As we arrive at the end of the school year–we will be done for the year by the end of the month–we always have a ton of stuff to do. This year Kelly is especially loaded up. When we started homeschooling, we thought life would be somewhat more controlled, but then we did not really know what we were doing or what it would be like. We found that in a government school setting, everything is generally concentrated around the school. Now, WE are the institution around which all activity is concentrated. Because we do not have all the resources that the bloated government school budgets provide, we end up distributing a lot of the activity. There are piano, guitar, art, subject matter, cooking, and every other imaginable kind of lesson. There are test taking trips, museum trips, book trips, office supply buying trips, park trips, play trips, concert trips, and trips to every other imaginable kind of location. Now at the end of the year, summer swimming, a CLEP test, a piano recital, a piano adjudication, a regular guitar lesson, and workout time at the YMCA all happen in a three day period. I will only be able to make it to one of those activities (the piano recital). I am going to hide the rolling pin from Lorena. She truly is a champion in her work to make sure the kids study hard, eat right, and get where they need to go. Lorena says she is the lunchroom lady and bus driver lady of our homeshcool because I manage all the planning and academic elements of the program, but really she is the heart and center of our school. There is no way we could do this with out her.
Weight loss note: Lyle is the champion these days. I have stemmed the weight gain and believe I have started back down. Bryan! Where are you???
Note to Eric: Here is a note from Luke’s Dad’s blog. (H.T. Luke) that talks about the pride thing. I LOVED this. I think it might have been a quote from a talk given by a guy named Kevin Swanson.
He says if you dare practice rhetoric; if you dare stand up and give an answer; if you dare to get involved in the activity of the exchange of information and knowledge–he says, whatever you do, make sure you don’t forget to do it in the fear of God, and in humility before man. I’ll tell you, guys, the No. 1 sin that seems to be rampant in our society today, among educated people–and I’m talking about pastors, I’m talking about classical educators, I’m talking about kids that are out there blogging, I’m talking about pseudo-smart people who are trying to argue their point on the blogosphere–I’ll tell you, the No. 1 problem I see is the problem of pride. It’s everywhere. It’s insidious, and it’s ripping apart relationships in churches. It rips apart relationships in this movement.
Ken, I really enjoyed your post today. (All of it, even though I’m not Eric.)
I am so busy homeschooling, and add to that my working three days a week, Joseph’s dyslexia, and trying to cook somewhat heart-health… WHEW!! But I would not trade it.
You guys do a great job. You inspire me to try a little harder each day.
Lynn
PS – Your lunchroom lady and bus driver is very pretty. 🙂
Thanks Lynn. Luke has been writing some really good stuff here lately. It make writing on my post a lot easier when all I have to do is comment on something that someone else has already done.
Thanks for the VERY nice compliments. I think the lunchroom lady is very pretty, too! The thing we cannot figure out about you is how you manage to do all the homeschooling, work, maintain your magnificent garden and bunnies, craft, and maintain a household while taking the time to post such great content (with MANY pictures) on your blog! We barely have time to do just the homeschooling!
That’s for the encouragement, Ken! I love the give and take of blogging, and you give lots. Thank you.
~Luke
Ken,
Yes, we could not homeschool without our significant other….my ‘lunchroom lady’ is my man, the money maker and the person who has got my back! He is pretty insightful on the things that the kids need to study, too. I would never go to a curriculum fair or homeschool conference without him. One time I was feeling quite down about things and I told John that I was feeling like I wasted my degree cause I wasn’t out there earning money to help with our expenses. He said, “You are passing all of your knowledge to the kids.” It was the nicest and sweetest thing he could have ever said to me. Couldn’t homeschool without his support!
Isn’t that the truth Ruthie. It is so much easier to have someone ‘in the fight’ with you. My hat is off to those single parents who homeschool or parents who both work and homeschool, I have met several of those over the years, but I really do not know how they do it. I know that Lorena would enjoy working and the money would be a help (duh), but it is way more important to us both that the kids have her at home and that they get they are schooled in the best way possible. We do not know of any other way that it would be possible for us to do this.
Excellent points made by Mr. Holzman regarding pride. I have had similiar experiences with pride in academia and some churches I have attended in the past.
I have also seen those who were proud of their humility. We don’t want to fall into that trap of false humility, either.
As I get older, I sometimes can perceive when pride and arrogance are nothing more than a smokescreen hiding an insecurity. Many academics are quite insecure. Certainly, someone whose spiritual faith is weak could also be insecure about it.
A good friend of mine teaches at the University of Chicago and visits us a couple of times a year. I take secret pleasure in watching how his somewhat proud demeanor diminishes as a visit progresses. (By the way, he is an atheist.) We have great conversations on many topics we agree and disagree on. But, once my friend sees and feels that we love him and his family even though we may disagree, the facade cracks open.
It is in me to despise pride and false humility. Perhaps the problem is not that some are so full of pride and false humility, but that I myself am not filled with enough love such that they feel free to be secure and then humble.
Ken, you guys do A LOT. I am high energy, but often let a few things go while I tend whatever is on the front burner at the moment. I juggle. I posted a sample day on my blog, by the way. I frequently get questions, both in person and via e-mail, from people who want to work and homeschool. It’s not easy, it’s not for everyone, and I’m not sure I’ve done such an excellent job. By the time I get it down to a science, the kids will have moved away. 🙂
Lynn