Category Archives: Travel

Meet the Slow-Schoolers!

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First of all, let me wish everyone a happy early School Choice Week. And speaking of alternative education, you know there’s homeschooling, un-schooling, after-schooling and many other innovative options for a diverse population.

But I think the 3 Amigos and I have invented a new mode of learning. It’s call slow-schooling. See, most of the homeschoolers I know who have kids around the same ages as mine usually tie up their schooling by lunch.

Houston, Zeke & I hang w/ two of my oldest & dearest friends, Shelley & Ashley, during a chill Sunday afternoon get-together @ Gramsey & Papa’s.

Sure, many of those moms are morning people, which I am admittedly NOT, so we normally get a late start by comparison. If we get rolling with school by 9 a.m. (which is my goal), that is a momentous occasion for us.

First of all, the dudes are just some dawdling diners. Even when there’s excellent behavior, meals rarely take less than an hour. Now, the kids are usually hardily eating most of whatever I put in front of them, which I know is a huge blessing. No picky eaters around here!

Sometimes we even manage to incorporate learning into a meal, like listening to memory-work songs, reviewing Bible verses for Awana, reading CC history cards, or watching cool videos that relate to our current studies. That, of course, leads to talking. And more talking.

While in Richmond, Kara entertained the 3 Amigos with many creative & wild diversions, like this game of playing indigenous backyard tribesmen … and tribe-gal.

And questions. And more questions. And then further discussing the new learned info mixed with a healthy dose of inquisitive and creative “What would happen if?” queries.

There’s never a dull moment at the table. And I know I should appreciate our mealtimes since that’s actually the way eating is supposed to be: lengthy and engaging affairs, not hurried and quiet tasks.

And it’s at the kitchen table that we do about half of our schooling, while the other half takes place at desks in the living room — a house setup that includes no door between rooms. So even when teaching is going smoothly and the kids are working diligently, the mere volume of our school day is often be booming!

Needless to say, the dudes aren’t always as focused as I would like. Yes, that’s to be expected per the ages and gender (and human nature) of my kids, but their drifting ways can be an irritating time thief nonetheless.

Another dear pal, Angela, & my sweet cuz, Matt, strike a pose w/ Shelley, Ashley & Stephen during our hang time over the holidays.

To deal with Houston’s dilly-dallying, we make a list of his daily lessons on a white board. As he crosses off the completed tasks, the hope is that this visual tool will aid in motivating increased efficiency.

Houston also recently began using a timer for his independent work. I have to tread lightly on this one, though, since I certainly don’t want him to make mistakes or do poor-quality work because he feels rushed.

I haven’t seen a dramatic change in performance yet, but these efforts are still in the early stages. My hope is that these visual tools will simply lead to better time management as Houston matures as a student.

In his defense, Gabriel and Zeke’s loudness can surely be an impediment to concentrating. I mean, I’ve never been known for being soft and quiet, so I suppose much of this is in the genes. Then multiply is times 2, and school is quite often an ear-splitting affair.

To counter this, I’m now have Houston listen to classical music on the iPod during his solo studies. This genre shouldn’t be too distracting; plus, classical’s mathematical, so that’s a win-win.

Gabriel uses the walkie-talkies Santa brought to communicate w/ brothers during a chilly Liberty Loop adventure on Christmas Day.

Furthermore, Houston loves symphonic and orchestral music. He often requests Afternoon Classics when we’re riding around in the van. See, subsidized public radio does have some perks for the taxpayer.

And Houston and his bros are way into the compositions of John Williams and Klaus Badelt. Sure, it’s music from their respective movie soundtracks, Star Wars and Pirates of the Caribbean, but that’s still pretty cool.

In fact, these notable film scores have recently been the backdrop to most of the 3 Amigos’ dramatic interpretations of warfare spanning history, cultures, and even galaxies. It’s quite an intense thing to behold!

But even with some of these hopeful fixes, I’ve finally come to accept our plodding style. It’s just who we are: a first-grader, who is only 16 months older than the two pre-school students (who are actually being taught kindergarten material), and one organized-yet-“organic” home educator.

Embracing our uniqueness has been a gift. It not only refocuses my attention to the fact that doing things my own way and in a manner that meets the needs of each of my kids as individuals and me is one of the wonders of homeschooling, but it also helps me maintain a level of confidence that is essential as a homeschooling parent.

Christmas afternoon, Houston enjoys two of his favorite pastimes: assembling Legos & picking his nose. Boys will be boys!

Additionally, it allows me not to be so obsessed with the clock, thus, unlocking even more doors to those voluminous, but fleeting moments of bearing witness to my kids discovering, exploring and learning. It’s a beautiful thing.

Our slow-schooling style gives me greater opportunity to take part in the kids’ off-the-cuff discussions and debates, help foster their amazing realizations, and appreciate those seemingly little lessons that somehow morph into monumental ah-ha moments.

I thank God for calling me to take my family on the incredible journey of homeschooling and for ALWAYS equipping me for the intermittently bumpy, but always adventurous ride. Our school may be poky, but it’s never boring, and that’s just the way we roll around here!

The holidays in review

On 12/22, Granny came to visit for Christmas, kicking off the countdown to our yuletide celebration. That afternoon, we all attended Houston’s first piano recital. He played Jolly Old St. Nicholas confidently and without error. And considering that Houston was the first student perform makes his presentation all the more impressive!

Houston sits proudly w/ his amazing piano teacher, Miss Julie, after his very first piano recital in December.

This day also marked Houston losing another tooth … literally! This front, lower tooth came out during sleep the night before or at breakfast, but was never recovered. So even though Houston got dissed by the tooth fairy, Santa made up for it a few days later.

The dudes never wavered in their fervent belief in Mr. Claus. Before attending the J-Crew’s Polar Express Party on 12/21, Houston announced that Asher wouldn’t be able to “hear the bell,” thus, signifying his disbelief in in the jolly old elf, according to the movie for which the annual bash is named.

And the 3 Amigos continued unabated in their Santa convictions throughout out the holidays. Houston even said, “He can read my mind, Mommy.” Wow, not that’s dedication! It’ll be interesting to see what revelations Christmas 2014 will bring.

But Christmas 2013 was low-key and love-filled. The kids seemed to have a much greater appreciation of their few, but quality gifts than in years past, and we just had a wonderful time being with Granny, relaxing, and sharing in the joy that is the birth of our Savior!

This photo (taken by Houston) was the best pic we got of Granny during her visit. This shot was taken moments after she & I shagged to Christmas music, which just so happened to correlate w/ our Bloody Mary cocktails kicking in.

Granny left on 12/26 and we headed to Richmond the following day. It was our first time to stay at Gramsey and Papa’s new house, which is within a few-minutes drive of many close family members.

Meredith and Jacob, who live the farthest away, crashed at the new pad during most of our visit. And since Rick lives there, we got to hang with all those wild youngins a ton. Kara spent a few nights, which is always a delight for the 3 Amigos.

Casey and her fiancé, Garret, were in town when we arrived, so we were lucky to get to see them for one night. Dina, Lisa and Albert stopped by here and there, which is always a treat.

Then my folks let me invite over a few choice pals for a get-together one afternoon. It was so lovely getting to see Shelley, Angela, Ashley, and my cousin, Matt. Doing oyster shooters with family and old friends was a nice way to tie up our holiday travels.

Albert & Stephen get silly during our visit to Virginia. Hmmm, I wonder what’s in that cup Albert’s so gleefully drinking?!

My most audacious New Year’s resolution is to get something of substance published in 2014. Whether it’s news, opinion, advocacy or activism, it doesn’t matter to this journalist in need of a byline fix! (Please remind me of this goal next time you see me slacking.)

The next most challenging is to have a family music day at least once a month. Stephen and I haven’t played guitar consistently in years, so this will take some major motivation on our parts. But I think we’re ready to dust off his Martin and my Alvarez and get the jam on. And I know the boys ready to rock!

The easiest resolution is for Stephen and me to get more creative and bold in our home-cooking à la David Chang. Stephen is at the helm of this endeavor, of course, but I do serve an important role as shopper, sous chef, and occasional non-fancy cook.

This resolution came to fruition this past weekend when Lisa and Albert visited. My sister and brother in-law share a penchant for spicy, exotic, ethnic food. So, the centerpiece of their stay was a trek to an incredible international market in town and then preparing the sumptuous foods for an eating extravaganza Saturday night.

Stephen taught the 3 Amigos how to play chess during his Christmas vacation & the competition has been raging between the dudes ever since.

The Saturday-night meal included taro and peanut mochi, tamarinds, guava, sesame porridge, roasted duck with bing pancakes and Hoisin sauce, stir-fried pork bellies and rice … and Old-Bay-seasoned Carolina shrimp just for good Southern measure. Thanks for helping us out on this one, Lisa and Albert!

Other notable outings & festivities 

  • 12/23: Granny took the 3 Amigos to a bounce house called Monkey Joe’s;
  • 12/27: Daddy took Houston to his orthopedic specialist for the 6-month-post-elbow-break appointment, which turns out to be the final visit our well-healed boy!
  • 1/4: We attended Miss Jessie’s wedding to her handsome longtime beau, Mr. Joseph;
  • 1/6: The boys and I had playdate with our neighbors, Miss Shawn and Dixie, who we haven’t hung out with in ages;
  • 1/11: I accompanied Houston to his pal Corban’s birthday party, while Daddy took the twins to the Science Center;
  • 1/12: I had a well-deserved and fun girls-night out with Miss Christie;
  • 1/14: The boys and I celebrated our first day of CC 2014 doing pizza with the J-Crew and some of our other fave homeschoolers, Miss Kristin, and her boys, Eli and Briggs;
  • 1/15: Zeke had his first sleepover with friends (the J-Crew, of course) and all went well. They sure do grow up fast!

Minimizing distractions, maximizing Jesus

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This year, I think I’ve really mastered simplifying the holiday season. But as every American knows, there are many distractions from the religious aspects of Christmas, most notably the obsessive desire for possessions.

“Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious & adding the meaningful.” ― John Maeda, graphic designer & computer scientist

In ” A Charlie Brown Christmas,” ol’ Chuck opines, “Even my own dog has gone commercial.” The consumer-crazed spending of the season was already occurring back when this classic hit TV in 1965. My how far we’ve come since then.

To counter this irreverent frenzy, Stephen and I are intentional about minimizing the materialism. We do participate in gift-giving to the kids and a few other family members. After all, this is one of the strictly Christian aspects of the holiday.

The dudes & I cozy up high on the mountaintop @ Sugar Plum during our annual outing to the choose-and-cut tree farm.

As our lead pastor explains it, Jesus is the incarnation of God as man, and He’s humanity’s second chance at a redemptive world. Jesus is the gift for healing our brokenness and sealing our salvation. It’s God’s love through a divine man.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one & only Son, who came from the father, full of grace & truth.” ― John 1:14

Of course, gift-giving in our consumption-obsessed culture should be done lovingly, but also carefully and in a financially sound way (i.e., not spending more money than you have in the bank).

Hence, Stephen and I capped the amount at about $100 for each boy. Plus, I avoided toys (with walkie talkies being the exception), instead buying more useful things, like clothes, books, gardening tools, a baseball glove, a watch, etc.

Santa has been a (semi) point of contention between Stephen and me. If it were up to him, St. Nick wouldn’t visit our house. He just thinks it’s all a bit too excessive.

Zeke looks like an adorable little elf in a Christmas-tree forest during our hunt for Myrtle (our Frasier fir for 2013).

But I pushed for utilizing gift-giving as an exercise in being appreciative and grateful, and to learn to give to others willingly. And, despite their youth, the 3 Amigos have already nailed the latter vital lesson!

For their Lottie Moon donation at Awana, the dudes gave $10 each from their piggy banks. Counting all those coins served as a great math activity, but more importantly, helped solidify the importance of charity and selflessness.

The boys were surprisingly mature about handing over what is a large amount of cash to a kid. Their ungrudging giving also included another $5 each to our church’s Generous December offering, which goes 100% to supporting missionaries.

“Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.” ― Henry David Thoreau

Moreover, we’ve done Santa in year’s past, so I figured we should just let it all unfold naturally. I mean, most of the kids’ CC friends know the truth about the man in the red suite and are quite vocal about it.

Plus, I don’t really push the mythology too much. I try to answer their pressing queries in vague, open-ended ways that let them ponder the possibilities on their own, while still keeping in tune with some of the fun Santa-centric traditions.

Despite their inquiries @ the farm, like “Is that the real Santa? … He looked different than last year … How can he be here and other places at the same time? … Maybe this guy’s just an elf,” the 3 Amigos still believe!

Interestingly, despite their skeptical questions and all the mounting evidence against the existence of a real Santa and his flying reindeer, the 3 Amigos are still avid devotees of the  jolly old elf. And I think it’s simply because they want to believe.

When the dudes sent letters to Mr. Claus, Houston requested the Lego Death Star, which runs about $300! “That’s very expensive. I don’t think Santa will be leaving that under the tree,” I said. “But the elves will just make it,” he commented.

“Even Santa has to pay his elves,” I explained. “He does?” Houston asked with an air of shock. “Of course, they’re not slaves,” I continued.

After some deep thought, he finally replied, “Well, I think he pays them in candy.” Hmmm, not the economic response I was hoping for, but it shows that the anything-is-possible wonderment of childhood is alive and well for Houston.

Steady-hand Houston snaps this nice shot of Stephen, Gabriel & me heading back to Granny’s from Sugar Plum.

Then the boys received postcards from Mr. Claus and were awestruck that the return address actually said The North Pole. Houston immediately declared that he was going to show this special mail to Asher to “make him believe in Santa.”

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius — and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” ― E.F. Schumacher, economist

I cherish this time so. Innocence is a rare thing and it will be gone soon enough as the kids grow up in this jaded, corrupt world of ours. But man, is it a cool thing to behold when you’re lucky enough to catch it!

Most importantly this holiday is putting into action the wise words of Tammy Wynette: “Let’s Put the Christ back in Christmas.” Her 1970 country classic called for folks to remember Jesus, despite the the increasing secularization of the season already happening some 40 years ago.

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” ― Psalm 46:10

Again, simplifying has been essential. For instance, we had planned to trek downtown for the Holiday Parade earlier this month, but opted instead to stay home in order to finish decorating Myrtle. And hoot chocolate and cookies helped enhance the relaxed, cozy mood!

The dudes in front of a “Dillingham Tax Service” advertisement in Avery County. This barn is on property, which served as the set for the 1989 film, “Winter People,” starring Kurt Russell & Kelly McGillis. Cool, huh?!?

I also decided to blow off a homeschool outing to Old Salem one day just so the boys and I could play hooky (a well-deserved treat ’cause we haven’t been slowing down on schooling this month). We watched Christmas shows and stayed in our PJs all day!

Then that evening, Daddy took us out for frozen yogurt to celebrate the kids’ mastering 12-weeks worth of CC memory work. Our slow-paced day enabled us to truly enjoy this chilled-out family outing — lots of nice and no naughty!

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” ― Confucius

Our trimmed-down schedule has also allowed us more time and energy to do some planned Christ-centered things, such as:

  • daily Advent lessons and activities;
  • delving more deeply into the Christmas story, from the prophecy of Jesus’ birth in Isaiah, to the nativity account in Matthew and Luke;
  • the boys’ piecing together a Christmas care package to send to the veterans’  hospital in Durham;
  • me singing in the choir for Mercy Hill’s Downtown Christmas program last weekend;
  • and a five-day Christmas devotional for kids, which the boys started today.

Here I am (just the the right of the foreground singer in green) rocking it out for Jesus during our church’s wonderful Christmas celebration. Man, do I love making a joyful sound for the Lord!

Of course, many cool holiday memories are an impromptu thing, like Houston and I having a frank conversation about some of the season’s pagan traditions, from the tree, ornaments and mistletoe, even to Christmas’ placement on the calendar.

“There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth.” ― Leo Tolstoy

A low-key, less-harried calendar has also given us a greater opportunity just to be better Christians. We’ve allowed ourselves to be more joyful and hopefully spread that famous Christmas cheer.

Like the night night at the grocery store when we heard the beautiful voice of a singing Salvation Army volunteer. So, I gave Zeke a dollar, which he excitedly put into the donation bucket. The cheerful man chatted with us and let boys ring the charity’s famed bell, which is so synonymous with Christmas giving.

To top it off, a kind lady gave me a huge handful of coins to divvy out to the dudes, so they could drop money into the bucket, instead of her. She said she simply wanted to relish the 3 Amigos’ pure joy. Spontaneous happiness was afoot!

Gabriel has fun decorating an Advent box, in which we put notes of encouragement for one another to help teach compassion. This fancy container also doubles as a giving box, in which we drop little gems every time somebody does a good deed. We will put the box under the tree on Christmas Eve as our birthday gift to Jesus!

Take another night when I spotted a talented keyboardist playing Christmas carols outside the Dollar Tree. His festive music could even be heard across a busy six-lane road in another shopping center.

Although not on a huge spending spree or anything, I felt the need (and had the time) to hit multiple stores in two separate shopping centers to locate a retailer that would give me a single dollar cash back in a purchase. So, I returned to the Dollar Tree, thanking the keyboardist and gladly giving him a well-earned buck.

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.'” ― Luke 2:10-12

After all that, I ended up crashing my cart into a gnarly pothole in the parking lot. A nice young dad and his daughter helped me up off the pavement. And somehow in spite of my battered shin and utter embarrassment, I still had the holly-jolly holy spirit! Miracles never cease.

The Christmas-countdown chain was a favorite of mine as a kid, & my swash-buckling boys agree that it’s a winning holiday tradition!

A few other things we’ve been up to this December, include:

  • the kids and I attending Miss Christie’s 2nd annual Polar Express Party;
  • Asher spending the night and Houston losing yet another tooth (after an outing to the Children’s Museum with the J-Crew);
  • celebrating Stanley’s 11th birthday;
  • hitting the Science Center, where the dudes got to pet many friendly stingrays, the green moray eels and otters came out of hiding, and we even witnessed a shark feeding;
  • attending Daddy’s holiday work party downtown;
  • and officially wrapping up our fall homeschool semester this past Friday and looking forward to a gleeful Christmas week!

One happening that wasn’t so jolly was that Gabriel went missing at the conclusion of the Mercy Hill concert. Obviously, it was a short-lived scenario, but an extremely scary one nonetheless.

Turns out, Gabe quietly snuck away toward the stage to try to find me, as Stephen was helping brothers with their stuff. Gabriel was MIA for about 5 heart-wrenching minutes, until a sweet gal helped him locate his freaked and frantic mom in the lobby. Thank you, God, for protecting my child!

“You just believe!”

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November 24, 2013, is a date Houston will always remember, for it marks the day he publicly proclaimed Christ as his Lord and savior. (Click here to see video of this momentous occasion.)

For a boy going on just 6 and a half, Houston is quite serious about his faith. He’s fascinated with Biblical history and delights in learning about the Gospel.

Houston, Gabriel and Zeke can often be found seriously discussing what they learned about in Sunday school or at Awana. Miss Christie recently overheard he and Asher talking about how important it is to get baptized and what it means to have Jesus in your heart.

A shot of Stephen & me during our final visit to Gramsey & Papa’s house — the place where we got married some 13 years ago. Although I’m happy my folks will be moving on to greener pastures, I sure will cherish those Cartersville memories!

How wonderful it is that Houston has friends and brothers who desire a closer relationship with God, as well as share a rhetorical flair for waxing theological. As a parent, it’s a cool thing to behold for sure.

Houston is introspective about what he reads in the Word and how each lesson applies to his life. Always inquisitive, Houston asks probing questions of Stephen and me, inspiring us to reflect on doctrinal complexities and ponder controversial aspects of Christianity.

So, it was no surprise that Houston had been having heart-felt considerations to get baptized for a while now. I won’t say that Stephen and I were apprehensive for him to take the plunge, so to speak, but we were definitely cautious.

Pastor Brian Croft gives five practical suggestions to determine if a child is ready in both head and heart for baptism. Parents and clergy should look for:

  1. A growing affection and need for Jesus and the gospel.
  2. A heightened understanding of the truths of Scripture.
  3. An increased kindness and selflessness towards siblings.
  4. A greater awareness and distaste for sin.
  5. A noticeable desire to obey parents

Speaking of pastures, Gabriel, Kara & Zeke hang out near Gramsey & Papa’s well-kempt pasture for the last time in early November.

We decided that Houston met all criteria, although some day more than others. And isn’t that the same every Christian? We believe, but we are broken, worldly, fallible and often times even downright disobedient and selfish. It’s the human condition after all — a fallen state of which the Bible describes countlessly.

So, Stephen and Houston went out to lunch with an associate pastor from our church to determine Houston’s understanding of this tenet of the Great Commission. And we also talked with him to make sure he grasped the seriousness of baptism — its meaning, its import, its consequence.

Our first clue of Houston’s readiness was that he started the ball rolling in seeking out the sacrament. It wasn’t something Stephen and I were really pushing; rather, Houston felt the desire to get baptized laid upon his heart and was vocal about starting the dialog.

Our next clue was Houston’s persistence. He always kept the topic near the forefront of conversations. Moreover, Houston’s earnestness seemed to convey a longing to want to make a genuine profession of faith, not just do something he thought Christians should do.

The 3 Amigos’ obsession w/ knights, warriors, ninjas & pretty much anything than entails intense fighting & creative dress recently morphed into experimentation w/ war paint. Houston seems pleased w/ the result (jagged teeth & all)!

Also, it seemed to me that Houston was cognizant of our Creator. Like the other day in the car, he said, “Look at those clouds over there, Mommy. Sometimes when the light is shining through, I think God’s talking to me.”

So, after much honest and loving deliberation, we decided that, yes, Houston was prepared to make this “outward expression of an inward reality.” And that he did. As both a parent and a Christian, I see Houston’s introspection and spiritual maturity as an inspiring thing indeed.

Plus, he’s just a sweet dude. “Do you know how much I love you?” I asked Houston after his baptism. “No,” he said. “You don’t?!” I queried. “No, because it’s probably higher that I can imagine,” he replied. Aw, that just melts a mama’s heart!

We’re at Granny’s house right now for Thanksgiving. Tomorrow, we’ll be heading to Sugar Plum Farm to get our Carolina-grown Christmas tree and frolic around on the Appalachian mountaintops! Here are some other fun things we’ve been up to lately …

On 11/6, Houston brought his pal, Alex, to Bring-A-Friend Night at Awana. The 3 Amigos were psyched that their CC buddy got to ride in the van with them across town and participate in one of their favorite times of the week.

Zeke does his best fight-’em-off jig to scare off his tribal enemies!

A couple days later, Sam, another CC friend, came over to our casa for a beautiful fall playdate. The boys ran wild playing knights in the yard, while Miss Maria and I enjoyed some much-deserved adult conversation.

In mid-November, Houston spent the night at Asher’s for his 7th birthday. The next day, Mr. Logan took the two big bros to Marbles Kids Museum in Raleigh, where much amusement and adventure were afoot.

Houston was only gone for about 24 hours, but the twins, especially Gabriel, missed him terribly. So even though they fight, get annoyed with each other and sometimes say very nasty things, I guess their brotherly bond really does run pretty deeply. Too cute!

That weekend, Daddy took the crew to the Science Center and then to see Monsters University at the dollar theater. The dudes enjoyed their first boys-only outing in quite a long time, while I appreciated the well-deserved mommy break.

Gabriel’s battle cry is the fiercest in all the land (Celtic land, that is)!

Houston lost his third baby tooth on 11/17. He hadn’t been visited by the Tooth Fairy in ages and now suddenly has three other teeth barely hanging on by a thread! So, I suppose Houston’s finally entering that snaggletooth stage of childhood, which I find so adorable.

We wrapped up our CC semester on 11/19. Can you believe we survived (er, I mean, successfully accomplished) 12 weeks of CC memory work on top of our other curriculum and studies? Way to go, boys!

The next day, I attended my first Bible study — something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, but simply haven’t had the time, until now. However, the group happens to fall on the same day as Awana.

We live pretty far out from town and doing both (with boys in tow for each) was actually quite the exhausting feat. But I do yearn to grow spiritually through community and hope I can stick it out for the long run … well, at least through the holidays.