Just recently, I came across this short poem that left me quiet for a awhile and thought about how my children view me as a Mom. This untitled poem is a sure tear-jerker but rubbed in a good way.
If I had my child to raise over again,
I would finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I’d do less correcting and more connecting.
I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I would care to know less and know to care more.
I’d take more hikes and fly more kites.
I’d stop playing serious and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I’d do more hugging and less tugging.
I’d build self esteem first and the house later.
I’d teach less about the love of power,
And more about the power of love
Anonymous
Minyang's "How Great Is Our God"
Some common misconceptions about our homeschooled kids are that they may lack socialization skills, may not adapt to group activities, may be too shy, introvert, anti-social, weird of sort, and so on. But my patient reaction would be that they should try to start a conversation with them and see for themselves.
Minyong (boy 4), is the type who always blended with the swarm. You would find him seated with a group of bigger kids just goofing around,and "chasing varmints near and far."*
Minyang (girl 9), is the type who would easily make friends and talked to people eye to eye.She goes to church with her colorful Sunday journal and highlighters jotting down notes.(That's without having to be told.) She blended just as well with kids of different ages.
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Minyang being comfortable performing with her cousins CJ and Clarence. The boys give her the moral support she needed.
I'm wondering at times if she had ever become a baby. Had it been a very short period of time that she was so tiny, I held her in my arms to put to sleep. I've always viewed her as a grown woman with a matching demeanor packaged in a 9yr-old girl's body. I would remind her at times to slow down and just enjoy being a kid.
*Quote from the book, "I Dreamed I Was A Cowboy" by Melissa Webb.
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What To Do On My Staycation
First, what is a "staycation?"
"A staycation (also spelled stay-cation, stacation, or staykation) (in the United Kingdom: stoliday or holistay) is a neologism for a period of time in which an individual or family stays at home and relaxes at home or takes day trips from their home to area attractions. Staycations have achieved high popularity in the US during the financial crisis of 2007–2010 in which unemploymentlevels and gas prices were high. Staycations also became a popular phenomenon in the UK in 2009 as a weak pound made overseas holidays significantly more expensive.The term was added to the 2009 version of the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.(From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Common activities of a staycation include use of the backyard pool, visits to local parks and museums, and attendance at local festivals. Some staycationers also like to follow a set of rules, such as setting a start and end date, planning ahead, and avoiding routine, with the goal of creating the feel of a traditional vacation."
As a homeschooling family, staycation had taken on a whole new meaning to us. On my staycation, it is best to COMPARTMENTALIZE all these little voices inside of me begging and aching to be heard. Alright, one at a time. Right now, I'm thinking from outside of our homeschool compartment, so, WALL.
1.Dust off my sewing machine and "road test" it with lots and lots of oil. Been awhile since I last created a masterpiece.(eh-hem) Maybe scrounge around for fabric materials and start making a wall quilt. Lately, I've been dreaming of kaleidoscopes of quilting patches falling off from our ceiling.
2.Organize, organize, organize...the clutter riotously tucked in our closets; the piles of stuffs which I cannot find a name for at the laundry area; set up a system at our lil school library including our DVD's, our family's document, old receipts, papers we can't get rid of.
3.Finish the scrapbook project I started creating last March for our 10th wedding anniversary mementos. My husband made a promise to finish it with me. He thinks that it should be a family hands-on activity (awwww...).
4.Bake more cakes. I see a lot of unwanted emotions being displaced as I sift and fold and blend and mix through the wet and dry ingredients.
5.Finish all the many a number of books I've started reading and bragged about at Goodreads. It's time to be consistent!
6.Give this blog a make-over, one that would look like a pro and maybe when I'm emotionally and mentally ready, create my own traffic and set-up my own on-line store that would sell my own organic soaps and herbs.
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