In Defense of Choice

I am a bit discouraged today. Last week I was sharing with a friend that some of the members of our former church had been very vocal in their disagreements about our choices for our children. She was very hesitant to believe what I was saying, wanting to give the benefit of the doubt. I spoke with her again yesterday and she apologized for doubting me. She had been to a function at our previous church for the outgoing pastor and our family was mentioned in a conversation she had. The other person, whom she did not name, had heard that we were going to "a homeschool church" and mentioned that our children are "so sheltered". So, I'm working this out in my own head. Do we attend a "homeschool church"? Well, we do attend Grace Family Baptist Church, were we believe that the education of our children is our responsibility, not the responsibility of the state. (See anything by Dr. Voddie Baucham for more of that-'The Children of Caesar' is a good place to start!) Most of the families there do homeschool, but not all of the children are homeschooled, not all of the families have school aged children, and not all of the members are even married yet. So, let's just say we attend a "homeschool friendly" church. Next, about those "sheltered" homeschool kids. What exactly is meant when people use that phrase? Do they mean we barricade our children behind our locked front doors and keep them from encountering any other human beings? If you take a look at my schedule this week that is hardly the case. Or, more likely, do they mean that we keep them close, mentoring them ourselves rather than throw them into a group of peers and expect them to learn anything? Can our 12 year old son really learn how to act like a man by "hanging out" with other 12 year olds? It's amazing how we are perceived as preventing our children the "experience" of public school and the "opportunity" to be a light in the dark world. We have been ridiculed, both behind our backs and to our faces, for not letting our children attend church camps, not letting them spend the night at church with other children, not letting them read the latest trendy teen novel, not letting them watch rated PG moves, not encouraging them to have a boyfriend/girlfriend, and *gasp* not steering our daughter toward college. I have been told by my friends that I am way too strict; the world has changed and I can't really expect my children to act/do/say/be a certain way. Well, maybe the world has changed, but God certainly hasn't! I AM will always be! Praise Him! "For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ". Galatians 1:10. Are we perfect parents? Ha! Hardly! We are in the continual process of sanctification. We are learning, growing, and making mistakes everyday. We are trying our best to do what God has called us to do. Here are some verses to emphasize our position:

Deuteronomy 6:6-7 "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise." I can't necessarily do all of that if my children are away from me for several hours a day. How could I be sure that another teacher will be "diligently" speaking the things of God into my children?

Ephesians 5:24 "Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands" I don't feel like I would be able to do that if I placed myself under the authority of anyone other than my husband.

Stay at home wives/homeschooling families are not popular positions. They seem to incite controversy even in Christian churches and groups. It's frustrating to have to defend your choices, but I am learning to be glad about it. It provides me the opportunity to defend my faith-something that I struggle with because I never know the right thing to say and end up getting flustered and loud! Not conducive to winning one over!

So, in spite of the criticism, we will continue to shelter, homeschool, train, guide, protect, love, and be "one of those freaky homeschool families" for as long as that falls in line with God's Word!

Finally, a new post!

Well, I know it's been over two months since my last post. I can't imagine why, with three children, a husband who just started a new career, homeschooling and a new church I can't find time to update my blog! Let's just say that we had a great time at Disney World, the lost wallet was returned by the airline, Thanksgiving and Christmas were great and now we are starting a new year! Hey, everyone needs a do-over once in a while!


During the Christmas holidays, Marshall and B1 went hunting with my brother. While they were gone doing manly, yucky hunting-type things, I got to stay with my sister-in-law, which I never get to do. We don't often get to spend time together so I really enjoyed it. Not to mention she has two of the cutest girls so B2 got to be among girls-finally! She also has two nieces who came over to play with them! It was so much fun. While I was there, my SIL made these yummy crackers. As soon as I got back to my aunt's I had to make them for her and I made them again when we got back home!! I want to share it with you but with a warning! They are VERY addictive!!

Herbed Crackers

1 box saltine crackers
one package dry ranch dressing mix
1-1/3 cup canola oil
2T red pepper flakes

Put all of the crackers into a gallon jar with a lid. Mix the other ingredients together, pour over the crackers. Turn the jar occasionally for 24 hours (if you can wait that long) until crackers are coated.

Enjoy!

Disney Day 3

Another great day! Today was also cold and cloudy but still fun. We spent the day at Animal Kingdom. We saw two of the most amazing shows. "Finding Nemo" and Festival of the Lion King". Both different but both spectacular! I loved the costumes and choreography. In Lion King, the cast came out and chose B3 to march around in the finale. He loved it!! We got to see some beautiful animals on the safari, like the white rhino and elephants. Marshall and B1 went to ride on the Expedition Everest and became part of the year of a million dreams. One of the cast members chose them out of the line and moved them to the front! They were so excited that they rode twice! B2 has been getting lots of character autographs and photos. We met a cast member from Sugar Land and another from Friendswood. We bought some cool mouse ears (one set will need to be replaced as we left them on the bus to bless someone else). :) We had dinner and are just about to fall out! Marshall took B1 and B2 to play mini-golf and B3 and I are about to head to bed. Tomorrow is the day for the Magic Kingdom and I want to be rested up and ready to go!

Disney Day 2

Oh my! What a day! We got up early and spent the day at EPCOT. We got to see all kinds of fun stuff. We saw a very cool show called Turtle Talk. Totally sweet! We also did the Mission Space ride. B2, B3 and I did the one that was less intense but Marshall and B1 did the higher-excitement one. Let's just say that my "thrill junkie" husband walked off with an air-sickness bag in hand (unused but handy just in case)! He recovered enough to ride the Test Track! We saw lots of cool stuff in the World Showcase and then got our snacks and headed to the hotel. Then we were in for a real treat. Marshall made reservations for the Hoop-Dee-Doo Review. What a blast! It was so worth the 9:30 dinner time. The food was good and the show was so much fun. Well, there was a tie between the show and the couple, D'nea and Steven, who sat in front of us and played the "Hoop-Dee-Doo" game with the all-you-can-drink draft. When the finale came around, Marshall was chosen by the cast to go on stage. He got to play the Indian. I took plenty of pictures that I hope to share soon! The kids and I laughed so hard! He even got to talk about it on the bus back to the hotel! Marshall rocks for putting that together for us. B1 and I decided that he just likes to say, "Hoop-Dee-Doo" Just ask him! My feet hurt and I am so exhausted. There will be no trouble with getting the kids to bed!

Disney Day 1

Well, we pulled off one of the most exciting secrets I have ever been a part of!! It was brilliant in its covertness. Virtually flawless. We (mostly Marshall) planned a secret trip to Disney World. Yes, we kept it a secret!! On Monday morning we woke up at 3:00, packed the car, got the kids up at 4:45, dressed them, brushed their teeth, and put them in the car. They had no clue where we were going!! B1 figured it out when he saw the terminal sign to Orlando but like the great big brother he is, kept the secret until the others figured it out. We got on the plane and B3 had his first plane trip! He even got to sit in the cockpit with the captain-after we landed of course! While we were on the plane we had the kids convinced that we were just going for the day and that we were there to check out a super new Wal Mart that was being built. When we landed, B2 and B3 saw all the Disney stuff and figured it out. The look was priceless!! What a blast! We did have a kink in the plan though. Once we got to our hotel Marshall realized that his wallet was missing. It caused some stress for a bit but once we got everything taken care of, (thanks Billy) he was more upset about the loss of his sticker. B1 had given him a red smiley face sticker that he has had for about 10 years. It is very special to him so it will tough to get over. We finally got settled into our room and then went and had a yummy dinner. After, we went to Downtown Disney. What a trip! We loved the world's largest Disney store but went nuts in the Lego store!!! Uncle Erik would not be able to come out!! Stay tuned for more adventures in Disney for the Slot Family!! (When I get my computer running again, I'll post some of the fun pictures!)

Finely Choreographed Chaos

I was telling my aunt the other day that I believe that my life is defined as "finely choreographed chaos". :) Certainly not choreographed by me, but by my gracious Lord. In August, we spent a week on a mini-vacation, then ten days at my youngest aunt's house learning how to make pickles the way my MeMaw used to. Even using my great-great-grandmother's pickling crocks! (no, not the shoes). On the day before we were to start school, we got a call that my oldest aunt was sick. It turns out that she had a seizure caused by a tumor in her brain. So the children and I have spent most of the last six weeks up in East Texas with her. So instead of doing Greek and Latin and Algebra, we are learning things like ministry, compassion, and flexibility (not my strongest quality). God has been teaching me that even though I spent most of the summer writing out beautiful lesson plans (thankfully in pencil) and working on science experiments and history field trips, He had already written out His lesson plan for me which includes none of those things! I am learning things like how to pack quickly, how to do school in a hospital waiting room or a strange public library, and how to spend my 15th wedding anniversary without the one with whom I have spent those 15 years! Instead of reading classic Greek literature or even plowing through my Summer reading list, I have been doing massive amounts of reading about herbal healing, nutrition, and cancer. My children are not happy with lowering their intake of white sugar. My husband has missed us. My aunt is not happy that I took away her beloved Oreos and replaced them with lots of supplements, green tea and spinach. It sounds like I am complaining, but I'm not. I am grateful that we are able to help in such a way. My Aunt Mo is very special to me. I am really just being thankful that I am not in control and laughing that I am enjoying just taking each day as it comes and as Elisabeth Elliot says, "doing the next thing". So, while I may not have choreographed this particular dance, I sure am happy knowing that my partner in all of this, God, knows each dance step that we need to take.
When I was talking to my Dad last week, telling him all about what we are doing, he said something to me that really helped me put it all in perspective. He said that he heard a quote that pertained to my life. "It's not as important to teach your kids to count, as it is to teach them what counts".

Libraries

I love libraries! I could spend hours in one. Wait. I have spent hours in not one but many! When I was younger, my best friend, Sherry, and I used to walk from her house to the library where I would check out the Beverly Cleary books for the hundredth time. Then we would walk to Mister M and get a Sprite in a glass bottle, drink it, and return the bottle for a nickel. (Remember those days?) I spent long summer hours reading Little House in the Big Woods at the tiny library in the town near where my grandparents lived. When I was in high school I could drive to the library in the next city and they were open on Sunday! College gave me the huge 24-hour library at Texas A&M-whoop! When I started working in Alvin, the police department was next door to the library. The first thing I did when I moved back to my hometown was renew my old library card (which I still have!) and we got library cards the first week we moved to our present home! It has become a rite of passage that when each of our children turned 5 they got to go to the library and sign their names on the backs of their new cards. We have also mourned the temporary closing of our church library to make room for a new elevator. I love libraries! So, today was our library day because the children have already finished the summer reading program and were going to receive their trophies. We all checked out our armfuls of books, carried our prizes from the summer reading program and loaded into the car. (usually I have a rolling cart that we wheel in and load up with books but we used only bags today!) Then I experienced one of my favorite things: The sound, if you could call it that, of my children devouring their books in the back seat. I love looking in my rear-view mirror and only seeing the tops of their heads! They are totally quiet for the entire ride home! I find myself enjoying the peace and sneaking a peak into my mirror to watch. Then I thank God for what He has allowed me to do everyday! I am a Happy Mom At Home!!