! :) |
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" Eccl 3:1
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Fun week...fun gal!
Our vacation break isn't over yet...BUT we have had a blast and it's only Thursday!
We've been playing in the summer rain, bike riding, ice skating, swimming, and tomorrow we have a play date with fellow homeschoolers!
"A joyful heart is good medicine..." Proverbs 17:22
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Churning butter is for the birds!
The amazing thing about buying raw milk is that the cream is on the top!. This thick sweet yummy cream on top is not only full of nutrients and good fats but it's useful in recipes, coffee...for making butter...you name it! But grass-fed butter is hard to come by, especially non-pasteurized. You just don't find it in the store. Sooooo today, I am attempting to make butter from the cream. I have started the process and am ready to punch my blender! Here's what I've done:
Started with non-pasteurized farm milk.
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| See the faint line with the arrow? Yup, that's the cream! |
Suction the cream out with a turkey baster.
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Let it sit until room temperature. Put the cream in the blender and turn it on low...then high. Then after 20 mins or longer, I put the blender in the bathroom because it's TOO LOUD and has been on way too long! :)
After almost an hour, here's what I have:
That's right! NO BUTTER! What's the deal?
So I get out my mom's 1980's blender that she used for my baby food. All the older people talk about how "they just don't make 'em the way they used to" so this should work. I was hoping there was a "butter" speed on it. Awe darn. there wasn't.
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| My mom actually bargained with me to throw this bad boy away by buying me a new one. Don't tell her I have it ;) |
After 15 mins in the good ol' blender, all I have is a frothy cream-shake. This is where you start looking up scriptures about patience. :)
Watch how easy it is for this lady on youtube: Click here
In the old days, they would put it on the back of the wagon for a trip and all the shaking would cause it to churn into butter. You can put it in a jar and shake it for 10-15 mins. You can also use a kitchen mixer to make butter. Why isn't this working?! Could I have accidentally suctioned out milk into the cream and it's too thin? Who knows?
My conclusion is that I am going to beg my sister to start making butter for us now :) he he he
To be continued
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Gal 6:9
Graduation/Family Pics
We had a sweet sweet newlywed getting-her-foot-in-the-door photographer take some graduation and family pictures!
Just wanted to share the latest and greatest :)
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| It was a windy day so poor Jeramey had hair all in his face :) |
We will be getting more pics in soon to post! If you are interested...she is running a special now! Find her on Facebook- BrittanyNicole Photography!
"And you shall rejoice in all the good that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house...." Duet 26:11
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Paaar-tay!
What do kids do who just graduated kindergarten? They PAAAARTAY!
We had a little get together with some of Katie's favorite friends at Peter Piper Pizza on Friday to ring in the new grade! :) I had such a great time blabbing with mom's, I forgot to get pics of all the kids!
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| Katie getting ready! |
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| Heading out! |
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| I love this little gal! |
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| Sweet Celeste |
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| Celeste and Katie
200 Tokens later, we shut the place down! Katie had such a great time with everyone!
"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sittith in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Psalms 1
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Friday, August 24, 2012
School's out! Bread's in!
School is officially out...so whatawegonna do? COOK!
Seems Katie and I have found a new shared passion.
We started 8 days ago making a sourdough bread starter. Coolest thing ever!
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Graduation
EEK! What an exciting week! We are counting down the days! 2 MORE DAYS and Katie will officially be graduating kindergarten!
What an amazing amount of knowledge we have gained this past year. Not only educational knowledge, but patience for each other.
What an amazing amount of knowledge we have gained this past year. Not only educational knowledge, but patience for each other.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Good Sport
Katie is pretty competitive. As we exit the neighbors house Katie screams, "Last one to the house has to wash the dishes!" I find myself out of breath cutting through yards chasing after her praying I don't loose!
"Tag you're it" usually follows a gentle slap on the back while doing typical tasks at home. I turn to see her hair flying as she zooms around the corner so she doesn't get tagged! :) Katie can't stand to be it last when it comes to me, so the game usually ends when I get tired of chasing her!
So it's no surprise that today when I asked Katie what being a "good sport" meant, her reply was "Awesome at sports!" The question followed a story about a character named Arby Armadillo who made it last to the monkey bars but was still a "good sport" about his coming in last.
Though she understood the concept, it seemed she was more excited about being good at sports.
Our fishing trip almost ended one weekend recently that she was determined to cast farther than me! She ended up hooking my hair and scalp (no blood!). Daddy had her put her fishing pole down. I'm sure he wanted the bigger kid to surrender her's too.
Though she occasionally gets set back when I beat her at certain things, she usually will push through and strive to be better in that area. My husband, so sweet and gentle, lets her win most of the time. But to her, I am someone she strives to beat at everything. I secretly love it!
"And the child grew and became strong in spirit;..." Luke 1:80
"Tag you're it" usually follows a gentle slap on the back while doing typical tasks at home. I turn to see her hair flying as she zooms around the corner so she doesn't get tagged! :) Katie can't stand to be it last when it comes to me, so the game usually ends when I get tired of chasing her!
So it's no surprise that today when I asked Katie what being a "good sport" meant, her reply was "Awesome at sports!" The question followed a story about a character named Arby Armadillo who made it last to the monkey bars but was still a "good sport" about his coming in last.
Though she understood the concept, it seemed she was more excited about being good at sports.
Our fishing trip almost ended one weekend recently that she was determined to cast farther than me! She ended up hooking my hair and scalp (no blood!). Daddy had her put her fishing pole down. I'm sure he wanted the bigger kid to surrender her's too.
Though she occasionally gets set back when I beat her at certain things, she usually will push through and strive to be better in that area. My husband, so sweet and gentle, lets her win most of the time. But to her, I am someone she strives to beat at everything. I secretly love it!
"And the child grew and became strong in spirit;..." Luke 1:80
Monday, August 13, 2012
Butterfly
"it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body." 1 Corinthians 15:44
Ah, the butterfly. One of God's miracles.
Our curriculum always seems to run parallel to issues of life here lately in the Whitehouse home. We are ending a week of learning about Butterflies when we received news this afternoon of the death of Katie's great grandfather, Naaman.
Quote from our curriculum book on today's lesson:
"You know boys and girls, learning about caterpillars and butterflies can help us begin to understand about our own lives!
When a caterpillar goes inside a cocoon, it seems like it is dead. When our bodies die on earth, it seems like we are gone, too. .....but the caterpillar comes out with a changed body! The caterpillar has a new life as a butterfly instead!
That is a little like when we die. If we have invited Jesus to be our Saviour, God will give us a new body and a new life in Heaven someday!
Everlasting life is a miracle! Everlasting life is something only our mighty God can give."
I couldn't help but read that and see the simplicity in life in death.
I pray Naaman is resting peacefully in God's hands.
"Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Ah, the butterfly. One of God's miracles.
Our curriculum always seems to run parallel to issues of life here lately in the Whitehouse home. We are ending a week of learning about Butterflies when we received news this afternoon of the death of Katie's great grandfather, Naaman.
Quote from our curriculum book on today's lesson:
"You know boys and girls, learning about caterpillars and butterflies can help us begin to understand about our own lives!
When a caterpillar goes inside a cocoon, it seems like it is dead. When our bodies die on earth, it seems like we are gone, too. .....but the caterpillar comes out with a changed body! The caterpillar has a new life as a butterfly instead!
That is a little like when we die. If we have invited Jesus to be our Saviour, God will give us a new body and a new life in Heaven someday!
Everlasting life is a miracle! Everlasting life is something only our mighty God can give."
I couldn't help but read that and see the simplicity in life in death.
I pray Naaman is resting peacefully in God's hands.
"Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, at the last trump; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
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| Naaman, Katie, and Becky Naaman McDaniel |
Friday, August 10, 2012
Teaching Thankfulness
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
I had no idea the unthankfulness I was planting in her heart by showering her with gifts on a regular basis. She is my only child. It doesn't require lots of money to give her a gift here and there. After all, God loves to give his children gifts, right?
Being caught up in the feel good of my own desires by showering Katie with gifts, I realized I was sending her into a destructive down-spiral. Her closet was bursting at the seams and she was sweetly requesting more and more at every store trip! Katie is pretty well behaved and self controlled. It took one visit to the store when I denied her request for me to see what I had created. This was becoming a pattern of doom! While this may be typical behavior for a child in the world's standards, we still answer to a God who delights in thankfulness. Spanking seemed irrelevant to this matter of the heart. How do you spank thankfulness into her heart? Taking her toys away seemed mean and harsh. Jeramey and I devised a good plan of labor and reward.
For 3 or 4 weeks, Katie has begun doing chores outside of her normal duties. Since she lives here, eats here, and messes here; she pulls her weight and picks up after herself. She does this splendidly without complaint 90% of the time. Her room and bathroom are her responsibilities alone. Matters of the kitchen, laundry, yard, other cleaning, and animals, she is merely my assistant. Since we live in the city with modern appliances, you have to get creative! We decided to give her all dishes (3x a day) and daily animal tending at a salary of $10 a week with a pay date of Friday.
Since we have a puppy in training process the size of a full grown dog, this part of the labor has been quite a task for her. When she opens the door, Charlie (the puppy) will blast through her into the house and refuse to go back outside, holding his ground. He weighs close to 50lbs which is a couple pounds more than Katie. Getting him back outside has been quite a task for her, but she has become very creative by coercing him with treats or dragging him by the collar! This has been quite a patience lesson for her! I think she's mastered the "catch more flies with honey" theory!
So today was the big day! We emptied the piggy bank and took off to Hobby Lobby to get the bear kit she has been eyeballing and saving for since the beginning of her hard work. I can't say we've completely mastered the art of thankfulness in one month: but I can say I saw the joy on her face of earning her own reward and that was more precious for her soul than any gift I could ever give! I am so proud of her!
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| On our way to Hobby Lobby! |
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| Sweet Reward! |
Monday, August 6, 2012
The Whole Deal
I find myself more and more everyday becoming the domestic woman I once couldn't stand. :)
Katie struggles with digestion problems. Trying several different food types with no success has almost left me throwing my hands up in the air almost convincing myself that daily fiber supplements would be a new way of life for us. In conversation with my sister, she informed me of the benefits cooking traditionally. This included a lot of high fat foods, animal fat for cooking, preparation of whole grains, whole raw milk, no processed foods, no vegetable oils, and no store bought dressings(high fructose corn syrup). I laughed at this idea knowing that Wal-Mart was my primary source for groceries and this task seemed impossible. It would mean going to farms, buying grain in bulk, and tons of hours in the kitchen. And, didn't she know how the government warns that high fats are bad for us? And besides, who has that kind of time?
So I started researching myself why this diet would be beneficial. Sure, the plant based diet liberals believe all animal fat causes us heart attacks. Everyone had so much controversy concerning the pro's and con's of plant based vs animal based diets. I leave the politics to my husband! I thought about starting at a place that I knew to be proven truth in my life. The Bible.
Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. Genesis 9:3
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. 8And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. Genesis 18:7-8
So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Exodus 3:8
Abraham was declared by God to be a righteous man. In Genesis 18, Abraham (and Sara) prepared a meal for very special visitors. I don't imagine Abraham worried about the dangers of raw milk or eating animal meat as he sat down to feed the visitors of Lord. I'm certain he didn't send Sara to the store to fetch some crackers or pasteurized milk. According to Genesis 25 Abraham lived to be 175 years old!
Well, I have to say that I am still learning preparation methods and niches to this diet; so far from the foods I have prepared using this diet, Katie is off the fiber supplements and is now on a daily BM schedule (TMI!) Another added benefit: I have officially lost 3lbs in less than a week! (and I even cheated this weekend :))
The benefit to eating whole unprocessed foods is that you get to tour the farm where you purchase! (The Farmers are friendly and invite you to come pet the animals and have picnics) You know what the cows are eating! It increases your digestibility and vitamin/mineral absorption by proper preparation just like our ancestors knew to do. Proper preparation neutralizes the phytic acid found naturally in foods. Phytic acid is anit-nutrient and it makes some minerals unabsorbable such as zinc, iron, calcium, and magnesium. By proper neutralization, it causes the minerals, vitamins, and nutrients to be properly absorbed by the body. Just one example iron: The main job of iron is to help carry oxygen from the lungs to muscles and vital organs. People low on Iron not only have headaches but are irritable and fatigued. This is due to the oxgen not properly being circulated. You might be reading and thinking, 'Well, I'll just pop an iron supplement pill and fix that!'. Sounds great but if you are putting anti-iron absorbing foods in your body, will that really work? Processed foods are linked to cancer, hair loss, heart disease, and etc...the list goes on!
Preparation for this diet actually has caused Katie to be assisting me more in the kitchen, which she truly enjoys! She has now become my full time wheat grinder. Preparing the foods haven't been too much of a hassle, it mostly requires thinking ahead. Though I am still waiting on my Nourishing Traditions cook book to come in the mail, I am making recipes I have found from Sara Pope's blog, Florida's chapter leader for Weston A Price foundation. If anyone is interested, here are the links below.
Weston A Price link: www.westonaprice.org/
Sara Pope's blog http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/
Katie struggles with digestion problems. Trying several different food types with no success has almost left me throwing my hands up in the air almost convincing myself that daily fiber supplements would be a new way of life for us. In conversation with my sister, she informed me of the benefits cooking traditionally. This included a lot of high fat foods, animal fat for cooking, preparation of whole grains, whole raw milk, no processed foods, no vegetable oils, and no store bought dressings(high fructose corn syrup). I laughed at this idea knowing that Wal-Mart was my primary source for groceries and this task seemed impossible. It would mean going to farms, buying grain in bulk, and tons of hours in the kitchen. And, didn't she know how the government warns that high fats are bad for us? And besides, who has that kind of time?
So I started researching myself why this diet would be beneficial. Sure, the plant based diet liberals believe all animal fat causes us heart attacks. Everyone had so much controversy concerning the pro's and con's of plant based vs animal based diets. I leave the politics to my husband! I thought about starting at a place that I knew to be proven truth in my life. The Bible.
Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. Genesis 9:3
And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetcht a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. 8And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat. Genesis 18:7-8
So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Exodus 3:8
Abraham was declared by God to be a righteous man. In Genesis 18, Abraham (and Sara) prepared a meal for very special visitors. I don't imagine Abraham worried about the dangers of raw milk or eating animal meat as he sat down to feed the visitors of Lord. I'm certain he didn't send Sara to the store to fetch some crackers or pasteurized milk. According to Genesis 25 Abraham lived to be 175 years old!
Well, I have to say that I am still learning preparation methods and niches to this diet; so far from the foods I have prepared using this diet, Katie is off the fiber supplements and is now on a daily BM schedule (TMI!) Another added benefit: I have officially lost 3lbs in less than a week! (and I even cheated this weekend :))
The benefit to eating whole unprocessed foods is that you get to tour the farm where you purchase! (The Farmers are friendly and invite you to come pet the animals and have picnics) You know what the cows are eating! It increases your digestibility and vitamin/mineral absorption by proper preparation just like our ancestors knew to do. Proper preparation neutralizes the phytic acid found naturally in foods. Phytic acid is anit-nutrient and it makes some minerals unabsorbable such as zinc, iron, calcium, and magnesium. By proper neutralization, it causes the minerals, vitamins, and nutrients to be properly absorbed by the body. Just one example iron: The main job of iron is to help carry oxygen from the lungs to muscles and vital organs. People low on Iron not only have headaches but are irritable and fatigued. This is due to the oxgen not properly being circulated. You might be reading and thinking, 'Well, I'll just pop an iron supplement pill and fix that!'. Sounds great but if you are putting anti-iron absorbing foods in your body, will that really work? Processed foods are linked to cancer, hair loss, heart disease, and etc...the list goes on!
Preparation for this diet actually has caused Katie to be assisting me more in the kitchen, which she truly enjoys! She has now become my full time wheat grinder. Preparing the foods haven't been too much of a hassle, it mostly requires thinking ahead. Though I am still waiting on my Nourishing Traditions cook book to come in the mail, I am making recipes I have found from Sara Pope's blog, Florida's chapter leader for Weston A Price foundation. If anyone is interested, here are the links below.
Weston A Price link: www.westonaprice.org/
Sara Pope's blog http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/
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| Katie the wheat grinder :) |
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| I made my first batch of yogurt last night! |
Thursday, August 2, 2012
A Social Issue
"If you provide your children with a busy world where their social needs can be met without you, they may just choose other friends that are not so "old fogey" and develop in a different direction as dictated by their social circle" Michael Pearl Strong In Spirit
Katie and I tend to do our shopping during the day so we don't interrupt our evening family time. Cash register employees will typically ask Katie why she isn't at school or what is her grade. Katie's response is usually, "Kindergarten and I do homeschool." Right after this response I immediately get the story of the homeschooled kids who "needed to socialize more" or they usually are helpful and point us to "social" events in the city.
I find myself very patient and loving with these sweet people. At one time, I too, would look at homeschooled kids as weirdos. My first assesment of why they were different is because they did not socialize enough. I have always been the "social butterfly" and could strike up a conversation with anyone. Which brings me to the recent conversations I've had with moms.
Me: "How is Susie doing?"
Mom of child: "Oh great, she's been going to Chuck E Cheese with Sara, went to the waterpark with Julie, and soccer on Wednesday and Thursday nights plus games on Saturdays. She has been having such a blast, she enjoys her friends so much! We've all been so busy, I think I have rarely seen her this summer!"
This is a typical conversation of moms who have their children involved in lots of social events. They call it "active." A mom last week told me that all her son wants to do is hang out with his friends and she feels like she's lost his heart. Mom excuses this behavior with throwing her hands up in the air and saying," kids will be kids." It's not that she's a bad person at all, she considers it a "stage" and part of growth. It's a standard we have adopted. These are scenarios I have seen over and over since I have decided to homeschool Katie. So when I was reading the Michael Pearl 'Strong In Spririt', I had a DUH moment when coming upon this next phrase! "If you provide your children with a busy world where their social needs can be met without you, they may just choose other friends that are not so "old fogey" and develop in a different direction as dictated by their social circle" ~Michael Pearl
This sweet mom who throws her hands up in the air invites Katie and I to have lunch.. So we are at lunch and she is genuinely concerned about Katie's social life. (I would like to add that she is an incredibly wonderful wonderful person and sincerely loves Katie so very much!) She starts suggesting ideas for me to get Katie involved in more social events. Ironically, I look over at Katie during this conversation and she has rounded up four young girls at Mcdonalds and has them in a circle in front of her teaching them to curtsy! I nudge her arm and point her focus to that direction. This is not behavior of a socially withdrawn child. :)
It is important for children to have relationships with other children but socialization should be balanced in moderation: friends should be quality not quantity. They should never be the primary source of socialization. A parent should always teach their children to choose friends wisely. "Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals." 1 Corinthians 15:33
I was busy cleaning the house and Katie stated, "Mom, I am lonely, could I invite Celeste over?" Realizing Celeste might not be available, I throw out my first option which is myself. I said, "Katie, would it be okay if I play with you instead?" That frown turned upside down and she said excitedly, "Sure mom! I'll go get Candyland." I love that she tossed the idea of socializing with a friend to the side to fellowship with me! She could have said, "Well mom, I really just want to play with a kid!" But I love that I have sweet fellowship with her and that I am her number one choice!
Katie and I tend to do our shopping during the day so we don't interrupt our evening family time. Cash register employees will typically ask Katie why she isn't at school or what is her grade. Katie's response is usually, "Kindergarten and I do homeschool." Right after this response I immediately get the story of the homeschooled kids who "needed to socialize more" or they usually are helpful and point us to "social" events in the city.
I find myself very patient and loving with these sweet people. At one time, I too, would look at homeschooled kids as weirdos. My first assesment of why they were different is because they did not socialize enough. I have always been the "social butterfly" and could strike up a conversation with anyone. Which brings me to the recent conversations I've had with moms.
Me: "How is Susie doing?"
Mom of child: "Oh great, she's been going to Chuck E Cheese with Sara, went to the waterpark with Julie, and soccer on Wednesday and Thursday nights plus games on Saturdays. She has been having such a blast, she enjoys her friends so much! We've all been so busy, I think I have rarely seen her this summer!"
This is a typical conversation of moms who have their children involved in lots of social events. They call it "active." A mom last week told me that all her son wants to do is hang out with his friends and she feels like she's lost his heart. Mom excuses this behavior with throwing her hands up in the air and saying," kids will be kids." It's not that she's a bad person at all, she considers it a "stage" and part of growth. It's a standard we have adopted. These are scenarios I have seen over and over since I have decided to homeschool Katie. So when I was reading the Michael Pearl 'Strong In Spririt', I had a DUH moment when coming upon this next phrase! "If you provide your children with a busy world where their social needs can be met without you, they may just choose other friends that are not so "old fogey" and develop in a different direction as dictated by their social circle" ~Michael Pearl
This sweet mom who throws her hands up in the air invites Katie and I to have lunch.. So we are at lunch and she is genuinely concerned about Katie's social life. (I would like to add that she is an incredibly wonderful wonderful person and sincerely loves Katie so very much!) She starts suggesting ideas for me to get Katie involved in more social events. Ironically, I look over at Katie during this conversation and she has rounded up four young girls at Mcdonalds and has them in a circle in front of her teaching them to curtsy! I nudge her arm and point her focus to that direction. This is not behavior of a socially withdrawn child. :)
It is important for children to have relationships with other children but socialization should be balanced in moderation: friends should be quality not quantity. They should never be the primary source of socialization. A parent should always teach their children to choose friends wisely. "Do not be deceived, bad company corrupts good morals." 1 Corinthians 15:33
I was busy cleaning the house and Katie stated, "Mom, I am lonely, could I invite Celeste over?" Realizing Celeste might not be available, I throw out my first option which is myself. I said, "Katie, would it be okay if I play with you instead?" That frown turned upside down and she said excitedly, "Sure mom! I'll go get Candyland." I love that she tossed the idea of socializing with a friend to the side to fellowship with me! She could have said, "Well mom, I really just want to play with a kid!" But I love that I have sweet fellowship with her and that I am her number one choice!
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| I thought I would add a picture of sweet Celeste :) She is truly an amazing friend! |
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Life is Learning
Can you say eventful week? What I love about Katie being a homeschooler is that I can use every moment to teach her regardless of our location. Sure we have a classroom curriculum but life is one of the best teachers. Life is constantly changing and we are running alongside trying to keep a good speed. Ministry is a good way to teach your child to love and serve one another. This is a good task as long as your children are involved and not tossed to the side. We have some precious friends who are struggling a little in their marriage...so Katie and I discussed the day we visited what our tasks were to be upon arrival. She was to round up the children and take care of them, love on them, and play with them while Mom loved on the female and Dad did whatever males do with the male. :) I explained to her that the bible says to "Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep." Romans 12:15 Of course Katie's middle name should have been love so she was on the task! She did well for her age. She at least kept the older one with the best comprehension pretty busy while enjoying some play time.
Days ago, our grandfather (Katie's great grandfather) had triple bypass heart surgery. So we loaded up our curriculum and had school in the pre-op waiting area. Once the surgery was complete, we moved up to heart floor where he was recovering. Katie was ready to see him but one of our family members announced that the hospital did not allow children in the room after heart surgery. The reasoning is to guard the children from "trauma" because of the patients condition with tubes...etc. This was saddening to me for more than one reason. The first reason was because Katie was concerned and had been praying for him, and sincerely wanted to see him. The second reason is that it stole an opportunity from Katie to be a part of ministering to a sick family member. The third reason (I could go on for days) is the opportunity she missed to cherish each breath we take. It seems as if most kids are sheltered from the wrong things. How will children ever know to cherish life if they never encounter the ups and downs? How will children ever learn coping skills if we guard them from all pain? Reality eventually is unavoidable for children. I remember Katie's first funeral was a person she loved (she loves everybody!) who was a distant friend to our family. He was a wonderful christian man so none of us truly doubted where he would spend eternity. So there was weeping and rejoicing! It was at that funeral that she connected life, death, and heaven. She wept with those who wept, and rejoiced when they rejoiced. How can we keep our children from these life experiences and label it as "trauma"? "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6 If instead it said, "delay the child's training until they are old enough to cope, and when they are old, they won't depart from it" well, then I would have to agree with the hospital! "For the Word of God is alive and powerful." Hebrews 4:12 Start now by cultivating a heart of thankfulness and compassion! Teach them to fear God and of God's judgments (Joel 1:3 Exodus 10:2) but at the same time His incredible love, forgiveness, and compassion (Psalms 103:13). I am sure a lot of parents guard their child from pain with the greatest intentions, but sometimes our greatest intentions become the ruin of our children.
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Romans 12:2
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| Miss Katie and some friends! |
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