Piano Lesson

Today my lovely, inquisitive, wonderful daughter began piano lessons.

I went in with her to meet her instructor and told her to let me know when she was confortable enough for me to wait in another room. Consequently, I stayed for her entire first lesson. Not surprisingly, I discovered that I really didn't like to be in the room when someone else was teaching her. I'm her mother, and it's much too tempting to correct her when I know I should stay silent. I managed to do alright, however.

Hannah was instructed to sit on the bench at the middle of the piano. Her teacher told her she could tell where the middle of the piano, and particularly the Middle C, was by the word (which is the name brand of the piano) written just above the keys.

And does my inquisitive, partially-OCD daughter take her teacher's word for it?

No, she does not.

Instead, she reaches to both ends of the piano and, OCD-like, puts her fingers on the keys one-by-one until they meet in the middle. And what does she discover? That the WORD above the keys is not in the exact middle. And she informs her teacher of this error. Her teacher looks at me, surprised but smiling, and says that "she never thought to count before to be sure".

Imagine that?

Of course, if one wants to be technical, the exact middle of the piano keys falls RIGHT IN THE CRACK. I'm sure when she figures this out, she'll inform her teacher of this as well.

Next week I'm sitting in the waiting room. Even though my daughter already told me she was ready for it, I'm pretty sure that's where I would have been. And I really don't want to know how many things she thinks she needs to inform her teacher from now on.

Unless, of course, her teacher chooses to inform me.

That STINKIN' GRIN

This is my boy. And so help me, if he ever gets ahold of a Calvin and Hobbes book, it will be immediately burned. He has enough material of his own without the help of his twin.

I do believe that he is getting more mischievous as the days go by. DAYS. Not months or years. DAYS. All day today he had a smug grin on his face, just itching to push his sister's buttons. Usually it's my buttons, but today it was hers because she was having a particularly hard day and he zeroed in on it. Tonight while he was having a bath, I made Hannah clean up Seth's blocks because she was the one who used them. She had them all ready to put in their proper containers when she realized that the containers were nowhere to be found. She asked her brother where they were and he replied, sporting his USUAL grin, that he "hid them". She was getting frustrated, so I told her not to let him see her frustration (since I'm the expert at hiding it myself). We hunted the house high and low, trying to be sneaky about it, and eventually found them. He thought it was all a hoot, even though I had told him that if they weren't found by the time he was done his bath he was going straight to bed.

It has become obvious that he has two main goals in life: to get into mischief OR to make people laugh. He says things all the time that crack people up (myself included, although I try hard not to let him see). A little while ago while I was correcting him, he informed me that I wasn't the "boss to him". That his "father was his boss". That I was only the "boss of his sister."

All with that STINKIN' GRIN.

Last week we went to the Dairy Queen with my aunt while visiting in Regina. It was closing time and the staff was waiting for us to leave so they could lock the door so, as I was walking out the door, I apologized to the man waiting. Seth, who was coming up behind me, looked up at the man and said,

"You sure are a good man!"

Again, with that STINKIN' GRIN.

Of course, we all laughed. He was immensely satisfied, proven by his, "I made a funny joke, mom, didn't I?" comment to me.

He doesn't always crack his one-liners to be sassy. Much of them are quite sweet, like this last comment. He is fun to be around, and most people enjoy his company because he is so entertaining. The problem is that I really don't want him to always be seeking attention and I'm just not sure if this is something I can do anything about.

Fast and pray (and turn my hair grey). Or laugh along with him (or in the privacy of my bedroom when he can't see).

Sure makes life interesting.

My Boy, The Ace Athlete

How can it be that my five-year-old son cannot ride a bike very well? Could it be because he's just too lazy?

We took the kids' bikes to a park today so they could get better, uninhibited practice - Hannah practicing without training wheels; Seth practicing using his legs. It's a novel concept to him. Once we got to the park, he decided that two minutes of such strenuous exercise was sufficient and that he wanted to play on the park equipment. I told him that there would be no playing at all if he didn't practice riding his bike for much longer. Now, how many moms have to resort to that kind of a threat with a BOY to get him to ride a bike? He also complained about wearing a bike helmut, but I told him that he wouldn't be riding a bike at all if he didn't adjust to using a helmut. It's not that I'm overly worried about him not wearing one, but it is the law. Yes, I would prefer him to wear one once he starts doing his pop-a-wheelies and bike stunts (if he EVER does), but at this time I'm not too worried about the few inches he manages to rotate his wheels at once. I mean, talk about serious bike riding.

He would make a half dozen revolutions pedaling, and then suddenly brake, just when he was gaining momentum. He wanted me to push him, which I in no uncertain terms WOULD NOT. He huffed and puffed like he was being tortured, made a few more turns of his wheels, braked, and started the cycle all over again.

After about 15 minutes of this, with my persistent reminder that he was not playing in the park, he actually started improving. Going a dozen revolutions at once is twice as good, right? I had been trying to tell him that if he wanted to stop pedaling that he didn't need to push the pedals backwards, that he could just stop and that he would coast along on his bike. He didn't get what that meant for the first 15 minutes. It just so happened that the lightbulb went on at just the point where there was a slight dip in the pavement, causing him to gain momentum going downhill. He started to panic. I told him to just move the pedals backward to use the brakes. What do you think he did? It's amazing how he seemed to forget what the reverse motion of his pedals would do since he spent the first 15 minutes perfecting it. He did manage to stop without falling, but it was not because he used his brakes.

I tell ya. This boy of mine really tries my patience sometimes.

He is active in most other things like a normal boy is. But, I have realized that if he can get out of doing something that requires a little bit more labor, he will. It's definitely something I have to keeping pushing him to do as he gets older.

Because, unfortunately, his comedy routines and charm won't bring home the bacon.

Farewell

Well, my first year driving school bus has come and gone. It ended on Wednesday morning. I was unable to drive the final after school run because it conflicted with my niece's graduation. Hannah was particularly sentimental. She got up and carefully planned what she was wearing on her last morning of riding the bus. She has grown rather fond of a few of the kids and wanted to say goodbye to them. To Seth, however, it was good riddance. He couldn't wait to be done.

I began my morning bus run but noticed after I picked up the kids at my first stop that the next couple of stops had no kids waiting at all. It was only when a parent came out at a stop to inform me that a bus had already gone by and picked up the kids that I realized that there was a misunderstanding at the office and that they had scheduled me off the entire day instead of just the afternoon. A quick call to the office confirmed this.

When my soft-hearted girl realized this, she promptly burst into tears. This was her last chance to say goodbye to some of the kids. So, I managed to meet up with the other bus driver at the first school (I had the kids from my first stop to drop off anyway) and explained to him the mix-up. I told him that he could go on home and that I would finish the rest of my bus run. This was only a slight consolation to Hannah, however, because she really wanted to say goodbye to some of the kids at the first school that were on the "other" bus. Unfortunately, she had to be satisfied with seeing some of them in the school yard when I pulled up to the school.

Here are some pictures of my favorite kids. The ones who pulled at my heart strings. The ones who were the best behaved.

This is Tyarah. One of the girls from foster care. Very polite and generally very well behaved.

Here is Jaycene, from the same foster home as Tyarah. I don't know if they are related or not. Jaycene was generally very well behaved, but definitely seemed to have a lot more anger issues than Tyarah. Some days I would find out she had been sent home from school earlier, so she would not be on the bus on the way home.

This is the impish Tyrell, also in the same foster home as Tyarah and Jaycene. He has a glint in his eye and sports a huge grin. He always wanted to be the first one on the bus and sit in the first seat directly behind me. One day a week before school was over, I noticed as I was pulling up to their stop that he had pushed in front of Tyarah, who was first in line. When I pulled up, I opened the door and informed Tyrell that he had to get on the bus last because of his pushing. He took off running, stopped, and contemplated not getting on the bus at all. Deciding it was in his best interest to get on the bus, he came past me and informed me that "he was done riding this bus". I amiably told him "alright" and went on my way. When he got on the bus the next morning, I couldn't help but remind him of what he had said about "being done riding the bus", to which he replied, "Nah. I was just kidding." I really, really love this boy.

This is Tristan. Hannah's particular friend. They would have the most interesting conversations. He too, is in foster care, although not the same one as the kids above. Every Thursday Tristan did not get on the bus because that was his day to visit his mom. A few months ago, I noticed that Tristan's behaviour had changed significantly. He was being uncharacteristically rude to me. He made a huge mess on the bus by dumping tons of fine sand on the seats and floor - a mess which took me quite a while to clean up. His behaviour changed so drastically that I had to call his foster mom just to let her know that I was a bit concerned.

Then it dawned on me. I realized that he had been getting on the bus on the Thursdays instead of going on his regular visitation with his mom. And I realized that I had a very angry, hurt boy who was just acting out. And, although I was never unreasonably stern with him, I did become more kind and gentle after that. Every child needs to be loved, especially by their mommy.

Nicholas was one of the nicest boys I've ever met. He quite often had a hard time sitting still and I often reminded him to sit down. I realized early on, however, that he never meant it defiantly. He just kept forgetting. He was always kind to me. He engaged me in conversation, asked me about myself, said thank you on a regular basis. A wonderful boy.

Riley is my pre-kindergartner that is also a great kid. He is so cute with really long eyelashes. Quite often he would sit with Hannah, especially if I suspected he might fall asleep. My sweet girlie would keep an eye on him to make sure that he wouldn't fall off of the seat.

Tristan and Kaden were two of the best behaved boys of all time. Wonderful, polite kids with a great mom, who was always waiting for them at their stop, always polite to me, always waved goodbye. They obviously learned their good manners from her.

And perhaps my favourite kid of all is Austin (pictured below). I really can't help myself. He's in grade six and lives with his grandma. After riding the entire year with him, I have realized how many issues he has. I've seen his anger displayed - not directed at me - where I actually had to call the vice principal to come and help me get him to sit in a seat because he was just standing on the steps, not moving, staring into space. This only happened once this severe, but on most days he was a truly remarkable kid. He chatted with me, told me about his life. Spoke so kindly and highly of his wonderful grandma. Cried when a bully said something nasty about his beloved grandma - which sealed his endearment in my heart. I see him as having so much potential if he can work through his anger issues.

He also was special to both of my kids. He took time for them. It became a little game that when Austin was leaving the bus, Seth would try to scare Austin, and Austin would pretend that he was scared by falling in a seat behind Seth. Seth would laugh hysterically every time, and Austin would leave the bus with a smile on his face.

Yep. I think Austin is the "Diamond in the Rough".

The reason I'm a little emotional about all of this is because I just found out a couple of weeks ago that I will not be doing this bus run next year. I thought all along that I would be back and would get to see some of these kids again. However, I was given first choice of doing the run right around my house, which cuts my bus time in one-third (for the same pay). For the sake of time, and the fact that I will be starting to homeschool Seth next year, I really couldn't turn it down. Instead of being on the bus an hour and a quarter in the morning and again in the afternoon, I'll be on 20-30 minutes each time. I also realized that I couldn't make a decision based on how much I would miss some of the kids because I have no idea how many would even still be going to that school. In the course of my run last year, I must have lost 50 kids because they moved away.

Perhaps, if I'm fortunate enough, some of these kids might move into the school district that I am now in and again end up on my bus. One can always pray.

So, I leave with emotion. These kids meant a lot to me. I've shared some of their stories and their ups and downs. But, I can always still pray for them. After all, they belong to the Master, who loves them more than I ever could.

And so, farewell.

For Sale

For Sale: Two children. Ages 7 and 5, girl and boy. Very bright. Very active. Both rise with the dawn EVEN WHEN THEY GO TO BED LATE. And fight. And wake up their parents. All offers considered.

Father's Day

We took a short trip yesterday, and part of this trip included a ferry ride across the Saskatchewan River. It was a highlight for the kids. It was fortunate we did take the trip because it turned out to be the only thing we got to do for this Father's Day weekend because we were rained out today.

Dave was born to be a father. It's really too bad that he had to wait so long to be one because he really would have wanted a "quiver full". He delights in teaching (I think he missed his calling in life) and is particularly an excellent teacher by experimentation, which I am very thankful for because he can take over in this area of school.

All in all, it was a pleasant, relaxed Father's Day weekend. It ended tonight with Dave finding clips on You Tube on how the great Egyptian pyramids were constructed to show his beloved daughter - because she wanted to know, of course. They both listened and watched in rapt attention.

I am so thankful that one of us is able to patiently teach our child-with-the-insatiable-curiousity. My husband. The patient teacher. Thank the Lord.

Homeschooling Through High School

"I often think that I would've liked to remained home schooled simply because the influence of the world is not the best thing, and especially at that young of an age. "

I asked my youngest niece, Jenna, if I could use this direct quote from her own blog, and she graciously gave me permission. She is graduating from high school this year after having been homeschooled until the eighth grade. This statement of hers really impacted me because one often assumes that just because their child makes it through the public school system - without backsliding - that they made it through unscathed.

And I can't help but ask these questions (not directly to my niece, but in general): How much innocence was lost in those years? What kind of kinks were unnecessarily added to their character that might not have been there otherwise? Did "toughening them up" help their Christian character grow for the better, or for the worse?

My own husband and I do not see eye to eye on this issue, and I mean no disrespect to him. He uses examples of a bygone era of saints who put their kids into public school to "toughen them up" because it'll either "make them or break them". And again I ask the question - where are those kids now? Are they still living for God? If they are, I'd like to ask them if they would say the same thing as my almost 18-year-old niece.

Since the most vulnerable ages of kids (with their peers) are 12 to 18, why would it be so hard for parents who started out homeschooling their children to not complete it - WHEN THEIR CHILDREN ARE SO VULNERABLE AT THE TIME THEY WOULD ENTER THE PUBLIC SYSTEM? When their children are the most susceptible to falling prey to the influence of their peers?

I'm sorry, folks, but I just don't get it. A diploma on your wall is nothing more than a piece of paper since you can now enter university without one. If you can't in your area, you most certainly can in many other places. And, homeschooling through high school has NEVER been easier because there are scads of resources right at our fingertips. As well, there are so many ways we can teach our children to be a light and example to others without putting them into the public school system to do it; places where we parents are still the primary influence. There is honestly not one GOOD reason to put my children into public high school at all, in my opinion.

The less baggage from the world our children carry, the easier it will be for them to get in contact with God. And that's my goal.