In four months I'll be speaking at our state homeschool convention on strong family culture. I figured I'd use my blog to think through what I want to say.
I'll be the first to admit that it is easier to have a happy attitude when your baby is 19, at least most days. I'm not tied to the house. And now that I'm not "required" to stay home, I find I want to be here! Another advantage is that the kids don't cry and scream as much. In fact, I probably have more temper tantrums than they do!
Having said that, those 2 kids WERE screaming toddlers at one point, and we still had a family culture...even back then!
So, in a nutshell, here's my first point--do you represent your family in the way that you want the world to think of them? When you speak to your husband in public, do you speak well of him (and he of you)? Do you post the good things your kids do...or are you always "fussin' on Facebook"?
If you'll pardon me, I think I'll crawl into a corner now, and lick my "wounds of conviction"...
Feeling blessed, how about you?
Family 2013
Monday, January 28, 2013
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Exercise as a Religious Experience
For those of you who know me it is no great surprise that I don't like to exercise. I don't want to sweat and I intensely dislike "feeling the burn".
But, I am not getting any younger. Heavier yes, but no younger. So on a lark, Don and I visited a gym 2 weeks ago. You know, one of those places filled with people who enjoy sweating and trainers named Gunter who bear a strong resemblence to Genghis Khan.
I'm not really sure how it happened, but we walked out with a gym membership AND a personal trainng schedule. Enter the religious experience zone. Not because I now, miraculously love to sweat however.
The individual workouts aren't too bad. Except for my knee which is apparently experiencing "muscle mutiny". I don't think it's supposed to hurt to climb on the treadmill! I have control over what I do and how many reps I do when I'm on my own.
Trainer Day (which for us is Saturday morning) is a whole different matter. We pray as we go in "Oh Lord, give us painkillers for what we are about to experience". The trainer pulls out these cute, brightly colored balls which look like they should be such fun. Unfortunately they are used as a support while you do squats...massive amounts of squats. Invoking the name of the Lord as a prayer for help is second nature now. Medicine balls are so named because you need more medicine after using them. Going to the mat will improve your prayer life simply because it's easier to lay there and pray than it is to rise to your feet...ever again.
The reality is, though, that I need a faster speed on the treadmill now to get my heart rate up. I think I found a muscle under the flab on my arm today. The scale has only budged about 1 lb. so far...but you know that muscle weighs more than the flab it replaced!
And we take comfort from Don's new money making plan--trainer voodoo dolls. We think that we could make our first million from other baby boomers who love their trainers as much as we love ours. And if that doesn't work, the Bible is full of plagues and pestilence that we can dream about, while we're down on the mat...improving our prayer life!
Feeling blessed, how about you?
But, I am not getting any younger. Heavier yes, but no younger. So on a lark, Don and I visited a gym 2 weeks ago. You know, one of those places filled with people who enjoy sweating and trainers named Gunter who bear a strong resemblence to Genghis Khan.
I'm not really sure how it happened, but we walked out with a gym membership AND a personal trainng schedule. Enter the religious experience zone. Not because I now, miraculously love to sweat however.
The individual workouts aren't too bad. Except for my knee which is apparently experiencing "muscle mutiny". I don't think it's supposed to hurt to climb on the treadmill! I have control over what I do and how many reps I do when I'm on my own.
Trainer Day (which for us is Saturday morning) is a whole different matter. We pray as we go in "Oh Lord, give us painkillers for what we are about to experience". The trainer pulls out these cute, brightly colored balls which look like they should be such fun. Unfortunately they are used as a support while you do squats...massive amounts of squats. Invoking the name of the Lord as a prayer for help is second nature now. Medicine balls are so named because you need more medicine after using them. Going to the mat will improve your prayer life simply because it's easier to lay there and pray than it is to rise to your feet...ever again.
The reality is, though, that I need a faster speed on the treadmill now to get my heart rate up. I think I found a muscle under the flab on my arm today. The scale has only budged about 1 lb. so far...but you know that muscle weighs more than the flab it replaced!
And we take comfort from Don's new money making plan--trainer voodoo dolls. We think that we could make our first million from other baby boomers who love their trainers as much as we love ours. And if that doesn't work, the Bible is full of plagues and pestilence that we can dream about, while we're down on the mat...improving our prayer life!
Feeling blessed, how about you?
Monday, July 16, 2012
How I Spent My Summer Vacation Pt. 2 OR How Do I Get Off This Rollercoaster?
In my previous post I mentioned the good news. Of course into every life some rain must fall...
After our daughter graduated, I took her and two of her friends to the homeschool convention. Well, I was headed to the convention, they were headed to Disney.
This was a wonderful trip...except for my trip to the emergency room for leg swelling after we got home. Fortunately this was not very serious, just painful.
Two days later, we were told that Don's mom had been admitted to the hospital for heart problems...so we headed up there to spend time with her in the hospital. At this writing she is doing much better.
Two days after we got home, Don and I celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary. Because I was heading out to visit with Dad the next day, we had a very quiet (relaxing) time.
As many of you will recall, one year ago this coming week my mother died. It has been a very tough year for Dad. This coming Sunday will be his 84th birthday, and he has days where he doesn't feel all that well. The purpose of my visit was to spend time with my dad and my sister and help fill the freezer for the coming months...my family is kinda like a squirrel family!
When I finally got home, it was time for Tropical Storm Debby. Usually Tropical Storms are just rain makers, but she packed significant winds. We had a fair amount of clean up to do after she moved on. The beaches still have quite a bit of erosion, and the storm was devestating for the sea turtle nests.
BUT...here's the silver lining to all those clouds. I am speaking on handling tough days at a homeschool convention this coming weekend. Obviously all of this stress gave me some serious fodder for my talk, but it also let me see how much my routines help me cope with day to day issues.
I have spent the last year thinking over how my mother kept lists for everything. She also kept an excellent calendar (which was very helpful for all those upcoming dr. appts.) I have never been as good as she was with the calendar...but I have come up with a few new tricks that are really helpful. I use post it notes for those things that pop up regularly--like the dog's heartworm medicine and my allergy shots. Once I've done the chore, I just move the post it note to the next scheduled date. I've now expanded it to include period chores like cleaning ceiling fans and vacuuming under the fridge. I also have my spiral notebook which contains my weekly to-do lists and phone logs.
I still have my menu board just above my calendar on the fridge. I have to admit that I don't always follow menus on the board. Sometimes we get a hankering for something completely different. The true beauty of the menu board is when I feel completely uninspired. On that board are 30 menus...all I have to do is pick one.
So I'm still bobbing on the waves, with my head above water!
Feeling blessed, how about you?
After our daughter graduated, I took her and two of her friends to the homeschool convention. Well, I was headed to the convention, they were headed to Disney.
This was a wonderful trip...except for my trip to the emergency room for leg swelling after we got home. Fortunately this was not very serious, just painful.
Two days later, we were told that Don's mom had been admitted to the hospital for heart problems...so we headed up there to spend time with her in the hospital. At this writing she is doing much better.
Two days after we got home, Don and I celebrated our 33rd wedding anniversary. Because I was heading out to visit with Dad the next day, we had a very quiet (relaxing) time.
As many of you will recall, one year ago this coming week my mother died. It has been a very tough year for Dad. This coming Sunday will be his 84th birthday, and he has days where he doesn't feel all that well. The purpose of my visit was to spend time with my dad and my sister and help fill the freezer for the coming months...my family is kinda like a squirrel family!
When I finally got home, it was time for Tropical Storm Debby. Usually Tropical Storms are just rain makers, but she packed significant winds. We had a fair amount of clean up to do after she moved on. The beaches still have quite a bit of erosion, and the storm was devestating for the sea turtle nests.
BUT...here's the silver lining to all those clouds. I am speaking on handling tough days at a homeschool convention this coming weekend. Obviously all of this stress gave me some serious fodder for my talk, but it also let me see how much my routines help me cope with day to day issues.
I have spent the last year thinking over how my mother kept lists for everything. She also kept an excellent calendar (which was very helpful for all those upcoming dr. appts.) I have never been as good as she was with the calendar...but I have come up with a few new tricks that are really helpful. I use post it notes for those things that pop up regularly--like the dog's heartworm medicine and my allergy shots. Once I've done the chore, I just move the post it note to the next scheduled date. I've now expanded it to include period chores like cleaning ceiling fans and vacuuming under the fridge. I also have my spiral notebook which contains my weekly to-do lists and phone logs.
I still have my menu board just above my calendar on the fridge. I have to admit that I don't always follow menus on the board. Sometimes we get a hankering for something completely different. The true beauty of the menu board is when I feel completely uninspired. On that board are 30 menus...all I have to do is pick one.
So I'm still bobbing on the waves, with my head above water!
Feeling blessed, how about you?
How I Spent My Summer Vacation--Pt. 1
When I last posted, Lucky was pre-surgery on her knee. We have now completed the recovery process and she is back to normal! What a blessing!
We have also graduated the "baby" from homeschooling and closed our homeschool! I'm really excited about this new adventure! I will still teach at co-op, and will be standby editor for college papers.
Speaking of papers--our sweet graduate completed a novel for the NaNoWriMo writing contest back in November 2011. We are completing the editing phase, which is much tougher than I ever gave it credit for!
And last but certainly not least, our son celebrated his first anniversary with his girlfriend.
Yes, it has been a great summer!
Feeling blessed, how about you?
We have also graduated the "baby" from homeschooling and closed our homeschool! I'm really excited about this new adventure! I will still teach at co-op, and will be standby editor for college papers.
Speaking of papers--our sweet graduate completed a novel for the NaNoWriMo writing contest back in November 2011. We are completing the editing phase, which is much tougher than I ever gave it credit for!
And last but certainly not least, our son celebrated his first anniversary with his girlfriend.
Yes, it has been a great summer!
Feeling blessed, how about you?
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
When Your Week Hands You Lemons...
It seemed like such a simple thing. The dog hopped across a 12 inch span of lava rock separating the grass and the driveway. She does this at least 4 times a day. She yipped when she landed and drew up her right hind leg. She was that way for the rest of the weekend. So Monday morning, we were off to the vet (we had just been there on Wednesday to deal with her separation anxiety).
I knew we were in trouble from the vet's expression. Lucky tore the ligament at her knee, and needed surgery ASAP. For those who aren't in the know, Lucky is 14. Surgery is scheduled for Thursday.
So we have the challenge of keeping the dog calm for 3 days. Then we have 2-4 months of recovery time. Remember the separation anxiety I mentioned in the first paragraph? When you have a dog that is in extreme pain, anxiety is much worse.
Lucky is a border collie. She doesn't herd as much as she supervises. She is my velcro dog. If I am gone for too many hours in a row, she is beside herself. We have medication to help (but not eliminate) this problem. When I come home, she won't leave my side.
Obviously, we don't want her following me around the house right now. If she blows out the other knee, we may not be able to save the dog. She does need a leg to stand on. So we have her on painkillers and as much anti-anxiety medication as we can safely give her. As long as I sit, she will lay down right beside me.
So I've set up command central in the living room. I have the house phone and my cell phone right beside me. I have my lesson plans and the computer. We've designed Cindy's graduation invitations. I can watch TV. Poor Cindy has gotten stuck with doing the cooking and cleaning, because I can't do those things from here (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). I can fold laundry, darn it! Thank goodness, I had already bought the groceries. Don's car is in the shop, so I didn't have wheels anyway. The tax refund will cover the surgery...money is over-rated...
If you think about it, please pray that the surgery goes well, with nothing unexpected. We'd also like an easy recovery for the old girl.
Feeling blessed, how about you?
I knew we were in trouble from the vet's expression. Lucky tore the ligament at her knee, and needed surgery ASAP. For those who aren't in the know, Lucky is 14. Surgery is scheduled for Thursday.
So we have the challenge of keeping the dog calm for 3 days. Then we have 2-4 months of recovery time. Remember the separation anxiety I mentioned in the first paragraph? When you have a dog that is in extreme pain, anxiety is much worse.
Lucky is a border collie. She doesn't herd as much as she supervises. She is my velcro dog. If I am gone for too many hours in a row, she is beside herself. We have medication to help (but not eliminate) this problem. When I come home, she won't leave my side.
Obviously, we don't want her following me around the house right now. If she blows out the other knee, we may not be able to save the dog. She does need a leg to stand on. So we have her on painkillers and as much anti-anxiety medication as we can safely give her. As long as I sit, she will lay down right beside me.
So I've set up command central in the living room. I have the house phone and my cell phone right beside me. I have my lesson plans and the computer. We've designed Cindy's graduation invitations. I can watch TV. Poor Cindy has gotten stuck with doing the cooking and cleaning, because I can't do those things from here (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). I can fold laundry, darn it! Thank goodness, I had already bought the groceries. Don's car is in the shop, so I didn't have wheels anyway. The tax refund will cover the surgery...money is over-rated...
If you think about it, please pray that the surgery goes well, with nothing unexpected. We'd also like an easy recovery for the old girl.
Feeling blessed, how about you?
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Making Memories!
For some reason, this time of year makes me nostalgic! Getting out all the homemade ornaments, baking cookies...and..very important to my kids--I don't worry as much about the house as I do about the reason for the season and having fun with them. If you want a clean house PLEASE don't stop by without an appointment.
A few years ago, my daughter & I found another time of year for us to reconnect: The FPEA convention in Orlando. We head over to the Gaylord Palms, just the two of us, for a girls' weekend.
If you've never been to a convention, don't miss this awesome opportunity to make family memories. AND the FPEA brings all the best speakers in the country to one place. Curricula...it's all there! But most important it's a chance to get away and have fun as a family.
Put the date on your calendar now, and be sure to check the FPEA website frequently for updates!
A few years ago, my daughter & I found another time of year for us to reconnect: The FPEA convention in Orlando. We head over to the Gaylord Palms, just the two of us, for a girls' weekend.
I'll spend time with my friends some of the time (and so will she) but we make a commitment to spend some time on just the two of us. Dinner together, curriculum hall together, maybe even the pool. This year will be a really big year--it's her senior year, and probably our last convention together.If you've never been to a convention, don't miss this awesome opportunity to make family memories. AND the FPEA brings all the best speakers in the country to one place. Curricula...it's all there! But most important it's a chance to get away and have fun as a family.
Put the date on your calendar now, and be sure to check the FPEA website frequently for updates!
Feeling blessed, how about you?
Linda
FPEA Ambassador
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Is there change in the air?
Around this time of year, there are always families who realize that their current school situation isn't working. Then comes that wonderful feeling of falling off the "homeschool cliff"....without a parachute!
Well, have no fear, your parachute is here. Here, in 3 easy steps I'll tell you how to homeschool in the state of Florida.
- Join a local support group. You're going to need people around on "those days". When I facilitate homeschool orientation, I refer to it as "those days when you understand why some animals eat their young". It's also great to have people you can call on when you have questions.
- Join the FPEA, your state support group. We have amazing members (and some will be in your back yard!) The convention is a MUST NOT MISS event (I'll be sure to blog more about that later). There is a lot of strength in the FPEA, after all it's been around for over a quarter century!
- After you join the FPEA, you can download this amazing FPEA Guide to Homeschooling in Florida. It has info about the law, record-keeping, learning styles....pretty much if you need to know it, it's in this little book! I still refer to it and I've been teaching other people how to homeschool for over 5 years (and been homeschooling for 13 years).
Oh, and Merry Christmas!
Feeling blessed, how about you?
Linda
FPEA Ambassador
Website: http://www.fpea.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FPEAHomeschool
Twitter: https://twitter.com/FPEAHomeschool
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