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Because I'm running around like a chicken with it's head cut off trying to get things in order for Passover. Of course I probably don't have time to blog, but just needed a quick break, and don't want rumors of the alien abductions to start up again. For the sake of my dear friends who have asked questions: Okay, there's a spice cupboard and three junk drawers with my name on them waiting in the kitchen. I have to disconnect 17yo Chrysanthemum from her ipod and we're back to cleaning. I'll try to take pics and catch up with you all real soon. |
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Just checking in to let you know that we haven't been captured by gypsies or abducted by aliens. On top of that, I'm trying to get Chrysanthemum all registered for two different writing conferences during the next four weeks (Glen Eyrie Writer's Conference the end of April and Colorado Christian Writers Conference in May) and get her started on TaeKwonDo Instructor Training this week. Did I mention anything about homeschooling on top of all that?! Figures. Yeah, I still have to do all that, too. So, as you can see, it's pretty much life as normal around here. With a bit of nudging and intervention from above, maybe I'll get the chance to write something inspirational this week. See you soon. Julie |
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Thanks to those of you who stopped by for my soap-box hour and many thanks to those who posted comments. They're always encouraging. It's nice to be back to blogging and encouraging others after months away, but sometimes it's just so hard to find something to say. I've spent quite a bit of time reading almost everything I've written in the past 3 years; partially as a walk down memory lane (after all this is a diary of our life) and also to re-encourage myself. (DH & DS think I should start compiling it all and publish a book. Yeah right, in my freetime.) As much as I love writing and encouraging, I'm still recovering from my cold and trying to prepare to teach my Geography class tomorrow at our local co-op. So in the essence of time and space (and the benefit of newer readers) I invite you to share a stroll down Blogger's Memory Lane. I have a few that are permanantly linked on my sidebar, but here's a rundown of some of my favorite posts from the last 3 years. SPIRITUAL/ENCOURAGING FAMILY & TRADITIONS Blessings to All and Happy Reading Julie |
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First things, first. I'm alone at home, with a cold, laying on the couch, with my laptop. Translation: I'm on a soapbox (with foggy brain) and this will be long!!!! So, for those of you who are brave and want to continue, be my guest and please excuse the typos. If the rest of you are crunched for time, I'll understand if you go visit someone else. Now that you've been warned.... For those of you who are new to reading my blog, you have figured out that this actually has nothing to do with real flowers but is a reference back to my title which is explained in my very first blog . It's been a while since I wrote that article (almost 3 years), so I thought I would revisit the subject a bit since my "flowers" are almost done blooming and starting to grace the world with their beauty. It's been 13 years now since I started homeschooling, and if there's only one thing I've learned and would impress on anyone coming up through the ranks of homeschooling --- Please! Please! Please! Train them up in the way THEY should go -- not the way that anyone else (including us) thinks they should go. It breaks my heart everytime I see a homeschool mom with wilting flowers and doesn't realize that she's the one that's killing them. It's a terrible thing to plant a chrysanthemum in your crocus bed, water and care for it like your crocuses, trample it in the garden when it doesn't bloom "on time", and then have the audacity to punish the flower and blame it on a "lack of motivation" or a "spiritual" problem. They use the same curriculum on all their flowers, put them in all the same activities, and do what all the other homeschool moms do. Of course some flowers will thrive and others will wilt. But these moms hope or expect that if their Chrysanthemum spends enough time in the example and presence of the Crocus, then he/she will become one. The only thing worse they can do is to show their disappointment because he/she didn't turn out to be a crocus. It happens far too often. Rather than seeing the student as a thriving, beautiful example of a Chrysanthemum, all they see is a failure of a Crocus. What a tragedy. My 21yo Crocus recently wrote an article about the stereotype of homeschoolers by the outside world as seen in the movie "Horton Hears a Who". But his very first paper in college was about the stereotype and pressure put on homeschoolers, not from outside their community, but from within it. How many of you have see the youtube clip about "A Homeschool Family"? There's some truth to this. Often, you're only considered a true success if your kids a going to college at the age of 16 on a full scholarship. Anything less is considered just "average". And heaven help those who don't go to college! My 21yo Crocus is a success by "homeschoolers" standards and suffers from the prejudice from the outside world. My 17yo Chysanthemum is the exact opposite and suffers from the prejudice from within our world. She didn't read until she was 11, is academically a grade or two (or three) behind her peers, can't spell to save her soul, and will probably "flunk" any written test you give her. By standard "homeschooler" expectations, she is "behind" or "failing". I think she's AWESOME. But, at 17, people are always asking her what she plans to study after highschool. I think if one more person chastises and crucifies her for not wanting to go to college after highscool, she's going to punch someone! She never has (and probably never will be) the university type. She is an artist, a free-spirit, a designer, a photographer, and an entreprenuer. She is a right-brained person trapped in a left-brained world. She expresses herself in unspoken and unwritten form, but not in an uneducated one. To force her into the world of textbooks & research papers is just a formula for failure. So, why would I ever want to train her up to be College Student? I'm training her up to be what G-d wants her to be and I will encourage HER talents, HER gifts, HER ideas, and not count any of them as useless, wrong, or meaningless. She will (and does) get and "F" on just about every history test she takes, and that's okay. I don't even say a word about it. She gets an "A" on her history projects and enjoys learning and writing it intor her stroies. But I know that she will get's an "A" on every photograph or sewing project she submits. She's wonderful at working with children and is great at what she does. So I don't bother her about her "academics" grades, because I know that's not where she's going. I ecourage, praise and push her in her business skills and the design elements of her stories and photographs. This is what has and will make my Chrysanthemum bloom into a lovely Chrysanthemum. There is a scipture that says "Delight yourself in the ways of the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." I think far too many people interpret that incorrectly to mean that if we include G-d in everything we do, He will give us whatever we want. I think it means that if we focus on G-d, delighting in his ways and teachings versus mans, then He will gives us desires in our heart that will lead us down the path He has planned for us. I remember when Crocus was just entering HighSchool and, like many homeschool moms, was panicing about everything he had to do to get into college. At that time, I was studying the Torah (pentatuch to many of you) and looking for direction from G-d for what to teach him and how! To my amazement, I discovered that the only thing as a parent that I was expected to teach him was "to love the Lord, his G-d, with all his strength, with all his soul, and with all his might." and I was to do that be teaching him (and her) "when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.." Nowhere in scripture could I find anything about Algebra or Chemistry, textbooks and research papers. So I didn't worry about any of those things. I train them in Torah, and compassion, in living in the world as G-d had commanded, I put full trust in G-d that if he wanted my son or daughter to go to university, then he would put that desire in their heart (not mine) and that the requirements to do would be met through the path we were taking. Crocus had the desire to go to university. I "relaxed" or "unschooled" him the entire time. He got 5 of his HighSchool credits from a box, and he had a very unusual transcript. He's graduating from college in 6 weeks and his career and opportunities continue to bloom and take him where I'm sure G-d wants him to go. But, I could have killed that Crocus, too. I could have forced him to finger paint and take art lessons, and chastised him for not staying in the lines. Instead he did research on art history and fell in love with VanGogh. I let him quit piano lessons after only one year, and let him sing in the choir instead. I could have forced him to learn only from Textbook A pp. 101-135, do a research paper and a silly crossword puzzle; instead he watched CSPAN and British House of Commons on cable and memorized all the capitals of every country in the world. I could have demanded he finish the World History homework instead of being in the local HighSchool musical (I let him get an F in history and letter in Drama). I could have made him take Algebra II (I didn't, Algebra I was enough of a nightmare), Rather, I let him do an internship for the GOP and he took remedial algebra in college. I could have made him practice his penmanship, instead of teaching him to type. I encouraged his love of learning, never told him to wait until next year when we study that, and I always encouraged his genius and helped him with the difficult areas. That's how you make a this Crocus bloom. But I can guarantee, he is no Chrysanthemum, and sometimes I wish he were more like her! But he is what he is and she is what she is. And I'm so proud of what both of them have become...successful in their own right. In closing, I admonishes all of us to "Train up a child in the way they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from it". Help them to grow and follow the path G-d is putting them on. To try to turn our children into something the world thinks they should be, would mean to deprive the world of what they were meant to be. Thanks for the soapbox time, |
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Lately, there’s been quite a bit of discussion among the homeschool community related to the movie “Horton Hears a Who” and the portrayal of the villain as a Kangaroo who “pouch schools”. Here’s an article published today on The Campus Word (national online magazine for US colleges) written by homeschool graduate my very own Crocus. He’s a regular columnist with the Word so you can browse and see some of his other articles while you were there. Hope you enjoy this one. I feel so proud ... and so vindicated. |
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So much has happened since I really blogged last (not counting the bare feet). It's hard to know where to start or what to talk about. I guess for now I'll just give you the basic round up....
CHRYSANTHEMUM (17yo DD) CROCUS (21yo DS) ME (46yo FOB (feisty old babe or fat old broad -- you pick) My MIGHTY OAK (52yo Stud) So, that's our life in a nut shell. I've left out many of the details, but suffice to say that G-d is good, and always faithful to teach us more. He's restoring my passion for studying and learning after a long break to rest and regroup. I pray that I will honor and glorify Him with my passions and compassions and I look forward to where He will take us all. Well, I guess that's enough to get me back into this world. I'll try to stay caught up, but as always, no promises. Until next time... Julie |
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Okay, so I haven't blogged in almost 4 months and it takes a silly quiz to get me back online. Thanks to my friend Betty I've discovered something new about myself.... I'm Bare Feet  You are a true free spirit, and you can't be tied down. ------ I found this so funny because it's so me and my favorite pair of shoes....Barefeet. Thanks for the inspiration Betty. Okay..if anyone in the blog-o-sphere ever comes here anymore...Chime in. |
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This following is from my DS from his post but is very important to the issue of Parent's Rights. Please, pray for the young girls of Alaska and for their legislature. More importantly, if you live in Alaska or know anyone who does, please contact your congressman and complain, protest, whatever it takes. So what's all my stink about....from my DS's blog/mailing list.... Dear Palin Supporters,
I am terribly sorry to bother you twice in one night, but this is big national news if you are a pro-lifer (regardless of Gov. Palin's involvement). Alaska's Supreme Court has struck down the state's parental notification law for girls under 16 seeking abortions ( click here for news report). Governor Palin has called the ruling "outrageous" and said that the court had "failed Alaska by separating parents from their children during such a critical decision." She has instructed the State Attorney General to file a petition for a rehearing.
If you are a blogger, I would appreciate it if you posted something about this. This is in fact an outrage in my opinion, and the fact that it is happening in a remote state like Alaska should not be an excuse to keep it off the national radar screen in the information age.
While this is a great opportunity to promote Sarah Palin's pro-life credentials (and I will do that since my blog is solely about Palin), I think that the life issue itself is more important. Any gains we make as a movement (which I expect we will) will merely be icing on the cake...This is about the lives of unborn children and their teenage mothers, not Sarah Palin.
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It's late afternoon and I'm all alone..... with no where to go. DH (my Mighty Oak) is on vacation this week so he took Crysanthemum to Tae Kwon Do today. Crocus is at class on campus , and it's just me... It's very wierd. It's very quiet. Even the dogs are leaving me alone. I have a rare glimpse into what a day in DH's life is like (when he's on vacation from work!) I'd planned on cleaning up the sprawling mound of papers still on the table from Monday night's 4H Parent Meeting (they're still there). Then I thought about having a cup of tea (it's cold now), but I ended up taking care of Dental Insurance work and schedules. I know it doesn't sound peaceful, but you know, it was nice to be able to work on something for 2 uninterupted hours and I got something accomplished! WOW! Now if I could just have a whole week of vacation off like DH, that would be nice. That's right, I want the kind of paid vacation he gets. 1 week away from my "desk" while someone else does my work so I can stay home and work on "projects". Just think of it -- I could sleep in until 8:00 a.m. and someone else would be cooking breakfast, milking the goats, and getting DS rolling on her homeschool. Whenever the phone rang, somebody else would answer it and re-route the call to whoever is taking care of things that week. All meals and laundry would be done by someone else (ok, DH does all the laundry anyway), another person would chauffer Chrysanthemum to all her activities and lead the 4H club and take the dogs to the vet and wash the dishes and go grocery shopping and fix whatever broke and answer all questions great and small..... all the while I'm down in the basement working on a "project", like that dress I want to sew, or the closets that need cleaned out, or just maybe some time to chill and read a book that didn't pertain to US History, the human anatomy, or homeschooling. .. Of course I would be blissfully unaware of what's going on at the "office", with the exception of the occassional email or phone call. Just think of it..... But alas, there is no such adventure for the Mom. I know we get some family vacations here and there, but there's not much rest for Moms. I don't know about you, but I'm still spending my days worrying about feeding everyone, staying on budget, making sure we all get where we need to be when we need to be, and making sure that everyone has clean clothes before, during, and after. I have to organize and track all reservations and tickets, and figure out how to get all the souveneirs packed into the "extra" suitcase we didnt' bring. I tend to the blisters from walking, the stomaches from too much bad food, and the strained muscles of a DH who thinks he's still 12 and can go down the waterslide. Of course, let's not forget the obsessive-complusive component of every homeschool mom: I will find a way to make every moment educational and then write it all down in my journal so that I can database it when I get back home and not have missed one day of school! I don't know about y'all, but that sounds alot like home to me. And, God love him, DH doesn't understand why I need "time off". I don't know about the rest of y'all, but I think a vacation should come in two parts: (1) a week of room service, a Visa card with no spending limit, and calorie-free food of my choice . (2) 1-2 weeks of paid personal assistants and maids so I can clean the office area....Someday. Back to my reality. Here I am in the midst of this whirlwind of work and expectations, dust and clutter, over commitment and over exurtion. And I think I will enjoy every minute of mahem that comes along. For I know that I only have one or two years of it left and "Someday" will be here before I know it. Crocus is 21 now and will graduate from college this May and off he'll be. Chrysanthemum is 17 and will be done homeschooling and start her life next year. The house will always be quiet; no one will need me to run them anywhere or help them with work, and all I will have to do is organize the closets and sew that dress. I will be begging for some thing to do and somewhere to go. And I will probably drive DH crazy. The poor man...He'll have to put up with all that and menopause, too. Well, It's been 2 hrs and 45 mins and my "mim-vacation" is almost over . I should log off now and get something done while I can. Tomorrow is Blossom Day for Chrysanthemum (I know it's two weeks late) and I have a few preparations to make. I'll try to remember to take pictures and post on that next time. I hope everyone has a blessed evening and may G-d watch over you and keep you in his arm. Julie |
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I'm sitting here, in Colorado, watching the world series and not particularly enjoying it. I can't believe the Rockies are now walking in runs! We are in mourning and hoping it gets better tomorrow night...It can't get any worse. I just keep telling myself, it's only game one, it's only game one, it's only game one. And for everyone on the east coast: enjoy your evening. In homeschool related news: DD is finishing up a presentation on the Women's Suffrage movement for her history class. I can't believe how much I'M learning. What incredibly strong women they all were. Of course there's 4H, Tae Kwon Do, & Flute Choir & lesson. We haven't cracked open the Geometry book yet, but co-op breaks the end of November, so we'll take care of things then. Health/First Aid/CPR class at co-op is taking care of science for now and we Theater class is, well, theater class. She's getting better at the driving and hopefully will get her license for Hanukah. Well, it's the bottom of the 6th, the score is 13-1 Boston, and the initial stabbing pain has now changed to a constant, dull, ache. I'm going to call it a night and pray for a comeback. See everyone soon. Julie -- a loyal Rockies fan |