children

Overheard…

June 2, 2008 by Amy Leave a Comment

I randomly hear Emma and Lexi playing store in her room just now and Emma says to Lexi, exasperated, “It’s not on sale this week! It will be next time!” I maayy have said something like that a time or two.

The school thing

June 1, 2008 by Amy 8 Comments

Thursday night after Emma’s preschool graduation ceremony Scott and I had a quick but serious conversation about Emma and school. I think we’re going to look into a few local private Christian schools for her to go to.

I realized at that ceremony Thursday that public school was going to be so different. No more praise songs as closing ceremonies. No more prayers. No more pledges to Bibles and Christian flags. No more (publicly) Christian teachers lining the halls. No more Bible Stories. No more Christian environment. In fact, in some cases, they’d be teaching exactly opposite of what we believe. I have never been a huge advocate of private Christian schools but for some reason both Scott and I felt like maybe it is something we need to look into.

And then randomly, Heather spouts out this weekend that Mom has been thinking the same thing.

Coincidence? I doubt it.

We had cousins that went to a private school and they did fabulously. One is now a lawyer while the other is going to be a nurse. They both moved away for college and have done great. I’ve also known a handful of other kids who “turned out bad” even though going to Christian schools.

I was taught completely in public schools and I think I did well education wise and it didn’t “damage me” too bad socially or spiritually. There’s something to be said for plopping a person right in the middle of everything you don’t want them to know just if, for nothing else, a teaching moment or even the ability to adapt to a world that will never be exactly the way you’d choose.

I’m really torn. We have some of the best schools in the state. People move here for our schools. It’s 3 minutes from my house. It’s free. I realize we would be setting the standard for what to believe and not to believe and not the school.

But then, there was that ceremony. Where a group of 40 kids stood together and praised God as part of school. And it wasn’t even a side note. A moment. God was the center of that ceremony. And my mom grew up where they said the Lord’s prayer and I grew up where there wasn’t so many sinful things running so rampant and so blatantly public. Where God meant more than political correctness.

It’s just not the same these days.

Yes, our job as parents is to raise our children to know God but there’s something to be said when the people they spend the majority of their time with every week has the same message as you instead of you double-checking and fighting many viewpoints and attitudes.

At 5K per year vs. free, it’s something to SERIOUSLY consider. I don’t know what we’ll end up doing but I do know we’re going to spend some time this week looking into it.

If you so choose, I’d like to hear your opinion on the public vs. private school–not what you think of OUR decision–but if you’ve had experience or have some strong opinions with public vs. private, I’d like to know.

FYI, homeschooling has been thought of. For many reasons, I just don’t think that’s the path we want to go down and I’ll leave that there.

Emma’s Preschool Graduation

May 29, 2008 by Amy 5 Comments

Walking in…if you notice they are all wearing their Daddy’s white dress shirts backwards. Enough to make me cry right there…

This is the part where I sort of lost it. I tried to hide the tears behind the camera but I just couldn’t seem to stop my eyes from filling up when they sang I am a Promise

I am a promise
I am a possibility
I am a promise with a capital "P"
I am a great big bundle of potentiality
And I am learnin’ to hear God’s voice
And I am tryin’ to make the right choice
I am a promise to be anything God wants me to be.
I can go anywhere that He wants me to go
I can be anything He wants me to be
I can climb the high mountains
I can cross the wide sea
I’m a great big promise you see!

All I could think about was buying Oh the places you’ll Go before she was even born and reading it to her. Can you really blame me?

(Emma is the first on the left of the top row)

Then it got worse when they played handbells to I Love You, Lord, one of the songs I sing to the girls at night sometimes.

Then they sang What a Might God We Serve

Emma is a bit hesitant but tells everyone she learned to share this year at school.

She gets her diploma

All her shyness wears off when she gets in Daddy’s arms. She glows and is so excited afterwards

Let’s watch Mommy cry…see the eyes…but where in the world did the neck wrinkles/rolls come from??? Gah, I hate getting old.

Now, where’s that other napkin I need to use as a tissue??

My favorite picture of the day. Except for that neck thing.

Emma and her bestest friend. Can you tell they’ve gotten in trouble for talking in class before? I love they are holding hands.

Emma and her teacher. They seemed to have a wonderful connection. My thank you note put her in tears. I told her that was fine, I was in tears writing in.

Cousin S gives her hug afterwards

Lexi gives her a hug

And I can’t help but post Ms. Lexi in her yellow sunglasses. Boy, world, wait for that one.

So, congratulations my little one, preschool is done now it’s time to conquer "big school".

Preschool Graduation

May 28, 2008 by Amy 1 Comment

Tomorrow is the last day of preschool for the year. Hello, summer. Last night I actually bought teacher appreciation gifts and wrote them thank you notes–unheard of for me..a whole 2 days before school let out. Nevermind the fact they had teacher appreciation week 3 weeks ago. This year is Emma’s last year and I wanted to make sure they knew how much they were appreciated, albeit a little late. And of course I broke down crying writing the letters. Tomorrow they are going to do a little graduation ceremony for the 4 year old classes. I tried to get all my crying out last night but who knows.