UNCLE

"Uncle!", she cried. "I can't take it anymore."

Because homeschooling is like parenting on steroids, and I find myself too depleted for the task we declared a state of emergency. Classes will cancelled until further notice, or at least until next Monday, whichever comes first.

If you're a kid living in our home this works out pretty well.

Yesterday, the kids went on a picnic and played at the park. Their morning was totally free, so they decided to play "poor people living on a houseboat." (The houseboat looked surprisingly like the boy's bunk bed to me, but in their imaginations it had been transformed.) Anyway, while folding laundry I caught glimpses of their conversation. Here's what I heard, "We're so poor that we only have and ipod for music in our whole house."

Hmmm...I think it would be fair to say that my kid's grasp on poverty is somewhat flimsy. My sister said it more bluntly, "You're kids suck at playing poor people."

I do too.

This is what I mean:

My grocery getter (a Dodge Caravan) has 130,000 miles on it. It needs new brakes, and new tires. And in it's declining years its sure to need some additional maintenance. Eddie is going to be traveling more for work, and I really want a reliable vehicle whiles he's gone. SOOOO....we are in the market for a new vehicle. We're stressing about what kind of vehicle to buy. How much should we spend? How much can we afford? Should we wait? Should we buy now? And on and on it goes....then in the middle of this discussion it hit me.

We are ridiculous.

All around the world people are wondering how they will get their next meal, and we are stressing about what (second) car to buy.

Tahoe?
Trailblazer?
Suburban?
Or another minivan?

(And for the environmentally conscious out there we do realize that a Suburban doesn't get great gas mileage, but let me remind you: WE HAVE 4 CHILDREN - it's that or a school bus.)

Then I thought: "Here I am stressing out about continuing to homeschool, and considering my options for public school and private school." Really, these are all good options.

Lord, thank you that I live in the most prosperous country on Earth. Thank you for all the good options that I have for my kid's school and for transportation. Help us to be wise and faithful stewards of the things you've entrusted to us - from our children to our cash.