We went back for another appt. with our vision therapist today, and Eenie is improving.  She mastered one of the exercises so completely (the Seatwalk), that she doesn't have to do this one on a daily basis anymore.  Next, we will be learning to skip, using opposite arm movements.  It is amazing to me that skipping can be related to reading, but my mother, who has been a teacher and tutor for years, has reaffirmed this concept.  She used a program called Powerline to tutor her students, and they taught that kids who had difficulty doing certain physical things--such as skipping--would also have difficulty reading. . . something about how the brain is wired, I guess. 

This was a really tough couple of weeks for us.  The exercises were all new to her, and very stressful for dd.  She is a firstborn of two firstborn parents, so needless to say, she puts an immense amount of pressure on herself.  I finally started playing music to help her relax during the exercises.  Her muscles were so sore that one day, after we went to a play one evening, she couldn't walk afterwards, and her dad had to carry her to the car.  It was sad to see her in such pain, but they told me it wasn't unusual, and it is getting easier for her.  Eenie is a super active child, but I guess she just hasn't been using these same muscles. 

Her attitude and effort has been super.  I couldn't ask for better.  She knows it is hard for her to read, and that her distractibility interferes with her daily schedule.  She wants to be better, and that is good.  We asked for prayer at home church the other night--that she would make rapid progress in the program--and so far, I believe that prayer is being answered.  God is so faithful.

Consider each question, and write the answer that applies to your child. 

The test scores as follows:

Never-0; Seldom-1; Occasional-2; Frequent-3; Always-4

1.  Blur when looking near                                                                

2.  Double vision, doubled or overlapping words on page                  

3.  Headaches while or after doing near vision work                          

4.  Words appear to run together while reading                                 

5.  Burning, itching or watery eyes                                                     

6.  Falls asleep while reading                                                            

7.  Seeing and visual work is worse at the end of the day                  

8.  Skips or repeats lines while reading

9.  Dizziness or nausea when doing near work.

10. Head tilts or one eye is closed or covered while reading.

11. Difficulty copying from the chalkboard

12. Avoids doing near vision work such as reading.

13. Omits (drops out) small words while reading.

14. Writes up or down hill.

15. Misaligns digits or columns of numbers

16. Reading comprehension low, or declines as day wears on

17. Holds books too close, leans too close to computer screen

18. Trouble keeping attention centered on reading.

19. Poor, inconsistent performance in sports

20. Difficulty completing assignments on time

21. First response is "I can't" before trying

22. Avoids sports and games

23. Poor hand/eye coordination, such as poor handwriting

24. Does not judge distances accurately

25. Clumsy, accident prone, knocks things over

26. Does not use or plan his/her time well

27.  Does not count or make change well

28. Loses belongings and things

29. Car or motion sickness

30. Forgetful, poor memory

If your child scores between 20-24, using the scoring indicated above, they are suspect for a visual therapy evaluation, and if they are 25 or above they probably need to be referred for an evaluation.

I posted this over on Scott Sommerville's blogpage, where he requested input on "What Wives Wish Their Husband's Knew About Homeschooling".  Many times I am discontent with my husband's slow but steady ways, but when I really stopped today to evaluate what he is doing RIGHT, there were so many things.  I am very blessed.

My dh has been very supportive of homeschooling all along, attending convention with me every year, partipating in curriculum choices with me, and giving me a very generous budget to spend on homeschooling materials (considering our small income). He also acts as principal and backs me up on discipline issues. In addition, he pitches in on household tasks that I consider "my job" so that I can devote more of myself to homeschooling my children. I feel guilty about him helping out around the house, but the one thing my husband realizes is that homeschooling children (depending on how many and the method you choose) can be the same as holding a part-time, or maybe even full-time job. One of the most important things my husband does is LISTEN to me. He is a sounding board when I am having a challenge or difficulty with one of the children, or maybe just need to change direction with them. Who else would be as invested in my children's futures as their father? He cares about them and loves them as no one else could. My husband does not consider himself a "book person" who is gifted academically, but he has an excellent grasp on how to support the academic growth of his children. Even if a husband does not consider himself academically gifted, he should share what he does know with his children. My dh will take our children outside after dark and look at the stars and moon with his telescope. He also participated in a Shakespeare reading with us the other night, taking turns narrating with our daughter. This meant so much to me and to our daughter! Hopefully, the trend continues. I wish other homeschooling fathers were as supportive as my husband, but sadly many are not. If I could offer an additional suggestion, it would be that fathers need to realize that just because their wife is not up cooking a meal, or scrubbing the floor, etc., if she is writing lesson plans, previewing books, grading papers, or working on record keeping, she is still working and the work is just as valid and important as the "housework". She can also be more efficient in taking care of the "paperwork" part of homeschooling, if she can have some time alone. So, take the kids to the zoo or on a nature walk, and let your wife have some planning time! For a final suggestion, fathers can be great to have along on field trips. The kids are excited to share experiences with their father, and there are many free or inexpensive choices ranging from family camping trips to local arts festivals. Blessings! Kerri

These are questions that my doctor (Dr. Sam Oliphant in Oklahoma City) suggests you should ask a developmental optometrist to determine if they are truly qualified to evaluate and treat learning-related vision problems:

Tonight, we had one of the best evenings I can remember having as a family in a long time.  A local theater company in our area does what they call "Shakespeare in the Park" each summer, generally performing three Shakespeare works over the course of the summer months.  It is very nice, because it is outdoors (don't have to worry as much about the kids getting rowdy ), and you can bring lawn chairs and your own food and have a picnic while you watch the play.  After being invited to attend "Two Gentlemen from Verona" with some friends this coming Thursday, I decided I should read it to my kids first, so that they would have an idea of what was happening when they saw the play.  Since my children are young, we use the Lamb's Shakespeare recommended by the advisory of the Ambleside Online curriculum (www.amblesideonline.org).  Normally, we complete our readings during the day, but tonight we didn't begin this one until Daddy got home from work.  Now, my husband is not a book person, but with a little persuasion he agreed to be a willing participant in our Shakespeare reading, and even take turns narrating with our daughter.  This was an awesome experience, because he really got into the play and understood it better than he thought he would (he doesn't give himself enough credit--he is very smart).  My daughter was very motivated to listen and to narrate, because her Dad was there and took a turn at narrating too.  Since she is my only student right now (the others are too little), the burden of narrating always falls on her, and she finds it tedious, at times.  After reading halfway through the play, I stopped so that they could have some time to mull over what they heard and process it (as per Charlotte Mason's recommendation).  They were actually begging me to continue!  This was wonderful because everyone was into the play, and the TV was off (which is my idea of heaven on earth--lol).  I can't wait to finish reading the play later on in the week, and we are definitely look forward to the performance on Thursday night.

This post was something I originally sent to my Sizzlebop group, but wanted to post to my blog as well.  What is Sizzlebop?  For those of you who have children who would be more commonly called "ADD", "ADHD", or just seem to learn differently from other kids, there is a group to celebrate your children, and learn to work with them.  The group is called Sizzlebop and was started by Carol Barnier--author of How to Get Your Child Off the Refridgerator and on to Learning, and If I'm Diapering a Watermelon Then Where'd I Leave The Baby.  The group is at www.sizzlebop.com. 

The following is an exerpt of the post I sent to the group today:

This section is off topic, but something I have wanted to share with you for some time because I am confident that it is going to help my sizzlers, and I have seen other "sizzling" families be helped this way.  This week we began vision and sensory integration therapy for my oldest child--an 8yo girl.  What does this have to do with sizzlers, you may ask?  Many times the behavior characteristic of sizzlers (hyperactivity, distractibility or trouble concentrating, behavior problems, clumsiness, poor impulse control, poor handwriting, difficulty reading, difficulty copying things--especially from a blackboard, and many more) can be traced back to vision problems. 

 

When I talk about vision problems here, I do not mean eyesight.  Many kids with 20/20 eyesight still have vision problems.  Here vision problems are defined as the messages the brain receives from the eyes.  Some children have "developmental visual" problems.  In the same way some kids can be delayed in other areas such as talking or walking, doctors are discovering that many children are visually delayed or underdeveloped.  This problem can affect so many areas, and children who have these types of problems many times have sensory integration issues or SII (they will be hypersensitive to changes in sound, light, touch, taste, temperature, movement, smell, etc.), as well.  I am not an expert on these issues, but I intend to keep studying them now that I have discovered the link between them and my children's behavior. 

 

There are tests that can be performed to confirm whether or not your child has developmental visual problems and sensory integration issues.  After taking my child to see Dr. Sam Oliphant in Oklahoma City, who is a developmental optometrist (and also a Christian homeschooling father who spoke at the Oklahoma Christian Home Educators Convention last month), it was discovered that, indeed, my oldest child does have both developmental visual problems, along with the sensory integration issues.  The good news?  There is therapy that can be done for these issues that does not involve medication.  Some of the therapy is done in-office with my daughter, and some is done at home every day.  After visiting with several other homeschooling parents in my area who have gone through this therapy with their children, I heard confirming testimonies of its success with their children.  It has been life-changing for so many of these families. 

 

One of Dr. Oliphant's biggest suggestions was that most of these children need to get outside and play more, have more physical activity, do gross motor skills activities such as playing kickball, jumping on a trampoline, etc. and be trained to really observe things and use their eyes (check out Charlotte Mason education and teaching children to observe nature).  Play memory card games with them.  Have them look at a scene, close their eyes, and then try to describe it to you.  One of the biggest problems that many of these children have is that they cannot make mental pictures of things, or if they do make them, they don't retain them for very long.  This is a skill that can be practiced and learned.  Before you can expect a child to do anything--read, follow directions, handle social situations in an appropriate manner--they must be able to understand--and usually make a mental picture of what you need them to do.

 

Why does this affect reading?  If you see a word, such as "cannot", you can read it one of two ways.  One, phonetically, or two, by sight.  While phonics is a great tool, eventually readers have to get to the point where they have made a mental picture of the word and stored it in their brain, so that they don't have to "sound out" a word every time they come to it.  If they cannot do this, it will greatly impact their reading.  Many words in the English language aren't phonetic, so this poses an even greater problem.  These words must be recognized by sight, which is difficult or impossible for many of these children. 

 

Also, there are more complex issues such as eye movement (can their eyes follow the line of words properly on the page?), focusing (can their eyes stay in one place long enough to read the word?), and other eye issues that go along with the developmental visual problems.  Until the child's developmental vision is where it should be, they shouldn't even be pushed to learn to read, do copywork from a board, or anything that is not realistic given their limitations.  (It's like expecting someone with no legs to run a marathon.  Maybe they could get it done, but its just a lot harder than it should be.)  Instead, the time should be spent helping the child to develop their vision skills (see some of the suggestions above, or see what the vision therapist would recommend). 

 

One of the suggestions made to me as far as child-training was to specifically ask the child to make a mental picture of whatever you wanted them to do.  For example, if you want them to go upstairs and get the hairbrush, as you give them this instruction, pause afterwards and ask them to get a mental picture in their mind of what you are asking them to do--before sending them to do it ("Can you see yourself walking up the stairs and going into the bathroom?  Now, can you see yourself opening the drawer and removing the hairbrush?  Can you see yourself walking back downstairs and handing it to me?  Do you have the picture?  Well, good--go get it.")  .  Only give one task at a time, since these kids usually cannot get very many mental pictures at a time.  Using this technique, there is a greater chance of a positive outcome, and it usually results in less distractibility along the way. 

 

Many times this is a hereditary condition (haven't you mentioned that often one of the Sizzler's parents was also a Sizzler?), and in our case, my husband, "the Sizzler", has reading problems ("dyslexic"), is distractible, has sensory integration issues (he's especially sensitive to light and touch), and had learning and behavioral problems when he was in school.  If one of the parents or other siblings is a Sizzler, it is even more important to consider the possibility of visual or sensory integration issues.

 

For anyone interested in learning more about this, there is tons of information on the internet.  Google search "sensory integration issues" and you can read more than you ever wanted to know.  I would recommend anyone who parents a Sizzler to at least consider getting the child a developmental visual screening and possibly check them for sensory integration issues, as well.  This is usually done at a "developmental optometrist".  You may just have to call the optometrists in your area, and find out of they do this since most do not.  If they are in Oklahoma, I can highly recommend Dr. Oliphant. 

 

I hope this blesses someone else's family the way it has blessed ours.

 

We are celebrating this week.  Now that we've realized what the problem is, this is a new beginning.  I can homeschool my daughter with understanding and direction, having realistic expectations now that I understand more about her limitations.  God knew what he was doing when he gave her to me, and he has a plan for her and her life (and for me as her mother).  He is good and every good and perfect gift is from above. 

Today we are beginning vision therapy for Eenie (8yog).  It is somewhat if a stretch for our family to be able to afford this ($89 per session), but I believe it will be well worth it.  We began homeschooling 4 years ago, using the Abeka K4 program.  For this particular child, that is one of the worst choices I could have made! 

Why is that?  Well, she can read now, but she still struggles so much, she dreads it, and she is just now getting to the place where she will sit down and struggle through a few select books on her own, simply for her own enjoyment.  She is a firstborn, has a great heart, and we've discussed the importance of reading well, so she really does try hard.  It's not a matter of attitude.  But, it is so much harder for her than it should be--especially after four years of instruction. 

At our state homeschooling conference this year, I heard a developmental optometrist speak--Dr. Oliphant.  He and his wife are wonderful homeschooling parents who love the Lord.  When he began speaking about developmental visual problems, my husband and I were amazed.  We immediately recognized our daughter in his descriptions, and my dh recognized himself, as well.  (In fact, dh went to the optometrist and asked if he could do vision therapy.  Sadly, it is usually only effective for children.)  As the optometrist went on to explain, developmental visual problems have nothing to do with eyesight.  80% of the patients he treats have 20/20 or better vision.  The problem in developmental vision occurs with the messages the brain receives (or doesn't receive, in many cases) from the eyes.  To be able to read well, the brain has to be able to make pictures and store them--pictures of the actual words (so that they can be recognized the next time) and pictures of whatever is being read (whether it is talking about a butterfly and being able to make a mental picture of a butterfly). 

After having my daughter tested, we discovered that she had problems with focusing, eye movement, and thus, problems with spatial relationships.  In addition to struggling with reading, she is constantly running over people, has no concept of where her body is in relation to other things, and has no idea of time.  Again, she is a firstborn, has a great heart & attitude, and really trys to comply, so many of these problems have been minimized through diligent training and careful monitoring on my part.  But, they are still there, and it is all just harder--for both Eenie and myself--than it should have to be. 

Today, we will be testing for sensory integration issues (SII).  I am confident that we are going to find problems here, as well.  Many children with SII were very colicky (which she was), and skipped important developmental steps as children (for example, my daughter waited till 11 months to crawl, but then took off walking within a week or two).  Crawling actually helps develop many things in a child's vision that are important in later life.  Many of the reflexes that babies have (some of which we would never even recognize) are important to our developmental vision later in life. 

A lot of children with SII are diagnosed as ADD and ADHD.  They are finding that it isn't just a matter of discipline and training, but also therapy that can help these children function normally.  I have no doubt that if Eenie were in school, she would have a very difficult time concentrating and could possibly be a discipline issue for the teacher.  She definitely wouldn't learn well with the traditional textbook approach. 

Our developmental optometrist has also said that these problems can be hereditary, which means that since my husband has this, we need to watch out for it in our children.  My dh was diagnosed as dyslexic when he was younger, and still struggles to read today.  For example, he can't look at an entire word at once, and sometimes the letters jump around on the page.  He has the Bible on tape! 

So why was the Abeka a mistake for my dd?  First, until a child is developed visual to a certain point (usually around 6 or 7), you shouldn't even begin teaching them to read.  Instead, you get them outside and teach them to observe nature.  Teach them to really look at things and use their eyes.  Give them a lot of physical activity.  Throw a ball, etc.  Don't let them watch a lot of television.  Limit it or do away with it altogether.  (Sounds alot like Charlotte Mason education to me. . .)  But, I didn't do this with her.  Instead, I kept her indoors, plugging away at her letters and phonics sounds, bringing her to tears many times, and this was the worst thing I could have been doing for her especially because she had some very real problems. 

About a year and a half ago, I felt convicted to do something different in our school.  I didn't want to stand over my dd with a paddle for 12 years to beat her into doing school.  It was damaging our relationship to continue as we were.  So, I began researching and I discovered Charlotte Mason.  After praying about it, and discussing it with my dh, we made the switch and are now using Ambleside Online. 

After we switched, our relationship changed.  She was happier and seemed to have a better attitude towards school and towards me.  But, she still struggled with the reading thing. 

So, after hearing Dr. Oliphant speak at the conference, we discovered that her developmental vision, combined with my poor choice of approach to teaching her (textbook method), had been the problem all along.  After discussing with Dr. Oliphant what changes we should make to her education, he recommended the following: homeschool, if possible (check!), start working with her on really learning to observe things, especially outside in nature (check!), don't stress at this point about the phonics and reading until we get her developmental vision up to a certain level (check!), and use Math-U-See (check!). 

Wow!  So, the changes the Lord led me to make a year and a half ago, turned out to be exactly what she needed all along (only I didn't know it yet).  Isn't God good?  It was nice to have it confirmed by a doctor, and to realized that even when I don't know all the answers, that if I follow the Holy Spirit's leading, God will give me the direction and wisdom I need to homeschool my children. 

So, we are excited to be going today for the first real session, and I'm excited to see what changes God has in store for us as we go through vision therapy.  Pray that the Lord will bless our finances, so that we can continue to get treatment for our dear daughter.  God is so good!  God is so good!  God is so good!  He's so good to me.

The exerpt below was very encouraging to me, as a wife and mother striving to have the "perfect" Charlotte Mason school.  Many frustrations have grown out of accomplishing this seemingly impossible task.  This was originally posted on the CmSeries list a few weeks ago, and is reposted here with Carol's permission.  You may visit Carol's blog at www.homeschoolblogger.com/azschoolmarm/

Shanna,

Beth makes a good point when she closes her post saying that Miss
Mason didn't have to contend with the duties of housewife and mother.
This is so true as is the fact that in her schools, 6-days was the
norm.

I am reading 'The Narnian' by Alan Jacobs (a biography of CS Lewis)
and in it he shares a quite a bit about traditional English Schools
during the early part of the last century. While Lewis did not have a
CM-education, he certainly did have a classical one (or CT). I was
struck by the length of Jack's day, which began early in the am and
lasted until late at night. Jack studied history, philosophy and
literature in the am, had a break for lunch, then spent free time
until tea (usually this meant more reading or taking a long walk).
Then he studied languages after dinner until bedtime.

If you look at CM's programmes, her students did do a lot of studying
outside of that "am" period. They read in the evenings and also took
classes on Saturdays. Their days and their lives revolved around
their studies -- they did nothing else. Keep in mind that the British
school system was created for the upper class of society. I know that
CM was very sympathetic towards education for all children and I don't
mean to say that she only taught the priveledge set, but most of what
you do see in her writings is IMO characteristic of private schooling.

In my "pseudo-Victorian" homeschool, I imagine my life as follows:

All I have to do is teach my children -- I am awoken in the 7, I get
dressed and go to breakfast (which I didn't prepare). I then scuddle
the children upstairs to do their lessons. At noon, a bell rings and
down we go for lunch (again, I didn't prepare it). After lunch, we
all go out for a long (hour to hour and half) walk through our gardens
or along the river. There is no rush, no bustle, and when we are
done, I send the children off to work on handiwork or to read on their
own (I take to my correspondence or read some poetry or my favorite
novel). The bell rings and it is now time for tea (brought to us in
the parlor). The family gathers for tea time and I read out loud to
them or I have one of the older children read and then the children
take turns narrating. After tea, we do music lessons or language
lessons. A bell rings again and dinner is ready (dad is home). We
eat a leisurely meal, discuss great books and the days doings and
leave the table (with no dishes to be done). The children sit beside
the fire and we all read or work on small projects or play games.
There is no TV. Maybe one of the children recites a poem or plays a
piece of music or they re-inact some play from the day's reading for
dad. We head off to bed and get ready to start the day again
tomorrow. This same thing happens every day for six days and on
Sundays we go to church and spend the day at rest.

This is my picture of what kind of home schooling I would like. It is
not a true representation of our home school because frankly I don't
have someone to wait on me and take care of my home. I have other
demands on my time besides home schooling too (work, church, parents)
so I have to compartmentalize my day to include a little bit of
everything. We also live in the least-walk friendly place in the US
(the desert SW) so our days are spent indoors in summer. No matter how
much I desire to have a "CM-school," I have come to the understanding
that I can only attempt to create a "Carol-school." I can only make a
school that fits the parameters of my life and that takes into
consideration the specifics of our day, our home and our family. It
incorporate methods that are classical but in reality it is simply
a "shadow" of what we think of when we say "classical" or "Charlotte
Mason." It is my own version and because it is uniquely mine, it will
never match up to anyone elses, or to Miss Mason's schools.

Just to give you some comfort, our school begins at 10 and usually
finishes by 2. Some days this gets stretched out and other days we do
finish on time. We do what needs to be done and we try and keep a
fluid, natural flow to our day. We do not do timed segments and while
we do work at our own pace, we do not dawdle or allow day-dreaming.
Yes, I remind my son often and ask repeatedly "Have you finished
Latin, yet? or How is Westward Ho! coming?" But some of this is
simply habits and some is the age (a teen) so I don't mind doing it.
I am looking towards the future and am not so much concerned about
what we do today. I know that in time my son will be able to read and
study on his own and will be able to manage his time well. The little
steps we take today will make great progress over time.

~Carol H. :o)

Tonight, we went to my brother's home for dinner, and we spotted a new bird, to add to the list.  It was a red-winged blackbird.  I realize that these aren't terribly uncommon, but we had never seen one in person, and the kids and I were so excited.  We got several good glimpses of it, and even got to hear its call several times.  How fun!  Now, we'll have to go back and re-read that chapter in our Burgess Bird Book and maybe color a picture to go with it.  Yeah!

I've grown up in Oklahoma my entire life, and I remember always telling people that we only have ugly brown birds here, and nothing more.  Since we began Charlotte Mason education, I have realized my extreme ignorance and how little I have actually learned to observe and study what is around me.  And I am a highly visual person!  We bought the Birds of Oklahoma field guide by Stan Tekiela (which I highly recommend for those who live in the area), and our family has learned to identify such a wide variety of birds since we began paying attention.  The kids have enjoyed this so much that we had to invest in another pair of binoculars!  In fact, the Birds of Oklahoma book, which was a Christmas present for me, is almost worn out.  Too bad it doesn't come in a hardback.  We also went through the Burgess Bird Book for Children this year, and now my children are acting out the stories pretending to be Jenny Wren and Peter Rabbit.  My three-year old has memorized the Robert Louis Stevenson poem which goes right along with our studies "Time To Rise":

A birdie with a yellow bill

Hopped up on the window sill

Cocked his shining eye and said

Ain't you shamed you sleepy head.

 

My one year old does the motions to the poem where she shakes her finger at the naughty person who is staying in bed.  My eight year old has enjoyed the birds as well, and the kids are always reminding me to check the birdfeeders, so that we can be sure to attract all of the different species that we can.  We live in a very crowded neighborhood backing up to a noisy carwash, and even under these conditions we have spotted over 20 varieties of birds.  This week we even saw our Oklahoma state bird--the scissortail flycatcher.  After we spot a new bird, the kids always beg to go to the e-nature website (www.enature.com) so that we can listen to the birdcalls.  They want to learn to recognize each bird by the call alone.  Last week, at our lakehouse, we saw wild turkeys.  The kids were so excited they wanted to come back and read all about them.  It is amazing how many Scriptures refer to birds and their different characteristics.  We studied the various bird scriptures a couple of months ago, and knowing about birds really gives us a deeper insight into these verses.  Thank you Charlotte Mason for teaching me and my children to open our eyes, and helping us enjoy the beautiful world that God has created. 

Since we began our homeschooling journey four years ago, every year something major has happened to disrupt school.  I have either given birth, or been sick/pregnant with child, my husband has had medical issues, my mother has had medical issues, etc.  Last fall, dh was ill for several months followed by Mom, so school went to the back burner for about three months while the kids and I travelled back and forth to the hospital every day.  When my oldest was younger, that didn't bother me as much, but she is 8 now, so I feel more pressure to make sure that I'm doing what I should be with her.  Now I'm trying to make up for lost time by schooling during the summer, yet my both the children and myself long to be outdoors, rather than "doing school".  (I know I could take the books outside, but even then, their attention would be elsewhere, which would be pointless.)  For us, school only lasts a couple of hours, tops, but it seems that we dread even the short time we have to stop and dedicate to school.  Maybe its just spring fever (or actually, summer fever by now ).  I'm prayerfully considering whether to drop "school", use a lighter schedule/version of school, or scrap it altogether.  I would love for my oldest to be ready to start "3rd grade" next fall, and I feel a burden to prove my "180 days" of formal learning, even though we don't really have any record keeping requirements in Oklahoma.  Fortunately, dd doesn't yet realize the difference, so it is really up to the principal ("Daddy") and the teacher ("Mommy").  She has just now realized that other kids don't have to do school in the summer!  Yet, if I drop school for the summer, what will happen next to interrupt our schedule?  Maybe its best to continue while we can, yet I don't want to blow my children's entire childhoods on school and medical emergencies, and forfeit those lazy days of playing and just enjoying one another.  God grant me the wisdom to raise my children for your glory.  Direct my steps and shine your light on my pathway, making my steps firm and sure, in Jesus Name.