My Own Pressure

I find it difficult to find the line between applying too much pressure to achieve unattainable goals for our kids' education and not enough to keep us moving along consistently towards our goals. More often than I slack, I push too hard - not allowing a lesson to get skipped due to 1 or more bad moods at the table and therefore causing undue stress to the student, who in reality is progressing more than well enough.

This brings me to think that I need to reassess our goals for this year.... or maybe not. Maybe I just need to keep them somewhere more visible to me so that I don't feel so easily frustrated or freaked out by missing or repeating a lesson. How else can I remind myself that my kids are doing just fine? I know logically that they are, but don't want to be so overly flexible with our lessons that we fall behind anywhere - especially since these foundational years are so crucial.

Maybe the pressure I place on myself and my kids is from a fear of failure. I surely can't blame another teacher if my child doesn't progress well enough. Or other kids if they pick up bad habits (such as my tendency to holler or inability to focus - yikes!). Since I know that my kids are doing well (I'm reading enough to know where they should be and seeing enough other students also) and I have well thought out goals for them, I'm afraid that this fear is simply a symptom of a lack of faith! After all, dh and I are making this time-consuming, against the grain educational choice for our kids because we feel that God wants us too do so. Why then would He not be faithful to provide wisdom and guidance to get our children where they need to be?

So my plan is to take the Thanksgiving weekend coming up to pray and refocus on our priorities around this little academy. I'll print out the year's goals as well as something physical (computer software provides this) to show how we've progressed and a list of to-do's along with re-do's. I need more sleep, less junkfood, and less tv. But above all, I must become more and more consistent in my prayer for this school. I know that I must give all that I am doing completely to the Lord so that He can carry the load and relieve me of this pressure that I bring upon myself.

1 Year Old Lincoln

Wow! Can it really have been an entire year since your amazing entry into our lives?


It felt like such a long time to wait for your arrival once we knew of your creation and your siblings waited so excitedly too. But you took your own sweet time, baking for 40 1/2 weeks until you had reached the ripe and hefty size of 10lbs 14 oz and 23 1/2in long. However, when it was time, you didn't waste any. The Lord must have known what a wimp your mommy is (seriously - I whine about paper cuts and pulled cuticles!) and spared me with your 3 hour labor and delivery! I was surprised that your first cry sounded so much like your big brother Adam's did and I thought it was strange that I could remember that detail over 2 years later.


Your daddy and I were so happy to welcome you to our family that chilly October day. You were so alert and looked so much like Adam.....

But this past year has shown you to be as unique and specially made as your three siblings. Your looks seems to be different everyday that we see you. So many who've met you remarked that you were the sweetest and happiest baby they ever met (okay, I may be a bit biased.... but they really did say it was so and I agreed!).

You have learned quickly that you need to make noise to be heard in this house - and make noise you do! Anytime that Adam comes near you to try to poke your nose, you start swingin' those arms and screeching. You often attack your offender by diving at them with your teeth bared. Yikes! This was cute at first but it is something that has shown us your strong determination as we've tried to teach you not to bite. Your curiosity is insatiable at this age, and house proofing you is quite the task. I can't help but smile as you chuck off the opposite direction as fast as your fat legs can crawl when you hear me approach while you're doing something "no-no!"

How amazingly adorable you are - you are so valued by all of us! We love to watch you learn and grow and we enjoy every day with you. What a wonderful year this has been with you, my darling Lumpy (don't worry, we won't call you that for long - you're already slimming out, much to my dismay)!

Happy First Birthday!

I love Kitties!

Could not resist the little lickin' kitty! Don't have one now but I've always loved cats and would love to have one again (after daipers...?).

So for now, this cutey will have to do...

Figures!

I don't know about you but I find it quite difficult to protect the innocence of my children in this day and age ... in this culture. I struggle with the fact that society doesn't value ANY of the things I do (namely God, family, fathers, women, children) and know that I must preview the things to which I expose my children. I read most books ahead and watch most movies in advance.

The key word being "most" in the above statement. *SIGH*

But this week I didn't take time to preview a movie that I, myself, chose for movie night with the kids. And I was shocked to find a clip in which the 2 main characters (10yo boys) are flipping slowly through tv channels and land for at least 30 seconds on a nasty music video! It was "Girls, Girls, Girls' by Va.n Ha*len (I think Va.n Ha*len - it's been a few years) and was loaded with half naked women dancing more than provocatively. And the boys acted and talked as if it wasn't degrading since it was just tv ("No, it's not .... it's just tv. It's not real." says one boy).

Call me ultra-conservative. Call me overprotective. I don't care. But this is NOT how I want my boys to think of or treat women or my girl to think of herself as such. I do not want them de-sensitized to immoral junk just because they view it on the tv! I am irritated at the makers of this movie for wrecking a classic story AND I'm irritated at myself for thinking that a PG movie would be okay for my 7 and 5.5 yo kids.

This serves as a reminder to myself and dh - our children are gifts loaned to us for only a short time. Their innocence is more fragile and valuable than many people think.

So if you haven't seen it or haven't shown it to your kids,

please don't rent the movie

"The Indian in the Cupboard"

Wordless Wednesday

Simple things make the best toys....