Budding Artist

Me:  What happened to the wall?
Micah:  The marker draw on wall.
Me:  Who was holding the marker when it drew on the wall?
Micah: Me
Me:  Well, you are going to have to clean it all off.

...I proceed to give him a magic eraser...

Micah:  Oh man! Awesome! Cool!

...I come back several minutes later to find Micah drawing on another wall...

Me: What are you doing?
Micah: Need more marks on wall.

...I guess the punishment was a little too fun...

Learning

This was our first official week of school.  I have to admit that we did not get much done in the way of real schooling, (it was the first week after all) but it was a learning experience for all of us.  Here are just a few of the things that we learned.

1. Hummingbirds do not belong in the house.  Mom panics when one is flying around loose in there.
2. Craft beads do not belong up your nose.  Mom panics when that happens as well.
3. Artwork is for paper only.
4. Magic erasers really are magic for getting said artwork off of the walls, windows, doors, and television...but not off of children.
5. When it is over 100 degrees outside and you are covered in artwork, bathtub play is the best recess ever!

Hectic and crazy as it is, I love being able to experience all of these things with my children in our home school environment.

Haircuts

It was past time for haircuts at my house.  I dread haircuts....especially with Jonah.  We either have to take him out to a shop and run the risk of rude questions being asked about his skin, or cut his hair ourselves.  I am NOT a good barber.  You can ask any of my college roommates who I happened to practice on many years ago and they will verify my claim.  I fear I have not gotten any better as time as passed.
So that means that Joe is the official hair cutter around here.  This time around when he went to cut Jonah's hair, Jonah got upset and would not sit still for Joe to even make the first cut.  I could tell Joe was getting frustrated and so I asked Jonah what the problem was.  I knew he could not be scared of the scissors since this is certainly not the first time he has had Joe cut his hair.  Jonah responded with;

"I'm worried what it will look like when he gets done!"

I guess I am not the only one in this house lacking skills as a barber!!!!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

"If the traditional Rs (reading, writing, and arithmetic) are the basics that we want our children to master academically, then reverence, respect, and responsibility are the three Rs that our children need to master for the sake of their souls and the health of the world." ~Zoe Weil

I think of myself as a respectful person.  I try to teach my children respect.  I believe that the decline of society is directly related to the lack of respect that we show to those around us.

Why is this on my mind?

Today as I was driving home from town, I met a funeral procession.  I have heard that it is just a southern thing, but around here, cars pull over to the side of the road out of respect until the funeral procession has passed.  Today was no exception, and I pulled my van over to the side of the road.  As I sat there in my air conditioned van I used my time sitting on the side of the road to check my e-mails.  I glanced up into my mirror and saw that a gentleman had pulled over behind me, got out of his vehicle in 100 degree weather, removed his cap, and stood facing the procession with his hand over his heart.  His show of respect brought tears to my eyes and shame to my heart.

I may consider myself a respectful person, but obviously I have a long way to go.  I fear that I have fallen short of teaching my children the art of respect.  In my home I want to teach that people deserve respect not because of what they have or have not done, but simply because they are children of God and God has called us to love them.  For how can you truly love someone without respect?