The New School Year

Since I cannot seem to nail down K.Z., and Xena is 3000 miles away this month, I would say that concludes this school year. Technically we school year round but we have to have an official stop and start to our year per the "great" Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. So I have declared that our school year runs from July 1st until June 30th. I guess this school year is starting with some serious vacation time!

Xena finished her Kindergarten work and was on to some of her 1st grade curriculum by late April. K.Z. still has some lingering 2 grade Language Arts and Math to finish, but I think that is going to count as "review" for the beginning of 3rd grade.

We are sticking with the tried and true this year. Story Of The World for history and geography, Singapore for math for both kids, First Language Lessons for Xena to begin and the new 3rd grade edition for K.Z. to continue. Spelling will be Spelling Workout for both of them (at different levels) and we are trying a new Science curriculum this year, BJU Press. The other subjects will also be covered, Bible, handwriting, reading, etc. with a myriad of different living books and classics.

C'sa still declares that she is too "little" to "do school", but I intend to teach her to read with Teach Your Child to Read In 100 Easy Lessons. I do not plan to start her officially in Kindergarten, as she would not be enrolled in a private or public school due to her birth date, but I just may slowly go through the motions anyway. I think she may surprise herself with what she can do.

I always get giddy at the thought of a brand new school year and the new things the kids will be learning and reading. Now if only I had students!

Not Her Brother's Keeper?

Since Xena has been gone a while and K.Z. departed Monday, I asked C'sa if she missed her brother and sister. "No. I love you", she replied and continued playing.

"No?!", I exclaimed. "But don't you love your brother and sister too?"

"Well yeah, " she retorted as a matter of fact, "but I don' t miss them..."

On My iPod...

I sang this to my babies constantly (in utero and out!). Isn't this a huge part of our job?

Two Down...

Yesterday I dropped K.Z. off at camp. Overnight camp. The kind where you sleep overnight and are not allowed to come home to hug your Mommy. And your Mommy misses you. Even after only 5 hours.

This is K.Z.'s first time going off to a traditional "sleep away" camp. He has camped overnight without us before, but it was one night with family friends and he could have called home to say goodnight should the need arise. That selfish little thing had no need that time.

This camp is a whopping twenty minutes from our house and he is there with his good friend and it is a strong Christian camp ran by the church at which he attends AWANA and he has lots of junk food with him and he really was excited to go, and his Mommy misses him.

Frankly I thought that having my oldest two kids away at the same time would be a bit of a break. C'sa and Iggy get a lot more Momma time and I would be able to take a deep breath. Not so much.

I am not worried about the kids at all. Both of them are in good hands with believers who have the same scruples that we have. I am getting more one on one time with the little ones, but my house is incomplete. Big pieces of this family's puzzle are missing and it is odd.

One of the 8,532,487,003 reasons I chose to homeschool is the fact that I like my kids and I genuinely enjoy spending a lot of time all together (no worries, I love them too, but I really, truly, like them). Having them educated at home affords tons of family time that is so very fleeting. I love the fact that they are having these adventures, which I think are important, but it leaves a strange dynamic in the house. I believe it is referred to as "quiet". It is bizarre.

Off to tend to the two I have left!

Six Months Today!

Happy "Half Birthday" Iggy! We really love you!

What A Privilege To Be An American

I do not say this in jest; despite all the things I would change about my country, I know that I am blessed to be an American. I hope all of you who are Americans know it as well.

Let our children know what an amazing country of which they are a part. They will take our pride to the next generation...

It's Been A Heck of A Week

We found out Wednesday that our new foster placement will not be coming to stay; a huge praise, as the judge saw improvement in his parents and allowed him to stay with them.

This came as a bit of a relief as I got the call while I was in a hotel room in Albany, NY, prepping to take Xena to the airport to meet my in-laws. Xena has gone to Oregon for 26 days. I personally am trying not to hyperventilate.

Xena will have a blast with my in-laws, sister and brother in-law and her cousins and was excited for the opportunity to go, but as the Mom, my heart aches every time I see her empty bed (well technically it is not empty as K.Z. decided to bunk in there with C'sa), or hear K.Z. exclaim absentmindedly, "I will go and tell the girls!"

I took the opportunity to spend a couple exclusive days with Xena before she left, including our "girls trip" to Albany where we got to swim, give one another manicures and go out to eat at extravagant places like... Boston Market (don't laugh, she thought it was cool). I also got to escort her to the gate as she waited with her Nan and Pop to board the flight that would whisk my baby 3000 miles away from me.

I swear to you, I tried my hardest not to cry, but when her little face got down and she asked, "why can't you come with me?", it was all I could do to not wail. I kept my composure, but my eyes did leak quite a bit. Minutes later she was fine and in line anxious to get on the plane while I was a wreck. I did not cry again, but I did stay and watch until the plane pushed back from the terminal. You never know, she may have ran off the plane for just one more hug, and I had to be there to get it (enter sappy music here), lest her heart be broken.

Okay, back to reality. Twenty five more days until my girl comes back. I just hope I do not break my neck jumping over furniture, small children and dogs each and every time the phone rings. It might be her...

Just One More?

Mr. Clean and I decided that we still had another empty seat in the goober mobile (the "Mom" mini-van) and more room in our family for another foster child, so we let our social workers know a few weeks ago.

I got a call today from our social worker looking to place a 3 1/2 year old boy. His court date will be on Wednesday and it will be determined then if he should be placed with the county. If so, we will pick him up on Thursday, so please pray for this little guy, his parents, and us as we head down this road.

"We" Made the News!

Well, not "we" in the we that live in our house, but "we" as in the foster families of our state. It was a rare positive news report and we (the Mr. Clean family) were there!

Click here for the video (here is the transcript and video link in case you have trouble)!

Please Do Not Tell Me How Hard it is To Be a Christian in America

25 Christians Abducted by Islamic Militants in Pakistan

By Dibin Samuel

Christian Post Correspondent

Tue, Jun. 24 2008 03:38 PM EDT

Despite the Pakistan government's tall claims of enhanced protection to the minorities, a group of over 20 Christians were kidnapped and savagely beaten by armed Islamic militants on Saturday.

Christians who were congregating for a religious prayer in Banarasabad, Peshawar, were held at gunpoint by the militants, who took the believers in more than six vehicles to an undisclosed location.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani said on Sunday that the government had secured the release of 16 members of the minority Christian community who were abducted in the restive North-West Frontier Province (NWFP).

"We condemn this act and, despite the recovery of the abductees, an enquiry will be held to uncover the faces behind the incident," Gilani said, accoridng to a state-run Pakistan television news channel.

According to the news channel, a “religious organization” operating in Bara area of Khyber district handed over the hostages after government representatives held serious negotiations with the abductors.

Zulfiqar Masehi, Hameed Mashi, Shehzad Noor Mashi, Victor Jan Mashi, Gulzaar Mashi, Khalid Mashi, Shahbaz Mashi, Tariq Mashi, Yousaf Mashi, Salim Mashi, Khalid, and Salim Akhar were among the kidnapped Christians released by the efforts of political administration.

While the police has registered the case and is investigating the abduction, the NWFP government suspended SSP (Operations) Peshawar, SP Cantontment, ASP Hayatabad, SHO Hayatabad and other staff after the incident.

The Evangelical Fellowship of India expressed deep concern over the incident and urged the people and the authorities in Pakistan to take appropriate measures to create a safe and secure atmosphere for the Christian community in the country.

EFI General Secretary, the Rev. Dr. Richard Howell, requested prayers for the release of the remaining hostages and that the crisis would be resolved peacefully.

With the rise of Islamic fundamentalism in Pakistan, nearby Afghanistan, Jammu and Kashmir, the plights of Christians have only increased and the freedom of religious minorities has steadily been attacked.

Last September 2007, a group of Islamic militants in North West Frontier and Punjab provinces threatened Christians "to either convert to Islam, leave the country or face death."

Following the threats, hundreds of Christian families fled the villages, while several churches were reportedly burnt.

The voices of Christians in the country fall on deaf ears, even as the governing authorities fail to curb the issue and bind the religious fundamentalists behind the atrocities against Christians.

The country is comprised of a 97.6 percent Muslim population. Christians make up 1.7 percet and Hindus, 1.5 percent. Seventy percent of the microscopic Christian population is the poorest segment in the society.

I Just Can't Decide...

I got this Heinz ad in an e-mail, denouncing it's homosexual content. It describes two men in a domestic situation, one being called "Mum" by the kids with a kiss at the end. Normally I would have no interest in viewing it, but I simply could not imagine how this ad would sell ketchup (it is currently being aired in the UK), so I watched it.

I got a different take from it. Watch the short advertisement (with discretion) and then hear my thoughts. Tell me if you agree or not.

I thought that this was a spoof. Anyone who has ever been in a NYC deli can tell you that the "Mum" is exactly what you would find. Frankly, I thought it was a bad attempt to replace the mother in the family briefly with the deli guy, hence cementing the, "Mayo with a New York Deli Flavor" motto, seen at the end of the commercial.

Had it been a woman behind the counter the joke never would have landed. After all, everyone knows the place to get the best pastrami on rye is in NYC at the deli counter, expertly made by a fourth generation butcher named Sam. I think "deli", I think of a beefy guy with sideburns, not someone's demur mother. Am I wrong?

Let me state for the record, I am as conservative as they come. I believe marriage is between one man and one woman only, and is sacred. I don't believe the point of this ad was to undermine that notion, just to sell mayo and using a woman would not have gotten the "NYC attitude" across.

I do have a problem with the kiss at the end because I do not want to have to explain that to my young kids and well... eww. I don't want to see my deli guy kiss his dog, let alone another man. I bet you if the kiss was not included in the ad, it would be shown here in the States without a second thought; but in Europe, things tend to be a little dicier and stepped up a bit in advertisements.

Granted, if I were living in Scotland, I still would not want to have to explain this to my child, but maybe the Heinz people thought it would take more to make those stuffy Europeans laugh (I am sooo just kidding here Stuart!).

So what do you think? Homosexual agenda or just a dumb Heinz ad that failed to land with a stupid (and not well thought through) ending?

On My iPod

What a voice...

I Love Innocence

In the car today K.Z. told his sisters that he overheard Mr. Clean and our youth pastor talking about the latest Indiana Jones movie which we saw a few weeks ago.

"Dad said it was really good, but Indy used the 's' word", he told the girls in a low voice.

"Oh, you mean 'snake", Xena said knowingly.

"No!", K.Z. whispered in confidence. "The "s" word is "Stupid!"