Homeschool Today:
8 yr old learned that toddlers make colossal messes which cannot be cleaned up by said toddler and are therefore “community messes”
11 yr old learned that mom really means it when she says “get this done” or “that” will happen
6 yr old learned that it is difficult to get Sharpie out of the carpet
Oh. And we did some math and reading, too.
Tired.
Exhausted, really. Some days, we wake up and we seriously don’t know where we are. Texas? Florida? Tennessee? Louisiana? Michigan? Kentucky?
You see, the inside of the RV looks the same every morning. Often times, we pull into a site late at night. So it is quite often a surprise to the kids to see where we are. This morning, we started the day in Niagara Falls, NY. Tonight, we’ll end the day in Ludington, MI.
As I type this, the kids are settling in for six more hours on the road. A movie is playing. RV is gassed up and tummies are full. It’s a good feeling.
Got a lot on your plate?
But in case you get that “wouldn’t it be nice to RV with our kids” feeling, I’ve gotta admit: it’s not easy. Just a few hours ago, kids were crying, dad was stressing, cars were cutting us off, cell phones were ringing, baby was crying and a half-gallon of orange juice was spilling behind the couch. But that’s just this afternoon.
That brings me to homeschooling. It’s not easy. And anyone who has been at it for more than a week knows it. It’s not a secret that homeschool moms sacrifice their time and energy (and sometimes, their sanity!) in order to educate their kids at home. More often than not, homeschool moms share many things in common: her pastor thinks she’s crazy, her mom wonders what she did wrong and her best friend is always trying to talk her into putting her kids in school so she can “have a life.” As my dear friend Steve Lambert says, “Only homeschool moms would choose to be LOCKED UP all day with little people while the rest of the civilized world sends their kids off to be taken care of by someone else!”
So true. It is a sacrifice. It’s hours of work, days on end. And just like everything else worth doing in this life, we are looking far down the road. Successful homeschool moms are not looking at today. They’re looking years down the road. They know that the sacrifice they are making today will, Lord willing, pay huge dividends in the future.
Yes, it’s worth it, homeschool mom! At the end of the day you won’t find a more worthy calling as a mom than to homeschool your kids. And really, nothing worth doing is EVER easy. Take marriage for example. Or parenting. Or being an entrepreneur. It’s difficult. But stick with it … and one day …you’ll get to see that your little tree bears fruit. Fruit that has an impact into eternity.
You see, for the Christian parent, homeschooling provides an amazing opportunity for for you to disciple your children. To have them by your side, to teach them of God’s love – to show them- what it looks like to “stay the course” even when it’s difficult … these are lessons that homeschooling will help you teach without making one lesson plan.
If you’re wondering if it’s going to be a pain in the neck at times, well, it is. But if you’re looking for a lifetime investment that will yield dividends far into the future, then homeschooling is for you.
Stick with it, busy mom! Fruit takes time to grow. But in due season, you’ll reap a harvest of JOY for the sacrifice you’re making now.
It’s worth it!
heidi
Currently: heading to Hebron, Kentucky in the dark. ’cause it’s cooler in the dark.
Next stop: The Creation Museum
Next speaking engagement: Nashville, TN on the 11th @6pm
Howdy, y’all!
Turns out, you can breathe in 80% humidity. But not very well. And it also turns out the the RV
Heidi with Esther (director of FC in Pineville, LA) and Janet (director of FC in NW Houston) We spoke in Louisiana and got to meet many FCHM leaders there. It was such a blessing!
does NOT like the heat. In fact, the generator just flat-out quits when it gets too hot. And then, we get too hot. Apparently the generator is not well ventilated and when it gets hot outside it just can’t keep up. So we have traveled most of our trip with spotty AC. It goes when we’re parked, but not when we’re moving. HUGE. BUMMER. Typical enemy-type stuff, too. Seems he’s getting a lot of mileage (pardon the pun) out of crippling our RV.
As you might imagine, we’re learning a lot through this trial! I’ve learned that we don’t get along very well when we’re hot. It would be fair to say we’re downright awful to each other at times. Being hot and sticky is NOT good for family togetherness, no matter what they say on those resort commercials.
We’re also learning how to deal with the heat a little better. A little.
We’ve been very encouraged by what God is doing as we travel and speak. It’s always humbling to be part of something that God is already doing in the life of someone else. This trip, we have spoken with many people who were just in need of a little “shot in the arm” as they head into a new school year– and we’ve also spoken with parents on the brink of divorce. Truly, these families need the support of their local church.
Leaving the Roemer’s house in Sacramento. Scott and Patty direct First Class in Folsom.
SPENCER, our 10 year old son, continues to raise money for Options 360 as we travel. We’re so proud of him! He has made speeches in front of as many as 100+ and as few as 10 but his enthusiasm and passion for defending the unborn shines the same each time he speaks. In Alabama, he met a mom who told him that she decided not to have an abortion because of an ultrasound. This made Spencer’s day because he’s pretty sure he has raised enough money to provide 10 ultrasounds! It’s exciting to see him boldly speak to a group of grownups … and also humbling.
What’s behind us: Just finished speaking in Oklahoma City, Atmore, Alabama, Pineville, Louisiana, Panama City and tonight, Jacksonville, FL. What a week. And it’s not going to slow down now for a little while.
What’s ahead of us: We’ll be in Nashville by Thursday, then on to eastern Tennessee, Maryland, Virginia and Michigan where we’ll wrap up the trip.
We’ve hit the truly truly busy part of our trip, speaking twice a week until we end up at Maranatha Family Camp in Muskegon, Michigan the third week of August. We will be more than ready for the cooler Michigan temps, too!
What I wake up to every morning 🙂
People ask us about traveling all the time and want to know what it’s like: well … it’s really good and it can be really bad all at the same time. The heat makes us crabby, but the people we meet encourage us. Our kids help at every stop … from book sales to answering curriculum questions they are very involved. Savannah is always getting questions from parents eager to know how she is doing in college, given the fact that she was homeschooled through high school and it’s always good to hear how she graciously answers questions and calms the fears of new homeschooling parents.
SAYLOR JANE, our 8 month old is growing like a weed as we travel! I think the humidity is good for her! 🙂 She outgrew her cute little bassinet so we had to dismantle it and mail it home. She went from sitting up to crawling AND she waves to people now! So sweet. We are loving this season of her precious little life as well. She makes us all laugh every day.
Overall we’re doing well. God has ways of refreshing our spirits even when we are tired and grumpy. He’s good that way. 🙂 We have stayed in homes of strangers who become friends and we’ve shared life with old friends we see at homeschool conventions.
Also, everywhere we go, we meet wonderful “accidental” homeschoolers like ourselves. We’re so grateful for the opportunity to speak to them and hopefully, bring a little glimpse of God’s heart for them along the way.
I can’t close this entry without a little quote, either 🙂
Sydney asked where we were heading tonight. When I told her Kentucky, she said, “Do they have kids there?” She thought Kentucky was a seminar stop, and not a state!
From the Road to Kentucky,
heidi
Had a great turnout in Eugene, Oregon. I love hanging out with homeschool moms – it’s encouraging to see so many parents who have chosen to nurture their children in this way. Traveling is an added bonus. It is GORGEOUS out here in the Willamette Valley. Beautiful blue skies. Huge birds flying overhead. We love it.
Last night we were talking about scheduling – you know, GETTING THINGS DONE. But if we get things done and forget why we’re homeschooling – if we have the most amazing schedule down to a science and fail to take advantage of the opportunity to disciple our kids, then we miss out on the best part about homeschooling.
We have a passion to encourage parents to listen for the Lord as they plan their homeschool journey. Only God knows exactly the plans He has for you – and the best way to find out what that plan is… is to listen.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11
If you’re at a crossroad in your homeschool journey, take the time to listen to the Lord. Then, seek wise counsel before you set your plans into action.
Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. Proverbs 15:22
It’s so hard to be still, but it is a requirement if we’re going to hear from God in this bustling, busy world. Shhh. He’s still speaking.
Sierra’s picture of the kids while they wait during our taping
Yesterday was an exciting day. Well, I guess it’s fair to say we’ve had an exciting stretch of days but yesterday was exciting in a good way. 🙂
We had the opportunity to tape two radio broadcasts at Family Talk! This is our second visit to Family Talk and I have to say – those folks are the “real deal”. We always enjoy taping with Doctor, Ryan and LuAnne but yesterday was even more special because we got to take our kids. Dr. Dobson took the time to greet each one and shake their hand – and we sat in his office with everyone and talked for a few minutes before pictures were taken and we headed off to tape two broadcasts.
The kids were invited into the control room to watch the taping but I have heard it was “boring” for the little ones 🙂 and so they went to a room that had been set aside for them to play in while we made some radio.
The topic of yesterday’s taping centered around marriage, which is something Jay and I are very passionate about. We also talked about homeschooling, the logistics of traveling in an RV with 9 people, what it means to really TRUST God’s leading in your life, making time for your spouse, putting kids “second” (yes, that’s right) and even had a little conversation about government. It was interesting and I hope, encouraging. When we have an air date, I’ll be sure to let you know.
If you are like me, you spent your childhood listening to Dr. Dobson on the radio. It was a privilege to meet him and spend some time with his staff. And in case you’re wondering, I have to say, he is exactly like the voice you hear on the radio. Gentle, humble, kind – wise. I hope you’ll take a moment to check out his new ministry, Family Talk, and listen in. Dr. Dobson’s heart and passion to see families strengthened and God’s people walk in the truth is just as refreshing now as it was in the 80’s. I thank God for his ministry!
The Family Talk staff took lots of pictures, too – and I’m looking forward to seeing them! As soon as we receive them, I’ll post them.
Meantime… here is what our life in Colorado Springs is centering around:
RV at the transmission shop in Colorado Springs, all sad and lonely without her “people”. 🙁
Thankful for opportunities to grow!