Building up a Child....

The Straightforward Son is in his very first year of preschool. It was a big decision for us to send him, especially since I would be home full-time this year. We really thought and prayed about the decision and felt that it was time. The first day was a little rough as he had a nervous tummy and I had to come get him early from school. The mom in me took over and made me think, "Is this such a good idea?" When I arrived to pick him up, he was devastated that he had to leave. Day two came and he hardly even said bye as he bolted into the classroom. He hasn't looked back since.

It has been a great investment! He has blossomed and loves the kids in his class (minus the one little girl who dumped the sand on his head). He adores all of his teachers. I couldn't ask for more (except maybe for him to stop skipping numbers 13-19 when he counts to 20--he says he just wants to get it over with). Today, he came home as excited as I have ever seen.

Each day, the Straightforward Baby and I go out to the car to welcome the Straightforward Dad and Son home. Today, the look on his face when I came to the window to make our usual funny face welcome said it all. He was beaming--no, glowing! He jumped out and bee-bopped up to give me the usual hug yelling, "I knew all my letters!" As soon as Straightforward Dad gets out of the car, he starts pouring out all of the compliments the teacher had given our smart little guy. I couldn't help but laugh and smile at all the things I was told. The Straightforward Son knows he is a smart and I wondered if all the compliments would go to his head. Oh, did I not expect what would happen next.

After lunch, he and I started making cupcakes for the Straightforward Dad's 29th birthday (yes ladies, I snagged me a younger man). While I was frosting and he was adding dashes of--make that dumping--sprinkles onto the tops of the cupcakes, the greatest thing came out of his mouth. (Ok, so I know some of you are still trying to get over the shock of me actually baking something--PAY ATTENTION!) "Look at this Mommy! It's beautiful. I am such a genius!" It was the cutest thing. I asked him who told him that he was a genius. "My teacher said I was a genius." Now, I don't know if this is true or not. I have no verification of his statement as of yet. I'll keep you posted since the Straightforward Dad is going to ask tomorrow. Even if she didn't say it, during his pre-test today, she made him feel like it. As a teacher, I believe that to be one of my ultimate goals--to give a child the tools and the confidence to say they feel like a genius. What a blessing! I think he said it about five thousand times today (including calling me a genius for making such great cupcakes--no they weren't burnt and tasted great).

I have made it a goal of mine to become more of an encourager. As you can read in my last post, I haven't always been successful in that ambition. The Straightforward Son's proclamation today gave me some much needed encouragement to keep trying to make every person I come in contact with feel better about themselves. I want to give some compliments and make someone feel like a genius! If you could have seen the Straightforward Son's smile today, you would want to too!

The Hard Hitting Game of Life

I attended my first football game in ages last Thursday. We have a very talented young man in our Sunday School class who plays JV football. We had promised him that we would attend one of his games this season. The Straightforward Son was thrilled to attend a sporting event other than basketball or volleyball. (This was his very first football game!)

We drive up to the stadium and haul our little group up the hill to the game. (Who puts the stadium on top of a hill? I mean, seriously!) We pay and head into the bleachers to find our student's parents. The game gets underway and it is apparent from the beginning that this is going to be "one of those games." If you don't know what I mean, let me explain from a coach's point of view. "One of those games" means that absolutely nothing is going to go your way. From the refereeing to the kids tripping over their own shoe laces, everything seems to go against you. No matter how hard the kids play, things just fall to the opposing team. The only thing the team could win was the toss at the beginning of the game--seriously.

Since the game was starting to get away from the team, I started listening to the fans and observing things going on around me. (When I say getting away from them I mean really getting away from them. They didn't get a first down until the 4th quarter.) I really enjoy observing people. As many of you know, I love sports. I really love those where you are allowed some physical contact and elbows (and other body parts) are thrown. Football is right up my alley. I listened to all the comments thrown out by the parents and fans around me. Statements like, "Hit that kid harder!" and "Hit #3 like that this time!" could be heard all around me. My favorite of the evening had a lot to do with shoving some kid's face in the field.

As a mom, I am praying that the Straightforward Kids never step foot on a football field. I am not really worried about them being hurt (although it seems the possibility is higher). I am more concerned that their Straightforward Mom will be brawling in the stands with opposing fans who have declared that their son will "hit my kid harder." As many of you also know, I am not one to mince words. All it will take is one over zealous parent yelling to their son to take mine out, and they will feel the pain of a "mom tackle." I may not be a big girl, but don't they say that dynamite comes in small packages?

Then another epiphany occurred. What I was watching and hearing is so much like our everyday life. We are out there, giving it all we have, and so many are cheering against us. Our number one adversary, Satan, is the number one cheerleader in the roaring chants for us to fall on our butts. He doesn't always sit in the stands and yell for us to fall on our faces. Often, he is on the sidelines, on the bench, and even wearing the pads, staring us in the face on the line. We have other people who often cheer for us to get "hit harder." There are those who would love nothing more than to see certain people on the sidelines after a major hit. You know who they are and if you are one leading the cheers! Ouch, yeah, I just said that. It took me a second to take that in and digest it. Wait, could I really be rooting for someone to get hit like that?

I had to sit back and really examine myself. Had I been cheering for someone to fail? Honestly, I had to answer yes--and more than I would like to admit! Double ouch! I don't think it is always a conscious effort (although sometimes I admit it is), but the words we say and actions we perform prove this fact. It made me realize that I needed to be more aware of myself--especially the things that I say. (Yeah, I know.....this will be a feat!)

This post was more about me than anyone else. As my pastor says, I am preaching to myself too! God doesn't just give us messages for others. We need to pull the ginormous planks out of our own eyes first. I hope this helps someone else be a true encourager. I have been trying to be more of one recently and this hit me like, well, let's just say a pride of lions (inside joke since we were watching the lions play--yeah, dorky I know).

Running to Win

I have always been a very competitive person. You can ask anyone who knows me--even those who would only call me an acquaintance--and they will tell you that I thrive on competition. I think I had that personality trait even before I started participating in sports as a kid. I was always trying to be better than someone else at something. Before sports, it was memorizing Bible verses. (Yeah, can you imagine me in kindergarten saying all my verses and then doing the Heisman pose? Seriously, I won a trophy for this--the Bible verse memorization, not the Heisman pose. I still have it.) After a few years, basketball entered my life. It was all down hill from there. I became pretty competitive in most areas of my life from that point on.

So here I am. I haven't played competitive basketball in 8 years (that almost makes me want to cry just typing that). I haven't really head coached a team since I almost had the Straightforward Son at a volleyball tournament. (Actually, it was just Braxton Hicks, but it felt pretty bad.) I now am a self-employed stay-at-home mom with no competitive outlet--except my kid is better

than your kid (and I try not to do that, even though the Straightforward Kids are AWESOME). Not only was my drive to find something in which I could compete making me batty, but my marriage was taking a hit too. Arguing with the Straightforward Dad was one of those ways I could compete with someone. At that point, I realized I needed something else to take the brunt of my competitive nature.

I decided to become a "longer" distance runner. I say "longer" because I am known for my passion for not running. I can sprint till the cows come home, but don't ask me to run any further than about .2 miles. I am not even sure I would run very far if I were chased--sad, I know. I even believe that my college basketball coach made us run the two miles at the beginning of the year, just to see if I would quit. However, I desperately needed something. It had to be challenging and something that would push me to beat it. I decided distance running would do the trick.

I started a few months ago. Running two days a week, I tried to run a little a further each time. I have finally made it to a little over two miles. (For those of you who are laughing at me, remember, I said "longer" distance.) The last two weeks, I have not been able to run for various reasons. Today, I made it a point to get back out there.

I started off real strong. I was really kicking it. As I headed up the last hill to start lap two, the bottom fell out. My hip, knee, and even my brain started screaming at me. I kept running. Lap two was murderous. I seriously think I am out of alignment or something. My time slowed drastically, but I was determined not to quit. Believe it or not, I finished. At the end, I felt like I was going to pass out, but I was so proud of myself for not quitting. It was the worst time I have had since I started. (And that is saying a lot since I came home with monster blisters once!)

For all you moms out there who need an outlet, you should definitely give running a try. I cannot say that I love it--in fact, I hate it. BUT, it pushes me to be better. It has also taken inches off a body that has had two babies in the last 3 years. I am not losing weight as quickly as I would like, but it's nice to see the inches go away. It also gives me about 25 minutes or so that I can listen to what I want without someone yelling my name, wiping a butt that is not mine, or look at one billion things that I "should" be doing.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. My goal is to get to 5 miles per run. Once I do that, I will start working on reducing my time. I might even run a 5K! Right now, I am so proud of my two miles, I almost made myself a certificate to go right next to my kindergarten Bible verse trophy.

What are my Options?

I had an awesome opportunity to see a former player of mine suited up in her college athletic uniform tonight. You have a moment of pride when you see a child that you mentored do something beyond high school. I can't help it.....it makes me smile.

We showed up in Straightforward Family fashion (at the last moment--we live in SF time). Straightforward Son entertained the crowd with his dance moves whenever music blared over the speakers (Straightforward Dad and I are facing the fact that it is quite possible that we may have a dancer on our hands). While watching the game, I was able to talk to some friends about options for our children. Frankly, when it comes to education, there's not much out there anymore. I was brought up as a "Christian school kid." I never stepped foot in a public school for an extended period of time until my student teaching. That one experience opened my eyes to just what I had been missing--not much. My parents sacrificed each and every year to make sure my sister and I were able to learn in a safe, Christian environment. I don't think I could thank them enough for loving me enough to go without so I could be there.

Unfortunately, Christian education is not as valued as it has been in the past. Due to financial issues, many Christian schools are having to close their doors or condense their programs in order to stay alive. Right now, Straightforward Son is at a Christian preschool (I am very thankful for them and they are doing great things with him). Currently, they service students from babies through K-5. That gives me a cushion of a few years to figure out what to do with my son. However, after talking with my friends this evening, I realized that I need to start thinking about it now. I am blessed that I don't have to make a quick decision. Raising high school students, they are not so lucky. What are my options?

For those of you who don't know, I am homeschooling one student this year. In the past, I have not been a big fan of homeschooling. However, over the last few years, my family has been in close contact with several homeschool families. Each of these families have provided me with an insight into an option that I had never considered before. Since I have started homeschooling the Straightforward Cousin, my opinions have changed. Does this mean I would be able to do it for my own children? To be straightforward and honest, probably not. BUT, that doesn't mean I wouldn't do it. With less options each year, I have to be prepared for anything. I am thankful for this opportunity to homeschool and to "dip my toes" in the deep end.

My heart is saddened by the fact that Christian schools are fading and no one seems to care. I see churches supporting public schools with advertisements and other types of endorsements. Yet, they don't reach out to the schools that teach about our Lord and Savior. Of all the people in the world who should support this type of teaching, it should be our churches.

I know this post will not be popular with a number of people. Well, I don't call myself the Straightforward Mom for nothing! I have to share my thoughts and feelings because I care about people. I care about children--especially my own. Being able to see two of my "Christian school kids" (one playing college volleyball at Brenau and one studying at UGA) was such a blessing. It gave me hope for the future and reminded me that Christian education is important.

Seeing their lights shine for Christ made me smile again. I was proud to have a small hand in helping fan that light.

Taking on the Gorge (and bedtime)!

Today was one of those great days that had so many "moments" you just aren't sure what to write about! Today was my first homeschool field trip. My homeschool student (the Straightforward Cousin), Straightforward Son, Straightforward Baby, and I picked up the trail at Tallulah Gorge State Park. For all those who want to go ahead and commend my bravery to take two small children and a teenager to such a dangerous place without losing one, may do so in the comment section below!

We first walked through the beautiful Jane Hurt Yarn Interpretive Center. It doesn't have as much information and as many displays as I would like to see, but it did the job for what we needed today. The SC had his list of questions I had created and he made his way through the center. We sat down for the 15 minute movie they show downstairs (waiting for the SB to lose his mind or SS to start jumping the benches--neither happened). We made it through with little to no interruptions and headed back up to the Ranger desk. I walk up and ask for a map. Keep in mind how we all look. I am carrying SB in a sling, SS is tearing through the store like a man on a mission, and SC is trying to act like he is somewhat interested in what I am talking about while keeping a sharp eye on the crazy kid. She looks me up and down and gives me the run down of what we are in for. She wasn't rude by any means, but you could tell she thought I was nuts. I was ok with that because I felt like I might be heading down that trail (haha-hiking humor).

We all ended up with roles as we started out. SS was the navigator. He had the map and was telling us which "streets" we needed to take. SC was in charge of gear/necessities (backpack with all the goodies). And I, the trusty SM, was dutifully carrying SB in his happy little sling. By the way, he LOVES that thing. He is snug and happy no matter what the weather or circumstances. If you don't own one, you should. Our Straightforward Family recently hiked 1.6 miles up Mt. Pisgah and 1.6 miles back down and he was either sleeping or being observant the whole time! The breakdown came when we took him out.

We headed to "Inspiration Point," the newest overlook. If you haven't checked out that point on the trail, you need to! It has an overview of the gorge that is absolutely breathtaking. We made our way back down and headed towards the stairs. Yes, we took the stairs. As a mom, that was one of the most frightening things I have ever done. Letting my little boy (who was NOT going to hold my hand unless forced) walk down those steps on his own about made me pass out. Watching SC, a child who is not mine, do the same thing was also giving me chest pains (no the sling was not too tight). It hit me.....my little boy is growing up and I won't always be there to hold his hand. (I couldn't imagine what was running through the mind of the SC's mom!) I won't always be there to make sure he doesn't trip and bust his face. Or worse, I won't be there to keep him from going over the cliff. While I am having this epiphany, he reaches up to take my hand and says, "Mommy, carry me!" I almost cried because I knew I couldn't. Boy, will this parenting thing get any easier?

We made it to the suspension bridge and pondered going all the way down. The SM in me said, "You are nuts if you walk down any further." I listened to her (because she said so) and we made our way back up. We saw some amazing sites and met some amazing people along the long, hard trip up the stairs. (Wow, what a life lesson that I could take from that!) One very kind gentleman even asked if I needed him to carry SS on his shoulders. I knew my big SS could do it. So we declined and SS persevered.

As I am writing this, SS is asleep on my shoulder. (HE IS WORN OUT!!!) He conquered the gorge. He came home and completed his bedtime routine on his own without any encouragement from the Straightforward Parents. He gave me all the love he could possibly give and passed out on my arm (yes, that's why some words may not be spelled correctly). What if we gave all we had, like he did, to what we are called to do? I had a very difficult time giving up my classroom a few weeks ago. But I realized, I have a different calling right now. I need to give it every ounce of my energy. I need to take on the challenge, give it all I have, and pass out on Straightforward Dad's shoulder at the end of the day!

Review: Chattahoochee Mountain Fair and Family Memories

Well, here it is. The first moment of truth. We took the boys to the fair tonight. Or should I say, the fair took us--for whatever cash we had in our pockets! I explained to Straightforward Dad (my wonderful husband) that we had to take the boys to the fair because it was another one of those memories that I had that I want to pound into their memories--typical mom behavior I like to think. We decide to go before it gets dark and arrive to find that the entrance fees aren't so bad! The fees are $5.00 per adult and kids 5 and under are free. I am thinking...."Alright! Maybe we will still make it out of here without spending our life savings." So we skip all the booths, and the girl singing in the pavilion area, and head straight for the rides because Straightforward Son (our 3 year old) is about to pee his pants to get to all the blinking lights and sounds. (Like a moth to a flame.....) I am first in utter shock that the rides cover about 1/3 of the area they used to cover when I came consistently to the fair. There's hardly anything there anymore. We look over the ride costs--3 tickets, 2 tickets, 4 tickets. Ok, I am thinking probably a dollar or so per ride, right? WRONG....oh, so wrong. ONE TICKET = ONE DOLLAR. Yeah, you read that right. We basically could go to Six Flags and have a much better experience than the fair. So, I ever so carefully squeezed the cash out of my tightwad hand and gave it to the lady with WAY too much eye shadow who looked at me like I was stupid because I handed her too much money. (I am sure my day was way more stressful than hers. She was actively doing a crossword puzzle. What I would give for five minutes of crossword puzzle time at a fair!!) Straightforward Son was able to ride about 5 rides. I rode two with him and Straightforward Dad rode one. (He--SD--gets nervous on fair rides. The loose bolts and people welding on site to keep things from falling down--seriously we saw that--add that needed danger to my day.) So that's a total of 8 rides on something. Yeah, we really got our ride on. After a few rides, he begs to play a game. We say, ok, because we have some tickets left. I stay back with the Straightforward Baby (our 5 month old) as Straightforward Dad talks with the attendant. We had four tickets left and he tells me we need five tickets. Well, I just go and get $5.00 worth so he can possibly ride one more ride with the left over tickets. She then explains that she doesn't take tickets, only cash. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It costs $5.00 to play this game with a barely inflated tube, a couple of soccer balls, a baseball and a football? KILL ME NOW! Straightforward Son was already kicking the balls around so we went with it. (Please understand this was his first--and most likely his last--trip to the fair.) He won a stuffed animal that had a price tag of a $1.99 on it (literally) and the sharpest piece of metal stuck in his back to hang him on the fence I have ever seen (literally--she didn't bother to take that out as she saw him hugging it for a quick photo). He was happy as a boy with a stuffed, overpriced turtle could be. Straightforward Dad and I had to laugh....it was just one of those moments. Straightforward Baby was pretty cheap. He just enjoyed the lights and sounds he saw from the stroller.

The best part of the whole entire night was the petting zoo area. They were from Hartwell and had a great little variety of animals that we had to visit when we arrived and before we left. Straightforward Son enjoyed the monkey while I cooed over the little kangaroo. Then the monkey grabbed the kangaroo's hands through the fence and started crushing him against the fence (they were in separate cages). It was strange, and needless to say, Straightforward Son and I moved on. But, overall he loved the llama, camels, tortoises, and all the other animals they had on display.

So, maybe my memories aren't the one's my boys should have! I admit it. I tend to go overboard trying to make sure they get to love everything I loved and do what I did. Don't get me wrong. I did some great things and had a lot of fun growing up (thanks to an amazing family). However, there are some things they should remember that are bigger than fairs, shows, monkeys, and big slides. I want my boys to remember how much their family loved God--and them. I want them to remember Straightforward Mom and Dad sneaking kisses and hugs at lunch time. I want them to remember how excited we were to go to church on Sunday. Does this Straightforward Family always do those things? I wish.....however, this blog post makes me want to do them more. It makes me want to try harder to make memories that don't involve everything I love, but making ones that they will cherish. I want them to have memories that have eternal value. And I thought doing this wouldn't teach me anything! :)

Look out blogger world, here I am!

After a few weeks of saying I am going to do this (and people saying they would actually read what I write--I know don't all be shocked at once!), I am doing it. Welcome to the very first Straightforward Mom blog! Those of you who already know me expect me to tell the truth and not hold back how I truly feel. You expect my honest opinions. Well, your worst nightmares are coming true! I just hope that you will keep up with me and find some interesting things on this wonderful blog about womanhood, marriage, parenting, children, teaching, and above all else--a search for peace and joy through our Heavenly Father. You'll never know what you will get with the Straightforward Mom so make sure you keep coming back and sign up for e-mail updates. Thanks to everyone who inspired me to do this.