Twas 18 days before Christmas of 2010
and Ande was thinking of all her old friends.
The Callahan's were actively trimming their trees
with decorations piled up as high as their knees.
The Hamilton's house was all lighted and trimmed
and Drew dreamed that presents filled their home to the brim.
The Shaver's were happily settling in new routines
with all of them fitting into much smaller jeans!
The Allen family made a trip to a Christmas tree farm
where Bryant cut down a tree without getting harmed.
The Norton's were busy with Trey and Sweet G,
hoping to get a photo of them together upon Santa's knee.
The Langhams were ready for Santa's appearance
cause Annette loaded her buggy with items on clearance.
The Tutor girls outnumbered Vergil by three
and you know they don't give diamonds out FREE.
Everyone was busy with their comings and goings
but dreaming of cabins where it was snowing.
The hot tub is waiting and the loofas are ready
Will it hurry up and be February already!!
Merry Christmas Everyone!!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Twas 18 Days Before Christmas of 2010
Twas 18 days before Christmas of 2010
and Ande was thinking of all her old friends.
The Callahan's were actively trimming their trees
with decorations piled up as high as their knees.
The Hamilton's house was all lighted and trimmed
and Drew dreamed that presents filled their home to the brim.
The Shaver's were happily settling in new routines
with all of them fitting into much smaller jeans!
The Allen family made a trip to a Christmas tree farm
where Bryant cut down a tree without getting harmed.
The Norton's were busy with Trey and Sweet G,
hoping to get a photo of them together upon Santa's knee.
The Langhams were ready for Santa's appearance
cause Annette loaded her buggy with items on clearance.
The Tutor girls outnumbered Vergil by three
and you know they don't give diamonds out FREE.
Everyone was busy with their comings and goings
but dreaming of cabins where it was snowing.
The hot tub is waiting and the loofas are ready
Will it hurry up and be February already!!
Merry Christmas Everyone!!
and Ande was thinking of all her old friends.
The Callahan's were actively trimming their trees
with decorations piled up as high as their knees.
The Hamilton's house was all lighted and trimmed
and Drew dreamed that presents filled their home to the brim.
The Shaver's were happily settling in new routines
with all of them fitting into much smaller jeans!
The Allen family made a trip to a Christmas tree farm
where Bryant cut down a tree without getting harmed.
The Norton's were busy with Trey and Sweet G,
hoping to get a photo of them together upon Santa's knee.
The Langhams were ready for Santa's appearance
cause Annette loaded her buggy with items on clearance.
The Tutor girls outnumbered Vergil by three
and you know they don't give diamonds out FREE.
Everyone was busy with their comings and goings
but dreaming of cabins where it was snowing.
The hot tub is waiting and the loofas are ready
Will it hurry up and be February already!!
Merry Christmas Everyone!!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Precious Lord Take My Hand
Mother Teresa once said, "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." I can really relate to that right now. Over the past year my life has taken many twists and turns. I had my course all mapped out until the recession hit and there were no teaching jobs to be found. When I began to fret over the time and energy that I had put into my education my husband often said, "God didn't bring us this far to drop us now." Me being the pessimist that I am replied, "Yeah but I sure do feel like He's left me dangling."
I have since come to see the wisdom of God's plan for my life in that particular area. My child's needs come before my needs and desires. I absolutely adore being home with my Sweet G everyday just like I did when I was homeschooling T. Do I miss being out in the real world everyday interacting with other adults and sharing ideas and teaching techniques with them? YES. I also absolutely loved being in an elementary school everyday. I loved the structure that it provided and the discipline I was required to have. I thrived in that environment. I do, however, believe that I am right where God wants me right now. I need to get answers about G's educational needs that I couldn't get before. He is most likely facing major surgery in the next couple of months that will require months of recovery and intense therapy. He needs me right now and I need to be here with him.
Just as I begin to understand what God is doing in one area of my life and things settle into a new normal He begins to work in a new area that throws me completely out of my comfort zone. Life is moving at a blistering pace for our family right now. T is finishing up his first semester of college, J is working lots of odd jobs at night and on Saturdays, Sweet G has had 3-4 doctor visits in the past 2 months and has another one coming up in two weeks, and several of our extended family members are dealing with crisis that affect us emotionally.
For those of you who aren't Christians this will sound crazy but it is during the darkest times in life that I feel the closest to Jesus. It doesn't make sense intellectually to hear that statement but it is true all the same. When I look back over my life I can see that when the storms of life were at their worst is when I was the closest to God. When He was all I had to look to for help I clung to Him and in Him I found peace that can't be described or understood.
So, as I pass through yet another valley so deep and dark that I cannot see what lies ahead I will cling tightly to my Jesus knowing He is holding my hand giving me the balance I need to walk through this storm. As I walk I sing,
I have since come to see the wisdom of God's plan for my life in that particular area. My child's needs come before my needs and desires. I absolutely adore being home with my Sweet G everyday just like I did when I was homeschooling T. Do I miss being out in the real world everyday interacting with other adults and sharing ideas and teaching techniques with them? YES. I also absolutely loved being in an elementary school everyday. I loved the structure that it provided and the discipline I was required to have. I thrived in that environment. I do, however, believe that I am right where God wants me right now. I need to get answers about G's educational needs that I couldn't get before. He is most likely facing major surgery in the next couple of months that will require months of recovery and intense therapy. He needs me right now and I need to be here with him.
Just as I begin to understand what God is doing in one area of my life and things settle into a new normal He begins to work in a new area that throws me completely out of my comfort zone. Life is moving at a blistering pace for our family right now. T is finishing up his first semester of college, J is working lots of odd jobs at night and on Saturdays, Sweet G has had 3-4 doctor visits in the past 2 months and has another one coming up in two weeks, and several of our extended family members are dealing with crisis that affect us emotionally.
For those of you who aren't Christians this will sound crazy but it is during the darkest times in life that I feel the closest to Jesus. It doesn't make sense intellectually to hear that statement but it is true all the same. When I look back over my life I can see that when the storms of life were at their worst is when I was the closest to God. When He was all I had to look to for help I clung to Him and in Him I found peace that can't be described or understood.
So, as I pass through yet another valley so deep and dark that I cannot see what lies ahead I will cling tightly to my Jesus knowing He is holding my hand giving me the balance I need to walk through this storm. As I walk I sing,
"Precious Lord take my hand, lead me on help me stand. I am weak. I am tired. I am worn. Through the storm, through the night lead me on to the light. Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home."
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 ~ NLTThe eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you; he cries out, 'Destroy them!'Deuteronomy 33:27 NLT(©2007)
Precious Lord Take My Hand
Mother Teresa once said, "I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much." I can really relate to that right now. Over the past year my life has taken many twists and turns. I had my course all mapped out until the recession hit and there were no teaching jobs to be found. When I began to fret over the time and energy that I had put into my education my husband often said, "God didn't bring us this far to drop us now." Me being the pessimist that I am replied, "Yeah but I sure do feel like He's left me dangling."
I have since come to see the wisdom of God's plan for my life in that particular area. My child's needs come before my needs and desires. I absolutely adore being home with my Sweet G everyday just like I did when I was homeschooling T. Do I miss being out in the real world everyday interacting with other adults and sharing ideas and teaching techniques with them? YES. I also absolutely loved being in an elementary school everyday. I loved the structure that it provided and the discipline I was required to have. I thrived in that environment. I do, however, believe that I am right where God wants me right now. I need to get answers about G's educational needs that I couldn't get before. He is most likely facing major surgery in the next couple of months that will require months of recovery and intense therapy. He needs me right now and I need to be here with him.
Just as I begin to understand what God is doing in one area of my life and things settle into a new normal He begins to work in a new area that throws me completely out of my comfort zone. Life is moving at a blistering pace for our family right now. T is finishing up his first semester of college, J is working lots of odd jobs at night and on Saturdays, Sweet G has had 3-4 doctor visits in the past 2 months and has another one coming up in two weeks, and several of our extended family members are dealing with crisis that affect us emotionally.
For those of you who aren't Christians this will sound crazy but it is during the darkest times in life that I feel the closest to Jesus. It doesn't make sense intellectually to hear that statement but it is true all the same. When I look back over my life I can see that when the storms of life were at their worst is when I was the closest to God. When He was all I had to look to for help I clung to Him and in Him I found peace that can't be described or understood.
So, as I pass through yet another valley so deep and dark that I cannot see what lies ahead I will cling tightly to my Jesus knowing He is holding my hand giving me the balance I need to walk through this storm. As I walk I sing,
I have since come to see the wisdom of God's plan for my life in that particular area. My child's needs come before my needs and desires. I absolutely adore being home with my Sweet G everyday just like I did when I was homeschooling T. Do I miss being out in the real world everyday interacting with other adults and sharing ideas and teaching techniques with them? YES. I also absolutely loved being in an elementary school everyday. I loved the structure that it provided and the discipline I was required to have. I thrived in that environment. I do, however, believe that I am right where God wants me right now. I need to get answers about G's educational needs that I couldn't get before. He is most likely facing major surgery in the next couple of months that will require months of recovery and intense therapy. He needs me right now and I need to be here with him.
Just as I begin to understand what God is doing in one area of my life and things settle into a new normal He begins to work in a new area that throws me completely out of my comfort zone. Life is moving at a blistering pace for our family right now. T is finishing up his first semester of college, J is working lots of odd jobs at night and on Saturdays, Sweet G has had 3-4 doctor visits in the past 2 months and has another one coming up in two weeks, and several of our extended family members are dealing with crisis that affect us emotionally.
For those of you who aren't Christians this will sound crazy but it is during the darkest times in life that I feel the closest to Jesus. It doesn't make sense intellectually to hear that statement but it is true all the same. When I look back over my life I can see that when the storms of life were at their worst is when I was the closest to God. When He was all I had to look to for help I clung to Him and in Him I found peace that can't be described or understood.
So, as I pass through yet another valley so deep and dark that I cannot see what lies ahead I will cling tightly to my Jesus knowing He is holding my hand giving me the balance I need to walk through this storm. As I walk I sing,
"Precious Lord take my hand, lead me on help me stand. I am weak. I am tired. I am worn. Through the storm, through the night lead me on to the light. Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home."
6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 ~ NLTThe eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you. He drives out the enemy before you; he cries out, 'Destroy them!'Deuteronomy 33:27 NLT(©2007)
Monday, November 29, 2010
Special Education
We made the decision to bring Sweet G home after I observed a day in the life of G in a public school setting. He was so drastically different there than he is at home. He sat slumped in his chair, detatched and unengaged to the world around him. I don't want it to seem like it was all bad because it wasn't. He was loved by everyone in that school and he loved them in return. However, children aren't sent to school to be loved, they are sent to get an education. Was G getting an education? Yes. Was he getting everything he needed to succeed? No. In a public school setting he is only one of hundreds. His needs are unlike the needs of any child that has ever stepped into the doors of that school.
Schools are designed for the masses. If everything about your child is typical then public school is a great place for them to be. The problem is that a large percentage of students are not "typical". Educators do the best they can with what they are given. The problem is that we as Americans don't put a high enough value on our children's education. Schools were already underfunded when the recession hit and sent shock waves through the educational system of our country. Teachers were cut, class size was increased, legislatures met and raised class size even more, programs were cut, schools were closed, and some systems cut the school year by 20 days. That is four weeks of school!! They are supposedly making up that time by lengthening the school day. Really? Do you think that extra 15-30 minutes a day for year will be as effective as 20--7 hour days? If you do I have some swamp land I'd like to sell you. Kids can only take in so much in one day. When it gets close to the end of the day they start to shut down. I know because I spent the last two years in elementary schools watching it happen.
Add learning disabilities to the problems I mentioned and you will see what an impossible situation our schools are in. In my opinion, special educators are not given enough training to be effective. All you have to do to teach special ed is have a degree in education and take a test over special education. I know several people personally who took the Special Ed GACE and all of them passed it easily. In our entire bachelor's program we were only required to take ONE special education class. One. We didn't meet every week and covered every major disability.
Let's put this into perspective. Say you buy an airplane and it begins to sputter and jerk everytime you start down the runway. It just won't make it off the ground. You have a friend who is a mechanic, a pretty good one. He reads (or halfway reads) a book about airplanes. He listens to someone describe airplanes once a week for about 8-10 weeks. The book tells him how to identify all kinds of airplanes by their special characteristics. The book does NOT tell him anything about how to fix an airplane. He takes a test on airplane identification and passes it with flying colors. Do you let him work on your plane? Remember, he is an automobile mechanic. Both machines have engines. They both have wheels, seats, steering wheels, seat belts, windshields, and radios. Would you trust him? Do you feel he would be qualified to diagnose and repair the engine? I don't know about you but I just wouldn't trust his skills. Lives are at stake. The risk is too high for mistakes to be made.
That is why we brought Sweet G home. The risks were too great that he would fall through the cracks. We will soon see a Neuropsychologist in Atlanta who will perform tests to find out what is going on from the time information enters Sweet G's eyes travels through his brain and back out his mouth. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. It is getting brighter everyday. I am already seeing huge improvements in his reading. He spelled several three letter words last week when I called them out to him which is huge!! We are making progress slowly but surely and we are having fun together while doing it. I love me some homeschooling!!
I guess it finally got dark enough because in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson "When it is dark enough, you can see the stars." And tonight my sky is full of them.
Schools are designed for the masses. If everything about your child is typical then public school is a great place for them to be. The problem is that a large percentage of students are not "typical". Educators do the best they can with what they are given. The problem is that we as Americans don't put a high enough value on our children's education. Schools were already underfunded when the recession hit and sent shock waves through the educational system of our country. Teachers were cut, class size was increased, legislatures met and raised class size even more, programs were cut, schools were closed, and some systems cut the school year by 20 days. That is four weeks of school!! They are supposedly making up that time by lengthening the school day. Really? Do you think that extra 15-30 minutes a day for year will be as effective as 20--7 hour days? If you do I have some swamp land I'd like to sell you. Kids can only take in so much in one day. When it gets close to the end of the day they start to shut down. I know because I spent the last two years in elementary schools watching it happen.
Add learning disabilities to the problems I mentioned and you will see what an impossible situation our schools are in. In my opinion, special educators are not given enough training to be effective. All you have to do to teach special ed is have a degree in education and take a test over special education. I know several people personally who took the Special Ed GACE and all of them passed it easily. In our entire bachelor's program we were only required to take ONE special education class. One. We didn't meet every week and covered every major disability.
Let's put this into perspective. Say you buy an airplane and it begins to sputter and jerk everytime you start down the runway. It just won't make it off the ground. You have a friend who is a mechanic, a pretty good one. He reads (or halfway reads) a book about airplanes. He listens to someone describe airplanes once a week for about 8-10 weeks. The book tells him how to identify all kinds of airplanes by their special characteristics. The book does NOT tell him anything about how to fix an airplane. He takes a test on airplane identification and passes it with flying colors. Do you let him work on your plane? Remember, he is an automobile mechanic. Both machines have engines. They both have wheels, seats, steering wheels, seat belts, windshields, and radios. Would you trust him? Do you feel he would be qualified to diagnose and repair the engine? I don't know about you but I just wouldn't trust his skills. Lives are at stake. The risk is too high for mistakes to be made.
That is why we brought Sweet G home. The risks were too great that he would fall through the cracks. We will soon see a Neuropsychologist in Atlanta who will perform tests to find out what is going on from the time information enters Sweet G's eyes travels through his brain and back out his mouth. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. It is getting brighter everyday. I am already seeing huge improvements in his reading. He spelled several three letter words last week when I called them out to him which is huge!! We are making progress slowly but surely and we are having fun together while doing it. I love me some homeschooling!!
I guess it finally got dark enough because in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson "When it is dark enough, you can see the stars." And tonight my sky is full of them.
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