The Mandatory Preschool Push

I am a regular listener of the Albert Mohler Radio Program. It's a great show for getting a Chistian worldview on the major news stories as well as some stories that don't show up in the major newspapers. Last week he did a show on the problem of manditory preschool and I just wanted to share a little of what I heard because this is a topic that matters a lot to me as a mom and a former preschool teacher in the public schools.

We homeschool our children, but this does not mean we see no value in the public schools, nor does it mean we will never use the schools for our own family. I taught a lot of children who seemed to benefit greatly by being in school because their home life was not so great. I'm not denying that there is a place for public schools in our world. The problem is when politicians look at those very few difficult family and homelife situations and make laws that apply to all of us. There is a big push among many politicians to make school mandatory at age four, possibly even age three. As the mother of a two year old, this really annoys me.

What bugs me is the word "mandatory." In a culture that loves the word "choice," it is frustrating that some people want to take choices away from parents. They want to take our little ones out of our homes and put them in schools in these formative years - for what? So our nation will have higher overall math scores? Really? I'm sorry...I believe in the value of early education, but there is no better learning environment for a three or four year old than at home where she is loved and held and read to and played with. And there is research out there that suggests there is no benefit in this early schooling for long term success anyway. If someone else chooses to send their child to preschool, I think that is great. We actually sent Rachel to preschool two mornings a week when she was three. I have no problem with it as long as the parents made that choice. But we have chosen something else, and that is okay too.

A really big problem with this mandatory preschool push (and Dr. Mohler commented on it as well) is that it sends the message to parents that the government knows best when it comes to children. If you have a problem, look to the government. We have gotten so used to more and more people sending their children away at earlier and earlier ages, that this seems normal. I think that is sad. I used to read a blog called Spunky Homeschool and she had a great article on outsourcing parenthood. She made the point that what used to be normal and expected of moms and dads has been outsourced to the government, primarily through the schools. Mandatory preschool programs seem to be an extension of that.

On a personal note, my daughter will be home with me. Even if there were some law passed at lightening speed before her third of fourth birthday, we will file whatever paper declares her to be a homeschooler...because home is what she needs. She spent the first 11 months of her life in a government institution called an orphanage. We are in no hurry to put her in a different government institution just yet.

Christmas Shopping On the Brain

It's that time of year again...at least to me it is. I like to shop kind of early. I want it DONE before Thanksgiving so I can do other things in December. And I want to be prepared when family members start asking for suggestions for the girls. The thing is they seem to be harder to buy for the older they get! When they were little I could get them what I wanted them to have and they would still be happy. These days they have opinions and preferences. Rachel is all about American Girl dolls and their accessories these days. Mary Evelyn just wants any kind of animal she can get her hands on. I could probably keep Betsie happy with just the box for another year, especially if she can fit inside.

I haven't really made any purchases yet (just an ant farm for guess who) but I am shopping and browsing all over the internet for ideas and prices. Maybe that explains my lack of blogging lately. (Actually I've just been busy!)

Here are a few places that I have been browsing:
Insect Lore
Steve Spangler Science
American Girl
Deep Discount DVD If you wait until the day after Thanksgiving, this site has a huge sale. Their shipping is always free!
China Sprout

Target and Amazon are my other favorite places.

Now I just need to find a few good hiding places.

You Make Me Smile!

Thanks Christa, Hollie, Heather, and Amanda for this award! Wow, four times! You all make me smile too.

I think this award can be passed on to ten others, but I am going to be like Christa and pass it on to just five.

Oney at Tea at Three

Amanda at The Towne House

Fran at Happily Ever After

Denise at Looking to Liberia

Elysa at Musings From Graceland

Here is what Christ'as blog says about this award:

"This is what the person that created this award says about it- the thing that I love most about blogging is that I learn so much about a person just by reading their blog. I have met MANY wonderful people with wonderful stories to tell,and I am grateful every day for each person that I have the pleasure of crossing paths in life with.I wanted to create something special for the top ten people who have inspired me through their blogging; the stories they tell, and the lives that they lead with grace and dignity. I visit their blogs for inspiration and encouragement.Although there are MANY people I want to give this award to at this very moment, I am going to choose ten bloggers.Please grab your badge and wear it(with a smile) proudly, and pass it on because you inspire and encourage me, thank you. So, now it is my turn to pass it on. "

My Squirrel Rescuers

We had the perfect "blog experience" yesterday. We got to rescue a sick baby squirrel. The girls were playing in the backyard before supper (We are having perfect weather this week for being outside!) and Mary Evelyn saw a little squirrel shivering on the ground in the yard.


Mary Evelyn found a box and Rachel grabbed some fleece because it was shivering and crying. Its cry sounded like a loud squeaky mouse. One of Jason's clients is an animal emergency hospital so we called them and asked how to take care of the squirrel. Now, I was NOT looking to have a pet squirrel but our girls were just so heartbroken that this baby was suffering and there was no way we could just abandon it. I admit I was happy when we found out it was illegal to keep wildlife without a license...it gave me someone to blame for not keeping little Belle, as she came to be known, as a pet!

Anyway, Jason's contact gave us a number to call. There are volunteers who are licensed to take care of wild animals that need help. They told us to put a warm towel around Belle and leave her in a box near the tree where we found her. Then we were to go away for a few hours and see if her mother would come for her. Mama Squirrel did not come. So then we had to take her to the home of these volunteers. Jason, Rachel, and Mary Evelyn were going on an unplanned field trip!

When they got there, they found out that Belle truly was a female and probably even had a urinary tract infection. She would have died if we had not taken her there. They were going to be starting her on antibiotics, pedialyte, and some sort of proper nutrition last night. Also, they promised to keep her name the same and send email updates.

These volunteers had several other rescued squirrels in their home. Rachel and Mary Evelyn got to hold squirrels named Edgar, Allan, and Poeline! Mary Evelyn is ready to go get licensed and set up her squirrel rescue center in our garage...or better yet, in her room.

It was quite the learning experience and a very special thing for Mary Evelyn, but Rachel loved it too. They were both very concerned about little Belle. Betsie was fascinated and kept saying, "mouse! mouse!" until we corrected her.

This is Rachel with one of the other squirrels at the home of the animal rescue volunteers.

Mary Evelyn with one of the other squirrels.

Day Two at the Beach!

Betsie had to stop and sing a little while we were walking on the beach.

Mary Evelyn loves the beach. She didn't find anymore crabs but she got a lizard on the way down there. Actually, Jason found it for her and even jumped over a fence to catch it for her. What a dad!

This is as deep as we would let Rachel go. There have been sharks sightings and even shark bitings at this beach in the last several weeks.

Dinner out with the cousins!

Day One at the Beach

This is the view from our condo. It's high tide and as you can see...there is no beach. It has been eroded so if you want to see some sand, you have to go out at low tide. Beautiful view regardless.

After a little swimming, Mary Evelyn found three marsh crabs with the help of Rachel and Dear ole Dad.

Betsie counting seashells...two, two, two, two...

Rachel enjoying the view from the patio

On the Road Again

Yep, another vacation! We are so blessed. We are on our way to the beach as I type. I can't believe I can use the laptop in the car...amazing. We have had a mostly peaceful drive...unless you count the last 10 minutes. We have a book on CD going, little hands are busy with crayons, some other little hands are playing with a cup of ice. Little Betsie should be sleeping but that only lasted for about 20 minutes...you do what you have to do.

Mary Evelyn saw a lizard at the rest stop a few miles back and was a little sad that she couldn't catch him. That girl...I have never seen anyone so crazy about animals. She has big plans for this week!

This vacation was actually planned. I had more than 2 hours to prepare this time. We will be staying with my parents and also visiting some with my brother and his family. We are excited! I have lots of school stuff with me too to get some planning done. We have this week off and then five weeks before we take another break.

Unfortunately I don't think I have what I need to upload pictures from the camera with me. So probably no pictures the next few days. But I'll take plenty and add them when we get home!

A Boring Garage Door Post

How ya like that title?

I have nothing deep and profound today. But I AM thankful to have a working garage door again. It's been a few years since we had one that would actually go up and down without the risk of serious injury. Our house is almost 40 years old and still had the original garage door until last night. We have been wanting to fix it for a while, but for months it was "wait until we get back from China." Adoption can do a number on your checkbook!

But we finally got it fixed. Betsie is in awe every time she sees that door move up or down. She had so much to get used to when she came home, but she missed out on this. This morning she couldn't quite figure out our cars being parked in there...up til now the garage has just been a big empty room that mommy goes to when she needs something out of the freezer!

Here are before and after pictures to go with this very exciting post.

Ooh....aahh......

Goodbye Dear Blankie

This picture is from 2004...isn't she sweet with that blankie?

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It's a sad night here tonight. Mary Evelyn is going to sleep without her blankie tonight. Why? She left it at Chick-Fil-A. My mother was nice enough to babysit for us today while Jason and I had an appointment and then she took the girls to lunch. True, we had a blankie-stays-on-the-bed rule, but Mary Evelyn must have "forgotten" that rule without us here to remind her. Looks like my girl is learning the hard way that Mom and Dad have reasons for their rules. (There were reasons other than the possibility of losing the blankie, but that's another post.)

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Actually, I am really sad that she lost it because I was thinking of posting a picture of this blankie from 7 years ago when she was a baby and a newer picture. It started out as a beautiful white blanket knit from yarn. It was a special baby gift. Now it looks like a big grayish yarn knot. But my girl loves that blankie and sleeps with it every night. Until tonight.

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I had planned on eventually putting that blankie up somewhere to give her one day. There was no way I was throwing away that blankie. Of course maybe we have made a mistake and we'll find it, but it seems that it's lost. Mom says it's not in her car and the people at Chicki-Fil-A don't know anything about it. I'll call back tomorrow though...just in case. In the meantime, Jason and I are trying to balance compassion and the apparantly teachable moment that is in front of us. (OBEY YOUR PARENTS!) Feels like the end of an era here tonight...I can't believe I miss that ratty blankie.

Another one from when she was almost 4.

The Nice Matters Award

Thank you Heather for nominating me for this very "nice" award. Let me say a little about Heather. We became friends through our adoption agency's web board as we were awaiting the referrals of our girls from China. I remember emailing each other with the exciting news of all the details once we received those calls. Our first real life meeting was in the Chicago airport where we were delayed going to Beijing. We had hours and hours to get aquainted there...and then two more weeks together half way around the world. I had the very special (and intensely personal and unique) pleasure of watching Heather become a first time mom - and a very good one at that. She is a dear friend now and I am thankful that God put us on the journey around the same time so we could know each other. Oh, and her husband Ray was great to have around in China too. If we were ever unsure about any of the food, Ray would always try it first!

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According to Heather's blog, "This award is for those bloggers who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world. Once you've been awarded please pass it on to 7 others who you feel are deserving of this award."

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So I get to find seven other really cool blogging buddies and let them know they are having a positive influence in the blogosphere.

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First off is Sheri. I know for a fact that she is having a positive influence in the Five in a Row blogging world because a bunch of us look at her scrapbooks each week for ideas. I totally copied her (minus a little creativity) in this area. Plus Sheri is a lot of fun. Oh yeah, and she can cut her own hair and climb up on really high ladders. Go to her blog and see for yourself!

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Next is another Heather. She is another creative and fun Five in a Row mom. Last year we were in a Flat Stanley group together. (It would take a whole 'nother post to explain that!) Her whole family got involved and our little Flat Stanley had a great time in her part of the world. If you visit her blog, be sure to read about her $100 trash can.

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My third pick is Amanda, who is actually a new blogger. Maybe receiving an award will encourage her to keep at it! Amanda is a really sweet lady from Australia and you'll never guess how I know her. How'd you guess? Yep, the Five in a Row boards. It's fascinating to hear about her life down under (like how she was just bidding winter good bye!) Amanda is such a kind hearted prayer warrior too...just had to nominate her!

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Next is Jill. Jill absolutely rocks. And if you don't believe me just read the "about me" section on her blog. She is one of my heroes because her faith is so obviously lived out in her real life. (James 1:26-27) Jill definitely is an inspiration to many of us who have adopted and many others dealing with special needs. I can't say enough good things about Jill...very deserving of this award.

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Next is Amy. She has a really neat blog and it looks like she is joining the rest of us Five in a Row scrapbookers this year. I bet hers are gonna be good too because she is a scrapbooker already! I am definitely adding Amy to my blogging buddies list so I can get some more ideas from her.

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Christa is another great blogger. I was looking at her blog today thinking I should hire her to come clean my house. Apparantly she is getting no school work done though because I am totally convinced that if you can clean and do school, you are not human...or you should be writing a book. Okay...a closer look reveals that this is a school break week. See! You can't do both! Anyway, Christa and I share a love for the Yada Yada books as well and her blog is also a fun read.

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Okay, last but certainly not least is Jen. I love to go to her blog before I plan a Five in a Row book. She does such great things with her children. She has a great recipe section too. Jen inspires me to look for ways to homeschool and have FUN doing it!

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So there you go, lots of super nice bloggers out there! Thanks again Heather for awarding me!

A Little About Our Trip

We had a nice time in Pigeon Forge, TN. We arrived late Friday night and stayed until Monday morning. The girls all did great. Jason had reserved a nice cabin so it helped that we could all spread out. We had three bedrooms, just like at home. We spent most of our time at Dollywood. This was our first time there and it was a lot of fun. Betsie could not ride most things but there were water play areas that kept her happy until exhaustion hit her...then it was time to go!

When we weren't at Dollywood we were usually just hanging out in the cabin. Betsie would take a nap and the rest of us would enjoy the game room or the hot tub. I hate to admit it, but we also watched lots of Spongebob too. (We don't get any TV channels at our house so we count that as a vacation activity!)

I have been trying to play with making a slideshow of the vacation on our computer's software but haven't completed it yet. In the meantime, here are a few pictures from our weekend.

Spontaneous Vacation!

What do you do when your husband calls at 5:00 pm and says he wants to go on vacation...tonight? Here is what you do.

1. 1. Try do quiet the chaos that immediately starts in your mind as you think of the 101 things that need to be done before you can get out of the house. You also try to quickly get over the fact that your children will be up very late and the 2 year old will probably cry in the car as you are completely unprepared to keep her amused.


2. Say, "Sure!" And mean it.


3. Go tell the kids and enjoy watching them jump up and down like bouncy balls with sheer excitement.


4. Sit on 7 year old's bed and make your quick packing and to do list simultaneously guiding bigger kids in the packing of their own suitcases. Don't forget books on CD, leapsters, bathing suits, goggles, stuffed animals, and a million other things. Definitely get a few bug jars. Oh yeah, and some clothes.


5. As you are making your list, you remember you forgot to put the last load of clothes in the dryer. This is not good because you NEED some of those clothes.


6. Put a load of clothes in the dryer.


7. Call Mom and tell her you need to come by the house and get your pack-n-play for the 2 year old to sleep in. (Mom and Dad call back in a few minutes and graciously offer to meet us with the pack-n-play so we don't add an hour or more to our drive.)


8. Make arrangements for Rose, the dog. She will vacation at the other grandparents' house for the long weekend.


9. Grab some snacks and drinks and do the best you can with what you have. Which isn't much since grocery store day was going to be tomorrow.


10. Forget about your spaghetti dinner plans! (And think, hey, at least I don't have to cook tonight...we'll eat on the way!)


11. Pack your clothes and 2 year old's clothes. Don't forget Mr. Bear or you'll be in BIG trouble.


12. Stuff it all in the mini van.


13. Grab your cell phone, ipod, camera, Bible and journal, a book to read, some medicines (just in case) and pray you don't forget anything too important.


14. Get in car, get gas, some cash, some supper, and meet parents to get pack-n-play.


15. Drive for three hours to the mountains of Tennessee and thank God for the memories that will be made in the next three days. Pray that 7 year old doesn't find all the animals she hopes to find.


16. Have fun!

I'll post some pictures when we get back!

And now...Rachel

Well, I couldn't just write a big post about Mary Evelyn and leave out Rachel. Rachel asked to be interviewed like her sister, so today is the day. First I will share a little about this big girl that made me a mother. I do find it hard to paint an accurate picture of who these girls are in just a few paragraphs, but I will try.

Rachel is my dream come true. I always wanted to be a mom, and God answered that desire of my heart with Rachel. She was an answer to prayer then as she is now. I tell her that she was the first baby girl I loved. I remember being shocked that they let us take her home from the hospital...didn't they know we were clueless?! But they did and life has never been the same. Praise God!


Rachel is really easy going and obedient so if I am not careful I can forget that I need to be training her as much as the younger ones. She learns most things very easily but she especially loves anything that lets her be creative. She loves art. Her favorite date with Daddy is visiting the art museum at a local university. She is also quite the artist herself. She could spend all day drawing and making books or writing letters and poems. She passed me in artistic ability a few years ago. I have never been able to draw facial expressions or body positions like she does. Her attention to detail is so fun to see.


One of the greatest joys of the past year has been watching Rachel with Betsie. She adores her little sister. She almost seems like another caregiver. She is so loving and playful with Betsie. She can strap Betsie in the carseat, change a diaper, get her up from a nap, get her dressed or bathed, and so much more...all the while singing and talking to her and teaching her new things. Betsie calls her "Shaysha" and I love seeing their bond grow. Rachel will be a fabulous mother to little ones one day. She'll be an amazing babysitter in a few years too.

One thing I love about my big girl is how she can laugh at herself...what a precious quality. She is not easily offended which makes it fun to be around her. If she sees a funny picture of herself, she is not embarrassed but will be the first to laugh at herself. She is confident without being arrogant.

Now, I am not one of those mothers that think my children are flawless. I just don't plan on posting all their character flaws and imperfections in the internet! There are a number of ways that we want to help Rachel grow over the next several years that she is still at home with us, years that I know will be over WAY too soon. The good news is that she is teachable. She has a desire to obey us and obey God so I think we are very blessed in that way. I praise God for the gift of Rachel. I pray that God will help us now to sow the kind of seeds into her life that will result in a beautiful harvest in the future.


And now...a little about Rachel in her own words.


What are you good at?
Swimming

What is hard for you?
Rollerblading

What do you like about being in our family?
I like getting to go to Mimi's house every Christmas and seeing our cousins

How do you know we love you?
Daddy hugs me when he leaves.

How do you show your family that you love us?
By hugging and kissing and making cards

What do you like most about God?
He is powerful, omnipotent. He gave me a bed. I also like that He gave me a family. (Jen's note: yes, she really said omnipotent. And having an adopted little sister, she knows the sad reality that not every little girl has a bed and a family.)

What is your favorite book?
The Two Princesses of Bamarre

What is your favorite food?
Pasta

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A teacher

What is the most fun part about school?
Going on field trips

What are you afraid of?
Riding a bike down a big hill with no brakes...a mountain to be exact

Where do you like to go?
The beach and the swimming pool

Who are your friends?
Mary, Anna, Jenna, Rachel C., Katherine, and Betsie

What do you love about Mary Evelyn?
I like how smooth her hair is when you brush it.

What do you love about Betsie?
I love her laugh.

What is fun about being the oldest sister?
You get to do more stuff.

What do you like to do with Daddy?
Go roller skating

What do you like to do with Mom?
I like to go to the pool.

My Mary

Where to begin?

Mary Evelyn is one of those children that makes you feel deeply...whatever the emotion. She makes us laugh so hard. Sometimes, I weep over her. She can make me crazy some days, but on a good day, my heart swells with gratitude that she is mine, at least for this season. With Mary Evelyn, there is rarely any middle ground. She loves something...or she hates it. And you can't always guess if something will be loved or hated. Like schoolwork, for instance. Recently, she told me she could just wait until college to learn to read. Then there are days like today when we had FUN doing her reading lesson. What a gift of encouragement God gave me today.

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We are using Reading Made Easy, which is a wonderfully gentle approach to teaching reading. However, Mary Evelyn can get easily bogged down by the amount of reading she is required to do. Even if it's not that much, but just looks like a lot to her, she will take a long time just to get warmed up and get going. There have been many meltdowns over just looking at the page in the book. So...I have broken the lessons into smaller segments. I have covered up the parts she is not reading right that minute to make it less overwhelming to her. I thought I had tried everything. However, recently we got a dry erase board for our school that I am LOVING. I started writing out her reading lessons, one line at a time, on the board. She just reads what is there and we keep going until I can tell it's been too much or until we finish...whichever comes first. The great thing is that we usually finish because she ENJOYS reading this way. Hallelujah! If I could only describe what a blessing this is! Today when we had finished I showed her the manual so she could see how much she had read. Her eyes got huge with surprise that she had read so much. It was fun to tell her how well she had done and that I was proud of her. (insert happy tears)

Mary Evelyn is also my bug lover. I'm not sure if I'd call her a tomboy because she loves her dolls and stuffed animals and wears a dress almost every day. But she loves to be outside and she ADORES creepy crawly things. She can catch most anything too. And she can identify most of the bugs she finds. When she was 2 or 3, she used to sleep with insect field guides. Seriously. Now when we want to reward her, we just hand her a washed out plastic peanut butter jar and she is beaming with joy. I think I might just stuff her stocking with bug jars this year. Just watch...it'll be her favorite present. In fact, family members, if you need a cheap gift for her, that's my suggestion.

Mary Evelyn is also my very compassionate girl and my very thoughtful girl. One morning she decided to make Jason's coffee for him before he got down to the kitchen. She had never done this before but figured it couldn't be that hard. She had seen him do it many times. All she did was put some water in the coffee maker and turn it on. Jason had left the old filter and grounds in the last time he made coffee so she was thrilled when "coffee" came out. She had a cup all poured when he came in the kitchen. I wish you could have seen his face when he drank it! He gave her a quick how-to-actually-do-it-right lesson right then.

There is so much more I could say, but I want to give Mary Evelyn a chance to tell about herself, so I am going to conclude with a little interview. I hope you enjoy it! By the way I asked her these questions after I said she was an animal lover. I think this interview proves that point in a big way.

What are you good at?

catching animals, finding stuff, and I have good eyesight

What is hard to do?

to catch a scorpion

If you had ten dollars, how would you spend it?

spend it on a real live animal

What are you afraid of?

ummm...scorpions, but I still like 'em. I'm just afraid of 'em.

What do you like about our family?

That you let me go on dates with Daddy and catch frogs and turtles and snakes.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

I'm gonna be a bunch of things. Work at Hollywild, work at the zoo, work at the aquarium, work as a veterinarian, and a doctor for people. And a dentist.

What is your favorite thing about God?

He made everything. And that he made animals.

What is your favorite book?

Animal books

What is your favorite food?

Pizza

What is your favorite thing to do?

Go to Furman and catch snakes and frogs and turtles

How do you show your family that you love them?

By serving them when they are sick. I bring you water and set out food for you for when you get up...like apples.

What are you thankful for besides animals?
My family

Where do you like to go?

The beach and Furman and the park

Yep, when she loves something, she REALLY loves it!

Sweet Betsie

Here are a few updated pictures of Betsie in our new garden. I can never get her to smile until after I take the picture. But I love these pictures anyway.