Darin and I are entering a time of life that we never truly realized we would be entering. We started out a very busy family. Co-Op, tons of church activities, playdates & etc. After two or three years of that whirlwind we were happy to get off. The negative impact all that had on our family was not what Darin and I were looking for. A lot of people might say it was "normal kid stuff." We don't think there has to be such a thing as normal kid stuff. So we went the total opposite way and have been accused on more than one occaision of sheltering our kids too much. So be it. We have been able to focus on other "normal human stuff" with our kids - i.e. sin. It's been nice to have the time to work on character issues with our kids that we didn't have time for before because of all our running around.
But life with a big family constantly changes. The things we have been able to do for our older children we are probably not going to be able to do in the same way for the younger set. Ben is going to be playing football this fall which will take us out of the house three or four times each week. Add in AWANA at church on Sunday nights, chiropractor visits, piano lessons and other misc. committments and we're back in the busy life again. I went to DonnaYoung.org and downloaded some calendar pages for the rest of the year and filled them out. Once AWANA starts, we will have somewhere to be every day of the week!
We just don't want to be so busy outside the home, but Ben is at the age (he'll be a Freshman in high school this year) where he truly needs to start exploring his interests and working out just what he wants to do. Right now he has a list of things he wants to "be." We're hoping to help him narrow that down. One of the things on his list is Football Coach. So we're gonna let him go get all roughed up every week to see how he likes it. ;-)
It should be an interesting fall! The great thing is that everything seems to come to an end all at once in the first week of November. Good thing. I will be in the last month of pregnancy by then, doing my Jabba the Hut impersonation, and not moving too quickly. Just TRY to get me off the couch by then. ;-)
Jabba the Hut....
ReplyDeleteGosh, I hope I don't by then. I have been trying my best to NOT look too Jabba-y! :)
Sounds like we have been on a similar path. Sometimes doing "good" things are "good", but not God's Plan. There are so many pulls on the family, even from organized churches, that pull them literally apart, instead of keeping them together.
I ordered the Elijah Co. catalog a few years back. You probably have it. It reads so much like a home school manual/devotional, and there were so many things Mr. Davis said that changed a lot of things I viewed as good and necessary. I then found some old hs conference tapes online and those are great too!
Anyway, I don't know if you got to hear Cindy Rushton's interview with Mr. Davis this week, but it was really really good, and a real boost to my planning this year!
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mom-to-mom-radio-show/2009/07/14/lets-talk-about-homeschooling-with-chris-davis-from-elijah-company
I hope you are feeling well and continue to be healthy and blessed throughout your pregnancy!
blessings~Jacque
Even though we've not been accused of "sheltering" our kids, that's what we've done. At first it was out of necessity. I truly did not have the energy, nor the finances, to sign up for lots of extra curricular activities. Piano, Coop, and church choir. That's all we've done for the past 5 yrs.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm at the point that I need to talk to my oldest and tell her about some of the bad things she's been sheltered from. Still deciding what I should and should not bring up. But I am very thankful that I can bring it up on my terms and not have her innocence stolen from someone in the secular world.
It's funny. There were certain things that a person did not tell children in generations before us. Now, not knowing is considered being "sheltered." Well, I'm not an iconoclast. So if accused, I'll say, "thank you!" and consider it a compliment.
HA HA!!! No!! We don't own a snow shovel. Neither do we own a lawnmower. Or bug spray. I have to update that post. We are currently 122. I can still say I am very thankful that the AC is going strong, and add to that, I am thankful for Little Caesar's $5 pizzas for supper. No turning on anything that heats the house today - oven, dryer, slowcooker, ANYTHING! God is good.
ReplyDeleteOn being busy. We are somewhere in between. We have plenty to do, but not enough to keep me frantic. I'd love to add music lessons to the "schedule", but can't find a teacher... and we've been invited to join a 4H group... still thinking on that one. The 4-H fair here is completely devoid of domestic entries. Nothing in sewing, baking, knitting, etc. We could take all the prizes. :o)
... no garage... :o)
ReplyDeleteIt's so hard not to get busy! Like you, I don't want my kids to be involved in so much "normal" kids stuff. When we get busy, I notice several things starting to slip... like attitudes, missed opportunities to serve one another, etc.
ReplyDeleteI know exactly what you mean ~ I feel like with my 5 I am constantly balancing between busy and crazy busy! Blessings, EMichelle
ReplyDeleteMy children play football at our local youth league. They can play there until they are 13, I am curious will your son play at the local highschool? My husband would really like for our sons to play. They are only 9 & 6 now, and I haven't looked into it. Would you mind telling me how you went about getting your son on the team? Thank you so much!!!
ReplyDeleteBelinda
I haven't stopped by in quite a while. Congratulations on the baby!!! It has taken me about a year to adjust to the new normal after our 4th son... who just turned 1 last Friday!
ReplyDeleteTake care and blessing,
:)Michelle
We have been there and go through seasons of business and then stay home for awhile. It is hard keeping a balance. I too am due with #6 the end of Novmeber. Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteLori