I am sooo ready...

I am sooo ready to start teaching again. I told Greg that I felt as if the past week we have all been so disconnected. I feel like we have been going 100 miles an hour on our "vacation". Since we have had virtually no schedule the kids have been staying up later, watching more movies, going here & there with other people, getting a ton of gifts and arguing more. I am ready for a schedule, discussion, accomplishing "something" during the day. The kids were even asking when we were going to begin. We are going to begin on Monday.

Christmas was great. We got to spend time with my Mom, my Mother-in-Law & my brother and his family from Tennessee. One of the coolest things that we got to be a part of was Christmas Eve at our house. We invited our church, our family & some friends over to the house. We had tons of food, we sang carols and read some passages together. We had a really great time together. I am already looking forward to next year.

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

We have truly been blessed. There are several things that jump to the fore front of my mind as I think about the fleeting year.

1. I am glad that I have home schooled this past year. I am glad that I did not let the fear of the unknown overwhelm me.

2. I am glad that my 2 year old and 3 year old have been at St. Paul's during the day. We have seen significant growth in Lucy Grace since she began there last year. I think that it is so helpful for there to be more than just my eyes evaluating & teaching my children.

3. I am glad that we went to plays & performances together as a family.

4. I am glad that we have made a conscious effort to begin family worship and that Bible is not a "subject" but rather the Story that bleeds through all discussions and subjects.

5. I am glad that I have started learning history and that my girls have developed a passion for it also.

6. I am glad that I re-visited the idea of a private school for the girls. It was good for me to feel unsettled.

7. I am glad that we didn't have to "sign out" when our family decided to go to Waco and see friends for a couple of days.

8. I am glad that my kids appreciate a good cup of coffee. :) (decaf, of course.)

9. I am glad that we have met and become friends with other multi-racial families.

10. I am glad that I have friends to talk to who assure me that their kids are are going through the same "phase" that mine are. :)

God has been good to us.

Happy Holidays.

So it has been a while since I have posted. The chaos that accompanies the joy of the holiday season has certainly blown through the Fields' Estate and we are trying to maintain our balance.

I have experienced, what I would consider to be, one of the negatives of home schooling. We had a semi-crisis situation last week, where my baby, Zoe, had to get stitches. It was about 10 a.m. We had decided to take our studies on the road so we were heading to Starbucks to hit the books for a couple of hours...when the phone rang. Greg was on the line telling me that Zoe had cut her finger at Mother's Day Out and they could not get it to stop bleeding. The ironic thing was that the cut was more like a scratch. Nothing very deep or wide. We went to the doctor's office and wound up leaving with stitches and another appointment to test for a platelet abnormality. It was still bleeding after an hour! The negative that I spoke of concerning homeschooling has to do with the fact that the older girls accomplished absolutely nothing, as far as textbook "work" goes. Abby apparently thought that she was filming a documentary for Discovery Health based on the number of questions that she asked the doctor and the lack of personal space that she allowed anyone in the office, for fear that she might miss a shot or a stitch. I also found it difficult to manage the older ones, knowing that if I were following the societal norm - they would have been in school...and not in a tiny, hot, over-crowded doctor's office. :) I know that that is a mental "game" that I am going to have to not "walk through" every time something difficult happens. I in no way begrudge my children or their presence because of choices that we have made for them. It's just the raw fact that I don't want to deal with them when I feel that I have a more pressing "concern". This definitely reveals a lot about me and where I am in this process called parenting.

I have decided that I am going to have both of the kiddos tested in August before starting the new school year. (Achievement and IQ) I want to do this and my friend, Amanda has offered her services in this arena. I am also going to have them take the TAKS test for assessment...just for my own curiosity.

This week, my high school football team went to their first playoff game. They were sadly defeated. However, I felt that feeling of "connection". I got a call from a friend asking if I wanted to "meet up with everyone at the game?" I loved feeling a part of that and reliving in my mind all of the fun times that are a scrapbook collage of who I am today. I thought, "I want my girls to have these type of memories and feelings." I hope that they feel Fall and can smell Spring. I want them to remember the scent of room temperature chocolate milk that permeates the hallway that they walk 305 days of the year. I want them to taste public school tater tots and I want them to throw up in home room. I also want them to know the difference between virginity and purity, "home centered-ness" and feminism, living and Life. I want them to not always want to "leave the house" to go "do something fun". I want them to "be ready" to go away to college, not just 18 years old. I am not pinning all of these ideas against each one another, this is just how my mind works. One can obviously know the taste of public school tater tots and come from a very connected family.

I hope that we are making the right decision in staying the course that we are on. I see great benefits yet I often struggle with parental guilt and doubt. I have seen good fruit from this past year. I think, thus far, that the pros outweigh the cons, for our family. However, we all know how quickly & subtly the direction of the wind can change. I pray that I am flexible...not concerned with being "right" or "wrong", rather, listening to the Voice "saying, this is the way- walk in it."

The Home Schooler's Wish List

http://www.momisteaching.com/the-homeschoolers-wishlist/

My friend, Kristen, sent me this link. It is really funny. True and funny. My favorite are:

4. Don’t assume that every homeschooler you meet is homeschooling for the same reasons and in the same way as that one homeschooler you know.

5. If that homeschooler you know is actually someone you saw on TV, either on the news or on a “reality” show, the above goes double.


That's really good.

Things I like.

I have been thinking about this for a while. The reason that I started this blog was because I had a very difficult time finding anything on the "personal process" of homeschooling. I want to tell you about a couple of things that have really helped ME in teaching...and surviving this first year.

1. The iPod has been my greatest discovery. Greg bought this for me...and little did I know that it would be put to such great use. I down loaded a multiplication cd, all of their poetry memorization, Aesop's Fables, iTunes has numerous kids audio books for free, Abby's Latin Cd, etc. They take turns listening, practicing & reviewing with this at least once a day. This has been a great investment. They think that the iPod is cool. They know that it is a privilege to use my iPod so they look forward to this time.

2. iTunes - as I referenced above, iTunes is loaded with numerous resources. Free audio books, educational songs, etc. I know that you can purchase most of these fun, learning songs at the teacher's store, however, I can not always get to the teacher's store. This has been a great tool.

3. The Rod & Staff "Stories About God's People" - I LOVE THIS! There have been several parents tell me that they do not like this reader because it is all Bible. The stories are just that...stories. They take the Biblical passage and put it in an age appropriate "reader" form. It has been great for us. The reading workbook has the student interacting with the vocabulary, phonetic pronunciation symbols, inferences...etc., before and after the story. I have noticed that since we have started this curriculum, Abby's ability to stay focused on one subject has increased significantly. She is also learning "the Story" of the Bible. Since I do not want her to view the Bible as only a "subject" that we "do"...I like to "do" reading, using the Bible. We also go to the library and stock up on books, on anything she wants to read, every two weeks at least. We, of coarse, read to Ellie...and Abby, too.

4. Story of The World- This history curriculum is my all time favorite! This combines reading, story-telling, map work, narration, coloring pages & projects. In all honesty, if we do history, I feel like I have accomplished enough. This truly facilitates discussion and subject integration.

'Hope these are helpful. If you have a good resource or link - post it as a comment.

Another First...

Zoe had to have tubes put in her ears and her adenoids taken out yesterday. This was a first for me. I had heard several of my friends talk about their kiddos having to have this done and how emotional they became when it was time to "have them wheeled away". I guess i never really thought that it was that big of a deal. It was, however, really difficult. I guess just knowing that they were being placed in someone else's hands. We all survived and hopefully we will all sleep better now that Zoe is out of pain and can breath.

By the way, she was the cutest kid there.

While we were there, Lucy Grace was at her school and Abby & Ellie went over to Christy's. Since she homeschools her children, I just sent their books and assignments and they were good to go. Abby's free writing prompt said, "One person can make a difference. The difference can lead to changes in the world! If you could change one thing to make the world a better place what would it be?"
So...Abby writes, "I would make everybody believe in Jesus. It would make the world a better place. It would be better because everybody would go to church. Everybody would be a Christian. There would be peace."
Christy said that Luke looked up and said, "You can't make everyone believe in Jesus...that would be a dictatorship!".
Yes, he is in 2nd grade and he is brilliant.

I am feeling restful. We have become more settled in our home schooling and I feel at this point that it will be long term. The more that I read and the longer that I am with the girls I am feeling like we are "gelling". I feel like we are starting to get in our groove and are starting to enjoy the "process" and the experiences. I do think that I am going to continue school even through the summer. I am going to get a couple more supplements that will "firm up" some of the second grade skills that we are a little shaky on. My plan is to take a week off at the beginning of summer and a week off when we are at the beach, and continue the rest of the time. We had to spend so much time going back over what we had learned last year, at the beginning of this year, that I just don't see the benefit in breaking.

I love that I am running into more and more people, that i feel like we connect with, who are homeschooling. We need these connections. We are so social and it helps to meet people who we all enjoy spending time with.

I just realized...

I have just began reading this book. I am really loving it already! One of the stats that I was truly "feeling" about a year ago is from Christian Smith and his research team at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
"Our research suggest that religious congregations are losing out to school and the media for the time and attention of youth. When it comes to the formation of the lives of youth, viewed sociologically, faith communities typically get a very small seat at the end of the table for a very limited period of time. The youth-formation table is dominated structurally by more powerful and vocal actors. Hence most teens know details about television characters and pop stars, but many are quite vague about Moses and Jesus. Most youth are well versed about the dangers of drunk driving, AIDS, and drugs, but many haven't a clue about their own tradition's core ideas. Many parents also clearly prioritize homework and sports over church or youth group attendance."

As a result, "The majority of American teenagers appear to espouse rather inclusive, pluralistic, and individualistic views about religious truth, identity boundaries, and the need for religious congregation."

"According to researchers, between 70-88% of Christian teens are leaving the church by their second year in college." (T.C. Pinkney, Report to the Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee, 9-2001; & Report of the Southern Baptist Council on Family Life, 2002)

Greg and I were talking last night and he basically said, "If a house is collapsing- you don't slow everyone down and say, "Let's take our time getting out."

There is a problem with American Christianity and the lives of "Christian" families. Obviously, I am not saying that we abandon our faith...because it is our life...our bloodline. What I am saying, and what I feel like Dr.Baucham is going to lay out in his book is- We have abandoned our faith...We must RETURN. We must indoctrinate our children. We must use our time, the time that He has given them to us, our "going out & our coming in", our eating, our walking, our drinking, our days and our nights- to teach them that He is all of life. In everything- that He is.

All of our "subjects" should find their place in Him. All of eating and drinking should find its place in Him. All of our laughter, our dreaming, our arguing and our resolution should sit securely in Him.

I was reflecting tonight. I dropped Ellie off at dance, ran to Blockbuster and Super One...and then jetted back to dance- all in 40 minutes! I thought of how quickly time flies. In fact, the Bible says that our lives are like a vapor. Woody used to say that "it amazed him how someone could die- and the world would just kept going."
It's so quick. I was thinking about the last 3 years of my life. We adopted two babies, finished a Master's Degree, moved to a new town and a new congregation, had surgery, started a school, withdrew from a school- and started home schooling. I could not believe that it had been almost a year since I began home schooling.
I am so glad that I am here today.

I am happy when I look back over the year.

I do not have a degree in Chemistry, English or Art. I struggle with Science and Fractions. I am not the most disciplined person in the World. But I love my kids more than anyone on the Planet loves them. For some reason, The God of the Universe created me to have them. I am clumsy and unorganized. I cannot skip and I have arthritis. I am horrible at planning experiments and I hate interactive games...but I care more about the souls of my children than Billy Graham could on his best day.

I know that I am fallible and human. I am deeply aware of my sin and misery. I fear that I am not enough...but I love them so stinkin' much that if I am going to fail at something I don't want it to be this- That I did not try with all of my energy, with every hour of my day, to point them continually to the place where True life is found- Christ.

I will never do it perfectly- but I must strive, and work and labor to point them always to Him. To teach them about our heritage and traditions. To show them that our lives are part of the bigger Story.

What a challenge!

What a joy!

Dallas Black Theater -"Dance Africa"

Unfortunately, we were unable to take any pictures in The Majestic Theater. However, a photo truly would not have captured an ounce of the energy that was present. If you have a Black Dance Company in your town, I would definitely recommend buying tickets to Dance Africa.

The girls had been looking forward to this for months and it did not let them down. My mom went with us. There was not a very large crowd, however, the Ugandan Troop that performed was not hindered in the strength of their dance. I told Abby during the first dance to observe how the guys & girls used every part of their body. When they stomped, it was literally the loudest, strongest stomp that I had ever witnessed. I almost wept at one part strictly because of how powerful it was.

After the performance, we decided to stop and eat at The HUGE, new Bass Pro Shop...which we laughed about because the girls looked so cute in their skirts and we were going to eat in the "hunting and fishing zone"...but we had not been there yet. The girls were so excited. Besides the food being great, they have about 10 huge boats and yachts in the store that the kids can just crawl all over and have fun.

The day was great. It was another tally mark in the home school camp. In the state of Texas, homeschooling is considered a private education. The great thing about this classification is that it provides us the opportunity to attend many great performances, during the day, at a student matinee price. This might be something for you to check on in your area. For example, tickets to Dance Africa were $35-$55. When I called the dance company I told them that I was interested in bringing students to a performance and was wondering if they offered a special price. They asked me for the name of my school and I told them that I home schooled. They said that they needed to put a "name" in the computer to reserve the seats -so they used my last name and tagged Academy to it. Our tickets were $5 each and we were had the best seats in the house.

I'm a Big kid, now!!! Potty training COMPLETE!!!

Adoption & The Gospel

"Stigma is never a reason not to do something that is biblical."
-Dr. Voddie Baucham

Great Audio :
http://www.callingfortruth.org/cft/content/view/532/10/

If for some reason the link does not work...it is the Thursday, Oct 18, 2007 National Adoption Awareness Broadcast with Voddie Baaucham that you are looking for.

Contentment

I have not posted recently. I have debated as to whether or not I was going to detail all that I had been feeling over the past several weeks. I really do not want to...however, I think that it will be helpful to other people who are homeschooling or are considering homeschooling.

We have been under a lot of stress the past several months...and as a result, I have not been as focused as I should've been on "formal education." Don't get me wrong...we have set down everyday and accomplished the "list" of Math, Reading, English and maybe an "extra" every day or two...but I have been a million miles away. Very distracted.

I hit a wall about a week ago. I decided to go and interview a school. I felt like it was the right thing to do...until the night before.

I had gone in to put Abby to bed and she was talking about the "interview". As she began to talk I thought, "I really want her to be content whether she is with me or at a school." She told me that she wanted to "go to a school because she likes to carry her back pack." Which I completely understand because backpacks are my weakness. I told her that "I really wanted her heart to desire what ever God wanted for her." Then I said, "Abby, do you trust me?" and she said, "Yes...I'm just scared that you will say no." Which completely made me sad. I was on my knees beside her bed and I looked a little more closely into her eyes and I said, "I might...but I need you to trust me." When I prayed with her that night I prayed that the Lord would help her heart to be turned toward His and that she would desire what He wanted for her. I was crying while I prayed for her. I prayed that she would know that we are trying to make the right choices for her.

Well, we went to the interview...and we knew in about 5 minutes that the school was not a good fit. But more importantly, I knew that the issue was with me. I knew that I had been the one with the contentment issue. I knew that I had been the one wondering if I was doing enough or if she was going to be "ok". I knew that the stupidest thing that I could've done was to let my circumstances dictate my decision making. #1 - Why am I allowing myself to be stressed out over things that I have ABSOLUTELY NO control over? #2 - Why am I being distracted from the one thing that I do have control over? #3 - Why am I not trusting the way I should?

So...back home to tell Abby.

You know, she didn't take it as bad as I thought that she would. We actually had one of those conversations that made me say, "This is working." And today...we're back to, "Mommy, I love homeschooling!"

So, all of that to say, it can feel over whelming, and it may not be for everybody...but it is for us...today.

JDRF Walk

Today, I took the two older girls to The Juvenile Diabetes Walk. We walked for Sam Millard & Skye Matlock on the "Sam & Skye Walkers" Team. It was great! I am so glad that we had the opportunity to participate.

So...

The results are in. 58% of you feel that you would not be an effective teacher to your children. 38% of you are scared that your children will be nerds if you home school them. There you have it. None of that is scientific or researched based...just feeling and fears.

I have not blogged in a while strictly because our "readjustment" period has been rough. There have been several days when I have toyed with the idea of putting the 2 oldest in school. My third daughter is in pre-school so that would leave me and Zoe home to face the day alone. That is a very calming idea to me. Even as I sit here amidst an unmade bed, 2 piles of laundry and what feels like numerous unfinished task, I think that I could probably make a lot of "headway" if it were just me and 1 child at the house.

However, I still feel that home schooling is the best option for our family today. I have been talking alot with the girls about wisdom. I love Proverbs 1:8-10. We have been reading this in the mornings and discussing it.

"Hear, my son, your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching; Indeed, they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck. My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent."

The rest of the chapter is contrasting the difference between Wisdom and Simple mindedness. This is truly on of the reasons that I love not having to rush in the mornings, because we get to discuss the Scriptures, which we consider to be Holy.

I have found myself wishing that we had a Classical School here because I DO feel that their education would be a little more "rounded".

A friend and I had a discussion today about a mom who had home schooled her kids until high school and then put them into a corporate system. (I do not think that it matters if it is public or private.) When my friend asked 'how the kids did when they were put in' the mom responded by saying, "Great! They were cheerleaders and one was voted Most Popular..." etc.

My friend said that that bothered her because the mom spoke only of "social" accomplishments that the kids had made.

Now, before everyone slams her for being frustrated with the mom, let me explain. The reasons for home schooling are as diverse as the people who home school. One may home school for educational reasons, one for socio-economic reasons and another for heart reasons.

I choose the latter. The main reason, not the only reason,and I know that I am coming out of the closet here...is so I can "shepherd their hearts". Now, I know that many of my friends that read this blog are not Christians and might think that I am being a "retreatist"...I feel, however, that I am attempting to be consistent. Consistent with what I would define my primary role as a parent-Christian to be. This is one reason why I am not a fan of prayer in school. I do not want anyone, with a differing view of Christ, indoctrinating my child. It is my right, my role and my responsibility to train my kids in worship. I do not want my kids to grow up and be "moral behaviorist". I want them to live as true worshipers. I feel compelled to say that I, personally, do not believe that the only way to "get to this end" is through Home Schooling. A person's heart is with them wherever they go and I have met some home schooled kids whose hearts were far away from the Lord. Likewise, I have met some kids in the public & private "arenas" whose hearts are truly obedient. So, with that said, I think that right now, I am still on the same track...next year, we'll see.

I am wondering, and I welcome the input, even from people who do not share my views, if...what is best for one child is necessarily what is best for the whole family?

If I think that Home Schooling is what is best for my children then is that what is best for our family as a whole? What if there is a mom who loves homeschooling, does a good job at it, yet is neglectful with the house. Say- she can't stay on top of the laundry, dishes and kid's bedrooms but the kids have had a great day doing school. Maybe she has a difficult time getting to the grocery store because there is a massive chunk of time being eaten away with home schooling.

I know that different people have opposing ideas about roles and responsibilities in the home...I would love to hear some voices on this.

Life as we know it...

So...these pics are out of order...but here's the story -

Zoe started Mother's Day Out...She was not a happy camper! However, the teacher called me at 10 am and said that they had been talking about shapes and Zoe was walking around saying, "white octagon". She had a great time and made several new friends.

Lucy Grace has started wearing Big Girl panties and is very proud! She hasn't made it all day yet...but is doing really well thus far.

The day ended with Zoe in her bed and Lucy Grace in the bath. I went into the kitchen and noticed that it was very quiet. Well, Zoe decided that she wanted a bath, too.

Homeshooling is starting to get back on track. As you know, it takes a good month to establish a routine...and we are about to begin week 3. Greg started Latin & Philosophy with Abby last night and she LOVED it! She thinks that Philosophy is fun and she kept saying, "Ask me another question." This Philosophy course is designed for K-3rd graders. I'll find the link for it and post it soon.

Ellie is writing her numbers 1-10. Her handwriting is really good for her age. She is practicing her letters diligently and seems to really like school. She loves Math and numbers. She and Abby are going to start memorizing a poem together this week...that should be interesting.

Abby turns 8 tomorrow. WOW! One more set of "that" and she'll be driving. I cannot believe how fast it has come. I was telling my mom tonight that I distinctly remember my 8th birthday. She & my Uncle David took me & my brother, Kyle, to Six Flags. The coolest part though, was that Chuck Berry was performing. That is a great memory. They didn't tell me that we were going to Six Flags until we were turning into the parking lot. I remember my mom turning around and smiling at me from the passenger's seat.

One day my daughter will look back on her 8th birthday...I hope she feels what I feel. I hope that she knows that she is not a burden but a joy. I hope that she remembers the strawberry cake with an "8" made from mini-marshmallows...and smiles. I hope that she thinks about High School Musical and shakes her head. I hope that she remembers skating, her friends, American Girls &...Mom.

Things can only get better...

We've had a rough start getting back in the groove of school. We have been faithful to get our work done an we are still having to review in Math...which I guess is normal for the first couple of weeks. We are working very hard to remember Math rules and "quick math" facts. Abby is a smart girl so I know that it will all come together. I have been pretty frustrated with myself lately. I feel like I am still learning how to communicate with my child. I am constantly "hitting a wall" because I am not explaining rules and ideas as clearly as I could....and just to be honest, I feel like my tone makes her feel "stupid". I do not want to sound that way, or communicate that. I have been trying to verbalize to her that I am frustrated with myself for getting frustrated with her. She takes after me so much. She handles language based subjects fantastic...but start using numbers and she is ready to shut down. This morning, around 9, we were both at the table crying...because we were frustrated with each other. We talked and then I pulled her over close to me...we prayed together and then I went and made us a cup of coffee. We finished the day successfully...all the work done- and we're o.k.!

Ellie has been doing great. She ask me everyday, "Mommy, will you teach me to read today?" She doesn't understand that that is what I am doing in her Phonics Lessons. I thought that I would share what I do with Ellie on a typical day (for the last 2 weeks) Around noon, shortly after lunch, I have finished working with Abby, so she reads, plays on the laptop, or colors....and I work with Ellie by herself. We are using The Phonics Museum from Veritas Press and it is great. It is super user friendly and it goes step by step. The cool thing about about this is that it is "set" in an Art Museum. So as the kids look at different pieces of Classic Art they learn the sound that the phoneme makes. For example: For the Letter A they are shown a painting called Apple Harvest. (A-A-Apple,M-M-Mummy) There is an audio CD that we sing with everyday and they color a picture of every master piece that they study. It is a K-1st grade curriculum. So, we work on our Phonics, do what ever letter mazes (tracing letters), writing, coloring, etc.- all that we are instructed to do. We usually spend about 40 minutes on this. Then we work on writing numbers, counting to 50, and we do about 2 worksheets out of a K math book. Today we read, "Oh Say, Can You Say" & "The Cat in the Hat". It took maybe an hour & a half. She played the rest of the day.
All in all, everything is as expected! Lucy Grace is still going to preschool everyday, which she LOVES...and Zoe will start Mother's Day Out tomorrow. I am a little nervous about leaving her...but the church is just down the street.
We went to the Planetarium on Friday, and we will be going to a Greek Festival in a couple of weeks. The thing that I am most excited about is that I got tickets for me, Abby, Ellie & my mom to go see The Dallas Black Dance Company perform: Dance Africa. A company from Uganda will be there along with drummers and 2 local companies. I think that A & E will love it! I really want them to be exposed to more this year. The Planetarium, The Greek Festival, Dance Africa...
oh, and....
BOO! at the Zoo....The Dallas Zoo...that's just a freebie!!

Just a quick note...

I have recently had a question floating around in my head. I want to turn this into a suggestion. I think that when the time comes for your child to begin school...that you should research all of the options. I have had several people tell me that "they could never home school". I have often wanted to follow that statement with several questions.
(1).Have you considered asking a home school parent if you can observe them for the morning? This way, your "ideas" about what it looks like can be reigned in a little and brought back to reality.Personally, I would observe several. Most people say,"I could never do that", without ever defining what "that" is.
(2). Did the thought of "parenting" not scare you to death when you thought about having kids? You learn as you go...(and you go to conferences and read books to learn how to do it "better".)
(3).Do you know where your child's private or public school teacher went to college, how well they did on their testing to be able to teach your child?
Just some questions to get you thinking a little in this direction. I just hate to hear people critique a structure that they have never looked in to...have never researched...or never observed. When I hear an individual do this, it makes me want to keep my mouth shut about everything so as to avoid appearing closed minded and ignorant.

If anyone is interested...

There is a great audio lecture by Peter Baur on Classical Christian Education. Click HERE and then click on Peter Baur in the right side bar. It's 45 minutes. I lisened to it while I was cleaning the kitchen.

It's time to write.

School will begin Monday. I have been wanting to sit and prepare for the past 2 weeks, however, life has swept over us and prevented us from rest and reflection.
Our friends from Waco, Daniel & Leeann gave birth to their second son, Nathaniel, last week. He was delivered at 20 weeks and died shortly after birth. Several days later, the funeral took place. I guess, since I have never seen a baby as small as this little guy, I was gripped by his presence. He looked like his Dad.
After returning, I received a phone call from my dad's cousin, who is now in her 70's. She and her husband were missionaries in Japan for over 30 years. Their health is deteriorating and they are beginning to "clean out" and disperse many things. I drove over to Richardson on Thursday morning and came back with 5 boxes of their belongings.
I told Greg that I feel "very aware of my own mortality" after this week. I feel like a sponge that has been lifted from warm, soapy water and squeezed dry...left to bake in the sun. I'm just tired.
All of this...makes me want to be a better mother. It makes me want to really invest in the girls. It makes me want to be a better wife. It makes me want to be a better friend. Greg and I have been talking about how the girls are getting to an age where they will "remember" things. They know if we are blowing them off. They know if we aren't listening. They know if we would rather be "doing something else". I do not want to be a stay at home mom that is "unavailable" or "checked out" to her children. I am glad about the timing of this realization. I am glad that school is about to start and a new year is unfolding and that I am feeling "soft". I truly want to LIVE.
I am going do lesson plans for the week tonight.
Ellie is super excited about learning to read and Abby is excited about writing in cursive. They both started Ballet last week and LOVE it. Lucy Grace is excited about staying in Ms. Hannah's class another year and Zoe is happy about "playing" at Mother's Day Out. (That will really make me cry- she's the baby!) Greg is excited about not working 2 jobs anymore and focusing on the church full time. I am excited that Starbucks will be opening in a week.
This next school year will hold many new challenges. Abby will turn 8, Lucy Grace- 3 & Zoe- 2 ! Oh, and Greg 36. We will start school, have a High School Musical Party, buy Halloween costumes and see The Lion King while it's in Dallas. We will have new discussions, Ellie will start taking Communion, and the weather will change.
We will live, cry & grow.
We will eat fish sticks, mini corn dogs and PEZ.
We will laugh, spank, sit in time out and take naps.
We will wear turtle necks that are too tight, coats that are too scratchy and jeans that are too short.
We will love each other deeply...so much that it hurts, invigorates and pushes us to be better.

My Big Girls

Okay, so we didn't cut it into fours.

So glad I had my camera!

Life is good!

Busted...

The face of the guilty party has been "smeared" for her own protection. Notice the empty armoir in the back ground...it wasn't empty this morning...it wasn't empty at noon... EVERYTHING was emptied from it at 3:30. (That's exactly 1/2 an hour after pre-school ends.)

Happy 35th to me!

Yes- the next "Big One" is 40.
We went to a great cafe with Jamie & Tonya...Believe it or not, it's in Emory, Texas!

"Us 4 and no more."

"Wook at ME!"

Green Popsicle

The Eye of the Beholder

New Glasses

"The Study"...in progress.

these are all sideways...i tried my best and obviously i do not know how to "crop and rotate"!

9:30 is finally here...

I am keenly aware of just how long it has been since i have posted. i will say that tonight when the last two children were in bed, i sat the KIT, American Girl doll book down, prayed with them, did nose kisses with one and butterfly kisses with the other, i walked out of the room, praying that no one would say "Mommy!". As the door was closing I said, "Man, I thought today would never end."

The past two nights we have been up with Zoe. There is a virus going around so I am not sure if she is running a fever due to that or if she is sick because her "dracula" teeth (as Greg affectionatly refers to them) are coming in. So...we've been up between 1 & 3 the past two mornings doing everything we can to get her to go back to sleep!

I have definitely noticed that my kids are overly-hyper this summer. I blame all of the activities for this. We are definitely VBS "circut" attenders. The kids are loving the interaction, songs, crafts & snacks! They have been to 3 this summer...go ahead and talk about me -I do not care. They have been to swimming lessons and will go to Level 2 lessons this next week. They have watched 567 movies, eaten 72 bags of popcorn, swam in the now deceased "new" summer swimming pool, ran through the sprinklers and been in a parade. They have stayed up past their bed time, refused after numerous attempts to clean their room, gone on a vacation to the beach and gotten a dog!

I am so ready for school to start!

Getting Ready

This past week I walked into our Study...which, by the way, should not be called "The Study"...it should be called The TV room. We do not have cable, however, we have alot of movies and we keep Blockbuster Online in business. So...I walked into the Study and noticed that all of the new school curriculum was stacked against the wall, laying on the floor, turned sideways in one of the two small bookcases that are in there. We also have 3 Rubbermaid containers stacked full of DVDs and videos. So, Greg and I decided to start checking on bookcases. I looked at iKea first and then checked some other places that usually have reasonable prices. After looking for what we need with 4 kids, all of my husband's books and all the stuff on the floor, we decided to have a builder friend of ours come over and give us a bid on "built-ins", floor to ceiling. It came out to be a better deal! So, on Friday night we were up until 2 a.m. painting the TV room...which will soon be an actual Study. It will be finished in a couple of weeks...brought over in pieces, and attached to the wall. i am SUPER excited to say the least. I have got to be organized this year with 2 kiddos being homeschooled. I am nervous about this. The idea of teaching Ellie to read scares me...and trying to keep everyone's study schedule organized is going to be a challenge.
Lucy Grace had to get glasses this week. The Dr. said that she is far-sighted in one eye. She is really cute with her "new eyes"...i'll try to post pics of her, the Study & other interesting occurances around The Fields' House.

Question 2a & 2b

2a. What is the goal of parenting?

2b. (For Christian Parents) - What specifics are involved in "shepherding your child's heart"?

Summer has officially begun

The great thing about last week's vacation was that we did not even know what time it was. The first night that we were at the beach we were sitting at dinner about to order and realized that it was after 8p.m.. That's a biggie because our two little ones usually are in bed around 7. Everyone did great and everyone loved the water. Our house is still in disarray after a 4 day vacation- with luggage for 6...but it was well worth it.

The new news is that we finally got another male in the house. His name is Chipper and he is a 5 year old chocolate lab. He is a great dog. The kids are doing great with him and for the most part he just lays around on the cool floor. We got him from Amy. The girls are already in love with him and I must say have done a great job taking him out, brushing him and not letting him get a minute of sleep. "Chipper, Chipper, Where's Chipper? Come here, Chipper." I'm probably going to hear that phrase in my sleep for the next couple of weeks.

I have, after several conversations with friends and aquaintances about homeschooling, decided to post some questions that I hope will be helpful in "thinking" through "how to best educate your child." They are strictly "leading" questions to "help stir the pot." Your answers to these questions do not need to be posted on my blog, however, you can if you like. They are more for you to answer, with your family. So...here is the first of many to come.

What is the goal of education? or What is education for?

I survived semester 1 !!!

I have been ordering new material, trying to finish existing material and praying for rest. I must say I have hit a wall with fatigue. Many of you know that I have Rheumatoid Arthritis...well, I think it is rearing it's head this month. I have had some medicine mis-haps and alot of aches. But- life goes on and so must Mom & Dad.

We finished out the last day of school, not with history or much needed math...but with Abby deciding that she wanted to write a book. We discussed it a little. We went to eat lunch at the Chinese place here in town and she discussed it with her friend, Evyn. She talked to Evyn about illustrating it, however, when we got home, she hijacked the whole thing and did it herself.

I must say, "It is a great little book." She used thesaurus.com to grab a couple of words, came up with all of the dialogue and i helped her color. She titled the book CHECKERED HILL.

She asked me if she could set up a "stand" in the front yard and sell her books. Now, let me be honest. I'm really not a good mom. I HATE doing things like this. Then she said, "I could sell my books and give the money to Jordan (her cousin) for her mission trip." What could I say?

So, out we went in the 500 degree heat to set up a "book stand". No kidding the first car that turned the corner bought a book. Several cars stopped and our friends sent some people over. All in all it was great. Our local paper came by and took a picture of her book and interviewed her...which was really cool.

Her first page reads, "Checkered Hill was an amazing town- in every way but one. The entire town was turned upside down."

If that peaks your interest and you want to buy one...I am sure that it will be available for purchase on Amazon.com in 10 or so years.

Now to the part of the post that I have been thinking about for the past several weeks. Someone mentioned in a casual conversation, that I over heard, that they "would not recommend homeschooling because home schooled kids are not very intelligent." I am using the word "casual" to describe the conversation because this person obviously did NO formal research.

"Research presented at the National Christian Home Educators Leadership Conference divulged that home school graduates far exceeded their public and private school counterparts in college by ranking the highest in 42 of 63 indicators of collegiate success. They were also ranked as being superior in four out of five achievement categories, including socialization, as they were assessed as being the most charismatic and influential."


"The median home school student in third grade out- performs 81% of the third graders nationwide."

"GES scores indicate the performance levels of home school students in terms of student grade placement nationwide. The median composite scaled score for fourth-grade home school students, for example, is 217. This is comparable to the median score expected of students nationwide in the ninth month of fifth grade. Compared to students nationwide, the median fourth-grade home school student test performance is 1.1 grade equivalents above his public/private school peers. By 8th grade, the median performance of home school students on the ITBS/TAP is almost four grade equivalents above that of students nationwide. Similar trends hold for all subject areas."

Now, these stats were gathered quickly...so I did not footnote my sources, however, my intent is not to present a formal argument. I truly do not care how people choose to educate/shepherd their children. I have two who are being homeschooled and one that is in a private pre-school. My kids are my responsibility and your kids are yours. My intent is to urge you to NOT listen to flippant comments and to NOT make them. As I have matured, I have discovered that that people will make choices for their families that I will not make for mine, nor do I agree with them. I might think that they are weird, out of touch or "unintelligent". It is my conviction, however, that I should actively engage these individuals in conversation. WHY? Because I could be wrong. I could be the one who needs to learn. I could be the one that God wants to change.

I could be the one who is really unintelligent.

Summer Lovin'

not the best picture - my Cingular phone is not the greatest- however...it IS a picture.

R & R

I left the family for a couple of days. Greg took off work for 3 days and my friend, Tonya, and I went to W for a little R & R. I was super excited about going. I spoke at an appreciation dinner for the Baer Foundation, which is a national foster & adoption placement agency. Daniel hooked me up and I had a great time. Last year, Carl planned the event and I truly feel honored to have been included. I left lesson plans for Greg so that he could teach Abby while I was gone. They had a great time and I must say he did not miss a beat. He is a great dad.

I slept through the night - 2 nights in a row. No one woke me up, crawled into bed with me or laid sideways between me and my husband. This, honestly, is probably the first uninterrupted night's sleep I've had in years. It was very refreshing. We stayed at Amy's house about 30 min. outside of W. Did I mention that she doesn't have kids?

It was so comforting to spend time with friends that I have not seen in so long.

While I was gone, my friend, Christy, who was suppose to go to W with us- went to a Homeschool Curriculum Conference. She dissed us in order to make an educated "choice" about curriculum. I am so glad that she did because I was really planning on using whatever she chose. So, here is the plan for the Fields Family, thanks to Christy:
A Beka Math, Rod & Staff for Spelling, Grammer & Reading, Story of The World for History (Vol 2), The Backyard Scientist for Science & Prima Latina for Latin. Greg will work through a K-2 Philosophy Curriculum with Abby & Ellie one night a week. I am going to post later on this philosophy curriculum. I am SUPER excited about it.

We have had a hard week. Not with kids or work...just circumstances that seem to shake our footing. I tend to forget that everyday life is home schooling in it's purest form. I was reminded this week, as little ears listened curiously to whispered discussions and little eyes watched as emotions flowed, that our children are learners. They listen to our inflections, watch our smirks and stares and observe the causes of our tears.
What did I teach them this week? That I am needy...of praise, approval & false security.
What did they teach me?
All of the above.

"Life is short...Dance!"

The past couple of days have been great in relation to homeschooling. Today was the first time, since beginning January 3, that Abby gave the thumbs up to "being at home". Now, that could all change tomorrow...but for now she is enjoying it. She enjoys the schedule and the interaction. Today for instance...we went to an estate sale with my mom at 10, then to the bank and Walmart. We came home, ate lunch together, put Zoe to bed for her nap and then started school. We made coffee...she likes Decaf Hazelnut...this is my mom's fault- not mine...I had Sumatra. We sat at the table and discussed the rules for sentences...Then she copied the rules....
1.Sentences always begin with a capital letter.
2.Sentences always end with the proper punctuation.
3.Sentences always have a subject and a predicate.
ETC...
Then she wrote some sentences, found some subject nouns, some predicates....things that I had to review in order to teach her. How sad is that?
She worked in her Math book...then we went outside and sat on the porch with our coffee and began History. As you know, if you've read my blog even once- History is completely changing my perspective on everything. I LOVE it.

Well, She LOVED today because it was our second day to talk about India. On the first day that we discussed India, she did her map work and her narration exercise and then we watched a video. When we lived in Waco I picked up this video for $1.99 at HEB called "Train Ride through India". It is super cool and she was captivated by it.

Today was about Hinduism. This was especially interesting to her because we are Christians. So as I began to read to her the creation account from the Rig Veda, which is their holy book, she was immediately interested. I love this part of homeschooling. We take very serious our responsibility to indoctrinate our children. I also believe that it is very important for them to know that there are millions of people who are just as deliberate in following their god as we are in following Ours. They have an entire system of belief, theology, and ritual. We may not adhere to it...but I want them to know about it. I want them to "interact with these ideas". I think that it equips them to listen, speak and discuss in a more thorough and educated way. We had a great discussion. It was one of those times that I will forever replay in my mind. She was so engaged and communicated some "truths" very clearly that I really did not think that she had fully grasped. And she laughed as she drank her coffee saying, "I bet no one else gets to drink coffee while they're doing their school work"...as if she had "one-upped" every 7 year old in town.

The day was a gift from God. It was the 7 year mark of my dad's death. I dread it every year. And the week leading up to it is not any better. I was 9 when my mom married Woody...and I consider him my dad. He is who my children refer to as PawPaw. He died when Abby was 8 months old and my other girls never met him, had their picture made with him or tasted his homemade biscuits...But they will know him. Ellie, my 5 year old, on almost a monthly basis says, "Will we see PawPaw Woody in the New Heavens and the New Earth? Will he be able to walk really good?"...and I always engage her on this subject...because it reminds me, too. I am thoughtful of the verse in Psalms that says "The memory of the righteous will endure for generations." I think that one of the major reasons that I NEVER had the question, "If I adopt, will I love the child as much as I love the children that I birthed?"...is because I never questioned his love for me. I mean, we did not have the same DNA or the same blood running through our veins...but I KNOW that he loved me.

As I reflected upon the day today- how my mom struggled to occupy herself, how I was constantly pushing back emotion, and about my own family I felt "real". That sounds so weak in this "therapeutic" culture in which we live...but it's true. I felt like the freakin' Velveteen Rabbit. Alive because I had been loved...and worn out.

We ended our day today, with what is becoming customary- "We are Family" blaring from the speakers and all of us dancing crazy in the living room. The girls were all jumping and spinning and holding hands...they were laughing and oblivious. They have no idea how brief life is. They will...but not today or tomorrow...probably not for years. I am glad. I am happy that for now, their world is "full". They exude joy,life and hope. This is the gift that our kiddos give to us...their prescence. They are here...and their "being here" changes everything.