Friday Funnies

Sidge asked me if God was the "Prince of peas."

*****

While sitting in the van, waiting for Daddy to look at a truck we may buy, Sidge asked me if he could honk the horn like Isaac had just accidentally done. I told him no. We were parked in front of houses and we didn't want to disturb them.
Sidge: "Pleaseeeeee Mom? Just once?"
Me: "No. It's too loud."
Sidge: "What would happen if I did it?"
Me: "Well, we'd have to use discipline."
Sidge: "Like what?"
Me: "Probably a spanking."
Sidge: "All right. Just go ahead and give me the spanking. I really want to honk the horn."
Me: "Okay then. Bigger punishment. No legos for a whole day."
Sidge: "Oh, mannnnn."

*****

Abigail was in the car. Her shoes were off and I asked her why. "Those boys threw them at me!" she said, pointing to her brothers behind her.

"Well, how did they get your shoes?" I asked her.

"I threw the shoes at those boys!" she replied.

*****

Sidge: "Mom, you said I will always be your baby. If that is true, than Daddy is one big baby."

*****

I told the kids to make sure to hang onto the cart while we were crossing the street of the grocery store parking lot. "Put your hand on the cart," I said. Sidge replied by saying, "I can't mom. It's attached."

*****

Sidge: "I could see into that building Mom. But not because I have x-ray vision. The building had windows."

*****

I asked the boys to share the water bottle they were sharing with each other, with Abigail in the middle row of the van. They both got quite upset. "I don't understand what the difference is between sharing with your brother and sharing with your sisters?" I asked.
Isaac: "Abigail's spit tastes different."

*****

At Disney, Hannah loved sitting on Daddy's shoulders and rubbing his bald head. Cracked us up:



Hannah got pretty sick this week. (Seven new teeth at the same time probably contributed to the germs from mouthing everything.) She wouldn't eat or drink much of anything so JB decided to do something we've never done and give her a popsicle. And not any popsicle! A chocolate covered banana popsicle. Hannah loved it and demonstrates clearly the furrowed brow she gives to us when she is unhappy. (She also gives this to ANY stranger who talks to her without permission.)

We are his mothers

I am Isaac's adopted mother.

Bri is his birth mother.

We are his mothers.

When I share my story* with other people, they are often very curious and very interested, but if they are very honest (and some people are), they admit to me that they don't get it.

They admit to me that they couldn't do it.

"I couldn't share my child."

"You must be a very confident woman."

"I'm not sure I could be comfortable with that situation."

That situation means allowing my son to be loved by another woman as much as he is loved by me.

That situation means allowing him to be with people who aren't, technically my people.

I admit that when Isaac was first born, I had a few weeks of struggle. I didn't know how this game was supposed to be played, and I certainly didn't know hot to play it. I felt insecure in my role as Isaac's mother and had no idea how to be Isaac's mother while allowing someone else to be his mother too.

I'm not sure if it was through maturity or prayer or patience, but that confusing sea parted. And what I was left with was a love so intense for one little boy that I would do anything to help ensure his peace and happiness.

God calmed my spirit and spoke to me in as real a way as I have ever heard him: "This child is my child." 

I realized that this child is not my child.

He is not Bri's child.

He is God's child.

I simply get the extreme pleasure and honor of loving and hugging and guiding and raising him for 18 years. And then I will send him out into the world to be a man with the hopes that I gave him everything he needs to fly on his own.

And part of preparing him for the world, is teaching him about who he is and why he is here. We believe that what is best for our little boy is for him to be loved by his birth family as much as his adopted family. We believe that exposing him to his roots will only help him.

Let me be clear. When Isaac's birth parents signed the adoption papers, all responsibility for Isaac was turned over to us. We are 100% responsible for decisions regarding his life. The judge told us at his adoption finalization that "this is as permanent as blood" and I absolutely believe that.

I cannot tell you how many times ill-informed individuals ask us if we are worried that Bri will want him back. It doesn't work that way. He is legally our son. And that will never change.

But that doesn't mean that there isn't another woman who carried him in her womb and gave him life and asked us to be his parents.

To not acknowledge her existence would go against everything we believe for our son.

And so I gladly and with great excitement and confidence say: "We are his mothers."

Without sharing him, I wouldn't get to be his mom.

And so sharing him is well worth the unparalleled gift we were given.

I am Isaac's mother.

And I thank Bri any chance I can for that gift.

You can read more details about how Bri and our lives intersected, here: The story of Bri and me

Long Car Trip Idea

Our 10.5 hour drive (which took us 11.5 with stops) to Disney was one of the longest car ride we have ever done with four children. Living in Turkey and then on an island meant our road trips were VERY short. (We have put more miles on our van since moving back to the States than we did in 4 YEARS overseas if that tells you anything!) We did drive from the East coast here to TN when we moved here. But we had two vehicles and grandparents and made a lot of stops.

[By the way: I consider myself a PRO when it comes to flying with kids. But driving? Not my major area of expertise currently.]

JB and I were VERY worried about this drive. Because of his work schedule, we were forced to drive to Legoland in one day. (John didn't get off work until 7pm the evening before.) We discussed doing an overnight drive, but neither of us are "stay-awake-late" people so we opted for a very early morning and a very long drive.

The kids did OUTSTANDING! One thing we do when we travel, whether it be flying or driving, is throw ALL regular rules out the window. Yes, you must still be respectful and kind and obedient. But as far as technology rules and what you can eat? Nearly anything goes. Popcorn for dinner is totally acceptable. Three movies in a row is absolutely permissible. We try to drink a lot of water since it is free and easy on trips which we hope balances out the surplus of skittles and jellybeans we experience.

Here is a photo of my four little munchkins after the sun came out that first morning of our trip.

One fun idea that my mother-in-law got from some magazine I get but hadn't read: A Map on the ceiling showing where you are going to go. 

I tried it with blue painter's tape and stickers. The next morning most of the stickers had fallen, but the kids still got the idea. I wrote the names of various cities on the blue tape and we talked about which cities we were at as we drove. This also gave them an understanding of how much farther we had to go. (Although my "map" was not drawn to scale.) We also used our smart phones to pull up some information on each state we passed through. 

Now we are home. And now our littlest munchkin is under the weather. While I really, really dislike seeing my children sick, having Hannah slow down a bit and snuggle with us a little bit more is never really a bad thing. Here she is with Daddy just before he returns to work to do four, 12-hour shifts in a row.

The Two Sides of Abigail

In our family, we have begun to embrace shyness. I've been reading a book (suggested by a Blog reader) entitled The Highly Sensitive Child. I originally purchased it to read for Sidge. However, we have since come to discover through counseling work that Sidge's emotional issues are due to his brain being too big for him emotional maturity. 

But Abigail? This book was written about HER! In reading this book, I've discovered that shyness should not be seen as a negative thing. It shouldn't be pushed away. It is who Abigail is. It is how she sees the world: she takes stimuli in much faster and on a more intense level than other people.

Since moving back to America, Abigail has opened up a bit more. She's been going to Sunday School. (A huge step for her.) And occasionally she will choose to talk to people or respond to people when they speak to her. At Disney World, she did very well with the characters. But if a princess or anyone who worked at Disney World tried to talk to her, she immediately retreated into a state of shyness. 

(We like to call her a rabbit when she does this. She freezes, like a rabbit does when he has been spotted. It actually appears that she believes if she doesn't move or look at the person, they will not actually see her.)

An example? Meeting Tinker Bell. We are very big on not pushing her. If she doesn't want to meet a person or a character or a princess or anyone, we don't make her. But she wanted to meet Tink. She was thrilled about it. And then, her turn in line came. And this is what happened:

Tink tried so hard. I think she took the inability to win Abigail over personally.

Tink trying to explain why she was a safe person!

A quick look up but that was all she could muster.

But here is the funny thing. This shy girl? Put her on a roller coaster and she is an entirely new person. In fact, she was quite disappointed when she was too little to ride Space Mountain and one of the coasters at Legoland. She wanted all of them. Check it out:

That's Abigail front and center. Notice me in red jacket and Joni and Isaac in front of me and Daddy and Sidge in front row with Abigail on Splash Mountain. But Abigail? She had her arms up the whole time!

Another view on Splash Mountain. That's Abigail in the third row, arms ready to go.

Here is a tiny kid's train at Legoland. Abigail even felt the need to raise her arms and yell on this one!

(That's AD and Hannah in the first seat.)

I love each of my children so intensely and uniquely. Abigail's spirit mixed with her shyness truly defines who she is, and I love this about her. I've learned to embrace her individuality and personality. She's such a cool kid!

Daughter Date

I was taking Isaac to his Sunday evening Science Lego Class. Sidge normally goes too, but he was a bit worn out from our vacation and decided to hang at home with Daddy. That left just me and Isaac. But what to do during the 90 minute class? How about take Abigail out for a date!?

I realized while we were eating our dinner at PF Changs that I don't know if I have ever gone anywhere with just Abigail since we moved to Tennessee. Okay so one time I took her to her speech assessment. But that's it! Sometimes, when you have a lot of children, you lose out on that 1-on-1 time. It really needs to be a priority. We ... had ... a ... blast!

Abigail is such a fun, spirited, joy of a little girl! I am so incredibly blessed to be her Mommy.

She loves eating with chopsticks. She had no interest in a fork.

A "selfie" which I am not very good at taking.

Abigail informed me that "Daddy was wrong. It is not a dragon. It is a horse." (Apparently he was trying to tell her what the restaurant would be like before we got there.)

8 Ways Infertility Changes You

I am very excited that another one of the pieces I have written is getting some real buzz!

8 Ways Infertility Changes You Forever -- Before You Parent

This is one piece that I am really proud of! It has been only in the last year that I have begun to say, vehemently, that if given the choice, I would NOT go back and change the struggle. That struggle has changed who I am FOR THE BETTER!

I truly believe that infertility has made me a better parent. It may be hard if you are in the midst of it to see your way out, but that way out WILL COME. The Lord will show what direction your story should take and lead you that way.

Hang on, the end result will help make you who you are destined to be!

Hannah at 18 months old

“Wild moon woman you were not made to be tame. You are an earthquake shaking loose everything that is not your soul. 

Shake, woman, shake.” 

Elyse Morgan

Our Hannah Joy. You are so independent. So fiercely determined. So much your own woman. We have decided that you are the equivalent of three Isaac's at the same age. You keep us on our toes. Never stop moving. Never stop investigating. Never stop exasperating us and making us laugh at the same time. We are so in love with your spirit. You are going to rock this world for sure!

This is my girl!

Here is Hannah at Disney World. It was POURING rain. She didn't seem to care at all. Instead, she made milk water in her tray table!

Here is Hannah meeting Minnie Mouse. She doesn't have much interest in characters or TV, but she has seemed to latch on a bit to Mickey and Minnie. She also LOVES her big siblings. She says their names and gives them hugs whenever she can!

Here is a picture of Hannah with our whole family. Since it is hard to see, I have blown up her expression in the picture below ....

THIS is the face that Hannah gives any stranger or anyone who talks to her without her permission. It is not that she is afraid of strangers. She is very friendly. But if you are speaking to her and she is not in the mood for it, she has started using this face. It makes strangers laugh out loud. Quite a fun experience to get these brows frowned at you!

So, at 18 months old, our Hannah is: 

• Currently not eating from any utensils. This is mainly due to mother laziness.
• Saying a TON of words. She will repeat any word she hears. Is calling her siblings: Isaac, Sidgey and Ab-uh. She calls the dog woof-woof. Will try nearly any word and is starting to say Daddy go which is her first two word combo.
• Not watching much (if any) TV. Occasionally we will put on a Baby Einstein with babies in it. (She loves to looks at babies.) But she does love Mickey and Minnie. Doesn't really sit and watch them, but when she sees them on the computer or in a book she says, "Minnie" quite excitedly. 
• Just getting into books and starting to bring them to us and want to sit and read them. She will often sit on her own and looks at books. Or, if I tell the olders to get a book and sit down and read, she will do it too. 
• Recently very interested in Scrubs. (She was very excited to see him after our trip and gave him tons of pets.)
• Recognizing faces in pictures. Especially recognizes her brothers and sister and parents and her Grama Di. 
• Not a great eater. Still loves milk, but she is quite particular about what she is in the mood to eat. Mostly prefers fruit and carbs.
• Not signing very much because she can say most any word she tries. 
• Aware of where most of her major body parts are. 
• A fan of dancing with Daddy and Mommy. Wants them to hold her. She then grabs onto our thumb and lets us Waltz around the room with her in our arms. 
• A great hugger. She will also say "Na!" when asked for a kiss -- leaning your head in for a kiss on the forehead. In the morning, when Daddy is giving good bye kisses, she quite adamantly says "Na!" so that he doesn't forget her. 
• A lover of shoes! Loves to put them on and play with them. 
• A wiggler when being held. Wants down and wants to do things her own way! The most strong-willed (by FAR!) of all four of our kiddos. 
• Only taking one nap a day -- but it is a long one. (Usually about three hours.) 
• Sleeping about 12 hours at  night. 

And here are some links to what her brothers and sisters were doing at the same age:

Isaac at 18 months old (Was talking at a pretty comparable rate to his little sister!)

Elijah "Sidge" at 18 months old (Was a major TV lover unlike his sister!)

Abigail at 18 months old (Was already using a spoon but wasn't talking nearly as much!)

Book Review: A Father's Love

A Father’s Love is a level three I Can Read! based on the NIV Adventure Bible—the number one Bible for kids. In this retelling of the story of the prodigal son, newly independent readers learn about how great a father’s love can be as they follow a young man who goes out on his own and wastes his inheritance. With engaging illustrations and age-appropriate vocabulary, this series is great for children almost ready for their first chapter books.

This particular book details the story of the Prodigal Son in a way that children can understand and appreciate. They also very clearly dictate the comparison of this story to the Heavenly Father and his love for us as sinners. The pictures are engaging, and the words very appropriate for a level two reader. (I often find the levels are way off, but these seemed to match my two six-year-old boys in their reading ability.) While my boys needed help with a few of the names, generally, it was a book that challenged them but that they could read on their own.

We are owners of the Adventure Bible and this is the fourth reader I have been given the opportunity to read. Click here to check out my reviews on Miracles of Jesus, God's Great Creation and Moses Leads the People. This one was equally well-received by kindergarten boys and is a welcome edition to our library. 

Booklook Bloggers provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Photos Galore

I have so many photos from our time at Legoland and our time at Disney World! I actually didn't take many of them but between all the friends that joined us, I got a ton!

Click here to jump to Facebook and see our Legoland album.

Click here to jump to Facebook to see our Disney album.

Friday Funnies

Check out this link! Hannah has decided that those gaps in the elevator floor are huge chasms which require much caution!

10 Trips to Take Before Your Kid Turns 10

Click here to read which attractions you should cross off your family's bucket list before your child outgrows them. Your young ones will remember these trips forever.

I'd love to hear from you all. Any places we should add to the list?

From Grama K

I have the greatest mother-in-law in the whole world. (Okay, so maybe my husband has the greatest mother-in-law and mine is second best.) Just kidding. Either way, I wanted to share a poem my mother-in-law, Mary, wrote and sent me in a card a few months back. She has a great gift of encouragement:

Motherhood comes with
many high points
But alas, there are some "lows."

There are time when
You'll be full of Joy
But you'll also have your
fair share of "whoa's"!

You'll say "Stop the fighting --
Stop the sass --
Stop the teasing, "How long will this last?"

From daw to dusk and inbetween
you'll be pecked and prodded --
nearly picked clean!

But at the end of the day
When you've collapsed on your bed
You'll count yourself blessed --
Just shocked you're not dead!

Your kindness and patience are second to none
With both of your girls and your two fine sons!

You know hot to multitask
and fine tune your plans
You've made motherhood look easy
To the average man.

But trust me on this
'cuz we know the truth
Youa re one "special Mommy"
Your kids are your proof.

All kidding aside
We find you excel
At being a mom--
And we're proud to tell

Anyone and everyone
We see each day
That you are a "Super mom"
in every way!

Legoland and Disney World

We are on our way home from a week vacation! As usual, I don't blog about trips until after they are done. Now that this one is done, I'm blogging!

This was our "Back in America" celebration! We wanted to do something totally American and what better than seeing Mickey Mouse!

We spent two days at Legoland with my parents and my brother and his family. Then we spent four days at Disney with Joni and Bri and her husband Robert and Johns brother Matt and his wife Danielle! We also got to see John's littlest brother's girlfriend -- Sherrie, meet Robert's mom -- Melody, and even catch up with Patty and little Troy who are friends from Eglin and Turkey.

What a blast!

I have tons of pictures to share. Stay tuned.

The 3-Second Pause That Can Save a Morning & Spare Some Pain

A great post reminding us all to take just 3 seconds and think before we speak. If I am being honest, and I always try to be on this blog, my responses are my BIGGEST struggle as a mom. They are the moments I wish I could take back. If I could just slow down and speak before I respond to them, how much happier a home we would have. 

I especially like the series of phrases the author ends with:

I am My Response

I am my response to my child’s mismatched outfit and the crumpled report card at the bottom of her backpack.

I am my response to my spouse who returned from the store without toilet paper but remembered the tailgate snacks.

I am my response to my anxious parent who repeats the same worries and insists on giving me coupons I do not need.

I am my response to my colleague with sad eyes and frequent absences.

I am my response to my 15-minutes-late hairdresser with a sick child.

I am my response to my neighbor with heart-heavy problems and little family support.

I am my response to the irate driver who cut me off and made an obscene gesture in
front of my children.

I am my response to the waitress who got my order wrong.

I am my response to myself when I forgot the one thing I most needed to do today.

I am my response to spilled coffee, long lines, and middle-of-the-night wake ups.

My responses are not perfect … they are not always ideal … I am human after all.

But if I strive to offer responses underlined with

grace,
understanding,
kindness,
empathy,
and care,
That is something.
That is something.

Because my responses are more than just words.
They represent
who I am,
who I want to be,
and how I will someday be remembered.

Today I will not respond perfectly. I know.
But if I strive to communicate with hints of kindness and traces of love,
That will be something
That will be something
That could mean more than words.

21 New Year’s Resolutions By Toddlers

A little bit of bad language but a really fun post reminding all parents that we are all living the same life!

Hot Mess Hannah

Here is a recent video of Hannah demonstrating her talking and signing.

Here is another fun video of her and in her high chair making me smile.

It is just like God to make sure you stay humble. 

You think you got this parenting thing down? 
You think you have figured out how to take many kids to one place and get them to behave? 
You believe you can leave a sharpie out on the desk without proper supervision?
You think you understand how to effectively pile in and out of the van without losing a child? 
You think you don't need to childproof your home?
You think you can attend an event and keep all your children close without one of them running away and forcing you to choose between abandoning three for the sake of finding one?

Think ... again.

Hannah has changed ALL the rules in our house. She is by far and without a moment's wondering, the most difficult of my four children at this age. Sometimes I start to think it is just me. Sometimes I think I am aging and that I am tired and that I am no good at this thing called motherhood anymore.

I wonder if I am losing my touch.

I wonder if I forgot how to do this.

I wonder if I am doing something wrong.

I wonder if I just can't remember how to make them obey.

And then I take Hannah somewhere. Church for instance. She is one of seven little brunettes in the nursery. They are all about her age. They all look very much like her. They are wearing their cute outfits and bows and tights and wandering around the room playing.

And the teacher hands me my Hannah and she says, "Now this girl must keep you on your toes."

"Yes," I say! "She does!"

"She is so ... BUSY!" the teacher replies.

And I am not angry. And I do not feel offended in the slightest. In fact, I smile really big and nod and say, "Okay! So it isn't just me you mean, right? I mean, you think so too? You think that she's a little bit harder than all these other little identical looking girls?"

The teacher nods.

And I feel so ... relieved.

She is ... hard.

She is absolutely wonderful of course. She is snuggly and silly and fun and chubby and scrumptious.

But she leaves me simply scratching my head in disbelief. Here are some facts:

I have lost her, inside of our own home MORE THAN ALL MY OTHER CHILDREN COMBINED.
She has damaged our home (like with pens or markers or ripped books) MORE THAN ALL MY OTHER CHILDREN COMBINED.
She has tried to plug something in or out of an electrical socket MORE THAN ALL MY OTHER CHILDREN COMBINED.
She has run from me when in public MORE THAN ALL MY OTHER CHILDREN COMBINED.
I have lost her in public MORE THAN ALL MY OTHER CHILDREN COMBINED.


I truly believe she is God's way of making sure that I continue to relate to all moms in all ways at all times. Just when you think you have it altogether, something reminds you that we are all as strong as the savior who is holding us up.




I love you Hannah!

If you are wondering ...

... whether you should vaccinate, I encourage you to hop over to my friend Tara's blog post from a few days ago.

Tara is a doctor and one of the smartest women I know.

Her husband is a doctor as well.

They just had their first baby. She lives in California. She is about as close to a hippy as I know. (No offense intended Tara.)

And they vaccinate.

I have many, many, many friends who are physicians. And I have yet to run across a single one of them who does not vaccinate their own children. I think this is a vital piece of information and something I should share.

I continue to be confused why people who are against vaccinations still go to physicians and trust them with so many other vital decisions but do not trust them with this vital piece of information.

So if you are in debate, take a moment to view Tara's blog post.

Also, you can click here to read a past post I wrote about vaccines or click here to read Tara's past very detailed post regarding her feelings about vaccines.

Friday Funnies

She's never even had Tomato Soup, but apparently she loves it and needs to put a bird in it:



*****
I gave the kids a lecture on how bad it would be if they ate more of their vitamins then they were supposed to. "It could be very bad. Those vitamins have medicine in it to help make you big and strong. So if you were to eat all of them ..."
Sidge: "You could get super muscles?"
Abigail: "Your belly could get very big?"

Something like that.

*****

I began reading one of Aesop's Fables: The Fox and the Leopard. Here is an exact dialogue of how the story went down as I read it to my two boys during school time:

Me: "A fox and a Leopard, resting lazily after a generous dinner,"
Sidge: "What is generous?"
Me: "Big."
Sidge: "Okay."
Me: "A fox and a Leopard, resting lazily after a generous dinner, amused themselves,"
Sidge: "What is amused?"
Me: "Goofed around."
Sidge: "Okay."
Me: "So they amused themselves by disputing about their good looks."
Sidge: "What is disputed?"
Me: "Argued."
Sidge: "For real?"
Me: "Well they were kind of jokingly disputing."
Sidge: "Okay. Were they friends?"
Me: "Yes, basically."
Sidge: "What does basically mean?"
Me: "Yes, they were friends."
Sidge: "Okay."
Me: "The Leopard was very proud of his glossy, spotted coat,"
Sidge: "What is glossy?"
Me: "Shiny."
Sidge: "Was is really shiny?
Me: "That's what it says."
Sidge: "So then it is true?"
Me: "Well, the author said it."
Sidge: "Okay."
Me: "So the Leopard was proud of his coat and made disdainful remarks about the Fox,"
Sidge: "What does disdainful mean?"
Me: "Mean."
Sidge: "Mean means mean?"
Me: "Disdainful means mean."
Sidge: "Okay."
Me: "So the Leopard was proud and made mean comments to the fox whose appearance he declared was quite ordinary."
Sidge: "What is declared?"
Me: "Said."
Sidge: "And what is ordinary?"
Me: "Normal."

Thoroughly exhausted, I decided to edit the rest of the story as I read.

*****

I asked the kids if they wanted cereal or pancakes for breakfast.
Sidge: "Wow Mom. That is a really hard question because I really want both."

To save your kids from mediocrity, don't pay for college: 8 tips from 'Guerrilla Dad'

A father of eight provides eight tips for helping raise empowered, resilient, self-reliant individuals. To read the article in its entirety, click here. 

1. Teach self-reliance. Help them develop a work ethic and help teach them to take care of themselves. Help them recognize what they want and what they truly need and show them how to get it for themselves whenever possible.
2. Customize their education. Find ways that your particular child has their needs met intellectually. Mark Twain said, "Never let schooling get in the way of your education." I totally agree with this. Boy Scouts, days at the farm -- find the things they are passionate about and teach them -- homeschool or not.
3. Focus on getting results. Help children discover what information and skills they need to do specific jobs because employers want results.
4. College is NOT for everyone. This can be controversial, but I totally agree with the author on this one. Give the kids options. College is not the answer for everyone. It depends on what they want to do and what they want to be. But tons of money doesn't equal a happier life.
5. Let your kids fail. Parent by the natural consequences. This is so hard to do. But it is true. "Most kids, and people in general for that matter, don't learn what they are capable of until they have to learn what they are capable of."
6. Don't rescue your kids. Let kids handle their own mistreatments and disappointments. Again, I totally agree but man is this hard to do.
7. Challenge your kids. Find things they love. Set challenging goals. They can learn in many ways that they are in control of their own destiny. 
8. Love them no matter what. Amen.

Paradigm shift: Curriculum is not something you buy

Click here to read a fantastic homeschooling article reminding we parents/teachers/educators that it isn't so much what we are teaching as it is the lifestyle we have chosen to teach our kids in.

"If we started thinking about our children’s learning in terms of what we hope they will come to encounter in any given year rather than thinking of getting through a particular book or “covering” material, we free ourselves to learn far more than we could by binding ourselves to a set published resource. Of course we will use such resources to reach our goals — but the resource will be our servant, not our master."