I should be really excited, and proud of my diligence in being organized early for once. Maybe I am, just a little. However, the excitement and pride are somewhat tempered with a underlying apprehension. That whole “the best laid plans” fear keeps creeping in. What if the girls hate their new Math curricula? Was Latin the best language choice, or should I have gone with Spanish? Did I get enough binders?

Then I take a deep breath. And exhale. And remember that the God Who called me to this homeschooling thing will be with us whether I’m prepared or not. And for that, I am grateful.

Recently, I read a health article that highlighted five foods you should eat every day. Being the article it was, the foods obviously had some health benefit. The piece mentioned the benefits and included ways you could add the foods into your meals.

Spinach made the list (shocker there, I know). I learned that this leafy heavy weight is a rich source of plant-based omega-3s and folate, which can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, and osteoporosis. The article also indicated that eating spinach can increase sexual arousal and performance (I think they just put that in there because it was a men’s magazine).

I’m all for eating foods to fuel your body and keep you healthy. However, I think I like my list better. Here goes:

1. Dark chocolate: It’s a great way to get your “sweet tooth” fix for the day. Plus, you don’t have to feel guilty because it’s good for you. Chocolate is made from plants, so it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. These benefits are from flavonoids, which act as antioxidants. Flavonoids can help relax blood pressure, and antioxidants protect your body from aging. Heck, dark chocolate should be on this list twice!

2. Popcorn: I don’t mean butter-dripping, salt-covered movie popcorn (that’s on my once a month list). Good old fashioned, whole kernels popped on the stove with a little canola oil is what I’m talking about. It’s actually a whole-grain snack, and it provides a full complement of nutrition benefits, including dietary fiber, protein and B vitamins.

3. Tablespoon of Peanut Butter: When I’m hungry, but too lazy to fix a snack, this is perfect. It also provides protein, vitamins B₃ and E, magnesium, folate, dietary fiber, arginine,^[8] and high levels of the antioxidant p-coumaric acid.

4. Ice cream: No health benefits I can think of. I just like it and could eat it every day.

5. Red Wine: It may or may not reduce your risk of a heart attack. Some studies even show that it can increase your HDL (good cholesterol) and decrease your LDL (bad cholesterol). I just think it’s a perfect way to unwind after a hectic (or not so hectic) day. Bubble bath optional.

Often I find myself Googling to find that perfect quote to fill the status update on my Facebook page. Yes, I realize that is sort of cheating, but isn’t “It is not length of life, but depth of life.” (Ralph Waldo Emerson) so much more inspiring than “It’s going to be a great day!” (Kristy Tolley)

I even take notes and write quotes in my Bible (God-related, of course - mostly!). That’s what gave me the idea to share a couple in my blog today. Well, that and the fact that I haven’t blogged in way too long.

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Jim Elliot

“Everything you give has a destination.” Talbot Davis (my pastor)

Who knows - maybe if I saturate myself with words of wisdom and inspiration on a regular basis, someone may end up quoting me one day. Okay, maybe not. At the very least, perhaps by ingesting and living out encouraging or thought provoking quotes, I can help make the world a little bit nicer for someone.

I’ll admit I have let these feelings affect my homeschooling way more than I should. Instead of having two - even three weeks of lessons planned in advance, I often fill in the planner during our school day. As a result, our lessons suffer. Often times awesome side projects or activities that would have greatly enhanced our lesson were abandoned because I failed to plan.

I know we all have lulls in our homeschooling routine, and sometimes they can be beneficial. Who doesn’t need a time to recharge once in awhile? What I need to remember is that the lulls mustn’t control me. I must control them. A “rest” period can consist of a trip to our local park for a nature hike; taking a break from our regular subjects to do a unit study on something the girls are interested in; or declaring a “craft” week to scrapbook, make clay projects, or learning to sew.

The bottom line is, God has called me to this task of homeschooling my daughters. When I haphazardly plan our school, I’m not giving this task the attention it deserves - and I’m certainly not living in His will. It is God’s priority for me, therefore it is my priority - I should treat it as such.

Lord, help me rise to the occasion on every task You have for me - especially in the area of educating my children. Please forgive me when I fail to do so because of apathy on my part.

I admit too many times I’ve been the garbage truck more than I’ve been the receiver of the garbage! Also, because most of my time is spent with my children (as a homeschooling family), I’m afraid my kids are more often the recipients of me spreading my bad attitudes. This short story was a good wake up call for me!

Blessings,
Kristy

One day I hopped in a taxi and we took off for the airport.  We were driving in the right lane when suddenly a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of us.  My taxi driver slammed on his brakes, skidded, and missed the other car by just inches. The driver of the other car whipped his head around, started yelling at us, and flipped us the bird.  My taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy.  And I mean, he was really friendly.  So I asked, “Why did you just do that?  This guy almost ruined your car and sent us to the hospital.”

This is when my taxi driver taught me what I now call, ‘The Law of the Garbage Truck.’  He explained that many people are like garbage trucks.  They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment.  As their garbage piles up, they need a place to dump it and sometimes they’ll dump it on you.  Don’t take it personally.  Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.  Don’t take their garbage and spread it to other people at work, at home, or on the streets.

The bottom line is that successful people do not let garbage trucks take over their day.  Life’s too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. So, love the people who treat you right.  Pray for the ones who don’t.  Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it.

“Lord will you please get me through this morning?” seems to be a prayer I lift up many times as a home schooling mother. I write that with a sprinkling of humor. However, as a Christian, I can’t think of anything more important than infusing prayer with our teaching.

As home schoolers, we have the unique opportunity to make learning the Bible a part of our curriculum. Whether it’s teaching my children to pray, or striving to lead by example, prayer is an integral part of our home school. As a matter of fact, prayer brought me to this place in our family’s life.

Before we had school-aged children, I was interested in home schooling them. My husband wasn’t keen on the idea, but I felt strongly it was God’s plan for our family. I began praying “Lord, if this is what You want, let him know it! If it isn’t, get me over it!” Over time, my husband’s outlook on home schooling shifted to the opposite end of the spectrum, and he is my biggest supporter. (Seeing our children thrive in this type of educational environment spurs him on, too!)

Prayer plays a major role in many areas of our lives. However, as a parent, two aspects of prayer stand out.

Pray with your kids. I have no doubt prayer sets an example for our children. When they see and hear us pray openly, it shows them the importance of a healthy prayer life. One thing I do often is pray out loud for people involved in car accidents we drive by or for the inmates picking up road side garbage. “Are you praying Mommy?” I’ll hear from the back seat. They are used to it now, and know it isn’t just some maniacal ramblings of their crazy mother (although those can happen at times, too!).

When my older daughter became four, we explained to her since she was a “big girl” now, her dinner time prayer probably shouldn’t be the “A B C Song” prayer anymore. She could do her own thing. That first big girl prayer brought this big girl to tears. Every single sentence of her pretty extensive prayer began with “Thank you”. Oh, what we can learn from those little ones!

When my oldest daughter was six, I ordered a craft kit for a prayer box for us to make. She loved making it, and was very enthusiastic about its intended use. Until we packed up most of the house when it went on the market, the box sat on her desk. Aside from the first six pieces of paper she put in there, I don’t know if she added any more prayers. However, she knows the purpose of the box, and hopefully, she’ll need a bigger one someday.

Pray for your kids. I have always prayed for my girls. Usually, they were the surface “keep-them-safe-let-them-be-Christians-and-could-you-please-make-them-mind-me-for-once!” prayers. One day, a sobering thought occurred to me – I may be the only one praying for them. I had a burden to be more specific and more intentional with my prayers for them.

A friend of mine gave me a copy of a “prayer calendar”. I have used it ever since. Each day is a different prayer based on scripture. On the first of the month, I pray for their salvation (2 Tim. 2:10); the 18^th of the month I ask for their perseverance (Heb. 12:1); and on the 21^st I pray for responsibility (Gal. 6:5).

By using this calendar, my eyes have been opened to the many different facets of my children’s lives that should be infused with prayer. It has also helped me notice the areas where they are showing improvement.

When my five-year-old finally cleaned her room without me asking her a second time, I remembered my prayer for responsibility (Gal. 6:5). I thought of the prayer for compassion (Col. 3:12) when my eight-year-old sent the money she had saved (for months) for Heelies to an organization that provided surgery for children with cleft palates.

You can obtain a prayer calendar at this web site:

http://www.wvupci.org/wvnop/articles/Parents-Prayer-Calendar.asp

I’ll admit I fall off the prayer wagon many times than I would like. Life happens, and unfortunately, my prayer life suffers for it. However, if we can keep an attitude of prayer in all things, whether it’s passing a wreck, doing a school project, or eating a meal – our children will pick up on it more than we may realize.

I’m sure like many people out there, I’ve been pondering  a bit about what I should or shouldn’t do in 2010. I know I’d love to have a nickel for every person making health related goals (including myself!). Setting goals has just never been something I’ve been very good at. I’ve actually thought of setting a goal to set a goal this year.

Don’t get me wrong. I love January 1st. I’m a big fan of fresh starts and all that jazz. I think it comes down to the fact that my calendar doesn’t end at December 31st. Things I want to do or strive for just seem to pop up every now and then, sometimes evolve into something else, and sometimes even get achieved.

So, for what it’s worth, here are my perpetual New Year’s resolutions. My goal this year is to hold to them tightly when I need to, but give myself grace when I don’t .

1. Lead by example: let my children learn spiritual truths, healthy habits and compassion by seeing it firsthand from me.
2. Let God: give Him my husband, my children, my home-schooling, and (especially) me.
3. Kiss my husband passionately more often (I know, TMI for some folks!).
4. Live on purpose.

Of course, I laughed at first. Then, I processed her choice of words and realized how perfect they were. These days, I’m so consumed with finding books, movies, and even clothes that are “kid friendly” (sadly, it’s getting harder to do!). How much effort do I put into setting those standards for myself? I’m ashamed to admit that many times my thoughts and actions aren’t very “God-friendly” at all.

Lord, help me to pay better attention to my own action ratings. Help me be a ten in the area of God friendliness.

So, it was no surprise to me when asked what theme she wanted for her birthday party sleepover, she replied (enthusiastically) “Spies!”

Armed with my Googling fingers, I went to work. I found an abundance of ideas I borrowed from various web sites. We decided to make it a spy training party. The girls would go through a battery of training sessions, then complete their final mission. 

Our first activity was the “dexterity training” portion. We created an obstacle course out back, and timed each participant. The winning time earned the agent a little prize (lip balm, play doh, note cards, etc.).

The second training was the “stealth” portion. I got bright pink yarn and strung it in sort of a web across the room. The girls had to go through the “lasers” without touching any of them.

Their third training session was the memory part. I unveiled a tray filled with random objects. They had 60 seconds to look at the objects, then a few minutes to write down (from memory) what objects were on the plate (like the game we’ve all played at baby showers!).

After they completed their training, they received their very own junior agent badges. My husband printed them from the computer. When the girls arrived, we took their pictures, and put their photos on the badges. This was a real treat for the girls. They also got their spy kits. I ordered them from Oriental Trading. 

Finally, they were assigned a real mission. A “thief” came in and stole the birthday gifts. A series of riddle clues led them to the hiding place. Once the gifts were open, it was time for cake. I found this cake on a party idea web site, and did my best to replicate it. It was fairly easy - even for this inept baker. The round part of the magnifying glass is just two round cakes stacked. I baked a 9 x 13 and cut it into thirds, using two of the thirds as the handle.

After cake, they donned their PJs and sat down for the Nancy Drew movie. For boys, you could rent Agent Cody Banks or Spy Kids. Older kids could probably watch a James Bond movie or something.

The whole thing was a total blast to put together and execute. I think I had more fun than the kids! Happy party planning.