Why Homeschool?

Her: Homeschooling was NEVER something I thought I would be doing.  Why keep your kids at home when you can send them off to be educated elsewhere while I am at the gym and Starbucks?  Troy and I lived in Texas before our kids were school age and many of my friends there homeschooled.  I thought they were nuts and probably told them so (Sorry about that ladies!).   As the time to put my eldest in school approached, putting her in school became impossible.  We were moving around a lot at the time and I didn’t have a definite school district to put her in.  Besides, Troy and I always went to private school so it was a big move for us to even consider public school.  There was no way we could afford private school so homeschooling it was.  “Just one year, I can survive just one year.” Five years later we are still homeschooling. 

I am truly grateful that I was forced into the idea.  Otherwise, I never would have given it a chance. Now, I wouldn’t have it any other way.  And, here’s why it has blessed our family:

1)    Learning is much more of a fluid process than I realized it was.  There have been so many times over the years that I have introduced a concept: reading, math, etc. that the kiddos were not ready for.  They became confused and frustrated.  So I put that concept on the shelf for a few months then reintroduced it.  This time it was a breeze.  They got it instantly because their brains were ready. 

2)   The kids have no one to measure their intelligence with.  They have no idea if they are behind or ahead of their classmates.  They get to learn without the insecurity of comparison. 

3)   They have so much more time in their day.  They don’t have to get up early and rush out the door.  They have enough time to do school, chores and play endlessly.  They can escape outside and make a huge fort for 3 hours in the afternoon instead of doing homework. 

4)   Our family schedule is not controlled by the school schedule.  We can take off for vacation in the middle of the year.  We can stay out late on a weekday.  We can sleep in when needed.  We can school in the evening or on the weekend if it works better. 

5)   Because the kids are home more, I can incorporate learning life skills such as cooking, cleaning and organization that we would otherwise not have time for.

6)   And, my favorite, we can incorporate God into each and every part of our day.  I get to instruct them on much more valuable things than just math and reading.  We get to discuss their attitudes about their schoolwork, their siblings, and me while learning.  If they were in school I would miss out on these opportunities or at least have fewer of them.

You may consider all of this sheltering and I understand where you are coming from.  I agree children need to be socialized.  The real world is a place full of competition and mean people that they need to be ready for and they need to learn how to make choices and traverse the ins and outs of life successfully. But, why throw them into life before they have the tools to cope with it?  You wouldn’t hire an employee and then throw them into the position without training.  You would specifically guide and prepare them and would not send them out until you were sure they would be successful.  Of course they will still make mistakes and will continue to learn but at least they’ll be equipped with the basic tools. Should we shelter them? No.  Should we prepare them? Yes! 

Ok, off my soapbox!  Is homeschooling for everyone?  Definitely not.  But, it has been absolutely fabulous for our family and I would recommend it to everyone!

Push Your Limits, Explore His Playground

Him: So God created some pretty amazing things in those first six days and I’m struck by the beauty of many of them all around me every day. I recognize that I’m not the most well-traveled individual around (although I’ve seen a ton of California and this is a pretty awesome place- beaches, deserts, rivers, lakes, waterfalls, redwoods, the Sierras, Yosemite, Tahoe, Joshua Tree…) but I have to admit that mankind, even with our dark side – our propensity to sin against each other, ourselves, this world, our Creator… - we are the crown jewel of His creation. All the beauty of a sunset lit shoreline, the power of a raging river, the vastness of the views from the highest peaks… they’re all impressive. But nothing impresses me more than the feat of the sixth day.

We’ve built empires and trashed them. We’ve built skyscrapers and toppled them. We’ve explored the moon. We’re headed to Mars. We’ve joined man and machine to restore function to damaged parts. We’ve been to the bottom of the oceans and daily about 16% of the world population defy gravity in flight. We’ve launched into a technical era that has brought us together in ways unimaginable until recent years. And our capacity to care, to love, to serve, to persevere, demonstrate glimpses of His likeness. While these are all extraordinary feats what amazes me most is watching the human body push beyond expectations, exceeding what was thought to be our limit, performing with dynamic magnificence and toeing the line of impossible. Here is a compilation of some of God’s greatest work in His hand-crafted playground:

http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=EEu42L0ufBY

Genesis 1:31

“God saw all that He had made, and it was very good”

Banter: Eating Like Clockwork

Her:  I love time. It makes me happy – very happy.  I am a planner and the clock is an essential tool for the perfect plan! Why go to sleep?  Because it’s time!  Why wake up?  Because it’s time!  Troy is more into going with the flow.  Eat when you’re hungry, sleep when you’re tired - All that crazy stuff.  Here is a typical weekend encounter between Troy and I regarding plans to eat: 

Her:  Its 12:00, time to make lunch. 

Him: Didn’t we just eat breakfast at 10:30? I won’t be hungry for awhile.

Her:  Um ok . . . but it’s noon and since we eat lunch at 12:30 I better get started.  Plus, if we don’t eat now it will mess up dinner.

Him: And . . .

Her:  Well you see, the kids’ bedtime is 8:30 and they need about 30 minutes to get ready for bed so that’s 8:00. If we want an hour of family time then that’s 7:00. Clean up from dinner takes 30 minutes so that’s 6:30 and dinner takes about 30 minutes to eat so it should be served at 6:00.  You can clearly see why lunch must be served on schedule.

Him: It sounds like you overslept…

Parenting: Part II - Grace

Her:  I have been overwhelmed trying to write this blog.  The topic of grace is something that I have been learning and growing in for the past few years and I still can’t say that I have completely wrapped my head around the concept.  But, I will share what God has taught me so far. 

Years ago I let go of the world to walk with the Lord.  I let go of being good enough, wise enough, together enough in the world’s eyes.  To some I am still a messy flake to others a neurotic control freak.  You can’t please everyone- it’s too much effort and completely exhausting.

Unfortunately, I transferred my effort into making God happy.  My goal was to be good enough, wise enough and together enough for God. Perfect mom, perfect wife, perfect disciple.  What a complete waste of my efforts because it turns out I am already enough!  I am God’s child and he loves me unconditionally.  I don’t have to do or be anything. He already died on the cross and has given me his grace.

I read this scripture today that solidified this truth to me.   I’ve heard it a million times but it completed rocked my world:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
    and he will make straight your paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6

So, I just have to love him and trust him and he’s got the rest handled.  WOW! And this next scripture blew me away even more:

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

Acts 20:24

We get to rest in the Lord Jesus and tell others the good news.  Well, I am in! No need to try and be perfect anymore.  YAY!

How, you may ask, does this apply to your parenting? Here is an excerpt from an amazing book I am reading called Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus by Elyse Fitzpatrick & Jessica Thompson. It sums up this topic perfectly:

  

“This is faith. In the same way that you trust in him [God] and not in yourself for your salvation, you can trust in him for the salvation of your children.  You can give yourself grace: he’s in control, he is loving, his plan is best.  And you can give your children grace, too.  Parenting with grace isn’t another set of rules for you to follow.  It’s a story that you’re to rejoice in.  Share the story with your children.  Show them the Savior.  Show them Jesus. Dazzle them with his love.”

We are nothing without him.  He is everything to us. Let’s make sure that we don’t just receive God’s amazing grace in our lives, but we also pass that grace on to our precious little kiddos. 

Until next time rest on this scripture:

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

Manhood: Plug In

Him: So in all my busyness lately I’ve realized that although I’m present in body my mind is many times elsewhere. This is never more true, and perhaps more damaging, than when I’m with my family. There are so many stressors in my everyday life – work, finances, projects, vacation planning, this blog – that it can be difficult to enjoy the very reason that I put up with all these: to enjoy time with my family.
Rather than reinvent the wheel, I wanted to share something I recently came across at thankgoditsmonday.com

Showing Up
Ellen Galinsky, author of Ask the Children— What America’s Children Really Think About Working Parents, asked children what they would change about how their parents’ work affects their lives.
She also asked the parents what they thought their kids would say. Fifty percent of parents predicted that the child’s top choice would be to have more time together.
Guess again.
In fact, only 10-15 percent of kids said they would like more time with their parents. Contrast this with the 34 percent of kids who said what they want most is for their parents to be less stressed. Only 2 percent of parents guessed that this would be their child’s highest priority.
It’s not more of our time that our kids want but rather our vivaciousness—to be fully alive and enthusiastic wherever we are at any moment.
So do you fully show up wherever you are—or are you quasi-committed? Sometimes we have good intentions but just never get there.
Are you the kind of parent who talks about balance and blames your employer for pulling you away from your kids, yet has the television on while you’re with them?
Splitting your attention two or three or five ways all the time is the surest way to cheat each and every one of those parts of your life. Balance means living fully wherever you are—being fully present to your friends when with your friends, with your kids when with your kids, with your spouse when with your spouse, and at work when you’re at work.
If you’re thinking about your bowling league during the budget meeting, your numbers might be off. If you’re trying to figure out your fantasy league draft picks while you’re playing catch with your son, you might take one on the kisser—AND draft a third-rate running back. And that would be called justice.
Some of the best parents work fifty hours a week or more and are amazingly connected with their children in extremely functional ways. Some of the worst parents are stay-at-home mothers or fathers who watch television all day—know every soap opera, sleep through most of the day, and yell when their kids interrupt by asking a question.
Resolve today to make a commitment to be where you’re at, one hundred percent. When you’re at work, be productive in knowing exactly what the company objectives are.
Balance is about fully showing up wherever you are and deciding to enjoy being there. And that, like everything else in life, starts with a decision and continues with practice.

The Emmerich Group® • 8050 Washington Ave. S., Suite 100, Eden Prairie, MN

Health and Fitness

Him: When I played football in college I was a lean, mean 195 pounds. My body was like a machine and could perform almost any command I threw at it. I spent hours perfecting form, building strength and developing my agility. But in the last 10+ years I’ve found myself spending a lot more time at a desk and a lot less time tuning the machine that I once was. I'm about 15 pounds heavier and a lot softer. My family has doubled in size… almost three times. Priorities have changed and I don’t find myself in the gym, on the court, or making the moves on defenders that used to provide such a rush- I lived to break down a would be tackler and slide past him for a big gain.

There are times when I get the opportunity to lace up my cleats and when that happens I’m like a giddy little kid again. Only when I take that first step, it’s not explosive like it used to be, my head knows how to set up a defender but my body struggles to execute as I feel my feet stumble. Getting old is humbling but being out of shape just adds insult to injury. I get that I may be past my prime, that I may never dunk a basketball again, that someday a fit 17 year old is going to break my ankles but I’m not going down without a fight.

Allison and I are putting together a few fitness goals and to meet them we’ll be developing individual training plans. Gone are the days where I spent 2+ hours a day in a gym. This plan will incorporate things we enjoy doing that also provide great fitness benefits and as a bonus won’t steal us away from family too long. In fact, many of them will include family- we all hike together, my girls run with me (a great daddy-daughter date), obstacles courses in the backyard (I’m excited to start including the pool in this now that it’s warming up), and many others.

As we continue to work out our goals and a plan to get there we’ll share. We hope to help you think outside the box a little. This means getting off the couch, out of the house (sometimes not),  putting technology and social media aside for a short while and investing in your health... stay tuned, there’s more to come!

Kid cuteness to make you smile!

Her:  Ok, so kids do cute things. Sometimes they do those things over and over and over for months straight and then never do them again. There are so many cute things that my kids have done that I honestly can’t remember.  So I've decided to make an effort to document the cuteness so I will never forget.

                                                Our fifth child has a chair. . .

It's made for a doll but she thinks it’s hers and squeezes herself into it... 

...sometimes she's successful...

...and sometimes she's not!

 

But no matter the outcome, it's just so darn cute!