How NOT to start a school year

And in the category for, "Strangest start to a school year. . . .EVER" - the envelope please. . . . . .


August 2012!!! 


*Speech! Speech!*



"Ahem.  Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Academy, Fans and Blog Readers Everywhere,

I would like to present you with a quick look at the insanity that has been,

The Start of the School Year.


We head down to Florida to hang with the sister-in-law and The Monkey Nephews.  Cool cats, those two.  Influenced by the Olympics, here's Monkey #1 with Amy, creating their own Hermit Crab Olympics:

Heading back home, I have a slight cough.  No problem, thinks I.  I get something every year, around this time.  I'll fight it off.

Heh.

We arrive home, and prepare to start school.  Apparently we needed a hands-on study of Noah and the Ark, because that week our basement was SATURATED with water from a huge, southern deluge (think 2 inches of rain in 45 minutes.  Yeah.  Fun.)

Thus, all school books and such move upstairs.  Here's The Boy at my "desk":

No to be daunted, we have our "Orientation Day" (more on that, later), complete with donuts and other sundry festivities:

SO hard to get a decent picture of a teenage boy!

Filling out "First Day Questionnaires"

The sprinkles.  Always the sprinkles.

Ready to start school on Monday, we are.

Yes, they're mine.  Even the dog.

I wake up Monday, still sick.  Force my way through the week - some school at the table, some on the sofa.  Head to the dr., get some drugs, rest and try to get over it.

No such doing. Celebrate the boy's 16th birthday on Sunday, go to the doctor. More drugs.

Bad drug reaction or interaction. Pretty much thought I was going to DIE on Monday.  Pretty glad I didn't.

So - yes.  I've been flat on my back, on the sofa, all week.  Still exhausted, but SO ready to feel better.  I think I "may" be on the mend.  The downstairs is finally - TONIGHT - all dry and ready to be restored to its original state.

Through it all, I've realized a few things:

1.  It really stinks being sick. I have a great appreciation for moms who homeschool - or even function - with a serious, chronic illness.

2.  My parents rock.  They came up on Tuesday, and have stayed the whole week.  Cleaned, helped with kids, fixed things - just amazing.

3.  The Body of Christ is wonderful.  We had calls, emails, meals sent.  And prayers.  What a blessing.

4.  Bones is a really, really cool tv show.  I'm finished with Season 3.  Yes, I've watched all of them.  It's my - ahem - forced resting plan.

5.  My husband is my hero.  He's nursed me, worried about me, taken care of the basement, and worked full-time.  It's been 21 years - I can't believe how much I need him.

 So.  I'm watching Bones resting and getting ready to resume somewhat normal activities next week.

Except that there's a hurricane coming.

Welcome back to school!

Grace in Colored Squares

It's a funny thing that's happening, this.

The school year ramps up, and I pull out old charts.  Four kids, two states, and a lifetime of carefree happiness ago.  I pull off colored stickers that say, "Kindergarten with Mom" and prepare to change her sheet to "Pre-Algebra".  One child is off the plan, another added on.  Days that were full of activity boxes and playpens and "roomtime" and reading have suddenly become days full of first jobs, driving lessons, precalculus and high school credits. 

But through it all.

Grace upon grace upon grace upon grace.

Had you told me - 8 years ago, when I last made this chart - where I would be now, I would never have believed you. The joys, the aches, the unfulfilled longings, the complications and despair and unending prayer for that which we may never see. 

Had you told me - 8 years ago, when I last made this chart - the depths of my need and desire for Jesus, I would never have believed you.  Or thought it possible. Or wished for the heartache that brought me here.

Grace upon grace upon grace upon grace.

So I wistfully remove the "Arts and Crafts" time, and think and wonder - where will the next 8 years bring me?

Only one child in my homeschool.
Four more on the path to becoming. . . . what Jesus has for them. . . . . .

And I pray and I cry and I plead with the Lord, that He would make me faithful.  Faithful to these souls entrusted to me.  Faithful to help the man I have committed to walk through this life with. Faithful to the God who has called me and cleansed me and bought me with His precious blood.

And the son plays, "Meant to Be" on his iTunes account, at such a time as this.

Grace upon grace upon grace upon grace.

Sunday Sentiments: The Bassoonist's Guide to Mothering and Marriage

Well, it's "gig" season dear blog readers. . . . .the time of year when I get to dust off my trusty bassoon and rekindle my love for music by playing for some local churches and orchestras.  It's a good thing, being a bassoonist - see, there are something like a million hundred flute players, but very few who can make a bundle of sticks* sound even remotely musical.  I love the bassoon - it's weird, quirky, and fun.  (Kinda like me!)

Right now, I'm smack in the middle of concerts, and I've got a bit of a problem.  My reeds.  If I was a true southern girl, I'd take 'em out back for target practice.  Bassoon reeds are fickle things.  Since they're made of wood (special cane from France, you know!), they respond to a hundred different factors.  Temperature, humidity (helloooooo Alabama), you name it, I've got an issue with it.

And truthfully, one of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten came from my bassoon professor in college.  He wasn't one of my favorites - and the feeling was mutual on his end, I believe - but I came away with this beauty:

Don't fall in love with your reed.

Huh?

Translation:  If you have a reed that's playing great?  Wonderful.  But don't expect it to always be that way.  If you have a reed that's not working?  Eh.  Chalk it up to a bad day, scrape it with your knife, and try again tomorrow.

Oddly enough, that little gem has stuck with me, and worked its way into my perspective on life, greatly impacting the way I look at my marriage and my relationship with my kids.

How so?  Let me 'splain.  No, there is too much.  Let me sum up:

Marriage.  There are those days when the hubby and I are crazy in love, enjoying each other's company, in complete rapture and happiness.  Great!  But I don't expect it to always be that way.  Then there are those days when every. single. thing. about him drives me crazy! (And who are we kidding??! It's vice versa for sure!)  Eh.  Chalk it up to a bad day,  a tough season. . . . and persevere.

Parenting.  There are those days when the kids are a joy.  Obedient, kind, intelligent, funny, just an absolute joy to be around.  Great!  But I don't expect it to always be that way.  Then there are those days when I'm done. toast. finished. frazzled.  and ready to throw in the mommy-towel! (And who are we kidding?  It's vice versa for sure! ;)  Eh.  Chalk it up to a bad day, lack of naps, a tough season. . . and persevere.

And although my professor didn't know it, he was on to a great truth:

"For I the Lord do not change, therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed." (Malachi 3:6)

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."  (Hebrews 13:8)

"The great thing to remember is that though our feelings come and go, God's love for us does not."  ~C.S. Lewis

 Though my reeds, my marriage, my parenting, my moods, my thoughts may change?

Jesus does not.  He is ever holy, merciful, just, loving, and mighty to save.  On that truth I stake my life, my soul, my all.


Remember the verse from the hymn?

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father,

There is no shadow of turning with Thee.

All I have needed Thy hands have provided,

Great is Thy faithfulnees, Lord, unto me!

He is faithful.  I will sing it to the end of my days.

Give me a decent reed, and I'll play a few bars, too!

And I Wouldn't Have it Any Other Way

Today is my 40-somethingth birthday.  Here's how I've spent it:

A little of this:

Celebrating with cupcakes and science safety goggles:

Then I did a little LOT of this:

(I don't look that glamorous at ALL.  But I did spend about an hour+ in the van, going to and from ballet!)

And we'll wrap up with dinner and a lot LITTLE of this:

It's not a quiet retreat in the mountains.  It's not a day at the spa.  It's not lunch with girlfriends, or a getaway with my hubby.

It's life.  Lived in all its messy, busy, crazy, glory.

And this week, after all the lessons the Lord has impressed upon my heart?

I wouldn't have it any other way.

Dear Will, Gracy, and Caroline. . . . .

Dear Will, Gracy, and Caroline (and Bill, too. . . . )

When I learned that your mom was perfectly healed last Saturday night, I couldn't sleep.  My tears of grief and joy mingled together, flowing down on my cheeks, and I needed some time to just sit and process.

I went to your mom's CaringBridge page and started reading.  Not her journal entries, but the "Guestbook" comments, and do you know what I found?

"You don't know me, Laura . . . . .but I'm inspired by your story."
"You don't know me, Laura. . . . . but I'm praying for you."
"You don't know me, Laura. . . . .but thank you for pointing me to Jesus."

Over. and over. and over. and over.  The same story.  People who didn't know your Mom personally, had never even met her, but who were changed by her life.

I read somewhere that your mom had over 500,000 visitors to her CaringBridge site.  Her facebook page (now that you're reading this, does Facebook even exist?!) shows over 1700 friends.  That's over half a million people. . . half a MILLION! . . . .that know her story.  That were changed by her story.

I was changed, too.

See, the week that your mom found out that she had cancer, our own family got some incredibly difficult news.  Not like yours, but news that rocked our world and shook my faith in God to its core.  Since then, I've followed your mom's story pretty closely, and known her in a "Let's-have-a-conversation-in-the-hallway-while-we're-waiting-for-ballet-to-be-over" way.  She was one of my 'friends' on facebook, and she and I often traded crazy jokes back and forth.

So I watched. And read. And listened. And learned.

Your mom got one "No" after another from God.  So did we.  And for a while, we put our lives on hold, afraid to venture out, takes risks, take chances. 

Not your mom!  She lived. . .she really, really lived!

Last February, we were visiting in the hallway together.  And there she was, in her gorgeous head scarf (she could really rock a head scarf!), asking me about possibly teaching Civics in a homeschool co-op in the fall.  "Caroline will be starting Kindergarten," she said, "and I'm thinking that would be something I'd love, that would work with my treatment schedule and her school schedule."

{side note:  Will, do you remember that day?  We talked about building a dehydrator, and science stuff, and all sorts of other fun things.  Your mom just loved it that you were always so interested in things like that. . . her face lit up as she watched us talk!}

I walked away that day, and I was never the same again.

Your mom taught me how to live.

Your mom helped me to see that Jesus was enough.  He really, really was for her. . . . . and it is my prayer, through all the heartache and anger and grief and doubt and confusion that I know you will experience as you face the coming years. . . . .  . that He will be enough for you.

With love and prayers,
Heather Henriques

This blog post is written as part of Laura's request, that we continue her legacy of letters to her children 

on how her ministry has impacted our life.

If you have been impacted by Laura's story, and would like to write a letter, you may send it to:

DearWillGracyCaroline@gmail.com

or

P.O. Box 660982

Birmingham, AL 35266

Sunday Sentiments: This Momentary Affliction

  I started this post earlier today, intending to finish it tomorrow.  The Lord had other plans for me - and other plans for Laura, too.

Laura Black is the wife and mother in the photo above.  5 years ago, when expecting her third child, the doctors found cancer.  Breast cancer.  Treatment, chemo, experimental trials, radiation, more chemo - and 5 years later, the day after she entered hospice care, the cancer won out. 

Or did it?   

You see, Laura Black was far more than a cancer patient.  She was a child of God.  Not only that, but a beloved child of God, who was chosen to walk a road that none of us - not ONE of us - would willingly walk.  But walk the cancer road she did - beautifully, courageously, honestly, and with far more grace than I believe I could.

In the words of John Piper, Laura did not waste her cancer.  In the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Corinthians: "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Laura used her "light and momentary affliction" to point hundreds - no, more likely thousands - to Jesus.  Go and read her Caring Bridge page - have a box (or two) of tissues handy.  Her writing is beautiful, and will take your breath away.  She writes honestly of her struggles, but she writes beautifully of her Savior.

Laura's affliction - to her now - seems light and momentary.  She is fully healed, and rejoicing in the arms of Jesus. 

Well done, good and faithful servant.  She has indeed entered into her rest.

I leave you with the poem, penned by Laura in 2009.

Find me on my face, Lord
When all the world is right
In the quiet still of life
Have me clinging at Your side

Find me on my face, Lord
When sorrows enter near
Casting out all doubt
The Foe brings in with fear

Find me on my face, Lord
Crying for the souls
Of those who walk in darkness
Beneath dark shadows fold

Find me on my face, Lord
When death cries out my name
Not with bitter pangs of angst
But with joyful songs of praise

Find me on my face, Lord
When I cannot understand
Remind me of Your goodness
And the greatness of Your plan

Find me on my face, Lord
Humbly seeking only this:
“Conform my will to Thine”
Not “Please fill my requests.”

Find me on my face, Lord
Whatever life may bring
Rejoicing in the privilege
To bow before the King.

Tapestry of Grace Part Six: Organizing Tapestry and Notebooks

Hi, my name is Heather, and I'm a compulsive organizer.

"Hi, Heather. . . . "

Not really.  I do have a thing about checking off boxes, though.  But I digress.

Finally back on track, and wanting to finish my Tapestry series that I started . . . . um. . . . a long time ago. . . . . . . I thought I'd tackle the organization topic.  Because, you know, I'm so organized that I have tons of free time to blog and stuff.  Heh.  Anywho.

First, and MOST IMPORTANTLY!!!!!  If you somehow you get the idea that my life is wonderful, beautiful, perfect and organized . . . .  I have some pictures of my bathroom floors I can post for you.  SO there.  (Go back and read this post if you need a refresher course on the dangers of comparison.)

Now that's out of the way.  Where was I?

Here is one approach - my approach - to organizing my Tapestry year.  (Remember, I am a DE TOG user, so that impacts how I organize to some extent.)  I confess, I enjoy purchasing the SAP packs from Lampstand Press - these are the Student Activity sheets already printed for me, so I only have to print reading lists and overview pages.  Beautiful!  I haven't splurged on color yet, but would love to if the old budget allows.  Once I have my SAP packs in hand, I file Units 2-4, by week, in a large file box:

At this point, I don't separate them out by student yet.  That comes when they go into this file drawer:

To start the school year, I put the first unit into my file drawer in the school room.  Each of my kids has a color, and I put their pages in their own folder for the week-plan.  If I'm a good Mommy, I sit down and get all the reading assignments and overview pages printed for the unit - these are not included in the SAP  packs.  (Usually, however, I'm not so on top of it by the 2nd or 3rd Unit - and I'm printing away the night before or - gasp! - the day of our set-up meeting!)

You might notice in the file I also have a file for Evaluations - these are the quizzes and unit exams for my Dialectic and Rhetoric students.  

When it's time for our set-up meeting, I bring our handy-dandy colored folders to the table and - ta dah! - the pages are where they are supposed to be.

Now, a quick word about notebooks:

Some of you have noticed that I don't use 3-ring binders.  Instead I use a system that I originally purchased from Levenger - the Circa notebook system.  Happily, this year I noticed our local Staples carrying a similar system - oh, the joys!!

I love these notebooks because the bindings lay flat, I can rearrange pages at will, and my kids can even punch random notecards, drawings, etc and put them in with their regular size papers.  Here's an up close look at one:

My daughter's Upper Grammar notebook

Opened to show the General Information page.  Note the advanced academic note-taking at the bottom. :p

A map page.  This year, though, the kids made a section in the book just for maps.

Example of an Upper Grammar Literature response page.

And this year I apparently got my act together with vocabulary.  Yay, me!

So there you have it!  A look at our notebook system.

As always, feel free to send me questions or your own ideas through the comment section.  I'd love to help!  Next up:  Writing Aids!