has closed it’s doors.
We have desks (the kids anyway). We have chairs (me too!) We nolonger have a pool table smack dab in the middle of our work space. Yea! Beanie even has a new table and chairs just her size that is her desk with an extra chair for a friend. She was all over that. Birdie tried to sit down and was quickly informed she is not a “fren” but a “stistah”. Birdie reasoned, “Sweetheart, I am your sister, but I can be your friend too” to no avail. Beanie runs a tight ship.
Her little corner is stocked with her dollhouse, blocks, Tinker Toys (on loan from her father), minature record player, mini cash register and a stack of puzzles. We are going to move up some books tomorrow and she will be set.
I am getting a handle on educating my kids: trusting God, taking it one day at a time, creating a clean and orderly environment in which to work and drinking lots of…water.
When we were in the research phase of homeschool I asked my doctor what he thought. Three of his kids homeschooled all the way through high school and one went to Christian junior high and high school. Homeschool is not his religion. I told him why we were considering it and asked what he thought. He said our reasons were sound and really encouraged me to keep praying and only do it if both Paul and I were in agreement.
I was back in the office several weeks ago and after our medical business was wrapped up and we were saying good-bye he asked the kids if they were ready to head back to school. “Actually we decided to homeschool.” I said.
He looked me right in the eye and said very soberly, “You’re going to do great. You are energetic and very organized.”
I started to tell him that was crazy talk and then stopped and just let his words pour over me like an annointing.
And then very very quietly I said “Thank you.”
You know when it feels like someone read your spirit and then says the one thing you need to hear but don’t even really believe?
I love when God speaks through his people and then puts his hand on my mouth so I will hear it.
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Hey Alison. I don’t have much to say, but I couldn’t let such a great post go with just spam comments.
I helped a friend choose some homeschool curriculum a few years ago and really enjoyed the process. But I don’t have the patience, the stamina, or the self discipline to homeschool – neither has God called me in that direction. You go girl. And remember your friends and blog pals are here to support, listen, help track down creative ideas, obscure facts, be pen pals, and subjects of geography and citizenship lessons 🙂
Dang it… I wanted to be the first to tell you about my new home business in discount cat furniture. These freaks keep stealing my great ideas!!!
P.S. Beanie is my hero. What a kick! 🙂
Maybe your class would like to take a field trip sometime to visit some of America’s national parks. We happen to be located smack dab in the middle between Yellowstone and Glacier–oh, and we have some wonderful dinosaur and fossil sites here as well. An hour away is a well-preserved mining ghost town and half an hour further is the National Bison Range and the Nez Perce Trail. Did I even mention Lewis and Clark marched right through our little valley–twice? We’re rich in history, geology, the works. Just a friendly little suggestion.
One way or another, I’d love to meet the Bean.
MrsFish,
Thanks for the encouragement. I still feel the heaviness but also the peace. It is just such an awesome responsibility but really is it any different than raising people in general. I feel more mindful, less hurried. Now I am thinking about all the things I want to do with my kids, but didn’t have the time in the narrow window between school and bedtime when we were all hitting walls.
Thanks for not leaving me alone with the spam.
KMJ,
You know I will only give you my cat furniture business even without a discount. Don’t you fear!
Sherry,
That is definitely a possibility. Funny, I am trusting God to lead me through homeschool, but long road trips still seem beyond me. Hey, as my faith grows…and of course we want to see that part of the country and I would love to see our kids together. I think Tano and C. Riley could have a good time. Elli and Birdie are so cut out of the same cloth. The disparity in age would not be a problem. And Beanie will be running behind thinking she is running the show.
Hey, we have fort where I live. A really kind of historical fort or something. Come here, and you’ll learn a great deal about the city you never even knew was in America and not British Columbia. 🙂 P.S. If you make many stops at all your blog friends’ homes, it won’t be one long road trip, it will be many short ones. lol!
KMJ,
I just want to make sure to come during construction. Eight months after our remodel we have finally cleared the drywall dust from our lungs. We need a fill up.