Aiming High - Homeschool Blogger

Lies Ahead: Enter with Discernment

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 09:07:00 -0500

Someone in my life (I won't name names) thinks that lying is a skill to be nurtured and developed. So I’ve been tagged. After a couple of weeks of ~~procrastination~~ struggling with the lure to lie, I caved and fell into the hands of the temptress.

Jesus would role over in His grave. Oh, wait! He’s not there anymore!

Sinful Nature

"Sometimes you can learn more about a person by what they don’t tell you. Sometimes you can learn a lot from the things they just make up. If you are tagged with this Meme, lie to me. Then tag 7 other folks (one for each deadly sin) and hope they can lie."

Pride -- What is your biggest contribution to the world?
    The Lie: I’m saving the planet and minimizing my carbon footprint by not sleeping with my husband. Wouldn’t want to risk being trapped with one of those pesky things called children.

Envy -- What do your coworkers have that you wish was yours?
    The Lie: Babysitters to instill all their contrary values into my children because they spend 80 percent more time with them.

Gluttony -- What did you eat last night?
     The Lie: Gluten-filled toast with peanut butter. Scrambled chicken eggs smothered with cow’s milk cheese and topped with diced avocado. Glass of pineapple juice.

Lust -- What really lights your fire?
    The Lie: Oh, man, I just can’t drive by a gym without drooling over all those men who so obviously need to get a life outside of spending all day lifting weights. And if there happens to be someone in the pool wearing a speedo, I’m going to be seriously late for my destination.

Anger -- What is the last thing that really ticked you off?
    The Lie: My Beautiful (age 7) and my Handsome (age 6) willingly and cheerfully offered to help with chores WITHOUT being asked. Can you imagine? The nerve!

Greed -- Name something you hoard and keep from others.
    The Lie: My opinion.

Sloth -- What’s the laziest thing you ever did?
    The Lie: Spent the entire day in front of the computer learning HTML codes for blog designs and how tos for loading pictures. But it was worth it as one can see how amazing my blog design now is.

There you go. If you need some practice in the art of the lie, feel free to tag yourself. Let me know if you post as I'd like to come and ~~straighten you out~~ support your blogging efforts.

Many Blessings,
Holly

P.S. And the weight on my driver's license is accurate. Truth or lie? Hmm.

May Her Sense of Timing Be Delayed

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 17:52:00 -0500

We called my paternal grandmother Big Grandma, much to my adult perspective horror. Little Grandma was my maternal grandmother. And, yes, body size was a factor in this inventive nickname calling.

Well, Big Grandma despised untruth in all forms: lies of omission, lies of half-truths, little white lies, lies. Since I adored her and believed she could spot a lie from across the State border, I did my darndest to refrain from false witness.

Until now.

My four year old Sweetness truly is a sweetie. Batting those luscious chocolatey velvet eyes, I just want to eat her up. However, she is very touchie feelie. She holds my hand; she climbs on my lap; she hugs my leg; she pats my head; she steps on my toes; she reaches to pop a zip on my chin...At. All. Times.

Even if I'm on the toilet. Or in the shower.

Between my just-two-weeks-shy-of-one-year old, my one-month-shy-of-three-year old, and Sweetness, I am in a constant state of being fought over. Newly-six-year old and seven-year old volley for position when the three youngers are napping. Throw Husband into the mix, and things can get ugly.

It's very flattering, most of the time. But one can see that I might need a moment or two once in awhile to just, well, be. There is a small window of time in the mornings between 5:45 and 6:15, while Husband takes his shower, that I can usually be alone.

Except that Sweetness has been waking up at 6 A.M.

She isn't exactly known for her quietness, so it is just a matter of a few minutes until one or more of the other children are awake as well.

Thus, I have justified a little white lie.

Sweetness has a little digital clock in her bedroom that she shares with Beautiful. I taught her all about the hour position and told her that she was not allowed to leave her room until there was a 7 in the hour position. (Except to go potty and return to bed.)

Then I set the clock a half hour behind.

I considered an hour.

She still bursts from her room waking the dead with her shouts of "There's a 7!", but I just smile to myself, basking in my lie, knowing it's really 7:30. The perfect time for the rest of the children to be up.

Sh. Sorry, Grandma, it had to be done.

Now if I could just get something like this flowing for the two year old who's been waking at 6:30...

Many Blessings,
Holly
(Yes, I'm that Holly.. And, Miss Random: Yes, I'm counting teaching myself to lie as "doing something nice for myself." Good thing I had that out since responding to a Friday Fill-in on a Sunday about burst my anal brain.)

In Case You Missed It...Here It Is Again...

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 23:53:00 -0600

Oh, man, she's so goin' to think I'm copying her.. Truly, this was my intended post. I saw it done last year somewhere and actually remembered it. A miraculous feat in and of itself.

Don’t believe me then.

My 2008 Year-In-Review
Meaning: The first sentence of the first blog of each month.

January: We were supposed to go spend the weekend at my in-laws this past weekend.

February: I haven't written anything profound lately. (Surprise, surprise.)

March: I am notorious for forgetting to take the meat out of the freezer in time for it to thaw.

April: Blank (Maybe I was busy doing taxes?)

May: So many times I hear the groanings of a mother's heart straining to find time to drink of God's Word or to pray or to worship.

June: "I can't afford to buy organic."

July: Blank (Aw, come on…a baby born July 1st isn’t an excuse?)

August: It's almost been two months. (And, no, I wasn’t talking about the length of time between blog entries.)

September: Alrighty then. (Technically, that’s not a sentence, is it?)

October: Seven. (Again. Not a sentence.)

November: Blank (Holding my breath for the elections most likely. Oh, and falling and injuring my hand making it very difficult to type.)

December: Candy. (Hmmm. Not a sentence. I claim author’s creative license. Hey, if e.e. cummings can refuse to use capitals, I can refuse to use sentences. So there.)

I’ve enjoyed writing this year and am honored to have you reading. There are others rounding up their blogging year.
Many blessings and Happy New Year,
Holly

Sun, 7 Dec 2008 08:37:00 -0600

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen? We don't have a TV, but when we are at a hotel, he tends to wrestle me for the remote. He either wants to keep me away from creating a "Honey Do List" after watching HGTV, or he wants to watch the History Channel.

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? Blue Cheese. I'm allergic to it, so he knows i won't try to steal bites of his salad.

3. What's one food he doesn't like? Cucumbers. But he loves pickles. I don't care for pickles, but like cucumbers. Hmmm.

4. You go out to the bar. What does he order? Conversation. I believe he only goes to a bar when a particular buddy is in town. They like to get into deep philosophical type debates with people in college bars.

5. Where did he go to high school? A place in California. Sorry, question in too trackable.

6. What size shoe does he wear? 9 1/2

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Anything and all things computer.

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich? Ooh, this is a hard one for me. We don't have much sandwiches around here as we are gluten-free. If I remember right, I have seen him order one with salami in it. I know he likes Reubens.

9. What would he eat every day if he could? Salsa and chips. And cheese. Before we got engaged, he made me promise that there would always be salsa in the refrigerator and chips in the cupboard.

10. What is his favorite cereal? Frosted mini wheats. I buy it for a treat for him about once a year.

11. What would he never wear? Speedos. At least he better not.

12. What is his favorite sports team? He, thank goodness, doesn't bother with sports.

13. Who did he vote for? Republican all the way.

14. Who is his best friend? He better say me.

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do? Have PMS episodes.

16. How many states has he lived in? Three...California, Virginia and Washington.

17. What is his heritage? Hmmm, not sure he even knows.

18. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what would it be? Brownies.

19. Did he play sports in high school? I honestly don't know; I don't think so as he has never mentioned it.

20. What could he spend hours doing? Computers, computers, computers.

21. What's something cool about him? He gets up with the crying baby. Or, gives the bedwetter a bath. All the while letting me sleep.

Tooth Decay and All That Rot

Wed, 3 Dec 2008 08:21:00 -0600

Candy. Did somebody say candy? Love candy...especially ooey-gooey candy.

Grapes, apples and apricots, too.
Cranberries, dates with all that goo.
Peaches, pears, cherries galore
Who can ask for anything more?

Leathery goodness and sticky mess
Dried to perfection they are the best
No additives or allergens hiding inside
Candy designed by God with pride.

I'll step off my high horse now. Lest you think I am some kind of candy snob, let me just tell you, candy is a weakness. Anything with caramel in it. Or peanut butter/chocolate combos.

Problem: allergens...and tooth decay. I once had a jelly bean rip out my tooth crown. Very expensive dietary deviation.

I used to lament not being able to have "real" candy. Until my then four year old daughter, Beautiful,while munching on a date, looked up at me and said, "Mom, God sure makes great candy!"

Why settle for second best? Wander over and see what others are munching on.

Many Blessings,
Holly

P.S. In case you're wondering where I've been. I have a broken finger on my dominate hand and a five month old in a half body cast with a broken femur. Long story. Maybe I'll post about it. Let's just say it involved steps. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me..."

Just Chirping Out Some Facts About Me

Wed, 22 Oct 2008 21:22:00 -0500

T....tweet. Like to hear the birdies go tweet, tweet, tweet. I love the sounds of singing and chattering birds. Any birds; especially in the morning. Except for peacocks that sound like fighting cats.

I...Ice. Terrified of driving in icy conditions. So much so that I bolt the door and hide the car keys at the first snowflake.

M...Morning. Up early is important to me. Six o’clock is sleepin’ in. As far as I am concerned, I have wasted the day if I am not up by seven. Did wonders for my social life in high school and college, let me tell ya.

E...Eclectic. Beat to my own drum. A little of this and a little of that. I must put my own twist onto something, or I don’t feel like it is truly me homeschooling my children, but someone else. It doesn’t have to be something hugely different than the directions. It could be something as little as using an orange crayon when the directions say to use red. I know. I’m such a rebel. My all-directions-must-be-followed-to-the-letter-son will most likely need therapy by the time he is ten. I’m gettin’ away with it so far because he doesn’t know how to read yet.

L...Language. Words work. The written word is stronger to me than the spoken word, but I love words. If you are into words, stick around. You’ll see hardly a blog entry goes by that I won’t stop in my tracks and twirl a word around on my tongue. For instance, the word “tweet” has puzzled me since I typed it in this entry. Where did it come from? Was it a child trying to say street? Or feet? How did it end up being connected with birds? Probably the best present anyone could give me would be a word origins book on EVERY word in the English vocabulary. (No offense to other languages, but English is the only language I speak, unfortunately.)

Y…pass. Only had to give 10 timely facts. And, since “timely facts” has eleven letters, I have pulled out my pass card. It is only coincidental that there are five letters used before the “Y” and five letters after. See? Words were meant to be analyzed.

F..Feet. Can’t stand feet. Pun intended. Yep, feet have a purpose and are truly appreciated. If they belong to you, however, they most definitely do not belong on or near me! Exception: Newborn/infant/baby feet are beyond adorable and must be smooched multiple times a day.

A...April. Christ’s resurrection and spring flowers popping up everywhere. Around here the sun peeks out once in awhile, and I begin to feel the affects of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) melting off of me. It’s a very happy month, isn’t it? Why’d they have to go and throw taxes into the mix?

C...Cook. Spending time in the kitchen relaxes me. It’s in the kitchen where I become the painter that I have always wanted to be. (I see beautiful paintings to create in my head---only my hands never seem to get the clear message.) Therefore, I cook. By color. The brighter the better.

T...Timely. Being on time is important to me. The way I figure it, the host/hostess said five, so I will do my darndest to be there as close to five as I can. I view it as a show of respect by honoring their request. It is also a show of loving sacrifice. To arrive more than 10 or 15 minutes late, barring some uncontrollable reason, usually means that I was focusing on me rather than the host/hostess. Being fairly punctual is my way of showing the host/hostess that I care about them and want to spent time with them. Just know, if I see a snowflake…I ain’t comin’.

S...Six. Number six of eight children. Seven, if you count my older sister that was born three months preemie and only lived for 15 hours. In which case it would still fit because seven starts with an “s” as well. All my siblings have names that end with either an “ie”, “ey”, “i”, or “y”. Therefore, I answer to any name shouted that ends with an “ee” sound.

There you go. And if you are leaving this entry without the Rockin' Robin song in your head, you amaze me. Fly on over to hear others' factual chatter at Homeschool Memoirs.

Many Blessings,
Holly

A Larger Family

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 23:18:00 -0500

No, I'm not pregnant. Husband, you can start breathing again. It's a blog title, Honey, a blog title. Breathe, breathe, BREATHE.

Please note: Not an actual picture of my family.

To the tune of The Adams Family
Inspired by A Homeschool Family by Tim Hawkins
Assigned by Homeschool Memoirs #9

A Larger Family
by Holly@aiminghigh

We are so very proud
To be a little loud
Because we are a crowd
A Larger Family.

Beautiful has tried to be
A teenager since three
She thinks she can get passed me
A Larger Family.

Handsome wants it neat
It can be quite a treat
But, boy, we've got him beat
A Larger Family.

Sweetness proceeds to smother
And cuddle with her mother
I wouldn't want it any other
A Larger Family

(Christian)
(Conservative)
(Homeschoolers)

Happy Boy hogs his blanket
Dare you to grab and snatch it
His eyes become a hatchet
A Larger Family

Cooing and spittin' is Little Hero
To all he's the cutest bro'
At three months he's still age zero
A Larger Family

As long as there is floor
There's always room for more
To many people's horror
A Larger Family

The Parents are energetic
We smile and hide our head ticks
Try hard not to look pathetic
We Love Our Family!

Not Your Run of the Mill Credit Card

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 17:24:00 -0500

Look at that! An award. I had to take a second glance at it. Doesn't the picture look like a credit card?

Thought at first that I was being asked to offer free advertising for a credit company. Come on, admit it, you thought so too, didn't you?

But, lo and behold, a blogger I met recently over at Four Little Penguins gifted me with this award. Very flattering. Why then, did I stall responding to it?

Well, I'll tell ya. My answer would have been nearly identical to hers....

The rules are tough. I gotta give it to four faithful readers of my blog and one new or far away blogger friend. As of right now, I only know of five faithful readers of my blog. Problem is, I can't award them as NONE of them have a blog. What to do, what to do...

I know! (Insert lightbulb)

Make YOU do the work! If you are a faithful reader of my blog (and are brave enough to admit it), leave me a comment and a way to reach you via your own blog. I just might pick you as the recipient of this award! Would this be considered my first giveaway?

Okay, I'm not going to make you do ALL of the work. I most certainly can toss this award to a new and/or far away blogger friend I have recently "met". I am giving it to someone who has shown herself to be a very good friend. She reached out through the blogosphere and attempted to help me with HTML issues. A very brave attempt. I have followed her directions partially so far and have been successful.

I just have to get around to following the rest of the directions.

You will have her to thank once I get my categories functioning properly and pictures around the blog...if I ever sit down and do it. Don't worry, SuzyScribbles, I have saved the directions. All your hard work hasn't gone unnoticed. Here's my way of saying thank you...

Enjoy some linky-love! See how I'm learning the lingo? And it has only taken me a year and a half!

Many Blessings,
Holly

P.S. Alrighty then. THAT could have been a real downer. Good thing I have Sitemeter so I KNOW there are people reading this blog. Just don't want to admit it, huh? I understand. So, I'll publicly thank you people now: Thank you for reading my blog. I'm sorry I can't thank you individually as I have no idea how to reach you. Sitemeter counts you and gives me a rough idea of your city whereabouts, but that is it. So to those of you where my Sitemeter shows that you DO come back regularly, feel free to grab this award for yourself. You deserve the award for putting up with my ramblings.

What's Up, Doc?

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:11:00 -0500

I have a few questions after reading this news article out of San Francisco..

Do you think the same calm tolerance would be shown if hypothetically, as a teacher, I chose to take my public school classroom students on a fieldtrip to a church where my favorite speaker was talking about the ramifications of unBiblical choices happening in today's presidential elections?

Wouldn't that be "academically relevant?"

Wouldn't that be a perfect "teachable moment?"

Hmmm. Not indoctrination, huh?

Oh. My. Word. I'm seeing double. Double standard, that is.

Let me see if I got this straight:
1. Promote the g8y agenda..get congratulated for practicing sound "educational" teaching.
2. Promote a healthy debate of Creationism vs. evolution...get accused of indoctrination.

So, what's up, doc?

Um. Well, now. I guess I always thought education was about teaching my children HOW to think, not WHAT to think. Silly me.

Many Blessings,
Holly

Bleach Baths Can Hurt, But They're Good

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:57:00 -0500

I love the word submission. Horror upon horrors! Love submission? Yes, that's what I said.

It's one of those words that when you truly understand the meaning you can't help but sit back and smile. True submission brings about contentment. Why? Because following God's Word ALWAYS has the end result of being content. No brainer, Ladies, Our Creator knows what is best. His best will ALWAYS result in something positive even if the process hurts a little....or even a lot.

Now before you start throwing darts at me and calling me a doormat for actually WANTING to submit to my husband....read this amazingly written blog entry: Submission

See? Dirty, dirty word.

The word itself has become like a beautiful white towel stained with filthy spots from our childish unclean hands. Let's not throw the towel out. Let God bleach it clean to reveal its true beauty.

But just a warning: Like that pile of laundry you have on the sofa, bleaching the submission towel must be completed over and over and over again.

Happy submitting!
Many Blessings,
Holly

P.S. Yep, changed the original title to this blog. Original brought some unsavories to my blog. Duh.