Hilarious

Here in the past few years we have cought a lot of grief over our choice to homeschool our children. No matter how much we explain it to people, they still seem almost disgusted by our choosing to exercise our freedom to educate our children in our own home. The internet has opened up a whole world of fellow homeschool like-minded people. It's encouraging and I am starting to see our oddity as amusing, as seen in this GodTube video (yes, that's right, a Chrisitan version of YouTube). What will they do next?

In Support of Homeschooling

Here is a great article that I found on a fellow bloggers site that was writted by an alternate author:

SONNY SCOTT:Home-schoolers threaten our cultural comfort
6/8/2008 9:39:01 AMDaily Journal

You see them at the grocery, or in a discount store.

It's a big family by today’s standards - "just like stair steps," as the old folks say. Freshly scrubbed boys with neatly trimmed hair and girls with braids, in clean but unfashionable clothes follow mom through the store as she fills her no-frills shopping list.

There's no begging for gimcracks, no fretting, and no threats from mom. The older watch the younger, freeing mom to go peacefully about her task.

You are looking at some of the estimated 2 million children being home schooled in the U.S., and the number is growing. Their reputation for academic achievement has caused colleges to begin aggressively recruiting them. Savings to the taxpayers in instructional costs are conservatively estimated at $4 billion, and some place the figure as high as $9 billion. When you consider that these families pay taxes to support public schools, but demand nothing from them, it seems quite a deal for the public.

Home schooling parents are usually better educated than the norm, and are more likely to attend worship services. Their motives are many and varied. Some fear contagion from the anti-clericalism, coarse speech, suggestive behavior and hedonistic values that characterize secular schools. Others are concerned for their children’s safety. Some want their children to be challenged beyond the minimal competencies of the public schools. Concern for a theistic world view largely permeates the movement.

Indications are that home schooling is working well for the kids, and the parents are pleased with their choice, but the practice is coming under increasing suspicion, and even official attack, as in California.

Why do we hate (or at least distrust) these people so much?

Methinks American middle-class people are uncomfortable around the home schooled for the same reason the alcoholic is uneasy around the teetotaler.

Their very existence represents a rejection of our values, and an indictment of our lifestyles.

Those families are willing to render unto Caesar the things that Caesar’s be, but they draw the line at their children. Those of us who have put our trust in the secular state (and effectively surrendered our children to it) recognize this act of defiance as a rejection of our values, and we reject them in return.

Just as the jealous Chaldeans schemed to bring the wrath of the king upon the Hebrew eunuchs, we are happy to sic the state’s bureaucrats on these “trouble makers.” Their implicit rejection of America’s most venerated idol, Materialism, (a.k.a. “Individualism”) spurs us to heat the furnace and feed the lions.

Young families must make the decision: Will junior go to day care and day school, or will mom stay home and raise him? The rationalizations begin. "A family just can't make it on one income." (Our parents did.) "It just costs so much to raise a child nowadays." (Yeah, if you buy brand-name clothing, pre-prepared food, join every club and activity, and spend half the cost of a house on the daughter’s wedding, it does.) And so, the decision is made. We give up the bulk of our waking hours with our children, as well as the formation of their minds, philosophies, and attitudes, to strangers. We compensate by getting a boat to take them to the river, a van to carry them to Little League, a 2,800-square-foot house, an ATV, a zero-turn Cub Cadet, and a fund to finance a brand-name college education. And most significantly, we claim “our right” to pursue a career for our own"self-fulfillment."

Deep down, however, we know that our generation has eaten its seed corn. We lack the discipline and the vision to deny ourselves in the hope of something enduring and worthy for our posterity. We are tired from working extra jobs, and the looming depression threatens our 401k’s. Credit cards are nearly maxed, and it costs a $100 to fuel the Suburban. Now the kid is raising problems again, demanding the latest Play Station as his prize for doing his school work … and there goes that modest young woman in the home-made dress with her four bright-eyed, well-behaved home-schooled children in tow. Wouldn’t you just love to wipe that serene look right off her smug face?

Is it any wonder we hate her so?

Sonny Scott a community columnist, lives on Sparta Road in Chickasaw County and his e-mail address is sonnyscott@yahoo.com.

Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 6/8/2008, section 0 , page 0

(some edits made by blogger)

A Daughter's Gift on Father's Day

This Father's Day, I received the best gift. This Sunday I invited my Dad & Mom to church with us and they were glad to come. I was so excited and Joseph really thought that was neat to sit between them through the service. I enjoyed introducing them to our Pastor and friends. The last times they came was for our wedding and soon after at my baptismal when Ray Rhodes preached. I was really shocked to hear the really enjoyed the music of our music team, as they grew up with choirs. In fact, my mom sang in chorus in high school and grew up singing in the choir with her sister and father. So she has a lot of neat memories doing that. After church they took us to Ruby Tuesday's to experience their weight loss secret: The Ruby's Garden Bar. Between them both they have lost 80 lbs. That's more than Joseph & Thomas combined. I, however, have lost a measly 9lbs. We really had a great time.

Previously on Saturday, we did Father's Day for Ryan. I made him a fold out of pictures of him and the boys, as well as a poem:

Thank you Daddy,

For cuddling me with your big strong hands,

And loving me from day one.

Thank you Daddy,

For teaching me right from wrong,

Even though it hurts my bum.

Thank you Daddy,

For working so hard at work and school,

And taking time to build me trike for my fun.

Thank you Daddy,

For your will to jump on an animals back,

And showing me that petting a goat is fun.

Thank you Daddy,

For playing on the playgrounds,

Even though your thirty-one.

Thank you Daddy,

For taking us to the surf and sand,

Even when you wanted to learn a ton.

Thank you Daddy,

For teaching us about the Lord,

In hopes we'll know Jesus, God's own Son.

Daddy opens his new lounge pants. Thomas opens up Daddy's new belt.

Daddy opens up his new Starbuck's coffee mug that he thought he was getting and then lost hope that he was, when I wrapped it in something different. That's why there is such a big grin.

Daddy reading his Father's Day poem and looking at all the pics. of him and the boys.

Joseph giving Daddy his Father's Day kiss.

Thomas giving Daddy his Father's Day kiss.

Daddy took Joseph for a spin on the Wharf St. runway.

This went on and on until Daddy crashed on the couch with exhaustion, much to Joseph's disappointment.

Joseph's version of dress-up.

He gets Daddy in on the fun too.

I also made one for my Dad, who is known by our kids as Papu:

Some may ask,

What is a Papu?

Well I have a Papu,

He's well past fifty-two.

My Papu is as big as a bear,

that's why he's affectionately known as Pooh.

My Papu loves the beach,

But be careful he needs not too much sun.

My Papu like to cut would,

His projects always weigh a ton.

My Papu loves to take pictures,

Of me and of you.

So if you see a Papu,

Take a picture or two.

I love my Papu,

And he loves me too.

Uncle Brandon's Cool 35th Birthday Party!

My brother, Brandon, turned 35 at the end of May and we celebrated over at his house with his wife & kids. Also joining us at the party: Tiffany & her children, my parents & my sister-in-law's sister, Nicole & husband Maurice (sp?). We had a great time and it was actually more geared towards the kiddies than the adults. The kids, ranging from age 2mos.-9 years, thoroughly enjoyed the badminton, slip-n-slide, & kiddie pool. The adults, well we just tried to keep cool with the 98 degree storm infused humid weather.

Cheyney(5) splashes around with Joseph & Thomas

Quentin (7) & Ethan (9) play two on one with Uncle Ryan (not shown)

Joseph is a little confused on what he's suppose to do with the slip-n-slide

Thomas kept laying down on the slip-n-slide and asking the bigger kids to push him. Jonah & Cheyney give him a helping hand.

Riley takes on the slip-n-slide with grace.

Our fun quickly ended as Danielle, Tiffany and I had just finished asking on another, "When do you think we should round up the kids and go in?" Just as the sentenced ended a loud crack and lightening appeared, followed by three squawking mothers exclaiming, "Time to go in kids!" Next up, Jonah's birthday party in July. See you guys soon.

Congratulations to Ryan for passing his first two classes with A's

Florida Fun!

Well, we made it back home from the beach in one piece. We had such a great time that it was hard to leave and after being back to the "real world" for a couple of days we deeply miss it. We went to Panama City Beach, FL with my parents, my Aunt Shirley, twin cousins (Ashley & Alyssa), Shirley's boyfriend (Mike) & Iowa friends (Bob & Sherri). We all (except for Ryan & Thomas) rented a pontoon boat in the bay for 1/2 a day & cruised around shell island. We spotted several dolphins, fish, crabs, cranes, & pelicans. There was a neat little area to pull into that was secluded and the water was only 2-3 feet deep. Since there were no restrooms we used God's natural restroom, the ocean. Of course Joseph thought it was pretty funny. However, I should have told him that we only do that in certain situations. Later we went to the side of the island that tour boats drop people off to hunt for shells and as we are all searching for any shells that weren't broken, I turn around to find my son, with pants down to his ankles, as he pees in the sand. I was pretty red & not in the sunburned way.

Thomas repeatedly threw himself in the pools at the condo (even when there was no one there to catch him). We had one successful rescue attempt when he literally fell in and began to swim and then sunk (My mom felt so bad as she was suppose to be watching him). All is well that ends well and by the end of the trip Thomas learned to hold his breath under water and swim about a foot. Joseph's fear of the water seems to grow stronger every year. I really don't think he ever got his hair wet, although he really enjoyed the sand.

Wed. night the boys stayed overnight with my parents and Ryan and I got to go out for a well needed night alone. We ate out at "The Back Porch" & enjoyed Mahi Mahi sandwiches. Then headed back and walked on the beach for a short time and then put our feet in the hot tub. We really wanted to get in but Ryan developed his usual rash early in the week. I think the sun and him don't get along. It was so nice to just have a calm night and remember that we are married. Sometimes we seem to forget that as we are tending to the boys every need.


Lastly, Friday night, as we are getting together with everyone for one last hurrah before leaving, Thomas does a face plant into the tile floor and had a gusher of a cut on his bottom lip. Thankfully no ER visit came of that one.

We're already working on Daddy to go back next year. He's been great to take us the last three years. Maybe we can push out one more trip to the beach next year. My love for the beach is getting so bad that on the way home we threw around the idea of moving there.

The boys improvise seats as they watch the cartoons that we don't get back home.

Every day was a struggle to get through lunch and many days the boys never made it to the table as you can see here.

Dad as the skipper of our grand voyage, it was a four hour tour and we made it back!

Joseph enjoys his first ever boat trip.

Bob & Sherri share a laugh on the boat excursion.

Ashley & Alyssa take a break from texting to take a quick picture. Cute girls.

This is the only time Joseph would play with his floatie, since we weren't in the water.

Our camp site down in front of the condo. I am sure all the other vacationers were glad to see our circus tent go at the end of the week.

Daddy & Thomas

Joseph & Thomas

Mommy & Thomas

Mommy & Joseph

Thomas shows off his battle scars from his face plant.