Homeschooling???

I am posting a link to another blog.
It is an essay written by a 9th grader who had been homeschooled in the "unschooled" tradition...(hmm is that an odd combination of words or what)....but what I think is interesting is his perspective on the public school after attending 9th grade. Just thought those of you who were intested in homeschooling or who wondered at our thoughts in planning to do so, would find this interesting! It is not written from a christian perspective, just from an educational standpoint.
I would love your comments/thoughts!!
http://fivefreebirds.blogspot.com/2008/07/unschool-v-school.html

Oiling Can

Today is Kevin's first day with students.

He is a music teacher and sees all the students: Pre-K trough 5th grade. Which means each day is 6 different lesson plans and six different classes and the next day brings the other half so six more classes. Unfortunately, last year was very difficult, with some classes ruining it for the others and none of those kiddos moved! :) So they are back. And Kevin knows the Lord has him here. He was ready to leave but did not feel a release from the Lord to do so. So he knows it is the Lord work to be there, but its still hard!!!

Some Men from church were encouraging him yesterday as we were leaving church and kinda joking around with him about starting school. These men both had previously taught in the district Kevin teaches in. But anyway, one of them said (when Kevin joked that they could pray for him again) that he was the tin man that needed oiling every 5 minutes. I smiled at him and nodded my head, and he looked at me and said, "You're the oiling can!" He was still joking around and was pretending to console Kevin when he came home form work. But man, that stuck with me!

So I decided that I would make an effort this year to be his oil can. Not that I didn't pray for him before, but the tin man needs oiling every 5 minutes! So no, I didn't pray every 5 minutes, but the Lord graciously brought him to mind through out this morning and afternoon and I would just stop and pray real quick or sometimes not so quick.

I share this not to brag because, I promise there will be days when I'm sure I will not be a good oiling can, but I share this because I thought it was such a good word and good visual, at least for me. So for all of us that have friends, spouses or children that are facing a difficult day or days, we just need to think of them as the tin man, and ourselves as the oiling can!!

Haircuts and Harvest

Well I have been wanting to cut Annelise's hair for a while...she looks so cute with a bob! But she wanted to grow it long 'like mommy's' and how can I argue with that!!!

Well lucky for me she got gum in her hair and being as hairbrusshing is the torture of choice in our household, she was begging me to cut it out...so I said we will have to make it all match!!!! And we did. The tragic part to this story is that Olivia wanted hers cut too. If I were the one weilding the scissors I would have just trimmed it. But sinse I am unable to cut hair in a straight line, Kevin is the master haircutter, and he did exactly as Olivia wished. Of course she looks adorable but she was the one that let me do her hair! Waah! I wanted to cry but I'm already over it!

We harvested all the lima beans and the girls helped us empty the pods. We laughed at our "abundant" harvest, especially sinse you can buy a bag for .55 cents. But the girls had a ball!

Elijah's Song

Kevin wrote a song. And it's my job to show it off right!!?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Na1YEvpdC-Y

1.I run to the mountain to stand in that place, to stand in the presence where you fill my faith and the winds will come and the mountains move but I will stand in that place where you will pass by.

When I am troubled, when I’ve lost my way, when I can’t see you Lord, when I’ve lost my faith, when I feel that there is no way out, I need a glimpse of your face…

2.I run to the mountain, to stand in that place, to stand in the presence, of your holy-ness, and the earth will quake and the fire burn but I will stand in that place, where you will pass by.

When I am hurting, when I am torn when I am fearing and needing you more, you have left an open door so I can come to that place…

3.I run to the mountain, to stand in that place, to stand in the presence receiving your grace and I’ll hear your voice in a gentle wind when I will stand in that place, where you will pass by.

1 Kings 19:11
And the word of the LORD came to him: "What are you doing here, Elijah?"
10 He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." 11 The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.

Prayers Answered!!

So first off, the great news!! The baby is head down!!!
YYYEEEEEAAAHHHHH!!
YYIIIIPPPPEEEEE!!!
So it seemed like such drama getting into the Docs office. I guess we were just dealing with a nurse who just didnt know what to think of a person under the care of a midwife. We always do the first couple months care at the Docs office and then transfer to the midwife. So I already have a relationship with this office, SO... I really thought it would be no big deal. But it took a couple calls and a call from Dr. Deb, AKA good friend (been at her births, shes been at mine) to call as my 'physician liaison'. She made herself available to answer any concerns or clear up any questions so I could get an apointment quickly. That was last week.
SO today I went in and the Doc was so kind and considerate and right away saw that the head was down. So then it was to answer Kevin's heart desire: Was this a boy?
Now before I tell you, I must relate to you the first time we went to the midwife once this baby was big enough to feel moving around. She had to move the little Doppler 3 times cause the baby would kick and move away. So our joke was that the baby was very private.
Well turns out he/she really is. We could not get a single look at this baby's 'parts'. Its feet were up in my ribs and knees were together so we got a good look at it's bony little booty, but that's it.
So it is still a surprise!
And Kevin is still in suspense!

Our Family

So I just had to show off these beautiful new photos of our family that we had taken. My dearest friend Sarah is a very talented photographer and she does it on the side for a very reasonable price (subtle plug there) So feel free to contact me if you live in my area and want some great pics taken!

OK on to the pics!!

Family of Foxes

The Cute Couple

Mama and her Girls

Sweet Annelise

Lovely OliviaI love this Picture!

Whole family walking off into the sunset!!

And of course I love this one of Daddy and one of his Girls, and the one he posted earlier.

Aren't these all beautiful! Thank you Sarah!!!!!

Pragmatism!

Do you ever look at your life and question how you came to be at this point? I have.



Don't get me wrong, I love my wife and I love my children, and I'm not necessarily dissatisfied with where I am, but I never imagined my life quite like it is. I'm not saying that I had telepathic abilities as a child to unlock the mystery of my future, but I never dreamed of being a music teacher that I remember.



Annelise says she wants to be a Ballerina teacher and a mother. In fact, most little girls that are friends with her have similar aspirations; which, in my opinion are well within their reach. When I was a little boy, my friends wanted to be Major League Baseball players or NBA basketball players or sports car drivers or rock stars or actors. Are girls just more pragmatic than boys?

Perhaps there are levels of pragmatism and one can move between them arbitrarily, at will or subconsciously. What about dreams? Do you have dreams, or did you have dreams? That is, are they behind you or before you, or maybe you buried them and they're nowhere to be seen. What is the purpose of those dreams? Are they God given or selfish ambition, a dream from your parent placed on you or environmentally influenced? More importantly, are they(the dreams) part of who you are, or chosen outside the scope of personality and ability.


If someone is extremely good at sports, recognized by many others, is it impractical for them to pursue the NBA or NFL? Someone once said to me, "Shoot for the stars and if you land on the moon then its still OK."


At times I feel as though pragmatism is caught like the flu. You catch it from well meaning people that have become content and pleased with their own practicality and think that you would be wise to do so yourself. Or perhaps their dreams were broken and they want to save you from the same fate.


When it comes to my children and their dreams, I have resolved to scrape off every last bit of pragmatism, practicality, fall-back-on thinking and encourage them to pursue those dreams and even move past calling them dreams and call them goals, and write them down and give them due dates, and come up with a plan to reach those goals, wow that's sounds pragmatic doesn't it! Though my method may be, my advice won't be, and then comes my part! Support. Encourage. Pray!

Annelise-future Mommy, Ballerina Teacher and Brain Surgeon

Olivia-Future Mommy, Adventurer(Missionary) and Veterinarian

Pragmatism:–adjective-of or pertaining to a practical point of view or practical considerations.