Planting Children

Thursday, January 4, 2007 - Happy Thoughts

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From an online calendar I got this year:

5 THINGS TO BE HAPPY ABOUT

• a meringue of dense fog
• dunking a doughnut
• foresight
• a cozy hotel room
• bright red poppy petals

Thursday, January 4, 2007 - A Tardy Hello

My apologies for being neglectful on this blog. I didn't realize I had any readers other than my hubby and a few kind friends. LOL!

I've been using my other blog (http://writersblock-susie.blogspot.com/) for regular blogging...and this one to talk more about our schooling.

Hmmm....I guess there's not much to report on the schooling side of stuff. We're plodding along with it, enjoying the triumphs and weathering the struggles. Sound familiar?

Feel free to pop by the other blog. Or check back here.... You never know, I might get inspired to keep up with both.

I'd love to hear from you either way. You're still very dear to me!!!

Friday, October 20, 2006 - How Much??

So we're hanging out at a playground in Central Park last Monday (see this), and I got to talking to another parent about the schools in New York City. Seems it's a whole other world from what I'm used to. You get to choose the school your child attends, but you have to apply...and you may not get your first choice.

The one man I was talking to -- who happens to work as a special ed teacher in a New York City school -- explained how he and his wife were already applying to kindergartens for their daughter -- for NEXT year. He said the high school directory is as thick as a phonebook. And the research involved is incredible.

Interesting.

But what I found even more interesting is when he explained that the little "joke" in New York City is to ask a woman when she's pregnant if she's picked her preschool program yet. Apparently it's very competitive and very costly. A preschool in the area around Central Park goes for...are you ready??....hold onto your hats now....to quote Dave Barry, "I'm not making this up.".....

$30,000 a year.

Yep! (That's more than three years at my university rolled into one year of preschool!!) And people pay it because apparently their child has a better time getting into an Ivy League school as a result of the preschool he/she attended at 3.

Egads!

All I can say is: Thank God for homeschooling!!!

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Thursday, October 19, 2006 - Homeschool Blues

I've been neglecting this blog lately....I could say it's been busy (ie. crazy!) with the beginning of school -- and it has. Or I could say that I've been a little un-inspired -- and I have (most of my blogging time goes here). But mostly I've been away because my heart isn't into homeschooling this year, and I've had to do a re-evaluation and figure out what's going on.

This is our fifth year of homeschooling, and I'm feeling a bit tired. I think Emily is, too. Sadly, this is Edward's first year, and he's completely psyched!

Still, we're revamping our schedule, thinking up a few incentives, and buckling down to weather this. Every road has a few bumps and potholes now and again, right? (Esp. if you live in Pennsylvania! LOL!)

Well, back to it. I've got a "whip" to crack! LOL!

Only kidding!

Tuesday, September 19, 2006 - Quote of the Day

Posted in Quotes

"There are three ways to get something done: Do it yourself; employ someone; or forbid your children to do it." ~ Monta Crane

Wednesday, September 13, 2006 - An Emilyism

In the car, as we took Stuart to work, we were discussing Stuart "being in love." And Emily burst out, "You can't be in love, Daddy! You're married!"

Thursday, September 7, 2006 - An Edwardism

We're down in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and we went for a walk around the docks of a little town of Manteo. The kids found some playground equipment to play on that was shaped like a replica of the Elizabeth II ship, the life-sized version of which was moored across the inlet.

Edward, 5, spotted a play telescope and told Stuart that they probably had one like it on the actual ship. Stuart pointed to a slide and asked if that was on the original ship, too.

"No," said Edward, very matter-of-factly. "But it would have been good for the scuba divers."

Saturday, September 2, 2006 - Observations....

Emily, the kindergartener, and Emily, the 4th-grader....

When did she grow up??

Friday, September 1, 2006 - Note to Self....

Note to Self: Never, ever, ever decide to switch cyber schools a week before school starts and you go on vacation...but that's another story.

Okay. So noted.

Today was our unofficial "first" day of school. We are heading off to Nags Head, N.C., on Sunday (a slight delay due to Tropical Storm Ernesto). We're supposed to start on Tuesday (9/5), but we wouldn't be able to do our first day pleasures: a pancake breakfast followed by a "bus" trip around the block to our frontdoor. The kids really enjoyed that last year, and I didn't want to disappoint them. We'll start the bookwork at the beach next week.

They opted for uniforms this year, so we got a few. Don't they look cute?

Edward, kindergarten, and Emily, 4th grade

We used this morning to pray for our school year together, introduce our verse for the year (Psalm 16:11), and write our school rules. I also read the poem "The Owl and the Pussycat" to them. Edward liked the poet: Edward Lear.

It was a fun beginning to the year!

"You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." Psalm 16:11

Thursday, August 24, 2006 - Notebooks and Paper and Pencils, Oh My!

Well, school starts in less than a week, and I'm getting a little crazy in the head....okay, I'm already that way, but maybe I'm getting crazier?

This summer has been a deliciously calm and relaxing one....but it's gone WAY TOO FAST! I decided at the start not to overplan...and I probably "underplanned." Oh, well.

We'll get back into the grind...after these messages...

Ugh!

Monday, August 14, 2006 - Half-Birthday Boy!

Today

March 2002

Well, today is my son's "half" birthday. In our house that's a semi-big deal since Emily and I share the same real birthday; Edward shares his real birthday with Valentine's Day; and Stuart's actual birthday is the now infamous 9/11, or Patriot's Day. Half-birthdays give us something to celebrate halfway through the year.

We started the tradition when each of the kids was 6 months old to prepare them for their 1st birthday...to make it a little less overwhelming. (Well, that was the idea anyway.) It's evolved to having a fun meal and a cake with the number of candles plus a half...and a few inexpensive and fun gifties. Something silly to make an actual "unbirthday" day seem a little more special.

Isn't it fun to celebrate each other any day of the year?

Happy "Half" Birthday, Edward! 5 1/2 today!!

Monday, August 7, 2006 - Not the Mama!

Do you remember in that show Dinosaurs when the little baby dinosaur would hit the father and shout, "Not the mama! Not the mama!" While I didn't regularly watch the show that segment always made me chuckle -- especially given the fact that I'm the youngest of three girls.... No need to say more.

Nothing jogs the old mental scrapbook more than watching something -- good or bad -- between your children. Somehow an incident can resurrect feelings you thought were long forgotten. My husband thinks it's quite funny how I can remember trivial incidents from when I was younger... I think it's frustrating that he can't.

So we're sitting in church yesterday, and the woman in charge of Children's Church comes over and explains that Edward is having a "meltdown." Apparently something in the format was changed, and he got "stubborn." Emily then took it upon herself to correct him, and the rest went down in flames.

It's funny how the older child can take something you've said to the younger child and decide it is her job to enforce it. (Kinda "threatens" my maternal job security.) But that's exactly what Emily decided to do. Since Edward didn't want to "participate" (I guess it didn't matter that he hadn't done so up 'til this point), she decided it was "high time" and tried to force him. Not a pleasant moment for either of them....or the Children's Church staff.

All we could say afterwards was "Not the mama! Not the mama!"

Give it 15 years or more....

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Monday, July 24, 2006 - I Corinthians 13 for Mothers

If I keep my house immaculately clean, and am envied by all for my interior decorating, but do not show love in my family--I ‘m just another housewife.

If I’m always producing lovely things--sewing, art; if I always look attractive, and speak intelligently, but am not loving to my family--I am nothing.

If I’m busy in community affairs, teach Sunday school, and drive in the carpool, but fail to give adequate love to my family--I gain nothing.

Love changes diapers, cleans up messes, and ties shoes--over and over again.

Love is kind, though tired and frazzled.

Love doesn’t envy another wife--one whose children are “spaced” better, or in school so she has time to pursue her own interests.

Love doesn’t try to impress others with my abilities or knowledge as a mother.

Love doesn’t scram at the kids.

Love doesn’t feel cheated because I didn’t get to do what I wanted to do today--sew, read, soak in a hot tub.

Love doesn’t lose my temper easily.

Love doesn’t assume that my children are being naughty just because their noise level is irritating.

Love doesn’t rejoice when other people’s children misbehave and make mine look good. Love is genuinely happy when others are honored by their children.

--Jean Fleming
A Mother’s Heart

Sunday, July 23, 2006 - An FYI

I've been spending a bit more time on my other blog since we're off for the summer. If you'd care to peruse it, here's the link: Writer's Block It's just random thoughts, memories, stories, recipes...all designed to clear my cluttered brain.

I'll be posting more on this blog as we get into the new schoolyear. Feel free to comment about anything!

Sunday, July 23, 2006 - Quote of the Day

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"I don't know any parents who look into the eyes of a newborn baby and say, 'How can we screw this kid up?'"

~Educator Russell Bishop

Monday, July 10, 2006 - Misconceptions

I remember as a little girl mishearing words or phrases my parents or others said. For a long time, I thought the expression "to each his own" was "to reach its own." And "the pot calling the kettle black" was "the pot coal and the kettle black." Made sense to me.

Today, Emily, 8, was trying to convince me how nice it would be to visit Florida. I'm not a fan of Florida after spending 2 1/2 weeks there in 1987 during "bootcamp" with Teen Missions. Hot, humid, buggy...not my idea of a fun place to re-visit. Emily was talking about the beaches, so I mentioned a little word: alligators.

Her eyes grew wide. "You mean they roam freely down there? Even at the resorts?"

I said sure they did sometimes. Stuart interjected that they only eat the occasional tourist. I quickly added that they preferred frogs or ducks or other little creatures they could easily catch.

"Poor froggies and duckies!" Emily said which surprised us since eating a person should have been much more horrifying.

We laughed and said as much to which Emily replied with a shrug, "Terrorists should be eaten."

"Tourists...NOT terrorists," we explained. The penny dropped.

But maybe Emily's on to something... Maybe we should suggest that the government use alligators to help apprehend terrorists. They're cheap to hire and only require the occasional terrorist to keep them satisfied.

Sunday, June 25, 2006 - Kids Say the Darndest

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Stuart and I teach the PreK-K Sunday School at our church. It's a real blessing and great fun to watch them learn and grow.

Today when Stuart was helping the kids reenact the triumphant entry, he had the children line up in two lines with a path between them. He talked about how the crowd shouted "hosannas" and waved palm branches at Jesus as he went by. Then he asked what they did next, hoping the kids would remember how the crowd lay down their coats on the street. One little boy called out, "Then they took off all their clothes!"

Saturday, June 24, 2006 - Another Emily-ism

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Another Emily-ism:

Upon singing the R.E.M. song "End of the World" with her father, Emily asked me, "Why does he have a hurricane?" I said, "Who?" "The guy singing the song. 'I have a hurricane.'" I laughed and explained the line as, "Eye of a hurricane." She was relieved and said, "I'm glad, 'cuz no one can own a hurricane."

(An aside: She used to sing that line as "I am a hurricane.")

Gotta love the way kids think.