Birthdays

Today is Steven's 3rd birthday. Because Frankie's b'day is on Monday, we had a kid party--a first for me. It was successful, thank goodness. (I was a little nervous, having no one to invite but friends we've made here--man, where are good 'ol AL family and friends when you really need them?!) I kept it small on purpose so as not to be too overwhelming or out of control, and we did a CARS theme. It gave me a good chance to get to know the family of one of Frankie's classmates. It was actually a lot of fun! They just played for awhile and then we did pizza, presents, and of course, cake and ice cream. It's strange to think that this time next year, we will most likely be at home celebrating with family and friends, and our time here will feel like it was a dream. But Frankie and Steven are making friends here that they will miss when we go back home. E'en so, I'm ready to see everyone soon! Also hard to believe that one more semester and Frank will be done. So, see you in six months!

Flowering Herbs is Back

Yey. I am pleasantly surprised. Went to Bath and Body Works to pick up my yearly supply of lotion. They run such a good sale after Christmas every year, that I get enough to last a year, usually about 4-5 bottles. When I was in high school, Flowering Herbs was my favorite scent: kind of a clean, flower smell. Anyway, when I was pregnant with Steven 3 years ago, they had phased it out and I had to find a new scent in order to take advantage of the in-store sale. (I know I could'ave ordered straight from the company, but you have to pay full price for that, ugh.) I decided on Sheer Freesia and have been using that for the past 3 years--it is also very good. Well, went into the store couple of nights ago, and could not find any hints of Sheer Freesia--but...guess what was back! yey! Made my day. I know you all wanted to share in my joy. thanks. :o)

The hurryer I go, the behinder I get...

Just quoting a guy I work with...Goodness! Has everyone back home been as busy as us here?! My head's spinning; I've got so much going on: Choir concerts, church get-togethers, Kid Christmas parties, Adult Christmas parties, house cleaning for the holidays, gift wrappings, shopping (ugh. which I hate), and the list goes on. Oh yeah, did I mention work? We get a whopping 11 day vacation (paid--yippeee!!!) from Biola, so this last week of work everyone is scurrying, trying to get all the work details wrapped up before we leave for break. Don't know if I'd shared this earlier, but one of my jobs is to monitor/process all incoming and outgoing wires for the school; and everyone wants to get their payments made before we leave. Needless to say it has been interesting trying to get it all done. Told my boss I needed an 11-day vacation; and he was happy to oblige.

Also: today is our 8th wedding anniversary! How is it possible in one moment to feel like time has flown and in the next moment wonder how we ever got this far? I do know that I love my husband more and more every day, and literally could not live without him. He keeps my head on straight for me! Love you Babe!

New Hobby

A friend of mine here in CA just graduated from Biola with an art degree. She taught me how to make jewelry--it is so much fun. As you can see, I was busy over Thanksgiving, and I've just posted several of my pieces on ebay!!! Here's a preview of some of my work:





Check out my auctions at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120058929545&ru=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.ebay.com%3A80%2Fsearch%2Fsearch.dll%3Ffrom%3DR40%26satitle%3D120058929545%2509%26fvi%3D1
and let me know what you think!

Welcome to LA traffic

This is what you go through if you try to get on the freeway at almost anytime of the day in LA:


Ugh. why are there so many people here? no elbow room or anything. Guess I'm just a country girl who grew up with a forest for a playground. When we were living in our apartment next to the interchange of the 5 and 91 freeways, we would look out the window about midnight and see nothing but brake lights.
Frank and I also had a conversation yesterday, that from Beach Blvd. and La Mirada Blvd. (a major intersection close to our house) down to Huntington Beach, which is about 20 miles down Beach; there are approximately 10 million people living between those 2 points. 10 million!! And did you know that there are only 4.5 million people living in the entire state of Alabama? I don't know if it's the bright lights of Hollywood, or the mild, sunny weather, or access to everything under the sun...but you can see why it is the smog pollution of the world. The freeways here are like streets back home. It is common to take up to 4 or 5 freeways to get from one place to another, and you may have driven less than 20 miles! So different from home, sigh. One thing I won't miss...

Onomatopoeia

Last night Frank was reading a bedtime story to the boys: "The Berenstein Bears tell a Lie". When they got to the part where Brother and Sister Bear blamed it on the bird, the bird flew away with a 'screech' (we always add in a screeching sound for special effect). At this point in the story, Frankie stops Frank and excitedly exclaims, "Daddy! I know what 'screech' is--that's onomatopoeia!--and so is 'crunch, crunch, munch, munch'!

Oh yeah. That's my boy. What are they teaching in kindergarten these days anyway? I mean will there be anything left to learn in high school?


Oh well, thought you might get a kick out of that.

about 5 hours later...

Just had a quick thought. I love all my friends and family. (Can you tell I'm missing home?) I wish all my CA friends could meet all my AL friends/family, who could get together with the friends and family I have in CO; and the church friends totally would love the work friends; who would really dig the friday night/chattanooga friends; oh yeah, and the Southeastern Bible College folks, and the ones who live in Georgia. Lest I forget the cool folks I met in Austria, and what about the friends I have who are serving on the mission field?...I could go on all night. I am such a girl (relational, emotional, etc...but proud to be what God made me.) At least I can take comfort in the fact that we all have a common bond: Christ, and that you all will get to know each other in Heaven. You're gonna love each other--I can't wait.

Thinking out loud

Soooo missing home right now. Probably because I know we will be moving home in approximately 7 &1/2 months, 32 weeks, 228 days (if we make til May 31st, which is when our lease is up). But, we are choosing not to come home for Christmas since we'll BE home another 5 months after that. But now that we're sure we're coming back, 228 days seems like forever!!
We'd been going back and forth for a little while between several different options:
1. Stay in CA and Frank immediately apply for a Phd program to anywhere and wait for a response.
2. Stay in CA and both of us work for a while
3. Move home and get jobs; pay off student debt already accumulated; put Phd pursual on hold for a little while.

So, yeah, when it's in print--why did we even waffle? Our rent now is $2,050 a month. We do have 2 guys living with us in the 3rd bedroom to offset the cost, so net cost is $1300. But still. Having to share a 1500 sq. ft. house with 2 more adults is rather challenging, honestly. Kim Hill, I am totally understanding the whole house parent thing. But you might've had it a little bit worse than me. But only a little bit. I have grown to like California....here are some of the good things about it:
1. The weather. 70 degrees year round. It does vary slightly, but no terrible cold.
2. Convenience of everything no more than 5 or 10 minutes away, i.e. grocery store, church, Biola. As long as you don't get on the freeway.
3. The house we live in. It is so cute. and the room plan is good.
4. The church we are attending: Grace Evangelical Free. We have met and made friends with some great people.
5. My job at Biola. My co-workers are great and I have medical insurance. I like medical insurance.
6. Let's see, can I think of anything else? oh yeah, we splurge on one thing: Disneyland. It's so fun. Even though I am a grownup, I will always have a soft spot for Disney.

Now, benefits to coming home.
1. Save couple grand a month on rent.
2. Family.
3. Lower cost of living in general. 30 cents less a gallon for gas.
4. Friends.
5. Did I say family and friends? I really miss y'all.
6. The absence of the phrase "you guys". I caught myself the other day. I was chagrinned to hear it come out of my mouth. Agghh. I have been here too long already.
7. Seasons. though don't think I will ever have a soft spot for 100% humidity in August.
8. Don't have to work as much (I won't anyway.) We've talked about my having a part time job to help pay the bills--but no more rat race, thank goodness. Sometimes I feel that between Frank in school, me working f/t, Frankie going to K5 and Steven just hanging out, I will never catch up. But I plan to use Christmas vacation as sorting/throwing out time before we come home.

Ok, if I think of anymore, I'll let you know.

Kids' Kitchen Terms

BOIL: The point a parent reaches upon hearing the automatic "Yuck" before a food is even tasted.

CASSEROLE: Combination of favorite foods that go uneaten because they are mixed together.

DESSERT: The reason for eating a meal.

EVAPORATE: Magic trick performed by children when it comes time to clear the table or wash dishes.

FRUIT: A natural sweet not to be confused with dessert.

REFRIGERATOR: A very expensive and inefficient room air conditioner when not being used as an art gallery.

SODA POP: Shake 'N Spray.

TABLE LEG: Percussion instrument.

Back in the swing of things...

Hey you all. I am finally back into the groove. So much has been going on (good things) that haven't had a chance to share. Wanted to show some pics of Europe:

The first one is the palace that was our base in Austria. We stayed in the small town of Eisenstadt--where Josef Hadyn worked for the royal family of Esterhazy. The color is called Imperial yellow, and the palace was converted from a castle/fortress look with moat (early 1800's) to the more Victorian look pictured here. This place was so cool! Since we were the performers, all rehearsals were held here and we had access to more of the rooms.
The second picture is Hadyn's church and his final burial place (he was moved at some point from Vienna to Eisenstadt). Our hotel (a converted monastery--very neat!) was literally next door to the church. Our last concert took place here. A couple of interesting things about Hadyn's church: it is completely round inside except for one large painting on the wall above the pulpit. Consequently, the reverb was terrific!! to the point of being rather mushy...our director would have us sing a 3 or 4 beat phrase and cut off after beat 2 because the sound just kept going and going--and it would sound as if we held the phrase for 10 seconds!
But it was a neat experience to sing there, as the reverb made us sound soooo good.
Ok, teaser...I will share more later as I get time...

World Traveler Has Returned

Yey!

I know you are all overjoyed that I arrived home safely, despite the dangers of traveling internationally. In this post, I want to share my airline experiences: all of the airlines listed below I have flown on recently, and I feel obligated to share my experiences in hopes that it will help you make an informed decision about the airline you choose the next time you fly:

Now that I've spent 3 weeks being a world traveler, I took a moment to jot down a few ideas about airlines, based on my experiences with these companies. I hope you find the information interesting and insightful. They are listed in order of best to worst:

American Airlines
Pros: Good snacks--long flights get good meals
nice flight attendants
tv's in every seat
nice, up-to-date magazines
clean, modern cabins
assigned seats
Cons: no leg room
noted for losing luggage

British Airways
same as Amercian Airlines--very nice to fly. only gripe--no leg room

Southwest
Pros: snacks not as great as AA, but good--peanuts, pretzels--long flights get cookies/wheat thins
nice leather seats
nice flight attendants
clean modern cabins
pretty good magazines
Cons: no tv's
no assigned seats
limited travel destinations (they don't fly to a lot places on the East coast, including Atlanta)

Continental
Pros: huge amount of leg room--almost feels like first class
assigned seats
clean, nice, up-to-date cabin
Cons: not great snacks, again pretzels
mean flight attendants
no tv

US Airways
Pros: nice flight attendants
assigned seats
Cons: not up-to-date cabin/planes; looked very old
no good snacks--one small bag pretzels, even on long trips
no leg room
old, out of date magazines
definitely no tv's--these planes are too old


Bottom line: I would choose American if I could get a cheap enough flight, (generally they run more expensive). Also I would choose Southwest (if they have a flight where I'm going) --or Continental for the leg room --which was GREAT on long flights!

Ok, more later on how the trip went-- I will also have pics soon.

Remodel's done

Yey! I know you are all cheering and applauding for me now that the remodel's done at work. We've been cooped up in a small computer lab. My co-workers and I've been joking that we feel as if we've been sharing a bedroom with 15 other siblings. lol! So, since we don't have internet at home, and I have no privacy at work, I haven't posted in awhile. I do my posts on break, (of course), but even then, it's awfully hard to keep folks from reading over your shoulder when your desk is right next to the printers that 16 people use every day. Thankfully, we'll be moving back to our new office on Tuesday, so you should see more posts from me.

Except....that I'm leaving for Europe on Tuesday night!!! yippee!! I am so excited to go on this tour and sing Mozart on his 250th! The music is glorious, and our tour is primarily in Austria, so we'll be singing in Mozart's home, too. I will try to post from Europe since my mom is bringing her laptop. If we find a good wireless signal. I will try to get some good pics too.

Sooooo.....more later! :o)

bothersome

Hey Folks. Sorry this is gonna be a really short post. I do want to share all the great things that are going on right now, but don't have the time. Just wanted to leave you with a couple of random, albeit bothersome, thoughts that've been circling in my brain for the last couple of weeks:

Why do hot dog makers load the package with 10 hotdogs, and hot dog bun makers load the package with only 8 buns?

Why do garbage pickup companies make black garbage cans for the garbage that gets stored for the week and picked up only once in that week? I notice this only after walking to work on garbage pick-up days, in the heat, in very crowded neighborhoods. Ew. Don't most folks know that dark colors absorb heat and light colors reflect it? All I'm saying is: we need some white plastic garbage cans around here...

ok. I feel better. I'm sure you feel my pain--thanks for letting me vent.

Moving again?!

Agh! I think I am officially going crazy. I work in a building at Biola that is being renovated. I'm in accounting, and the entire department is being moved on Wednesday of next week, and we were officially notified today to get 40 people moved, packed--not to mention that year end is at the end of June and audit happens at the end of August!!! What are these folks thinking?! So, it may be a while before you see another post from me...but please pray that I keep my sanity...


oh, but here's some great news:

Justin is home!!!! whoopee!! The army let him come home for the birth of his child. He is in Colorado right now and the plan is to head to B'ham on Thursday nite. Pray that Junior stays just a little longer so daddy can make it for his birth. Thanks to everyone for praying for Justin, Tracy and baby...

Walmart Woes

This is for all of you suffering from a love/hate relationship with Walmart--I don't know if it's true, but it's almost too bizarre NOT to be!! Enjoy:

"Dear Mrs. Obanion,

Over the past six months, your husband, Mr. Shannon Obanion has been causing quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this type of behavior and have considered banning the entire family from shopping in any of our stores.

We have documented all incidents on our video surveillance equipment.
Three of our clerks are attending counseling from the trouble your husband has caused. All complaints against Mr. Obanion have been compiled and are listed below.

Claremore Super Wal-Mart Complaint Department
--------------------------------------------------------
MEMO - Re: Mr. Shannon Obanion - Complaints -

15 Things that Mr. Shannon Obanion has done while his spouse is shopping:


1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.


2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.


3. July 7: Made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the rest rooms.


4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official tone, 'Code3' in housewares..... and watched what happened.


5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and asked to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.


6. September 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to the Depends undergarments area.


7. September 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told othe shoppers he'd invite them in if they'll bring pillows from the bedding department.


8. September 23: When a clerk asks if they can help him, he begins to cry and asks, "Why can't you people just leave me alone?"


9. October 4: Looked right into the security camera; used it as a mirror, and picked his nose.


10. November 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, asked the clerk if he knows where the antidepressants are.


11. December 3: Darted around the store suspiciously loudly humming the "Mission Impossible" theme.


12. December 6: In the auto department, practiced his "Madonna look" using different size funnels.


13. December 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browse through, yelled "PICK ME!" "PICK ME!"


14. December 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumes the fetal position and screams "NO! NO It's those voices again!!!!"

(And, last, but not least!)



15. December 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door and waited a while; then, yelled, very loudly, "There is no toilet paper in here!"

Our New House

So, it's been a little while. I forgot to warn you that we were moving and I might not be able to post for a few days. We decided not to keep our cable hookup for internet, so we use only the internet access at the school. Kind of inconvenient, but it saves us a hundred bucks a month.

Here are some random thoughts about my new house:

It's really nice! About 40 years old, but fairly well taken care of. I think the decor in the kitchen is original, but now that it's forty years later, it looks retro, and I think it's pretty cool.

We have a fire place and a big living room. The house is not THAT big by most standards (about 1400 sq. ft), but it's so much bigger than the 1,000 sq ft we were living in before. It feels like there is elbow room and space to move around.

There's a fenced back yard and a patio. Six girls (all Biola students) lived in the house, and planted about 10 rose bushes--and they are all in full bloom--beautiful!! I am so excited to have the beautiful landscaping, without the work! Of course, I will try to maintain with watering and weeding, but the hard part is already done.

We have a washer and dryer--whoopee!! No more trotting up and down the stairs to the laundry room. And if I want to start a load before going to bed and finish it in the morning, so be it. No more scrambling for the washer and washing at odd times in order to get one.

Such a huge blessing too: the girls who lived there before us left us a LOT of stuff: the washer and dryer--gave it to us!! An old set, but works great. And, I think they'd gone to SAM's or Costco, b/c when I walked into the laundry room there was: a big box 3/4 full of Tide, a full bottle of Downy, 2 industrial size boxes of Glad cling wrap, 3 boxes of Ziploc freezer bags, 1 box of regular Ziploc sandwich bags, a gallon bottle of Palmolive, and various other half-used cleaning supplies: 409, CLR, etc. I am so excited!! We walked into the bathroom and there was a card welcoming us, and they included pertinent info about trash and street-sweeping days, AND they organized all the house keys and left them for us. To top it off, they left us a vase filled with roses from the back yard--how sweet is that?! We knew 3 of them from church, and they were all nice. And most importantly, the place was pretty spotless--what you'd expect, but always nice to walk into. And from talking to the girls, we found out that they stayed up til the day before we moved in, so I know they were busy.

We had to move in the middle of the week, as that's when the first of the month hit. So amid moving boxes, I had to get ready for work on Thursday, and let someone else do all the actual moving. Thankfully, Frank got 3 of his friends from class to help move the big stuff and we were in the new house by Thursday nite--amid a HUGE mess. Ugh. Then I still had to go work on Friday--but Biola goes to half Fridays during the summer, so I got to come home early. God Bless my husband. While I was at work on Friday and then on Saturday I had to go to an out of town wedding; he singlehandedly unpacked and/or organized every box in our new place! So when I got home at 5 on Saturday, it looked like a house!!! Yahoo! and I didn't have to do that much. What's bad, is then I conked on the couch for about an hour out of exhaustion. Poor Frank, like the Energizer Bunny--just kept going and going...

The only sad thing is, we only get the house for a year...and rent is so expensive that we are looking to sublet the 3rd bedroom to 2 philosophy majors--so that we can afford to live there, and Frank can have some "philosophical interaction". So far we've had interest from 3 guys--so hopefully we can get renters quick, as rent is: (*drumroll please), a whopping $2050/month!! Aghhh!! I guess it's a good thing we finish in a year...just hope I don't get too attached to the new house. I already know that I'll miss it terribly. Oh well, I'll enjoy it while I'm here--makes our stay here much more pleasant.

But, our house looks wonderful! And I walked to work this morning!--about 3/4 of a mile; got there in 15 minutes--what I normally would've spent driving. I will post pics as soon as I get them loaded to the computer.

So that was my week...how 'bout yours?

:o)

God Bless America

And God bless our armed forces.

The one I want to spend some time on now is the father of my almost-here nephew, and my brother-in-law, Justin. Justin and Tracy were married on Labor Day weekend last year, and now she is expecting their first baby. And he is serving in Iraq. Please stop and say a prayer for him:

for his safety,
for his sanity,
for his testimony,
for his Christian witness,
for his wife,
for his child,
for his protection,
and for God to bless him.

I heard "God Bless America" and "The Star-Spangled Banner" today at the Angels Baseball game, and was struck with the thought that I am able to go to a baseball game b/c my brother-in-law and his compatriots are keeping us safe and free.

Justin, we love and miss you! Come home soon and know that we are praying for you and Trace. love, Amber

God Bless America.

Memorial Day

Well, since today is Memorial Day, I would like to remember my Grandfather. A year ago this month, we buried my granddad on my Dad's side. He was 80 years old. His name was Ellis Vance Ewing, Sr. (Funny that when I married, my last name became Ellis:o) Here are some things I remember about his life:

He loved to fish.

He had a fishing buddy named George, who, when I was little, I used to call "Grammaw". (George was the first person I remember seeing as a kid who had grey hair, and I thought if you had grey hair, you were supposed to be a grandma)

Grandad also loved his t.v. By the time I got to know him, he was older and had slowed down considerably. His favorite things to watch were college football, old westerns, and the game show network. He was a master with that remote. He could change those channels almost faster than lightning!

"Is your daddy a glassmaker?" I probably heard him say those words more than everything else he told me put together. Granddad had a funny sarcastic side and if you got in the way of the t.v., he would grunt that phrase; which meant, "get out of the way--I'm can't see the t.v." And if he didn't say it fast enough, someone else would jump in and say it.

We always saw them--Nanny and Granddad on Thanksgiving and/or Christmas. If not to eat, then at least to drop in and say "hey". The holidays always centered around food, t.v., and Christmas gifts. And of course, catching up on what cousins were up to in the last year since we'd seen them all. I think it is a shame that we don't get together more often than once a year--and I am as much to blame as anyone. I really do have a great family. Always tell myself that we're too busy, but living so far away has changed me. I don't take things for granted anymore.

Granddad fought in WWII. Since he didn't like to talk about his war experiences, mostly we heard the stories from my dad. One story that we tell and re-tell is the story of Granddad's sword that he brought back from Japan. The hilt of the sword is a dragon's head, with rubies for eyes. Rumor has it that it belonged to an old Japanese warlord, and every time we tell the story, the sword grows about 2 inches and gets 100 years older. It is very cool. There are also stories of buddies he lost and sadness in the Japanese wilderness. We didn't really talk about those too much. Granddad wasn't really keen on remembering who he'd lost, and I can't say that I blame him.

Granddad hung sheetrock for a living. All or most of his brothers did, and most if not all of his nephews and sons do too. The Ewings are like the Drywall Dynasty in the south. Everyone knows Pidd, Podd, Calvin, Junebug, Hoochie, Mike, Steve, and all the rest who I don't even remember their names. They were (and are) known for being FAST and skilled at their jobs.
One thing I really admire about Granddad is that he worked up til 3 weeks before he died (at 80). Even at 65, he never did really retire. I think he went bored and stir-crazy. His life just revolved around work, so he kept at it. Usually worked 3 days a week. When he finally got sick, it was colon cancer, and it just up and hit him one day. One day he got up and went to work, and the next day he was laid up in the hospital sick. By then, the cancer was too far gone, and the doctors told him it didn't look good. I remember about a week later, I saw him and knew that this time it was for real. He'd lived through 2 heart attacks and a bypass, but this was it. Thankfully, he wasn't sick for very long, and did not suffer. He just sat down in his favorite chair, fought it for a few moments and then went to sleep. And most of the family got to be there with him when he passed.

He left so many of us. 4 kids, 15 grandkids, and 5 greats. Oh and Nanny, who just keeps going too. Nanny still works at the day care, but she has struggled with her health--she had an eye cancer a while back, which dr's were able to help; but now she is struggling with heart disease. She is great too--no matter how many grands and greats we produced, somehow Nan and Granddad were able to get EVERYONE a little something for Christmas! I never understood how they did it, but they did. It's like their labor of love for the family, and I appreciate their generosity. I also appreciate knowing that they would always be there for every Christmas, and we could go and "catch up". As an adult, I realize that life won't always be like that. But I am going to call Nanny today and catch up. The older I get, the fewer things I take for granted.

*If you are a family member and/or friend who knew Granddad, please leave a comment and tell me what you remember about him. Love y'all!!

LOL!!!

My boss sent these to me and I can't quit laughing. I don't know if it's just because it's Friday at 3 p.m.--I'm still at work and I need the laugh, or what?! Anyway, thought I'd post real quick and share the fun. Please leave a comment and let me know which was your favorite:

Bumper Stickers

Back Up My Hard Drive? How do I Put it in Reverse?

Everyone has a photographic memory. Some don't have film.

When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty.

Seen it all, done it all, can't remember most of it.

Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't.

I feel like I'm diagonally parked in a parallel universe.

He's not dead, He's electroencephalographically challenged.

She's always late. Her ancestors arrived on the June Flower.

You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you.

I wonder how much deeper would the ocean be without sponges.

Honk if you love peace and quiet.

Pardon my driving, I am reloading.

Nothing is fool-proof to a sufficiently talented fool.

A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.

Save the whales. Collect the whole set.

Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

On the other hand, you have different fingers.

Change is inevitable. Except from a vending machine.

"Out of my mind.  Back in five minutes."

"I didn't fight my way to the top of the food chain to be a vegetarian."

"When there's a will, I want to be in it."

"Okay, who stopped the payment on my reality check?"

Thoughts on Homeschool

I've been thinking more and more of homeschooling lately. All this time, I've been completely opposed to it: no social interaction, I don't want to quit work, I don't think I'm capable of doing it, etc.

First, you need a little background. Prepare yourself for an extremely long post. If you have something pressing, like, going to the bathroom or getting supper started; I suggest you do that and come back later. :o)

Yesterday, the boys and I went to Legoland by ourselves. With no one else but us. And for the first time I can remember, I had the boys with me, just us, and we'd gone somewhere far away to have fun. I came upon a small epiphany. Nothing as big as say, discovering Jesus' redemptive work or anything; but still an epiphany to me. I realized that I am, for the first time in 6 years, comfortable with being a mother and taking care of my own children all by myself. I've finally understood that for 6 years I've been hiding behind my mother, my husband, my best friend, my work, other friends, school, etc, etc. So that I wouldn't have to take care of them alone. Because I was afraid. What if I am a bad mother? What if I can't take care of them? Anxiety and Insecurity are the Burdens on my back. And yesterday changed it all. I think the change has been coming for quite some time though: a year in fact.

See, a year is how long it's been since I moved away from most of my comfort zones. And God has been slowly dragging me out of my shell and developing my independence in the world, and my dependence on Him. Remember my post about going to the library alone? It was happening then and I didn't know it. Then last Sunday, I desperately needed to go the the store (called the market out here) and for the first time, I couldn't leave the boys at home with Frank--he was just too tired from studying and completely zonked. The whole time I've had my children, I've always looked for ways to leave them at home when I ran errands--it's just too hard to take them with me; takes too much time, energy, effort, blah, blah. Looking back, I think deep down it was that anxiety/insecurity issue again. ("how can I be old enough to be the mother? what if we are in a terrible accident and they get killed?" "I don't have the confidence to do it." As I write these thoughts, it occurs to me that this feels a lot like the post- partum depression I went thru. Maybe I've carried a tiny part of it with me and just didn't know it.)

Anyway, we went to Sam's and Walmart and did fine. Then, Thursday nite, I needed to run to the store for some stuff for work on Friday, meaning it couldn't wait til the weekend. Since Frank is studying for finals, and Sunday went well; I decided to take the boys with me on Thursday nite. That is HUGE for me--usually after work, I am tired and don't feel like going to the store, much less dragging 2 boys with me. Well, it went fine--AND we went to 3 different stores! I was more tired than normal when we got home, but we made it.

So, every day this week, Steven asks if we can go to Disneyland again. Everyday we've been putting him off b/c of busyness: work and school. I was beginning to feel differently however. We can't go to disney b/c our passes are only good on certain dates, but the passes to Legoland are good anytime. So that's what we did. Me and the boys made the hour and 15 minute drive down to Carlsbad and we did just fine. In fact, we had a blast!! including me!! As we were driving home, I thought to myself: 'Wow, my children really are quite enjoyable, I want to do this again sometime soon. I wish I didn't have to work. If we homeschooled, we could do this all the time.' and so on.

Hence the title of this post: Thoughts on Homeschooling.

I don't know if we will do it. I had a conversation with Frank last nite when we got home that pretty much consisted of all of the above. He was glad to see how much I've grown, but that doesn't mean he's ready to jump into a whole new way of life. Plus, it's a difficult way of life: lesson plans, schoolwork, being COMPLETELY responsible for the education of your children. And we depend on my income right now. So, it will have to wait a little while. We have at least a year to think and pray. Please pray for us that we will make the right decision. I don't want it to be for selfish reasons: I don't want to work, I want my children with me, I want that emotional satisfaction, I want to shelter my children (i.o.w. hide them from real life), I want complete control of my children's education. All of these reasons boil down to: pride, selfishness, laziness, etc. But right reasons would include: Being able to spend time with my children, being able to teach them a Christian worldview, giving them more extra-curricular activities without piling that onto an already full school day, having the flexibility to pick up and go when needed. If you think of any more, let me know. (*Crissy, call me. I know you've probably got some good advice, enough to fill another post!)