Back on the homeschool trail...

Well, education is always an interesting road. I've always believed that each year is different for each kid. Years ago, we felt led to take Joshua and Caleb out of public school and homeschool them for three years. It wasn't necessarily easy to homeschool two elementary-aged boys along with chasing after a pre-schooler and a baby. But overall, it was good. Really good. Looking back, I see God's hand even more in all that because we had no idea those would be our final years with Caleb, and what a blessing it was to spend 24/7 with him the last three years of his young life.

So here we find ourselves again. That aforementioned pre-schooler is now going into middle school. To say that the last few years of school have been enjoyable for him would be a stretch. After noticing that he was really struggling with some things, Mic was diagnosed with ADHD, the inattentive type. To put it generally, he doesn't fit into the school "box" very well. After quite a bit of praying, talking to others, research, schedule juggling, etc. we've made the decision that the middle school experience for Mic will best be served at home.

I'm excited about it. It will be a challenge, but the idea of allowing him to explore and learn in his own unique style is exciting. The resources available on the internet now (verses nine years ago) offer us so much more. I'm thinking about using www.Time4Learning.com as his core since it goes all the way through 8th grade and offers all subjects. On that note, I’ve been invited to try Time4Learning’s online curriculum for one month in exchange for a candid review. My opinion will be entirely my own so be sure to come back and read my experience with Time4Learning’s educational program. Click to find out more or if you would like to apply to be considered for a review.

I'm also excited and encouraged about the other homeschool moms in the area that are on this same journey. Some of us have gotten together, just to pick each other's brains. We're actually getting together again this week.

SO... stay tuned. The journey should be interesting...

PS - Oh, and tomorrow is Mic's 11th birthday :-)

"Stevens is a cool freshman"

I have been putting my children on big, yellow school busses for several years now. Yeah, I teared up a little two years ago when I sent my youngest off to kindergarten, but normally they (and I) are ready for school to start back up.

Today was different though...

Today I sent my child off to high school.

Yeah. High school.

I know I'm not the only parent in the United States that sent their oldest child off the high school for the first time this morning. It has happened for years past and will continue for years to come. It's just so... weird. I mean, I remember high school. It wasn't that long ago. (OK, maybe it was :-) I've been kind of building up to it all summer, but it's starting to hit me. He's in high school.

One thing we for which we are SO thankful is the high school that Josh has the privilege of attending. Eastern Technical High School is strictly a magnet school; there is no district -- it is by application and qualification only. Only one of every three students that applies is admitted and it is one of the best public high schools in the area. Students get to chose an area of study as well. Josh has chosen multimedia communications - computer stuff, video editing, etc. It's stuff he likes (and I figure you might as well study stuff you like since you have to be in high school anyway) What a blessing that Josh has this opportunity!

Actually, if I may brag on him for a second... Josh has been weightlifting a good part of the summer to get ready for football. Then, he's been doing two-a-days (8-11, 1-4) since August 16th. After 13 JV players were cut, Josh not only remained on the team, but also made 1st string offensive and 2nd string defensive.

He's also learning wonderful lessons about seniority and hierarchy. He's been with just freshman and sophomores (the JV team) during football preparation and has seen how cocky, mouthy freshman tend to get food thrown at them and mildly harassed. He's kept his mouth shut and worked hard. Slowly but surely, he's starting to make some friends, some of them sophomores. The other day, one sophomore was asking another why he was talking to Josh, a freshman. This kid's reply? "Stevens is a cool freshman."

Ha. Stevens is a cool freshman. Yesssss. I knew it!

More than two hours after Josh got on the bus, it was time for Micah and Jacob to do the same. They are starting fourth and second grade, respectively. They were both excited about starting school, though both said their tummies hurt a little!

So the house is quiet - just Tucker and me - and I'm not going to lie -- I'm loving it! My lesson schedule doesn't swing into full gear (about 20 hours) until next week (I'm in my last week of my August schedule -- only about a dozen or so lessons). I have an opportunity to get on top of things this week, organizationally speaking. I'm hoping to make the most of my time, while also snatching some time with friends here and there.

Ah. The change of seasons and times. It's good.

My love/hate relationship with Mother's Day

So yesterday was Mother's Day.

First off, I love my mom. She's really quite cool. And besides just our genetic connection, we share a lot of common interests; music, crochet, shopping, eBay, Arbonne, DDR, chick flicks, reading (we like a lot of the same authors), etc. Plus, I have a great deal of admiration for her in the resilience department. She was a single mom for a short period of time with two baby girls, just over a year apart. As is the natural progression, I appreciate her more in my own motherhood as time progresses. So my mom is pretty superior and the right mom for me.

I was also inundated with homemade cards, flowers and other Mother's Day paraphernalia yesterday. We had to drop Matt off early at church because he had to play on the worship team so the boys were to "take me" out to breakfast (with me driving, of course). We tried Cracker Barrell first, but, as you might imagine, the line was down the sidewalk. Then Waffle House, but that looked equally crowded. So we ended up at Dunkin Donuts, which was quite fine with me, actually. As we went through the drive-through, Josh pulled out a handful of cash. My response was, "Oh, look at how cute you are with your little money!" LOL.

Overall, the boys and Matt were wonderful with the day, offering to do things and asking what else I wanted. I so appreciate them and feel very blessed.

But then there's...

The first year after Caleb died, we made it through the big firsts - Thanksgiving and Christmas, his birthday - and in my mind, I was home free. Well, Mother's Day snuck up and "sucker punched" me. It hit me so very hard. So I guess I've been on the defense a bit since then.

Why does it have to be that my least favorite question now is, "How many children do you have?" I never minded it before. I would proudly brag about my four boys and tell about how crazy and loud it was, all with a smile on my face. Now I have to decide, do I tell them? Do I share about Cub and totally put a damper on this conversation? Or do I just offer "three" and try to move on to something else?

It's been almost three years. I still feel the void. I'll always feel the void. My friend, Bethany, just said to me the other day that when she sees our family, she still notices that someone is missing.

It's almost harder now that life has gone on so much longer without him. We've fallen into such a new normal that it's hard to remember the old one. My heart is filled with gratitude for what we have and what God has done, but there will always be that missing piece.

When I was a kid, I couldn't understand why some people didn't enjoy holidays -- why holidays made them sad. I think we all understand that more as we get older. And I always WANT to find the positive and the reasons to rejoice, but it also heps me to be able and "allowed" to work further into this grieving process.

As a family, we move on to focus on Jacob, our baby, turning seven this week. Seven! There's miniature golf in our near future by his choice and we're looking forward to celebrating a fresh year of growth for him.

As always, I wish God's greatest blessings for you! :-)

Multitasking = blogging and watching Celebrity Apprentice

Hi.

It's me.

Yeah, I know.

I'm back though, so get off my case :-)

Wow. Life has been crazy and full and... good. I'm not even sure where to start.

This has been the first year since Caleb died that I didn't blog on his birthday (2/21). He would have been 13 this year which is really hard to believe. The day itself was really hard; more so than I thought it would be. That's all I have to say about that for now.

Business has been booming. Not only have new students been coming out of the proverbial woodwork, but I've gotten another opportunity as well. The school where I used to teach, TCS, lost their music teacher and they offered the position to me. Fortunately, it fit into my schedule nicely so I took it. I've been doing it since the end of February and we just actually put on our Easter program last night. Considering how thrown together it felt, I think it went pretty well. Anyway between lessons and this class, I'm working about 30 hours in three days each week. It's busy and tiring but good. I love what I do so I can't complain.

This past Friday, Matt, Josh and I flew to New Orleans. My mom graciously came to Baltimore to stay with the monkeys (thanks again, Mom). We were a part of a weekend in which church leaders and pastors from the NOLA area came together to pray and get mobilized for their city. There were people there from Texas, Tennessee, other parts of Louisiana and even Massachusetts as well. It was really a great weekend. Sunday, we got to spend some time doing more "touristy" things - the highlight being eating beignets and drinking cafe au laits at Cafe DuMonde! I flew home Monday, but Matt and Joshy stayed to continue to work. I'll pick them up tomorrow.

What's next? Well, spring break officially began after school today. The boys and I are going to the MOPS easter egg hunt tomorrow, the airport and then our church's Good Friday experience. Sunday is Easter, of course. Wednesday, I leave for Chattanooga via Nashville to compete for the first time with our quartet. This one is evaluation only. Our "real" competition is two weeks later in Covington, KY.

So that's the skinny for now. I've really missed blogging and want to find a way to make time for it. If that doesn't work, I have a ghost writer standing by ready to go!

Have a blessed Easter.

Peace out.

Thursday Thirteen #11

Sometimes I have lots of energy and creativity to put into my T13, sometimes I don't. SO in the spirit of the latter, I give you...

Thirteen reasons I'm tired tonight

1. Christmas was two days ago

2. I've eaten more in the last three days than I probably have in the last three months. Shame on me.

3. My parents are here and

4. My mom and I are avid, vigorous shoppers. So, therefore...

5. We've been to Walmart like three times in the past two days AND

6. Matt and I took them out for their 33rd wedding anniversary tonight.

7. Micah misplaced his DS and we spent WAAAY too much time and energy today looking for it.

8. I don't feel totally great. My nose is drippy.

9. The dog woke me up before the sun was up because he, apparently, had to pee or just had an overwhelming urge to chase squirrels

10. Matt and I drive to Shrewsbury, PA this morning to have breakfast with some friends we hadn't seen in awhile

11. Josh had a friend over today and it takes a lot of energy to be a cool mom (without looking like you're trying to be a cool mom)

12. Still a little salty about that darn DS being lost all day.

13. Is Christmas break over yet?

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We are the champions, my friend.

I still don't get football completely, but I will try, in my non-football girly language, to describe Saturday's Maryland Youth Football Championship game between the Howard County Bruins and the often-imitated, never-duplicated Hamilton Tigers!

Even walking into the M&T Bank Stadium was cool. (we've never been there before). It was even cooler knowing that our son would be on the field shortly thereafter! Our crew consisted of Matt, the boys and I; Josh's friend, Caitlin; and Matt's brother, Dave, and our nephew, Blake, who drove in from Ohio just for this event. It was cold and so we were all appropriately bundled in triplicate.

We swung by the concession stand to get some goodies. I don't think I ever paid $4 for a hot chocolate before, but considering it also doubled as a hand-warmer, it was almost worth it! Micah chose popcorn, which he obviously enjoyed! ------->

The boys came out on the field as the announcer called their names and jersey numbers and we were joined by two more fans -- Sean and Christy volunteer with the middle school youth at our church. Josh is in Sean's small group. We really appreciated them coming to help us cheer on the Tigers!

The game started. We scored the first touchdown, but didn't get the extra point (which is strange because we usually do, but whatever). The Bruins, however, were proving themselves to be a formidable opponent, scoring after our touchdown AND making their extra points. The score: 6-8.

Mr. Mike joined us at this point. Mike and Hazel are very dear friends to our family and his presence was greatly appreciated. Plus, he held my hot chocolate while I put my gloves back on -- very necessary!

We scored another touchdown and (thankfully) made our extra point this time, bringing the Hamilton fans to their numb, little feet and the score to 13-8. That brought us to halftime. No marching band, no dancing girls, but halftime all the same.

The third quarter, unfortunately, brought us a lot of penalties and the Bruins another touchdown complete with extra points. The score: 13-16 in favor of the Bruins.

By the fourth quarter, things were not looking up for the Tigers. We were working toward our goal line but hadn't quite made it yet. If I had to name the breaking point of the game, I would probably have to call it this play: We were on about the 40 yard line headed toward out goal. It was the 4th down -- make it or break it. Though there was no clock (which was driving us crazy!) we knew there wasn't much time left. Sure enough, the refs gave us the four-minute warning. OK. Focus. Don't forget it was the fourth down. The play ensued, ending with a tackle and the ball being set down so they could see if we made it. It was SO CLOSE that they had to move the chains out to where the ball was so they could measure it. Miraculously, the refs called it -- 1st down Tigers! We continued to work our way toward the goal line, and as the announcer told us there were on :59 on the clock, the Hamilton Tigers scored our final touchdown AND the extra point! Score: 20-16

The Bruins regained control of the ball and tried to pull something out with :47 on the clock, but to no avail. The Hamilton Tigers became the winners of the Maryland State Youth Football Championship, unlimited division.
Needless to say, Josh and his team were (and still are) thrilled. This was especially significant for Josh because last year, his first year of football, the team that he played on didn't win any games. This year, his team was undefeated! I have to give a plug for the Hamilton football program, though. They have a tremendous coaching staff and really teach the skills these kids need to succeed at this game. I think Baltimore will be hearing from this program for championships to come.
After the game, we went to grab a bite to eat (in the rain -- it held out until the game was over) and then headed home as the exhaustion of the day caught up with us!

This was a real landmark event for our family. We remain thankful for everything God brings to us in the way of excitement and opportunity. I ask for support in prayer for those of you who are willing. We're in the process of figuring out where we are going to send Josh to high school next year. To explain all of our options and reasons would take too long, so if you don't mind keeping us in your prayers, we'd appreciate it!

Thanks for taking the time to read this! And one last time -- GO TIGERS!!

Are you ready for some football?!

Well, it was quite an exciting weekend around here in Stevensland - and BUSY, too I might add. The big news of the weekend concerns Josh and his football team, the Hamilton Tigers. They had the last of their playoff games on Saturday night. After a challenging game the previous weekend, our victory over the Cumberland Patriots was a somewhat easy win. At the end of the game, it was Tigers 28, Patriots 8.

You know what this means, don't you?

MY son will be playing at the M&T Bank Stadium (where the Ravens play) this coming Saturday! Yea! It's the Maryland Youth Football Championship.

Wanna come?

You can get tickets online here and Josh would be thrilled (as would we). His game is at 6:00pm.

As far as the rest of the weekend goes, there was scrapbooking, a birthday party to attend, dinner with friends, Matt had some preaching "gigs" downtown and I had my annual Christmas recital for my students. It was a full weekend and a reminder of how rich and blessed our life is. This coming weekend promises to be pretty much equally as busy. Then, believe it or not, things slow down a smidge heading into Christmas.

OK. That's it for now. I'll hopefully get in my Thursday Thirteen this week. Thursdays are much busier than they used to be!!

Thursday Thirteen #9

As promised...

Thirteen things I've done during my blogging absence

1. Went to an incredible women's encounter weekend -- Wow. If there was a way to describe the encounter weekend at Word of Christ Church in Bradenton, FL, I would do it. I've been a Christian for like 30 years and this is the most genuine experience I've ever had with God. There were some other really amazing things that happened regarding a situation in our past. I may explain it later. I also got to hang out at my friend, Sudi's, spa and got to swim in the Gulf of Mexico.



2. Went to Ohio for a quartet practice weekend -- This was like three days after I got back from Florida - a little insane. It was a good weekend, though. We've picked our contest pieces...we think.

3. Watched my business take off -- I had 16 students last fall. All summer I've been really praying for things to increase and doing some advertising in a couple of places. As of right now, I have 32 students in my home studio. I also have picked up a gig in Harford county at a church that is starting a music academy. I have three students through them and that is looking to increase as well. I'm working about 23 hours a week and really LOVE it!

4. Had a game night with Jess, Ami and Kate -- Yeah, you should be kicking yourself for missing this one. It was really the social event of the fall. We had WAY too much fun and were very obnoxious. There's another one in the works for January (right, ladies?). You might want to put in on your calendar. I'm just saying....

5. Went to Six Flags -- We've lived in Baltimore for eight years now and this was the first time we've gone. Our friends and season ticket holders, the Pitts, had passes and graciously brought us with them. We went on the last day of the season and had a blast. I rode the Superman. I kind of rock.

6. Reached my first weight loss goal -- OK. I haven't talked much about dieting because, well, just because. But I've been on Weight Watchers since February - on and off really. When we travel, I pretty much eat what I want, just not too crazy. Then when I'm home, it's counting the points, baby! I hit the 30 lb. mark earlier this month and right now, I stand at about a 34 lb. loss. I feel great love the way my clothes are fitting -- or are too big for that matter!

7. Did the dreaded, annual summer/winter clothing switch -- Oh, I hate doing this every year, but it's very necessary. It's really only Micah, Jacob and myself that I have to switch out. The hard part is that they grow so dang much. They have to try on just about every piece of clothing for us to decide what fits and what doesn't. It's quite a circus, but it's done... until spring anyway.

8. Celebrated Joshua's 14th birthday -- can you believe he's 14? I sure can't. Of course he is kind of man-sized so it's probably not a stretch for most. Anyway, I'm so thankful for my sweet young man. He's such a good kid. And speaking of Josh...

9. Watched Josh's football team, the Hamilton Tigers, go undefeated and win their division -- YEA! They're actually still going. If they win the next two playoff games, the get to play at M&T Bank Stadium (where the Raven's play) on December 15th. Let us know if you'd like to go.

10. FINALLY got our kitchen ceiling fixed -- I never wrote about this either, but long story short, half of our kitchen ceiling collapsed at the
end of July. It had to do with getting a new boiler in the spring and the way it affected the radiant heat in the plaster ceiling, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, the ceiling collapsed rather loudly and it was scary and messy and just sucked in general. After much dealing with our home-owner's insurance company and contractors and plumbers and electricians it's done. And it looks good. We had always planned to put recessed lights in the ceiling so this was our golden opportunity!

11. Scrapbooked not once, but TWICE with my friends -- We're making it a monthly thing. If it weren't for that, I would never get any pages done! I call us the scrappy chicks and we take turns meeting at each other's houses one evening each month. There's food and all kinds of silliness. I know you want to come...

12. Went to my BFF's 25th birthday party -- We had dinner with a ton of people at a restaurant and hung out afterward. It was fun. Happy birthday, Jess! :-)

13. Went to Ohio...again -- this time for Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful time and got to hang out with both sides of the family. It was a rather whirlwind trip, as being in two parts of Ohio in five days usually is, but we had a really great time. The boys got to see their cousins and we got to see our parents and siblings. My husband made an AMAZING turkey along with incredible cranberries and sweet potatoes. Seriously, you should hire him to prepare your Turkey Day celebration next year! Just a tip, though. Avoid the PA turnpike on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Yech!


Well, that's it. If you got through the whole thing, you get a cookie (one that is low in Weight Watcher points, of course). Have a fantabulous weekend and thanks for reading :-)

Dirt

Ask me what I did today...





Well, thanks for asking.

We had dirt delivered today. Our front yard is a little patchy and uneven, so my husband went this week and ordered some dirt to fill in the front and grow some grass.

My husband is in Texas doing a Chain Reaction weekend at our friend Pastor Kevin's church. So I was given instructions to tell the dirt dude to back his truck up into the yard and dump the dirt there.

Well, the dirt dude shows up this morning (wearing khaki pants and a white shirt, which I thought was a strange outfit in which to deliver dirt) and says he can't get his truck in our yard that way and he's going to have to dump it somewhere else. I can tell this is NOT going to be good, but agree to let him dump it in the driveway, and I know my husband is not going to be happy because dirt indeed goes in a yard, not a driveway.

So, yeah. He's not happy. And I'm looking at the dirt thinking, "How hard can it be to move some dirt?"

Well, three hours later I have my answer.

Dirt is heavy, by the way.

Two shovels, a hoe, a wheel barrow, my 13-year-old son and my friend, Rachel, and I got all of that dirt into the yard and, though I know my arms and back will probably be aching tomorrow, I'm pretty proud of us. It was a lot of dirt and a lot of work but it's done and my husband was pleasantly surprised when I told him.

So that's what I did today. I moved a big pile of dirt. I could probably create some wonderful analogy of how that pile of dirt is like our lives and how we can overcome just one shovelful at a time....

... but I'm too tired!

Who's Your Daddy Now?

Hello friends. I have some cool stuff to share.

Matt and I have a good friend by the name of Dr. Doug Stringer. Doug is the founder and dude-in-charge of a ministry based out of Houston, TX called Somebody Cares America. Doug is getting ready to release his new book, Who's Your Daddy Now. We are humbled to be included in this new publication. Please read the excerpt below:

Excerpt From Who’s Your Daddy Now?
By Doug Stringer
Chapter 5: Leading by Example

I gained some insight about a commonly used biblical phrase, “laying on of hands.” Even though hands were laid on people to impart healing and ordain them to ministry, one of the original roots of the practice was to pass on "the blessing" from one generation to another, like Jacob did with his sons.

Laying on of hands is not something you can do by phone, e-mail, or fax. You have to be there. One of the tragedies for many young people today is that they don't have parents who are truly there for them, in person and by example. They don’t have dads and moms present in person to impart to them the value or even the techniques of interaction. . .

Matt, an emerging generational leader, told me how he demonstrated the love of God in this way to his oldest son, Joshua, who was 12 at the time. Josh is strong and muscular and growing up very much in the image of his dad.

Matt and his wife, Katy, coordinate a youth initiative throughout the Northeast including Baltimore, New York City, and various locations in New England. One day, during an outreach in Lowell, Massachusetts, the teams of young people were in an intense time of prayer and worship. They had been out all day serving the community with work projects.

Just a year earlier, I had been the keynote speaker for their outreach in that same community. Several of the interns ministered to me during a time of prayer led by Matt and Katy’s 10-year-old son Caleb, who had been a pivotal part of the outreach with his energy, zeal, and enthusiasm. Just a few days after I left, Caleb went to be with Jesus as the result of a car accident.

Josh was also in the accident, but survived. A year later, he was still reeling from all that happened. During this time of prayer and worship, he went off by himself, feeling tired, fearful, and confused. As Matt tells the story:

Knowing Josh had suffered a loss no 12-year-old can easily endure, I walked up behind him and put my hand on his shoulder. He was slouched in his seat, and his face was covered so no one would see him crying. I leaned over to gently speak in his ear and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“I don't know.”
I knew that meant I should ask again.
“What’s the matter?”
He told me he felt scared, like God was far away from him.
The Holy Spirit quickened me to ask him: “Do you know how close God is?”
“No.”
I quickly replied, saying; “He is this close.”
I then scooped down and gripped him, putting my arms around him and hugging him as long and as hard as I could.
Josh didn’t need my theology or thoughts at that point. He needed a tangible understanding of how much God loves him and how close He really is.
Later that evening, he thanked me and asked, “What do kids do when they feel far from God and don’t have a dad to hold them?”
Even in his youth, Josh recognized the need for human touch, for the tangible touch of a father.

One Christmas, a team of five families from Warren, Pennsylvania came to Houston, giving up their own holiday to serve others during our Holiday of Hope ministry and other Christmas outreaches. As one of the dads on the team was helping a five-year-old girl and her mom pick out Christmas toys from our fellowship hall, the little girl looked up to him and said, “Could you give me a hug for my daddy? I don’t have a daddy.” He hugged her as he held back his tears.

God depends on us to be that father in the flesh to those who don’t have a dad to hold them. Let us not be afraid to impart this intimacy. Let us not be afraid to “be there,” in person and by example. It was no mistake He chose to pass on blessings through the laying on of hands.

Pretty cool, huh.

You can pre-order Doug's book by clicking here. We would be thrilled if you did.

My son is throwing up...

...which is really a shame because school is cancelled today because of snow. I told Josh that he is wasting a perfectly good snow day and THAT, my friends, is a shame. Seriously, though, he looks quite pitiful and I hope he feels better soon... and that he doesn't pass this to anyone else in the family!

Josh's Doctor's Visit

Today, during Joshua's 13-year-old check up (his birthday is two weeks from Wednesday), Dr. Bittar told me about how tall we can expect him to be based on his size now and the growth curves.

She said he'll most likely end up between 6'4" and 6'6".

Fortunately, she said the feet do tend to grow first. Good news considering his football cleats are a size 13.





Help.

I'm cool.

My almost 13-year-old son is impressed that I have Green Day on my iPod.

Does life get any better?