Playing Hookey

Not sure about that spelling... But one of the beauties of homeschooling is the ability to play hookey. One day last week, we got a call in the morning from my folks asking if we wanted to join them at Disneyland. With a solemn promise to do at least half a day of work when we returned, off we went.

The trip would not have been a bona fide great day off school if we didn't go on my favorite ride... Toy Story Mania. Love it!!

Now, if I can get the girls to finish school very soon, we'll be off to Disneyland again!

"Why I'm voting for Obama"

I know, I know. I really don't want to get too political here. I think so many other blogs do politics so much better, and I don't really think that's what I need to write about.

But this, I couldn't help.

Howard Stern sent someone into Harlem to interview Obama voters about why they are voting for him. This questions fascinates me as well. I have never heard any Obama supporter say anything other than, "Change." Well, we all want change in one form or another, but what kind of change do they believe he will bring. According to this highly unscientific interview, apparently they don't know what he will do or what he believes, and that is good enough for them.

You HAVE to hear this.

I am Barack Obama and I approve this message.

Saying the media is stumping for Obama is a little like announcing the sun rose this morning. It couldn't be more obvious who their candidate of choice is. But when I saw this Time Magazine cover at the grocery store tonight, I couldn't believe how over the top it was.

Consider the headline story: Why the economy is trumping race
(or why the economy is so bad that even a racist country like America will vote for Obama)

Story #2: How worried white voters are turning toward Obama
(or How even racist whites are now willing to vote for Obama.)

Story #3: Why Obama's "foreignness" became the new race card
(or Why being uncomfortable with Obama's history makes you a racist who wouldn't vote for Obama.)

Story #4: How Black voters will feel if Obama loses
(or How Black voters will think every white is a racist unless you vote for Obama.)

Story #5: Voters are more open to big government
(or Big Government is a good thing and that's what you will get if you vote for Obama.)

Story #6: The credit crisis goes global
(or The whole world is going to hell in a handbasket. VOTE FOR OBAMA.)

Now I am not making a case for or against Barack Obama, I am simply making the case that the media is making the case. It is so obvious, I'm surprised he's not ahead in the polls 100% to 0%.


I suppose that's because there are still so many racists in this country who aren't going to VOTE FOR OBAMA.

Yes on Prop. 8

You know I rarely get political, but I feel this is tremendously important.

I've spent some time earlier on my blog discussing the merits of traditional marriage, so I won't go into that now. But as we approach our chance to make our opinions known, it is important to have the facts. Go to their website for some great information.

Here is their argument in a nutshell:

Three R’s of Proposition 8

Restore the definition of marriage. Man-woman marriage is the only natural way to build families, which in turn builds a society. In the United States, same-sex couples are free to live as they choose. It is dangerous, however, to treat marriage as a "social construct" that is changeable. Husband-wife unions are the basic source of society. Because society is not the source of marriage's definition, it cannot change the accurate description of marriage by its own will.

Reaffirm Proposition 22, by which California voters upheld man-woman marriage. A strong majority upheld the natural definition of marriage in this 2000 statewide referendum. Prop 22 amended state civil code, however, and the California Supreme Court said it violated the state constitution. Prop 8 would amend the constitution itself to secure husband-wife marriage.

Reject judicial activism. In May 2008, four judges voted that laws "limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples violate the state constitutional rights of same-sex couples." They overturned laws passed by voters and the state legislature, to create same-sex marriage. Yet their job is to interpret the real meaning of the law and apply it to specific situations -- not to create new laws. Lawmaking on such a pivotal issue, by unelected officials, is tyranny and it should not be permitted.

www.YesOnProposition8.com

Landing

Well, it has taken several months, but I can finally say we have landed at a church and now consider it our home.

Our journey began the end of April. We spent the first three weeks looking for a new church in Disneyland. Alas, one was not to be found (unless you count the House of Blues Gospel Choir, which I was perfectly willing to do. Tithes would go toward the price of admission.)

Next we toured all the major places you would expect to tour if you live in this area. Some were GINORMOUS (Cottonwood) and some were tiny (the Vine). Denomination wasn't our real concern, but rather we were looking for good worship, a Biblical foundation, and a good place for our middle school-aged daughters.

We were surprised at how hard this was to find. It seems that every church ought to encompass all three. I guess it wasn't necessarily that we couldn't find one with all three, it was simply that we didn't feel like we fit in any particular place. Week after week began to stretch into months and we despaired of ever finding anything that would be just right for us. (You know, like Goldilocks)

Finally we ended up at the last place we ever thought we would try, Parkcrest. After all, we had tried it before we went to Revolution and it wasn't a fit. But with a new pastor and exciting smaller venues, it appeared to be the best place for us. They have a rockin' middle school program, great worship, love the messages, we knew some people there already, and the best part of all... about a 1/2 mile from our house.

So when my dad met the pastor of a small church called Damascus in Seal Beach and told him of our journey, my first thought was, Dad, you should have just let it lie. By the way, did I mind that he gave the guy our phone number?! Well, I got a call from the pastor, Joel. He sounded like a nice guy, but really, we were done looking. We were ready to just settle down. Saying that he and his wife were praying for us in our search for a church home, it became impossible for me to turn down his invitation to check them out. I told Tim we would go, once, just to say we went, and then nod and smile and never return.

We were completely unprepared for what followed.

When we finally were able to go, Joel was not even speaking. We entered into a small community center with linoleum floors and scuffed white walls. Certainly this was no Revolution or Cottonwood where the look and feel envelopes you as you walk in. Mind you, I find the look and feel of a church very important - not top three important, but it's definitely on the list... I think. There were under 100 people sitting in folding chairs, or rather, no one was sitting, only us. Everyone else was up and talking and eating. They did something so unusual. They sang one or two songs and then sent you off to eat breakfast with your fellow worshippers. Now they may not have had beautiful floors, but they served a meal and THAT part is in the Bible! A college kid substituted for the regular worship guy, so we didn't see the pastor or the worship leader, and they didn't even have a middle school program.

So on our list of Message, Worship, Middle School, we couldn't check off anything. And yet, somehow, this small, in-progress church attracted our attention. Could we trust God again with something so risky as yet another start up? We've already done that route. We believed our days of taking a chance on a church that required so much of our time and resources... and heart, were behind us.

Funny the way the Lord works... it took several weeks of attending before we heard the pastor speak and the worship leader guide the congregation into a time of praise. But by then, we were hooked. People consistently rushed up to greet us, remembered our names, made us feel welcome, and not only that, we could see that they had, in fact, been praying for us. The situation was all a bit surreal. Feeling like they knew us, and yet knowing they couldn't possibly, we finally became convinced that God answered their prayers for grounded and mature Christians to help in leadership, and the answer, apparently, was us! So, while we felt overwhelmed, God had been speaking to Joel and others about us newcomers, leading to a high level of trust in us early on.

So here we are. Saying we are home feels quite odd, yet that is the case. We begin our Life Group as co-leaders this Wednesday. Our daughters start on the ground floor of brand new youth program. They already serve in the nursery every other week and love it. We have met so many people and brought so many with us that to say we know half the church is not an exaggeration.

And... just because I am superficial and God knows that, He orchestrated a makeover of the community center. The floors are now laminated oak and the walls are a nice shade of mocha.

God laid down the red carpet for us, so now, in faith, we walk in.


I didn't include a link to the church because, quite frankly, it needs help. I think I'll be working on that soon, but I do have a link here to some pictures my dad took of the beach baptismal service. That was a powerful time of sharing our faith very publicly and serving as a light to the beach-going lost!

Happy Birthday, Jenny

Happy Birthday, Jenny! Thanks for all the years of friendship. I couldn't ask for better. Thanks for the many more years to come.

What a fun and crazy journey it has been, huh?!?

A Nation of Wimps

This is my latest read. As a protective and involved parent, I always want to be diligent not to cross the line into overprotective and invasive. The premise of this book caught my eye.

Here is a quote from the jacket: Hothouse parenting has hit the mainstream -- with disastrous effects. Parents are going to ludicrous lengths to take the lumps and bumps out of life for their children, but the net effect of parental hyperconcern and scrutiny is to make kids more fragile.

The author details the myriad of ways we parents, in thinking we are helping are actually damaging our children. By keeping them tied to our apron strings, we are creating a class of permanent adolescents.

What are we doing wrong? That's what I wanted to know...

- we do not foster small steps to independence but crave our children's dependence

- we over obsess about their future and plan out their entire lives

- we are creating perfectionist children by expecting perfection

___an interesting sidenote to this: Perfectionists can ONLY fail. As the goal of perfection is unattainable, they focus solely on what didn't work, never the 99% that did.

- we blow everything up into a worst case scenario (one failed math test means a lifetime of failure)

- we fail to see and appreciate the real world benefits of play and have eliminated this vital area of development

- we cripple our children with constant concern for their well-being

- we have failed to recognize that humans are most happy and most able to develop when under an amount of stress that encourages problem solving, adaptability and accomplishment

- we have made adulthood look unattractive to children - "it is seen as a stress-filled, worry-ridden, joyless place almost totally focused on the children"

So... what's to be done?

1. Let children play.

2. Eat dinner together at least five nights a week. Conversation is vitally important.

3. Learn the correct way to criticize.

4. Take achievement pressure off kids. Let them reconnect with their own creativity.

5. Quit hovering. Have fun being an adult.

6. Teach kids to tolerate frustration and uncertainty.

7. Learn how to praise your kids - and what for.

8. Encourage problem solving and risk taking.

9. Let your kids fail.

10. Give children responsibility.

11. Get out of panic mode and switch to rational mode.

The points the author makes are important to today's parents if we want to raise a healthy generation. The book reinforced some things I already practice, and encouraged me to step back and reevaluate in other areas. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for the layman. I think it was written more for psychological professionals and consequently was a bit of a tough read.

My advice, review the list above. That's a pretty good summary. The book is overly long and repetitive. It also wholly slams homeschooling and so put me on the defensive right away. Read the book if you really want to be challenged as a parent... and a reader!

Go Dad!

My dad started posting on istockphoto.com a while ago. He's sold quite a few pictures and you always wonder where they end up. Well, today he found one! It made the cover of this book.

Very cool.

Of course, I have to take some credit. These are model homes in Denver that I encouraged him to visit. This is one of his first pictures posted on istock and it instantly shot up in sales. I knew it would be a great shot!

Sarah Palin - Real Woman

I watched the debates tonight... interesting. The takeaway for me was that Joe Biden came across as very charming and capable. Sarah Palin is a woman I want to be friends with. She definitely seems like one of us.

So my question is, does that help or hurt her? Being everywoman has its charms, but is that the person we want "one heartbeat away from the presidency"?

What do you think? Does being the outsider, just-like-you, soccer mom help or hurt her politically?




Sidenote: Yes, Tim is still in love with her. Usually he says I look just like whoever his crush happens to be. I just say, "Yeah, right." But this time, not that I'm saying I look like Sarah Palin (who is very beautiful), but I have been told I look like Tina Fey. And Tina Fey has been told she looks like Sarah Palin. So I guess I'm only two degrees of separation away. I can handle that.

Happy Birthday Tim

For Tim's birthday, his brother surprised him with ticket to the Angel's playoff game... tonight! He's a little bit excited.

Here is the "card" Regan made for him, it's about 3 feet long.


Happy Birthday, Tim. You are an amazing husband and father. I couldn't have asked for better.

This is why I love Regan!

If it was up to me, she would have a perfectly matched outfit from one of our favorite stores. As it is not up to me... she is wearing a pink sweater, a yellow VBS shirt, khaki shorts, turquoise socks, and brown shoes.

As you can see, Regan has developed her own, very personal sense of style. I'm not sure what she calls it, but it is unique to her! And this photo perfectly captures it.

I love that she is such a free thinking child. She likes what she likes and is unafraid to let you know. That confidence in herself leads her to oftentimes outrageously crazy behavior and the ability to make friends wherever she goes.

Everybody loves Regan. How could you not?

I don't know any of these people...

... except of course, my mom and my daughters, yet apparently I am related to them.

Cool.

Do you think they's loan me $50 if I asked?

The girls are in Oregon

Chandler and Regan are up in Oregon with my parents for a Peeters family reunion.

Apparently they are very bored...

Here's my latest update:

What a relief!

I love shooting weddings because the brides are so beautiful and you can get some amazing shots. It's like shooting fish in a barrel. But weddings are also incredibly nerve-wracking. After all, you can't go back and restage the thing if you screw up the pictures.

So, I shot this wedding a few weeks ago and the order just came in. Apparently, she loved the pictures as she ordered almost ALL of them.

That's the good news and the bad news! I'm so happy to see that she liked them, but that meant I had to do a lot of painstaking color work on each picture. You see, if you just buy one picture, it can look fantastic by itself, but when you buy all of them, they have to match each other.

So, lots of work and technical difficulties later, I am ecstatic with how they came out. Still have some work to do to get them completely finished. I wish I could post all the rest of them here, but that kind of defeats the purpose! So now you know what I've been up to.

One Hour, Eleven Minutes, Eighteen Seconds

That's how much time I just spent on the phone with Rosetta Stone trying to figure out why my software isn't working.

It's still not working.

I have to uninstall and reinstall. We'll see.

It's not like I had anything else to do today!

Regan's Birthday Haiku

Ruby's for birthday

Jo Bros, Hannah, Camp Rock rules

Regan has turned twelve

Do I really look like Popeye?

I was searching through my random Halloween costumes box and found my prom dress from when I was 16 - in a size 3, no less! I thought it'd be fun to have Chandler try it on. It fit her just fine. So then I thought I'd try it on - just for fun!

I knew it would be too small, but I figured it would get hung up on my hips or ... ahem... other parts. Nope. That was fine.

I couldn't get the fitted sleeves over my forearms!

Great, now I'm going to go to my high school reunion next month and all the talk will be about my "Popeye" shaped arms, "Her forearms were much skinnier back in the day."

How do you slim your forearms? Lay off the spinach?

These were the days!

Imagine a ham sandwich and a banana split for 55 cents!

I'd weigh 500 lbs if these prices were still good!

If only this was what homeschooling really was...

One of my favorite blogs is Stuff Christians Like. He's very funny and hits on so many topics near and dear to Christians. He finally touched on homeschooling. Although he states unequivocably that he and his wife are not going to homeschool, if they ever did, he offers an average week:

Monday = Science
If you came to this school on Monday, you should heed Thomas Dolby's 80's song warning, because you're about to be blinded with science. Topics would include:
1. Profusely Perspiring Pastors– Can we stop sweat, the silent saline assailant?
2. Liquefying God's Love – Is water the best expression of God? Should we make it rain?
3. Drinking coffee in church. – The science behind sneaking a cup into the sanctuary.

Tuesday = Gym
Kids need to get the wiggles out, and I'm not talking about that brightly adorned, octopus hanging out with, smiley Australian gang, "The Wiggles." I'm talking about running my kids around until they take champion naps. Activities would include:
1. Frisbee – How to throw the "holy hammer"
2. Hand Raising – Good for worship and working out your "core".
3. The "please turn to" Bible race – Where agility and spirituality intersect
4. Fist fights in church softball games. – It's not whether you win or lose, it's whether you knock out the music minister for sliding into home with his cleats up.

Wednesday = Bible
I'd get struck by lightning if I didn't have a whole day that was just strictly Bible. So in addition to our daily convocations, we'd spend Wednesday engaged in some hardcore theological debates such as:
1. Backsliding, a Christian thing or an Indiana Jones move?
2. NIV vs. KJV vs. ESV (Bible wars told via GI Joe)
3. Taking 2 years to do a read through the Bible in one year program.

Thursday = History & Social Studies
Kids at the SCL Homeschool would get a healthy dose of both the past and the present. In addition to having a library with a rolling ladder that you could sing from the top of, (a personal dream of mine) we'd discuss:
1. Booty, God, Booty – Where is it happening in our culture? Where is it happening at home?
2. Postmodern – What does it mean? How can we use it at least three times in every sentence?
3. Confusing Ben Franklin with the Bible. – God helps those who help themselves. Or does He?

Friday = Music & Art
In the last twenty years, it seems like these two departments have taken a beating when it comes to getting funded at school. So in my log cabin homeschool, that's right I said "log cabin," I would make sure Friday was jam packed with music and art such as:
1. Christian Tattoos – A how to guide from the "Mercy" winner.
2. That Dude with the Guitar – How to steal his guitar and where to hide it.
3. The Choir Side Step Dance – How to dance without looking like you're dancing
4. Bulletin Bored Art – Professor Curtis shows you how to draw Jesus' jeans.



Don't I wish we didn't have to do all that other stuff like math and grammar or foreign language!!!

Wow! Has it been this long?

Yes, I feel horribly guilty because I've been away from my blog for so long. You see, this summer, I was determined to scrapbook... a lot. But the weather was so beautiful, and my pool kept calling... so, no scrapbooking at all.

Then school started and I'm back to being stuck in front of my computer. I got the bug. I've done 23 pages in a few days, and hardly done anything else!

So I thought the least I could do is share them.

I love reliving all the memories as I scrapbook them. But Hawaii hit me hard. I WANT TO GO BACK!

I beat out the average Harvard Senior!

Americans knowledge of American History is dismal at best.

In fact, on this quiz, put together by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, the average Harvard senior scored 69.6%. I scored 90%. Of course, I love history and I can honestly say that most of what I knew to help in my score I have learned as an adult.

Not a single college broke the 70% correct barrier, therefore, not one passed with a C or better!

Why is this important? I believe so strongly in America and what it stands for. We are in danger of losing our identity and what makes us a great country. Even today, there is no sense of perspective whatsoever. For example, when Cheney accidentally wounded his friend in a hunting accident, the press went ballistic. Where was the corresponding reminders that while Aaron Burr was Vice President, he KILLED Alexander Hamilton and was indicted for murder? As politics today has devolved into a bigger and bigger hatefest, I think some historical perspective would help tremendously.

We can't even remember our recent history. So when presidents and legislatures make decisions today, we cannot even think back to the headlines of just a few years ago. Man-made global warming is accepted today as gospel fact, but so was global cooling just a few decades ago. If Bush lied about WMD, so did every major head of state, head of intellegence, and our own Bill Clinton. Anyone remember that?

The summary of the findings can be found here. Most interesting is that the more higher ranked and more expensive the college, the worse the score. Taking more history classes wasn't the answer either. Apparently, more classes led to lower scores.

I don't know what the answer is, but an uneducated populace scares me.

Take the quiz. See if you can beat the miserable 52% average!

Surfing

On Saturday, Tim and his brother took the kids surfing. Regan has really been wanting to go and even Chandler thought it sounded fun. My nephew Jordan has been in a surf camp with his church, so he's an old pro! The boys got up, but the girls are still working on it. While one was on the surfboard, the other rode a boogie board, so both were having a good time.

Here what happened:

Chandler - riding the boogie board,


of course, Tim was helping to get her launched.


And here she is cruisin on the surfboard.



Tim got Regan going on the surfboard as well,

and she almost managed to stand.

Jordan did very well and got up a number of times.

So did Nathanael.

But here is a sequence of shots I love. Notice the closeness of the two boards as Nathanael approaches Jordan...

Jordan almost gets up, but quickly wipes out.

Only to have Nathanael blow right by his fallen brother.

I guess all's fair in love and... surfing.

Until next time. I'm really hoping the girls learn to stand. I never did...

Well that didn't help

I loved Sarah Palin's speech last night, and you have to know that I am not a fan of women politicians. But as soon as she came on stage, I had to remind Tim that he is married to ME and just so he wouldn't forget, he could rub my feet during her speech.

While she was speaking, Tim told me I had to "step it up a notch" if I want to keep him from running off with her. I told him her husband is a commercial fisherman. He can't compete with that. He fishes the tiny lake in Heartwell park with rare success. As long as it is not revealed that her husband "catches" all those fish at the grocery store and then fakes the fishing shots, I think I am safe.

That she is a huge threat to our marriage does not deter me from saying I really liked her last night. Yes, I am sad that she is a working mother of five. I would have preferred a Sarah Palin clone without the kids. But unlike those that have screamed for so long for women's rights and then scream when she exercises them, I will respect the choices she and her husband have made. I certainly don't condemn the other moms I know who have chosen outside employment, so why should I start now.

I thought she was a great speaker, lots of funny lines, lots of confidence. I think I could be her friend. (Well maybe not, if it means Tim gets to meet her.)

This race just got interesting.

Homeschooling - Year 5

Yesterday, we began our fifth year of homeschooling. After spending the first several years making a year by year commitment, I am finally in it to stay! I already have high school planned out and I am excited about what the girls will be learning.

I feel like an official homeschool family! I suppose now we will have to only wear organic clothing, eat vegan, become socially unacceptable, and have 12 more children. What a life we have ahead of us!

But before I get cracking on that list, I think I'll start with a couple of cute shots of us doing science. This is the first time we have used a science textbook. I know what you are thinking, "See, I knew all you homeschoolers did was go to Disneyland." But that's not true. Well, it's kind of true...

But that is not my point. Everything I have read indicates that science textbook fail at the job of teaching science. They are boring and inacurate. So for four years, we relied on experiment-intesive books to guide us through the basic principles. It's been fun, but as the girls are approacing high school, I felt something a little more formal was in order.

After two days, I have to report that I LOVE our new science textbooks. They are written so conversationally, they are also experiment heavy, the girls are liking them, and the best part, they are written to the child. I am letting them do much of the learning on their own. They even performed these experiments on their own. I'm just there to clear up any questions.

So far so good. You cannot imagine how good it sounds to have your child explain to you what they discovered in experiment they just did - not because you asked, but because they are excited to share. Plus, they look so adorable in the goggles that are apparently required for every project.

It's not all scientific bliss all day long, but I'll take my joy where I can find it!

Expounding on the car...

That last post did not do our new car news justice. I knew it wouldn't, but I was literally heading out the door and had about 1 minute to post... something. I figured I'd add to it later...

See, this new car thing is a really big deal. The last new car we bought was in 1993. I was a huge fan of used cars until I discovered that the story of "instant depreciation as soon as they drive off the lot" is a myth. All I had to do was check out carmax.com to see that the used cars were selling for the same or MORE than the new version. I don't understand it, but it's true.

Oh, but this decision was a struggle. We haven't had a payment for years and when we bought the Maxima, it was absolutely top-of-the-line. We knew we couldn't replace it with something as nice. (After all, homeschooling just doesn't pay the way it used to!) But we were pouring thousands into the Maxima.

When Tim refused to drive it to work (and it is HIS car) and said it was giving him an ulcer, I relented on my hard core drive-it-until-it-falls-apart-in-a-pile philosophy.

I do enjoy this new car. It smells great. It runs great. It has about a million twins on the road, and several in any given parking lot. It's beyond practical.

Yet, even though it seems silly, but I do mourn the loss of my first grown-up car.