Week of changes

Well, first week back into the swing of school and things went very well.

One day, Isaac made the chicks a permanent new home so they'll stop jumping to the top of their box, perching and leaving messes on the tile for the boys to clean up!

Very intently working!

Then, on another day, I received information that I'd been waiting for in regard to next year's classes.  The boys will be doing a co-op with a 'school' and I'll be the administrative assistant!  It's a definite answer to my prayers for them and me.  It gets us out of the house twice, possibly two and a half days a week, they get to take courses like debate, theology, Biblical Worldview and be with other kids to sharpen their skills and I get to use my skills teaching photography and sewing (if they have a half day of electives).  The great part is that we only have to pay for one's tuition, not two and I will also be the school photographer and yearbook coorinator!  I am delighted to be heading in this direction and I know after the dust settles and we're in a routine, they will definitely benefit.

Thank you, Jesus.

We had a storm on Monday, so Jef, Caleb and I cuddled on our bed and Isaac grabbed my camera and snapped this one.  It was a sweet moment.

I took the boys to the doc's on Monday morning and since they both had ear infections, we headed to Walmart and to keep them entertained because they were 'starving' and wanted to go to McD's, but I said no, I gave them my camera to shoot 'ads'

...this is what they did...

Caught me off guard when we got home...I had no idea they shot this one!

This was when we were sitting waiting for the scripts...

Fun times with twinners!

Spring break is over...

...and what a week it was.  My sister came from NY with her hubby, so we did the customary, 'take family to Sea World' and on that day, the first real day of Spring break, there were over 29,000 people...sheer insanity! 

To top off the week of vacation for me, time I thought I might regroup, prepare for the last stretch of this school year, I got hit bigtime with flu-like symptoms and though I forged through at Sea World on Monday, it cost me the rest of the week...but everyday I would get up, spend time with Jesus, and start moving...I learned to keep moving forward, rejoice, focus on grace, His kindness, look for His gifts to me and the boys and just slow down.  I wrote about it one day, Wednesday, over here, turning my post that day into a story and in the midst of writing, realized I'd been given many gifts that day...

So, the boys told me several times this week it was the best vacation they've had in a long time...not too sure why since we didn't do much, but they did spend time with their aunt Kay and uncle Tim who took them to a movie, then to buy Legos and action figures! 

On Tuesday, although the entire family was going out, I opted to keep them home with me (which they were initially very angry with me about, but, needless to say, repented later on that day when they realized their day wouldn't have turned out the way it did if they'd have gone.)
To their delight, I took them first to the library to pick up books I'd ordered, then to the feed store to get chicken food and on our way into the store I asked them if they wanted to see if there were any chicks, and then they got excited...
There were two little chicks left and we agreed they could buy one because it was only $2.  When we took the chick to the counter, the man said if they wanted to have them both, he'd give them to the boys for free!  They looked at me, I smiled, they ran back and got the other one and then bought $1.60 worth of food just for them. 
Well, these darling little things have had to have their wings clipped already because they can jump on the top of the box...they love the sound of the boys' voices and when they hear them from the other room, they begin to chirp like crazy...
They named them A.J. for Awesome Juice and the other one Hawk Nelson...my concern is that we have two roosters...and that will not do.  Time will tell.

They had a friend come spend a couple days and I put them all to work in my garden of Eden pulling weeds to pay me for a giant Lego book Isaac wanted...it was a great motivator for them as well as for me.

So, tomorrow we begin anew and I am looking forward to walking in love, grace and patience with them.   That may sound funny to read, but the stirring that God has been doing in my heart has been nothing short of a miracle.  My eyes are opened and I see things differently.  

...and I know they are different, too.  They're responding to the love, patience and grace that fills them.  How thankful I am that His mercies are new every day.
 

It's already March!

We're coming into the final stretch, only to be stretched like a rubberband.  This will be the last week before we take a much needed break. 

Last week, my neice visited and we did a couple of outings: Friday we did the zoo before our membership ran out...
Sat. was Sea World.  That was a fun time, but very tiring...walking, walking everywhere.

She left on Sunday, early.

On Tuesday, Isaac had an orthodontist appointment to cast his teeth for braces!

I am looking forward to chronicling this adventure and the changes these braces are going to make in Isaac's life.

Love and I have been seriously interceding for these two boy-men.  The changes have been phenomenal, too.  Just last night, sitting away from each other in the youth service, they both recommitted their lives to Jesus and until they sat down together in their small group did they know. 

What I've been learning over the last month or so is that for way too long, this mommy has been crying for change for them, when the reality is that this mommy has needed to change.  Change my responses to their 'behavior', change my approach to being in authority over them-i.e.: not pushy, bossy, but kind, patient, confident and sweet~  things that haven't come 'naturally' to me.

Suffice to say, God is working and we're in this marathon for the long haul...

Continue to change me, Lord Jesus, to be fit for Your service in these boys lives. 

Thank You.

 I know You hear my prayers and the work You began, You will complete.

Who'd of thought!

I happened to stumble onto a webpage for science that led to another page, which led me to the NYSymphony and then onto the San Antonio symphony where I discovered that there would be a student concert in about a week~
I was ecstatic.  A real concert, the boy's first real orchestral experience and the cost was a mere $4! 
At first, they were less than excited to sit for, what they thought would be hours...it lasted a total of one hour.
The event was for students, so that meant the auditorium would be filled with loud children.  It was.
But behind us sat the 'homeschoolers'...six children, accompanied by only a mom and each one sat quietly, including the two yr. old...then there was the mom with two girls, approximately five and six, and the 'under one yr. old' on her lap, sitting at the other end of our row.  Mom left part way through and left the two girls sitting by themselves...quietly paying attention. 
The orchestra was overwhelming for all of us.  I couldn't decide which I enjoyed more:  the concert or just watching them enjoy it!
Before we left, I sat us down for a few pix:  I had no idea they were pretending to be asleep...boys!

All in all, it was a great day and they truly enjoyed themselves...now on to a real symphony!

Who'd of thought?

Education is life with intentional joy!

"All schools both here and in America should teach far fewer subjects far better."

- C.S. Lewis

Motherhood is such a unique occupation.  Taxi driver, cook, counselor, teacher, coach, heart specialist and the list goes on and on.

I've always believed that one cannot give what one does not have. 

As a mom, this plays out daily as I see my children's weaknesses as a reflection of my own.  I shine in the area of one that needs HELP to finish tasks as I look to my left and notice I've begun sweeping the floor but left the math test I was correcting sitting on the counter while I listen to dad tell me why he likes Angel Soft toilet paper better than Scott because he needs...you know where that's going.

But, we are ALL ON A JOURNEY.  Daily, my Bible tells me, I'm being conformed to the image of my Father in heaven.  That encourages me to believe that as I'm learning to submit to His voice and follow Him, I, in turn, will direct my kids down the path to freedom.

Today, being MONDAY, and as my dad is home from the hospital and I have a 'slightly' weightier workload on my shoulders, I got up even earlier to talk to Daddy and read His Word.  I have been asking Him to give me HIS eyes for the boys education. 

The 'schedule/routine' of a "Traditional School Day" is, to be quite honest, out the window. 

I know that. 

If I strive with having to have things the way everyone around me does, I'll pull out my hair, give up and put 'em in school.  (I did tell them yesterday that unless they decide they really want to be home and learn, they are going to school.  But that was to somehow convey that I do not have to put up with their stinkin' thinkin' that they shouldn't have to work...)

...and I believe they knew I meant business.

This morning, when I asked Daddy to open my eyes to HIS leading, I sensed peace.  The boys got up, went straight to eat, took care of their hens and then, just like usual, they climbed in bed with me to warm up.  But today, Caleb walked in with his Bible and began reading the Proverb of the day. 
Now God had my attention.  My prayers were beginning to manifest.  Wow.  THEY proceeded to bring me what they needed my help with...

One of my new duties is to take mom to dialysis three days a week, a job I'd not really needed to tend to since my folk's initially moved to TX and I had to show them around town.   So, I took Caleb with me so he can get the wheelchair in and out of the car for me.  As he helped his gramma into her chair, it hit me...this is learning.  This is why I'm doing what I'm doing.  Watching him hold her hand, wheel her in and care for her so tenderly and then run back in because he thought she'd called him back, reminded me that He is in this whole ordeal.  I just need my thinking changed about what my expectations are and then to listen daily, actually moment by moment.
As we stood in line at the grocery store after dropping mom off, the cashier asked Caleb if he was off today and he, helping her load the groceries in the bags, told her he was homeschooled.  Again, it hit me..here we are, he's learning about comparison shopping, serving the cashier and communicating with a stranger in a positive

Hope is rising.

******************************************************************************

I really want them to be able to speak publicly, so I grabbed the Communication book I have (it's gotta be from the 80's, which always brings lots of laughs) and on the way home, Caleb was reading the assignment and orally answering the questions about 'being self aware'.  

Question:  "What is the one thing you like least about your gender and also about the opposite gender?"

His answer:  The one thing I like least about the male gender is that they won't shutup and ask for directions...and the thing I dislike most about women is that THEY WON'T LEAVE THE MAN ALONE!"

Perhaps it's just the way he said it or maybe his perception about genders, but I could not stop laughing and the tears were making it difficult to see the road!

I post this to remind myself that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  Though things don't 'look' like the traditional way of learning, I'm seeing things much more clearly today!

Vacation time away...

The boys and I were given an opportunity to get away with a friend to a beautiful home along the Guadalupe river for a few days this past week and the time away was such a respite for us all.

The first day there, the ducks greeted us on the dock!  I'm sure they just wanted food!   It was a wonderful welcome!

There was fishing...

 A huge hammock to chill out in...

...and that was just the first day.

Tuesday morning, when I got up, there was a cloud over the river:

and frost...amazing!

There were lizards to catch, a quiet neighborhood to ride their bikes,  
lots of snacks to munch on, and of course they just HAD TO JUMP IN THE FREEZING COLD RIVER JUST ONCE!  That's all it took to wake them up...their comment:  "Boy, that was stupid!"

For the first time in their lives, they each learned how to sail a kayak.  Actually, we all learned! 

Isaac learned to canoe first and because he was in it with two others, he bragged that he was stronger than Caleb because he was in the front of the canoe and 'pulling three people!'

I didn't get into the kayak until the last day...I wasn't so sure I wanted to end up in the freezing water!  But I told myself to relax and just enjoy the journey.  After I talked to myself for a while, I began to enjoy the scenery. 

It was such a spectacular time making memories and enjoying God's creation.  I spied lots of different birds out there and captured a few...

I will always treasure moments like these. 

I saw a side of the boys that I haven't seen since we lived in the country: being free to enjoy nature and each other out-of-doors, playing pranks on mom and being tired out at the end of the day from rowing! 

I am so thankful to Daddy for His extravagant  love to us this past week while my Love is in Florida.  We all made memories!

Defining moments: They come in a swoosh of time!

He shoots...

HE SCORES!!!

Now, that was a defining moment in our son, Caleb's, life!

Sure, the other team players shoot and score and it's no big deal because they've been playing for years on a team and they play as though the game is all about them (they only pass the ball to someone they know or are sure they might score...this isn't a criticism, just the way it is at this level, especially if the coach isn't interested in anything other than winning.)

But for Caleb, he told us the ONE thing he wanted more than anything was to be able to score! He put his faith to work and got out there and scored!!!

Now, Isaac had his moment, as well.  He has sat on the sidelines most of every game because of fear and because he says basketball isn't 'his' thing.  But this was the last game.  And despite the coach not taking a risk and giving him much time on the court, he did go out for about five minutes and he did assist a guy in scoring.  That thrilled him as well, but not enough for him to ever want to play the game again.  At least not on a team.

These two young men are marvelous and wonderfully made.  Each has his strengths and weaknesses, as we all do.  My job description is to keep looking heavenward, standing in the place of prayer for them and cheering them on with words of Life and kindness that encourage them to press forward.

This morning was a perfect example.  It was time for me to give a spelling test to one of them and I specifically said I wanted the words "Unit 4, Test" written on the top line with the date in the corner.  Well, he began an elaborate drawing of the letters in block form...(which is really no big deal, but the lesson he needed to learn was submission.)  When I repeated that I didn't want 'those' kinds of letters, but just plain letters, he began to get offended and everything unraveled for him...his countenance changed, his attitude began to get hard! I, on the other hand, immediately saw this opportunity as a teachable moment. 

We'd just read two days ago about how Jesus did what the Father told him to do and said what the Father wanted him to, the WAY HE WANTED HIM TO SAY IT ! John 12: 44-50

⁴⁴ Jesus shouted to the crowds, “If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me. ⁴⁵ For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me. ⁴⁶ I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in me will no longer remain in the dark. ⁴⁷ I will not judge those who hear me but don’t obey me, for I have come to save the world and not to judge it. ⁴⁸ But all who reject me and my message will be judged on the day of judgment by the truth I have spoken.⁴⁹  I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it.⁵⁰ And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”

It was an anointed moment to explain that he was under authority and that if his Savior, who is our example, could submit to His Father's will by obediently submitting his will for us (him) all the way to the cross, then he nor I have any excuses not to submit and that I was the parent, not him and he had to obey my authority because God gave me that authority for his good.  I reminded him that perhaps writing his letters a certain way isn't a big deal, but what is a big deal is his response to my authority.  That mattered more to God than spelling and that, fortunately for him, I love him.  Someday, I told him, he'd have at least one boss that won't care whether he lives or dies.  Because I love him, I'm persevering to train him to obey God in order that when he does have an ungodly boss, that no matter what he tells him to do or how he treats him, because he's learned submission, obedience and trust in God, he will be able to be a blessing to that man/woman and God will honor him.

HE GOT IT!  I mean he really got it. 

When that happens, words cannot describe the joy a mother feels when she sacrifices her days for the next generation. 
It's in those moments that I remember the WHY of home education.  And it's also a reminder of how important it is for me to be abiding in His love and praying for each one of my five children.  Each one is in their own game! 

...one never knows when a teachable moment will happen...

Moms, we must be ready to be poured out. 

Are you aiming your children toward the bullseye? 

Are your thoughts about your children being renewed or are you missing the shot? 

This game is too short, don't waste any shots you're given!