And...That's the End of That Great Chapter.

Another wonderful school year has ended.

We placed each of our kids in an all-gender class at the end of the school last year.

During the summer we heard several "not-so-great" and downright awful stories about the all-girls class, so Luke and I talked and we withdrew Precious Jewel's name mid-summer...

...so we thought.

We arrived at the beginning of the school year for Open House night and discovered somehow there had been in mistake in communication and Precious Jewel had been left in the all-girl's class.

We didn't know what to do, but after talking with her dear teacher from last year, we decided to leave her in the class with the option of moving her later if we felt she needed.

It was a God-ordained miscommunication because it was a wonderful year for Precious Jewel.

She had some of the typical nasty girl issues that every girl deals with no matter how they are educated, but the way her teacher and staff dealt with the issues was marvelous.

It made all the difference in the world.

Most importantly it Precious Jewel how to deal with conflict appropriately.

I just finished reading Bringing Up Girls and am now re-reading Bringing Up Boys by Dr. Dobson.

Precious Jewel's and Mr Smile's teachers epitomized what Dobson said every parent and teacher should do when kid's are getting picked on (which was Precious Jewel's case).

"One of the important assignments as a parent is to preserve the mental and physical health of your kids. You wouldn't think of letting someone injure them physically if you could prevent it. Why, then would you stand by and watch the spirit of your boy or girl be warped and twisted? The damage to the self-concept that occurs ...can haunt an individual for the rest of his life.

As a teacher, I made it clear to my students that I wouldn't put up with teasing. If anyone insisted on ridiculing another of my students, he was going to have to deal with me. I wish every adult would do the same. When a strong, loving teacher comes to the aid of the least-respected child in the class (not Precious Jewel's case. She was quite popular, but she did have a traumatic incident that involved several girls and parent and Administration) something dramatic occurs in the emotional climate of the room. Every child seems to utter an audible sigh of relief. The same thought bounces around in many little heads: If that kid is safe from ridicule, then I must be safe too. By defending the least-popular child in the classroom, the teacher is demonstrating that she respects everyone and that she will fight for anyone ho is being treated unfairly." (Dobson. Bringing Up Boys, pg 48)

I am a HUGE advocate of defending the "least" in the world of childhood. Probably because a couple of my own siblings were horribly picked on and I saw the pain it caused.

Precious Jewel came home from her second to last day of school sobbing uncontrollably (literally). It was the last day with her beloved teacher (the last day was a Saturday and her teacher had a wedding to attend). That did kinda' suck.

So we have decided to put her into the all-girls class again next year.


Mr Smiles had a wonderful year in his all-boys class as well.

He adored his teacher and his little fellow classmates.

The all-boys class was a good experience for him, but we did not sign him up for it again next year. (We are beginning to re-think that).

We got to attend his little award ceremony that his teacher held for her class.

It was so cute to watch each of their sweet little faces as she read their awards and handed them their (large) candy prize.

The eyes of those little boys lit up when she handed them that chunk of sugar!

Ben got the "Skittles" award for "exhibiting a RAINBOW of creative ideas in first grade. Your stories were so exciting to read!"
He beamed and we let him eat the whole bag of Skittles on the way home without having to share with anyone (a rare treat at our candy deprived house).
We haven't decided whether on not to enroll him in the all-boys class for next year or not.
We did discover that when you put a whole bunch of little boys together that the typical locker-room talk ensues. His teacher didn't tolerate it in the classroom and I know she put the "kibosh" on it when she did hear inappropriate speech.
I know with both kids the "issues" we had occurred on the playground and at lunch where it is impossible to supervise everything that goes on with every child. That occurred numerous times in my small private Christian School. Sin nature is sin nature and it's going to rear it's ugly little head no matter how young or where you are at. I've even encountered ugly situations on carefully supervised playdates.
All that to say, we want to see who the all-boys teacher is going to be next year and find out how she handles some of the concerns we've had and then we might put him back in.
The movement and activity in his classroom that looked like barely controlled chaos, was what he thrived upon.
Happy end of the school year and welcome to summer!

Be Thou My Vision

I have had a lot on my mind lately.
Many things have happened here recently that have caused me to have to dig even deeper. Search a little farther. Face things I don't like or don't wish to face. Fears. Longings. Disappointments and Hurts that I thought had been given up or forgiven, but have poked up their ugly little heads like weed shoots in my garden. Weeds searching and groping to destroy the ground that has been torn open and wounded only for the purpose to sow tender seeds of hope and forgiveness.
"Still be my Vision!" I call out to the Ruler of All.
God, do not allow the father of Lies take back the ground of grace that You have sown. The only way to truly experience His tender mercies in my life is to extend His Grace to others. For I am imperfect. I want Grace extended to me.
I want the High King of Heaven to be my Victory Won...to expose the lies that Satan so skillfully whispers into my ear.
If I judge or point fingers or refuse to give the benefit of doubt to a story I've heard, then I am nothing more than the woodcutter who has fallen over his own log and impaled himself on his own ax.
So I cling to His Word and stand on His promise of Grace and Forgiveness because I want the same for my life.

Little Brother's Graduation Day

This time last week the 4 kids and I made a 9 hour car trip up to the Midwest to see my youngest brother graduate from High School.
I have to say I'm getting pretty good at this whole road-tripping with kids thing.
I'm not so good at going grocery shopping with 4 kids, but put me in a car with them by myself for 9 hours straight and they seem to do pretty good.

My parents came back to the States this year so that Matthew could attend his last year of school at the school my dad used to Administrate.
It was so odd being back and see all these Seniors that I had known as toddlers when I graduated from HS.
I counted about 4 or 5 of them that I had been their regular babysitter before I graduated.
We won't mention that none of them were potty-trained at the time and I remember all but 2 of them being born.
As they walked across the stage oh so grown up, I had these nostalgic memories of pudgy little toddlers with big blue eyes and blond bouncing curls running after bugs in the yard or another one sitting in front of the television singing along with Thomas the Train and Barney.
I AM OLD.

Uncle Matthew as he is affectionately called around here holds a special place in my heart.
I can remember praying for several years before he was born that my mom would have another baby.
I loved babies and toddlers and I wanted a younger sibling.
Yes, I had one already but when you and he are only a year apart, it doesn't really count.
I wanted a little younger brother.
When I was 14, my parents had him.
He was planned and that's a whole 'nother story. ; )
I loved having him in the house!
I had my own baby doll to dress up and carry around.
Poor kid.
I was heartbroken and missed him deeply when my parents moved to Mexico.
I was 18 and going off to college and he was 4 and followed me everywhere.

We also celebrated my mom's 60th birthday that weekend.
My parents really are young for as many kids and grand kids as they have. ; )

It was incredibly special to have 2 of my dad's 3 surviving siblings drive their 9 hour trip from Colorado. I hadn't seen my aunt Lois in several years and it was so fun to introduce my children to all of them. I have so many fond memories of them growing up and it was important to me to get to have my children meet them as well.

Graduation Day was teary. At least I was teary.
The speaker didn't help.
If everyone I knew could have heard this graduation message, there would be no doubt that this school was purposeful in equipping these kids to meet and make an impact on the world.
He was their Administrator and has a heart for the gospel, missions and equipping those kids to make a difference when they left High School.
My brother was so blessed to get to spend his last year under those teachers and staff.

We saw several of my cousins and aunts and uncles and I loved being back around family and the friends I had grown up with.

We left daddy at home doing this:

Well, they weren't born yet when we left, but none-the-less he had to work and couldn't come.

We came home to triplets and it's been bottles and extra milking and late night feedings and early morning feedings. I finally got the suitcase out of the van on Friday, but it's still in our bedroom un-opened. Children and goats are sorta' taking up all my time.

Happy Graduation Uncle Matthew!
We love you!

Spontaneity

Last Monday I arrived home from picking up the children at school and Luke declared we were taking a trip to the creek below our house.
ALL OF US.
No one was left behind this time.
We have recently (Luke discovered) an old wagon trail behind our house. There is a large iron eye pounded down into the ground that we have been told was used to help hook and lower wagons over and down the ridge. The deep ruts from the large wooden wheels are still there in some places.
I have a hard time visualizing these wagons being lowered anywhere behind our house. I had a fun time hanging onto a toddler and slipping and climbing our way down to the creek, let alone lower anything like a wagon down.

I saw all varieties of ferns and moss growing on our little hike down.
Nathaniel has always been to young to haul down and then back up the steep climb. There is a lot of bending under branches and fallen trees and climbing over rocks. You can't put a baby in a backpack and hike where we like to go. You'd end up with cuts and scratches and a very unhappy little one. It was also be difficult to carry a small person down without accidentally falling. Luke is trying to hack a path out to the creek this year to make it easier.
But the hike was worth it to see this:

It was peaceful
It was quiet.
I could have spent all day down here with a blanket and pen and notebook listening to the quiet laughing of the water as it danced it's way past.

Just two weeks ago the floods that devastated some families here also brought the water (as best as we can estimate) about 10 or so feet above normal creek level. Luke is pointing to debris hanging in branches above his head. Precious Jewel is a good 3 feet below him.
He said that the creek looked different and the embankment had shifted dramatically.

The water had totally carved out under this old tree above and the kids got a good first hand lesson on what tree roots truly look like.

Just a few days after this hike Precious Jewel handed me a Mother's Day card that said thank you for taking her to the creek.
She had made it in school BEFORE Mother's Day.
I was a bit confused.
We had not gone yet. Can we say she was hinting at my finally going?
Then when Luke announced that that day was a warm enough day and the water had receded enough and Nater Mater was old enough to climb down and back up with us, I understood she and him had been discussing this very trip.
It was nearly 5pm and I had not yet started dinner and it was a school night.
I hesitated and then said yes.

It wasn't until the 2 days later she gave me her Mother's Day card and I realized what I would have missed if I had said no...if I had stuck to my schedule and routine (which I very much like) and had told them to go ahead and go without me.
My days are FULL of little ones. My own and other people's.
I enjoy the evenings when the children are all in bed and quiet and I have some moments to just myself.
But I would have missed this if I had stuck to the routine...

...Moments of watching them run delightedly through the water stomping and splashing without a care in the world and all the pain it can hold.
The moments of childhood that can't be brought back.
The moments of innocence that we adults can never go back too.
Childhood. This Time. These Moments can run past us as fast as the water flows down our little creek behind our house never to be seen again.
There is always time for responsibility and chores and bedtimes and schedules to stick to.
A family needs consistency and regularity.

A family also needs a time of unbridled spontaneous fun when all schedule and time are thrown out the window and we follow daddy to the creek to skip rocks and stomp and splash when we are normally heading inside for dinner.

These are the memories I want to cherish. These are the memories I want to hold in my heart forever.

Our Visitor

One of the benefits of living in the country is experiencing nature first-hand.
For several nights we have been observing this little fellow eat whatever cat food the cats have left behind.
My compost bucket is also regularly raided for fruit scraps.

Usually he doesn't appear until after the kids have gone to bed, but last night hunger must have gotten the best of him. I'm sure many things were washed away in our recent flooding.
He looked miserable and wet, but dared the early evening light to scrounge on our back deck.

He looks like he's hissing, but he seemed to be trying to tell us he wanted us to throw out more food.
At one point he came right up to the glass where Precious Jewel had her nosed pressed and seemed to kiss her with his little wet nose.
She was delighted and squealed which sent him running to the back of the deck and nearly scampering back down the pole.

A few days ago we looked out in the early evening and saw 6 young deer wandering through our front trees just about 200 feet from the house.
That time Grandmama got to see and hear the delighted squeals and attempted glass pounding by Nater Mater.
Now that the cold seems to be leaving us and the warmth arriving, I think we'll be seeing more of our little woodland friends appearing in our yard.

Good Lookin's Graduation

I have to say I'm proud momma today.
Our little Good Lookin' graduated from Preschool today with flying colors.
They did a slide show of each of the little graduates and wrote a bit about each child.
Luke and I nearly fell out of our chairs when one of the points they put next to his picture and name were: Plays well with Others
Oh good heavens! It has happened!
He's done it!
He's attend a whole semester of preschool without any major meltdowns or bodily harm to himself or others.
And we never received a single negative phone call.

His favorite Job: The Weather Helper and he got to do it again on his last day of school.

His shy kitten-scratched little face.
He was very proud to wait and be handed his little diploma.

One of his "best est friends" was in his class.
He was honestly blessed to know over half of his class which was a huge help his first day of school.

Congratulations Good Lookin'!!!

100 Days/ 100 Years/ 100 Slimy Slugs

The kid's 100th Day of School was a couple of months ago, but yesterday Mr. Smiles brought home the sheet he had made out for his class on that day.
I thought it was rather insight full into the mind of an almost 7 year-old boy.

I wish I had 100 Dollars
What would you do with 100 Dollars? Buy 10 toys that cost $10
What would you do with 100 kisses? I don't know
What would you do with 100 slimy slugs? Keep them as a pet
What will you do when you are 100 years old? Play with my kids.
You have been in school for 100 days.
What has been you favorite thing? Making friends