The Family Dalrymple Page - 9 Diamonds
News!
New uploads in Lesson Plans! Or you can order my new book on Creative writing: Bilbiophile at http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/bibliophile/5942135
Michelle has published a book! Get my cheesy romance novel at http://www.lulu.com/content/465015
To see more of my musings, go to http://musewriting.blogspot.com/
What's up with the 9 Diamonds thing?
Family Events - Disneyland
I sit here listening . . .
listening to the type type typing of fingers
on a warm keyboard
as cool breezes tickle my elbows and toes.
I sit here listening
listening to outside sounds
insects, dogs, and the passing cars
that are for once not drag racing, yet.
I sit here listening
listening to that quiet
that only comes once all the children
are asleep in their beds.
The house sighs with me.
I sit here listening
listening to the house sigh
of delicate sounds
of evening air
of children's breaths
I sit here listening.
(Michelle Dalrymple, 2009)
On Personal Responsiblity
He just tested for his black belt in Tae Kwon Do, an accomplishment that has been 5 years in the making. Whether or not he passed, though, is not my moment of pride. My moment of pride involves the events leading up to that moment.
We homeschool, and one of the most important things I am trying to impart to my children is their ability to not only teach themselves, but to also have the personal accountability to do the work well (or better) and on time. For 12 yr old boys, this often extends to the realm of sports and video games, and not much else!
For the past month, my son has been working hard. In this month alone he: 1)completed the Weather Merit Badge for Boy Scouts; 2)completed all his requirements (only has meetings left) for his Second Class rank in scouts; 3) worked as an assistant instructor at his TKD studio for 5-6 hours, on top of his 4) 5-6 hours a week of TKD training. He has essentially worked more this month than *I* have, and that is a lot for a 12 yr old.
But it is more than the accomplishments. Not once did I have to say, "Hey, get to work on your Merit Badge!" or "It's time to practice TKD!" He took that initiative all on his own. When I told him he should start working on his merit badge, he showed me that he was already working on it, and had been for the past hour. He finished his presentation for it a month early as well. While I was upstairs with the girls, he asked if he could "YouTube" his forms to make sure he is practicing them correctly - and he did this for at least an hour a day, ON TOP of his 10-12 hours of class each week.
It is the fact that he stepped up, on his own; that he took the initiative to do the work; that he had the presence of mind to say to himself, "This needs to get done, so I better do it now," is something most ADULTS fail to do.
If nothing else in this world, my son has learned to step up and get the job done.
And that, my friend, is success.
The Start of a New Year - Fall 09
Here we are at the beginning of our 10th year of homeschooling. We are at the precipice of major scholastic endeavors, as my oldest begins that final year of "elementary" schooling - 8th grade. We have homeschooled since January of 2000, and have never looked back.
When we began nearly 10 years ago, I didn't really expect to reach this point. When your child is three, you can't see 10, 12, 15, or 22. And when your child IS that age, you only see them as age three. I honestly didn't consider that one day I would have a young adult. At the time, all I saw was a little boy who liked cars, Toy Story, and to hang out with mom. He was my little man, and I didn't think that one day we would be in 8th grade. I only saw preschool.
And as it should be. Looking too far ahead robs us of all the joy we have with our children now. It makes them old before their time. Yes, Aden will have to look into college one day, but for now he is 12. We are doing 12 year old things and not yet looking at 9th grade. That will come in its own time. For now I will enjoy 12.
As for my 9 year old daughter, there are times when she has a certain look on her face, or she turns her head a certain way, and I see her how she will look in 5 years or more, and it takes my breath away. It is hard not to anticipate the future when it strikes us unassumingly and so suddenly. But I don't see that as much as I see the little two year old girl with lofty pigtails, grasping a crayon in stubby fingers, creating beautiful works of art. Those who remember the Power Puff Girls of Nickelodeon from 8 years or so ago will understand. For a long time, my middle daughter channeled Bubbles.
Now I am on my last baby, who begins 3rd grade. She is a big girl now, no longer a baby, but that is what I see. When she is hard a work writing in her notebook for school, I see a baby girl with reddish brown curls, arms extended for mommy to pick her up. Occassionally she is still that baby - she still needs to be cuddled; but more often she is my young lady, making friends and wanting sleepovers.
I no longer have a child in the preK-2 range. I don't shop in the toddler or little kid (size 2-6X) departments anymore. No more Elmo; no more Dora; no more Veggie Tales. I see how fast those 10 years went - man, they went in the blink of an eye! - and while I miss them and the babies I had, I am grateful that we homeschooled the kids. How fast would it have gone otherwise?! I can't imagine. This way I got a bit more time out of that 10 years. Not only did I get to see the neat projects - art, science, history - I got to be a part of it with them. I was blessed to see how they figured out, made selections, learned new things. And I am grateful for the trying times -- crying over math, procratinating with that paragraph, the unfinished art -- because it made the days longer, and gave me more of that time that is now lost.
When we started 10 years ago, I could never have see 10 years in the future. I am not about to start now.
