Thursday, December 20, 2012

What I Know and Why I homeschool

Here is what I know...generally on a daily basis. I know where my children are. I know what they are doing. I know who they are with. I know what they are learning. I know what they are playing...and who they are playing with. I know who they are talking on the phone with. For the most part I know who they are texting. I said for the most part because of the one situation thanks to the TEXT NOW program on some other child's MP3 player that my child was texting a total stranger for about 6 days!!!! Yes, the real world does visit us homeschoolers...ever once in a while.
I also know when they are sick. I know what activities they are into and not into. I know when they need clothes. I know when it is not a need as well. I know what they are doing and who they are ( at the moment and in the moment). I know their friends...and their friends parents. I know who has a crush on who and why.
I know one child is raising money for children in India. I know another child has used her allowance to purchase needed items for Surry Animal Rescue. I know their likes and dislikes, their dreams, and their nightmares. Some days I figure out real quick what can and does piss them off. In turn they learn this of me as well! I know what hurts them to look at and hear about. And believe me they are not sheltered by any means what so ever. They do not live in a bubble of any kind unaware of the world around them. In fact, they see and know much more than I; often in ways I do not nor can not grasp. I know this to be good!
I know they know me in ways the rest of the world does not. I pray this is a good thing. I know I live and love in a way that works for me and ours. it is not for everyone. I so get that. No really I do...Also because of what I know. I know I have no privacy and no me time. I figure there will be lots of time for that in the rest home someday. Now it is not a done deal or any kind of a done deal...but perhaps because they know me and I know them...they'll visit me in said such rest home!!!LOL!!! Even better, maybe they will not leave me there to begin with!!!
I know and that IS why I home school. It is what works for us and makes us...US. I know because I just am. I know because I know the I am. I know...well, you know..."because I said so!" Sure there is a lot I do not know...but for now... I'll be happy with just  knowing what I know. Therefore and because of... I home school.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Happy Birthday, Son

My little man turned 4 today. I never knew I really wanted a son. I never prayed for one. But Mr. J. P. was for sure prayed over. It was an unexpected pregnancy; only in the sense that there was a 6 year gap between him and his older sisters. From the very start, even the Dr. did not think I was pregnant. Yep stupid but true. They did not much believe me when I told them I had miscarried the very month before either. And that was equally dumb. However, 4 months after his arrival..."that" Dr. office called to apologize!!! Ya think. Point blank right from the start they told me to prepare myself  for this child to be unviable! What...? Yep that's what was said. Then when that was OBVIOUSLY wrong; they began to find something wrong at every Dr. office visit. I soon became numb to the mess and flat out said...I DO NOT see it. God's got this! NO we are not aborting and NO amniocentesis!!! I was old and fat and high risk with Diabetes...so yep we were doomed according to the PROFESSIONALS!!! So we prayed and our church prayed and our family prayed and our friends prayed....Clear up to prepping be for birth they kept preparing us for the worse. They said because of the diabetes he might "crash". They said his heart was not OK. In came an infant cardiologist!!! Then they said "remember what we said about the spine." If it is open and not formed we are not sure how this is going to go...said the nurse. And in my loveliest calm but screaming voice...as the catheter spinal whatever was jabbed in and then out and in again for a second go of it... I said SHUT UP and OUCH.....that HURTS...and Have I not told you people a hundred times GOD HAS....scream again...GOT THIS. Now go get MY HUSBAND and let's do this!!!!! Poor hubby was listening to me moan and scream out in the hallway aka..Daddy holding area!!! ( Also known as the place they put the dads that might puke or perhaps even kick their butts )So....Jasper was born!!!
I did not get to see even more than a smidgen of a glimpse of his tiny face. Yes tiny...they were wrong about that too. They would not tell us a thing...except one nurse turned to me....as I began to hurl my cookies while laying on the cross!!! The "cross" is the contraption or position they strap you down in...both arms straight out . One has the iv...the other the bp cuffs!!! Yep it is a cross board of sorts...and so they had to toss the entire table over to a tilt for me to ...do what I was doing....and continued to do the rest of the night!! Morphine and I do not agree! That one nurse comes over and says to Rob and I, "that boy is perfectly fine...perfectly!" Rob goes over cuts cord...take pics...everybody is cheering and doing the Daddy got his boy high fives..well kinda sorta without actually slapping the hands...Cause they had to keep everything sterile. I go back to tossing cookies while over and over saying...HE's FINE...really HE'S FINE? Of course after all that...and the slip of telling me he was fine...They revert back to well we gonna take him to NICU and observing him and do a in depth examination....PEOPLE....have you not got this YET!! GOD has got this!!!! But wait what about his spine...no answer! Hours later he's in my arms and in need of a diaper change....And what do our wondering eyes do see...............???? A scar on his tushie crack! A scar/ dimple of sorts. No not on the sides of his tushie cheeks but right there at the base of his spine just as his crack splits is.... a closed up what was once open spine!!! It was weeks before my hubby and I could really process what we knew right then and there to be. OUR God had indeed GOT THAT!!!!
So baby boy who is no baby no more....HAPPY BIRTHDAY! May you live a long, healthy, and happy life. May you always find the air pop popcorn popper facinating! May you always love to ride your blue scooter in my kitchen...May you be everything YOU were born to be...called to be destined to be. And....should things get rough and you find your self with those who would disbelieve. Show them your CRACK!!!