IndoctriNation - Review

I was able to get my hands on a copy of the documentary by Great Commission Films called IndoctriNation - Public Schools and the Decline of Christianity in America.






I have seen clips and snippets of this film floating around Facebook for a long time, so I was super excited to get a chance to see the film in its entirety.

I really enjoyed watching this, but, I will be honest, this is going to be a very hard review for me to write.

I feel like the film is very well done.  I feel like it covered a lot of different sides of the current educational system in America.  I feel like a lot of people that are or were in the public school system were included in the movie, so it wasn't just a one-sided argument from homeschoolers about how our way is the best way.

I also feel like my public school teacher friends will feel angry or betrayed if I whole heartedly back this film.

It is also going to be really hard review to write without ticking off  the homeschooling community also.

Because, I agree with both sides.

I 100% believe that homeschooling is the very best option for our family.  I love it.  I am glad we do it.  I wouldn't want it to be any other way....for our family.

But, I do not believe that homeschooling is the best option for every family....even every Christian family.

I do understand the film makers mentality and agree that, from what I have seen, Christianity has been slowly and methodically removed from our public education system.  As a Christian, that saddens me, but more than that, it scares me, because what is sneaking in, in place of Christianity is a worldview education that I don't agree with.

Just to simplify things here, I will just use the whole "sexuality" issue.

The things that are being taught and the ages that they are being taught and introduced to this issue, in the pubic school system, is appalling to me.  It steals their innocence.  It teaches them that don't knock it till you try it...or if it feels good, go for it, you never know.  Even if, as a parent, I knew ahead of time and opted to have my child removed from the instruction in these areas, the rest of their classmates are being taught things that I don't want my kids to think are okay.  So, it is an uphill battle.  I imagine there is a lot of discussion between students about what they learned.....even if they weren't in the class.  And, looking ahead to teenage years when my kids start to date, they are being asked out by kids who sat through all those classes and learned what is okay and not okay.  Ugg....that makes me nervous and uncomfortable.

My basic point is that even if your child is removed from that particular class, that is the subject that will be talked about even when they are not in class.  That is the subject that will be whispered about, joked about, and discussed more than any other one outside of the classroom.  Too bad they don't talk about math and language arts outside of the classroom like that, right?  LOL

So, the whole message is still getting through to the kids....whether they actually sit through it or not.  Childhood is a time of figuring out how you fit into the world.  I don't want my kids swayed and taught by their peers.....on any subject, but especially not about sexuality.

I want my children swayed and taught by Rainman and I.  I want my kids influenced by family and friends that I know and trust.  Believe me when I say my circle of family and friends are not perfect. We are not all the same.  We have different lifestyles and choices.  But, the difference in my teaching them about sexuality and the world teaching them about it is night and day different.

And, yes, I do teach my children about sexuality.  We have to.  They are surrounding by it....both in the world....and in choices that they see their cousins making.  We have to discuss hard things.  We have to discuss embarrassing things.  We have to discuss what God's plan actually is for sexuality. But, God's plan cannot be discussed in public school anymore.

IndoctriNation is a fascinating look at the public school system and how Christianity has been slowly and methodically been blocked out of  America's educational system.  The historical facts and decisions included in the movie were truly interesting.

But, the best parts for me, were the interviews with current and past public school teachers.  The teachers shared their hearts about why they loved teaching and those that had left shared why they couldn't bring themselves to be part of that "system" anymore.  It is truly heartbreaking....because they were the exact people that you would WANT teaching your children.  You know?

The people like my public school teacher friends.  They are wonderful people.  Wonderful Christians.  Nice, funny, creative, big hearted, smart, intelligent people.  Just who you want teaching your children.  Except for the fact that in the current education system, they are a sort of hog tied in that they cannot openly share their faith.....even though it is a huge part of who they are.  If they are asked about it, they can share....but it can't be teacher led.

I get it.  Sort of.  I mean, honestly, I wouldn't want a Muslim or a Buddhist teacher in there openly recruiting for their faith either.  So, I get it from that aspect.  But, as a Christian, it makes me sad that my friends can't share that whole part of them that makes them so awesome.  Especially when I know it could make a huge difference in the lives of kids.

So, like the teachers in the film, they do the best they can.  They wait for students to ask them questions that they can answer.  They look for small ways to show love and share their faith with their students.....without actually using the words Christian or Jesus.   They do the best they can in the system that exists.  They are definitely trying to be salt and light to those kids.

I actually asked a few of my friends to watch this film and have a discussion with me, but none of them took me up on it.  I am not sure if it was a time thing or a fear that we would end up fighting afterwards, or if they thought I was going to try to convince them that they were wasting their time in the public school system.  I wasn't.

I really just didn't want to paint such a broad stoked idea of how evil the public education system has gotten in America.  Even though everything said in this film struck a chord with me as a Christian, and as a homeschool mom.

What IndoctriNation did for me is just helped really hit home the point that there has been a gradual culture shift thingie going on within our schools, for a long time.

I am the product of a public school education.  It wasn't horrible.  I did learn a lot.  Yes, there were things that I wish would have taught better (but, some of that was my fault).  I did learn a lot of things that were in direct conflict with Christian beliefs.  But, I also went to elementary school in the mid-70s when we still had "religious release time" once a week, where during the school day, we would troop down the block to the little church up the road and learn about Jesus for an hour.  Then we would walk back to school and learn about reading, writing and arithmetic.  It was normal.

Can you even imagine that?  It is crazy to think that was normal.

Think about other things that are "normal" or okay in today's society.  Now think about going back in time and explaining to your grandparents that they are okay.  For example, the whole Fifty Shades of Grey thing that is happening right now.   How in the world has that kind of domination and naughty sex stuff become okay and not only okay, but exciting and mainstream?

A gradual culture shift.

It is a slippery slope.

My dad used to say the same thing about the music I listened to.  He said by singing along to some of those lyrics I was becoming desensitized to what they really meant.  Although, to be honest...most of the time I had NO idea what I was singing.  (I still remember how horrified I was when I figured out what Billy Squires "The Stroke" meant.  I can vividly remember being on the dance floor in high school belting that one out  ) Or video games.....shooting all those pretend people.  I think it does desensitize people to the realities of actually pointing a gun at people and pulling the trigger.  It just seems wrong.

Lots of the things that are being taught in the public school system just seem wrong to me too.

But, I have chosen to homeschool.

Not everyone can make that same choice.

I understand that.

I wish there was an easy answer.  But, there isn't.

The public education system has gone a long way down the road away from Christian principles and it will be a long time, if ever, that it comes back.

Do I recommend this film?

Absolutely.

I would love for my friends to watch it.  Homeschoolers or not.  Christians or not.  It is an interesting film.  It makes a lot of good points that resonated with me.  One of them being how happy I am that we have chosen to homeschool our kids. But, it also made the point to me (and I have seen this in my friends) that there are good, Christian people inside the system that want it to be better.  That love those kids.  Their hands are just tied.  That is sad.

You can get your own copy of IndoctriNation, so you can make up your own mind, for $19.95.

I wish that I would have been able to convince one of my teacher friends to watch it and give me their opinion.  But, for me, someone who for various reasons, has already decided to homeschool their children, this movie was a hit.  Even though my original reasons didn't match up with the movie's focus that schools are not "neutral" ground and that, Christianity has, in essence, been able to be removed, even though there are still many Christian teachers and leaders,  It just reinvigorated my desire to keep the kids with me, schooling at home.

To take a look at what other reviewers thought of IndoctriNation.

Decisions, Decisions

My Sunday School class has started what I think is going to be an awesome study by Lysa Terkeurst called, The Best Yes:  Making Wise Decisions Amidst Endless Demands.



Our class has done her studies before.  Most of us love her.  We love her style.  Her honesty.  Her love of "Day 3" hair.

But, I will be honest (I know.  You are shocked, right?)....when we talked about this class, I thought in my head, "So and so" really needs this study.  We have to do this study because "fill in a name" and "fill in a name" really need this one!

Hahahahahaha!

Isn't God funny?

I really need this study too.

We, as a class, are only just finished up Chapter 1 or so and I am already gleaning pearls of wisdom....and God breezes from it.  One of my friends has already finished reading the book and can't wait for the rest of us to catch up with her.

We talked last Sunday about a quote from the book.  We even wrote it on the board because it was so awesome.

Then I went home and couldn't remember the quote....but knew that I needed the quote.

So, I put out a call on our Sunday School Facebook page for someone that has the book to please, pretty please, post the quote for me.

Someone did.  It was just as awesome as I remembered.

Then, late that night, at 10:10 p.m.,  one of my other friends in the class put a post on there saying, "Ironic that Proverbs 31 posted this quote tonight" .

It was my quote!  The quote that I had been craving since Sunday night....when my feeble mind couldn't pull it out of its dusty file cabinets!

Here is the quote:

The decisions you make determine the schedule you keep.

The schedule you keep determines the life you live.

And, how you live your life determines how you spend your soul.



Did you just say "wow" with me?  It is true, isn't it?  You know it.  It scares you.  But, it is true.

Even the seemingly small decisions in your life, can determine the schedule you keep, which then trickles down into how your day goes,which trickles down into your week, your month, your year....your life......your soul.  

I have always tried to keep our lives not super busy.  To have our home be a place of calm, albeit messy, refuge.  But, as the kids get older and want to try more things, that is getting harder and harder.

So, I am struggling.

Struggling with choices for the family.

Struggling with budget decisions for the family.

But, I am also struggling with some decisions right now in my life.....for me.....but, decisions I make for me, are decisions for my family....for my soul.

Decisions that I am trying to make and.....

Decide if I am being selfish or not.  

Decisions that I am trying to make and.....

Do the Christian thing and not just the Kayla thing.

It is hard.

So, I am going to keep showing up to Sunday School and see what advice Lysa can give me.  As the teaser for her book says.....

Are you living with the stress of an overwhelmed schedule and aching with the sadness of an underwhelmed soul? 

Lysa TerKeurst is learning that there is a big difference between saying yes to everyone and saying yes to God. In The Best Yes she will help you:

• Cure the disease to please with a biblical understanding of the command to love.
• Escape the guilt of disappointing others by learning the secret of the small no. 
• Overcome the agony of hard choices by embracing a wisdom based decision-making process. 
• Rise above the rush of endless demands and discover your best yes today.

I will keep you posted on my decisions.  I definitely need help learning the secret of the small no. Let me know if you are struggling with any decisions and I can help impart Lysa's wisdom to you once we get there in class!  LOL  Or, you can just check out her book for yourself.  .

Goings On.....Summer 2014....Part 2

When we got back from our road trip up north, it was time to start school.  Literally, like, the next day.

This year, D-man and A-girl are both attending the local college prep high school that was started by homeschoolers.  The beauty of this school to me, is two-fold:  They only attend class 2-3 times a week (so I still get to see them a lot!), and it is a college prep school (hard classes with high expectations!).

D-man....11th grade......ignoring the woman who got up early and made him a hot breakfast for the first day of school, saying hello (and, I am sure, other mushy things) to J-girl on her first day back to school too.  (They don't attend the same school.....poor things.)

A-girl with her slightly nervous grin.....9th grade.

See?  She can look at the woman who got up early to make her a hot breakfast on the first day of school!

Off they went.....with their huge backpacks!

I had originally planned on starting our home school students on the same day....but we got home late Saturday night/early Sunday morning....Sunday was my birthday.....and I am just not that organized....so the other 4 got another week of summer break.  Really though, considering A-girl and D-man started school on August 4th, the other kids still started earlier than a lot of people!

Rainman was off on Monday, so we could co-teach on the first day of school.

L-girl, as usual, was very self-sufficient and hit the books hard while I was still sipping my coffee!

L-girl.....7th grade.

Look at her little coffee cup all full of freshly sharpened pencils!  Love this girl!

A-man....4th grade.

 

Captain America t-shirt made by L-girl for him.  Nice fake smile for me, dude!

 

 S-girl....2nd grade.

Must be the day for crazy smiles or something.....

And, you may have seen a preview of this in some of my other pictures....

V-girl.....

Yes, she started Kindergarten this year....how can that possibly be?  I also realize it is time to change her (and the other kids') picture on my sidebar...she is not really my baby anymore, is she?!?

 

I just love their diligent little faces as they do their school work.  

We have some days that don't go as well as others, but on the days that do go well....man, there is nothing like it.  

I still love, love, love that we can homeschool.  I love that I get to spend lots and lots of time with all 6 of my kids.  I really do.  I can't explain it to people.  

I love that I get to hug and snuggle with them during school hours, just because.....or, because they are struggling with reading or writing or arithmetic.  We snuggle.  We wipe away tears.  We try again, until we get it!

I love it.  I really do.

We Choose Virtues - Review

This is the second time we have gotten to review a We Choose Virtues product.  The first time we got to try the We Choose Virtues Clue Cards.



This time around, we got to try out the NIrV  Parenting Cards plus a download bundle. (Teacher Manual, Family Character Assessment, Sing Along, Butterfly Award,  Kids of Virtueville coloring book)  You can also get these in the King James Version which uses only Old Testament verses for inspiration.

I loved the clue cards we got to use last time around....but we were sort of hard of them.  They are small and easy to bend and lose.....which we did.

The Parenting Cards are much bigger.  A smidgen over 5 x 8.

The whole premise of the We Choose Virtues product is building "character" for ages 3 to 18. This product was designed for kids in the early elementary years. ....3 to 11 or so.  (I will tell you that we had some success in our kids and maybe a grown up too.... that were well beyond the early elementary years...more on that later!)

The Teacher Handbook that came as a download with the physical cards, starts out with this...

Are you ready to make moral courage as important as physical courage?

Think about that one question for a bit and let it sink in.

Moral courage is hard.

Physical courage is hard too, but usually when you are trying to have physical courage, there are people there cheering you on and telling you that you can do it.  Like, ride that scary roller coaster or to jump into the pool without floaties for the first time.  There are encouragers and when you succeed, there is much celebration  and woo-hooing!

Now, think about having moral courage.

Where are the cheerleaders?

Where are the encouragers?

Where is the celebration when you do the right thing?

Exactly.

That is why I think moral courage and doing the right thing....just because it is the right thing....is harder than physical courage/bravery.

We Choose Virtues helps parents (and teachers) start encouraging moral courage while we are young.  They make it really easy to get started through the Teacher's Manual with 4 easy steps.

1.  Expect Excellence
2.  Explain with Enthusiasm
3.  Emphasize Everyday
4.  Examine Everyday

The author, Heather McMillian, goes quickly and easily through the concept behind the cards, how to introduce them to your children, and how to reinforce the lessons you are trying to teach them.  The Teacher's Manual is definitely written more for a typical classroom type setting, but as a homeschooler, or just a parent, I could easily adapt the concepts and activities to work for us as a family.

Before we began, I printed out the Family Character Assessment sheet, where you basically assess yourself on a scale of 1 to 10 for each character trait.  For example, for Self Control, you would grade yourself on the scale between "I am wild, rowdy, disorderly, I expect others to control me, I am bossy towards others" and "I make myself do the right thing."

My original intent was to fill one out for each child....but after reading through them, I decided I had a pretty good idea, as their mom, which traits my little people needed to work on.  I was also a little afraid that they would be overwhelmed by the assessment and come away feeling like they were horrible people.

So, I just used it as a scale to remind me of what kinds of behaviors were my goal for them....which, in turn, would become their personal goals.

I went a little off book from the Teacher's Manual.  (Yes, I am sure you are shocked!)



The manual recommended focusing on one word a day, as a team...or class.  I decided to take a more individualized approach....but together as a team.

So, I picked a word for each of my 3 littles and we read through the card and talked about it and I gave examples of what the word meant to them....but the other 2 were also sitting there listening to the word I had chosen for the others.

Make sense?

I was a little nervous about this way, because I didn't want it to end up being a way they could bully each other about what words I picked for them.  But, I didn't need to worry.  They actually helped me with examples of each word and even if they helped point out that their brother or sister wasn't using their "word", it was always done in a nice way.  (At least in front of me....)

The Teacher's Manual gave a lot of ideas for activities you could do to really reinforce the concepts of We Choose Virtues.  I found that our everyday life and activities gave us plenty of ways to reinforce the concepts.  But, the ideas were good ones, if you don't happen to have a houseful of kids!

Some of the downloaded material, I didn't use right away.  We used the coloring book and I used the Family Character Assessment.  I would have used the sing alongs if it wasn't Vacation Bible School time around here....I didn't want too many songs bouncing around in my head.  But, it is a cute idea....they have words that you sing to the music of other songs to help solidify the concepts in your head.  The Butterfly Award is just that a certificate you could give when you child really masters the character trait.

Okay, so how about these cards, huh?

The front of the card is intended for your student and the back is intended for the teacher.

Here is an example:




I would just read this aloud to whichever child I felt needed to work on this particular virtue, then hand it over to them to review.  (In this case, it was A-girl and her desire for more clothes, shoes, jewelry...  )

The back of the card shows this:



I liked the "What to say after I'm sorry"  and the teachable moments sections the most.

The Virtue User Challenge can get a little competitive.  Like the example on this one, is to challenge your entire family to try to go a whole day without saying "I want" or  "I am bored".

Honestly, the whole family got into trouble with this one recently when our little baby cousin came for a visit.

(How can you resist that little smoochable face?!?!?)

I started our downward spiral into being greedy and whiny.....with my declaration.....  "I want a baby!"  The kids all quickly agreed with me and Rainman, well.....he just smiled his secret little smile.  I took them all down with me!

Actually, it was an interesting moment for me, when I realized that my declaration about wanting a baby was an example of not being content.  Although the inspiration verse wasn't super helpful....to me....

Psalms 131:2  I have made myself calm and content like a young child in it's mother's arms.  Deep down inside me, I am as content as a young child.

See why that particular word picture wasn't the most helpful?

.....content like a young child in it's mother's arms.......as content as a a young child.....  

But, it did make for a good conversation between the kids and I.  Yes, I still want a baby....or, to be honest, more babies.....plural....but I am working on not being whiny with God.

Pictures like this don't help my cause....

...or like this....

But, it was a good reminder for me as I try to get the kids to work on their "words" that I too have virtues and character traits that I can improve on.

V-girl's word was Obedient.

She wants to be such an independent person that she struggles to do what I say....when I say it.  This was the perfect little reminder for her.  If I asked her to do something and she responded with "Just a minute", or "Wait, mom..."  I just had to say, "What is your word?"

She would say, "obedient" and happily run off to do whatever I had asked her.  When we first started this reinforcement, I would say, "What is your word?"  She would say, "Obedient".  Then, she would stand there and think a minute before saying, "What does that mean again?"  We would laugh a bit...I would tell her what it meant and she would trot off to do what I had asked.

The little catchphrase things were the most helpful thing to me on these cards.  The one for Obedient is ..."Okay, whatever you say, I will obey, right away."  She had that one memorized really quickly.

Since S-girl and A-man are older, I had them concentrate on 2 words.

For those of you that know S-girl, I know you will be surprised by these 2 words.  She is naturally a very gentle and kind person....unless you are a sibling that she feels has pushed her too far.  Then she is a raging, punching, bag of pretty little blue-eyed girl.  She really is like a completely different person.

These words gave us a way to discuss this and give her gentle reminders that even though her brothers and sisters are annoying and make her angry, she really does need to treat others how she wants to be treated and not resort to punching when she gets frustrated with them.

A-man's 2 words were....

A-man is a truth spinner. We all know it.  Sometimes we think it is funny.  The problem is it has become a bad habit for him, so that he sometimes can't make himself actually tell the truth.  He doesn't know why.  He wants to tell the truth....he just can't seem to make himself do it the first time.  I loved his Bible verses....because underneath all his bluster and bravado, he has a tender heart that wants to do the right thing....always.

Psalms 34: 12-13  Do you love life and want to see many good days?  Then keep your tongue from speaking evil.  Keep your lips from telling lies.

Romans 8:9  But your sinful nature does not control you.  The Holy Spirit controls you.  The Spirit of God lives in you.  

As with S-girl....these cards and their words were just a gentle reminder for them to pay attention and try harder.

Like I mentioned above, these cards are designed for the early elementary years, but our whole family used them.

J-girl was over the other night and heard me remind one of the littles about their word and she turned to D-man and asked if he had a word too.  We all jokingly threw ideas around for him...Self-Controlled (I am NOT wild, rowdy or disorderly   ).  Gentle....because....he had just punched/tackled A-man....moments earlier.  But, we settled on Helpful....

(He refused to pose with his card.....)

We settled on this one because although he is a hard worker and is usually willing to help .... you have to ask.  We settled on this one for him because of the catchphrase and the reminder.

I find things that need to be done and I do them.

I am NOT....selfish, lazy or unwilling to serve, and I don't have to be asked!

L-girl had a combo of:

I Am Kind (like S-girl) and I am Forgiving....which says, "I choose to love when others hurt me"...she has a tendency to retaliate and sometimes even plot a retaliation....or two....or three.

We took the We Choose Virtues cards both lightly and seriously in our family.

We joked and teased about words, but not in a mean or bullying kind of way.  Internally, we all took them very seriously.....even down to V-girl who just needed a gentle reminder about her word every now and then.  Towards the end of the review period, she was reminding me when she was being obedient.....just in case I didn't notice!  I did.

You can get your own set of Parenting Cards for $38.49.  We Choose Virtues is even having a few specials over the next few months....just enter the coupon codes in your order:

MAY-JUNE: *Promo Code BIG50 for 50% off our amazing set of 12 11x17 Kids of VirtueVille Posters! This is the first time we have ever offered these posters at this price. They are great for school classrooms, Kids Church, or your homeschool room. Kids love them for their bedrooms, bathrooms and kids’ hallways.

JUNE-AUGUST: *Promo Code BTS20 for 20% off anything in our WCV Store. This includes any kit. Let’s start School with Virtues this year!  

*Only one promo code per order

Take a look at what other TOS reviewers did with their We Choose Virtues Parenting Cards and download bundle.

Found It!!!!

After almost  month of being lost, my children have finally come through and found my camera!

I had already offered them a trip to Berry Mango's in exchange for finding it.

But, apparently, the threat of not letting them carve their pumpkins until my camera was found, was a much more effective threat!

They all decided to look around one more time.

A-girl and V-girl found it in the trunk of our van...buried under various things. 

It must have been in a bag that was tossed in the van and then fallen out when we unpacked.  I am surprised that with everything we have hauled back there since the move that it wasn't stepped on and broken.

But, it still works - albeit not great - it was on its last legs before it was lost.  So, I am still going to be saving up my pennies for a new one.

But, I have a camera again!

Now I can take pictures of the new place and show you some of the rooms.  I haven't let myself start any of my projects yet, because I wanted to take "before" shots.  So, today after school....and after we clean up a bit, I will be taking "before" shots like there is no tomorrow.

I can't wait to get started on some projects....some need some more thought and more Pinterest research, but I am so excited to be able to make this house ours...with my colors!!!

Pictures to come!

Look At Us!

We watched the debate as a family.

I wanted to put this one in, so you can see A-man lounging in his cardboard box (over by the fireplace)...in the exact same position as Rainman.

I was so proud of us.  I was thinking things in my head, like:

"Aren't we an awesome family?" 

"Don't I have smart, informed children?" 

"Wow....we are such great parents!"


Then, L-girl came over to me and said, "None of this makes sense."


Then, A-man, admitted he was bored and was just watching so he could stay up late.


Then, I noticed A-girls hand on the mouse and saw that she was trolling Pinterest!


I think S-girl and V-girl just used the debates as snuggle time with Rainman and I.


D-man did pay attention....and after I kicked her off of Pinterest....so did A-girl.


So, we shall see if I have any highly intellectual conversations with my children today on the debate, the economy, tax plans, or even possible lies told by the candidates.


I probably won't....but a mother can dream, can't she?

What I Am Thankful For....

I am thankful for many things this year.  The "usual" suspects....Rainman, D-man, A-girl, L-girl, A-man, S-girl and V-girl.  My extended family.  Our new life in Georgia that I am getting more and more used to....and even starting to embrace.

But, there is one sort of odd thing that made it on my thankful list this year.  It is even something I shared when we went around the table sharing what we were thankful for.

It is this.....

Seen one before?  It is something called a Crib Tent.

We had one when A-man was little, but by the time he outgrew it...it was pretty ripped up and the zipper wasn't working, so we got rid of it thinking, "We won't ever have another kid that will need one of these!"

Oh how the foolish parent generalizes!

Remember when V-girl would do this....

(Basement stairs)

And this....

(Bedroom staircase upstairs)

And this....

(Couch at Grandma's)

Because of this?

Enter:

With its features:

See the little phrase right above the mom tossing her baby into the air?  Peace of mind.....from Tots in mind.

That is exactly what this has given me.....Peace of Mind....That and a full night of sleep!

V-girl, as you can see above would get out of her crib....so she wouldn't take real naps.  She also started climbing out of her crib in the middle of the night to go "visiting".  She would walk around in the dark...sometimes visiting the boys rooms, sometimes climbing into bed with her sisters....but more often than not, I would hear her little feet pit-patting their way into my bedroom.  She would just climb on up....wiggle her way in between Rainman and I....demand a bit of pillow and roll over and fall asleep.

Now that is sort of cute and wonderful...in theory.....but, she was making me nervous with her walking around.  Our bedroom is right at the top of the stairs and I had visions of her not being quite awake and tumbling down....plus, as a light sleeper, I was starting to wake up to every little noise in the house because I kept thinking it was her walking around.  Not the way to a good night's rest for a mother of six who is supposed to be giving her children a great education!

Here she is the first day we set up her Crib Tent....

It was great fun....until we zipped it up and she realized that she could not get out.

She still does not like taking naps and the bargaining begins as soon as we start walking down the hall with her...."I be good mom"....."I be nice mom"...."No nap mom, kay?"...."I stay on couch"

She cries when we lay her down, and that is okay....she does nap....not too long....but at least I know where she is and that she is safe.  Oh, and she doesn't do this anymore....

...which was always good for a few laughs....but the poor thing just needed to sleep!

Bedtime, for some reason is much better....I suspect it is because her sisters are in there with her....but she will usually just say, "nigh....nigh" and lay down.

Ahhhh.....I cannot tell you how great it feels to really and truly get a full night of sleep.....this is the first I have had in over 2 years....other than the few nights she teased me with along the way!

So, yes, I am extremely thankful to Tots in Mind for creating the Crib Tent II.

Oh and the Tots in Mind people have no idea who this well rested mother is.  I, sadly, did not get the Crib Tent for free in exchange for an honest review.  I got my latest Crib Tent from Amazon.com after one last night of desperation....when Rainman had finally had enough ( I think she decided she deserved his pillow) and told me to order that "tent thingie" the next day.

Whatever the reason....I am feeling human again....and thankful for my blessed life!

I Have Lost Weight

Yup, it's true.  I have lost weight.  How do I know, you may ask?

Well, first let me tell you this.  Something many of my Georgia friends probably do not know.  In Minnesota, I was a Massage Therapist.  I graduated and was fully certified in 1992.  I went on to work at an Aveda salon, my own private practice, and I was even an instructor at the Minneapolis School of Massage and Bodywork.

Georgia runs things differently and I would need to be licensed to practice.  Long story short, I didn't have the time or money to go through that process when we moved...so, I am no longer a Massage Therapist.

I do, however, homeschool my kids, so one of the things that I have been teaching is a little anatomy and proper massage techniques, like how to tell the difference between a bone and a muscle.  You would be surprised at how many people can't feel the difference.   

Getting a "real" massage is yet another thing that has gone by the wayside as part of our one income family here in Georgia.  So, training the kids has had the added bonus of having to be their guinea pig!

My kids are smart.  So smart that they know, if I am mad at them for something, all they have to do to get back on my good side is offer to rub my feet....my back....my head....my hands. 

Really. It works every time.  They know it.  I know it.  I choose to think of it as a win/win situation.

Even V-girl, if I happen to be sitting with my feet up, will walk over and give me a few squeezes on my feet.  Cracks me up.

Well, all of that is just to set up the fact that A-man got into a lot of trouble recently. 

He was just having one of those bounce off the walls, wild, boy days that got on my nerves.  He didn't do anything super naughty....but after about a thousand times telling him to settle down....or to stop running....or to stop throwing his recently assembled space shuttle in the living room....I had had it. 

I am working on being more Michelle Duggar-ish in my discipline...meaning I am trying not to yell as much.  I don't think I can do the sweet voice thing....but I am doing better at not raising my voice.

So, I told A-man how disappointed I was and that certain privileges would be taken away.  Then, the big girls and I went upstairs and climbed into my bed to talk.  I was laying on my side just visiting when I suddenly felt my pj top being scootched up and someone massaging my back.

It was A-man.  He said that he wanted to surprise me and give me a back rub.  I know.  I am easy.  I didn't give his privileges back or anything though.

So, he starts rubbing and I keep on talking to A-girl and L-girl.

Then, while the girls and I are talking, he says, "You have lost weight.  Yup, you have definitely lost weight."

Of course, I halted my conversation with the girls to ask him how he knew that.

He said, "Well, the last time I rubbed your back, it was A LOT squishier."

Well, okay then.  I will take that. 

I am a little afraid that in addition to figuring out how to get back on my good side by giving me a massage that he has figured out the old, "You have lost weight" ploy too.

But, I am choosing to believe him and that I actually have lost weight...instead. 

Makes me feel a whole lot better!

Because, really, isn't it every woman's desire to have a less squishy back?

Nope?  Just me?

Oh, well.