Changes In My Life By George, Part 2

It's been almost a month since I posted part 1 of Changes In My Life By George.  As I said in that post, I have to have the right time (enough time) and be in the right frame of mind to post these types of posts.  I touched on the changes of the end of our home school journey and my mother's declining health in part 1.  As for my mother's health, it has declined even more since part 1, so please, please pray for her and my daddy.  There have been a couple of situations since Scot surrendered to preach that I thought I felt as if someone had died; I thought I felt like someone had ripped our hearts out of our bodies and stomped them, but, that was nothing compared to watching my mother suffer day in and day out.  We have done all we know to do with little or no relief, which makes us feel so helpless.  The other day, I was bee-boppin' around, just a hummin', etc., and I realized that I was happy.  I immediately felt so guilty.  There my mother is home bound and in such terrible pain, and here I am going on about my business merrily.  But, then, I realized that what I was experiencing was that peace that passes all understanding and that strength that only the joy of the Lord can provide.  The circumstance, the situation looks so gloom and so sad.  But for the Lord, I really don't know how I could stand to watch.  I am extremely thankful for that peace and joy even in the midst of sadness and trouble.  Isn't He wonderful?! 

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ~Philippians 4:7



My daddy retired a few months ago.  My daddy has worked since he was a kid; either helping on the farm he was raised on, contracting & building houses for the public, or for the past 25 years, working at a motor home company.  He came home that Friday, sat in his recliner for a little while to rest his legs and feet, and when he got up, he realized there was something wet in the floor.  It was blood; HIS blood!  He hadn't realized he was bleeding until then.  A blood vessel had busted in the top of his foot!  Blood was shooting out of a little pin sized hole like water shooting out of a water fountain!  By the time, I got there, he had lost a good bit of blood.  He was sitting with his foot in a garbage can, trying to get the bleeding to stop.  When we realized we couldn't get the bleeding to stop, I helped him get his foot in a clean garbage bag, I tied it around his knee, and he and I headed to the ER.  The doctor and nurses were stumped!  They had never seen anything like it.   They tried all they knew to do to stop the bleeding, but, nothing worked, so the doctor finally put a couple of stitches in to stop it.  Daddy felt fine during the entire episode.   On the way to ER, he looked over at me and said,  "Well, I've been retired a little more than an hour and I'm already headed to the hospital."  I smiled and said, "Let's just get all the excitement out of the way to begin with, and we'll have it whooped!"    As I said in my last post, my daddy has done an excellent job taking care of my mother, the yard, the house, and the laundry.  Of course, I knew he would! 

Another change is Cale, our son, is now working full time at the same place my daddy retired from. I've shared with you before on Life By George about how Cale never really liked school; he loved to play and he loved to physically work.  Cale has a good job and he seems to enjoy it.  He is saving most of his paycheck so he can buy a better vehicle than the one he has.  He has been very wise with his money, and we are very proud of him.   He's so wise with his money that we are bad to tease him about being a tight wad.  When he spends money, you know there was much thought that went into it!

This Thanksgiving is different than any other before for us.  We had always eaten at my parent's house for the first 18 or 19 years of our marriage, and then, for the past 6 or 7 years, I have cooked at our house and invited Mother and Daddy to join us.  This year, we are cooking here and taking it to my parent's house.  We will eat with them there.  Also, Mother can't get out and see all the Christmas decorations this year, other than when she has to go to a doctor's appointment, so, tomorrow, we are going to decorate her house for Christmas.  She may can't go to the Christmas decorations, but the decorations can come to her! 

Part 3 will probably conclude this blog series about changes in our lives...unless something else changes before then!

O Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks unto the God of gods; for his mercy endureth for ever.

O give thanks to the Lord of lords; for his mercy endureth for ever.

To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Psalms 136:1-4

Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

Psalms 103:1-2


Changes In My Life By George, Part 1

This is a post that I have had on my heart for quite a while, but knew that I needed ample time to think and write, in order to express all that I need to say.  I wanted to pick a day that was a more 'normal' day, and that my emotions were not running wild from one extreme to another.  If I chose a day that I felt concerned or sad, my post would reflect that.  If I posted on a day that I'm on cloud nine, it would end up a 'Pollyanna' post.  So, I am choosing this day to write what is on my heart.  I have the house to myself, I have no place to be until later today, and my mood is pretty evened out this morning.  (Yes, I over-analyze!)

This year, 2011, I believe,  will stand out in my mind for as long as I have breath in my body.  You know, we have those years and times in our lives that just seem to forever feel so current and real to us.  There are some years that I barely even remember, but, then, there are a few years, I can tell you exactly what was happening, who was there, what we were wearing, and I can even recall the smell or feeling of that particular time.  For instance, I was only 4 1/2 when my Pa-Pa Pounders passed away, but, I recall those few weeks before and the days during the visitation and funeral as if it happened yesterday.  It's almost as if I can close my eyes and be there once again.  One particular homecoming parade, Christmas party, ballgame at school, homework assignment, graduation, wedding day, the birth of my children, etc. fall into that category.  There are a few unpleasant times that I remember and if I dwelled on, would rip my heart out just as it did at the time, but, I choose not to think on those as much. 

The main CHANGES in my life by George in 2011 include the following:

1.  Our Home school Journey comes to an end.

2.  My Mother's health declines drastically.

3.  My Daddy retires.

4.  Both my children have full time jobs.

5.  The time to help my husband financially arrives.

6.  I become a working woman outside our home.

If you have visited Life By George much at all, you know that I have home schooled our children for many years, and that my life has been centered around my husband for 26 years, and my children for 23 years.  Also, my parents are very important in my life.  I have been far from perfect in all of these areas, but, my heart has been in the right place, and I tried so hard to dedicate my life to God, Family, Home, Church, and Friends.  

I struggled from the beginning of Cale's senior year with feelings of sadness and uncertainty with the end of our journey of home schooling coming to an end.  I gave this example one day (after Cale's graduation):  'I feel like I am in a boat without an oar, just sitting there, going whichever way the wind blows my boat.'  Even though I had that feeling of wandering and of having no control, my heart and my mind still knew that God has been, is, and always will be in control, and that if I would just wait upon Him, all would be well.  Who needs an oar when you have the Master of the wind, right?  But, I am human, so, I struggled with some restless days and sleepless nights, and shed several tears crying out to God to guide me and direct my paths; to steer my boat, so to speak.

To help with expenses, during Cale's senior year in school, I had babysat one baby boy (from the time he was about 2 1/2 months old) full time and another baby boy part time. Needless to say, I fell head over heels in love with these little boys, and when circumstances changed with my Mother's health, my heart broke when I had to give the babies up.  I honestly mourned over the decision.  I didn't need to be so tied down that I couldn't jump in the van and leave at any given time of day.  Also, Scot and I had said for many years, that as soon as Cale graduated, I would get a good job, so I could help him with our expenses, and we could get some bills paid off, and not struggle as much financially.  Giving up those two little boys rocked my boat quite a bit. 

After I stopped babysitting, Mother's health continued to decline, so I didn't even look for another job right away.  We almost lost her in July.  She stayed in the hospital for several days.  After that, she was in rehab for a couple of weeks. In the meantime, my Daddy, who has worked almost all of his life retired, so he could be home with Mother and be her caregiver around the clock.  After Mother got home from rehab, she seemed to do some better for a few days, and then, she got worse.  She suffers from Post Polio Syndrome, which there is no cure for.  The pain is excruciating and constant.  We were very saddened when we were told that her wheel chair and scooter would have to become her best friends...we cried in the doctor's office.  Mother never walking again was a fact that broke our hearts and upset our world, but compared to the pain she has suffered, her not being able to walk has been minor.  Between having surgery on her knee and several tests, she has been put to sleep 5 or 6 times since the end of July.  When we rushed her to the hospital July 29th, they had to give her 4 units of blood.  She had all the symptoms of stomach or colon cancer.  They talked to us very frankly and we felt so hopeless.  We got the word out and got our friends and families praying,  and after doing a couple of tests on Mother that Monday and Tuesday, they told us she had a bleeding ulcer that had bled slowly, which is why she didn't realize she was losing blood.  We were so relieved that she didn't have cancer.  My Mother is the strongest woman I've ever met.  Polio affects your muscles, and the initial disease left her with a limp and weak muscles, but she has NEVER used that as an excuse to half way do anything!  She has always been a wonderful wife to my Daddy,  an outstanding Mother to me, a caring and loving Ma-Maw to my children, and a constant and faithful servant to others.  She was an immaculent housekeeper, a hardworking member of the PTA, a zealous and loud cheerleader in the Belmont Cardinal stands, a cook of large, delicious meals, and a comfort through phone calls, visits, and cards to many.  Even since she has been in such terrible pain, went for days without sleeping, etc., she is still so thoughtful and caring toward others.  One day, when I went back to her bedroom, she handed me a list.  The list had the names and dates of people that would have birthdays or anniversarys throughout the end of this year.  She wanted me to buy cards for each of those people.  The days that she can't write, if there is a special occasion coming up, she has me to sign and address the card for her.  Would I be that thoughtful toward others during such a time?  I truly hope so.  Mother is weak, and Mother is tired, but she continues to look forward to the day she gets her strength back and feels better.  Many tears have been shed and many prayers have been offered on her behalf, and as long as there is breath in her body, I know God can give her relief and renew her strength if it is His will to do so.  This has honestly been the most trying and the hardest time of my 46 years.  Daddy and I feel so helpless most days.  We do our best to meet her every need, but, after you give the pain meds, and she is still hurting so badly, there are times of frustration.  It hurts our hearts to see her in such pain and so uncomfortable.  My Daddy has been amazing!  The nights he gets to sleep, he checks on her and gives her meds to her right on time.  He keeps the housework and laundry going and their yard is always neat as a pen.  I don't know what lies ahead for us, but, I can't help but praise the Lord for His constant care, His peace when all seems chaotic, His grace always being sufficient, and His love always being unconditional.  The Joy of the Lord has been our strength.

I Know How Humpty Dumpty Felt

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the King's horses, And all the King's men

Couldn't put Humpty together again!

I wrote my own little rhyme for my GREAT FALL.

Liesa-Liesa, going down the stairs,

In a big hurry, should be aware...

Missed a step and low and behold,

Down the steps, she tumbled and rolled.

Holding her camera in her hand,

To take a picture of a coyote and her little man.

Broke the camera, oh the shame,

She's bruised and battered, but not completely lame.

Pretty purples and black now color some body parts,

But the breaking of the camera is what broke her heart.

A lesson is learned in this painful fall~

Slow and steady helps one to stay on the wall.

It's ok to chuckle a bit.  It wasn't ok to chuckle Saturday night though!  I was going to the garage to take a picture of Cale and a coyote he had killed.  I was going pretty fast and I missed a step.  I thought I would NEVER reach the bottom.  I know it had to be a funny sight!  Just thinking about it now makes me laugh.  I was thinking "Will this ever end?"  My bottom was going ninety to nothing down the wooden steps and when I got to the bottom step, I did this little flip and landed on my knee and cheek. (Yes, as in my face!)  Noelle yelled for her daddy.  She said, "Mother, I thought you were dead, all I could see were legs, and you weren't moving!"  And even that brings a humorous image to my mind! lol.

I could hear Cale running through the basement to get to me.  He had deer blood all over him. He had been hunting and had killed a deer (and the coyote).  Scot and Noelle had flew down the steps and Scot had stepped over me to get to the bottom.  I was trying to sit up and I was leaning on Cale's leg and listening to Scot tell me NOT to lean on Cale's leg due to the blood, etc.   They helped me to sit on the bottom step and I was feeling of my cheek and panicking because I knew I had landed on it.  Y'all know by now how vain I am.  I finally got up and made it back upstairs where I realized I had broken my camera!!!  Tears started flowing!  I took Aleve before I went to bed hoping that it wouldn't take all the king's men to get me out of the bed Sunday morning.  I slept pretty well.  I wasn't too bad sore Sunday morning.  THEN, I saw the bruises!  Very colorful, I might say!  As the day went on Sunday, the soreness set in.  By yesterday morning, I was very sore.  I kept taking Aleve and tried to keep moving to get the soreness out.  I'm still colorful, but I feel much better today.   I decided to go ahead and share this with y'all and to just laugh about it.  I also want to say that I am very thankful that I am just bruised.  And I know I can get another camera, but I've just tried so hard to be frugal lately with Christmas coming up and so many extra expenses with having a Senior in school this year.  I guess the breaking of my camera just sort of busted my bubble, so to speak!  I seriously am very thankful that God was with me, as He always is.  And I'm thankful that I get kicks out of even what could be bad things.  Life is good!

This is the sign that we see on the way down the stairs to the basement.  (If you're not flying down them so fast that you can't read!)  I have not told my parents about my fall yet.  I am cooking for them for Thanksgiving.  If they knew I had been so sore this week, they would want us all just to eat out, so shhhhh....What Happens In The Man Cave Stays In the Man Cave.   

I'll post about Scot's ordeal with a pinched nerve next.  He said that we are falling apart together.  That's a good place to be falling apart if I am! :)

Here's the picture I had taken before my battery died.  That's why I went back upstairs.  I was getting new batteries to take more pictures.

What I Know About Homeschooling, Part 3

As I said before, I only know about what we have tried and done in our homeschool through the years.  I am a huge fan of A Beka books.  I have all of the readers in our library.  I even enjoy looking at and reading the history and literature books.  But, as most homeschoolers do, we have tried other curriculums through the years.  We tried Alpha Omega and School of Tomorrow a couple of years.  I like the way they are more condensed, but we ended up going right back to A Beka.  That is what worked and works for us.  I make no bones about it, I had rather socialize in high school than be at home each night studying (like I should have been), so therefore, I didn't take the harder subjects that would have required me to study more.  I am not proud of that, but it is a fact in my life.  I panicked when Noelle was going into the ninth grade.  Algebra, Biology, and Chemistry scared the life out of me!  We even tried going back to the Christian school that year, but decided that there really is no place like home.  We ordered A Beka videos for her from then on and we had no more problems.   The videos are wonderful!   We have never had a 'school room'.   Noelle did her school in her room.  She had a TV and VCR in there and would watch the videos each day in the privacy of her own room.   Some days, I'd hear her laughing while watching a video, maybe the teacher said something funny that day.  The videos were just like being in a class room, except the teacher and students couldn't see or hear her.  We also like the idea of  being able to rewind if a second or third explanation were needed.

Cale began using DVDs in the eleventh grade.  He has a little set up in his room now where he does his school work.  The DVDs take alot of work off of the parent.  I do check his work and listen to him recite his Bible verses, but that's about it.  I get much more done during the day than I did when he was in first through tenth grade.  

That is what has worked for us through the years.   Just because we love A Beka does not mean that using a different curriculum is bad;  once again, find what works for you and your children. 

Now, I want to comment about the much heard S word!  SOCIALIZATION!   When we first began homeschooling, we knew that God was leading us in the endeavor, so I reckon we assumed that the whole world would be so happy for us!  NOT!  I would be so excited when someone ask about the children.  The first year or two of homeschooling can be very intimidating and a bit frightening to the parents.  I mean, we are talking our children's education here!  Questions come to our mind like: "What if I don't do it right?,  What if I fail my child?,  What if they grow up to be dumb as a box of rocks???"  And I am sorry to say that sometimes our friends and family can multiply those questions and make us question our calling.  Right after we began homeschooling, a dear lady asked if I was working or what; and when I told her (just beaming!) that I was at home teaching my children, she grabbed my arm and looked me straight in the face and said, "Oh Liesa!  What about when they get into the real world?  They won't know how to act.  You can't shelter them like that."  Needless to say, I was speechless for a few seconds.  Remember, I am a people pleaser.  I replied, "Well, as you know, we are not like most people anyway, and this is what we feel we should do."  That happened again the same year at the Christmas parade.  I could tell by the look on another dear ladies face and by the sound in her voice that she felt so sorry for my children.    Did those ladies reactions affect me?  You're mighty right, they did!  Tore me up!  I went home in tears questioning my ability to teach my children.  On one side of my mind, the pro side, I'd think:  I really feel like this is God's will for Noelle and Cale.  I want to raise Godly children...I want to raise my children myself...The con side of my brain would say, "Liesa, you don't know the first thing about algebra or chemistry.  Your children will be so dumb and it will be all your fault!"  Oh, how I'd struggle.  After much prayer and a good talk with Scot, I'd plant both feet back on the ground and go at my 'calling' more determined than ever.   You see, I came to the conclusion that Scot and I will answer for the way we raise our children.  We will answer to God, not to our friends and family.  And our friends and family won't answer to us for how they raise their children, so therefore, we have no other choice but to obey God in our home.   

I often kid around and say that if our children were any more sociable, we might as well sell our house and buy a motor home.   Through the years, our children have always been active in church activities, sports, and other past times.  Both children love babies, younger children, old people and all in between.  They are patient and kind, especially to younger children and older people.  Both are very considerate, mannerable, hard workers, very interested in other's, and believe it or not, both children have and practice alot of common sense at home and outside of the home.  Scot and I have many other children other than the two that are our own because we have always welcomed our children's friends into our home for wonderful times of fellowship. 

Here are some synonyms of Social:  genial, amusing, entertaining, companionable, pleasurable, civil, polite, polished, mannerly, pleasure seeking, hospitable, pleasant.     According to Webster, my children get an A+ in socialization! 

As for the education part of it; I do not keep up with grades in the way we did in school.  I check their work and ask questions to see if they 'get' it!  Did they understand?  Did they learn?  If not, I call for a 'do-over'.  Noelle and Cale try hard to understand their lessons and do their work correctly the first time, that way, it saves them time in the long run.  We kid around and say that they have a 'mean' teacher, but quite honestly, it's pretty simple.  The rules have been set before them many years ago, they know what we expect, the rules are the same each day, so therefore, we reap wonderful results each year. 

Noelle graduated in 2007.  She is now a full time certified teller at a very nice reputable bank.  She has been taking banking classes on line for the past two years and plans to continue doing so for as long as she can.  All of her co-workers seem to love her and enjoy working with her.  I hear alot of good remarks from many of her customers too.

Cale will graduate next Spring.  He is not sure what he will do after graduation.  I panicked when Noelle didn't know, but I am a bit more calm this time around.  I don't see Cale sitting inside behind a desk or anything, but I know he is a very hard worker and a determined young man who can accomplish anything he sets his mind at.  The most important thing I know is that God has his hand on Cale and Cale has a genuine desire to be in God's will and to be pleasing in His sight. 

I will comment a little about our schedule....I plan our school year according to what is going on in our lives.  For instance, most years, we would begin school the first week of August.  That gave us some extra 'play' days as we call it just in case something came up during the year we had to take off for.  Last year though, we were in the process of buying a house in August and was not for sure when we would be moving, so we didn't begin school until after Labor Day.  Yes, we were in school up until the first of June which had never happened before, but that is what worked for us during that time in our lives.    We do not have a set starting time each day.  Cale aims for 8 to 8:30.  We don't have a set time to do a particular subject.  He just works until he's finished with everything.  He works homework in his daily schedule which makes for free nights!

 
And the most popular question that has been asked, "Do you do school in your pj's?"  They didn't every day, but yes, it happens from time to time.  My children have never been allowed to sit around the house dirty and unkempt, so they know to be presentable and clean, but other than that, we are at home, and home is the most comfortable place to be! 

I know I have not covered everything about homeschooling, but I thought it would be neat to make a few points about what little I do know and about a few things that have worked for us during this wonderful journey and season of our lives.  Has every day been easy?  Goodness no!  Am I confident in what I've done?  No, I never have confidence in me, but I do have confidence in God.  And with that, I can say, All is well, and all will be well.

And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.  And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.  ~Deuteronomy 6: 5-9

What I Know About Homeschooling, Part 2

As I said in Part 1 of What I Know About Homeschooling, all children are different.  I remember when I was in school: there were children in my class that seemed so carefree.  They just bee-bopped along all day, just happy to be there.  If the teacher raised her voice, it had no affect on them.  If they got in trouble for talking, it didn't seem to bother them; they'd quieten down for a while, but then they'd have to be reminded again.  And some of us, me in particular, wanted to curl up and die if the teacher had to correct us or scold us.  Some children seemed to catch on to reading and math the very first time it was explained, and others were still struggling after many lessons.  Does this all sound familiar?  That's the way it is in homeschool as well.  What it boils down to is EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT.  Several children may be alike in some ways, but very different in others.  

Both of my children are tender hearted, which is a blessing when it comes to discipline.  Both desire to please their daddy and I.   The biggest difference in my children are their interests.  Noelle loves books.  She doesn't just have a love for reading, but the book itself is a respected 'thing' in her life.  To this day, she'll pick up a children's book and say, "Oh, this is such a pretty book."  She had a love for letters, sounds, and words even as a toddler.  Words fascinated her!  Had I given her a choice of a doll or a new book, nine times out of ten, she would have chosen the book.  I didn't force her to love books, it was just something inside her.

Cale loved for me to read to him.  I read to him from the time he was a baby just like I did Noelle, but one or two books a day satisfied him.  He'd hop down and build huge buildings with blocks or try to climb anything that looked climbable!  He'd much rather be outside playing in the dirt with his trucks and tractors, playing with his dog, riding his bike, or exploring.  When Cale started to school, he was a good student.  He wanted to please his teacher, but school and books just were not his favorite thing in life.  There just wasn't any passion whatsoever when it came to those things.  Did that make him a bad student?  No, not at all.  He knew what was expected of him and there was no choice in the matter, so he studied and did his best, but there still wasn't a passion for it.  Cale was not being rebellious in any way, it was just his make up. 

I had to use my imagination much more with Cale in school than I did Noelle.  I would look for books about things he enjoyed.  We read alot about baseball, farming, adventurous people, and animals.  I would read a page, he'd read a page.  At an early age, he began collecting baseball cards.  When I say he began, I don't mean just buying them and throwing them in a shoe box; he bought an album with card slits and organized his cards.  He'd sit for hours organizing his cards and reading them.  Awww, did you catch that?  He READ the cards.  He could tell us anything about the players.  So, we encouraged that hobby.  As he got older, he even thought of it in a business like manner.  He would look for cards that had great potential of being worth money someday.  He even made the remark one day that when he grew up, he could sell his cards to help pay for the log home he one day hoped to build.  

That is what you do to help the students who dislike reading and books:  you study your student.  You find what they like and help them pursue their interest.  You introduce books to them that pertain to the things they are interested in.  You do not have to buy the books.  The library is full of good books about different subjects that your child might like. 

Noelle likes fiction.  Cale likes non-fiction.  As he has gotten older, he chooses books about real people.  If he has a book report, he usually chooses a book about a missionary.   His daddy is like that.  I myself had rather read to escape the real world for a while, so I am more apt to pick up a fiction book.

Studying your child and accepting their uniqueness will make for a better homeschool experience.  This does not mean that you look over bad behavior or bad attitudes when it comes to that child's schooling.  Cale knows that his education is very important and he knows that there are days that he has to read about things that do not interest him.  There is always school work that he'd rather not have to sit and do, but through DAILY training through the years, he understands that life is like that.  Every day of our life is not full of things we enjoy and like, but God still expects our best.  Scot often gives the example of meals:  We love the cookies, cakes, and pies, but if that were all we ate each day, they wouldn't be as special, plus we'd get very fat!  We need the vegetables and fruits too.  They help us grow.  But, if we only ate vegetables and fruits every day, we'd get really bored and burned out, so we do need those sweets every now and then to add some excitement and fun to our lives!  That is the way it is with school and our jobs.  If all I did was laundry every single moment of every day, it would get old, very old!   There is a balance there....we just have to be willing to find it.   I guess my advise is to talk to your child.  Train your child according to God's Word.  Whatever our hand finds to do, we are to do it with all our might.  The Bible tells us to do it as unto the Lord.  Children are very sensible people.  Their understanding is much deeper than we sometimes give them credit for. 

I may have chased a few rabbits on this part of my Homeschool series of posts, but I pray it has helped in some small way. 

What I Know About Homeschooling, Part 1

Well, our first week of our last year of homeschooling went well.  It's hard to believe that the little boy who used to want me to sit next to him all day long is in his room working independently and is a senior in high school.   Time has flown.  I say that alot, don't I?   Moments make up and hour, hours make up a day, days make up a week, weeks make up months...Well, you get the picture!   Back to homeschooling...  I do not claim to be an expert in homeschooling; I am just a mother trying to follow the plan that Scot and I felt the Lord called us to follow.  I do deeply care about other children, but God has not called me to teach other children; I am responsible for mine.  I will stand before God and give an account for how I raised my daughter and my son. 

I do get asked questions about homeschooling from time to time, and the odd thing about it is last week, I was asked a question that the answer had already been on my heart to share here at Life By George, but just hadn't taken the time to post.  It was on my mind and in my heart, just not in writing. 

As you know, I have two children, one daughter, Noelle, who graduated from homeschool in 2007, and one son, Cale, who will graduate from homeschool in 2011.   My children are much alike in some areas, but NOT when it comes to school.   Before I elaborate, for the record, I did ask Cale last week if it was ok for me to publicly discuss this subject.  Two or three years ago, he may have said no, but my more mature and understanding senior immediately said that he was fine with me sharing this, in hopes that it would help other mothers.

I can't give you examples or any knowledge about homeschooling other than what I know from homeschooling my own children.  When asked questions about homeschooling multiple children, if it's more than two, I always send that person on to another mother who would know the answer, or if it's about a curriculum or homeschool 'style' that I have not used, I do the same, send them to someone with experience in that.   I rarely act like I know something that I don't....from experience, I know that I usually flop when I do that!     What I Know About Homeschooling will take more than one post due to time and me carefully thinking about each part before I post...

Now, for what I do know about homeschooling, Part 1.

1.  ALL children are different.

2.  What works for one child may or may not work for another child.

3.  Just because a subject comes easy for one, it may be Greek to another.

4.  We all have different learning styles.  For instance, I always dread when my Bible gets old and worn and have to break in a new one.  When looking for particular verses, I can almost tell you every time if the passage is on the left or right page of my Bible.  When spelling a word, I see that word in my mind, etc.  I listened closely to my teachers, but had I not taken notes, I would have made terrible grades.  I need to SEE things!    I am a Show me learner.

5.  DO NOT COMPARE CHILDREN!  Example:  "Your brother can do this, why can't you?"  They hear, "Your brother is smarter than you."

6.  Every day will NOT be a good day.

Note:  I will do my best to post Part 2 this week.

Happy schooling!  There is no place like home!

I Will NOT Cry...I Will NOT Cry...I Will NOT Cry

The time has arrived, what time is that you may ask.  My last chapter in Homeschooling.  It's bitter/sweet; if there is such a thing.  Bitter for me...Sweet for Cale.  He is so anxious to be finished with school.  Cale has been an excellent student, obedient, hard working, BUT books, writing, and times spent inside is not his idea of a fun day.   Noelle was right the opposite.  She ADORED and still ADORES books, writing, and time spent inside.  When Noelle graduated in 2007, I didn't have this hard of a time.  She was planning to take some time off from school and just continue working as a part time nanny and waitress until she figured out what she wanted to do.  She had put some applications in at banks and a library, but was still uncertain as to what she would do.  I knew she'd still be around; we could still share our love of books, homemaking, movies, etc.  I was a bit emotional due to it seeming as if it were just yesterday that she was beginning school, but other than that, I was good.   I AM NOT GOOD this time around!  IT is over, done with, ca put!  Homeschooling is nearing a past life for me, history!  My great love is coming to an end.  I'm sure I will be blogging a good bit about homeschooling and my love for it and the love I have for being a stay at home mother with my children.  ( Writing about it is CHEAP THERAPY!)  I am well aware of all the advise that is out there:  1.  This time comes to us all.  2.  You are still their mother.  3.  They will still need you.  4.  Now, you can do things YOU want to do.  5.  You won't be tied down.  6.  Go back to school.  7.  Get a job.  8.  This is just a part of life.  9.  You should feel accomplished and thankful. 10.  You HAVE to let go!   I do not need advise; I know all of those 10 facts I listed; I just need my babies back!  I don't live in La La land.  I know that is NOT going to happen.  You see, I felt a calling from God to be a wife and mother.  It's not popular anymore to JUST be a wife and mother, but I feel like in God's eyes, I have done what I could.  I have run my race, I am about to finish my course....in this chapter of it.  Being a stay at home wife and mother has never ever been a burden or drudgery.  It has been a life-style...my calling in this life. Even when people have tried to discourage me and make me feel inadequate to other women with educations and well paid jobs, I have tried to stand firm and keep my focus on God's will for me and my family.  I have said many times that I'd have to step down to be First Lady of this great country.  I know I am not going to curl up and die or anything. I know I will not be bored.  I know there are many things for me to continue to do as a pastor's wife, mother, daughter, friend, citizen, etc.  I just can't imagine loving anything more.  I apologize if I'm sounding pitiful.  I'm not pitiful, just very emotional at this present time.  I won't be crying my eyes out, at least for a while. I don't foresee time to do that until after May of 2011.  School begins Monday morning, Cross Country begins Tuesday afternoon.  Church activities, family, friends, birthdays, Christmas, Senior portraits, graduation invitations, laundry, cooking, cleaning, and those unexpected activities will keep us all quite busy the next nine months.

Catching Up During A Busy Time

It's been a while since I sat down and spilled my guts (so to speak) and actually wrote something instead of just posting pictures and commenting on them.  The past two weeks have been busier than usual; Much busier!  I don't even know where to begin this post.  I guess I can start 2 weeks ago, May 15th, my cousin Mary's daughter Michaela's wedding day.  She had asked me to be her photographer!   I take pictures as a hobby with my $100 dollar Samsung camera; I am in no stretch of the imagination a wedding photographer!  I told Michaela this, but I told her I would do the best I could.  Her wedding was to be at 2 p.m. at a beautiful cabin in Walnut, so we got there a few hours before to take lots of pictures.  I will share a few of those pictures with you in this post.  The wedding was lovely and it was extra special to me because there were family members there that I had not seen in around 10 years.  Ya'll know how hyper I get!  Needless to say, by the time we left Walnut that afternoon around 5, I was spent!  On the way home, I noticed my gum on the bottom right side was throbbing.  I blamed the throbbing on my sinuses and took a couple of ibuprofen and didn't think much of it.  By bedtime that night, I knew it was not my sinuses; something was wrong!  I slept very little that night.  I took Tylenol and ibuprofen every 4 hours that Sunday and anxiously awaited for 8 o'clock Monday morning to arrive so I could call my dentist.  Sunday night, on the way home from church, we had just pulled into the Sonic at Fulton and my phone rang. It was one of our church members, Mrs. Dotty.   Her sister in law Candace, another church member, had a heart attack and was at the hospital.  We left right then heading back to Amory hospital.  While I was on the phone with Mrs. Dotty, her husband, Bro. Herman was on his phone and got news that their sister in law had passed away. Very little sleep Sunday night.  Monday morning, I called my dentist and they told me to come in at 11:45.  He took an x-ray which showed a perfectly fine tooth!  He said that since I didn't have a cavity or an abscess, it must be a crack down in the tooth.  He gave me some anti-biotics and pain medication and told me to try that first and if that didn't help, I'd have to go to an endodontist for a root canal.  That night I went with Scot to visit one of our church member's nephews in ICU, and then stopped by my best friends house to give her birthday gifts to her.  When we got back in the van, I told Scot that my tooth was worse.  Before, it was just the gum throbbing, but now I could actually tell which tooth was hurting.  I got very little sleep that night.  Got up Tuesday morning, called the dentist again to see if that would be normal, and ended up getting an appointment to see an endodontist.  This was Tuesday, and they couldn't see me until Monday, so I stayed on the anti-biotic and pain meds and tried to be very careful with what I ate, etc.   Tuesday night was visitation at the funeral home and I felt so upset because I didn't feel up to going.  I was to sing at the funeral the next day and I sure wanted to be able to fulfill that wish, so Scot, Noelle, and Cale went to the visitation. I stayed home and cooked a cake and some other dishes to take with us to the church the next day.  Our church family prepared a meal for the family to eat after the funeral.   The funeral for Mrs. Candace was very special, but of course, very sad.   We love our church family very much and from my heart I can truly say that when they hurt, we hurt.  Our prayers continue for Doyle, Jason, Lindsey, and the rest of the family.
After the funeral, Scot and I visited another church member, Mrs. Sue who had some tests done that week.  She didn't know it at that time, but the very next day she would be in the hospital awaiting open heart surgery.  Friday morning, Scot went to Tupelo for her surgery.  Once again, I stayed behind...not only due to the fact of being loopy on pain meds, but my mother's first cousin had passed away last Wednesday, and Mother and I were asked to sing at his funeral Friday. There is so much sickness and sadness sometimes.   I got a phone call that afternoon saying that all had gone well with Mrs. Sue, in which I was so very thankful for.
Our dear friend (one of my 'other' children) Claire and some other friends of my children were graduating from high school last Saturday, May 22.  Scot, Noelle, and Cale attended the graduation.  I stayed home and prepared clothes for Sunday and rested. I didn't want to overdo and be unable to go to church the next day.   Scot grilled that afternoon. 
Sunday, May 23, our precious church family recognized Scot and our family for our one year anniversary at Freedom Baptist Church and presented him with a beautiful card and a generous gift.  They also took us out to eat for lunch.  We went to River Birch Restaurant.  We had never eaten there.  We enjoyed it very much.  May 24 was our actual one year anniversary date.  We praise the Lord for giving us a place to serve.  The people at Freedom have been nothing but kind, encouraging and loving to us.  We appreciate them very much. 
Now, on to Monday.  Cale and I got up and went to Tupelo to Dr. Cosby to have my tooth checked.  He took another x-ray and once again, NOTHING!  He agreed with Dr. Nix that there must be a crack down in the tooth.  So, Wednesday morning at 9:15, the much awaited, much needed, but much dreaded root canal began!   After the procedure, I felt great!  Noelle went with me that day; actually, she took me!  I told her to choose where she wanted to eat because I was still numb and wouldn't eat much anyway.  We stopped at Pepper's, where I got a small bowl of potato soup and some tea.  She had wanted to look at some dresses in JC Penney for several weeks, but hadn't had an opportunity to go, so I told her I would be fine just to browse in that one store...so off to the mall we went.  She bought one of the many dresses she tried on and we headed home.  I still felt fine!   I was a bit tired by the time we got home and decided to lay on the couch just for a few minutes, ended up taking a nap.  I got up, went outside and walked around looking at my plants and flowers, still feeling good.  I talked to some of our church members and told them how great I felt and I was so glad the pain was gone.   Thursday morning, I woke up to another story!!!!!  I was in great pain!  First of all, my bubble was busted because I had such high hopes of getting back to normal, and secondly, I was hurting so bad, I couldn't think straight.   I took my pain medication, put ice on my jaw, and laid around all day hoping to feel better so I could attend my cousin's graduation in Falkner.  We went to the graduation.  I held a soft throw on my face and laid my head back all the way there.  I enjoyed seeing our family at the graduation.  BTW, congratulations to Megan!  After graduation, thankfully the crowd had all scattered from the bleachers down to the court to visit with the graduates.  My family was still standing in the bleachers talking to my cousin and her family.  I turned to take a picture, my foot slipped (it was pouring rain when we got there) and I lost my balance.  Had Noelle and Scot not grabbed me, no tellings what I'd be posting about today!  I got so tickled at Cale on the way home.  He said, "I thought, Momma is falling, I can't get to her, WE ARE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL!"   Another night, very little sleep!   Yesterday, I decided to just lay around, although that is getting old and on my nerves, and I decided to not chew much, even on the opposite side.  Seems like I'd hurt worse after I'd eat even with me chewing on the left side.  I had soup for lunch and a banana shake for supper.  I kept ice on my jaw off and on all day.  I DID SLEEP LAST NIGHT!    So far today, I am feeling a tad better.  OK, the point to this post;  well, one of the points to this post is this:  I do not like being to where I can't go about my rat-killing, as my Mother would say.  I enjoy doing for others, I enjoy working in our home and yard, I enjoy going and feeling happy and yes, I decided that my 'hyper-chipper' self is a good thing! During times like I've had the past two weeks, it's made me appreciate the times that we are so busy.  Sometimes I get so tired and wish we had a week or so that we didn't have to do anything, but busy is good, as long as I feel good.  I'll do my best to just enjoy it from now on.  

Clay & Michaela Hunter

May 15, 2010

The pretty flowers my parents sent to me.

My faves: daisies and roses!

2010 Graduate Megan McMillin and her sister Michaela

Noelle, Graduate Claire Wilson, and Cale

Cale, Graduate Sam Gable, and Noelle

Graduate Leah Pharr and Noelle

Very pretty and sweet card from our church

celebrating our 1st anniversary at Freedom.

Lunch at River Birch

Wow, this is an extra long post; more like a short story or something, but that and then some is the past two weeks of my life.    I'm so thankful for my sweet husband and children who have done their chores and most of mine during this time, and for my precious mother who sent me some flowers to cheer me up even though she's been under the weather from taking a fall last weekend.  I'm thankful for friends and our church family who would text, email, or call me just to say hi and to check on me.  I sound more like I had major surgery instead of a tooth ache and root canal, don't I?    I'm also thankful for the quiet times I've enjoyed with my Lord. 

During this time, we have also been busy planning some special events at church, one of which is next week.  We will have a special Family and Friends Day.  Also, our children have decided to plan a 25th wedding anniversary reception for me and Scot.  So, we have 4 short weeks to get that together.  Scot and Cale have also been working in the garden alot.  What can I say?   Even in the valley, God is good.  So much sadness in this world, but what a comfort to have sweet peace and joy down in my soul; even on those days I feel like I'm good for nothing, as I have felt alot the past 2 weeks.  There really is joy in serving others and God.

And On Cale's Farm...

there were some chicks....e i e i o!

With a cheep-cheep here and a cheep-cheep there!

Home 'TWEET' Home

This bird house is located in the middle of my rose garden....I have noticed a bird flying back and forth from our neighbors yard to the birdhouse for quite a while now.  I described the yellow breasted gray bird to my neighbor and she said it is a Yellow Robin.  Friday afternoon, I heard alot of 'Tweetin' coming from my rose garden....I looked inside and saw....

Is this not the 'tweetest' picture?!

Buds and Blooms

I planted tulip bulbs last fall for Noelle.  Tulips are her favorite.  The pale pink one is my favorite.  The purple ones are so dark that from a distance, they look black.

I like the white tulip also. It looks so clean and pure.

Dark pink and and melon

My first rose buds...

My first rose

Red rose

My New Love

I've always liked flowers and picture perfect yards.  When Noelle and Cale were young, we had some flowers in beds, we set out some pretty Silver Maple trees on the bank in front of our house, and I'd usually have two or three pots of petunias on the porch, but I mostly did it for the looks.  To be honest, I really didn't enjoy the actual work of it, I just liked the end results.   Then, we lived in a church parsonage for almost five years and I didn't set anything out in the yard because I didn't feel like it was mine, which it wasn't, but I would always have a few pots of flowers sitting around on the porch and carport to make it look and feel homey.  I didn't realize how much I missed having my own yard until this Spring.  I will throw in that the reason I didn't miss having my own yard is because we were exactly where God wanted us, so we didn't miss what we didn't have....That is another post within itself...   This time last year, our entire family was so sad and devastated and we were looking for a house to move into until we could find a house to buy or waiting for God to move us where He so desired.  I've already posted about our new home that we bought last fall, so I won't bore you with that story again.  The previous owners already had alot of scrubs, plants, and trees established, so our job this Spring was just to add to it to give it our touch.  Of course, my mind went totally wild because our land has MANY possibilities and such potential....I told Scot that our yard could even look magazine perfect!  That is thanks to it's wonderful owners before us.  I will share with you a few of the things we've added recently. 

Mother and Daddy gave us these two plants for Easter.  They have several of these plants and they have grown and stayed so pretty since last Spring.  Now don't expect me to go all Martha Stewart or anything on you; I know very few names of flowers and plants.  I do recognize roses, daisies, petunias, buttercups, impatiens, pansies, lilies, hostas and a few others, but that's about it.  I do not know the name of the above plants, but I do know they are suppose to repel mosquitos.  Therefore, I call them Mosquito bushes.

Noelle helped me pot these Saturday.

Here she is filling the pots with dirt.

Scot and I went to Lowe's Saturday morning.  We bought a Colorado Blue Spruce tree, 3 scrubs (for screen), 5 rose bushes, 72 impatiens, and around 2 dozen petunias.

Cale went to work in my rose garden.

Noelle

My rose garden.  Notice my little tree behind the garden. 

These pansies are from late last fall.

If you've read my blog much at all, you know I'm wild about birdhouses. (Houses and churches in general)  Bro. Sidney, a sweet man from church gave me these.  He made them.

He also made this one.  This one is sitting on a post at Remington's pen.  Remington loves birds.

The Barn is also close to his pen.

The PINK impatiens will be so pretty when they grow and spread together.

We also set out 3 sprigs of ivy close to the wall.

The field looks nice.  Our wonderful cousin Dale came a few weeks ago and bush-hogged the field with his tractor.  Last week, Scot borrowed his daddy's tractor and plowed and disked.    We will soon start planting a garden on part of that land.  I also plan to have a row or so of flowers out there.

Noelle even got in on the action.  She helped her daddy alot last Tuesday while Cale and I were at XC.

I love this picture.  I'm so glad Scot has taken the time to teach our children how to work.  Not only can Noelle work inside, she knows how to do things outside.  Same way with Cale...he loves the outdoors, but he also knows how to iron, cook a little, and clean inside.

I also love the nearby woods.  I plan on enjoying them alot.

And of course, I'm a bit partial to my new mailbox that Cale made me.

How peaceful is this.

This was one of those moments I would have missed had I not looked out the window at the right time.

Life is busy, but I want to enjoy the place God has so graciously provided me with the people He lets me enjoy it with.  Life may not always turn out how we think or hope, but the journey is always sweet with God leading the way.  My job is simply to obey and follow.