Monday, October 31, 2011

Women Shouldn't be President...

What?!?!?!????  In today's world who would actually have the audacity to say/think such a thing???  Well, let me tell you a little story...

This year for history we're studying early American History up through roughly 1865 (though we seem to be stuck in the 1700s and just can't break into the 1800s as of yet... HELP!!) with TruthQuest History.  I'm loving the relaxed schedule TQH provides.  Anyway, I digress.  During lunch we were reading "So You Want to be President", which is a children's book covering our many Presidents and their many differences and similarities.  Toward the end of the book, it said that there have been no women that have run for/been elected President.  True, though Hilary attempted in 2008.

Enter my Dear Son #1 who is 10 years old...

"Yeah... I agree with that... I don't think it would be a good idea for a woman to be President."

Now, realize that I was raised in a single-parent home during the 70's and 80's at the height of 'girls can do anything boys can do and do it better,' and I believed it through and through.  A femi-Nazi is what I guess you would have called me.  (I've been a recovered femi-Nazi for 13 years now, bye the by.)  But in that moment, when my precious 10y/o son said that he didn't think women should be President, that old femi-Nazi started to rear her ugly head!  I don't know what surprised me more, that or my 10 y/o's very definite ideas of gender roles.  Anyway, I very calmly asked him why he thought that.  (I also don't think a woman would be a good choice for President, but that's a discussion for a different day.) 

"Well, Mom, because they need to stay home and do the dishes and cook and stuff like that." 

'Is that all he thinks I do all day?' I thought as I resisted the temptation to give him my laundry-list of "accomplishments". 
But what I said was, "But what if the woman didn't have a family to take care of?"  Thinking that might change his mind just a little (of course I was wrong about that). 

"She'd still have to do all those things..." he said nonchalantly. 

At this point I realized that my intelligence was at risk of being insulted, so I asked him, "So, do you think a woman is smart enough to be President?"  (That was really the root of my issues with all this.) 
To which he replied, 'yes, I just don't think it's a good idea.'  Phew!! 

As I was sharing this conversation with my dear husband, I was marvelling at the power of the home atmosphere and how that impacts our children's outlooks... I mean, it's not like we've ever discussed Biblical authority in terms of whether or not a female should or should not be elected President.  But somewhere along the way, in our day to day homeschooling lives, those unspoken things shine through...  now I'm wondering just what other things are 'shining through'....    :)

Grace and Peace

Wendy

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Week in Review and A Look Ahead...

This has been quite a week.  It seems that no matter how I try to keep a 'normal' schedule, it just doesn't happen... actually, something happens... LIFE...  The week started normally, Monday was a great day with our morning and afternoon lessons and a break for lunch.  I have to confess that those days when all I have to worry about is school, meals, and household chores are my very most favorite...no place to go, no outside responsibilities, just hanging out with my guys.  Tuesday I took my older son back to the doctor to get his ears flushed out (poor kid had major issues), Wednesday it was Young People's Theatre Series day!  We'd been looking forward to this  for quite a while- the musical group Song of the Lakes performed an adaptation of H.C. Holling's Paddle to the Sea, and it was awesome!  Thursday was cleaning day at Mother's and Piano Lesson day, and Friday we took the day off in celebration of Daddy having a day off... 

So, it's Saturday and I forgot about Jacob D.'s football class at the Y...  >:(   He's so gracious and quick to forgive me for it without expressing his deep disappointment at having missed his class- he really loves it so very much.  But on the bright side, we went shopping for new shoes for the boys.  Caleb busted out of his tennies (I am amazed at how quickly he's growing!) and literally had a huge hole in the bottom of his shoe....  sigh....

Looking ahead to next week, I've scheduled a very light week for school- just the basics.  Math, Language Arts, Writing, and Reading.  Mother is having her back surgery on Thursday and I'm going to take her up to the hospital (an hour away) either the night before or that morning (depending on what time she's scheduled).  My continued dilemma is, as always, child care for the kiddos while my hubby is working.  I really don't want to take the boys to hang out in the hospital all day Thursday.  That means probably no school Thursday for the boys, and maybe Friday, too.... although I may assign them a couple of writing projects, but we'll see how the week shapes up.  I love that with homeschooling we have the flexibility to be there for our family members when they are in need of help, that with a little extra work we can keep caught up with our lesson plans.  Truthfully, I'm looking forward to a lighter schedule this week.  It will provide me with the opportunity to focus on spelling for one of my guys.  For some reason, my creative, right-brained child has a difficult time with spelling, and the traditional method of teaching spelling really doesn't work for him.  At any rate, a while ago I listened to a presentation from Diane Craft, who specializes in teaching children who have mild to severe learning glitches, dyslexia, dysgraphia, or just are right-brained enough to need to be taught differently.  She had some really great and creative ideas for teaching children things like spelling, math facts and the like which I am excited about working into our daily routine... all that to say this will be a great week for putting some  of those things together...  :)

How was your week?

Many blessings ~

Wendy

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Three Cups...



We've been teaching it to our boys (now 10 and 8) for years... everything they 'have' really belongs to the Lord, he blesses us with many different types of things from money to toys and clothing, to food, shelter, and transportation that we may take care of it, use it and bless others as He would have us do.  We've taught them that when they receive a monetary gift, earn money from odd jobs, or receive an allowance, they are to give back to God first, then to their savings fund, and lastly to their spending fund. 

I was so excited when I had the opportunity to review the book "Three Cups, A Lesson in Life and Money for Children" by Tony Townsley and Mark St. Germain.  This story is a great and gentle way to introduce the concept of Godly money management, both for parents and for children.  The beautiful illustrations are sure to keep children engaged as they learn these important financial principles.  The story centers around a 5-year-old boy who receives 'an adventure' for his birthday...imagine his confusion when he opens his gift to find three ordinary old cups-from their own cupboard, no less.  His parents then explain to him the adventures would come in time...and they did.

One of my favorite features of this book is the Getting Started Parent's Guide at the end.  It takes the principle of the "Three Cups" and breaks it down into 10 easy steps for getting started.  I would highly recommend this book for all families with younger children, or even older children... it will be well worth the investment.   :)

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising

Monday, October 24, 2011

The Future...

This morning was one of those blessed mornings when my husband was home (he works late tonight), so Jacob and I had a date.  So we went out to breakfast and then to the Y to play a little together.  While we were there, a lady came up to me and asked if I homeschool;  of course I said yes, and she went on to share that she homeschooled her children until the mid-highschool years when she felt she couldn't do it any longer.  She shared that she loved the relationship she had with her children during those homeschooling years... But what she said next pained me greatly... she said that once her children (who are now grown with children of their own) went to traditional school, their relationship changed dramatically, she's never been able to gain it back, and how much she missed it.  I see this woman quite often around the Y and typically she's with her daughter, so I know there's a relationship there, but apparently it's just not the same type of closeness as they once shared. 

As our children grow from boys to men I know our relationship will change and grow as we do, but I always want the closeness my husband and I share with our boys to remain the same.  I've often thought about what we'll do in the highschool years, if we'll put them in a traditional school (whether public or private) so they can benefit from the music and/or sports programs, mainly;  or if we'll keep them home their entire schooling career.  While that remains to be seen, one thing I know for sure is that I will always remember that conversation and take her testimony into consideration when the time comes...

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Good, Better, Best...

I loved the following post from the Homeschool Classroom website.  If I didn't know better, I would think she was looking in my windows observing our life here in Fulton-land...  I recently have been thinking over the concept of 'Good, Better, Best'... like what's Good Enough for our family, what's the Better part and what's the Best that I can give in the areas of being the wife God intends me to be, schooling and parenting our boys, creating relationships with them, and homemaking.  Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this article as much as I did... lots of food for thought...

http://www.hsclassroom.net/2011/10/good-better-best/

Grace and Peace

Wendy

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

These are the days...

... to remember...  I know the weather is really yucky, with the wind howling, rain pelting the house, cold... but it was a wonderful day!  We stayed home all day (sometimes it's refreshing when the kidlets are not feeling well) and took a leisurely stroll through our to-do list from breakfast and family devotions with warmed spiced cider, to schoolwork and resting/reading time (for the ill child), to housework and chores, watching a movie together, reading together, dinner, showers, one-on-one playtime, together playtime, prayers and bed...  It's days like today when the weather is so very unpleasant that I am reminded of just how very blessed our family is.  I'm so thankful for God's amazing provision, for who am I to deserve all that He's given me?  I'm such a 'pit-dwelling sinner' (as Beth Moore would say), how is it that He cares so for me? 

Humbly and Graciously Yours,

W

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Thunder Dog

I remember it so vividly, just as if it were yesterday... I was sitting on our couch looking at our precious eight and a half month old son playing on the area rug in our livingroom wondering what we were going to do that day.  Then I did something I NEVER ever did before... I turned on the television to the NBC morning show with Matt Lauer and Katie Couric.  The camera shot was looking out their studio window at the twin towers in the background when a plane crashed into the North Tower.  The commentary of the anchors was shock and disbelief...actually I thought it was a commercial for another lame end-of-the-world type of movie.  What was next rocked me to my core when a short time later the second plane struck the South Tower.  It has been ten years since our country experienced the most horrific terrorist attack in its history.  Thousands of people died, many heroes risked and gave their lives for the saving of many more.

"Thunder Dog; The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero" by Michael Hingson and Susy Flory is a touching and insightful first-hand account into the tragedy of 9/11.  But more than that, this book gives an in-depth portrait of what life is like for a blind person and the relationship he developed with each of his guide dogs... not just any blind person, but one who courageously and boldly faced each challenge and conquered it... from riding his bike through his neighborhood (much to the dismay of his neighbors), to driving a car, to maneuvering his way through Manhattan to the Twin Towers for work every day.  Yes, you read this right- when Michael was a boy his parents let him ride his bike- without their constant supervision- crossed streets and all.  His is a truly amazing story of how he developed his other senses, even learning to use echolocation. 

Overall, I would recommend this book to everyone, though sometimes the details are a bit tedious, it's a great book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”