A piece of my heart goes to kindergarten

So as we're getting ready for our first day of kindergarten, we ceremoniously break out the camera for all those pictures that will go in his baby book, and that's when it makes its ugly, glaring shortcoming known. Rich asks me, "Um, have you charged this lately?" Nothin.' Dead as a door nail. Completely, 100%, totally DEAD. Break out the shovel and put this thing 6 feet under kind of dead. So, I head for the charger and let the miserable Fuji Film start the recharging process. So we had to resort to the iPhone. I heart that iPhone, really, but I don't know how to get those pictures from said phone to my hands so that they can join the baby book picture family. "We are fa-mi-ly!"
Dear hubby kept reminding me that Jack would take his cues from his mom. Translation: if you're a blubbering idiot in the morning, there's a good chance that he'll be unsure of this new chapter in his life. Me? A blubbering idiot? Two words. Steel and Magnolias. 'Nuff said.
Rich went with us to school and waited in the car with Things 2 and 3 so that the transition into the world of kindergarten would be a little smoother. I asked him if he wanted to hold my hand, to which he said no. Oh, my beating heart. You little precious piece of my beating heart.
But as the day progressed, I realized that we have a 5 year old child who has been doing this school thing for 3 years now, and, you know something, he's pretty well rounded. Praise be to God that he isn't a shaky little leaf, afraid of the world around him. It might just be the first day, but we got this. By God's unfailing grace, we got this.
I haven't heard a lot about his day other than it was good, but I do know that his teachers have been added to my prayer list, just like his preschool teachers were.
Will asked me this morning at about 9 am if it was time to go get Jack from "his 5 year old school." Maybe it will be even easier the next time around. Not easier to let go and trust him to someone else for a few hours a day. Not more hours a day than I'm with him; that's simply not true in our case. Just easier to be happy for my children when they walk away from me on that first school day, knowing that they sit in the palm of God's hand. And there's no better place for them to be.

Sometimes a Light Surprises

By some miracle, Emma is still asleep so I am going to start my day by talking to my computer screen. "How are you?" "Can't complain."
I've been compiling a list of reasons in my mind for why Rich and I decided to choose the schooling path that we did. And then I realized, after giving a reason to some for why we are, that all I need is to be in agreement with my husband (and my mom's opinion is pretty important to me). So I gave her a jingle on the telly yesterday to ask her, "Do I just think I have your support for putting J in public school, or do I have it?" She said yes, absolutely. Good stuff.

A few days ago Jack and I had a pretty intense phonics, penmanship, sight words session that lasted about an hour. Can we say eager beaver? It was a lot of fun for me too, but my brain was fried when we were done. And then I remembered that when I was completing my student teaching in college that last semester of my college career, that I knew without a doubt that I would teach if necessary, but not because I wanted to. I tried desperately at one point to change my major, but I already had more than enough hours in my degree, and my counselor advised me to stick it out. She told me not to feel stuck, but to see it as a degree in my not-passionate-area, and to do something else. I did. I got my MRS.
But, we as parents, all know that learing happens all the time. I swear, if I had a dime, no a nickel, for every question that gets lobbed in my direction, I could hire a gardener.


"Mom, what's the biggest bird that lives in the rain forest?"
"Mom, how do you spell coelophysis?"
"Mom, why doesn't everything that's above ground fall into the ground?"
"Mom,if clouds weigh so much then how do they float?"
"Mom, how did God name all the animals?"
"Mom, if Elisabeth (Stevens) comes back from Germany in 3 years, how old will I be?"


So, that's science, some physics, specifically, and some math. Thank God for inquisitive little minds that want to know. I forget too quickly that learning can be fun. By the time I got to college I just wanted to get this thing over with, in a lot of ways. Okay, I'll take that and that because it will get me the hours necessary for my degree.
So, I don't feel guilty for not schooling my kids at home. But I'm also trying to be an encouragement to a friend who is schooling hers at home and doesn't feel 100% supported by some around her.

The Gospel is about Christ's ministry to people of all classes, lifestyles,and in the New Testament He was very gifted in shutting down the Pharisees when they would point and tattle tale. Much like children. Hmm.
"Let him who is without sin cast the first stone," He told them concerning the woman caught in adultery, in John 8:7.


We all have opinions on everything and we like to hold those opinions above others.' It's a part of being human, a part of being fallen. "Your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you," Genesis 3:16
In my moment of returned doubt last night I googled quotes by CS Lewis, who I just hold in such esteem. Thank You, God, for CS Lewis, who had a gift for seeing things for what they were and calling them out. I found this one that's on my facebook page right now.

‎"The human mind has no more power of inventing a new value than of planting a new sun in the sky or a new primary colour in the spectrum..."

So then, what do we achieve in saying that our way is better than another when it comes to decisions that our friends make? If we see that what they are doing is sinning, then we are commanded to correct then in love. But if it's a decision like that of school, which is a huge one, we are still called to be supportive even if we disagree.

It was a sad day, someone told me, in regard to public school. Yes, it is sad, that we can't support each other. Preachers' kids who were home schooled aren't going to necessarily do it themselves, and I am okay with that. I have given it to God because it's too big for me.