Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Shake it, Baby

Living next to people with Harley-Davidson choppers means you hear rolling thunderous sounds pretty frequently. This time, though, it was the sound of rumbling earth. For you visual learners like me, here's something kind of nifty to see.

UPDATE: We realize now that Sam-I-Am (the cat) had known the trembler was coming. About an hour before we shook, he was meowing and caterwauling. Psychic Kitty? You be the judge.

Saturday, August 26, 2006

Study your Vocabulary Words, Girls and Boys

This is from a while ago, but everyone should be sure to see it.

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Duh

I really shouldn't use that title. Surely I'll want to use it again. I could follow the lead of the other non-creative people (clustered in Hollywood studios) and go with Duh 2, Duh 3, etc. Hmm...we'll see how it goes.

This Duh Moment (should we call them DMs for short? Better than BMs, I suppose.) is brought to you by the realization that training is important in your job. This shouldn't really be a newsflash, but it occurred to me this morning in the shower (where all of my deep thinking occurs). Part of my lower stress homeschooling this year is due to the fact that I attended the Veritas Teacher Training in July. The "How" got reinforced and answered with training, and the "Why" was answered with the encouragement of other people trying to accomplish the same thing I am. Those are important things to have reinforced each school year. Duh.

Most importantly, God really used that time to help me let go of many fears. You know how once you know the truth, you can't un-know it? Well, that's really what happened for me there. The truth of the responsibility for educating my children comes from God. Whether I partner with a school to do it (good luck, where I live) or if I take it upon myself, the bottom line is that God has told us parents to train them up in the way they should go, period.

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Ho-Ly Cow

Well, God is a merciful God, indeed. The first 3 days of homeschooling took FOREVER. We weren't finished until 6 or 7PM each night. I thought I would surely have to become an alcoholic to survive the year ahead.

But...today was a different story. The kidlets worked well and efficiently, as did the mom, and we were finished at a more reasonable 1PM. God willing, the first 3 days are an anomaly, not to be experienced again. Rather they are to be seen with the humor of hindsight, as in, "Remember those awful three days back in 2006? Man, that was so funny!"

Interestingly, those have been the toughest days of homeschooling yet. Since I am starting year five, I found that somewhat surprising. Even more surprising, though, was the fact that, although the days were unpleaseant at best, I was still wholeheartedly committed to homeschooling. (Normally, I try to avoid unpleasantness in any way possible, so this was quite an experience for me.)

I am convinced of the fruit of this labor. I see this fruit every day, as I address the sinfulness in my kids right away, and when I am challenged to address my own sin toward those I hold most dear. As usual, it boils down to time. The only way to really know my kids is to be with them. The only way to impart the teaching that God requires of us parents is to make the time to do it.

This job is hard. And--don't tell anyone--I am lazy. Worse than that, I can't do this job on my own strength. Thankfully, I serve an awesome God, who can equip me to do this. How great is that?

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

One Down

A few hundred more to go. Homeschool days, that is. Yesterday was our first and it went better than it could have. It was WAY longer than I wanted it to be, though. Getting the Kidathons back to the routine will take some doing, I can see. We took about 3 weeks off, and that is plenty, I am convinced.

This year, I can see we will be fighting laziness ("Do I have to do this part, or can I skip it?") and pride("Why do the directions even tell us to do this. It seems silly."). I am grateful to be teaching them, as I know those are two things generally not on the agenda of a classroom teacher.

So far so good :-)

Saturday, August 12, 2006

Beware of terrorists

My very busy husband hasn't had a chance to stop and smell the BS from the mainstreem media lately. So I proceeded to clue him in on the latest terrorist plot to be stopped. As I told him though, I couldn't help but be a smarty pants (you're shocked, I know). The exchange went something like this:

"So, honey, the Brits saved several planes from being bombed on their way from the UK to the US."

"What were the terrorists planning to do?"

"Make bombs on the planes by mixing liquids or something like that. Now liquids are banned from airlfight."

"Who were these guys?"

"Well, I'd rather not say, as their names might prejudice you toward people with similar names."

"Ok. What did they look like? Where were they from? To what groups do they belong?"

"I'd rather not say. I'd hate to have you mistake someone who shares certain characteristics, which all the terrorists share, for an actual terorist. But it is very important to be on the lookout and be aware."

"Let me get this straight, you won't tell me who they are, what they look like, what part of the world they were from, or any significant detail about them, and you want me to be on the lookout?"

"Yep. That's the idea." [insert sly grin here]

The Paranoia--It Begins

Ok, now I feel like an utter doofus for posting that I came out yesterday. The only people reading this blog thus far, already know who I am, and the future readers are going to think I have a screw loose. As Grandma Peterson would say, "Well, hell."

Friday, August 11, 2006

Coming Out

OK--I'm not really Jesse. I know that seems weird. It could also cause you to think I suffer from delusional self-importance. It's neither of those things, really. I'm just paranoid about privacy. Besides, what's in a name? A Jeanne by any other name would still rant as strongly.

There are two reasons for my "coming out": 1) My mom almost outed me, anyway, and 2) I feel sorry for myself that there aren't more comments on my blog. I figure this way, I can email my friends and have them take a gander at the ol' Momathon and send me their two cents now and then.

Waited Long Enough

I have waited long enough to rant about this one. I figured, since I'm on a roll with TeenScreen, I might as well go for it with this lovely thought for the day:

With the "100% success" of the HPV vaccine in trials on over 11,000 women, how long do you think it will be before this vaccine is required for admission to schools? Well, according to the CDC, not long at all. I give it 3 years, tops before you who send your kids to the government schools are forced to vaccinate your kids against this sexually transmitted disease in order to receive that "free appropriate education". By the way, as with most things, that education is worth exactly what you are paying for it.

You may think I 'm being alarmist, but look here and here.

Ahhh, but there is a chink in this savior's armor. From The National Cancer Institute's own website:

"Limitations

The vaccine tested in this study has several limitations, noted NCI’s Hildesheim. For one thing, the vaccine offers no protection against other types of HPV that can also cause cervical cancer. In addition, it’s unknown whether the vaccine’s protection against HPV-16 is long-lasting. Finally, it does not prevent HPV-16 infections already present at the time of vaccination from progressing to cancer."

I wonder if those angry folks in the previous links read this info and discarded it, or if they read it at all? It seems they are just happy for the chance to name call and paint us as crazy folks. Crazy because actually think that avoiding STDs is best done by avoiding the premarital S part of the disease. I also think avoiding electrocution is best done by using electrical sockets the way they were created to be used. Does that make me afraid of, or anti-electricity?

I'd love to know what you think.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid

If you think the forces of evil aren't subtly trying to snatch your children, think again. This should make your skin crawl and cause you to ask yourself "Do I know who has access and influence over my children today?"

From HSLDA's website:
Children in Utah public schools face yet another danger: suicide screening. TeenScreen, a national organization whose goal includes having mental check-ups for all of the nation’s youth, has been using public schools as an avenue for finding youth to screen under their Mental Health Screening program.

This screening is given to children as young as 9 years old and raises questions such as: Have you thought seriously about trying to kill yourself? Do you think often of killing yourself? Have you tried to kill yourself? These children agree to the screen for rewards of gift certificates for movies, food, parties, or clothing. Often parents are not asked or even told if their child is screened.


But wait, it gets worse.

Wake up, parents. Pay attention to where your children are, and who they are with. By that, I mean the adults in their lives. Peer pressure is nothing compared to influences like this.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Does This Mean I Am Heartless?

Am I the only one who thinks the story of Paul McCartney and Heather Mills' divorce is perfect for a movie or TV miniseries? Don't get me wrong, the reality of it is sad and rather disappointing. But c'mon, there are never any characters like Heather Mills. You just can't make up a former model nasty gold digging one legged stepmother. People just wouldn't buy it. It is an even more interesting story though, when the body guards are doing the grunt work:

From CNN.com
On Monday, police were called to the [McCartney]residence when Mills' security guard climbed over the wall of the premises to let her in. The locks on the gates had been changed.
'One of the security people inside called the police," [Mills' spokeswoman said].

The latest is here.

Halfway Around the World

As I was waiting for my turn in the stylist's chair, I found myself drawn in to the conversation she was having with the woman already seated there. The woman was planning a trip to Africa to do short term missions work. The 3 of us chatted away about God's seasons of service in our lives as women, and it became one of those times when things "just clicked". She has returned from her month in Africa, helping to build an orphanage. There is a website for the group with whom she is affiliated. Check it out here.

I cannot even begin to fathom the children orphaned by AIDS in Africa. It is simply a number my brain will not accept. If you are so inclined, please do make a donation. They are a small group, directly working with people in Swaziland, Africa.

Monday, August 07, 2006

Quote of the Day

"A popular Government, without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy; or, perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance:(emphasis mine) And a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives."

-- James Madison (letter to W.T. Barry, 4 August 1822)

Reference: Letters and other Writings of James Madison, vol. 3

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

People get in the way

You ever notice how people get in the way of being a "good Christian"? I mean, I would be so kind, patient, thoughtful, and loving if people would just leave me alone and do what I want them to do. Really. I'm not kidding. I'd be an example you all could point to. Really. I would. But those darn people keep bothering me. They interrupt my plan, they have needs, it's relentless. I don't know about you, but this is a real problem for me.

As I see it, I can either continue to delude myself that "they" are the problem (hasn't really worked thus far), or I can apply God's word to this and see what it gets me. Well now, that last one will work, but it requires me to humble myself, submit to His authority, and take the blame. All of it. Bummer. It is actually the only option that is real. The only one that works. Because that's what it was designed to do--break me from myself, my pride, and this world, training me to fix my eyes on Jesus and heaven.

Would you pray for me to be quicker to do this? I'll pray for you, too. We both know we need it :-)