Only in Homeschool...

Here is a curious example of my children's artwork. Currently learning about ziggurats, the tower of Babel, ancient culture, etc. my "dark one" as I like to call her, produced an altar complete with slain human sacrifice. Note the tell-tale juvenile reality alteration: blood is green, altar is purple, but the person is white. I don't know what that means. But being the emcouraging father I am I did say "Wow, Em, that's a really great human sacrifice."

She'd probably be in therapy if she was in public school. Maybe we'll work on toning it down a bit before she hits that point...

Told ya so...

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that my kids could do the entire "Hoedown Throwdown" by Miley Cyrus. Well, I now submit to you proof.

Miley Cyrus - How to do the Hoedown Throwdown

The world must hear this...

I had some special time reading with my twin girls yesterday. They are kind of like little snow leopards, very shy and elusive, and no one besides their mother and I get to see how magical they really are. The thing that shines in this video is their voices. They are taking turns reading pages, and I can help but wonder if there could possibly be two more adorable voices in the world. I know I'm kinda partial, so judge for yourself...

In one of those nighttime conversations only possible during cuddles, my children bring up Lord of the Rings. (Yeah, I let 'em watch it. So call DSS) I actually don't mind them seeing something like LOTR, even though it considered over their age range, and has some dark stuff in it. But you know, this world has even darker things in it, and Middle Earth isn't even real. (I have endevoured for years for my kids to always know the difference.)

Resident girly-girl Nora Smith, age 5, explains to me why she likes Legolas so much:

#1- He's so sewious!

#2- He's so expewienced!

#3- I want to watch Lord of Da Wings because of Legolas, I just can't stop thinking about him. Ohhhhhhh......!


A woman of simple tastes, Hannah Boo says she likes Legolas because of his hair. ( It is very well kept.)


Emma, who loves things dark and sinister, prefers the Uruk-Hai, all the goblins, and is especially fond of the "D-warf", Gimli. The Balrog scared the badoody out of her, because he was "ginormous".

Me? Seems clear to me that the real hero of LOTR is none other than our own Mr. Samwise Gamgee. He did what no one else could do, remained true the whole time doing it, and everyone else's labors would have been in vain were it not for him. To me there is no question.

What about you, all two of you? Who's your favorite, and don't forget the why, it's as important as the answer.

An Almighty Nickname

Now that the twins are five, I decided it was time to get some real learnin' in their heads before bed. So much of what we teach them today is about the individual stories of the Bible, and we never tie them in to the big picture, so I began a Bible overview, focusing on the Metanarrative.

Another goal is to teach them to interpret Scripture by asking interpretive questions. So in the first session I was mentioning the purpose of everything, and citing Eph. 1:10- "to unite all things in Him..." I asked, "who's the 'him' there?" Of course, someone said "God", but I was fishing for the more specific answer. So I said, "But there's another name..." And immediately Emma says:

"Well, His real name is I AM, but we just call Him God." The burning bush thing, you know.

I guess "God" is just a nickname.

Why I love my wife- Reason #437

Times bein' what they are- tough, and me bein' what I am- a lowly carpenter, the little woman and I were talking about Christmas the other day. I was suggesting that we get one family gift, and keep the cost down because winter in New England can be scary for the self-employed tradesmen. At any given moment, I am not guaranteed to have something to next month, or even next week. Even when I do, weather plays a large part, so I plan on losing several days due weather each winter. Here's a paraphrase of the conversation:

Me: Let's keep Christmas simple this year, maybe get a family gift for everybody.

Wifey: And you don't have to get me anything...

Me: And I don't need anything.

Wifey: So don't get me anything either.

(Wifey thinks seriously, the clock ticks, tides ebb and flow, then says, matter-of-factly)


" We should at least get each other gaiters."

Me: *SMILE* Oh, I do so love you.

She is a multi-faceted diamond, of infinite beauty, and I am still noticing how she shimmers in new and exciting ways. One of the newest sparkles is that for her, if we trade no other gifts this Christmas, we simply must get each other gaiters, a waterproof, knee-high boot and shin wrap designed to keep out the water and snow while hiking.

She is unique above all others and I wouldn't trade her for 50,000,000, and I really mean that.

Sovereignty on a First Grade reading level Part 2- Double Predestination

Emma: " We're like God's toys, He can do whatever He wants with us, right?"

Dad: "Yes, Em, He can do whatever He wants with us."

Dad: "You know Emma, you know when you play with your toys and have them fight wars, you make some good guys and some bad guys? Well, that's kinda like how God does with us. The only difference is that we ALL start out as bad guys. God chooses some to stay bad guys and some to make into good guys, and it's all because that's the way He wants it. Does that make sense?

Emma: "Yeah Dad, it does."

If a six year old can handle God's complete and total sovereignty over EVERYTHING, then why is it so hard for us adults?

Please let my love and concern for people be clear when I say: If you should read your Bible objectively and thoroughly and still come away convinced that God does not choose, then so be it. But God forbid you despise the doctrines of grace because you will not bow the knee to a God who chooses, for it may be there that the idolatry of the self has its strongest grip on your life.

Ask yourself, "Am I prepared, if convinced the Bible teaches it, to accept that God chooses life and death, heaven and hell, prosperity and poverty, every second of existence, and that to HIS pleasure and glory?" If the answer is no then ask why, because you may have a very serious problem on your hands.

Sovereignty on a First Grade reading level

Emma: "Dad, God picked me special, didn't He?"

Dad: "Yes Emma, God picked you special.
Emma: " We're like God's toys, He can do whatever He wants with us, right?"

Dad: "Yes, Em, He can do whatever He wants with us."





Dad: "Emma, is there anything that you can do to make God love you any less or any more?"

Emma: "No Dad."

Dad: "If you died right now and went to heaven, and they asked you why they should let you come in, what would you say?"

Emma: "Because I believe in Jesus and He's my King."


Things are so simple when we're kids, huh? I hope she never grows up to the point that these things offend her sense of self-worth, self-image or self-esteem.

God grant us the grace to fall on His merit, and crush every speck of self that rears its ugly head, especially the self that puts itself in the center of redemption, history and God's affections.

This is the situation that forced us into an internet research session to find out exactly who "Mr.T" was.

Thank you, auntie Michelle, for the dress-up jewelry, ALL being worn by Emma.

I did not know that, according to my wife, dress-up jewelry MUST be gaudy. That's a connection I'm still trying to understand...

Cinema Three

If only I had three "sides"!! Three children has always made so much sense to me in the past. Any more, and a van becomes cramped, any less, and the interaction is not as great. Four would be one more than the three I already have and feel incapable to parent much of the time. Two would be one less than the three we received while trying to have the second one. But seriously, I never dreamed that movie watching would be a factor. The above photo was taken last night while Daddy and the gals watched a movie so Momma could finish supper. Everyone simply had to cuddle while watching.

The BEST toy ever!!

Did you ever get one of these as a child? I did. I was about 8, and we bought a new fridge, the "Mother of all cardboard boxes". It was "setup" in the barn, and I played with it, by myself for at least a month. It was a fort, a cave, a castle, and I actually remember dreaming about living in a box just like it after I became an adult!! I also planned to buy a tractor-trailer, make the trailer into a house, and drive all over creation, but that's another post, ain't it?
We are now into hour #2 of box-play, and I don't see an end in sight. The watching and the remembering make me lament the death of that imagination in myself. I always thought it so sad when the Narnia kids got too old to go back, and when Puff had to frolick alone in Hona-Lee. Poor Puff... May they never grow up, and may I catch whatever it is they have.

Suffer the little children... and suffer me to be one

So, Nora prayed a blessing for the food this morning, and I thought it was so adorable that I want to reproduce it as best I can.

"Tank u fah mommy to be a pincess, an tank u fah daddy to be a hoshy (horsey), an tank u fah emma to be shnow white, an tank u fah Hannah to be shnow white (Hannah grins wildly), an tank u fah me to be shnow white, an tank u fah mommy, an tank u fah daddy, an tank u fah da food, amen."

A few weeks ago she would have certainly included "and tank u fah santa to come to town...", but I guess that season is over, and she knows it.

These requests came out a pure and sincere heart, silly as they may be, and I don't doubt God smiles when a little one prays. Besides, when it come to God, are we as adults any more adequate than my little Nora? Are some of my requests any sillier than hers in His eyes?

Thank God for a righteousness that is not my own, one that doesn't expect me to be perfect and depends on Christ and not me! I come to Him, depending on Him for EVERYTHING, completely trusting and to use noraspeak- "tank u fah me to be mah like you, to lean on you mah, an tank you fah little guls who point their Daddy to Jesus".