Tuition = $312......Funny Moments = Priceless

This was one of many classroom jokes that were forwarded to me this week. The funny thing is...I swear that is something that one or two of my kids in CC would say! They are so funny!


TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America
MARIA: Here it is.
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America ?
CLASS: Maria.

Each week at Classical Conversations I drill memory work with the kids in fun ways, and introduce the new memory work for the following week. Our trainers have taught us that kids like to keep active (duh.), and so we should try to incorporate lots of movement in our drills. Example: while saying the Latin word 'lucet', have the kids jog in place...and then drop to a squat position when I say the English translation 'shine'. Then they stand back up when I say the next Latin word, and quickly crouch on the English. No problem, typical "movement while drilling" scenario.

Well, on one of the first days of class, I was asking the science question: "What are the 4 types of tissue?", to which the answer is "connective, epithelial, muscle, nerve". So, I had the kids all standing and pumping their arms like they were lifting barbells to grow big biceps...all while chanting, "connective, epithelial, muscle, nerve". Over and over...about 5 or 6 times. Then I stopped them and said "okay, now, Sally"? I paused, obviously waiting for her to say "connective...epithelial...muscle....nerve" as I pumped my own arms...building biceps....hoping to cue her. To which she said, "um, you are strong? You have strength?". Ugh!

I still laugh about that. Priceless.

On Forgiveness & Gratitude

Two friends were walking through the desert.

At some point during the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand:

'Today my best friend slapped me in the face'.

They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him.

After he recovered from a near drowning he wrote on a stone:

'Today my best friend saved my life'.

The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him

'After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now you write on a stone, why?'

The friend replied:

'When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand,

where winds of forgiveness can erase it away.

But when someone does something good for us,

we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it.'

Learn to write your hurts in the sand and to carve your benefits in stone.

True Love

I'll tell you what true love is....it is giving your 7 year old a violin, knowing how painful the next several months will be as you smile and nod through the screechiest versions of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".

I Hate Sand in My Pants

Footprints by the Sea

Last night I had a wondrous dream, of prints in beach sand I had seen.

Though my feet hadn't walked that shore, I saw the footprints of my Lord.

And when a different print appeared, I asked the Lord, "What have we here? This print is larger, round and neat, and wasn't made by walking feet."

"My child," He said in somber tone, "For miles I carried you alone. I challenged you to stand - not ride. To walk and let me be your guide.

You would not stand. You would not grow. The walk of faith, you would not know. So then I finally got fed up, and there I dropped you on your butt.

Because in life, there comes a time, when one must fight and one must climb, when one must rise and take a stand, or just leave butt prints in the sand."

Does All Comedy Have a Kernel of Truth???

A man was being tailgated by a stressed out woman as he drove down a busy boulevard. Suddenly, the light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.
The tailgating woman was furious dropped her cell phone and makeup then started honking her horn, screaming in frustration as she missed her chance to get through the intersection. As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious state trooper.

The trooper ordered her to exit her car with her hands up. He took her to the station where she was searched, finger printed, photographed, and placed in a holding cell. After a couple of hours, a trooper approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting trooper was waiting with her personal effects.
He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, the 'Follow Me to Sunday-School' bumper sticker, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk.

Naturally.....I assumed you had stolen the car."

Priceless.

The Apprentices

This is the great group of kids that I tutor each Tuesday for Classical Conversations. They leave me exhausted, but they are just the sweetest!

A Good Word

The Greatness of Repentance

Thought for the Week (From FFOZ.org)

A person should repent every day. No one is so holy and righteous that he does not need to repent. Neither is any person so lowly and sinful that he cannot repent.

Commentary
Return to the LORD your God, you and your children,
and obey his voice in all that I command you today,
with all your heart and with all your soul.
(Deuteronomy 30:2)

Moses told the children of Israel that when they returned to God, He would return to them. The concept of returning to God is called "repentance" (teshuvah, תשובה). It is one of the most important messages of the Bible. Repentance is a central thrust of Yeshua's teaching and the Gospel imperative. Yeshua's message was "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 4:17).

What is true repentance? In Hebrew, the verb for "repent" is shuv (שוב). It means "to turn around" or "to turn back and go in the other direction." To repent means "to quit sinning, turn around and start doing good." It is more than just a change of mind; teshuvah demands a change of behavior. It's about starting over fresh and trying to do better.

Repentance happens when a man realizes that he has sinned and that his sin is offensive to God; he regrets his misdeed, confesses it, renounces it and endeavors to change his behavior. A person can only repent when he is honest with himself about his faults, shortcomings, character flaws and weaknesses.

God receives sincere repentance. He does not turn away from a person who asks for forgiveness in the name of His Son and earnestly endeavors to change. Instead, God receives that petition and grants the gift of forgiveness. He removes the person's sin and erases records of guilt. He freely accepts the person back into His love.The person who earnestly repents with his heart and soul and asks for forgiveness in the name of Yeshua is immediately reconnected with God. It is as if a light switch is flipped, and where there was darkness, the room blazes with light. A moment before, the person's sins stood between him and God. At the moment of repentance, the person stands in the very presence of God.

The devil tells a person, "God will not forgive you again. How dare you ask Him for forgiveness? He could never forgive a person like you after what you have done." But no man's sin is so great that the love of God as expressed through Yeshua is not greater still. If God did not spare His own Son for you but was willing that He should be sacrificed for you, His love for you is certainly greater than your sin. God will receive your confession of sin, your prayer for forgiveness and your resolution to do better, even if you must repeat it many times a day.

A Sabbath Promise

The time is coming when I will gather together all nations and languages.

They will come and see my glory, and I will give them a sign.

I will send some of their survivors to the nations of Tarshish, Pul, Lud, Tuval, Greece and more distant coasts, where they've never heard of my fame or glory.

They will proclaim my glory in these nations;

and they will bring your family out from the gentiles as an offering to the Lord.

On horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules, on camels -

Bringing them to my holy mountain in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem),

Just as the people of Isra'el themselves bring their offerings

in clean vessels to the house of Adonai.

I will also take cohanim (priests) and L'vi'im (Levites) from these,"

says the Master.

"For just as the new heavens and the new earth that I am making will continue in my presence," says the Master,

"So will your descendants and your name continue. "

Every month on Rosh-Hodesh (new moon) and every week on Shabbat,

everyone living will come to worship in my presence,"

says the Master.

-Isaiah 66

Politiganda

A lot is always said during Presidential elections about what candidates and/or their spouses "believe"...or what they have been quoted as saying. Usually this drives me nuts, because no quote is ever given in full context.

If I hear the Obama camp say one more time that "McCain would have us in Iraq for 100 more years..." or that McCain "thinks the fundamentals of our economy are strong" I think I might scream. Those quotes have been explained by McCain and his surrogates over and over...and yet the truth and context of those quotes don't matter. The "scary" idea or emotional response that those words ellicit is worth the intellectual dishonesty involved in repeating them as a mantra on the campaign trail.

Now, to be fair, plenty of ugliness has been thrown Obama's way too...and I begged people to set down the "undercover muslim out to overthrow our Judeo-Christian nation from the inside" idea long enough to take a serious look at something of substance here in Illinois: his record. There is enough objectionable stuff that Obama has been involved with or stood behind here in Illinois (the most corrupt political system in the world, I'm convinced), that is a MUCH better argument for why one might not want to vote for him. But an "undercover muslim"? Putting his hand on the quran (this one is just not true, people) at his swearing in? And all the pictures of him among his family....with the caption: "Is this the next first family"? What is that supposed to mean? Obviously, it's an attempt to call on the worst in people who are white...ugly stuff.

The news media seem to draw their own conclusions and then pass those off as news...OR, no real journalism takes place to challenge or illuminate the claims and narratives that either campaign is putting out before the public. So, in my searching the web today, I was reminded of the "scandal" of Michelle Obama's Princeton thesis. I did a quick search and found it in it's entirety. Reading through it proved two things to me: nothing is more boring than a college thesis, and going to an original source on an issue like this was a worthwhile endeavor.

If someone other than me is EVER interested in reading it, here you go: (recommended for insomniacs like me) :)

Michelle Obama's Princeton Thesis:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/2305083/PrincetonEducated-Blacks-and-the-Black-Community

Summer Fun

My best pal Sara and I took our kiddos to Fabyan Park this summer, and my girls still ask about going back. They had so much fun feeding the geese, running around and climbing on the rocky structure pictured above. I love this picture because it really shows the dynamics of all of the girls and their relationships...the older girls on the right, looking all "cool"...and then there are the younger ones: one too busy to get down and pose for a picture, and then there is "Little A". She just occasionally looks a little 'prickly' in photos, but she is a sweetie who probably just wants the picture over so that she can start climbing the rocks again!

Be on the Look Out

Have you seen this man?

If you have, be sure to report his whereabouts and any suspicious activity to the authorities. He does not pose a serious threat to anyone...but his fashion sense and his sense of style are excruciatingly baaaaad.

(Love you, Drewbie!)

Sticky Sayings

I've found that certain ideas and/or words stick with me sometimes better than others...some particularly "sticky" words this last few months have been the following quotes:

"Stand by the roads, and look,
and ask for the ancient paths,
where the good way is; and walk in it,
and find rest for your souls.”
Jeremiah 6:16 ESV

“To sacrifice 'home worship' to 'public worship' is a most evil course of action. Morning and evening devotion in a cottage is infinitely more pleasing in the sight of God than all the cathedral pomp which delights the carnal eye and ear.”
- Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892)

Our Own Jordan River

On August 7, 2008 Steve baptized our girls in a lake in Ottawa. We don't attend a "church" (complete with building and baptismal) but are rather part of a home fellowship...so when we started talking with our girls about baptism, one of the first things I started praying about was where this should take place. In all other areas of faith we have been seeking to replicate the practices of Jesus, but finding our own Jordan river was going to be a challenge! In a completely unexpected and exceedingly special way, God provided a beautiful location. He is good.

Like a Child

Of all the things that I love about our eldest--her wacky sense of humor, her sense of fairness, her kindness, her beautiful voice, her encouraging spirit--the thing that I am most thankful for is her heart for the Lord.

I was thinking about this after putting her to bed the other night, having witnessed her tears over a day that she saw as full of her own transgressions. Now, her transgressions amounted to dragging her bottom when I said to brush her teeth and sit on the potty before bed (pretty serious, huh?)...but she said, through tears: "When will I stop sinning? I just want to be good!"
(Keep in mind that she was NOT attempting to manipulate herself out of being in trouble--that's her little sister's forte)

After I got over my own maternal guilt--after all, if I hadn't gotten cross, she may not have been moved to tears--I was able to see the fact that I could use a healthy dose of this same attitude.

When is the last time that my heart was soft enough to break over my disappointing my Heavenly Father by breaking his commands in such a little way--you know, the "dragging-my -bottom-refusing-to-sit-on-the-potty-before-bed" kind of thing? When was the last time I hated my naughtiness and longed to be good? Now I know all the theological ins-and-outs that tell me that I CAN'T disappoint my Heavenly Father because His Son has covered my transgressions. But I wonder if that knowledge is not as helpful in softening my heart as is the knowledge that He loves me so much that it breaks His heart when I miss the mark?

Just a thought.

Things I hope I don't forget when the girls are grown up

You know, over the years there have been so many things that the girls have said or done that I have said..."I have GOT to remember THAT". So I think I will use my blog to keep track of these things from here on out.

But to bring us up to date...


E: Don't look...I don't want you to see my pupils.

Me: Huh?

E: I don't want to be immodest and show my pupils.

Me: Sweetie, do you mean your nipples?
(desperately trying not to show how hilarious I think this is)

E: Um, yeah, I think so.

Good 'n Crazy

Whew. These last few weeks have been beyond crazy....but good. Everything seems to be swirling around our new homeschool routine right now.

The girls and I have started our homeschool co-op (see Classicalconversations.com for more info about the program), and it is really going well. I tutor Ellie with 7 other first and second graders, my best pal Sara tutors the 4-K, Marah is in an all girls class of fourth and fifth graders and there is another fifth & sixth grade class as well. Marah is loving it--I have found myself referring to her class as "the slumber party". Mostly because watching them walk by all you see is a mass of pony tails and sounds of giggling and not-so-quiet whispers. It's a good group, and I am thankful.

Ellie's class has turned out to be the highlight of my week. My attitude has taken a complete 180--I was dreading the start of school, and was feeling like maybe I made a mistake in committing to tutoring this year. You see, parents who tutor get their kids' tuition covered....and at $400 a year per kid,...well, I really had to tutor. Anyway, the kids are all great and responsive and earnest...and even the one or two who seem pretty "checked out" most the time, are "checked out" in just the cutest, funniest ways! As soon as I get a chance, I'll take a picture of my CC kids...and if this dumb blog doesn't save and post another post of mine I will scream!!

(Amy, that's why you haven't seen more posts! I have tried a couple times...I composed wonderful works of touching poetry, etc...well, not really, but I did journal a few things...only to have the system ditch my post. Argh! Long live Neil Postman and his yellow pad of paper!)

Come again some other day

Okay, we have had way too much rain in the last 24 hours. Compared to Texas and our Gulf coast, we have had nothing...but it is still unsettling for us to see our house becoming lakeside property. The girls love it. They keep asking to go play in "our ponds". I love the innocence of childhood...no worries about flooded basements or soggy septic fields. Just the joy of seeing their yard fill up with water! :)

I saw this same childhood innocence when we were studying about wickedness in the scriptures this week. My youngest said that she had a good example of wickedness from her own life. She went on to say that one time she had tried to cheat at 'Chutes & Ladders'. Ah, that we all--including our world leaders and politicians--would follow the example of little Ellie, and become convicted by the littlest of indiscretions. *sigh*

Day two...wow, I'm on a roll!

Our girls sang this weekend at their Aunt's church, and for a small country church they have some really tech saavy guys who uploaded it to their website. Thanks Dave!
http://www.gracefc.com/gfk-sermons-amp-specials.html
Oh yeah...and it looks like I'm going to be an Auntie again in about 9 months!!!! Shhhh!

Day one..how does this work?

So, I guess I am feeling the need to document the life and times of myself and my family in a more "edgy" way. Goodbye notebook, hello blog! Today was a good day. We spent the morning with friends, I spent the afternoon preparing for class this week while Steve and the girls went to the fair, and this evening was spent sharing dinner with friends. It was a full day, but good. Tomorrow holds homeschool stuff, violin for the girls (Marah started last week, Ellie started a couple months ago) and final prep for CC on Tuesday. CC is a cooperative classtime where we cover all subjects, and in addition get to work on science experiments, fine arts and public speaking skills with the kiddos. *yawn* Gotta go to bed.