tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71270392803586238712024-03-12T19:35:38.820-06:00Betsy's Facebook BlogBetsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.comBlogger52125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-76846878499032708012010-01-14T08:50:00.001-07:002010-01-14T08:50:56.045-07:00Homeschool Non-Resolutions<p>My local homeschool association, "Homeschoolers Under God," (HUG) sent me this email this morning.  I thought it was encouraging enough to need re-posting here.</p> <p align="center">-----------------</p> <p>It’s January 14<sup>th</sup>, have you set up your resolutions, yet? Are you feeling guilty, yet? </p> <p>Relax and give yourself a HUG. I found these non-resolutions on the web, and they seemed like a perfect cure for what ails all of us—especially at the beginning of a new year.<b></b></p> <p><b>A Homeschool Mom's NON-Resolutions</b></p> <p>1. I resolve to NOT try and make my children "perfect" homeschooling examples.</p> <p>2. I resolve to NOT try and prove that I am a "perfect" homeschooling parent.</p> <p>3. I resolve to NOT try and compare myself to every other homeschooling parent.</p> <p>4. I resolve to NOT give up on expecting the best from myself.</p> <p>5. I resolve to NOT give up on my students.</p> <p>6. I resolve to NOT give up on my curriculum without giving it a serious try (2 weeks may not be a serious try - only you can determine what that is!)</p> <p>7. I resolve to NOT get discouraged when I have bad days, but to call someone on the phone who may encourage me in some way (prayer, a cup of coffee, or just saying "it's okay"!).</p> <p>8. I resolve to NOT forget to plug into a support group for my support and theirs!</p> <p>9. I resolve to NOT forget that all Teachers get Teacher Work Days for a reason. You have control over yours. Take them!</p> <p>10. I resolve to NOT make unbelievable and unacceptable New Year's Resolutions. <i>~from the "Homeschooler's Notebook"</i></p> <p>Found at: <a href="http://www.knowledgehouse.info/hshumor.html">http://www.knowledgehouse.info/hshumor.html</a></p> <p>Hope you enjoyed these non-resolutions, and that your new year is off to a great start. Now, give yourself a another HUG and enjoy your day!</p> Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-73067518412027966982009-12-15T12:58:00.001-07:002009-12-15T12:58:59.275-07:00Sometimes My 14-year-old Amazes Me<p>My 14 y/o was given an assignment to write a descriptive paragraph about a photo (you can see the picture <a href="http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/enlarge/arctic-rainbow-nicklen.html">here</a>).  There was no requirement (or even suggestion) that it should be a religious paragraph, so what he wrote came straight from his heart.  And here it is:</p> <blockquote> <p>The arctic rainbow settles into place, reflecting God's glory as it is reflected off the chilled arctic waters. The ice chunks, reflected as well, do not distort in any way this magnificent image of God's glory. The colors, red and vibrant, fill the air and the water. A small strip is all that is visible of the orange, the rest lost in the air. Such is the image of glory, it is more visible than anything around it.</p> </blockquote> He never would have written <em>that</em> for a public school assignment! Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-52644793562067258442009-12-08T21:04:00.001-07:002009-12-08T21:04:55.149-07:00Gotta Stop Stressing Out Over It!<p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_0Q6YbBo8cZM/Sx8h5FcJ9-I/AAAAAAAACrQ/x3To4qMO6HM/s1600-h/statichair7.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title=""Static" by dcoomes" border="0" alt=""Static" by dcoomes" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_0Q6YbBo8cZM/Sx8h5it26rI/AAAAAAAACrc/k_w23-GjcNs/statichair_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" width="350" height="266" /></a> </p> <p>Well, last week was tough, to say the least.</p> <p>Phillip was in one of his bipolar phases that makes him simply impossible to teach.  And I internalized it too much, making it my own "failure," and almost concluding that I couldn't teach him.</p> <p>Of course that's unrealistic.  It completely ignores the fact that the public schools can't teach him when he's like that, either.  And it ignores the beautiful successes that we enjoy at other times in his cycles.</p> <p>This week is going much better.  It's still very hard work for me (much more so than for him, since most of the time when he's not working, it's because he's off enjoying his own autistic thoughts).  It has taken far more hours than it should.  But he has done a fair amount of work for the past couple of days.</p> <p>So hey, next time I write something desperate about how badly things are going, please remind me that IT WILL PASS!</p> <p align="center">***</p> <p>One of the main reasons I wanted to withdraw Nathanael from middle school was because of the incessant cruelty of his peers toward him.  He was incredibly nervous all the time and often irritable as a result of it.  And now we're starting to see some payoff from our decision.  When we were at church recently, during that "between services" time when everybody mills around and talks noisily, he informed me that he's becoming less nervous in large groups of people.  Hooray!</p> <p>Another thing I'm really enjoying is getting to spend as much time as necessary to really teach something, and to make sure it's actually <em>learned</em>.   There's no rush to continue on when there's been no mastery…no need to keep up with an inflexible plan that insists we move on <em>now</em> whether we're ready or not.  As a result, I'm getting to edit and re-edit, and re-re-edit the kids' written work, honing skills to a degree that was never possible before.</p> <p>And despite many times when educating Phillip was simply impossible, despite times when I nearly tore my hair out, there were other moments that were precious:</p> <ul> <li>Phillip sitting on his chair with his legs stretched out across my lap, talking with me about what he was learning.  </li> <li>Getting to tell Phillip that it's a joy to teach him when he's tuned-in, and that God has given him a very good mind. </li> <li>Learning new ways of helping him focus and absorb material (not always effective, but often helpful.) </li> <li>Hearing him tell me that he'd like me to be near him when he's working. </li> <li>Conversely, at other times, seeing him working independently. </li> </ul> <p>Another blessing that keeps happening as I teach my children…I keep hearing God teaching <em>me</em>.  I trust that He is going to use this as powerfully in my life as He does in the children's.  Heaven knows, I need the work!</p> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" title="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/384a9aff-9e8d-4a73-b233-b40679659f7f/"><img style="border-bottom-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; float: right; border-left-style: none" class="zemanta-pixie-img" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=384a9aff-9e8d-4a73-b233-b40679659f7f" /></a></div> Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-53779231336503828102009-11-28T23:04:00.001-07:002009-11-28T23:04:58.629-07:00Another Week Done-and It Was A Doozy!<p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_0Q6YbBo8cZM/SxIPCHgkxYI/AAAAAAAACrA/I8skEZEePNw/s1600-h/PumpkinPi4.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title=""Pumpkin Pi" by Bigfoot13" border="0" alt=""Pumpkin Pi" by Bigfoot13" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_0Q6YbBo8cZM/SxIPCV9HiAI/AAAAAAAACrE/OWPkcjIbiNA/PumpkinPi7.jpg?imgmax=800" width="375" height="442" /></a> </p> <p>Wow, what a week…shortened to only two days because of the Thanksgiving holiday, full of all of the normal holiday hubbub, and lots of added responsibilities.</p> <p>(By the way, don't you love that photograph above?  "Pumpkin Pi."  I was tickled to find such a perfect picture to illustrate blending the challenges of Thanksgiving week with homeschooling!) </p> <p>Of course my 12 y/o son got into a foul mood and did NONE of his work on Tuesday.  Wednesday was too crazy for make-up work with five children (my three plus two more) zooming around.  Friday was too, for that matter.  That brought us to today, with lots going on early in the day.  I didn't even get to start with makeup work until 6pm!</p> <p>And Phillip did great!  He didn't get completely caught up, but he did a Bible lesson, a short but thought-provoking science lesson, and a long English lesson!  Woo hoo!  It was a joy working with him.</p> <p>I continue to be very pleased with the <a href="http://www.timberdoodle.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=switched&Search.x=25&Search.y=11">Switched on Schoolhouse</a> Curriculum.  Here are some of the things that pleased me most this week:</p> <ul> <li>My 8th grade son was taught a sobering truth that he wouldn't ever learn in public school.  It was about the "inseparability of words from the one who speaks them."  How many boys his age have ever grappled with such a concept, and the responsibility for honesty that it lays on them?  And how many know that, because of this "inseparability," Jesus said we would be judged by our words? </li> <li>That same son, who has Asperger's Syndrome, began working on a part of his normal Language curriculum which teaches gestures and body language.  How perfect is that for someone with a form of Autism?  He got to watch the built-in videos of facial expressions, which may sound hokey to some, but for him it was a great exercise. </li> <li>My 12 year old did a science exercise which had him not only spit back facts, but actually draw conclusions and figure things out logically.  That may have been happening in his regular school classroom, but I didn't get to see it there.  I got to see it here, and it was delightful.</li> <li>That son also got to spend a few hours with a substitute teacher…my dear mom who is visiting from Florida!  That was a pleasure to see and a bonding experience for the two of them.  Because the SOS curriculum makes the expectations so clear, she had no difficulty stepping into that role with no prior notice.</li> </ul> <p>So, though it was a trying week in many ways, it was still rewarding.  Thanks for all of your prayers, and keep 'em coming!</p> Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-43835322087250478492009-11-20T21:22:00.001-07:002009-11-20T21:22:55.042-07:00Our Fledgling Homeschool's First Full Week<div style="margin: 1em; display: block; float: right" class="zemanta-img"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38659937@N06/3567549164/"><img style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; display: block; border-top: medium none; border-right: medium none" alt="jonge Koolmees - Parus major" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3377/3567549164_0d2d66f305_m.jpg" /></a> <p style="font-size: 0.8em" class="zemanta-img-attribution">Image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/38659937@N06/3567549164/">Frans Persoon</a> via Flickr</p> </div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p>Wow, it's been an amazing first flight!</p> <p>Some days have been incredibly frustrating (with one near-total meltdown by Yours Truly), some have been so-so, and some have been pretty great!</p> <p>But not one day has been unprecedented in its stresses.  I still find all of this to be easier than the stresses I faced when they were in public school.  Yes, even the meltdown day…I <em>have</em> had those before, though it had been a while.</p> <p>No, no unprecedented stresses.  But the rewards?  I have never experienced their likeness before.</p> <ul> <li>God has continued to give me that "whole new sense of purpose" that I mentioned on Day One.  For a long time I have wanted something that would help me drag myself away from the addictive computer screen every day, and homeschooling is the first thing compelling enough to do so.  I have not completely separated myself from blogs and feeds and so forth, but I'm doing a lot better. </li> <li>I love putting years' worth of writing and editing practice to use on my own children's schoolwork!  I feel such a sense of tenderness when I get to share something I love so much.  Nathanael has always been too nervous and defensive to accept critiquing face-to-face, but it's easy to do it electronically.  He seems to find that totally non-threatening!  Such a joy today to hear him holler up the stairs, "I made those changes you suggested.  THANKS!!" </li> <li>And of course, seeing Phillip spontaneously turning to prayer several times a day when he recognizes his need for help…what price tag can you put on that? </li> </ul> <p>Yes, it's been hard work and sometimes very unpleasant, but no hard work I have ever done in my life has felt so rewarding, or so like a <em>privilege</em>.  </p> <p>Thank You, Lord.</p> Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-65752451759286779182009-11-13T17:04:00.002-07:002009-11-13T17:05:25.876-07:00A Growing Faith<div style="margin: 1em; display: block; float: right" class="zemanta-img"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34815016@N02/4100706578/"><img style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; display: block; border-top: medium none; border-right: medium none" alt="muted Life" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2671/4100706578_246cefecd8_m.jpg" /></a> <p style="font-size: 0.8em" class="zemanta-img-attribution">Image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/34815016@N02/4100706578/">Robb North</a> via Flickr</p> </div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <br />We had another crisis at homeschool this morning.  <p></p> <p>God is so good!</p> <p>I wish you knew just how angry and controlling I am by nature, so you would know what a miracle of God today's events have been.  Please don't think I'm a patient person, or wise, or any of those other things.  I'm <em>not</em>.  (Those who know me don't need to be told that!)</p> <p>I won't go into a lot of details about what instigated the crisis.  Suffice it to say that one son decided a specific assignment was unacceptable, and a total meltdown followed.  (Now that I think about it, there was no fist-flailing this time.  How refreshing!)</p> <p>Miracle #1 showed itself as calmness and love on my part.  Trust me, that's a true miracle.</p> <p>Phillip had buried his face in the crack between the back and seat of the couch, and was wailing and screaming at ear-piercing decibels.  But I began to pick out words of prayer in all the wailing, and I silently thanked God for it and asked Him to bless and guide his prayers.</p> <p>Once Phillip quieted enough that I thought I could make myself heard, I asked him if he would like me to pray for him now or later.</p> <p>His request for prayer <em>now</em> was so touchingly sincere!</p> <p>I prayed aloud for a while, and when I was done, Phillip sat up.  I asked him if he wanted a hug, and he wasn't sure at first.  "I'm thinking."  Then after a minute or so he said, "Sure."  So I drew him over close and gave him a hug, and he just melted.  "Oh, I love you so much!" he said.  I replied in kind, and then told him that God loved him too.  "I love Him too," Phillip replied.  </p> <p>We cuddled for a while and talked about God, and Phillip just got more and more joyful.  When I got up to make him lunch, Phillip spent his waiting time and subsequent eating time just bouncing around and rejoicing over how much God did for him, and talking about how grateful he was. </p> <p>Then, after lunch, on his own initiative, he completed the once-rejected assignment.  </p> <p>Wow.  Miracle #2.  If you knew Phillip, you wouldn't think "miracle" was too strong a word.</p> <p>I feel a caution in my soul.  There will be people reading this who don't experience the same sorts of wondrous things when they start homeschooling, and I don't want anyone to start making comparisons.  God's path for everyone is different, and <a href="http://justanotherclaypot.blogspot.com/2009/09/grace-and-fallacy-of.html">there is no "arrival" in this life</a>.</p> <p>There are some very important things to keep in mind:</p> <ul> <li>God decided before the foundation of the world that <em>now</em> would be our time to receive these blessings.  We did not trigger or earn these blessings.  We merely received them at the proper time.  When the next trials and hardships come (and they surely will), they will come because it is God's ordained time for them.  Trust in God's schedule for you! </li> <li>God decided to use homeschooling as the conduit of today's blessing in our case.  He may decide to use different conduits for others, as well as different timing.  </li> <li>We position ourselves to receive God's blessings when we walk in obedience…but sometimes those blessings come in very clever disguises!   I've struggled through almost a decade of hopelessness, rage, depression, and unrelenting trials…and I may find my trials doubled before this day is through.  If God removes all my joyous circumstances, He will still be blessing me.  All the agonies He has ever put you and me through have been blessings.  They just didn't feel like it at the time.  And the same will be true of whatever sufferings still await us (and I'm sure there are many). </li> <li>The goal is not to find our way to Easy Street.  The goal is to depend on the Lord and walk in obedience to Him, regardless of what "street" we're on.   We must depend on God in the good times as well as the bad, because we need Him desperately all the time.  We may be able to "succeed" (however you define that) on good days, but if we've done it without God, we've failed.  On the other hand, our most miserable failure of a day is actually a success if we spent it constantly coming back to the Throne of Grace.  </li> </ul> <p><em>Faithful dependence is success.</em>  If you're doing that, you can rest assured that whatever He has brought into your life, you are positioned to receive the maximum possible benefit from it <em>in His time</em>.  </p> <p>So let's rejoice with one another in happy-feeling blessings, weep with each other in sad-feeling blessings, and trust God's timing for all of them.</p>Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-27927431948097144492009-11-12T23:03:00.001-07:002009-11-12T23:03:37.799-07:00Busy Homeschool Day Two<p><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_0Q6YbBo8cZM/Svz2tzM9EvI/AAAAAAAACqo/c2gl5YaGMQc/s1600-h/school%20bell%5B5%5D.jpg"><img style="border-right-width: 0px; display: block; float: none; border-top-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" title=""School Bell" by linder6580" border="0" alt=""School Bell" by linder6580" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_0Q6YbBo8cZM/Svz2uK6smeI/AAAAAAAACqs/H7BUzIX80k8/school%20bell_thumb%5B3%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="288" height="391" /></a> </p> <p>Well, Day Two of homeschooling has come and gone.</p> <p>There's no question that this is a huge success with Nathanael.  His schooling has been absolutely stress-free for both of us, and that's saying a lot.</p> <p>Phillip is much more challenging, of course, but even so, I don't think it's any more stressful homeschooling him than it has been just trying to get him to do his homework at night.  </p> <p>I wasn't home for much of the homeschooling today, unfortunately.  John was able to work from home, which freed me up to go to a doctor's appointment, and then to the hospital for an X-ray.  (I may have a stress fracture in my right foot, but I might not know for sure until Monday.  Can you believe that?  It's been hurting for a week, and it's getting swollen, and I hate to think of walking around on it for another few days waiting to find out if it's broken!  And the weird thing is, I have no idea what could have happened to cause it!)  Then tonight I went to Small Group.  John and I trade off weeks, since one of us has to stay home with the kids, and tonight it was my turn to go.  He said it was rough with Phillip tonight.  But like I said, it was often rough with homework from public school, too.</p> <p>Anyway, I am still quite pleased with the homeschooling, and I think the children are settling in nicely.  I'm so pleased at being able to provide the kind of instant feedback the children need on their work, and to be so intimately involved in their schooling.</p> <p>Oh, and there was a really neat time with Phillip today.  He was in goof-off mode, and I was starting to get mad and raise my voice as I told him to get to work.  But then the Holy Spirit reminded me of what He's been trying to teach me lately, and I called Phillip over.  I told him that he was wrong because he wasn't trying to be obedient, and that I was wrong because I was trying to use anger to control him.  Then I said I thought we should pray.  So he sat in my lap and I prayed for us both.</p> <p>*(<font size="2">A similar event happened before, and I wrote about it </font><a href="http://justanotherclaypot.blogspot.com/2009/09/grace-and-last-night-homework.html"><font size="2">here</font></a><font size="2">.)</font></p> <p>Then he went to his work desk, sat down, stuck his fingers in his ears, screamed, and put his head down.</p> <p>That's generally not a good sign.</p> <p>I started praying for him where I was seated, and then the Lord nudged me to go sit next to him and pray for him.  I'm glad He did, because when I was next to Phillip, I realized that he wasn't just sitting in a withdrawn huddle, but he was actually praying silently!  I could see his lips moving and occasionally hear a whispered word.  And when he was finished praying, he went right to work.</p> <p>I love knowing that he learned from my example and turned to the Lord for help!  That never would have happened at the public school!  Who would have provided that example for him?  Even if someone had wanted to, they wouldn't have been allowed to!</p> <p>I love it!</p> <p>But it's late now, and I'm tired.  It's 11:00 at night, and there's a load of laundry in the washer, and one in the dryer.  The kids and husband are in bed, and the sink is stacked full of dishes.  And I haven't done any of my BSF homework yet this week…</p> <p>Thanks for dropping by, and for caring about our little family.  May God bless you and yours!</p> Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-91850999059656896572009-11-11T22:20:00.001-07:002009-11-11T22:20:12.340-07:00Homeschooling, Day 1<p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_0Q6YbBo8cZM/SvubCtIRmOI/AAAAAAAACqY/T3bftGTbRPM/s1600-h/Fireside%20education%5B4%5D.jpg"><img style="border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; border-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; border-right: 0px" title="Fireside Education" border="0" alt="Fireside Education" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_0Q6YbBo8cZM/SvubC7dtuJI/AAAAAAAACqc/Ue5Si6eKVn4/Fireside%20education%5B6%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="362" height="300" /></a> </p> <p>I let this blog lie fallow for a long time, but it's time to give it a new life.  Why?  Because Nathanael and Phillip have started homeschooling!</p> <p>(For more information on <em>why</em> we decided to start homeschooling, please click <a href="http://justanotherclaypot.blogspot.com/2009/11/family-matters-and-request-for-prayer.html">here</a> to go to my other blog.  Then come back here when you're done.)</p> <p>As I mentioned in my other blog, we purchased the 6th and 8th grade versions of <a href="http://www.timberdoodle.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=switched&Search.x=25&Search.y=11">Switched On Schoolhouse</a> (SOS) and here are my first-day impressions.</p> <p>I'm thrilled!</p> <p>No, it's not perfect.  We've found some glitches already (though they may be cured when we download some updates), and there are some things I find a tad confusing.  But overall, this first-day experience was overwhelmingly good.</p> <p>Nathanael says that homeschooling is like a dream come true.  He is bubbling over with joy at this new way of life, and he seems much more relaxed than I've seen him in a long time.  He did 5 days' worth of work in about a day and a half, all on his own initiative.  He says he can't wait for tomorrow so he can do more schoolwork.  That's something I never expected to hear!</p> <p>Phillip also did well, though it took him until about 8:30 at night to finish his work.  He didn't start until around lunchtime, because he slept late.  Even so, that's a long day, but he usually works on his homework until that late anyway.  Much of that is due to dawdling.  He does find it hard to focus.  And of course today he had breaks when needed throughout the day.</p> <p>He did have one major meltdown during the day, but that's nothing unusual.  What <em>was</em> unusual was how quickly he recovered and got back to work!  I believe he finds the computerized format much more engaging than books and papers.  For the most part, he seemed to enjoy it.</p> <p>I loved seeing the boys studying the Bible as part of their curriculum!  Nathanael had been in Christian school from Kindergarten through the first half of fourth grade, but Phillip never had been because of his need for special intervention from the beginning.  It was so wonderful seeing them studying Bible now! </p> <p>Nathanael wrote something I thought was absolutely stunningly wonderful.  He was asked to write down <em>why we should hallow God's name</em>, and part of his answer was:</p> <blockquote> <p>God's holy name reflects on his holy self, and we don't want to be looking at God through a broken mirror.</p> </blockquote> <p>I think that's pretty profound, especially coming from a 13 year old!</p> <p>But back to talking about SOS.  I am so pleased with how easy it makes my job as teacher, and how good the curriculum seems to be, and also the immediacy of interaction that it allows.  Nathanael can be working at his computer in the basement, and I can check from my computer upstairs and see exactly what he has done, how well he has done on it, and if there are any items that I need to grade myself (SOS does 95% of the grading automatically, leaving only 5% for me to do).  And I also can instantly communicate with him via a messaging system.  If I'm not satisfied with the work I've graded, I can attach a note to it (all on the computer, no actual paper), and send it back to him for reworking at the click of a button.  If he needs to consult with me about something, I can be there in a matter of seconds.  It feels absolutely wonderful.  </p> <p>Oh, and I love the fact that I'm not dealing with stacks of paper.  Paper always piles up and needs to be filed, and it's extremely stressful and messy for a disorganized person like me.  But despite having completed a very good day's work for Phillip, and 5 days' worth for Nathanael, not a single piece of paper was generated.  Gotta love it.</p> <p>I apologize for over-using superlatives, but it's hard to even express how I feel about all of this.  God clearly led us, and He is blessing.  </p> <p>Now, I'm going to be realistic here.  With big new ventures like this, there is always a honeymoon period, and then there's usually a real low time, and then finally things level out to some sort of norm.  I know it won't always be peachy.  But then again, today wasn't "peachy."  Phillip came closer to my nose with his fist than he ever has before.  </p> <p>But this is such a good thing.  I'm sure of it.  I feel energized with a whole new sense of purpose, unlike anything I've felt in I don't know how long.</p> <p>I should mention dear Andrew, our 4th grader who does not have "special needs."  He is being such a good sport about this, even though he clearly feels left out.  He has made it clear he would like very much to be homeschooled as well, but he understands that right now we can't afford a third curriculum.  I'm proud of him for being as classy about it as he's being.</p> <p>Enough for now.  It's after 10pm, and I'm tired.  I haven't slept well for days, mostly because of excitement and some nervousness about homeschooling.  Life is busy right now in several ways.  There is a stack of dishes waiting for me, and tons of laundry, and grocery shopping that I haven't gotten to.  All of these things will be made more complicated by having the boys with me.</p> <p>It is so worth it.  I have no doubts.</p> Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-24047982339636917652008-10-31T13:00:00.000-06:002008-10-31T13:00:37.913-06:00Funny Phillip Quote of the DayPhillip asked Nathanael a question, and he didn't hear an answer. I didn't hear an answer either, but Andrew and Nathanael both insisted that Nathanael <span style="font-style: italic;">had </span>answered. To which Phillip replied,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">"I heard him very clearly, and he didn't say a word!"</span><br /></div>Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-78222898403768353032008-10-27T14:17:00.001-06:002008-10-27T14:18:15.039-06:00Phillip's latest bookToday I found a three-page "book" made of notebook paper taped together. The title on the 1st page said,<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">"SUPERPJM 2 And The Cell Phone."<br /></div><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIp2rbzon-kgExnwxcpS7jGBgBC97Rgui8SbPni7XtRQpzd0bHsVrAvxrR9G6z3mdXe3b032ssnW_YiFqxHDN5qyWxOIZ7HBSAcPUYUrSHQFSVW05ZygLbcvXjbyVlU9pKN5YrljI3HQ/s1600-h/superpjm+pg1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgIp2rbzon-kgExnwxcpS7jGBgBC97Rgui8SbPni7XtRQpzd0bHsVrAvxrR9G6z3mdXe3b032ssnW_YiFqxHDN5qyWxOIZ7HBSAcPUYUrSHQFSVW05ZygLbcvXjbyVlU9pKN5YrljI3HQ/s320/superpjm+pg1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261928752836947698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">Page 2 said, "Once upon a time there was a cell phone on the ground<br /><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mQsKVIo8ruDfxrWg_NV8RwhQ0NzsD-XYcf7xzEVfbIE0UThQGmFARmCLtU5F2jYlp_v55q7_HiIdKt89THRbf0443AKcivlTuxulgmg8NVLsgkvLdkdHYvZIRAx5axSgRunsxs3-I2Q/s1600-h/superpjm+pg+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 233px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7mQsKVIo8ruDfxrWg_NV8RwhQ0NzsD-XYcf7xzEVfbIE0UThQGmFARmCLtU5F2jYlp_v55q7_HiIdKt89THRbf0443AKcivlTuxulgmg8NVLsgkvLdkdHYvZIRAx5axSgRunsxs3-I2Q/s320/superpjm+pg+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261929150158195810" border="0" /></a><br /><br />And page 3 concludes our story with this scintillating climax:<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">SUPERPJM saw it and said heres my cell phone<br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWGt_Oe-njmMrMwnNdGayVoix2DjiwCUw1s3udfWFw_Q9PpjU_KS6vR45nzYq6JnfvRRONgm1xodeHlaI5ithfTxHRlyWQWD4zIHeM2ZdcFlHsB1h14up2qXr3DehJC7WdCEEcWV_kJg/s1600-h/superpjm+pg+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 256px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxWGt_Oe-njmMrMwnNdGayVoix2DjiwCUw1s3udfWFw_Q9PpjU_KS6vR45nzYq6JnfvRRONgm1xodeHlaI5ithfTxHRlyWQWD4zIHeM2ZdcFlHsB1h14up2qXr3DehJC7WdCEEcWV_kJg/s320/superpjm+pg+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5261929573177449170" border="0" /></a><br /><br />You just gotta love that kid.Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-19682255197123312632008-09-30T21:20:00.003-06:002008-10-02T06:50:19.681-06:00Guess I'd better catch upSomeone pointed out to me that I haven't posted anything here for a while. So I guess I need to catch up!<br /><br />Most of my writing time is devoted to my "Just Another Clay Pot" blog. It's beginning to grow, slowly but steadily. That's an encouragement.<br /><br />Let's see. What news is there?<br /><br />We're definitely chilly at night now, and the leaves are changing colors full-force. Unfortunately many are also falling already. The color is lovely around here, but it doesn't last as long as it does in, say, the Carolinas. Or so I'm told.<br /><br />Goodness, I can't think of much to say. Life is busy with three outside-the-home Bible studies, the blogs, the kids, the house, the cooking, writing a weekly poem based on spelling words for Andrew's class, the weekly writing contest...<br /><br />Nathanael is in Lego Robotics. <span style="margin: 1em; display: block; float: right;" class="zemanta-img zemanta-action-dragged"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/81559972@N00/2399489793"><img style="border: medium none ; display: block;" title="LEGO mindstorm" alt="LEGO mindstorm" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2065/2399489793_68f7646e9f_m.jpg" height="180" width="240" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution">Image by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/81559972@N00/2399489793">Jinho.Jung</a> via Flickr</span></span>Have I mentioned that? He could use prayer in that, because he's finding it really hard to work with others. Of course we talk and talk and reason with him about it, but right now he's just not getting it. His meetings are 2-1/2 hours long, twice-weekly after school.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Going to the orthodontist for braces repair is also a weekly thing. Nathanael doesn't usually abuse them. Yesterday morning a wire broke when he was eating Cheerios! So needless to say, I'm a bit frustrated with how often they're breaking. I don't understand why it's happening.<br /><br />Phillip's latest project is designing a city he calls "Rat Collins." That's not intended as a disparaging comment at all. Phillip loves rats. They're his favorite animals. When he mentions them, he pronounces it, "Reeeeaaaaaats," and he puts on a funny creaky voice. Anyway, he's designing all sorts of details into Rat Collins (mostly street maps and charts of all of the railroad tracks). You just never know what he'll be "into" next.<span style="margin: 1em; display: block; float: right;" class="zemanta-img zemanta-action-dragged"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Spoorbaan_houten_dwarsliggers_alphen_aan_den_rijn.jpg"><img style="border: medium none ; display: block;" title="Rail tracks." alt="Rail tracks." src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4a/Spoorbaan_houten_dwarsliggers_alphen_aan_den_rijn.jpg/202px-Spoorbaan_houten_dwarsliggers_alphen_aan_den_rijn.jpg" height="152" width="202" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Spoorbaan_houten_dwarsliggers_alphen_aan_den_rijn.jpg">Wikipedia</a></span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I can't think of anything else. Perhaps something new and exciting will happen tomorrow.<br /><br />I hope not. We have enough excitement around here...Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-14853357865899046692008-09-16T22:09:00.003-06:002008-09-16T22:51:04.748-06:00What is rice?<span class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; float: right; display: block;"><a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Rice_p1160004.jpg"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Rice_p1160004.jpg/202px-Rice_p1160004.jpg" alt="Uncooked pre-steamed long rice" style="border: medium none ; display: block;" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="margin: 1em 0pt 0pt; display: block;">Image via <a href="http://commons.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Rice_p1160004.jpg">Wikipedia</a> </span></span>We were eating dinner tonight when Phillip looked up at me and said, "Rice is basically shredded starch."<br /><br />I just figured I ought to share that so you all could become as enlightened as I became.<br /><br />Things are going pretty well around here. Today was an incredibly busy writing day. Of all the times to get hit with inspiration, I got it this morning while the kids were getting ready for school. I was able to get a good start on the next contest entry before going off to Bible study. After the study was the leaders' meeting, and then once I got back I worked on the entry some more. It's still not done, but it's coming along. Unfortunately so is the deadline. I have to get it done tomorrow. But in addition to that I also finished writing the answers to the interview questions for the FaithReaders site.<br /><br />Oh wait, I looked through my earlier entries, and it seems that I never wrote about that. I really thought I had. Okay, here goes. The FaithWriters site has a sister site called FaithReaders. It's just a site that provides family-friendly reading material that people can read online or download for free. It's all stuff written by FaithWriters people. Anyway, they wrote and asked me if I was willing to be interviewed as the featured author for their site. I would be "featured" for a couple of weeks in October. I said I'd be honored to do that, so that's the interview that I just finished. It was done in writing, not face-to-face or anything like that.<br /><br />So anyway, that took a while to write, and then I worked on writing the weekly spelling word poem for Andrew's third-grade class to use. Then I finished writing a blog entry for Just Another Clay Pot, and now I'm writing this. Whew! Good thing I use a keyboard and not a pen, or I'd have permanent writer's cramp by now.<br /><br />It's been a good day. Well...except for one problem. Phillip has a way of "blacklisting" people. Once you're on his blacklist, you tend to stay there. And I seem to have been at least partially blacklisted. He won't do homework if I'm the adult in charge, but he'll do it for Dad. And he doesn't want me to spend time with him at bedtime...only Dad. Oh well. Kids do these sorts of things. I give consistent consequences, but only he can make himself learn from them. And I make sure we have good times in other ways, so the lines of communication remain open.<br /><br />Oh, I forgot to mention that Mary and I have started attending a once-a-month Beth Moore Bible study. I would not have dreamed of taking on another Bible study, but since this one meets so infrequently, I figured I could handle it. It's nice to get to go with Mary, too. The Study is called, "When Godly People Do Ungodly Things." I think it will be very good.<br /> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/f3308e67-c053-4c07-9d2f-34310ada5f47/" title="Zemified by Zemanta"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=f3308e67-c053-4c07-9d2f-34310ada5f47" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a></div>Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-60229656855498020762008-09-12T22:01:00.001-06:002008-09-12T22:01:57.957-06:00Home and Happy<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>Phillip and John got home around 2:00 this afternoon. Phillip was all bubbly and happy over what a great time he had. I asked him to tell me about it, and even asked some pretty pointed questions, but I didn't learn much about the things he did. I DID learn a street-by-street account of the route that they took home, the layout of the camp, and the fact that he had belched loudly in the cabin at the exact moment that his father had been reading in a book about children who belch loudly in public. He also informed me that he wasn't afraid of heights anymore, but I didn't hear why. He's been up in the mountains plenty of times before, so I'm not sure what made the difference here. Anyway, it was good to see him so happy. And the best part was his report of what he liked best about Eco Week. "The best part was being with my DAD at Eco Week," he said (with great enthusiasm and emphasis on the word "Dad.")<br/><br/>Then at 6:00 all three boys were at "Pit Stop," the once-monthly fun time that Faith E-Free church puts on for special needs kids and their siblings. I went to a monthly crafting group meeting and did mini jigsaw puzzles while the kids played themselves silly at the church.<br/><br/>I imagine Phillip will sleep like a rock tonight. I know I will.<br/><br/>Have I mentioned that Nathanael has started doing Lego Robotics again? That is a good thing for him, I think.<br/><br/>That's all I can think of right now, probably because my noggin is so groggy.<br/></div>Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-88384931664072255292008-09-10T20:17:00.002-06:002008-09-11T16:36:44.524-06:00Ok, I'll admit it, I cried...<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">When Phillip's bus left this morning, taking him and his suitcase to school, I cried. He'll be gone until Friday afternoon. When I think about how far he's come, and how little hope there seemed to be for him back when he was two or three...how can I not be moved?<br /><br />Now it's about 8:15 at night, and I've gotten a brief email from John. It says, "Having a great time." <br /><br />I plan to get to bed early tonight. Maybe I can shake this headache...<br /><br />So glad things are going well at Pingree Park!<br /></div>Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-50181400905302919502008-09-09T23:18:00.003-06:002008-09-09T23:23:28.985-06:00Too busy to write much<span class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; float: right; display: block;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:PingreeHomestead.jpg"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9d/PingreeHomestead.jpg/202px-PingreeHomestead.jpg" alt="View from the trail of the Koenig Homestead at..." style="border: medium none ; display: block;" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="margin: 1em 0pt 0pt; display: block;">Image via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:PingreeHomestead.jpg">Wikipedia</a> </span></span><div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Life has been just plain busy lately. Lots of running around. No point in getting too boring with the details. You all know running around as well as I do.<br /><br />I did manage to get an entry written for this week's Writing Challenge. I'm not too thrilled with it, but oh well. It was what I could do with the time I had.<br /><br />Today we had our first meeting for this semester of the WOW Bible study. I'm an assistant leader this semester, so I will have a 1-hour meeting to attend after each 2-hour weekly class. The meeting is optional for assistants, but I plan to attend pretty regularly. The study also entails homework during the week, so it's a bit of a commitment, but it's well worth it.<br /><br />Tomorrow Phillip and John start their Eco Week adventure! Oh wait, I just checked back over previous entries, and I never told you about Eco Week. That's probably because I had thought that Phillip wouldn't be going. Eco Week is a three day, two night rustic experience at Pingree Park, which is at about 9,000 feet in elevation. (The photo above was taken there.) The entire 5th and 6th grade will be going. Phillip hadn't wanted to go, and I wasn't going to push for it. There are many complications involved in sending him. But bless John's heart, he decided to rent a cabin for himself up there and go along, so he could be there for Phillip if needed. The biggest help is just the fact that Phillip can sleep in that cabin instead of with the big barnful of other kids. His fear of the dark and his incontinence will not be nearly as big an issue that way. And we won't be worried about him having major meltdowns and ruining everything for everyone else. It's a two-hour drive each way, winding through Poudre Canyon a lot of the way, so it would be a real bummer to get a phone call at 11pm saying, "Come get him, this isn't working!" Phillip is pretty excited about it now, especially since finding out that the bathrooms aren't outhouses!<br /><br />As for funny kid stories, well, I've got one. Andrew got some dirt and put it out in the middle of the cul-de-sac this evening. He explained to me that, "if any of the dirt is gone tomorrow, we'll know that lightning struck there."<br /><br />Au revoir for now!<br /></div> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/303f90a1-49a2-4cf1-8014-136c06bd6ebf/" title="Zemified by Zemanta"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=303f90a1-49a2-4cf1-8014-136c06bd6ebf" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a></div>Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-43018376974144688252008-09-05T12:14:00.001-06:002008-09-05T12:14:41.996-06:00Another happy contest result!<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>I'm thrilled to report that my entry in this week's FaithWriters challenge, <a href='http://www.faithwriters.com/wc-article-level4-previous.php?id=25105'>"Puttin' Up With Patience"</a> came in 2nd place overall out of 191 entries! I wasn't sure how well a story set in a hard-drinking Wild West saloon would go over, but I guess they didn't mind.</div>Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-34970851901011634272008-09-03T20:18:00.001-06:002008-09-03T20:18:38.240-06:00Wednesday already<div xmlns='http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'>This is getting a bit old. Nathanael is not eating contraband foods, but his braces are needing repair on a weekly basis. This time instead of a wire, it's a whole bracket that has come undone. Grrrrr.<br/><br/>Last night we had a meeting for all of the workers in the "Women of the Word" Bible study. This is my first time acting as an assistant, so I had to get a feel for my new responsibilities. They don't sound heavy.<br/><br/>Several days ago I went to a parent orientation with Andrew's teacher, and I told her that I wanted to find some way to volunteer, but that I was not designed to interact with groups of children. We talked about how I might be able to use writing to contribute to the class, and I came up with an idea that she really liked. We implemented it for the first time this week. She sent home a list of the week's spelling words, and I wrote a poem around them. Every time I used a spelling word in the poem, I replaced it with dashes. The kids would have to figure out which word it was based on what it had to rhyme with in the rest of the stanza. Well, it worked out great. The teacher and the kids loved the poem, I enjoyed writing it, and Andrew was thrilled that Mom had contributed. An all-around positive experience.<br/><br/>Fall is definitely falling around here. It's lovely, cool weather, but we're not seeing changing colors yet. <br/><br/>Phillip has been doing better in children's church. He's not been causing any problems for the past two weeks, and so both John and I have been able to stay in the service and enjoy it. Hooray!<br/></div>Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-56378506816971989222008-08-29T23:02:00.000-06:002008-08-29T23:02:00.859-06:00The Funniest Markman Story In A While<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIXB9EM1IuX5_DLiTnnpMAjC441ZX2INS9MaGbtvaq4nQX9BI6gp81XkJlIWlm_WOYdKQJy9XYdPQi4Vvi0avLYCJn3wl7U0HnbhwNH2xd0dQkKwZJhlXTmUVjCVjgUY44k6igTUDp_Q/s1600-h/shocked.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIXB9EM1IuX5_DLiTnnpMAjC441ZX2INS9MaGbtvaq4nQX9BI6gp81XkJlIWlm_WOYdKQJy9XYdPQi4Vvi0avLYCJn3wl7U0HnbhwNH2xd0dQkKwZJhlXTmUVjCVjgUY44k6igTUDp_Q/s320/shocked.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240115109904040530" border="0" /></a><br />This morning one of my offspring (who shall remain nameless) wasn't doing what he was supposed to be doing, which was showering to get ready for school. When I found this out (by communication with him over the intercom), I asked him what he had been doing. <br />He replied, "Well, I stuck something on my face and I couldn't get it off." <br />I said, "You stuck something on your face?" <br />"Yeah, you know, you have this stash of things next to your toilet in your bathroom, and I stuck one of those on my face..."<br /><br />If you're not laughing yet, just think about it...<br /><br />In another less scandalous event, Phillip and Andrew were helping to fill up a pot with water for cooking. I told them it had too much water in it, and Phillip asked, "Is it possible to refill the faucet?"<br /><br />Today we helped Mary get moved into her new housing. It's a definite step up for her, and most importantly, she won't be suffering from the terrible health problems brought on by living with a persistent gas leak (multiple attempts to get it fixed failed). She thinks that all she'll need is one more day to finish the move.<br /><br />We're glad the DNC is over. Even though Denver is 60 miles from here, we're convinced that all of the hot air and "blowing smoke" at the convention was responsible for the terrible smog we were experiencing up here.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">(Photo from Stock.xchng by bigevil600)</span>Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-18093831465553782412008-08-28T07:56:00.003-06:002008-08-28T23:45:09.866-06:00The latest FaithWriters contest results have been announced. My entry, <a href="http://www.faithwriters.com/wc-article-level4.php?id=24977">"The Ball at Gentian Manor,"</a> came in 28th out of 192. (The given topic had been "Charade.") This entry was a different sort of work for me, because I chose to go with a touch of romance and mystery. It's amazing how challenging it can be to get a whole story packed into 750 words or fewer!<br /><br />The topic we're supposed to write about this week is "Truth or Dare." Hmmm...nothing is popping immediately to mind. But then again, things rarely pop immediately to mind.<br /><br />I was able to get quite a few extraneous words chopped out of the first few scenes of "Dying for Answers." That felt good.<br /><br />Nathanael called me from school because he had another orthodontic crisis. I had a mere half-hour to get dressed (shame on me, I was still in PJ's), drive down to the school, check Nathanael out at the office, and then drive him to the orthodontist. If I didn't get there by that time, we would be out of luck. The doctor was leaving then to catch a plane in Denver, and the office wouldn't be open again until Tuesday. Thank the Lord, we made it in time!Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-26048211755703904972008-08-27T23:42:00.005-06:002008-08-28T00:08:03.179-06:00Busy, busy day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiiqwIPzL-WxZDi6GJNili9fAvvhH3pRgTo7_0sx1R_zUNa0IRKQl1nRj-kYbQUhlivJ0NEmiDnVotXmb0wCCUqsMNkRjx7pjoKQu3LZ6yDPvpRhHlWoxka6VzbdbjhDdmpCVNB_gQhg/s1600-h/to_do_list.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxiiqwIPzL-WxZDi6GJNili9fAvvhH3pRgTo7_0sx1R_zUNa0IRKQl1nRj-kYbQUhlivJ0NEmiDnVotXmb0wCCUqsMNkRjx7pjoKQu3LZ6yDPvpRhHlWoxka6VzbdbjhDdmpCVNB_gQhg/s320/to_do_list.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239445747119648802" border="0" /></a><br />Wow, I think this is a first for me, completing a new weekly menu that's safe for diabetics, getting all of the grocery shopping done, and all of the laundry done in one day. I am so thankful to the Lord for His help!<br /><br />Phillip did much better on his homework tonight, meaning a better attitude and effort. I think some mathematical concepts may have gone "click" for him tonight, which is really nice.<br /><br />I think the kids' new allowances will definitely turn out to be a very positive thing. We have explained to them that their allowances are not payment for their chores. We give allowances so they can learn responsibility and just as a nice "perk." But one of the ways they are to learn responsibility is by accepting financial responsibility when they damage or break something, or when someone else has to take up the slack for a chore they didn't do. We haven't started deducting anything from their allowances yet, because we wanted to give them a grace period. But they know that it will start soon. And I explained to them how much money I would have deducted today if it <span style="font-style: italic;">had </span>started already. It made an impression. I've never seen Phillip race upstairs to make his bed so enthusiastically. He was even saying very emphatically, "I'm GOING to do this. I'm not going to let anyone else do it for me!" This from a boy who used to constantly whine about needing help with bed-making!<br /><br />I got an estimate today on how much a professional editor would charge to go over "Dying for Answers." Because my book is so huge, the fee is also huge (even with a significant discount). It made me decide that it was time to start trimming fat off of that book. Maybe after I've reduced its size a good bit I'll get another estimate. It felt good to start serious work on that particular manuscript again, though I had little time to devote to writing today, and was only able to trim off about 65 words from the first scene. There will be more.<br /><br />I'd best be off to bed!<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">(Photo from Stock.xchng by kvohsen)</span>Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-21362520477568083182008-08-25T22:20:00.004-06:002008-08-25T22:33:30.340-06:00A Great Big Humongous BlessingSome of you may know that we've had a particular financial sword hanging over our heads for about a year now, caused by the antics of our youngest son and his friend next door. Last summer they were throwing rocks, and of course I stopped them when I saw them. But a couple of days later our new neighbor on the other side called me over and showed me some minuscule dents on his hood, and one of the distinctively-shaped rocks on his driveway. Honestly, I could barely see the dents, but they looked huge to him. I knew Andrew had been throwing the rocks, and so we agreed to cover part of the cost of fixing the dents. Our neighbor to the South, whose son was also throwing rocks, agreed to do the same.<br /><br />The lowest estimate that he got was something like $800.00<br /><br />We were in shock. Felt absolutely sick about it. The neighbor was polite, but insistent that this had to be taken care of, because it was important to him. What could we say? He showed us the estimates. <br /><br />Well, thank the Lord our neighbor wasn't very hurried about getting the work done. I think he felt worse about the cost than he let on. So it didn't get done and it didn't get done, but of course we were always waiting for that axe to drop on us.<br /><br />Well, tonight he came over and seemed much more relaxed than usual. He told John that Honda had admitted that the paint on his car was defective. (Lots more little marks had been showing up in the interim.) They're now going to repaint the car for free, and the dent removal will cost less than $100. We are very, very grateful!<br /><br />Andrew got to ride the school bus for the first time today. He was totally psyched up about it, but I suspect from his lackadaisical response this afternoon that it wasn't as thrilling as he'd hoped it would be.<br /><br />Phillip is trying to get away with murder over homework already. John and I presented a united front tonight, and it had an effect that we hope will last for a while.<br /><br />My computer was dead for a while today. When John came home he quickly diagnosed the problem by turning it over (it's a laptop). He found that the fan was completely clogged with dust, so the unit was overheating. Quickly fixed.Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-30776341729556731522008-08-24T22:13:00.000-06:002008-08-24T22:21:10.182-06:00First week of School is over!Nathanael is now out of his special podiatric shoe. He still won't be able to participate in PE for a while, though. Not until early October.<br /><br />Phillip did well in children's church today. He participated, answered questions, and behaved well. They never had to come and get us, so we enjoyed an uninterrupted sermon for the first time in a while.<br /><br />John took the plunge and got a buzz cut. He's still a little shocked when he looks in the mirror, but I think it looks fine on him. I am now the only un-buzzed person in the house. Don't worry...the peer pressure isn't getting to me.<br /><br />I'm starting to think seriously about trying some freelance writing. I'm getting a great deal of really strong encouragement from the folks at FaithWriters, so I'm getting up some courage.<br /><br />John has put down some indoor/outdoor carpeting on our back patio. It looks nice.<br /><br />Can't think of much else, but that's probably because I'm half asleep.Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-88587886978153162562008-08-20T21:02:00.005-06:002008-08-20T21:29:34.257-06:00Kinda thought things would slow down...Things haven't slowed down since school started. I keep hoping, but it hasn't happened.<br /><br />I drove Andrew to school this morning, then drove straight to the Jr. High to pick up Nathanael for his emergency orthodontic repair. It wasn't time for me to pick him up yet, but it would have been ridiculous to go home and then have to turn around so soon. So I sat and read a book in the Jr. High office until it was time to take Nathanael. Then I sat and read in the orthodontist's office for a while. Then I ferried Nathanael back to school. Then I went home and took inventory of my pantries and refrigerator/freezers compared to what I would need for this week's recipes. Then it was off to Sam's Club, and then off to Wal-Mart. Then home just an hour before it was time to go pick up Andrew, and of course there were chores...<br /><br />And then the kids were home. And there was homework, and kids' chores...<br /><br />I learned this week that the quality of gasoline you buy can have a HUGE impact on your gas mileage. I usually buy gas at Safeway, just because it's handy. But a couple of Sundays ago we needed to stop somewhere because we were way low on gas, and so we filled up at a convenience store that's also close to home. I could tell pretty quickly that this must have been lousy gas, because my mileage stank. I filled up again today and figured it out, and I'd gotten only 16 mpg! That's far and away the worst I've ever gotten in this car; almost as bad as the big SUV we got rid of. Normally I get 22 or more mpg.<br /><br />I had heard you could get really good gasoline at one particular place in town, and it wasn't far from Wal-Mart, so I went there today. It remains to be seen what happens to my mileage, but I think it's a good sign that there was no "Contains Ethanol" sticker on the pump.<br /><br />One cool thing was that I gave the kids "buzz cuts" for the first time. (It's not the first time they've had buzz cuts, but it's the first time I've been brave enough to be the one wielding the clippers.) It was so easy...I can't imagine why I used to think I wasn't qualified to do that. It feels good saving all that money by doing it myself. So, in honor of the occasion, I'm including one of my favorite photos. I didn't take it myself. It's a picture of my great-nephew J.J. Enjoy!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKTTLYsND-JS-4qli7PTSx2S8mygpkEwZiNaiKWfLZEUVSq9iIIOd-aBXdzdDb0LfGkAWi2eVtJmxQWJqssbippJsVCZJG6BdN47SpnkiQskGuW0nhaScXizGcoe0fEUNOXBnPR6HaXs/s1600-h/Jay+Jay+haircut+for+blog.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLKTTLYsND-JS-4qli7PTSx2S8mygpkEwZiNaiKWfLZEUVSq9iIIOd-aBXdzdDb0LfGkAWi2eVtJmxQWJqssbippJsVCZJG6BdN47SpnkiQskGuW0nhaScXizGcoe0fEUNOXBnPR6HaXs/s320/Jay+Jay+haircut+for+blog.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236807450410149250" border="0" /></a>Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-34381474254348912442008-08-19T22:00:00.002-06:002008-08-19T22:43:15.163-06:00Home alone<span class="zemanta-img" style="margin: 1em; float: right; display: block;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Apron_1922.jpg"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9b/Apron_1922.jpg/202px-Apron_1922.jpg" alt="Woman of the 1920's wearing a full-length hous..." style="border: medium none ; display: block;" /></a><span class="zemanta-img-attribution" style="margin: 1em 0pt 0pt; display: block;">Image via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Apron_1922.jpg">Wikipedia</a> </span></span>Wow, it was the first day that I had all three boys in school. I asked the Lord to help me remember that having the house to myself wasn't the same as having the house FOR myself. In other words, I wanted to be faithful to do the housework for the family, not just do what I wanted to do because I had the run of the place.<br /><br />So, I got a whole list of housework done. It's a good feeling. It is amazing how much easier it is to get it done when you can keep a focus!<br /><br />I thought it was cool that Zemanta found this photo of a 1920's -style house apron in response to the fact that I had written about housework. But I don't know what to make of the hat. That looks more like one of those bizarre hats that nurses used to wear. But anyway you dress it, housework is housework. I think it had it easier in my shorts, though.<br /><br />This afternoon I went to pick up Andrew from school, and since the school has a tiny parking lot, I left a little early. I had a couple of minutes to kill so I was working on memory verses in the car, until a Yellow Jacket came and joined me in there. For some reason I felt motivated to leave the vehicle at that time. Oh, and I should mention that I got a call on my cell phone while I was sitting there. It was from Nathanael, informing me that he had gotten on the wrong bus and was "somewhere." He didn't know where he was, but he said they were bringing him home. He seemed fine, so we ended the call.<br /><br />Ok, so now I was leaving the car, but the kids still weren't out, so I went over to where Phillip's bus was parked, and I introduced myself to the driver. We had talked a good bit on the phone, and I knew he was very nice, and that he had been trying to get the District to allow him to drive Andrew despite the lack of paperwork. So I wanted to thank him for that. He asked me if I had heard about Nathanael, because he'd been hearing about the situation on his bus radio. He had subbed a few times last year on Phillip and Nathanael's bus, so he knew Nathanael belonged to me. He ended up acting as a radio liaison between myself and the driver of the bus that Nathanael was in. Poor Nathanael ended up all the way out in the neighboring town of Timnath, where he had to get off the bus (with a kind adult bus assistant who waited with him) while another bus from Fort Collins drove out there to pick him up. They delivered him to our door only about an hour and fifteen minutes late. Then, just a few minutes after he got home, the wire broke on his braces. I called the Orthodontist's office, and the doctor was gone for the day. They told me they didn't have any openings tomorrow, but they would try to squeeze him in. Nathanael was able to finagle it into a position where it's not bothering him TOO much. But it was quite a day for him.<br /><div style="border: 0px none ; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 0px; display: block; z-index: -90; left: -100px; top: -100px; height: 0px;" id="autoPagerLastDiv" class="autoPagerS"></div> <div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/bc6a1737-412a-494f-9a30-918611d4dbc6/" title="Zemified by Zemanta"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=bc6a1737-412a-494f-9a30-918611d4dbc6" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a></div>Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7127039280358623871.post-19934835389259740992008-08-18T23:18:00.001-06:002008-08-18T23:18:00.112-06:00Boy, was this ever a Monday!<a style="font-family: Georgia;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdvpYTghnfdCziAuJ9_tDw1m4RdKge7BSQHwtaetJV_zGx4lFbIj1KjsCTiaqoj0XreqcwV6N70nhaUfDMg6ovkGRzPNa0FPRLzLGCgJ62wWWrn3p-ePdyXCvBtqLuGI-Zj44DUOooTg/s1600-h/back+to+school+pencils.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; font-family: Georgia;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdvpYTghnfdCziAuJ9_tDw1m4RdKge7BSQHwtaetJV_zGx4lFbIj1KjsCTiaqoj0XreqcwV6N70nhaUfDMg6ovkGRzPNa0FPRLzLGCgJ62wWWrn3p-ePdyXCvBtqLuGI-Zj44DUOooTg/s320/back+to+school+pencils.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236041210319372802" border="0" /></a><br />Well, it started out pretty well. I got up at 6:00, which is way early for this night owl. Especially since this particular night owl had stayed up late the night before, against her better judgment. Anyway, we got Nathanael to his bus on time, and then I went back to bed. I didn't get up until I heard that the other kids were up. Shortly after that it dawned on me that Nathanael hadn't taken his morning medicines. So I had to pile the kids into the car and drive the medicines down to the school. After that I made a quick trip to the grocery store and went back home. Then I spent a while getting tonight's dinner ready and into the crock pot.<br /><br />Then I remembered that I needed to go by Phillip's school and sign some paperwork which then needed to be faxed to his doctor. Until the doctor faxes back his signed copy, the school isn't allowed to administer his medications, and that would mean a round trip every day (until it's signed) to give it to him myself. Needless to say, I wanted to get that signed and faxed ASAP. So I piled the kids back in the car and ran down there, but was amazed to find the office darkened and the doors locked. Somebody came and let me in and informed me that the office staff were all in a confidential meeting and could not be disturbed. "Can you come back in half an hour?" I said I'd hang around instead. <br /><br />So we decided it would be a great opportunity to help the kids find their classrooms. We already planned to come back to the school tonight for the ice cream social, and we planned to find the classrooms then. But since we were already there, why not look for it now? Well it turns out to be a good thing that we did, because to our total shock we found out that Andrew wasn't registered with the district at all. I distinctly remember filling out all the paperwork and being told that everything was in order, way back before the last school year ended. John remembers me doing the paperwork, too, so I know I didn't imagine it. But somehow it got lost, and Andrew wasn't going to be allowed to start school tomorrow unless I got the paperwork filled out again. So there I sat, filling out paperwork for registration AND for medication. But I'm glad all of that happened when it did. It would have been too late in the day to get him registered if we hadn't found out the error until the ice cream social. Anyway, Andrew is now in the system and will be allowed to start school tomorrow. BUT I don't know if the doctor faxed the form yet, so I don't know if I'll have to make a special trip to administer Phillip's medications at lunchtime tomorrow. AND Andrew isn't yet authorized to ride the bus, though Phillip's driver went to bat for him. So until that bureaucratic hoop is jumped through, the bus will come to our driveway and pick up Phillip, and then I will put Andrew in my car and drive him to school right behind the bus. Let's hope that ridiculousness doesn't last long.<br /><br />So anyway, then we came home and ate lunch, and I got a bit done around the house (but not a whole lot). I honestly can't tell you what all I <span style="font-style: italic; font-family: Georgia;">did </span>get done, but I didn't sit around doing nothing.<br /><br />Then at 5:00 it was back to the elementary school for the ice cream social and classroom finding tour. The folks in the office had done a fine job and had Andrew already assigned to a classroom, so we were able to go in and drop off all of his stuff and meet the teacher. I think he feels better about going now than he did before. Of course we did all of that for Phillip, too. We got home at dinnertime, and everything was nice and ready in the crock pot. Hooray for that!<br /><br />Let's hope the rest of the day goes better! It wasn't a bad day, per se, but I'm hoping for some relaxation.<br /><br />Dinner was <span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: Georgia;">Creamy Ham and Potato Soup</span><br />2 can (15 oz) sliced potatoes; drained<br />4 medium onion; finely chopped<br />3 cup ham (fully cooked); cubed<br />4 tablespoon butter<br />4 tablespoon all-purpose flour<br />2 teaspoon ground mustard<br />1/2 teaspoon Salt<br />1 teaspoon pepper<br />2 can cream of celery soup; undiluted<br />2 2/3 cup Water<br />8 oz shredded cheddar<br /><br />Slice potatoes, chop onions, cube ham. In a slow cooker, layer potatoes,<br />onions and ham. In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, mustard, salt<br />and pepper until smooth. Combine soup and water; gradually stir into flour<br />mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened<br />and bubbly. Pour over ham. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours or until<br />potatoes are tender. If desired, sprinkle with cheese before serving<br /><div style="border: 0px none ; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: absolute; width: 0px; display: block; z-index: -90; left: -100px; top: -100px; height: 0px; font-family: Georgia;" id="autoPagerLastDiv" class="autoPagerS"></div> <br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">Photo from Stock.xchng by Woodsy</span><br /><div style="margin-top: 10px; height: 15px;" class="zemanta-pixie"><a class="zemanta-pixie-a" href="http://reblog.zemanta.com/zemified/4a789ece-a12a-41fc-8fcc-e62769ff3bfb/" title="Zemified by Zemanta"><img style="border: medium none ; float: right;" class="zemanta-pixie-img" src="http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=4a789ece-a12a-41fc-8fcc-e62769ff3bfb" alt="Reblog this post [with Zemanta]" /></a></div>Betsy Markmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13600148899348868100noreply@blogger.com0