Bonjour Paris... Here we come!!

That's right. We're off on another European vacation! A few days in Paris, a few days in Rome and then we're back home. Part of me just wants to stay home and forget this trip. I've done hours of research on the internet, reading about these two cities, what there is to see there, how much it costs, what the weather will be like, yada, yada, yada. After overloading my brain with all that information, plus getting through our first week of homeschooling, it feels stressful to go on this trip. Not to mention our concerns with being pickpocket targets in Rome. Yikes! Gangs of gypsy children are known to swarm tourists, distracting them and taking everything they can. Even heard a story about a motherly type pretending to fall while holding her "baby", dumping her little one into poor unsuspecting tourist's arms, while accomplices help themselves to pockets. After its all over, tourist realizes the baby was a doll and that his pockets are picked dry! We know what we need to do to keep safe, mostly to stay alert and carry as little as possible, as concealed as possible. The rest is in God's hands - May He watch over us and keep us safe!

School was good today. We had a short history lesson involving the ancient coins of Rome and then looking up in the Bible the terms used for money. Moved onto an English lesson that involved interrogative sentences, article adjectives and how to classify sentences. Lucky for me, ~N~ was paying attention in class last year and understands this stuff quite well. We basically reviewed it all today. I'm already feeling more comfortable, happy and content with our learning.

I've got to get supper going, more packing done and pay some bills! What Fun!

May the Lord bless you and keep you,
May His face shine upon you
and give you peace,
Marla

Computer Humor

Can you identify with these??

The following are error messages seen on computer screens in Japan, written in Haiku:

1. The Web site you seek cannot be located, but
countless more exist.

2. Chaos reigns within. Reflect, repent, and reboot.
Order shall return.

3 Program aborting: Close all that you have worked
on. You ask far too much.

4. Windows NT crashed. I am the Blue Screen of
Death. No one hears your screams.

5. Yesterday it worked. Today it is not working.
Windows is like that.

6. Your file was so big. It might be very useful.
But now it is gone.

7. Stay the patient course. Of little worth is your
ire. The network is down.

8. A crash reduces your expensive computer to a
simple stone.

9. Out of memory. We wish to hold the whole sky,
but we never will.

10. Having been erased, the document you're seeking
must now be retyped.

11. Serious error. All shortcuts have disappeared.

12. Screen. Mind. Both are blank.

How To Preserve Children

Take one large grassy field; 1/2 dozen
children, all sizes; 3 small dogs; and one
narrow strip of brook, pebbly if possible.
Mix the children with the dogs and
empty them into the field, stirring
continually. Sprinkle with field flowers,
pour brook gently over pebbles, cover
all with a deep blue sky and bake in a
hot sun. When the children are well-
browned they may be removed. Will be
found ready for setting away to cool
in the bathtub.

I love that recipe!! It brings to mind such wonderful
childhood images. Sort of like reading from Winnie the Pooh....

Its been a good (no, make that GREAT) day of school! We spent the morning
studying ancient Rome, focusing on the Colosseum and the gladiators because
~N~ is totally fascinated with the whole subject. He read about it on the
internet and then I asked for a one page essay. Normally, he would have balked and whined and complained and done the bare minimum. But guess what? He wrote 2 pages and was so pleased with himself!! I was tickled pink and loving it.

At the end of last school year, ~D~ brought home a bean plant that they had started in class. We planted it in the ground and have watched it grow all summer. It has now produced huge pods full of healthy green beans that are similiar to a lima bean. The boys want to cook them and see what they are like. I'm not sure what type of bean it is, but its fun to see their interest and I'm sure this can be categorized as a science experiment!

Rejoicing because life is good,

Marla

A good day!

We made it through the first day with flying colors. The boys were focused and excited to learn, though I was a wee bit nervous at times and probably tried too hard to keep things running smoothly. I was afraid of down-time, of lagging between subjects and losing their attention. After we finished I was very emotional and really wanted to cry, but never did. I don't know what that was all about. I kept thinking of all the other kids we know who were off to school, and I think Satan played on my thoughts and was doing his best to discourage me. So, I prayed and I sat down in front of the computer, searching Google for topics like "transitioning from public school to homeschool" in hopes of understanding my fears. Found out it was all normal and was greatly encouraged by what I read. Its going to take about 5 months for my oldest to adjust and about 3 for my youngest. How long for me??? Ha!

We studied Creation vs. Evolution this morning. ~N~ balked about the video I wanted us to watch, by Chip Ingram. But pretty soon he was into it and we had some great discussions. We looked on the internet for Michaelangelo's Creation of Adam painting, the boys printed it out and wrote a description underneath it to put in their portfolios. We worked on English after that... adding words to vocabulary notebooks and writing their first journal entries. Moved on to math, and then I told them it was time to read silently for 30 minutes. One took his book along with a pillow and blanket to the hammock. The other took his book along with a blanket and pillow to the trampoline! (I stretched out on the couch and had a little cat nap!)

After that, I told them they were done and free to do whatever they wanted. That's when I felt a little out of sorts, trying to figure out what I should do with myself, realizing I would do the same thing all over tomorrow, and just generally feeling moody. So I got busy with the laundry and felt much better after that. (That just can't be right - laundry makes one feel better??!! What's up with that?!)

Thank you for your words of encouragement. It means so much to me, especially since there is no local support group here. Reading homeschooling blogs IS my support network!!

Blessings to you all,
Marla

The Socialization Issue

Today at church, a couple of women found out that I'm going to homeschool. I'm still a little afraid to tell people that we're going to homeschool. For one thing, people here in this international community aren't familiar with homeschooling and think its pretty weird. They are ignorant of its virtues and benefits. So I never know how people will respond when I tell them about HSing. Today I felt a definite negative reaction, though the person seemed kind, genuine, and interested. She made me feel doubtful about my choice. The first question off her lips was "Do you think they will get enough socialization if they aren't at school?"

Now, about the socialization thing. Whenever I think about what my children are missing by not going to school, these are the things I think of:

1. Playing sports (this wouldn't be an issue for us if my boys weren't athletically talented)
2. being together with friends on a daily basis and sharing common interests, encouraging one another, learning from one another
3. participating in group events like choir or band
4. loving a teacher, especially in the elementary years

Whenever I have doubts about homeschooling, I tend to visualize the positive aspects of school. I remember how happy my children were to come home with a grade card full of A's. To be together with friends who you can sit by during lunch, play with at recess and wink at during class. There is a special comraderie that is born when you spend time with each other all day. Some peer pressure is healthy and can motivate a child when nothing else will. We made contact with families that we never would have met if it weren't for school, and because of those relationships were able to make a spiritual impact.

Heaven knows, there are negative aspects to all these good things I am mentioning. Friends turn on you. Kids make fun of you. I suffered a lot of emotional abuse because I looked different. Boys liked making fun of me because of my light skin, freckles and frailness. I still struggle to this day with the emotional effects of being teased in school. I can't help but compare myself to those who have dark skin and no freckles and wonder why in the world God didn't see fit to put a little more melanin in my body! Gradually I am becoming more content with my body and accepting that God made me this way for a reason!

I understand that grades aren't necessary in homeschooling. I like it that we can protect our kids from the negative socialization that takes place in today's schools. I'm not at all worried about my children being backward or lacking in social skills. I'm glad to remove them from the school where cussing in the classroom was acceptable and never punished. I'm glad to remove them from the sex talk and the fashion conscious.

Can we do everything better at home? Will my children thrive in a home learning environment? Will they miss the social life of school, the activities, the friends, the routine, the lunchboxes, recess?

I suppose this is more an issue for parents who are pulling out of school, rather than those who have homeschooled from the start. My oldest has been in school for 5 years and my youngest for 3. They will notice the difference.

I am NOT doubtful of our decision to homeschool. I believe the Lord has called me to this choice, and I have perfect peace that we are in His will. I just can't help but think of the pros and cons and I wonder how others have come to terms with these issues.

I know there are more thoughts lurking in my brain regarding this topic, but after numerous interruptions from my boys, I can't seem to transfer them into writing. You know how that goes??

Tomorrow we will begin our journey. I covet your prayers...

Rejoicing,
Marla

Swing, batter, batter....

Take me out to the SOFTball game! Hubby has organized a little softball game after work today for anyone who wants to play. I'm looking forward to playing 3rd base and hopefully not striking out! Watching the women's Olympic softball team has been inspiring. All the Oylmpic athletes are just awesome! We have totally enjoyed watching the Olympics with the boys. Some of the sports, like badminton, have really surprised us. Badminton? An Olympic sport? Come on.... We did enjoy watching Great Britain and China's mixed pairs compete for gold - it just seems a little strange that badminton is such a big deal! Our family enjoys swatting the birdie in our back yard, but we'd never considered training our boys with the hopes of an Olympic gold medal in the fierce sport of badminton!

Yesterday we watched the American women's swim team win the 400M relay. We found out that a friend of ours in Fort Worth, Texas swims with Dana Vollmer, and that connection made the Olympics much more personal for our family. We watched them win the gold AND break the world record! 3 Cheers for the USA swim teams! And what about Michael Phelps??!! Ain't he somethin'?

We were planning to watch the Changing of the Guard today at the Royal Palace but instead my oldest son got a call from a friend to go fishing! I knew he really wanted to go fishing so we postponed our little field trip to the palace.

I made a school calendar and penciled in field trips and holidays. Somewhere I heard about "Field Trip Fridays" and decided that would work well for us. There are places around Stockholm that I want us to see before we leave and scheduling them into our calendar will help us get it accomplished. I think we'll do our morning work on Friday's, have lunch and then take off on a field trip. Most of the places we hope to visit have cheap entrance fees. On the schedule so far are places like Skansen (the world's oldest outdoor museum), a music museum, an aquarium, the Royal Armoury and Gripsholm Castle.

Have a good weekend!
Marla

Lost and Found

Yesterday I sat down in front of the computer to catch up on my private journal. I was way behind. I blame blogging for being behind in my journal. I don't even blog that much, but it sort of takes away the passion for writing in my journal somehow. More writing than I want to try and keep up with, I guess. Nonetheless, I was thinking about all of this a couple nights ago while I was in bed and decided how much I will regret not having kept up my journal when we leave Sweden. I like blogging, but I'm not comfortable writing about really personal things. In my journal, I feel free to write whatever I want and to elaborate on stuff that wouldn't be of interest to the public. I have printed out my blog entries and inserted them into my journal, but since I've started blogging, there are fewer and fewer "real" journal entries. Well, that's about to change. I'll continue to blog because I see great value in it and I enjoy it. I plan to have my boys begin journaling as part of our homeschooling day, and if I am going to require it of them, I'll just require myself to do the same!

Yesterday as I was writing in my journal I had to think all the way back to our trips to Denmark and to Norway, and everything in between. I wrote about this traumatic incident that happened while we were in Norway:

We spent a day at Briksdal Glacier. We had hoped to take one of the tours across the ice with a guide, but we got there too late and had just missed the last group going up. We hiked for about an hour and a half to get to the edge of the glacier. It was an uphill climb through the woods on a path used by many other people, all of us there to see the mighty mountain of ice. We had a very scary thing happen to us on that climb. We lost ~N~. He had been walking ahead of us for awhile but we caught up to him when we came to a clearing that had picnic tables. I saw him sitting on a rock, just in front of the path at the edge of the clearing area. Danny and ~D~ and I had stopped to read a plaque that showed the glacier snout used to be at that area, and when we finished we noticed ~N~ was gone, and assumed he’d started up the path. We headed up to a rocky area, thinking he’d be waiting for us there, but he was nowhere to be seen. We hollered for him, but got no answer. I went back down to check the bathroom in the clearing where we’d last seen him and Danny went further up the path to see if he’d gone ahead. I returned to the rocks and saw Danny and ~D~, but not ~N~. This is when I felt the panic rise in my chest. Danny was surprised I hadn’t returned with ~N~, and I was surprised he hadn’t found him further up the path. It all spelled trouble. I went back down the path again, looking closer for him, hoping I had missed him and Danny went further up the path. ~D~ and I were holding hands as we got to the rocky area and we began shouting ~N~’s name as we looked everywhere. At one point, ~D~ began to be really worried and said so. “Mom, this is getting scary.” He too was shouting for his brother. I told ~D~ to pray for ~N~, that he was safe, and that we would find him. I began imagining life without ~N~, a funeral, how angry I was at myself for losing sight of him, for not teaching him to stay close to us. I imagined ~D~ without his brother. It was the most terrible, miserable time of my whole life. A friendly couple noticed our predicament and I remember telling them what our son looked like and what he was wearing. And I remember feeling how weird it was, to be describing my child to a stranger in hopes of them finding him. I was really scared at this point, figuring that ~N~ had either fallen from some high place or he had been taken by someone and they were already down the mountain and gone. I agonized over the fact that neither Danny or I had brought our cell phones with us up the mountain. I only wanted my boy back. But another thought was deep within my mind, and that thought was the knowledge that ~N~ likes to be first, that more than likely I was worrying over nothing, and that he had only gotten way ahead of us. That’s his personality, to get ahead of everyone else and be sitting there, waiting, wondering why it took so long for the rest of us to get there. Finally I heard Danny shout from up the path that he had found him. I was so relieved that I ran ahead to where they were and when I set my eyes on my child, I broke down into tears. Danny was furious with him, and gave him a proper tongue lashing about how he should not have gone that far ahead of us and that from now on he’ll be staying behind us. I could not have spoken those words, though I felt them. The grief and worry of having a lost child weighed so heavily upon me that I felt nothing but enormous relief, and a love so great for this son, that I wanted to consume him with it. I wanted to hold him close and never let him go again. This overshadowed our joy of seeing a glacier for awhile. We had to hike much further to get to the snout and by that time, we were ready to enjoy it.

Lessons were learned that day. By all of us. Since that day, we've been on walks and bicycle rides together and ~N~ stays close by. He frequently stops, even though we're in sight and waits for us to get closer. Even though we had taught him to not get out of our sight, he did when we were at the glacier. As parents, we didn't do our job that day. We were preoccupied tourists, not paying enough attention to the whereabouts of our children. Frequently, our parenting skills are honed by such harrowing experiences as these. I think every parent has "lost a child" at Walmart and there is nothing quite like the panic of not knowing where they have wandered off to. We know what we need to do and incidents like these remind us of our important duties as parents.

* * * * * * * * * * *

There are 5 children in my house right now. Two belong to a new family that just arrived on Monday. I'm watching them while their parents do some unpacking today. The other child is here because his mother had to go to a meeting regarding school, which starts on Monday. They are all getting along well though. I need to go fix them some lunch, so ta-ta for now!

Rejoicing, that once what was lost
has now been found!

Marla

Something to think about...

As seen on The Word of the Day:

Everything is for the eye these days - TV, Life, Look, the movies. Nothing is just for the mind. The next generation will have eyeballs as big as cantaloupes and no brain at all.
-Fred Allen

Incidentally, the Word of the Day is "Roman holiday," which is defined as: "An entertainment event where pleasure is derived from watching gore and barbarism." [From the gladiatorial contests held in ancient Rome.]

Anyway, I thought the quote was right on.

Marla

Cats in the Colosseum

Who'd a guessed? Cats are everywhere in Rome. 300,000 cats live in the Eternal City; 180,000 in homes, 120,000 in the streets, and 4,000 colonies of cats. They are so popular that a law states that a group of more than 5 cats in the natural urban habitat constitutes a protected feline colony. In exchange for being sheltered, fed and protected, the cats must accept hygienic rules and sterilization. About 200 cats live in the Colosseum and they are said to be happy and healthy. Romans generally love cats, because they are graceful, harmless, clean, and keep the rats at bay.



Both my sons are intrigued by the Colosseum and its history. We have been reading about it online and also enjoying the Ancient Rome Eyewitness book. We are compiling our Paris/Rome sightseeing list and will continue researching the sights and gaining understanding of these places. Then it will be such a thrill to see them and hear the boys tell me what they learned!

Here's a cool link I recently found for kids: Fact Monster
Its an educational site that includes a dictionary, encyclopedia, almanac, atlas and many other links for news, science, math, games, sports and fun daily features. My 8 year old loves it!

Hope the sun is shining in your neck of the woods,
Marla

The Fruits of Summer

These go great atop this Shortcake recipe:

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup hot water

Beat eggs and sugar. Sift dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture alternately with vanilla and water. Mix. Bake in greased 8 x 8 pan for 30 minutes at 350 F.

* Double cake recipe if you've got company comin'!

We enjoyed this with some homemade vanilla ice cream... YUM!

Rejoicing over the sweet things in life,
Marla

Ever done this?

I've spent the whole day searching the internet, page after page after page, for "budget hotels" (i.e. CHEAP ONES) in Paris. Did you know there is no such thing?? Our family of four can't fit into their rooms made for 2 or 3. Hmpf.

I then searched through bed and breakfasts and found them to be a little cheaper than a hotel, but still not in our price range.

Then I found a hostel. If anyone reading this has ever been to a hostel with a family, I'd like to hear what your experience was like there. I reserved private rooms with bathrooms for us, all for $80 a night, including a buffet breakfast, and near Disneyland Paris.

I'm not really ready to go on a trip again, but we've only got a few months left in Sweden and its so much more economical to do it now than to wait till we're back in the States. We'll spend a couple days in Paris and then fly to Rome and be there about 5 days. I'm totally excited about Rome. The boys and I have been studying the Colosseum. We'll branch out and study other interesting Roman sites, and in Paris too.

Supper's on the stove and its needing my supervision.

Have a good one!

Marla

Things are back to normal!

Its been a wild couple weeks since our return from Norway. The cook at Danny's workplace was on vacation, so the Marines (and me and the boys) took over the kitchen and provided lunch during those 2 weeks. ~D~ had the time of his life.... He set up his snow cone machine and sold snow cones for 10 crowns each. I think he earned nearly $50! ~N~ was involved with the rest of us in the kitchen, helping to prepare the food, serve customers, and clean up afterwards. It was a great experience for all of us!

In the past week we've invited 2 families to our home for a meal. Both are new to Sweden. One family has been here for a month, the other is here on a 2 week house hunting expedition and will return when the husband's work permit is ready. Fabulous people though. One family has 3 children, the other has 4. And next week another family arrives, which we will "sponsor." We are preparing their home for them, will pick them up from the airport, and will do our best to show them around and help them during their first weeks in Sweden. We were sponsored when we arrived here, and what a great thing it was! I'm thrilled to be able to do the same for someone else.

Our boys have enjoyed attending Wacky Wonderful Wednesday at our church this summer. Its basically a Vacation Bible School, spread out over the summer in 5 Wednesday's, rather than crammed into one week. It works great that way here, because so many people leave for weeks at a time during the summer. It also gives the kids something fun to look forward to throughout the summer, not to mention giving the volunteers a nice break between intensive crafting sessions. I know, because I ran the crafts this year. Three rotations, one right after the other, trying to teach 15 - 20 kids how to make a craft in 20 minutes! It was fun and rewarding though. Last week, I met an American woman, married to a Swedish man, who doesn't like the Swedish school system. She came up to me later asking questions about homeschooling and telling of her interest in it. She wanted to know what I thought were the pros and cons, and other typical questions of those who are interested in pulling their kids out of the school system. We swapped email addresses and I passed on some helpful internet links. I haven't even started homeschooling yet, but already have had very interesting discussions about it with other people!


This week will be a quiet week at home for us. I know the boys are beginning to feel a little summer boredom and will be ready to begin putting their little brains to work soon, pursuing knowledge and wisdom. I wanted to give them a summer to unwind from "school", to enjoy our last summer in Sweden in a relaxing way, and to begin to prepare them for the change of learning at home.

Next weekend they are looking forward to a Father-Son Camping Trip. They will be going down south with another father-son pair to enjoy some boating, fishing, camping and playing together for 2 days and 1 night. I'm excited for them and I know they'll have some great bonding time! I'm still wondering what I'll do with all that time to myself. Any ideas???

This week my mother will celebrate her 54th birthday. Happy Birthday, Mother!! She is still on chemo (for breast cancer), but from what I hear she is doing very well. There is no word when she'll be taken off chemo, and after nearly 2 years of it, it seems about time to be done with it! When she went to the doctor and was diagnosed as having cancer, she was in Stage 4. The cancer had spread to her bones, liver and lungs, besides the huge tumor taking up residence in her breast. It was a scary time for all of us. We worried that there was no treatment that would be successful in her case, because it seemed the cancer had already overtaken so much of her. But the Lord has been good to her, healing her day by day, minute by minute. She has learned to rely on Him, her source of strength and peace and comfort. Her eyes reflect an inner strength and purpose, never fear. From Day 1, she has been victorious in spirit, conquering the cancer with her mind-over-body mentality, and more importantly with the power of prayer. Its an amazing thing to watch. She's an amazing woman and I hope to be just like her.

Rejoice, Rejoice,
Again I say
REJOICE!

Marla

Pictures from Norway

This is ~D~ studying a blueberry he just picked. That's one of the coolest things about living in Sweden (and Norway too, I guess) that wild blueberries grow everywhere. They are so delicious. This photo was taken while we were hiking near a waterfall above our campsite.





This is Briksdal Glacier. We hiked nearly an hour and a half to reach the foot of it. The boys and I are standing on the bridge, with the glacier behind us and the meltwater raging in front of us. I know in the picture it looks like water coming down the mountain, but it really is ICE!






Green lake water near the Briksdal glacier. We were told that the closer the water is to a glacier, the greener it is.






A Norwegian Church






We were up on a cold, ferociously windy mountain overlook where we had an awesome view of the Geiranger fjord when we first saw these little piles of stone everywhere. We saw them in other mountain areas too. After viewing the fjord and hearing our teeth rattle from the cold, we decided we couldn't leave without making our own little pile of rocks. We tried to make it in the shape of a cross but it was too darn cold and windy to spend very much time out there.