Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Falcons Playoff Bound

(Austin quarterback #1)

What a night! The tide finally turned in the Falcons favor. With 17 seconds left in the ball game last night the Falcons were down 18-12. All hope seemed to be lost. I prayed hard from the sidelines and cheered the boys on with what little voice I had left. But with a top hat and a magic wand the Falcons pulled a trick play that was only practiced once. Player Isaiah Gray had clear sailing as the Wildcat defense was fooled with the fake by Austin Ryan and Eric Hubbard. All the parents were screaming and standing to their feet in the bleachers. It was so exciting I almost broke out in cheer mode and did a kick and a toe touch! But God know's I would of been back in the E.R. with a broken ankle again! The Falcons scored with only 8 seconds remaining in the game. The PAT made the final score 20-16 in the Falcon favor. GO FALCONS!









Falcon's are playing their first Playoff game this Saturday against one of the best teams. If they lose they are out of the championships. But after last nights win the boys are ready!

Now for some more bragging...
Today in the Falcon Update it read:
The Falcons have an uphill battle if they want to become the first team in this region to make the championship game. The Seminole team has a solid offensive and defensive lines. The Falcons will need to control the line if they wish to control the game. The Falcon speed in the back field is at the top of the league with the backs of Derrel Knight, Isaiah Gray, Eric Hubbard, Davontre Venegar, and offensive organizer Austin Ryan.

Beauty and the Beast

Some of you might notice that I changed my blog title. I am no longer "beast mom" although my kids still think I am the beast (best) mom and that's all that matters. Today I was accused of "stealing" someone else's blog name. Which I had no idea I stole! Our title's were exactly the same. Go figure other kids misspell too???

Have you ever typed in a password to something and thought how could someone else possibly have the same numbers and letters as me? It's happened to me and it just happens that there is a million people on the internet! Or have you tried for a license plate and couldn't get it because it was already taken? You mean someone else thought of that??? Well she has a son who wrote her a cute letter at one time and misspelled best for beast. Same as Faith. We both happened to think it would make for a cute blog title. The difference is she is a talented writer for the Seattle post.com and I am in no means a "writer" I just like to blog for family and friends to keep up on our home schooling journey. I also think it is a great way to look back on our school year on things we have done throughout the year. I don't understand why I would be of any threat to her.
Some of her "fans" commented on my blog and on her blog as well. (Which were not very nice) She "the other beast mom" posted a bulletin about me stealing her name which caused an outrage of her fans...saying I was using her name to get more publicity on my blog and how I shouldn't be stealing as a Christian etc. Come on....Publicity.... That is what I DON'T want! I am not looking to get famous off a blog. I am not a writer and do not think writing about our day at the farm would intereset anyone besides my kids grandma's! I enjoy posting things we do or writing what's on my mind in my free time. Sometimes I do get ideas from other home school mom's who blog and have been teaching their children for years. I look up to them and yes, sometimes I will copy an idea and blog about it. There are many blogging home school mom's and we all share our ideas.
Since Faith thinks I'm not only the "beast mom" she also thinks I'm the most "buttifull"(beautiful)mom too! So until I can come up with another name, spend hours searching the internet to make sure no one else in the world has the same name or idea as me....she can remain the beast and I'll become beauty.

On a lighter note: Faith loves to write me little love notes all the time. I love this age, because she is learning to spell and her notes are so precious to me and so cute. We actually started a journal and she will write to me before bed and I will write her back. Although, I do correct her spelling when I see it and she then knows how to spell it next time. She keeps coming up with new words that are funny. This morning she wrote: Dear Mom, You smell like a rosse(rose) so much. Stuf that I love ubat(about) you are wutrful (wonderful)and turu (true)and you are a rosse to me. Love, Fabuloose(Fabulous) Faith

Coaching Character


a friend sent me this article about the University of Florida’s quarterback. It is about his life growing up with homeschooling. It was encouraging for me to read and thought it may be for other homeschooling moms too. It is a big picture reminder.

Enjoy~



Pam Tebow hugs her son,Tim, as he passes through the Gator Walk before entering the stadium on game day.

By BY SUZY A. RICHARDSON
Sun staff writer

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the midst of a stadium packed with screaming fans, Pam Tebow watches her youngest child - the solid Florida quarterback she affectionately calls 'Timmy'- dominate the football field and she knows that she did something right.

Advice: "I really have a heart to encourage moms and women to trust the Lord with all their heart for all their lives."
But for the mother of five, raising Tim Tebow had nothing to do with football and everything to do with faith.

Tim's story begins years before his birth, when his parents, both University of Florida students in the late-1960s, met on campus. Pam was a freshman when she met Bob, a sophomore, who was publicizing an event for a campus Christian group.

They became friends and a year later, Pam went on her first date - to the Florida/Georgia game - with her future husband. The Gators won that year.

Three years later, Pam was a no-show at her graduation for good reason - she was getting married. And in the blink of an eye it seemed, Pam said there were four little ones to care for.

"By the grace of God, I have a high energy level and I love my children, but I let the Lord have the credit because it can be an overwhelming task," she said.

In 1985, the family moved to the Philippines, where they lived as missionaries, sharing their Christian faith with the island's natives and building a ministry.

"It wasn't always easy, but it was a wonderful time for our family," Pam said. "We learned a lot - you always learn a lot when you visit a Third World country. You grow in appreciation for everything you have."

As the couple reached out to families across the island, they prayed to expand their own.

"We started praying for Timmy by name, and then we got pregnant so we just felt like God had a special plan for him," she said.

But while their prayers were answered, the pregnancy proved difficult from the beginning.

Just before her pregnancy, Pam fell into a coma after contracting amoebic dysentery, a bacteria transmitted through contaminated drinking water. During her recovery, she received a series of strong medications. And even though she discontinued the regimen when she discovered the pregnancy, doctors told Pam the fetus had been damaged.

Doctors later told Pam that her placenta had detached from the uterine wall, a condition known as placental abruption, which can deprive the fetus of oxygen and nutrients. Doctors expected a stillbirth, Pam said, and they encouraged her to terminate the pregnancy.

"They thought I should have an abortion to save my life from the beginning all the way through the seventh month," she recalled.

Pam said her decision to sustain the pregnancy was a simple one - because of her faith.

"We were grieved," she said. "And so my husband just prayed that if the Lord would give us a son, that he would let us raise him."

In her seventh month of pregnancy, Pam traveled to the country's capital, Manila, where she received around-the-clock care from an American-trained physician.

For the next two months, Pam - steadfastly praying for a healthy child - remained on bed rest.

And on her due date - Aug. 14, 1987 - Pam gave birth to Timothy Richard Tebow, who she described as "skinny, but rather long." "We were concerned at first because he was so malnourished, but he definitely made up for it," she said, between laughs. Today Tim, now 20, stands at a solid 6'3" and 235 pounds.

Tim was three years old when the family moved back to the U.S., where they settled on a small piece of land in Jacksonville. Pam home-schooled her five children, while Bob, an ordained minister, worked full time running the ministry in the Philippines. Today, the family ministry employs a full-time staff of 50 people and operates an orphanage that houses 50 children.

Pam said the children learned some of their most valuable lessons during missions trips each summer.

"That was very life impacting. It changes your children's perspectives because when you grow up in America, you think this is how all of life is," she said. "But when you see people eating out of garbage cans, it affects everything else you do."

She also points to home-schooling for shaping her children's lives. "It's not all about academics," she explained. "It's about teaching them everything they need to know to be successful in life, and the schools aren't going to teach those things."

But she said love and faith impacted them the most.

"We put scripture to tune to help them memorize it and that has been very life transforming," she said. "I can't always remind my children of the truth, but if God's word is in their hearts, then he himself can remind them."

"A really big factor is to love them unconditionally just like God loves us," Pam added. "Kids will do some amazing things if they are loved unconditionally."

Pam's oldest child, 31-year-old Christy Tebow-Allen, was almost 12 years old when Tim was born. She recalls the lessons her mother taught Tim, beginning when he was just knee-high.

"When he was little, he was always good at sports," recalled Tebow-Allen, who is moving later this month to South Asia, where she and her husband have committed to work as humanitarians for three years. "I remember times when he would kind of get cocky about it and my mom would just really take the time to talk about (Bible) verses about humility; and she would speak about our names and what they meant. With Timmy, his name means 'Honoring God,' and she would always say 'Timmy, does that honor God?'"

Craig Howard, head football coach at Allen D. Nease High School in Ponte Vedra, coached Tim for three years. He recalled a mother who cared more about character than winning touchdowns. "She wanted him to play hard," he said. "But more importantly, she wanted him to play with character and leadership."

"When we lost, he would be really upset," he added. "And from the corner of my eye, there was that momma on the sidelines with her arm around her son, saying 'I still love you.'"

Today, Pam still sits on the sidelines of every single game. And her message remains the same - character before football. It is a message that is apparent in Tim's life today - on and off the field.

"She always taught me that there were more important things than football and to treat people as I wanted to be treated," Tim said in an e-mail to The Gainesville Sun. "For me, every day includes four things: God, family, academics and football, in that order, and that's thanks to my mom."

Monday, November 26, 2007

You better not lie, I'm telling you why......

All my children still believe in Santa Claus. Although year after year playing Santa is getting harder and harder. The kids list are becoming more expensive! Austin at the age of eight is starting to question some of the Santa stuff. Like, "Mom, no known species of reindeer can fly ya' know?" He hasn't yet asked me if Santa is real or not. Yet, I still feel I am lying to him in a way by keeping the truth from him. I ask myself, am I doing the right thing? Encouraging the man in the big red suit who comes down the chimney and brings them gifts. It's how my husband and I remember our childhood believing in Santa until we were old enough to figure it out or an older sibling gave the secret away. I remember driving home from grandma's house looking up into the sky "thinking" I saw Santa. Those are some of my greatest childhood memories and I don't want to take those away from my children. I just figured we would pass the tradition down to our kids and do the same thing. Although my husband and I have been giving it alot of thought, Is it the right thing to do? I mean after all we are lying to them. We in no means want to take the fun out of Christmas for our children. I love Christmas and want to create many memories with them. My children know what Christmas is all about and who's birthday it is and why we celebrate Christmas. I always figured we can have both. I do put more emphasis on the birth of Jesus than I do on Santa Claus. Although they still seem more excited about Santa and presents than celebrating Jesus and this is where I ask myself if I'm doing the right thing??? Does this mean there will be no Toothfairy or I will have to tell Landen the next time were at Disneyland that's not really Mickey Mouse that's just a man wearing a costume. Where do you stop? Just a little confused......Love to hear comments on this one. I know every family is different. Thanks and be honest!

Sunday, November 25, 2007

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Was it worth it?

As much as I hate long lines, crowds of fighting women and not saving that much money to lose sleep over I still say it was worth it! Yesterday was Black Friday, when stores open early morning. I've never done it before and thought this year I would, not really for the deals but for shopping without the kids! I can get so much done with out stopping to change diapers, loading and unloading kids into carseats etc. I was halfway done with my Christmas shopping before anyone in my house even woke up. Call me crazy but sometimes a mom has to wake up at 4A.M. just to have sometime to herself!

Thanksgiving Week


We took a break from our usual English and Math this week. We did alot of projects and crafts and just enjoyed our time together. (Daddy was home) We started the week by reading The Thanksgiving Story. We talked about the Mayflower even went outside and measured how big it was 90ft by 26ft. I can't imagine 102 people on a boat that wasn't that big with no showers and no bathrooms for 66 days!

We also made Place mats with some old crayon, wax paper and an iron. Each of the kids also made a hand turkey.

The kids memorized a poem and said it at Thanksgiving dinner for the family.
We finished our week by taking the kids to Oak Glen for a day.
We did some apple testing and enjoyed carmel apples:)











Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Grateful? Thankful?

We can feel both grateful and thankful. They're similar yet different. Gratefulness doesn't have to be directed toward someone. Gratefulness is more of a "Whew!! I'm glad that worked out!" Thankfulness is directed toward someone -- toward a giver -- who gave us something we value. When it comes to our children, and the freedom to homeschool, we tend to feel both grateful and thankful. No matter what our faith, we know that we didn't make our children or create them. They were a gift to us.



I also know that there are many people who work hard to ensure that homeschooling remains legal in the U.S. I got an email from HSLDA (home school legal defense association) on how sad it is for families in Germany. Home schooling in Germany is very illegal.


"Homeschooling Illegal" Declares German School Official


Seven homeschool families in Northwest Germany are being forced to enroll their children in public school. The Paderborn County school board has levied fines against these families and ordered the children to attend school by Monday, January 10, or the police will forcibly take them to school. Any resistance by the parents will result in the removal of these thirteen elementary age children from their homes and into state custody!


Despite the lack of state recognition in Germany for homeschooling, these families pulled their children out of public school earlier this year to begin teaching them at home. Their primary reason, as Christians, was to protect their children from the humanistic and godless values being taught to their children in the public school.


While the school district responded by stating that homeschooling is illegal, the parents' maintained that their fundamental rights as parents would be violated if they were forced to return the children to public school. All of the families obtained excellent packaged curriculums from German correspondence schools, and demonstrated to school officials that their children were receiving a proper education.


Heinz Kohler, the county education director, dismissed the families' beliefs, stating, "you and your children are not living in isolation on some island but rather in an environment posing intra- and extracurricular situations where you'll have to accept that your world view will be curtailed." Mr. Kohler further explained that homeschooling could not be allowed as "children should not be encapsulated or kept apart from the outside world. In these cases, the parents' rights to personally educate their children would prevent the children from growing up to be responsible individuals within society…"


German homeschoolers have seen much persecution in recent months, and this action by Paderborn County affirms that the problem has not been solved. The United States has been blessed for many years with the freedom to homeschool. Germany does not have this freedom. If American homeschoolers do not try to help "the least of these," then who will aid them?


Requested Action



Your decision to contact the embassy may determine the success or failure of the German homeschool movement.


Wolfgang Ischinger
Ambassador
German Embassy
4645 Reservoir Road NW
Washington, DC, 20007-1998
(202) 298-4000


The embassy can be e-mailed from its website: http://www.globescope.biz/germany/reg/index.cfm


You may also contact the local German officials involved in the case:


Landrat Paderborn: Mr. Manfred Mueller [landrat@kreis-paderborn.de] (county official)


President Nordrhein-Westfalen: Mr. Peer Steinbrueck – Local media
[landespresseamt@stk.nrw.de] - CC [poststelle@stk.nrw.de]


2. Pray for endurance and protection for these courageous families.

Friday, November 16, 2007

If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all!

I have been blessed with all of my children. I thank God for my (large family) every day! For this reason, I find it very disheartening to hear people disparage me for having them. What happened to the rule "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all"?

I read a post in an online group for large families from another woman frustrated with the general public's reaction to her number of children. It was quite interesting, and I do believe that the next time I receive negative reactions from strangers while out in public with my kids I will use her idea. I usually just smile and say, yes, there all mine and keep going...When inside I'm saying, no lady I rounded up all the neighbor kids and then went shopping! What kind of question is that? Basically, the idea I will now use is that we, as mothers of multiple children, have x number of arms to hold us, x number of mouths to say "I love you", and therefore, are entirely surrounded by love. Therefore, I have eight arms to give me hugs, four mouths to tell me they love me, and I am really enveloped by love.

I personally don't think four kids is that much. Now, don't get me wrong, it is alot of work but why do people feel the need to comment on the size of my family? Do any of us go around asking people without children questions such as "Why don't you have children?" or making any number of similar ridiculous inquiries? I think not. However, in speaking to others like my friend Kadi who has 7 kids (check out her blog) Boogers on my shoulder www.kadiprescott.blogspot.com or some of my other friends who also have a brood of more than three children, this seems to be a popular thing to comment on. The general public needs to realize that this is (mostly) considered rude, and most mothers who have "alot" of kids resent these questions. It is our business if we want to have this many kids and it is no one elses business how many children a family has, nor if they "know what causes them". Some people think it's funny to make these comments but after awhile comments such as these are very insulting! Do they know we hear it over and over it is not funny anymore. (sarcasticly speaking) haha..ok dude, your the first to think of the t.v. joke. nice one!

Now, please don't get the wrong idea; I have had positive reactions to my family. For instance, when we take the kids out to eat, we get "compliments" on how well behaved our children are. Obviously, this makes me very proud! A woman at Target once asked me if all the children were all mine. When I replied in the affirmative, she said "God Bless You, you are so lucky!" These types of responses are very heart-warming. Four children is quite an adventure. Everywhere I go, I get reactions such as "Don't you know what causes that?" or "Are they all yours?" What has gone wrong in our society that everyone believes there must be something wrong with a family
who has more than three children?

Sometimes I just want to wear a t-shirt that says the following:




Thursday, November 15, 2007

Little Indians




We have been reading about the North American Indians and all the different tribes. For a craft the kids made Indian vests and hats which I made them wear to the Thanksgiving feast today. Alot of home school families were there. We had worship, a teaching, games and crafts for the kids.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Animal Control









I swore I would never be "one of those mom's" that use a leash on one of my kids. I always thought, now why can't they just hold their childs hand. Children are not animals they are not meant to be on leashes. Well that was until LANDEN was born. That little booger is fast! Especially chasing him with a baby in my arms. Now I ignore the looks of other yuppie mom's and use the embarrassing leash when we are out. You will not see me at the mall with it, but I do bring it on fieldtrips. It's a true lifesaver!

Do you like white meat or dark meat?

For an assignment the kids are doing:
please tell us if you like white turkey meat or dark turkey meat. Please comment by this Friday. Thank you for your help.

Bike Shop




Today we took a small trip to the bike shop. Where the kids learned different types of bikes, bike safety, how to change a flat and all the different bike parts and how they work. I'll count this for P.E. I suppose.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007

I'm thankful








for
the Lord Jesus
my hard working husband
our children
to be a stay at home mom
our families
our new house
homemade pizza(make your own pizza night with the kids)
homeschooling
co-op's
God's forgivness
faith (see Hebrews 11)
my washer and dryer
my dishwasher
indoor plumbing (we've been reading about the pilgirms!)
grocery stores (von's.com)
modern medicine
crockpots
old friends
new friends
the internet (homeschooling is so much easier with it!)
forgiveness
starbucks
the gym
memories im making with my kids this school year
candlelight
music to go with it
dreams to take us into the next year...
I'm so thankful.
So thankful.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Light of the World





This year in Bible we are covering all the names of Jesus and what they mean. The name for this week is Light of the World. John 8:12 We are doing a couple of crafts to go along with it. We made light switch covers for their rooms that say, "Jesus is the light of the world." That way they are reminded everytime they turn on the light to their rooms. We also made candles that we will light at dinner every night this week. (Or on nights I cook.)

Thursday, November 8, 2007

This Beautiful Mess

If you wonder where I've been the last couple of days....we were moving AGAIN! I took a couple days off of schooling to pack (well throw things in boxes) and to unpack. It's amazing how much you can acquire with four kids. I never thought we would ever be done.
Thank you to everyone that helped us:)
When moving into a new house I look at it as a fresh start. A time get organized again and vow to stay that way. (At least for a year!) till we move again..Just kidding! I started out the school day by going through "different" rules. New house, new rules. Telling the kids I don't want to see toys all over the living room, crayons on the tables or handprints on the walls.
The last couple of days I have been trying to decorate the house I was lost in Pottery Barn catalogs and dreaming of my house looking like the ones on the pages.
When going through the mail I ran across a Focus on the Family magazine and happened to stop and read a article that read: Stop struggling to maintain a picture-perfect home. Was God trying to tell me something? In Home Comforts, a book about how a home works, not how it looks, Cheryl Mendelson writes, "When you keep house, you use your head, your heart and your hands together to create a home-the place where you live the most important parts of your life." And when your kids are little, the most important parts have a lot to do with making messes. Stephen Curtis Chapman captures this idea in his song "Signs of Life" I've got crayons rolling around in the floorboard of my car, Bicycles all over my driveway, bats and balls all over my yard, And there's a plastic man from outer space sitting in my chair, The signs of life are everywhere.
I had to stop and think as much as I want a picture perfect home, I am raising kids and my goals for our home no longer need to include maintaining the look of a decorating magazine. Our home wasn't built to be a showroom. Loving my husband and children, having babies, teaching children to know and love God is far too important to be diminished by such low aims......even if it means having to work my way through a cushion fort to finish the dishes!