final analysis

Final Analysis

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.

What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.

Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.

In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.

~Mother Teresa

Robinson Curriculum

I sort of suck as a home schooler. I don't toe the party line very well.
And I flunked out of Campus Crusade in college.
I love Jesus; I love the church, but who are we kidding?
Christians can be so weird. Christian culture is even weirder. Can I get an "amen"?

That being said, I am considering employing some of the pedagogical practices of a dude that I probably wouldn't/couldn't be friends with. He is exactly the type of guy that helped to form the stereo types about Christian homeschooling. His life is Saturday Night Live sketch material.

But his kids rocked the SATs, and his system works. Now, to be honest, I think good genes had a lot to do with those kid's success. They were genetically predisposed to being smarter than your average bear. But the system has merit. It's sound.

It is based on self-teaching, with a strong focus on the 3 Rs. Robinson Curriculum employs a sound math curriculum, fabulous Literature and writing (as the means of learning to write). Parents facilitate a learning environment that is conducive to self-teaching; they set up accountability, then back off. I like that the curriculum teaches kids how to learn, and not only what to learn. I like that it is doable with multiple children. I like the good literature, and solid math. Those are the pros.

Here are the cons:

• The dude makes my husband (who is a right-wing conservative) look like a flaming liberal. In Art Robinson's reality all children in the public schools have been orphaned to a system hell bent on indoctrinating children with socialist bull crap and systematically eroding there sense of right and wrong. (Okay-He didn't say it in those words, particularly the "bull crap" part.)
• The dude suggests that nearly all intervention on a parent's part (as it relates to academics) is detrimental. That is not my experience, nor is it indicative of the best research on how people learn. I've found that sometimes just sitting next to a child who is tackling difficult math gives them the courage to press on. This is often my own experience. And I do not agree that we were meant to live independently; we're made to connect.
• The dude has totally legalistic views on sugar and TV. He probably doesn't dance, or drink, or think women should wear pants. I doubt he would approve of me being on staff at church in the role of director (which I am). He would likely pitch a fit that I wear jeans, to said church, and report to a woman in the role of a pastor. I also drink and dance, and hang with people who do. I've even been known to say "SEX" out loud and in mixed company. This has nothing to do with his curriculum per se ; it just annoys me.
  
• The dude puts high value on the sciences (which is good), but minimizes the language arts. As an English major (from a very liberal college) I kinda like the language arts. A lot.
  

But the curriculum.

It just might be good.

I'll probably use it, or steal from it liberally.

That is if I don't send my kids to public school.

Involuntary Cussing Face

My daughter is a genius at giving the stink eye. She was born with the ability to give nasty looks that make people want to shrink into the carpet. We've decided it's gotta stop; its a bad habit that reflects a bad attitude and disrespect. So we've named it. You've gotta name a thing before you can tackle it head on. We've called it her "involuntary cussing face" because she insists that she never MEANS to do it. (parental side note: "whatever"). Anyway, when that look crosses her face we reply with, "Oh look its the involuntary cussing face. I wonder what bad words she's using on the inside. She must be a good cusser because the look on her face is really disrespectful." Sometimes we even call it the ICF for short. My daughter HATES this. HATES. HATES. HATES. She also a master at being passive aggressive and when her ICF fails to get under our skin and hurt our feelings its annoys her. We render the ICF powerless. Then we make her practice responding respectfully with her words, her tone of voice and her body language (including the infamous ICF). I even have a little jingle or two I break into about ICF and disrespect. It is SOOO not appreciated by our little darling because it makes her laugh. She's trying to be pissy and mean; laughing ruins her shtick.

I was well and truly convicted that "anger does not bring about the righteousness of God". That wisdom applies to parenting. Anger might change a child's behavior while you're watching, but it cannot change a heart. Heart change is the only way to bring about right behavior when no one is looking. So instead of harsh words and stiff consequences (born of my own irritation) we're aiming for good acronyms, humor, melodic little ditties, and a chance to make it right.

Knitting

My friend, Sue, is a masterful knitter. She makes beautiful things. My friend, Anne, picked up the handicraft in like a nanosecond. I figured, "how hard can it be?" I bought myself some pretty yarn and some needles. Now my hands are cramped up and I want to cuss. It's harder than it looks people, and I'm not sure why anyone says it relaxing.

because i need to post some pictures of 2010

I am SOOOOOOOOOOO bad at documenting our existence through photography. Horrid. But we were all present for 2010. We went on summer vacation. We did stuff. We went places. Honest. More to come..


Going on a ride
yep...those are chaps; every good cowboy needs em.


We have yet to convince Emma that the dog is not her on personal baby.


Moab
CA coast
Sexy bald man hauling darling 3 year old on a hike in Moab
Pebble Beach
Davenport CA - amazingly gorgeous place
Obligatory picture at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco
Lake Tahoe
San Francisco

Breckenridge - we answered the question, "what happen if you add shampoo to a jetted bath tub and then turn it on?"

Bloggified version of a Christmas Card

· The Wood house is currently home to 3 adults, 6 children, and 3 puppies. . Steph’s longtime friend and her 2 sons moved into the basement apartment this June.

· This summer the Wood’s family friend and pastor announced he, and his family would move to Chicago and plant a church. Thus began a virtual avalanche of event ending in both Eddie and Stephanie stepping into leadership roles at the church. Eddie currently serves on Leadership Team of our small church and also serves in the role of executive pastor. (We like to call him “Pastor Ed” ). He does all this while he continues his full time employment with Legacy Partners.

· Stephanie is providing leadership to the small group ministry at Jacob’s Well Community Church. She is also homeschooiing the kid’s again, thus verifying that one should be very careful about what one says one will “never do again”. Actually, both mother and children have been pleasantly surprised by the experience.

· Ethan ,10, played his first regular season of tackle football, and now watches the Broncos with the zeal of a kid with real football smarts.

· Emma,8, has become quite a little cook. She can be sent into the kitchen by herself, recipe in hand, and emerge with something really yummy created all by herself.

· Caleb, 7, has started to learn the piano and we are discovering he has quite an ear. It’ll we be fun to this talent emerge in years to come.

· Abby, 3, has much to say—about EVERYTHING. She loves the color pink and likes to play school with her big sister. She might, quite accidentally, learn to read here soon.

· This fall the children, all 6 of them , successfully campaigned for the acquisition of puppies. Longtime pet hater, Stephanie Wood, has been converted. The puppies are trouble, but the cute factor weighs heavily to their advantage.

· Kota (short Lakota Pumpkin—naturally), is the Wood family pet, she is darling, smart, and a bit spoiled.

· The Wood family did not even attempt to attain a Christmas picture wherein all member were nicely dressed, smiling, and looking in the same direction. Apparently, doctors will not prescribe Valium for such events and the adult were unwilling to attempt such a feat without being properly medicated.

THE DIGITAL STORY OF THE NATIVITY