Too Much Stuff

Lukas started playing soccer this week.  I took some photos at his first practice, of course.  I was the only parent there with a camera, but do I really care?  Nope.  I am a dedicated scrapbooker.  I had to have pics of the first practice!  Check out the smilebox here for pics of soccer practice as well as a few others that I took the other day. 
Soccer practice has gotten me thinking about so much this week.  Right now, Lukas is only playing soccer.  In the fall, we're planning to start piano lessons for him and dance for Ava if everything works out.  If Lukas plays on the fall soccer league, that's a lot of planning and a lot of time in the van. 
Our kids are young.  How much extra "stuff" do they really need to be doing at this stage?  I'm  not sure that I know the answer to that.  I just know that I don't want to be the mom who spends half my life in a mini-van.  Honestly, I think that many kids are over-involved these days.  What is so wrong with being at home in the evening, playing with toys, running around the back yard, and hanging out with mom and dad?  I don't want my kids to live in a bubble, but I also want them to have plenty of time to be kids. 
So, for now, it's just soccer, but September isn't too far off.  I'm definitely going to pray about what is too much for our kids at their young ages.  Soccer, piano, weekly co-op meetings, church activities, and dance is a lot of stuff to schedule into a week.  Add holiday celebrations, doctor/dental/chiropractor appointments, hair cuts, etc... and it gets pretty nuts.  I don't want that for my family. 
I know that it only gets worse as they get older, but I think it is important to start protecting our family time now before it gets out of control.  We are a family, and we need to have time together in order to protect the bond that so many families don't experience these days.  Anyway, this is just what I'm thinking about lately.  Feel welcome to add your thoughts to the mix!

Real School

The weather has been warm lately, and the kids have been outside more.  When we are in our back yard, we can see the elementary school playground, and so we can, of course, see the kids outdoors for recess.  Last week, Lukas told me that we needed to have recess at home just like "real" schools have.  Each time it came up, I kind of ignored him until today. 
Today, after the kids had been outdoors for two hours, I pointed out to Lukas that kids who go to "real" school only get about 20 minutes of recess each day.  The rest of the day they have to sit at sterile desks in dusty classrooms while teachers pay attention to other kids who are being more demanding of their time in one way or another.  Okay, so I didn't go quite that far, but I did tell them that most kids spend the greatest part of their days sitting in a desk in a classroom.    I also mentioned that if those kids finish their schoolwork early, they don't get to play with monster trucks or have an extra outdoor recess, and, instead of kindergarteners having 2 hours of school and 5 hours of recess, they have more like 6 hours of school and maybe (I'm being pretty generous here) an hour to play each day.  I'm only considering the school hours here, obviously.  I just wanted to give him a better picture of what "real" school is like.
Don't get me wrong here.  I know that some of my readers don't homeschool their kids.  I loved school when I was growing up, but school isn't like it was 20 years ago.  It isn't anything like it used to be.  Teachers are overworked, underpaid, and expected to work miracles in overcrowded classrooms where special needs students are "mainstreamed" with gifted students all in the name of self-esteem.  While this works for some students, it holds others back and causes teachers excessive stress.  They can't do it all, and they shouldn't have to.  Plus, there is the issue that many parents don't really parent their children the way they should.  There are so many "don'ts" in parenting that few parents feel like we have a grasp on what we really need to do to help our children succeed in life, and too many people don't really want to work at parenting, so they never discover the key to their children's success, which is firm discipline.  If responsible, loving discipline were a part of every home, then maybe the classroom would be a safer haven for America's children.
Since I'm already on my soapbox, let me address another issue.  Public schools are teaching our children whatever the government decides is appropriate for them to know even if it hasn't been proven or is completely opposite of Biblical truth.  Public schools teach evolution.  They are teaching it to your kindergartner.  Are you taking the time to teach your 5 or 6 year old the truth so that they can be armed appropriately when they are told that dinosaurs roamed the earth millions of years ago rather than the thousands of years ago that are accounted for in the Bible?  Most children believe what their teachers tell them, and if parents aren't telling them otherwise, then why shouldn't they believe it?  My kids were watching an episode of Sesame Street last week.  I had never seen this particular episode, so I sat down to watch with them for a few minutes.  In the first 5 minutes of the episode, a dinosaur puppet made references about the earth being millions of years old 3 times.  3 times in 5 minutes, and that was enough of that episode for my kids.  Lukas knows the truth, but Ava is still too young to understand.  This is the same reason that shows like Stanley, which often touches on evolutionary theory, have been outlawed in our house for years.  And there are countless other shows that do the same thing. 
Kids are very impressionable.  We need to be teaching them the truth from the time they are born and guard them from the deception that the world would have them believe.   I have very much enjoyed teaching Lukas about dinosaurs.  I even pointed out to him that dinosaurs are mentioned in the Bible, which he thought was really cool.  BUT...he knows the truth about the age of the earth and the time of the dinosaurs. 
I also love that he has time to be a kid.  He has time to run, play, relax and simply be what he needs to be right now.  I am so grateful that my children are home with me and that they don't have to endure 7 hours of schooling each day.  I can't imagine letting someone else spend more time with my child each day than I do.  Homeschooling is a calling, and I am so glad that God gave me this calling.  I am so very grateful for the time I have with my precious little ones.
So, I guess this was written more or less to suggest that parents work diligently to guard your children from false teaching.  It is everywhere, even in some homeschooling curriculums if you aren't careful.  Whether your children, or children you know if you aren't a parent, are in public, private, charter, or homeschools, they need to know the truth. 
"Real" school involves a well-rounded education in which we equip our children to be life-long learners and prepare them to succeed in a difficult world.   If your child is getting that in the public realm, I would say that you are very blessed and living in a community that is rare in our times.   For our family, "real" school takes place at home, in the van, at the zoo, at our co-op, at sporting events, and anywhere else we may go.  It's all in your perspective.

"Teach them in the way they should go, and they will not depart from it."

I'm Back in Action

Blogging has taken a back-burner lately due to a very busy schedule.  I've been wanting to take some time to blog, but time simply has not allowed for it.  I think I'll do some catching up this morning!
1.  American Idol...Please, those of you able to vote (that's all of you reading this), don't let Sanjaya ruin another song for America.  "Steppin' Out With My Baby" will never sound the same to me again, and last night's performance was, in my opinion, horrible.  Yes, he "performed" like never before, but, as Simon says, "This is a singing competition", and there was very little singing coming out of his mouth last night.  Do I think the guy is talented?  Of course I do, but not record industry talented.  This is what I don't get about American Idol.  Why keep someone like Sanjaya on the show?  He knows he doesn't belong there anymore.  Even he said that he knows he's not the most talented singer on the show.  If you are a watcher, but not a voter, make a sacrifice for all of us and VOTE!  In addition, I have been saying for weeks that Jordin Sparks was being overlooked.  I think she is prooving that she will not be overlooked any longer.  I can't wait to hear her sing next week!  I was predicting Melinda and Lakisha in the finale, but now I'm thinking it could be Melinda and Jordin.  Melinda rocks!  I say everyone but these three women might as well just go home now!
2.  Credit Cards...I am not a fan of the almighty credit card or America's desire to charge their future away.  BUT...I do have a debit card and a couple of small cards that we pay off as soon as we use them.   It's a convenience thing only for people with enough discipline to actually pay them off, but I digress.  That's not what this post is about.  I have a HUGE pet-peeve with store clerks who do not ask for my I.D.  The back of my cards say "Check ID."  If you work anywhere that accepts credit cards and you don't even look at the back of my card, I am going to chastise you about it.  Last week, I asked the clerk at Kroger if she was supposed to ask me for my idea.  She looked at another employee wide-eyed, shrugged her shoulders and said no.  Seriously?  They aren't even training young employees to check for I.D.  If you are a person like I am and work to protect your credit, I challenge you to thank each and every person who asks for your I.D. and to tell each and every person who doesn't that they should.  And as far as Kroger goes, if someone walks in with my card and uses it without my permission, I get my money back.  I'm not so sure they'll get their money in such a situation.  Not a big deal for a corporation of their size, but definitely an issue for smaller businesses to think about.
3.  Growing Up...My 5 year old uses words like "apparently."  How do they grow up so quickly?  And, last night we drove by Tim Horton's where he saw a sign that said "Open 24 Hours."  Lukas told us that meant they were open all night long.  "How do you know that?"  I asked in the way that all of us not-so-smart parents often do.  "YOU SEEEEEE, I reMEMber from a looooong time ago when we were at Wal-mart and Dad TOLD me that it meant Wal-mart was open all night.  So, Moooom, that sign means that Tim Horton's is ALSO open all night long."  So sorry I asked.
4.  Plumbing...Our landlord finally gets that the property management company they hired is not doing their job.  Our plumbing was fixed last week by someone they hired themselves, and now the tile in the bathroom is being repaired as I type.  No more puddles in the laundry room!  Yay!
5.  Cherry Valley Lodge....Eric and I went on a marriage retreat this past weekend.  The speakers, Bill and Pam Farrel,  were excellent communicators, and I was amazed just watching them interact with each other.  The Lodge was beautiful!  If you are ever in this part of Ohio, check out Cherry Valley Lodge in Newark, OH.   They also have an indoor water park attached, which we decided wasn't worth it for us on this trip but looks fun for a future adventure!
That's it for right now!  I'll try to return to my more frequent blogging habits soon!

On my Knees

Having a sick child did one great thing for me this week.  It brought me to my knees.  It isn't that I don't pray every day.  God and I try to meet together each afternoon while the kids are napping, but sometimes the prayers are not as intimate as other times.  I think that is a confession that most Christians could make if they really took the time to examine their time and how they spend it.  This week, and especially in the past 36 hours, my time with God was very intimate.  I think that even a normally non-praying parent would suddenly start to pray for their child if they heard the word "pneumonia." 

Of course, I spent more time praying than I normally do, which is a good thing.  It would be an even better thing if I did it every day even when my life isn't facing some kind of problem or crisis.  Isn't that the way it is all too often?  I am a praying person.  I love my Father deeply, and yet I never seem to spend enough time with Him.  And how much is enough?  Can I ever spend enough time with Him?  I don't think so.  That's what heaven is for and what all Christians have to look forward to, endless time praising our Father.  How great that time will be, too great to describe in mere words.

Prayer works.  I sent out a prayer request to many, many people yesterday, including those of you reading this now.  Lukas is definitely mending.  I cannot tell you how many times I had to make him settle down today because I can remember that he is sick, but he seems to keep forgetting.  His fever seems to be gone.  It didn't even come back this evening, and fevers are notorious for returning in the evening hours.  He is still going through a plethora of tissues and coughing a deep cough, but his fever seems to have broken and his energy is returning.  The new antibiotic has taken off the edge of the sickness.  I am so thankful to all of you for praying, and I am even more grateful to God for hearing those prayers and answering them.

At this point, I have to work on convincing my son that he still has to stay in the house.  He cannot go to the mall (he has asked to go play at the playground there);  he cannot go out to eat(he has also asked to do this); he cannot go to a birthday party (I know, that's pretty sad, but he still can't go); and he cannot even go to church with Daddy tomorrow evening, and Sunday morning is pretty much out too.  While he may think he's feeling better, I think we need to make sure his strength is back before putting him in a setting with other rambunctious 5 year old boys. 

For tomorrow, we're praying for continued healing from the pneumonia and sinusitus.  We're also praying that Lukas' grouchy attitude is better.  The poor little guy is really tired of being sick and trapped in the house, but the grouchies are still considered unacceptable behavior in our house.  Thank you all for praying for him and for us.  We so appreciate each of you!

Pneumonia

We're back from the doctor.  Lukas had to have a chest x-ray.  The pediatrician called me a while ago to let me know that Lukas has pneumonia and sinusitis.  They switched him to a different antibiotic.  We're praying that it helps and that it does so quickly.  Please continue to pray for him.  We really appreciate it.

Fever Day 6

Blog friends, please pray for Lukas.  We are making our second trip to the doctor's office today because he has been running a fever since early Saturday morning.  I hope that I'm just being paranoid, but I want to have the doctor check him out again.  Neither of my kids has ever had a fever for more than a day or two, especially once they were on an antibiotic for other symptoms.  He has been on an antibiotic since Tuesday, and so far there is no sign that it is helping the fever or his upper respiratory symptoms.  I feel like I'm doing everything I can for him, but he's not getting better.  He has hardly eaten anything all week, and at this point hasn't eaten anything since yesterday at noon.   He isn't playing at all and just lies around.  Those of you who know him know that he is a very energetic little boy on most occasions.  We would really appreciate your prayers.  I'll try to update again later.

My Personal Hair Stylist

Ava and I had fun over the weekend playing beauty shop with her new My Little Pony Unicorn with hair accessories.  Go check out this smilebox to see photos of our fun time together!  There is no other explanation needed for the title of this post once you see the photos.

Soccer Mom

It's official.  I am a soccer mom.  Is that two words or has it morphed into just one bigger word these days, "soccermom."  Who knows?  Anyway, we signed Lukas up to play soccer today.  He'll start practicing in a few weeks with a team and wear cute little soccer uniforms, cleats, shin guards, the whole nine yards.  I can't wait to see him running around on the field.  He has been begging to be on a soccer team for over a year, but the move last spring left us no option for last year.  This year, he is totally psyched to get to play soccer, and so, I am officially a soccer mom.  I know, the cute uniform thing really doesn't matter, but it's fun for me.  I'm certain you'll be seeing smileboxes of my little guy in his soccer uniform in the future!

On a completely different subject....During Lukas' reading lesson today, I asked him to define the word "switch" because I want to make sure he comprehends what he is reading.  We do this often.  Anyway, he said "it's like a lightswitch, Mom, or like the buttons on a robot."  The buttons on a robot?  Hmmm...never would have thought of that definition.

And for subject number three...I take my kids everywhere except for church and our co-op in costumes.  Today, Lukas was a purple dragon and Ava was Cinderella.  Yesterday, Lukas was Mr. Incredible and Ava was a ladybug.  Is this weird?  Tell me honestly if it is, but know that I really don't care.  Ha!  It's too fun to see them having a blast dressed as whoever they feel like being that day!  Plus, they love the attention they get.  Some day they'll think it's embarrasing to do this, so I'm just going to relish the days like today when they think it is the coolest thing in the world to go to Pizza Hut dressed like a purple dragon and Cinderella.  Besides, I'm a soccer mom, so I'm supposed to be living for my kids, right?  Well maybe not exactly, but I think I'll stick with what makes our days fun and exciting.  Today, it's costumes, tomorrow, who knows?  I think I'm going to like being a soccer mom.