Wow. Imagine being grateful for a tropical storm. In the past two days we have had non stop coverage about Katrina' s one year anniversary, and meanwhile my family has had essentially a weekend within the week of relaxation due to all the Tropical Storm Ernesto closings. My wife and I actually built the drawers to the boys' remodeling project that was supposed to be done by summer's end, and the kids got to try out their podcasting skills without the hustle of getting to tutoring on time. In all, it's another proof that God blesses us in weird ways sometimes.
Of course, I didn't really rest. Not R-E-S-T, the kind that you have to shake yourself out of in order to start going again. This may seem a continual refrain for me. It's a constant struggle not to try to fill every single day with every single project and complete it. So today I did make a consicous effort not to neglect the kids. I sat with my wife and Naomi as they cleaned her room - which is always a two person project at least - and helped get my oldest son on the wireless internet, which always adds cool points for being the techno wizard of the house. It doesn't take a whole lot - though I of course can do more - but it is a refreshing feeling to know that I was not just a drill sargent today barking orders and stealing the fun out of an unexpected vacation day. Besides, so much work awaits me on the other side of unexpected rest that I know I better take advantage of it next time, because the next storm may be a long way off - or next week. In Florida you never know.
I have to include a podcast update. I think the kids and I are going to separate our shows. They want a more kid friendly show, while I really want to include some tips for dads and parents. So...we'll try both. My podcast is waiting on some more info about structure - the kids are compiling information using a template from Radio Willowweb - shout out to you guys too. Seems like last year I had no web presence at all - now I have 4 sites to keep up with. Go figure.
Smiles and Blessings and look to the hills from whence cometh your help (Psalm 121).
AP
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Late night reflections...
It's about 1:10 am and I can't sleep. Not out of anxiety, although I am concerned about our Sunday services this morning - I'm still without a song for our offering time, and the dancers sprung a new song on me at the last minute. My Ipod and new Bose headphones are probably contributing to my insomnia. Today was a good day, so it's not the feeling of incompleteness. I'm actually feeling quite grateful. A great dinner with the kids and wife (hot dogs and chips - can't get much easier clean up than that), and home movies of the kids 5 years ago remind me how wonderful it is to be free of devestating tragedies, things that can stop you dead in your tracks. Everyday that is free of such things is a day to be grateful to God.
As far as our homeschooling goes, we're easing into the year. My most exciting idea is our podcast - appropriately named "homeschooldaddy' like this blog. In this I think the kids will find a voice for all the learning they will be doing. The idea is that all learning is useless unless it is shared in some form - either by teaching, inventing, creating, or some other form of sharing. I know there are hundreds of thousands of podcasts now, but I also feel like there's a uniqueness in the experience of day - to - day homeschooling that is hard to catch in a more 'acedemic' setting. I hope to avoid the jargon and let the kids create a show that will be accessible to both adults and kids. (Big shout out to "Homeschool Habitat" - I miss you guys - and I hope to produce a show as well thought out as yours was.)
I'm still searching out a curriculum for language arts - I want Naomi and Marcus to have a better handle on the mechanics of language, even as their creative skills increase and are better utilized. Marcus is so creative with his stories, but I'm looking at him writing more non - fiction and reporting style articles this year. Naomi is always nervous about creative writing. She's the one that follows her brother's lead, but wants to find her own voice. With a better understanding of language, I hope she'll feel more comfortable with expressing herself in her own way.
That's enough for tonite - bet this becomes my nightly ritual. Helps to center my mind on what's already on my mind - make sense?
As far as our homeschooling goes, we're easing into the year. My most exciting idea is our podcast - appropriately named "homeschooldaddy' like this blog. In this I think the kids will find a voice for all the learning they will be doing. The idea is that all learning is useless unless it is shared in some form - either by teaching, inventing, creating, or some other form of sharing. I know there are hundreds of thousands of podcasts now, but I also feel like there's a uniqueness in the experience of day - to - day homeschooling that is hard to catch in a more 'acedemic' setting. I hope to avoid the jargon and let the kids create a show that will be accessible to both adults and kids. (Big shout out to "Homeschool Habitat" - I miss you guys - and I hope to produce a show as well thought out as yours was.)
I'm still searching out a curriculum for language arts - I want Naomi and Marcus to have a better handle on the mechanics of language, even as their creative skills increase and are better utilized. Marcus is so creative with his stories, but I'm looking at him writing more non - fiction and reporting style articles this year. Naomi is always nervous about creative writing. She's the one that follows her brother's lead, but wants to find her own voice. With a better understanding of language, I hope she'll feel more comfortable with expressing herself in her own way.
That's enough for tonite - bet this becomes my nightly ritual. Helps to center my mind on what's already on my mind - make sense?
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