Grat. itude.

Today, the tops on my thankful for list look like this:

Faith
Prayer
Women
Mom
Sleep
Sunshine
Watching kids' faces as they launch homemade rockets into the sky
Chips and salsa
Lemons
Backyards
aaaaaaaand B-r-e-t, BRET!

What are you thankful for today?

Baseball

I'm getting sucked into the emotion of little league baseball.

I'm going to have to watch myself carefully so I don't become one of "those" parents.  Yelling at the teenage umpires and making a stupid spectacle of myself.

I see them.  And I don't want to be them.

But I think I can see how they got there.

I find there's much more invested into little league than I assumed.  Especially for Jonzy's team.

Another parent recently described our team as the "Little Giants."  Remember that movie?  It's a perfect fit (except odds of us becoming division champs are stacked against us; and that's okay).

When we started this season we were headed up by a coach who had neither the time nor commitment to coach little league.  He wasn't at the try-outs, so he wasn't there to ask for specific players in the "draft."  And thus, our team is comprised wholly of the youngest and most inexperienced players instead of the balance that the other teams have.  All good kids who want to play, but didn't have anyone to teach them.  The parents seethed from the sidelines for two games, wondering what we could do to change things.  And then the assistant coach stepped in and took the reins.  Slowly but surely, our team is learning how to play baseball.

Hours and hours devoted to practices and games.  Parking forever far away in the who-designed-this? park.  Trying to keep two four year olds close and content during all those hours.  These kids and we parents have invested a LOT.

We started the season with a 7 game losing streak.  Dedicated coach and  parents cheering on the small progresses made.

We have won our last three games.

And I am getting waaaaaay too excited for the successes of each player. 

I mean, jumping-up-and-down-in-the-stands-cheering-and-yelling-like-a-maniac excited.

I get upset when bad calls are made on the one perfect play our players managed to make.  I get upset at the other parents, too.  It's a slippery slope and I've got to stay away from it before I truly embarrass myself.

I have a small fear that parents of the other teams are going to start hating our team because it is so easy to see our celebrations being loud and annoying mocking of their kids' failure.

But we're just so darn excited at our kids' progress!  I can't keep it in for fear of offending because others are probably misjudging our intent.

So for now I keep cheering and trying to keep myself from getting to emotionally involved.  I mean, it is only little league baseball. 

But I am so thankful this season is turning out to be this much fun when it looked so bleak at the beginning.

And what are you thankful for today?

Thankful Thursday

I can't ever seem to get ahead on my to do list.  Most days I'd even be glad to not fall so desperately behind...but that's usually what I end up doing.

Little things keep me going.

Like being able to dry four loads of the laundry (that I'm massively behind on) outside in the sunshine in four hours instead of in the laundry room in six days. 

And awesome moms to be part of a homeschool co-op with.

And a son who runs inside after seeing two helicopters fly over our house and enthusiastically shouts, "Battle!"

And lemonade.

And getting silly movies I grew up with from the library to show my kids.

It's a good life.

What are you thankful for today?

It's too early

Jonzy recently turned seven years old.  That means it's check-up time with the doctor.

After asking all my questions, Dr. C told me what's important for Jonz' health over the next year, physically and emotionally.

One of the things he mentioned shocked the heck outta me.

He said that boys ages 7-9 are at high risk for pornography addiction and we need to be sure to teach Jonz how to act if he ever finds himself in an uncomfortable situation.

That's all well and good.

It was definitely in our plans to make sure Jonz knew what to watch out for and give him a basic understand of why pornography is dangerous before we sent him off to school.

Prepare him for exposure- sure.

But addiction?  Already?

As I looked at my innocent seven year old flexing his muscles and making faces in the mirror with his brothers, my heart broke a bit.

I can't imagine such young boys being subjected to such filth.  And the lifetime of struggle they'll live with because of it.  Or the horrible men they'll grow up to be if they don't see it as a danger and/or an addiction to fight.

7-9.  It's so young!

Society is getting ever closer to needing a time-of-Noah-esque purge.  So many little ones are being raised in environments where there's no chance for them to learn the truth.

And this is the world my boys will grow up in.

But not here!  At the very least, our home is going to be a place where they can escape all the junk out there.  And any of their friends who want it.

It's my job and I take it seriously. 

But still.  I can't help but be sad that it's like this.

It sure is

It's a bit of a blustery day outside, but we've enjoyed some good time out of doors anyway.

Today I am thankful for-

pleasant temperatures
soft grass
chewing gum
classic movies
Subway
and delicious tap water

What are you thankful for today??????

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for sick days.

Sort of.

At the very least, it's a break from the norm. 

And I welcome those sometimes.  Today being one of them:)

Plus, since this is the third sick day in a row for Al and no one else is exhibiting any symptoms, it looks like this won't be a bug that travels from one family member to the next.

It's the little things:)

What are you thankful for today?

From homeschool to public school

Two+ weeks ago, it became abundantly clear (spiritually speaking) that Jonzy needs to be in school next year.  As in- no longer homeschooled.
I won't go into details (because it's a long story that, frankly, I just don't feel like sharing with the world at large).  So I hope, World, you will be content to know that Jonz' mother and father have studied it out and followed God's direction for him and his education.  For kindergarten and first grade, he needed to homeschool.  For second grade and the foreseeable future, he needs to be in school.  Simple as that.

But people don't seem to want to accept it as that simple.

I enjoy sharing this news with the nearest and dearest.  They trust completely that we have done and will do what is best for our children and share our excitement for this new stage of life for us.

But everyone else is not as trusting.  And really, why should they be?  They hardly know us!  (I sure don't like when those who know us don't trust us.  Rare, but it happens.)

I've been scared to tell others. 

I'm afraid of that the homeschooling community will think we're quitters, making a dumb decision.  And I'm worried that all those people who have told me over the years that they could never homeschool will think I can't either and take it as confirmation that hs-ing is stupid and so am I for "trying" it. 

Add to that the fact that Jonz is going to a school out of our boundaries and we're still the snooty family who "think themselves too good for the rest of us." 

And so, I think I've come to a decision.  I'm not volunteering the news anymore.  I truly believe that most people mean well; that they want the best for my kids just like I do.  But so often I feel like they don't trust me as the mom because our life's path is different from their experience of what was best for their children.  It is hard to internalize that "what's best for me and mine isn't best for everyone else" concept; I struggle with it, too.  Since it's obviously a struggle most of us face, I'll make it easier by just keeping the info to myself and let it become known naturally.  The truly curious will seek out some understanding from us.  The ones who don't care will go right on with life.  And the ones who want to believe untrue things will make up their own conclusions anyway.

Everybody wins!

And here?  Well, I've wished for someone to relate to and get advice from who has been in the homeschool to public school situation.  Haven't found one (I think I might know one, but I haven't had a chance to ask her and make sure yet).  So occasionally I'm going to write about some of what we experience here.  Perhaps someone who does the same thing in the future will find this in an internet search and benefit from what we learn on this new path.

Thanks for listening:)