Its summer time! Every time I think that I hear, "Summertime and the livin easy, Bradley's on the microphone with Ras-MG, All the people in the dance will agree that we're well qualified to represent the LBC." Just thought you should know that ;-) Aaaaahhhhhhhh. I have such a sense of peace. Our first year of homeschooling is complete! There were literally times that I thought I wouldn't make it through. But then I would be reminded through friends helpful words or the Lord's whisper, that this is what He wanted for us. It was a hard year, but a good year. I was able to teach my son to read. To READ! That was one of the highlights of my life. To watch his brain work through sounds and letters and put them together and sound words out, truly amazing. I learned so much about myself and about each one of my children. I learned Tucker is a perfectionist (exactly like his mother.) He can have a bad attitude sometimes (exactly like his mother.) He is motivated to finish something by the promise of being told he can play with his sisters. And he is very bright and learns things easily when he is focused. I learned Ava acts tough, but really is my little girl who needs to be held. She learns easily when listening to her brother learn. She cannot go too long without some kind of attention while we are doing school, unless she is playing with her baby dolls. And she LOVES taking care of Sadie. I met Sadie for the first time during this year. I got to know her personality, which first seemed quiet, calm, and sweet and now appears to be more feisty, humorous, and determined. I learned when she gets something, she catches on quickly. And I learned her brother and sister can make her laugh more then anyone. For myself, I learned that whatever God brings me to, He will bring me through. He put it in my heart to home school Tucker from Day 1. He changed Jimmy's heart to want the same thing. He put someone in my Life Group that worked at Coastal Academy. He put it in Tucker's heart to want to leave preschool. He cleared the way to what we were supposed to do for Kindergarten. I learned that when I feel like I can't do something, God will show me how. There were days after I had Sadie that I really wanted to drive by the local elementary school and boot Tucker out of the car. But I didn't. And now I am glad I didn't. Because I would have missed so many wonderful things. I learned that my standards can be too high sometimes, and God had to remind me that he is 5. He is only 5. He is my baby, and I can't push him to grow up to fast, because he can never be that exact age again. {*Okay, now I am crying...sniff sniff!*}
God gave me a perfect message today through my Parenting by Design Daily Devotional on my YouVersion Bible App. It said, "Fleshly desires emerge when we believe a person's value depends on what he does, what he owns, and what others think of him. This is often reflected in the goals and expectations we have for our children. We crave the validation that worldly success brings more than we are willing to admit, and when our kids' actions or appearance fall short, we can become anxious, angry, and disappointed. Kindness flows from knowing who we are in Christ. In Him, we are unconditionally loved and accepted with all our flaws. Grasping this reality gives us the freedom to be content because neither our kids or we have anything to prove." This is exactly what I needed to hear at the end of a year where I was so concerned with making sure he learned everything he needed to know (and more) and prove that I was an excellent teacher for him. He has learned what God wants him to learn and he is developmentally exactly where God wants him to be. I did my best and so did he. And that devotional will help me to relax over the Summer and have the right focus for next year. And to top it all off, guess what Scripture that devotional was based on? Good old Galatians 5:22. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith..."
And to put a beautiful end to a growing year of homeschooling, I will share a verse with you. My son opened up his Bible on his own and read me this verse (by his own choosing) on the way to his last conference of the year. He read,
"The King is powerful and loves justice. Lord, you made things fair;
you have done what is fair and right for the people of Jacob." Psalm 99:4.
So blessed...
Tucker's First Day of (Home)School
Math Manipulatives
Last Day of School!!!
