Classical Conversations | How Much Does It Cost?

This post contains affiliate links.


When I first heard of Classical Conversations my first question was, "How much will it cost?"

As the couponing, make my dollar stretch, stay ay home mom, it took me a year of praying and a parent practicum to fully understand the value and worth of the education my children would be receiving.

If you have looked into Classical Conversations, you know there is a cost involved. Costs vary from co-op to co-op and family to family, but the fees cover registration and supply fees. Foundations, Essentials, and Challenge each carry a different cost- Foundations being the easier of the three and Challenge requiring a greater level of instruction by the tutors.

 So How Much Does It Cost? 

 

Here it is laid out for you. Tuition for Foundations is $350 per year, registration is $75 for the first child ($50 each additional child), and a $50 supply fee. Depending on where a CC community meets, there may also be a building use fee. For my daughter to be in the Foundations phase of CC this year cost $480. (You can read here why we have chosen Classical Conversations for our children)

Now before you gasp at the sticker shock, consider, we only bring a snack and lunch to co-op. Markers, crayons, pencils, photocopies, paints, art supplies, science project materials, and scissors are all provided for us because of our supply fee (Essentials only has a $20 supply fee because their work does not require the same type of supplies that Foundations does).

As we began to weigh the cost, we thought back to the Christian school I worked at for ten years, which is considered the most reasonably priced private Christian school in our area. Between registration fees, entrance exam fees, book fees, the purchase of school uniforms, back-to-school supplies, weekly pizza day (optional), field trip costs, and the tuition for the full year of attending the academy, we averaged that it would cost about $5,000 per year to attend this particular private, Christian school. In relation to that cost, $480 is quite doable for an education that we believe is exceptional for our children.

What Do You Have To Buy?

 

When it comes to curriculum, one of my favorite aspects of CC is that what I buy for Addie will also be used for Ian when when he starts. So for example this year being our first year, I had to purchase the Foundations: The Weekly Grammar for Classical Communities (Classical Foundations) Guide which contains all of the information needed for Cycles 1-3 ($60) and the tin whistle ($10). I chose to also purchase the Cycle 3 audio CDs ($30- which we listen to while driving in the car and in the house in the morning) and the History Timeline Cards ($88). When Ian joins CC next year, I will only be purchasing one tin whistle so that he can have his own and the set of audio CDs which accompany Cycle 1. The Foundations Guide remains the same yearly, and the Timeline is relearned on a yearly basis. Until both Addie and Ian complete the 6th grade, they will be using these same materials every year.

Once I have all 3 cycles of audio CDs, until Addie enters Essentials, I will not have to make any other purchases.

As we expand on what is being learned in our history and science, I can go to the library to borrow books and use what I already have in our home library. I am opting not purchase any other books for our schooling, because I know that once my children enter Essentials and Challenge, I may need to make some large book purchases. But again, whatever I buy for Addie, Ian will use when he enters that phase.

The cost of a home education is a personal decision that each family has to make. However, if you choose to make the investment into a Classical Conversations education for your children, I believe it will be money well spent.

Also in this series:

• What Is Classical Conversations and Why We Chose It
• Why Co-op Day Is So Important in Classical Conversations?
• How Do We Memorize Our Classical Conversations Material?
• How I Supplement Classical Conversations

In My Son's World......

In my son's world.....

he may wake up and announce that he is a dinosaur
or a big, daddy hippopotamus
or a cheese-spider (yes, you read that right)
or a bluebird
or a black horse.

......and that's okay because he is 3.

In my son's world.....

a chair is actually a tall mountain to be climbed and conquered
not a seat to be sat in.
How silly would that be!

...and I am learning to be okay with it because he is 3.

In my son's world......

toy dinosaurs eat Barbies
tables are meant for sitting under
and laundry baskets are made for climbing into

....and I am learning to embrace the adventure of each activity because he is 3.

In my son's world....

Moses parted the Red Sea
Samson knocked down buildings
David killed giants

......and I am always looking for ways to introduce him to new Bible heroes because he is 3.

In my son's world.....

jumping
hopping
running
rolling
are all modes of getting from point A to point B

.....and I am learning to step over, around, and not get in the way because he is 3.

In my son's world....

a boy's world.....

strange noises
loud noises
quiet noises
sudden noises
are all effective methods of communication

....... and I am learning to roar with the best of them because he is 3.

In my son's world.....

I can play along
I can climb mountains with him
I can find new places for him to explore
I can make sure knows what a real hero is
I can let him be mobile
I can teach him which noises are appropriate and when to use them

...or I can squash everything that makes him an intriguing little boy with a heart full of life. 

Most importantly, in my son's world.....

He is my little knight.....

.......and I am his Mommy.

I am linking up at: Happy and Blessed Home, Rooted in Thyme, Bacon Time, The Freshman Cook, Pin Junkie, Life of Faith, Your Homebased Mom, A Mama's Story,       

Proper Etiquette When Visiting Disney (or Any Other Theme Park)

We just completed our Disney adventure for the year. During our time at Disney (and last year during our visits to Busch Gardens and Sea World), we got a really good look at how people have lost any sense of care for their fellow man. You can only watch your sleeping son get bumped and have his leg squished so many times by people so caught up in  getting where they wanted to go that they somehow completely did not see our huge stroller.

According to Dictionary.com the definition of etiquette is the customs or rules governing behavior regarded as correct or acceptable in social or official life. 

Sadly we have lost much of the etiquette and class that we once had. 

So for any who are interested, here are some rules of etiquette that we should all abide by as we enjoy the place where dreams come true.

1. Watch where you are going. 

 There are people all around you. Many of whom are not watching where they are going. If everyone watched where they were going, most of the other items here would be unnecessary.

2. Remember that you are not the only one at the happiest place on earth.  

There are thousands of other people there too..... and they probably had to save up just as much as you did to get here.

3. Wheelchairs have the right of way. 

Need I say more?

4. Strollers have the right of way. 

It takes a lot of effort to get a stroller with a child or two in it moving. When you jump in front of a moving stroller, we can't stop fast enough. If you get bumped, don't complain.

5. Strollers are to yield to wheelchairs. 

Common decency.

6. It is okay to hold a place in line for one or two people- not five or more.

No one who has been waiting 30 minutes for a ride wants to see their wait get a little longer because you were place holding for a large group.

7. Teach your children how to stand or entertain themselves properly in line. 

Stepping on the feet of others or constantly bumping into someone is not cute or acceptable.
My two year old (who I was holding) asked me why the 10-13 year olds next to us kept bumping him.


8. If your child starts crying and wailing during a show, take them out.

Pretty self-explanatory.

9. Be aware of those who are around you.  

Some guests may be taking pictures and you may be blocking the camera. (true story....)

10. If you are in a large group, walk by twos or threes, not as a mob. 

Guests will have a hard time getting around you.

11. Do not stop suddenly in the middle of the walking paths.  

Again, those walking behind you with strollers will have a hard time stopping in time to avoid hitting you. Don't roll your eyes at them when it happens. Not our fault. (see why in #4)

12. If you sense people trying to get around you, move over.

Nothing is more frustrating trying to walk around someone to get to where you want to be (especially the bathroom with little people), and having people intentionally block your path.

13. Dress appropriately.

You are going to be around children all day. Dress accordingly. Having to explain your wardrobe malfunction to my six year old was not in my plan for the day.

14. Wear deodorant. 

You are in Florida. It is hot. You will be in close quarters with others while waiting to get on rides. Please be considerate.

You know, if we think about it, Jesus had the solution for proper etiquette in any given situation.  

Matthew 22:37- 40 says, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

Or as most of us are more familiar with, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12)

If we just remember to treat others in the ways that we want to be treated, etiquette will not be a thing of the past. It will be alive and well today.

Do you have etiquette items to add to the list?

I'm linking this post up to Family Fun Friday, Prudent Wisdom , Frugal Homeschool Family, Mrs. AOK, Creative K Kids,

Archives | Pianos from Heaven

You can find the original post here.

Addie and I have loosely begun piano lessons here at home. Every time I see our piano, dust it, or pass by it I am reminded yet

again that God provides not only our needs but our wants as well.

You see, I (meaning my parents or me) have never had to buy a piano. 

Many years ago (I was in junior high) when we lived on Staten Island and my father was in the ministry, I wanted to learn how to play the piano. But we did not have a piano. I remembering "just mentioning" to God that I wanted to take piano lessons and left it at that.

An attendee at our church found out that a church, which was hosting the daycare her daughter attended, was giving away a piano and wanted to know if my parents would be interested. It was an old upright piano, the pedal didn't work, and some of the keys did not play, but I loved that piano. I worked so hard and practiced every day, and by the grace of God, I advanced very quickly in my piano lessons. Once, my piano teacher came to my house to give me a lesson and was shocked to see what I had been practicing on.

One day, about four or five years later, in youth group when prayer request time came up, I said that I wanted to become the best piano player in the world, and I think I mentioned our piano and its condition.

Some of the kids laughed.

One young man in particular went home and jokingly told his parents what my request had been. Their response was...... 


"We have a piano here that no one is using. We'll let Suzette use it as long as her family lives in the area."

The parents contacted my parents who gave me the news, and we gave our upright piano to my uncle who loved refurbishing old furniture. I was so excited the day that piano arrived! I now had a piano with all working parts to practice on!

It was on that piano that I practiced and studied and worked my way into Westminster Choir College with my major in Music Education and my primary instrument being the piano. (Terry R., I have never forgotten the gift from your family and how many hours of joy that piano gave me.)

When we moved to Florida, we returned the piano to its rightful owners. Since we lived with my aunt and uncle for the first 8 months, I practiced on their piano. 

After we moved into our own home, I used the piano at the church to practice. 

When Brian and I were married, one of the things he wanted us to eventually buy was a piano. 

However, once again, God used someone to bless us with a piano. 

My in-laws were going to be moving into a newly built home and had no place to put their piano in their new home (it had been their 10 year anniversary gift to each other). Because they knew we had wanted to get a piano, they offered to give us their piano. 

That is how we now have the piano that Addie and I are having lessons on.

All three pianos were blessings from God.

All three pianos were given to us at just the right time.

All three have served us very well.

All three hold a special place in my heart... and I need to make more time to just sit and play.

What Are Your Goals for 2014

C.S. Lewis said, "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream..."

Where there is no vision, the people perish... (Proverbs 29:18a KJV)

We are a week and a half into the new year. 

Are you still as gung ho on your resolutions as you were on January 1st or have you fizzled out? 

Have you written out some goals for you and/or your family? 

Remember, goals take time to reach. They do not happen overnight.

Goals require a plan and action. Goals are only ideas until you set a plan in motion.

Goals need to be attainable. If your goals are too hard are too high to reach, you will give up before you have even started.

Brian and I set some goals for ourselves

1. Eat better. We are not doing a complete overhaul of our eating habits in one shot. We are eating the same kinds of meals, but we are eliminating snacks and "extras" throughout the day. 

2. Pray together in the evening. This is something we used to do when we first got married, but life, exhuastion, and the birth of our chldren squeezed it out of the schedule. We are putting it back in.

3. Have a joint devotional a few times a week. We have our own devotions, but there is nothing like having time in the Word with your spouse. 

4. Exercise. I am enjoying my exercise time. I originally planned on exercising 3 times a week, but I am enjoying that time so much that it has become a daily thing for me.

Have you set goals for yourself or as a couple? I would love to hear what they are! Leave them in the comments or share them on our Facebook page.

Shop Amazon - New Year, New You in Books

30 Day Mom Challenge

Psalm 127:3 Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.


If you follow our Facebook page, you have seen that I am working on the 30 Day Mom Challenge. 

Yes, it is a challenge.

A challenge in that it is definitely not easy.

Not easy to realize that Day 2 was going to be a little harder than you imagined, because that was the day no one wanted to cooperate. Life is just easier when we all cooperate.

Day 3 was easy. We hug each other all the time!

Day 4 was a little harder. A friend commented that her son still sleeps in a crib, so unless she grew a giraffe neck, that would be a challenge. When I stopped laughing, I realized Ian sleeps in a crib, too!

Day 6 got started pretty well. We had the batter going for our banana bread (baking a favorite food), and then because of a series of unfortunate events, our mix ended up all over the kitchen floor. Nothing was baked that day.

And then along came Day 8. Calculate how many weekends are left until your child graduates from high school. Just thinking about this one makes me cry.

Why?

Because motherhood is a challenge. Not just for 30 days, but all the time.

Because we have good days and bad days.

Because God has given us these gifts that are to be loved and cherished and then set free.

Because we look at our children in awe of who they are and then in disbelief at what they just did or said.

Because we love our children like no one in the world can.

Because as much as our job is to train them to grow into a young man and woman for God, we don't really want them to grow up.


Because as much as they yell "Mom!" we still love hearing our name called.

Because I would rather live with the "not knowing" how long I have with them than count down every weekend until they graduate.

Because all of those toys we get tired of picking up will all be gone one day, our homes will finally be clean, but empty.

Because one day they will grow up and leave, and these moments that we have with them now will be gone and lost if we don't take advantage of them while they are ours.


Because I love my children.

Like no one else does.

Archive Post | What Do You Value During the Christmas Holiday?

We all enter the Christmas season with an idea of how we want the festivities to go and what we want to do with our families, but have you ever asked yourself What Do You Value at Christmas? In 2009, I took a good hard look at that question for myself, and this post is the answer to that question.

A Hands-On Thanksgiving

As a homeschooling mom, there are times when I get this complete burst of joy and pride over the fact that our children are having an educational experience that most children will not have. A couple of weeks back, we had that type of experience which gave me that type of feeling.

One of the moms at our co-op opened up her property for a Thanksgiving dinner. Her property had several acres of land and woods and an area for their livestock- 2 cows, about 6 free range turkeys (who I do not expect to survive the week), 5 horses, and more chickens than I could count.

We went, excited to be with our co-op friends, but not expecting the wonderful experience we were going to have.

While the moms who signed up to help with the prepping and serving of the food were working, there were teenaged girls that were helping by watching the smaller children.

I was so in awe of these girls who weren't hanging out in some secluded area of the property looking depressed like the entire teenage world was resting on their shoulders and threatening to fall off. They were smiling, playing with the babies, and doing their part to help this event be a success. Some of these girls were even helping in the kitchen and enjoying conversations with the adult women they were helping.

During this time, as people began arriving, the kids were playing. There was no organized game of any type. No groupings of children by ages. Just kids playing. Together. Across the ages.

And I never once heard anyone arguing!

Five minutes after we arrived, I lost track of Addie. She had run off with several girls who were in older elementary grades. I knew she was safe and wasn't worried in the slightest. I just kept my eyes opened for the occasional flash of brown corduroy as it flew passed.

Once the women who had signed up to help with the food were just about ready, Miss Sandi had all of the children come to an area that was already set up for a lesson on the history of the Pilgrims voyage, first year in the New World, and the first Thanksgiving.

The children all sat on blankets. Again, not grouped by ages, but every one learning together.

When Miss Sandi taught the children that Pilgrim children had to help with the chores, she put the kids to work. She gave grain sacks to a few of the older kids and then told all of the children to go around the property looking for pine needles to stuff the sacks with. A girl in Jr. High took Addie by the hand and the two of them ran off to collect pine needles. A few boys came over, climbed up in a tree stand, and pushed down a bunch of needles for the girls to give them a hand.

Everyone was called back together, and some of the dads were asked to test out the sacks which would have been used as pillows and beds.

Then the kids were given another job. They were sent to find large sticks that could have been used to build a simple home for the Pilgrims. Again, the kids were off in search of these long sticks and sturdy fallen branches. As they would find the branches, they would bring them back to Miss Sandi, who showed them how to lay the sticks on top of each other in order to make a simple structure. The project ended once the kids had built the "house" about a foot tall.

After the lesson was over, we prayed for the meal and enjoyed an early Thanksgiving.

All 70 of us.

During the clean up time, once again the teenage girls were right in the mix of things, helping with babies or in the kitchen along with the adults.

As I watched Addie interact with her co-op group that day, I got this overwhelming feeling of love for what I do as a homeschooling mom. There are definitely things that I lack and areas that I lack in. Yet God fills all of the gaps with others whose strengths are my weaknesses. As the teacher/mom, my job is to look for the opportunities that God is affording me. Sometimes it means that I have to step out of my comfort zone. Sometimes it means just being open to an opportunity I see.

The gift of being able to homeschool is definitely on my list of things that I am thankful for.

What I Have Learned Over 38 Years

I am 38 years old today.

At least that is what the date on my birth certificate says I am.

I certainly do not feel like I am 38.

I feel more like I am in my twenties.

But, I have learned quite a few things over the last 38 years.

1. God is always faithful. My mother told me that as they wheeled her into surgery the day before she passed away. At first I didn't see how that was God being faithful, but I have seen Him at work faithfully in my life and have come to see how He was and is faithful all the time.

2. Marry your best friend. Before Brian and I ever dated, he was my friend. He was the guy I felt comfortable talking to because I didn't have to worry about him asking me out. In my mind, he was good practice for me so when God brought the right guy my way, I would be comfortable talking to him (does God have a sense of humor or what!). Needless to say, Brian became my best friend, and I had the honor of marrying him.

3. It is okay to leave your comfort zone. I was always someone who preferred to stay home. Leaving my comfort zone was a scary thought for me. However, since becoming a mother, I have begun branching out, joining homeschool groups and co-ops, and making wonderful friends. Because I have taken the steps needed to leave my comfort zone, my children are learning to do the same, and we are making some pretty great memories together.

4. Your age is just a number. I refuse to "feel" my age, and I refuse to let anyone dictate to me how my age is supposed to make me feel. As I said, I feel like I am still in my twenties, and I pray that I continue to feel like that for a long time to come. (I'd also like to look like I'm in my twenties, but I won't push it.)

5. True friends are invaluable. God has blessed my life with many wonderful people. Friends that I know from church, family friends, friends that are family, and friends that I have made through our homeschool groups. I have also been blessed with friends that I have known since my high school youth group days. God has used each of these people in some way to bless our lives, and I can only pray that I am able to bless them in some way as well.

6. God has ways to fill in the voids in our lives. After Mom passed away, there was a Mom sized void in my heart and life. God immediately began bringing women to walk beside me to help fill that void. From my mother-in-law to aunts to friends, God has brought specific women into my life who have all made invaluable contributions to my heart.

7. Children are truly a gift from The Lord. God has given us the children that He knew we needed, with the personalities that would fit our family perfectly. And boy, did He give them personalities! Our 5 1/2 year old can think in ways that make me forget how young she really is, and our 2 year old has figured out how to joke around and make jokes that will get him the biggest laughs. We have come to the conclusion that our family is complete with our two gifts.

8. In-laws can be your greatest allies. I know that not everyone is blessed with a great relationship with their in-laws, but God has blessed me with a wonderful set of in-laws who love me as their own daughter. When I need a sitter at the spur of the moment because of a sudden emergency, I can pick up the phone and Mom is there. (By the way, thanks for watching the kids tonight, Mom, so Brian can take me out for dinner.) When we need help around the house, Pops drops everything and is here with all of his tools to lend a hand. (Pops, thanks for coming over a few weeks ago to help me redecorate the master bedroom so I could surprise Brian.) I love you both!

9. Having a plan is essential. I am not a "fly by the seat of my pants" kind of girl. If I am going to have a successful day, I have to have a plan. Some days I have a moment by moment schedule written out.Some  days, I live by our normal routine. Some days, I write out a list of things to do. But each day has a plan. It has to. I can't function any other way.

10. Mommy needs to take care of herself. There is a reason why flight attendants tell their parent passengers if in case of an emergency and the oxygen masks come down that they are to put theirs on first and then put the mask on their children. If mom or dad passes out, the children have no chance. When I keep putting myself off, I find that I am too worn out to give my all to my children. I learned that this week. I kept pushing myself until I threw out my back and ended up with a migraine. If I had taken the time to do some Mommy care, I would have been able to put my kids to bed on Monday and Tuesday instead of feeling like an invalid while Brian took care of bedtime.

I have also learned.....

.....that a cup of coffee in the evening with Brian always makes for a great morning.

.....that things pushed to the back of the refrigerator will never be eaten.

.....that children always call for mommy in the middle of the night. I know I always did...

.....that it is possible to get lost in the smallest section of town for 2 hours.

.....that the level of respect and courtesy that people have for each other has diminished greatly- just 
     go to a theme park with a stroller.

.....that there is no greater thrill than to see pure joy in the eyes of your children.

.....that it is possible to feel closer to an online group of friends than to people you know in
     person.

.....that even though technology has improved the visual effects of movies and television
     shows, nothing beats an episode of "Little House on the Prairie."

.....that Christmas will forever be my favorite holiday.

.....that it is better to buy furniture after you have children. There are some things you don't
     think of when furnishing a child-free home that you wish you could change after you   
     have children.

.....that a yearly pass to a local theme park is a great investment.

It has been a wonderful 38 years. I look forward to many more years serving the Lord and my family.

Our Little "Peter"

It should come as no surprise to you that we are smitten with our Addie.

She's smart, funny, witty, and gorgeous.

She has moments when she is wise beyond her years, and then she has those moments that remind us that she is only 5 1/2.

We have figured that she has the spiritual gift of prophecy- not in the sense of "telling the future", but in a sense where right is right, wrong is wrong, black is black, white is white, and there is no gray.

But there is a particular Biblical character that she reminds us of more than anyone else.

Peter.

Peter had this tendency of being very impulsive, saying whatever came to mind (even when it was best not to say anything), and having those teachable moments with Jesus go right over his head.

Yet when all was said and done, he was the one God used to preach on the Day of Pentecost to a crowd of people where everyone heard him in their own language.

I can only imagine how Jesus must have shook His head when Peter asked what John's job was going to be after Jesus left, or how Peter acted impulsively to cut off the ear of the priest's servant but denied knowing Jesus in fear of the young girl who questioned him.

Every time I hear or read a story of Peter and look at his life, I can't help but think of my Addie. She speaks her mind (even when her thoughts should be kept to herself), can act rather impulsively at times, and have some of our teachable moments fly right over her head.

Yet last Wednesday she told me that she decided that she wants to be a missionary so she can tell people about Jesus.

It is moments like that which leave us in awe of this precious girl that God has put into our home and hearts.

And then it is the moments when we are trying to teach her something and think we have made a real communication connection, that she jumps up and says she needs some apple juice and Brian and I find ourselves telling each other, "She's having a Peter moment."

The Great Santa Debate

This post does contain affiliate links.

In December 2009, I original posted about our family's choice to not instill a belief of Santa in our children in a post entitled "Oh, Santa."  Four years later, Addie cannot be swayed from the truth of the matter as is seen in today's post.

A few Sundays ago, as I was picking Addie up from Sunday school, I was informed that Addie and another child in the class had gotten into an argument.

Knowing my child and who the other child was, I gave the teacher a believing look which asked, "What was the argument about?"

"I asked the class what was the most important part of Christmas. {The other little girl} said Santa, and Addie told her that Santa wasn't real." She then gave me a look that said she was at a loss because Addie was right about Santa but should not have argued.

Both girls then walked out of the classroom together still saying, "Yes, he is!" and "No, he isn't!" Neither girl was going to give in to the other, yet one was right and one was wrong.

So how do we deal with the "Is Santa Claus real?" issue that almost certainly comes up each and every Christmas?

There are many parents, Christian and non, who want their children to experience the wonder of the season with every little aspect of it completely intact- including the belief that Santa is real and that there is a little elf who watches every little move they make during the month of December.

By that same token, there are parents, maybe not as many, who do not want to distract their children from the truth of the season- that Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus..... and that God has given their Daddy and/or Mommy the ability to work to purchase the gifts they will open on Christmas morning.

As a mother, I want to teach my children How to Win Friends & Influence People, but not at the expense of sacrificing the truth for peace. I also do not want to tell her that she is right and her friend is right because that promotes a mindset of truth being relative and not absolute.

Instead, I took her back to something I had taught her the Christmas before she turned 3, and this was one of the moments when as a mother, I realized that there is a special satisfaction from having built a foundation with my child since the day she was born.

"Do you remember that we learned about St. Nicholas? (Side note: Veggie Tales has an awesome retelling of the story of St. Nicholas- ST. NICHOLAS: A STORY OF JOYFUL GIVING) Saint Nicholas was a real person who loved Jesus and chose to help those who were poor. Saint Nicholas is real. Santa is not. People took St. Nicholas and changed parts of his story around and turned him into Santa Claus. But Saint Nicholas was real. Santa is not."

I then went on to explain that we are never to bring up the subject/debate ourselves. If some else approaches us saying that Santa is real, only then is Addie to explain that Saint Nicholas was a real person, but Santa is not. If someone else's child is going to impose their Santa belief on Addie and one day Ian, then they have every right to speak up for themselves and the truth.

I understand and realize that this may disrupt some child's belief in Santa Claus, his 8 tiny flying reindeer, his toy factory with little elves happily slaving away making little wooden trains that children sadly no longer play with, but in a few years as these children grow up and learn that Santa is not real, and they will have one of two responses.

1) It will shake their faith as my friend Kristi posted in the comment section from the Oh, Santa post:

When John was about 8 years old he looked on the bottom of one of his toys and it said Made in Taiwan...and it clicked in his head "Santa isn't real...my parents lied to me...if Santa isn't real, then maybe God isn't real either!"

Or 2) It will not bother them in the least.

In fact, they may even think back to a time when their little 5 year old friend tried to tell them the truth. That Saint Nicholas is real. Santa is not.

That Is When God Stepped In (Part Two)

1 Peter 1:6-7 "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:"

On Friday, I began the story of a test that my husband and I were facing.

When compared to the testings that others may be facing, ours may not seem like such a huge deal. But no matter the size of the test, God is growing us, shaping us, and strengthening us so that we can develop into the man or woman God wants us to become. 

Tests are a tool to show us where we need growth and where we are doing okay. As a former classroom teacher and now homeschool mommy, I recorded the grades to the tests my students would take in order to see if there was progress in my students.  

In all honesty, I'm not sure how I did on this test of ours. Sometimes I wish I could get a little peek at God's "grade book" to see if I passed the course or if I need to retake the test. I really dislike retaking tests!

On Wednesday night, Brian came to me and asked if we could pray together about what was happening. Although our car situation had been handled, we still had a potentially expensive air conditioning problem to face in the morning. 

On Thursday morning, Brian and I decided that we would fast until lunch time and ask God to break through our situation and give us wisdom, guidance, and grace about what our next step should be. After breakfast, I put on a Superbook episode for the kids (their current favorite show) and went into my bedroom to pray.

In the back of my mind, I thought about a piece of property that we had purchased 8 years ago that we have had on the market for some time now. We have had an interested buyer but the timing was never right for them to follow through with the purchase. If we could only sell it, at least that would give us a healthy cushion and relieve the stress of this air conditioner. I mentioned it to God......

Brian called me while I was homeschooling later that morning and asked, "Hey, you know our property? Why don't we re-approach the interested party and offer them a one time deal?" 

In the meantime, my father-in-law had contacted a gentleman in the area who owns an air conditioning repair/installation company to see if he could have one of his guys check on our air conditioner (which if you remember had leaked water into our return air vent and subsequently through the wall into our office soaking one quarter of the carpet).

Before lunchtime, we received a call from the other party interested in our property that they would jump on our offer. We are now in the process of dealing with contracts, title companies, and praising God for this relief.

At 2 p.m., the air conditioning guys arrived and after cleaning out our drain pipe, inspecting every inch of our inside and outside unit, and crawling into our return air vent, they discovered that our problem was a faulty sensor not alerting our system to turn itself off when the drain pipe backs up. They then told us that our unit was good for another 3-4 years and our total bill was going to come to $175- not the $2500 the other company quoted us. 

God has stepped in to my life on so many occasions and yet sometimes I forget to just wait for Him to make an entrance.

I panic, start trying to find ways to get a solution, cry, get so distracted that I let my children get off the normal routine of our day, and I forget that God has been so good to me so many times in the past.

I don't know what my grade was on this test. I do know that I didn't get an A or even a B. It is so easy to look at characters in the Bible like Abraham and tell them to trust God, He will fulfill His promises to you. But Abraham was walking through a test just like we do in our everyday lives. 

Abraham's story and all of the other accounts in the Bible, are a reminder to us that God will fulfill His promises to us just as He did to those in His Word. Our stories have yet to be completed. And when they are, what a testimony they will be!

That Is When God Stepped In (Part One)

2 Corinthians 12:9 "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

Do you like taking tests?

Do you like having to take the same test over and over again to see if you will pass "this time"? It is kind of like the adult version of the SATs (which I remember hating when I was in high school).

Since I can remember, I have been taking the "Suzette, do you trust Me that I know what is best for you and nothing is too big for Me?" test.

When I was getting ready to attend college, the money was not there for me to attend. There were a few scholarships, but nothing to really make a huge dent in the cost. My father said that if he could not come up with the money, I would not be able to attend college because he did not want to go into debt (he never had been in debt and I don't blame him a bit).

That is when God stepped in.

After attending a wedding one Saturday afternoon, a gentleman from our church approached my father with an envelope. Inside was a check for the amount that was needed for me to attend college without needing a loan. That same gentleman later gave us his pick up truck so that we could sell it and use whatever we made from the sale towards my next college tuition bill. I graduated with my Bachelors in Music Education without a single student loan.

****************

Weddings can be expensive, and the dress is one thing no girl wants to scrimp on. But when you teach at a Christian school making half (maybe even less) of what teachers in the public school make, you can't be picky.

That is when God stepped in.

An uncle of mine approached my mother and said that because I was the first niece getting married, he wanted to purchase my dress for me- ignore the price tag. I had, what I believe, was the most beautiful dress for my wedding.

*****************

I had wanted to play the piano when I was in junior high, but, since my father was in the ministry, the money for one was not there. As a 12 year old, I remember praying and asking God to let me play the piano, but I was unsure how that would happen.

That is when God stepped in.

My mother received a phone call from a woman in our church who told her that the school her daughter was attending had an old upright piano that they were giving away. Would we be interested? Absolutely! I began piano lessons with a cousin of mine and she couldn't believe my progress. Years later, in youth group, I asked for prayer because my piano was in really poor condition. One of the guys went home and told his parents. They then approached my parents and said that since none of their children were using their piano they would be willing for me to use it as long as we lived in the area. Exit, old piano. Enter beautiful piano. When we left that church, we returned the piano with grateful hearts.

I still have never purchased a piano. We have a piano, though. God used my in-laws to give us their piano when they moved into their new home. Now I am teaching Addie how to play.

 

******************

And still with all of these acts of His kindness, mercy, and provision for us, I still doubt when the next test is handed to me with a freshly sharpened number 2 pencil.

I go into panic mode.

I forget about all of the previous study sessions I have had.

I try figuring out ways to sneak out of the testing room.

But when God is proctoring the test..... well, there is no sneaking out.

Wednesday morning, as we were homeschooling in the office, I stepped onto a wet spot in the carpet. Truth be told, I thought Ian's diaper was leaking until Addie who was sitting in her desk chair yelped as her foot hit a cold, wet spot.

Oh no! Not again! was my first thought.

Two months ago we paid close to $300 dollars to be told that our air conditioner was leaking and that we would need to replace it within the year for anywhere between $2,500 to $6,000.

I called Brian who would be working until 8:15 p.m. in Clearwater (ETA home would be 9:30 p.m.). Not that there was anything that he could do, but I didn't want to worry alone.

I proceeded through my day, and decided to take the kids to the library before getting my hair cut. As I turned the key in the ignition...... nothing happened.

I laughed!

Really, God???? No, Seriously???? I thought. I wouldn't say it out loud because my children are too young to understand that I was not being disrespectful- just trying to figure out what He was up to.

I called Brian and told him our latest disaster.

"Stop! I can't take anymore!" he said in pure frustration.

I called my father-in-law to make sure that it was nothing more than a dead battery. He assured me that my description sounded that way to him. I got the kids out of the car and got ready to text my sister-in-law that I would not be able to get my hair cut.

And this is where God stepped in.

As I was texting, my mom-in-law called me. "We've been texting back and forth and you never mentioned that your battery died. Bob just called to see what I was doing to see if I could take you to get your hair cut."

Mom came over, we got the kids in the car and went for my hair cut. She entertained the kids way better than an iPhone ever could... and she brought M&Ms!!! After my hair cut, I asked my sister-in-law how much I owed her.

And God stepped in again.

"Nothing! Are you kidding me?" After tearing up and kissing her on the cheek, we headed to an auto store to get a battery. They didn't have one in stock so they ordered it for me and said it would be there in the early evening.

Mom dropped us off at home, and I was left to think about my dead car battery and my leaky air conditioner.... even though God had already shown me twice that He was in control of the situation and He had His eye on my no matter what I thought.

My dad called to check on the weather in our area (he lives about 5 minutes away from me but works an hour away) and to see if we were going to go to Awana. I told him that I couldn't leave the house because my battery was dead.

And that is when God stepped in for the third time that day.

"I'll be over after I change. I'll boost your car and then drive it to the store myself so you don't have to take the kids out."

The car battery situation was done by the time Brian came home from work with little damage to the bank account, but there was still the air conditioner to deal with.

On Monday, you will hear the end of our story and see whether or not we passed our test.

Why Daddies Need to Date Their Daughters

I remember going on dates with my father.

I can't tell you how many there were, or what we did on any of the (I'm pretty sure McDonald's was involved), but I do remember that my dad took out the time for me.

The dates that I do remember the most were the last two weeks of my summer before attending college. My father and I would set our alarm clocks to the time I would need to get up in order to make it to school on time (I commuted all 4 years, one hour each way. Gas was under a dollar at the time!). He wanted me to get used to the traffic that I would be facing on my way there. On our way back we would always stop at McDonald's for their breakfast burritos.

Our dates were not flashy, but they taught me so much and showed me just how much my father loved me.

Now, we have a daughter, and Brian has made taking Addie on dates a priority as well.

So, why are Daddy/Daughter dates so important?

1. It teaches a girl that she is loved by her father, the most important male figure in her life.

Little girls want to be loved, but more importantly they want to be loved by their fathers. Having a father take the time out of his day or weekend speaks "I love you" louder than just saying those words. If a girl feels loved by her father, she is less likely to look for love in the wrong places. When she knows that her Daddy loves her unconditionally and that she is safe with him, she will know that she can take any question, thought, or idea to him and she will be safe from criticism, ridicule, and humiliation.

Recently, when Brian and Addie came home from a date, Addie was more sweet and helpful than usual (she usually is, but this was even more than what is considered normal for her). When I mentioned how sweet and helpful she was being, she flipped her hair and said, "It's 'cause I went on a date with Daddy!" Her confidence gained a boost just because of the extra time Brian had spent with her.

2. It teaches her how to expect boys to treat her in the future.

When she watches how her daddy opens the car door for her, pays for her movie ticket and pop corn, and their lunch or dinner, she knows what to expect from the young man who comes to take her on a date (when she's 30!). If he honks for her, doesn't get her door, expects her to go Dutch on the date, she will know that he does not value her the way her Daddy did.

By the way, mothers with boys, it is called chivalry, and it is not dead! Teach these things to your sons, so they will treasure the young woman that God brings to them in the future. (We have a son, too!)

3. It teaches her how she is to behave when she is on a date.

She looks her best to go out with her Daddy- just like she will for the young man God will bring her way. She learns how to sit and converse at dinner and not to take up the entire conversation. She learns from her father what is and what is not appropriate behavior around boys and young men- he was a young man once, too. She learns that saying a sincere thank you at the end of the date is sufficient and nothing "more" is to  be expected of her.

I can say from personal experience that when I began dating my husband, I was able to go to my father with any question that came to mind concerning our dating relationship because I knew that, at the time, no other man loved me like my father did. He ultimately gave us pre-marital counceling and officiated over part of the wedding ceremony. I knew right away that Brian was different from most guys because of the way he treated me- just like my dad did. He always came to the door to get me, treated my parents with respect, opened the car door for me to get in and get out, and always paid for everything. I also knew how to conduct myself on each date we took.

Moms are important for the day to day teaching that goes on in the home, but there are some things that only a father can teach his daughter.

That is why Daddy/Daughter dates are so important.

The Archives | Superbook and Sesame Street

What our children view and hear influences them greatly whether we realize it or not. When what they see is matched by what they are taught by us, you have a powerful combination that is very hard to tear down.

We make sure that our children watch a Biblically based show or movie before they can watch anything else later in the day. One of our favorites is Superbook put out by CBN Ministries.

On Sunday, Addie and I were watching the episode "The Last Battle" and S*tan told the little boy in the story that the wronging doing that the boy had done was not his fault but God's fault.

Addie jumped up and yelled at the TV, "That's not right! It's not God's fault! It's yours! You're wrong!"

This isn't the first time she has gotten all fired up about God's Word when watching Superbook. In this post from the archives, Superbook and Sesame Street, we are going to talk about the influences that we expose our children to, and you will get to see another moment when Addie (at a year and a half) got fired up to the account of David and Goliath. 

Being Intentional

Intentional living is becoming sought out by more and more people lately. It is almost as if we are suddenly coming to the realization that our modern lives are taking us hostage to the high speeds of our internet providers and yet we are missing so much out of life.

In the hopes of being intentional, we make lists of things to do with our children so that each season leaves them with memories of things that Mom and/or Dad did with them. We intentionally work at ignoring the distractions around us so that we are more present in our marriages and with our children. We attempt to limit the technology usage so we are fully engaged with what is going on around us.

Because times have changed.

It is no secret here on the blog that Charles and Caroline Ingalls (Little House on the Prairie) are role models for Brian and me. Just to exist, they had to be intentional. Every aspect of their lives was done with a purpose, the end goal, in mind. After the winter, Charles would buy a pig, and the family raised that pig with the intent of using every part of it for meat to feed the family thru the next winter. Vegetable gardens were planted and tended with the express purpose of feeding the family thru the winter.

Jay Mantri

In some ways, we have lost the need to live intentionally due to the modernization of our world. Brian does not have to go out and hunt in order for our family to eat thru the winter. We have Publix. I don't have to keep a vegetable garden to feed my family. Thank God, because I am not much of a gardener! Again, thank God for Publix! I don't have to sit and make our clothes by hand with the plan of passing our clothing down to the next child.

Being intentional is having a goal that we are shooting for, and then planning what needs to be done in order to achieve that goal.

So what are the things that we have to be intentional about?

Aaron Burden

1. Our walk with the Lord.

Relationships do not just happen. Time has to be carved out of our day in order to spend time with the ones that we want to grow a relationship with. And if everything else in our lives are going to fall into place, then spending intentional time with God is not a luxury, it's a necessity. Sitting with Him and His Word, talking to him, listening to Him, learning to recognize His voice, that takes time. Time that we often would rather spend doing something else. 

Josh Felise

2. Our relationship with our spouse.

When we were dating, we rescheduled the world just so we could have some quality time with our sweetheart. Once the wedding bells died down, it was fairly easy to fall into the rut of life with work, taking care of the place we now live, and social obligations. Once children come along, it can be very easy to push your relationship with your spouse to the back burner because you have more pressing, more urgent, things to do.

After our relationship to the Lord, our relationship with our husband is the next most important relationship that we have. If we are not intentional about being a wife, our marriages can die or end up being lifeless. When our children are grown and gone, we do not want to be left with a total stranger- the husband that we knew so well before marriage. Be intentional about serving him, spending time with him, and loving him the way he needs to be loved, not the way we think he should be loved (The Five Love Languages is a great place to start).

Annie Spratt

3. Raising our children.

The Bible calls them arrows. If you are going to shoot an arrow, you need to have a target. Once you have your target in your sites, you aim and let go. If you aim at nothing, chances are that is exactly what you will hit.

Being an intentional parent means having a goal or target in mind for your children and setting your aim and sites on that target. For Brian and me, our target is to raise our children to love and serve the Lord with their whole hearts and have convictions that will cause their relationship with the Lord to bloom and flourish throughout their whole lives. This goal has influenced the choices we have made in regard to how we are raising our children. 

Being an intentional parent also means being mindful of the amount of technology being used in our homes. It is so easy for our children to get caught up in the high speed world they see us racing in. Being very present for them during mealtimes and after school, lets our children know how important they are to us.

Intention is an act or instance of determining mentally upon some action or result. What are other areas you have found to be intentional?