Month: August 2017

I am five months older than Josh.  Five LONG months. And those five months are a little more painful on those decade birthdays; Josh has been sure to quite regularly work in the fact that I was in my forties while he was still safely in his thirties. Well, thirty-something he is no more.  Welcome to 40, Joshua Lee!

Doesn’t he look excited?

We put in a patio and are getting some chairs and other furniture for this space, so that was his big gift. At work, his office was decorated by his co-workers, and he got lots of yummy cupcakes.  They even sang to him!

I served fried chicken, mashed potatoes, lima beans and cole slaw with Blackberry Cobbler for dessert. 

Josh got a small gift from us, and he read the cards that came in the mail…from his dad (with lots of old pictures from Josh’s life!), from my parents, from Coach Ron Polk (who never fails to miss a birthday or anniversary or Christmas card complete with a personalized note!), and a card from a mortgage company. You know you are OLD when you get a card from a mortgage company.

This is Josh in his younger years on our first Thanksgiving as a married couple.  He ended up in the ER with a split nose from something he tried to do on trick skis. I should have known then that being married to Josh was NOT going to be boring, that is for sure.

And here is the card from Coach Polk. It’s always a challenge to decipher what he writes, but we so enjoy getting his cards.

Happy Birthday to Joshua Lee Dorminy! Finally 40.  So many are blessed by your life!

 

So we’re two days in to our new school year.  Two days, y’all. I was talking to my sister today, and when she asked how our first day and second day went, I was like, “HAVE WE ONLY BEEN BACK FOR TWO DAYS?” It’s been a great two days, but it feels like a lot more than two days.

Here is the obligatory first day of school picture–in the shadows of the eclipse.  Bonus points for that. I thought it was great that I didn’t have to do anything in particular for science on Monday except experience it with the kids.

Math lessons are simple and full of review, so everyone is enjoying how little time it actually takes to complete a whole lesson.  Ruby has enjoyed Dr.D Pre-Algebra online so far; I think she is just overjoyed to not have a big old Saxon book in front of her. We both had our fill of that.

We did a science experiment this past Sunday from Mack’s Tinkercrate subscription. A fun bottle rocket!

Everyone seems to be enjoying their reading books. Finding time to discuss each book with each kid is a little challenging.  It can get lost in the shuffle of all the rest we are doing, but I am sure we will get into our groove over the coming weeks.

We started a writing project with BraveWriter’s Faltering Ownership materials today.  The first couple of days the kids just keep a little notebook of words.  Fun words, words they have never heard, words that they like to say, etc.  They were each given a letter and given the task of going around the house to find words that begin with that letter in each room of the house. Ruby is the only one I actually saw doing this, so we shall see if the other two completed their task tomorrow.  Here were there first pages.

Ruby:

Molly (are these even words? And yes, we have a spelling program)

Mack (can you say “one track mind”?)

We decided to take a drive to the QT for a slushee and to read some poetry. BraveWriter encourages Poetry Tea Time each week, but since we don’t love tea, slushees are a great option B. I even had the grand idea to listen to poetry podcasts on the way home while everyone was slurping.

My kids love me to read “There Was A Little Girl” to them. It’s a poem about a girl who had a curl in the middle of her forehead.  “And when she was good, she was very, very good. And when she was bad she was horrid.”  My mom used to tell me that must have been about me….

I would say WHAT A WEEK!, but it has only been two days. A really good two days of easing back in to our routine, waking the girls up instead of letting them sleep till whenever, sharpening pencils, opening up fresh stacks of paper and even doing some water coloring during History.  Hopefully we can keep this up! Mama is tired today though.

Up next, piano lessons.  And then maybe we can go to bed before dinner tonight.  You think they would notice?

One year has passed since we drove away from our Woodstock, GA home and into a new state, new city and new home address. Wow. I cannot even begin to share ALL that The Lord has been to me and taught me. It’s overwhelming to think about, really. And so comforting to know that all along this journey of “new,” He has been the One that remains the same. Constant. Faithful. Loving. Patient. Caring. Personal. Breaker. Healer. Discipliner. Encourager. Friend. Listener. Compassionate Father.
He has walked with me each step, and has always been in the next thing—going ahead of me and preparing circumstances and preparing me for what is next. As hard as this year has been for me, it has been just as sweet, as I’ve leaned on The Lord more than ever.

I have read my Bible daily. I have prayed about everything and tried to give thanks in all things. I have journaled my way through the hills and valleys of the year. I have, more than ever, opened my hands and sat in the reality that there was so much I did not know, so many answers I did not have. And I have been encouraged in finding that I don’t have to know so much of what I thought I needed to know. I learned so much during seven months of counseling, too. She was a gift from God at the perfect time.

Streams In the Dessert devotional shared a poem that resonated with me and my reflections on our past year:
The hill was steep, but cheered along the way
By conversation sweet, climbing with the thought
That it might be so till the height was reached;
But suddenly a narrow winding path appeared,
And then the Master said, “My child,
Here you will walk safest with Me alone.”

I trembled, yet my hearts’ deep trust replied,
“So be it, Lord.” He took my feeble hand in His,
Accepting thus my will to yield Him all,
And to find all in Him.
One long, dark moment, And no friend I saw,
Save Jesus only.

But oh! So tenderly He led me on
And up, and spoke to me such words of cheer,
Such secret whisperings of His wondrous love,
That soon I told Him all my grief and fear,
And leaned on His strong arm confidingly.

And then I found my footsteps quickened,
And light unspeakable, the rugged way illumined,
Such light as only can be seen
In close companionship with God.

A little while, and we will meet again
The loved and lost; but in rapturous joy
Of greetings, such as here we cannot know,
And happy song, and heavenly embraces,
And tender recollections rushing back of life now passed,
I think one memory more dear and sacred than the rest will rise
And we who gather in the golden streets,
Will oft be stirred to speak with grateful love
Of that dark day Jesus called us to climb
Some narrow steep, leaning on Him alone.

“There is never a majestic mountain without a deep valley, and there is no birth without pain.” (Daniel Crawford)

I have been led by The Lord through different books of the Bible over the past few months, and I find it no coincidence that I am in Deuteronomy at this year-mark of living in Charlotte. G.Campbell Morgan writes that Moses was tasked with reminding the Israelites how, even amid the sorrowful and suffering, the God of the Universe had guided them. (For the record, I don’t count moving to Charlotte as reason for sorrow, nor would I call my last year full of suffering…hang in here with me for the bigger picture). God had “commanded them to new journeys….God is constantly disturbing us….yet, He leads us by no unnecessary pathways.” No unnecessary pathways. None. When you set the facts of your experience next to God’s character, you should be able to find great comfort in knowing that God wastes nothing.

Morgan says, “There is meaning and value in every stretch of the road.” Oh, so true. So good. So comforting to me.

I ran across a song called, “Every Mile Mattered,” and I cannot tell you how it ministered to me. The lyrics and music are beautiful. I hope you will listen to it and evaluate your own life journey. Spend time reflecting, remembering, noting the growth in your life, letting go, moving on, embracing the new, and feel your trust increasing in a God who walks with us all along the way.

 

 

Today is Miss Molly’s birthday!  She was a surprise to us when I took that pregnancy test while my 5 month old was sleeping upstairs all those years ago; she continues to surprise us with her many antics. And we love her to pieces!

Thought we would re-create that precious photo…haha!

Molly seems to have been born 12, so celebrating her turning 12 today is kind of funny to me. We are happy to spend our day celebrating her life, and we pray God’s very best for her all the days of her life!

HAPPY 12TH BIRTHDAY, MOLLY-MOO!

Well, it seems as if my kids do get tired of sleeping until 10:00am and watching brainless Youtube videos and episodes of “Dance Moms.” They have been asking to start school!  They keep telling me that they are ready for a schedule, and Mack says he cannot wait to learn some History.

After sitting in my disbelief for a few hours, I decided that we would go ahead and start school Monday then!  I was planning for after Labor Day, but I mean, C’mon….if they are asking for it, I would be crazy to delay! So here we go…..

RUBY ELIZABETH, 8th grade, 13 years old; loves music and funny quotes and inspirational quotes and wrote many of them down this summer in a notebook, still likes to read, I think…haven’t seen her with many books this summer! But I feel certain she will get back into that groove once the screens go bye-bye Monday–Thursday.

MATH–Online Pre-Algebra with Dr. D, Xtramath.org daily facts practice

SCIENCE– Online Apologia General Science

HISTORY–Beautiful Feet,  Early American and World History (with sketching and watercolors)

LANGUAGE ARTS–Grammar FixIt! Book 3, Phonetic Spelling Level C, BraveWriter Readers (copywork and literary discussions), Poetry TeaTime and Nature Walks weekly, Faltering Ownership Writing Program for monthly assignments and some online writing classes as mom sees fit

BIBLE– 30 Days to Understanding Your Bible and the Bible Project Videos, personal devotion

GEOGRAPHY– Beautiful Feet, Geography through Literature (probably start 2nd semester)

ELECTIVES– Typing program, weekly piano lesson, weekly chorus lesson, home-ec (Clean your room and do your laundry and fix your own lunch, help with dinner!), sex-ed (What Are You Waiting For? by Dannah Gresh), DOGGY 101 beginning some time in late October

MOLLY LEE, 7th grade, 12 years old tomorrow, loves to play guitar and taught herself!, sleeps really late and will probably have the hardest time with our new school schedule, has enjoyed making friends at church and always seems to be planning for the next social event, enjoys playing around with make-up and straightening her 10 pounds of naturally curly hair.

MATH–Saxon 8/7, Xtramath.org daily facts practice

SCIENCE– Online Apologia General Science

HISTORY–Beautiful Feet,  Early American and World History (with sketching and watercolors)

LANGUAGE ARTS–Grammar FixIt! Book 2, Phonetic Spelling Level B, BraveWriter Readers (copywork and literary discussions), Poetry TeaTime and Nature Walks weekly, Faltering Ownership Writing Program for monthly assignments and some online writing classes as mom sees fit

BIBLE– 30 Days to Understanding Your Bible and the Bible Project Videos, personal devotion

GEOGRAPHY– Beautiful Feet, Geography through Literature (probably start 2nd semester)

ELECTIVES– Typing program, weekly piano lesson, weekly chorus lesson, home-ec (Clean your room and do your laundry and fix your own lunch, help with dinner!), sex-ed (What Are You Waiting For? by Dannah Gresh), DOGGY 101 beginning some time in late October

MACK JOSHUA, 5th grade, 10 years old; loves wrestling and learning magic tricks, is growing like a weed!, still wishes he had a brother, but is super-excited to get a dog in a couple of months and tells me often how he will make sure that the dog is his best friend and not the girls’ best friend

MATH–Saxon 6/5, Xtramath.org daily facts practice

SCIENCE–Monthly TinkerCrates

HISTORY–Beautiful Feet,  Early American and World History (with sketching and watercolors)

LANGUAGE ARTS–Grammar FixIt! Book 1, Phonetic Spelling Level A, BraveWriter Readers (copywork and literary discussions), Poetry TeaTime and Nature Walks weekly, Faltering Ownership Writing Program for monthly assignments and some online writing classes as mom sees fit

BIBLE– 30 Days to Understanding Your Bible and the Bible Project Videos, personal devotion

GEOGRAPHY– Beautiful Feet, Geography through Literature (probably start 2nd semester)

ELECTIVES– wrestling lessons, home-ec (Clean your room and do your laundry and fix your own lunch, help with dinner!), sex-ed (What Are You Waiting For? by Dannah Gresh), DOGGY 101 beginning some time in late October

Ruby’s first Reader is ANNE OF GREEN GABLES. Molly’s first Reader is WONDER. And Mack’s first Reader is DANNY THE CHAMPION OF EVERYTHING. I chose these books specifically because Ruby loves Anne, I mean, who wouldn’t?!? Molly loves reading about people with special needs or with physical challenges, and when we saw the movie trailer for that book I knew she would want to read it.  And for Mack, I needed a book either about football or wrestling or at least about a BOY, so that’s why I landed on Roald Dahl’s, DANNY.

KEEPING UP WITH THE PLANS: I have a binder with monthly dividers that I will be using to keep up with our monthly writing project plans and also to record what we do each day.  Nothing fancy, but it will be a way to note our progress.  I also use the binder to house the list of books each child will be reading.  I still plan to start a construction paper chain to keep hung in the school room as a visual of our progress.

SOMETHING NEW: Last year the kids each had a small sketch book that they drew in.  We started with science pictures, but then it evolved into whatever they wanted to draw. That was ok, but this year I hope to use a sketch book and some water colors to keep them inspired during History to draw.  I don’t know exactly how this will go, but I am going to stay flexible, but intentional to have them doing something pertaining to History while I am reading aloud from our many books.

ANOTHER SOMETHING NEW: I also want to add a blog for each kid to have them type out summaries a few times a week from what they’ve read and to record “golden quotes” from their books that they don’t want to forget.  I thought it might be a good idea to have them use words to explain a new math concept since they say that if you can articulate a concept, then you probably understand it pretty well.  And of course, I would like them to use the blog for a Friday “FreeWrite,” so I can see what is on their minds or how creative they can be.

WHY: It is so important to keep my WHY in the front of my mind during home schooling.  There WILL be bad days.  There will be tears over math lessons.  There will be frustrations from everyone for various reasons, YET I cannot let the emotions and ups and downs (especially at these ages of my kids!) get me discouraged.  I tell myself regularly that I am the adult and need to act like it!  I can’t get on the rollercoaster.  I need to be steady and firm and loving and fun all at the same time.  NOT EASY. I began home schooling because I wanted to be the primary influence in my child’s life for as long as possible.  I wanted to know my kids by spending time with them, listening to them and watching them. It has been much more difficult and challenging than I ever imagined, but it has also been rewarding. I am still home schooling because I still feel called by God to it, and I enjoy being with my kids and helping them learn. And I still think it is a grand way to foster a love of learning and set my kids up for success.

So, here we go!  Our second year of homeschooling in North Carolina begins Monday. Will it be perfect? NO WAY!  Will it be hard? YES WAY! Will it be worth it? YOU BET!

 

Our curriculum has been ordered and delivered for fall 2017 at The Dorminy Academy.  I have spent time cleaning the school room. This week the kids will be tasked with making sure their desks are ready for a new beginning, and we will sign up for our online courses. We may even decorate a binder or two in preparation for our fresh start.  Each kid will need to start their own private blog for posting certain writing assignments—I am hoping this new addition will be a success! And I hope to document our year via this blog. The ups and downs. What worked and what didn’t and even pictures of some of their work.

But before we get going OFFICIALLY, I have spent time praying for God to guide me and help me prepare mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually for the new year. Ruby will be in 8th grade. Molly will be in 7th grade, and Mack is in his last year of elementary, 5th grade.  I cannot believe I am starting my 8th year of homeschooling. The Lord has helped me all along the way! I had no idea what I was getting into…and still don’t completely understand how all of this will work out, yet I know that today I am called to home school.

The Lord led me to 2 Corinthians 12:15 as a foundational verse for this year: “I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls.” Just as Paul loved the Corinthians and met them with love even when he was met with judgment and criticism, I want to do the same with my kids.  They don’t usually face their work day with the greatest attitude or with excitement for grammar and math, but I have to be the mature one.  The one that shows perseverance and determination and grit. I realize that I am doing more than just teaching how to solve algebraic equations or spelling.  I am also tasked with caring for their souls.  And gladly!  That’s the kicker.

Which leads me to a few words that I hope will mark our school year:  

JOY, HUMILITY & HONOR (Romans 12)

Oh, how I hope joy will be a huge part of our days this year.  And humility is so critical in working well together day in and day out….counting others as more important than yourself. To honor others by doing things for them without complaining or griping.  There’s a lot of  “Can you grab my science binder for me?” and “Would you mind sharpening my pencil?” and even, “Would you go start lunch while we finish our grammar?” Joy, Humility and Honor…praying they fill our days!

Then, I have three statements that rose to the surface in my time with The Lord:

BE PRESENT: No social media. Keep phone in downstairs office. Hugs, eye contact, smiles and HELP them!

BE PRAYERFUL:  I heard Jim Cymbala preach a simple, yet profound sermon on prayer from John 2. Invite Jesus into everything. Tell Him your need. Obey what He tells you. Expect great things.

BE PURPOSEFUL: We have a rhythm to our day that should keep us moving towards our goals (Bible and Breakfast, Math, Reading, Writing, Geography, History on MWF, Science on T/Th, xtramath.org, phonetic zoo, grammar FixIT!, piano and chorus, personal Bible reading, and doggy 101 starts mid-October), No screens Monday-Thursday!

 

So, a great plan is laid out. Pencils are sharpened and curriculum is upstairs just waiting for us to dig in! I will continue to pray that all of our hearts will be just as prepared to walk this plan out by the grace of God.

I’ve recommended Keeping Place by Jen Pollock Michel before, and I can’t tell you how good of a book it is.  Just read it! But the other morning I awoke to plenty to do– much like everyone else in the world. My sheets needed washing, my clothes stacked on the ironing board needed to be put away, my dishwasher needed to be unloaded, and trash needed to be taken out.

And get this--all of that needed to happen BEFORE my sweet housekeeper arrived. Mack is always sure to let me know that he does not understand why in the world we have so much cleaning to do before the cleaning lady gets here.

“Straightening, Mack. We’re straightening, so she can clean.”

That explanation falls flat.

But it is true! Even if you have a cleaning service twice a month, there’s still plenty of housekeeping going on.

And I was feeling it this morning, so this quote by Jen Pollock Michel greatly encouraged me in my housekeeping. She takes us to a sad day in the life of those who loved Jesus so much.

While housekeeping is anything but fun and glamorous, it can be a “means for seeing Jesus.” I need The Lord to give me eyes to see Him in the daily, often repetitive, tasks I have been assigned. I need The Lord to give me His joy and strength and wisdom as I love my family and others through menial tasks that no one will know I ever did. Keeping house is a big deal. It takes time and great effort to keep things running smoothly in a home! And if I discount all of housekeeping as just tasks I need to check off, then I may miss Jesus in the middle of it all.

Here’s another quote from Keeping Place:

“Housekeeping points toward the thin places of daily life: where work, however monotonous and menial, becomes worship, witnessing to God’s kingdom coming and His will being done, on earth as it is in heaven.  In this sense, the effort to pour cereal and rinse one’ s bowl (even the bowl of one’s neighbor) can be a spiritual practice, preparing us for greater exertion, more heroic love……Doing the dishes is private practice with very public effects.”

House keeping actually encourages heart keeping if we let it.

Now, let me go switch that laundry and start dinner and check the mail and…..check my heart.  Happy HouseKeeping!

Sometimes the most familiar verses can fall fresh on our hearts and minds.

I love it when that happens and it has happened twice over the past couple of weeks.

The first one is Psalm 119:105, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” This whole section of Psalm 119 is amazing and ministered to me this morning.  But zeroing in on the first verse just reminded me of the peace that can be mine when I take one step in the light of God’s guidance. He doesn’t show me a 5-year-plan.  He doesn’t even give me assurance of my next breath, but He promises to always guide us—- through His Spirit and His Word.  What a comfort.

I was reminded that when I first walked in to counseling I had so much anxiety, so many questions and not many answers.  She reminded me that the larger the circle of looking out into the future, the stronger anxiety grows in my heart. I have to bring that lens back into the present and stay dependent on The Lord.  It’s then I sense my anxieties dying because I am not trying to figure out (read: CONTROL) my future.

Trust grows in the tiny steps of putting one foot in front of the other.

Sometimes it seems I am taking leaps and have such clarity that I am joyfully jumping into my next steps.

Other times, I am not sure of anything.  However, that doesn’t change the truth that God is always with me. Shuffling my feet into the next bit of light is ok sometimes. God’s Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.  I can trust Him. His eye is always on me. He does all things well. He is good. Perfect even.

So leap and jump if that is where He has you! Step confidently if that happens to be where you are. And shuffle if that is all you have to offer.  Just don’t stop believing His Word. It’s a lamp for your feet and a light on your path.

(This little post got longer than intended so I will share my other “familiar falls fresh” verse next time.)