Hope

Singers sing about it. Foundations are named after it. Artisits create in response to it. Preachers preach about it . . .

*Hope is a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life. Hope implies a certain amount of perseverance — i.e., believing that a positive outcome is possible even when there is some evidence to the contrary.* ~wikipedia.org

I found this copy of a famous painting done by Henri Rousseau. I really like his style and use of nature in his pieces. I was reading that he was a artist of the 1800's. He had come from a humble home. His father was a plumber. He had no formal training and said that nature was his teacher. He had sad circumstances surround him throughout his life, like losing 7 children to tuberculosis. He persevered on. It appears to me that this man had quite a bit of hope.

This morning, I was wrestling with doubt and fears concerning my ability to raise and teach all my children. I opened the bible to Psalms and found some encouragement in Psalm 25. David prayed, "Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow. Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you." (verses 4 and 5)

I looked up the word hope and really meditated on it throughout the morning. I had a new focus and vision for my day.

It is my hope that I train these children up well. It is an overwhelming task that I am faced with each day. So many days I feel like sinking into despair, the opposite of hope. I want to just throw in the towel. I see so many negative circumstances in my face and I want to scream and give up. I guess I need a bit of hope and trust in God, my maker.

I love emotions. I am thankful today for hope. I am thankful for countless examples of hope that surround me each day and history that display its power.

"Great Grandma, look at me!"

My mom said that she could get my grandma to the computer to check my post. Grandma has not seen Brayden walk yet.

This is for you, Grandma! Get well soon! We love you so very much. We can't wait to see you.

Mom, thanks for all you are doing for Grandma. What a servant you are!! We love you, too!!

Socialization

It is common for homeschoolers to hear this question frequently, "But aren't you afraid they won't get enough socialization?" I have had a comment or two thrown my way from time to time. There seems to be an overall suggestion that regular exposure to peers of the same age and grade is necessary for proper development. I believe there is pressure even for homeschooling families to be overscheduled and have their children with other children their ages for huge blocks of time each week. Heaven forbid children spend more time with their family.

I remember reading something by Sally Clarkson concerning this same subject. I did find the quote and I want to share it.

"Those who say that home-schooled children aren't in the "real world" just aren't thinking straight. School is the false world. Never in the rest of their lives will your children be forced to live and interact with 20-30 age-mates in a sterile, isolated classroom totally segregated from real living experiences. The real "real world" of home, family, work and ministry prepares children to work with people of all ages in actual situations that they will experience as adults. School can't even counterfeit that kind of life experience."

Interesting isn't it. Those are bold words. Could you bare to agree with it at all?

Hold your horses, I am not saying that any of you who have your children in school are bad. I am responding to a question that is often raised to homeschoolers like myself. Of course, I love the quote. I see, each day, ways that my little students are able to enjoy and learn from the environment that they have been provided. Look at their ages. 1, 3, 5 and 7. Talk about learning social skills! Just today, I spoke with Julian about responding to his brother Kalen. He was frustrated with Kalen continuing to give him Playmobil pieces that he didn't need. He had been snapping at Kalen without thinking about his brother's feelings, age and position within the given situation. I saw a light go on, as I spoke with Julian about taking things that are being given and just saying "thank you." I told him, whether you need those pieces or not, Kalen thought he was helping you.

Kalen is so interested in helping others. He stood by me the entire time I was preparing supper this afternoon. Just before, he had been playing with all of his siblings. They were pretending to make food in the living room with the play pots and pans and such. Not only is he (they) getting time spent playing with others, he is getting real life experience. Look who he is learning it from, an adult. Shouldn't we, ideally, use adults (parents) as the main source of properly socializing a child.

Man, I could go on and on.

More Beach Photos

I have several more beach photos that I wanted to post. These photos are helping me get through these hot summer days in Durham. Already looking forward to next year's trip.

You really can do something

Another full day

Scott is really getting in the groove with school. He has been reading most of the day and is already on top of things. This comes as no surprise. I am so glad we are here and he is living in his dream world. It means a lot to me to see him so happy and excited about life. I am thankful for his aspirations and his energy to follow through. I am proud to have a man that loves to learn and is interested in bettering himself. Not that I think he needs to be bettering himself. Don't read me wrong. Hee hee.

Within our little homeschool we talked and learned about a lot of things today. There was a lot of creative play, especially with Legos. I had Julian create an Assyrian siege tower, as we are studying the Assyrians in History. He was so excited. He really likes history. Madelyn and Kalen, of course, wanted to make their own masterpieces as well.

Oh, and if you ever wonder what little one year olds do during learning time, I have a photo here for you. Cute, right? Man, I am learning and growing in the area of being flexible and available. Most of you that know me know that I like order and schedules. Things are changing as the children grow, of course. I am having to test certain things out at different times and so forth. I imagine this is a practice that homeschooling mothers, and any mother actually, do very frequently. Isn't it fun, ya'll?

Just an update ~ My grandma is doing a lot better at home now. My mom has just retired from teaching and is able to stay with her and care for her. It is a round the clock job. Grandma is definitely recovering and will be scheduling several surgeries in the near future.

I am adding a few pics of the kids from last night as well. Two are of Julian and Mads. They were really wanting their faces painted for some reason. Scott, being the fun dad that he is, painted their little faces. Also, there is a picture of Brayden enjoying his broccoli, a new favorite food.

A stab at acting

The kids wanted to put on a show for their stuffed animals. We lined up all the critters and had at it. Julian and Kalen decided to have a fight, My sweet little Madelyn wanted to read them a story. Thought someone would be amused.

Carolina Academy of Liberal Arts

That is the name of our homeschool. Several months ago we had to come up with a name for our homeschool. In North Carolina, when your student is 7 years old, you must name your school and enroll your students in an official way.

Our homeschooling has been light this summer. We have kept up with some subjects throughout our move and in between vacations. Today was our day of adding the regular load. There is no "back to school" for the Morrisons. Learning is constant and we don't want to take extended breaks from structured learning.

I am excited about the different levels of learning we have within our homeschool. It is very overwhelming, but really and truly EXCITING. I am so thankful for the freedom to teach our children at home. I really do love teaching them.

I will have tons of stories throughout the next year. Please don't think I am trying to show off or brag. We have and will have a lot of adventures and I want to continue sharing them.

I am posting some photos from today. Brayden took a tumble today. He has become quite confident with his walking. This fall just happened to be on the driveway. Ouch!

Scott's first day of class is tomorrow at Carolina. We are behind you all the way, Scott!

I know why the addicts do it

Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh . . . .

Today was a long day. The kids had a terrible case of the fussies. It seemed every other minute they were at odds with one another or just had bad attitudes. Oh and of course this rubs off on their caregivers, eh-hem.

There were so many moments that I thought I was going to pull my hair out. It is so hard not to take on your children's attitude when they are upset, angry, whining, and complaining. I am sure that a lot of the time I just mirror back to them what their attitude looks like. It is difficult being the stronger one. It is difficult to rise above.

There were a lot of factors that contributed to the fussies today. I would be good to remember those. So many times today, Scott and I looked at each other in disbelief. Is it really all that unbelievable that our children were acting like children? Is it hard to realize that 90 degree heat would make one ill? It just seemed overwhelming. I just wanted to be swept away.

I assume that this feeling of wanting to flee a situation or be swept away is not unlike those of an addict. Whether it is food, drugs, or sex. Addicts are searching for a numbness, a release, comfort, a carelessness, a fulfillment, and/or a way out. Now, I am not going to go hit the bottle or go searching for a quick fix somewhere. I am just saying, I think I can relate to that feeling of wanting to escape. Mothering is hard. Somedays, I wonder if I will make it through the day.

We, as parents, take on so much, each day, as we are trying to raise up our children. It is tough. There is a lot to manage. To be an effective parent, one must be disciplined. That takes strength, unconditional love, and PATIENCE! It is so hard.

If I were to tap into the spiritual part of me, I would say that I need to read and meditate on Galations 5:22 and beyond, taking note of the fruit of the Spirit. As a follower of Christ, I should lean on the power and strength of my Lord and pray that the Spirit intercede for me. I must admit that I am not quick to remember to lean on the strength of the Lord. Yep, I try to do things all on my own.

As I was chatting with Madelyn in her bed tonight, she asked me a very good question. We have special talks at night in her room. I was talking to her about our day and how we all need to work on our attitudes and controlling ourselves. She asked, "But Mommy, how do I control myself." To that, I said, "Ah, what a great question. We have to think before we act. Also, we can ask God to help us control ourselves. There are many things to get upset about in life. It is how we react and deal with how we feel that matters. God can help us with that. Also, changing who we are and the way we think and act doesn't happen at once. We must work at it." Hmm . . . I know a little Mama that would benefit from those words.

So, I won't be heading out to attend the next AA meeting. I will be finding something to work on that will make my day run more smoothly with my children tomorrow. I will be praying that I will be patient, kind, lighthearted, forgiving and gracious. I will be working on my anger. I will be resting in the unfailing love of Jesus. Oh and of course, I will be falling into the strong, loving and powerful arms of my hero, my partner, and the love of my life, Scott.

Good clean fun

Just a few pics from a family car wash. Nothing like washing the van in 100 degrees.

Watch this clip

My friend, Torie, shared this clip with me several months ago. I have since thought a lot about self image and true beauty. Enjoy and share.

Chef Anna

I, Scott, have to take some time to brag about Anna for a moment.

Anna makes about 95% of the meals around here and she not only makes them tasty she presents them beautifully. Seeing how we are strict vegans, we take our dining experiences seriously. Well, today was no exception.

Anna told us all that lunch was ready so the kids and I herded into the dining room. When I sat down I thought to myself that our kids sure are lucky that they have a mother who takes seriously what goes into their bodies. Additionally, I was thinking how superb the table looked and that I needed to take a darn picture or two and show off her mad skills.

Today's menu consisted of homemade hummus, carrots, cucumbers, grapes, apples, pita bread, and salad dressing.

So there you have it. Anna is the best.

Durham Bulls

The Morrison family went on out to the Durham Bulls stadium last night for a ballgame. This was stepping out of the box for me. The game started at 7pm, which is usually Brayden's bedtime. I know, loosen up Anna. Well, we decided to try it and it was as good as it could get.

The kids were enrolled in the Durham Library reading program. Durham Bulls tickets were awarded to them after they read or were read to for 10 straight days. Of course, for this family, that was no problem and the kids marveled at their tickets for a real baseball game. When we arrived at the park, we were waiting to buy Scott and I a ticket when up walks a man and asked us if we wanted some free tickets. We exhaled, let down our shoulders and took this sweet offering. What a treat! A free night out on the town.

The stadium is real nice. The weather was fine, actually very pleasant after awhile. There was a very large crowd, lots of families. Julian nudged me as we took our seats and said, "this is a loud place, Mom." We don't get out much I guess. Hee hee.

Since we are vegan and quite particular about food, we brought popcorn and ginger ale. It was a real thrill for my kids to pop open a can of fizzing ginger ale and munch on some crunchy popcorn. I imagine, half the fun for most of the crowd is partaking in the funnel cakes, hot dogs, nachos, and cotton candy. Kalen turned to me as he saw the vendor carrying the cotton candy high in the air. He said, "Mom, we don't eat those, they are just fun to look at." I said, "That's right, buddy."

The Bulls were playing the Charlotte Knights. It was a good game as long as we were there, until the 5th Inning. It was 1 to 1 when we left. Of course, Scott could tell you more info about all the stats.

We all had a lot of fun. The kids learned a lot about baseball. Before we went, a couple of them thought we were going to a show. Now, that that is cleared up, I believe we may attempt to go to another game. Look at us, living it up in Durham.

Friends in Columbia

On our way home from the beach on Saturday, we stopped by Daniel and Jen's house. They live in Columbia, South Carolina. Daniel and Jen have two girls named Ellen and Arianna. We have known the Kruideniers for several years. We met them in Boone and they have since lived in Indianapolis and now Columbia. We don't know any other family of friends better than this one. We have learned so much from them. They truly inspire us as a family. We were delighted to spend part of the day with them in their home.

We ate a delicious meal prepared by Jen. I have learned a lot from this like minded vegan cook. I have a ton of her recipes and I picked up more that day.

The kids played and played. They squealed with delight as they chased each other from room to room. All the kids played with the cat, played chess, jumped on the trampoline and enjoyed puppet shows together. Daniel and the girls had planned a special puppet show for us. My kids were happy to be apart of the audience.

We were sad to leave this special family. However, we are comforted by the memories we made that day and the fact that we are living a very similar season of life. We hope that we will see them real soon.