Foster is 10
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| Getting some extra Wii time the morning of his 10th birthday. |
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| Cake that Foster and Daddy picked out during their special Daddy/Foster time. |
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| And she really is! She took half of the money from her piggy bank ($21) to put in the birthday card she had made for Foster. She loves her big brother so much. |
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| That’s almost a real smile! |
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| Photo by Katie |
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| Photo by Katie |
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| Photo by Katie |
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| Lego Minecraft = Mommy made a great choice! |
Foster’s Lovey says farewell
Dear Foster,
You went to bed without me tonight. I know you have been saying for awhile now that you don’t need me, that you aren’t a “baby”. I started to think back to the beginning…February 14th, 2004 when we first met. Your mommy was really into those parenting books and one of them must have said something about an “attachment object” so that a new baby would feel a sense of security. I guess that’s why some people call them security blankets. Your mommy called me your lovey. She got you as a baby shower gift and since she didn’t know then if you would be a boy or a girl…you were stuck with my color – light yellow. Although, I don’t really look all that yellow now…ten years (or 3,650 nights later) I look sort-of grayish yellow…all pulled strings and worn places.
I knew your mommy was onto something when you started to sort of pick at the fuzz on me and suck your thumb. I felt pretty happy that I could provide you with comfort when you were hurt, help you relax at nap time and keep you company through the nights. I know there was at least one night that we spent apart, you still had your thumb but I’m sure it wasn’t the same, otherwise your mommy wouldn’t have asked your Grammy to overnight express me back from her house!
We’ve been through some great times together…six years of thumb sucking, sometimes picking at my fuzzy side and sometimes petting my silky side. I know it was hard, giving up that thumb and making all those big transitions you’ve made in life. Man, each time your mommy had another baby you were treated as older and bigger, but when you and I hung out at night, in the quiet of your room, it was like old times…when you were the little one.
Then there were the really scary and sad times…when your Daddy was gone to Columbia, Iraq, Kuwait…the really long trips. The time you broke your collar bone and the time you had a stomach virus so bad you ended up in the hospital. When your Nana died and you didn’t understand it all.
I was glad you shared with me when you gave your life to Jesus, right after praying with your mommy and daddy in the living room…I was so relieved that you had found the true Lovey.
What I appreciate about you the most is that during the day you let me play all kinds of things with you…games like “smack my sister” and when you would wad me up and use me as a bomb. It was fun times buddy, fun times.
I know that when you started reading and praying at night I wasn’t as necessary as before but I was honored to still be a part of your life. You are growing up and I know I need to let you go.
I thank you Foster Owen Grubb for sharing a part of your life with me. I know that your mommy will put me away in a safe place, a place for all those truly, one-of-a-kind special things that have defined your life and hers.
Farewell dear friend,
Foster’s Lovey
I’m sure they learned something today
Sometimes with homeschooling you just have to roll with it. You’re tired. Or they are tired.
This morning right after breakfast, Parker (age 4) decided he would pull out a couple of his 24 piece puzzles and then couldn’t find a piece.
That’s really how it all started. Then Foster started to help him find his piece in the puzzle cabinet and noticed that some of the boxes were falling apart. Foster pulled out a 300 piece puzzle and put it on the bar to work. I got out my sharpie and big Ziploc bags and started cutting up the broken boxes to get organized. Then Katie and Theodore decided they wanted to play with the beans…but then they wanted to do puzzles when Jonah wanted the beans…
And so forth and so on…then there was playing with Legos, watching Magic School Bus, popcorn and animal crackers for lunch and a story before rest time.
I’m sure they learned something today.
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| (Wanted to include the knocked over basket of cardboard, the basket of dirty laundry and you can’t make them out but the sink is full of dirty dishes too.) |
homeschool and public school families can’t get it right
For the past six months or so I’ve been serving in a communications role for our local homeschool support group and I started leading a “Homeschool 101” class within the same group.
Part of my job is to help those who are thinking about homeschooling or are new to homeschooling with all those first-timer questions. Ones about which curriculum to use and where to get it, how to do all this legally, how you are supposed to actually get school work done without killing each other…and so forth and so on.
I’ve spoken to many moms and each situation, family and circumstance is so different. Some families have always sent their kids to public school and some have always homeschooled. Some have children who aren’t even school age yet but they are planners and want to have it all figured out.
What I realized after almost an hour on the phone with one mom (who has very young kids) is that homeschooling families and public school families have more than one thing in common. We actually have it all in common and that is, as parents, none of us know the “right” way to educate our children.
Oh, we think we do.
If we start them in the right pre-school by 18 months, fast track them to Kindergarten in a private school and start college dual enrollment by 9th grade then we are definitely doing it right.
If we never put them in daycare or pre-school and don’t start book work until they are 8 years old and feel like working on something…then we’re doing it right.
If we keep them home, teach Bible 3 times a day, eat organic and serve in our local soup kitchen once a week, then we’re doing it right.
If we send them to public school and in the afternoons sit beside them and do their homework for 2 hours each night before they are allowed to play a video game, then we’re doing it right.
We know we are.
We would never let our kids watch TV before the bus comes.
We would never send our kids to public school.
We would never homeschool.
We would never let them eat processed food.
Those people who do that are just wrong. THEY are definitely not doing it right.
Then again.
Maybe they are.
Maybe they love their kids as much as you love yours. And maybe they do have their child’s best interest at heart.
Because I know I do, whether we spend $700 a year on curriculum or $5,000 on private school tuition, I love my children and I strive to do what’s “right” when it comes to their education and growing them into decent, God-fearing humans.
And knowing that we are all in the same boat…that none of us are actually doing it “right” takes a lot of pressure off, doesn’t it?
the newest member of our family
Well we did it! The kids and I (and Chris) decided it was about time for a dog in our home. We started saving and now 4 months later, we brought home Dart!
Dart is an 11 month old black lab/huskey mix. He already weighs 48 pounds! He is definitely a ball of energy and fast! His name fits him. We adopted him from the Blount County Animal Shelter.
They said he was an owner surrender, the reason the owner gave was that they had too many dogs, but since we’ve been home we’ve seen that he is timid and afraid of Chris which leads us to think he may have been mistreated by a man in the past. We are doing all we can to gain his trust and show him that we love him and want him to be a part of our family.
Foster is the one who is the most concerned about getting a dog. He has struggled with fear of dogs as long as I can remember and so I am hoping that having his own pet will help him with this.
Katie, Theodore, Parker and Jonah are all excited and ready to play with him but aren’t quite strong enough to walk him on a leash yet. It’s more like Dart walking them at this point.
So now our family has 2 girls and 6 boys! 🙂
Christmas 2013
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| Cousins! |
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| My sweet girl before the Christmas program at church. |
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| On our way to worship the Sunday morning before Christmas. Yes, my 2 year old still has his pacifier. |
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| Treats from Papaw and Mrs. Debbie. |
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| One happy boy! |
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| “I can’t believe it!!” |
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| Santa is so neat and orderly… |
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| Let the chaos begin… |
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| Blessed little boys and girl! 🙂 |
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| Katie realizing Grandad and Grammy had snuck in on Christmas Eve night! |
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| “Thanks Uncle Anthony!” |
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| “Could someone please open this?!? It’s so HEAVY!” |
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| Ready for battle…well after I put on some pants… |
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| Davy…Davy Crockett…King of the wild frontier… |
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| Happy with her new gardening set! |
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| “Look Mommy! I’m a real knight!” |
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| Sharing a snack with Uncle Anthony. |
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| “Ready to ride!” |
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| “Ouch.” |
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| “I’m taking my bike and going home!” |
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| “Having Daddy home for Christmas? Two thumbs up!” |
Thanksgiving 2013
We celebrated Thanksgiving at Uncle Walt and Aunt Diane’s cabin this year. It’s so beautiful up there and the day turned out lovely. Filled with many things to be thankful for: beloved family and friends, delicious food, sunshine and snow, card games and conversation, a wrap-around porch to play tag!
Theodore is 6
It was Theodore’s turn to have a friend party this year. He said he wanted a baseball party and he made a great choice! We all had so much fun and I know he enjoyed himself because all his favorite things were included: family, friends, baseball, hot dogs and cake! Theodore is a bright-eyed, mischievous go getter! He has always given his daddy and I a run for our money and I am sure he will continue to do so. My prayer for Theodore is that he is able to take all that determination and use it for good. He makes us laugh and scream just about everyday. We are so blessed to have him in our family.
Jonah is 2
My last little guy turned two at the end of September. I was struggling with him turning two, realizing I don’t have a baby anymore but now a lot of big kids and a toddler! I know there always comes a time in a mother’s life where she stops having children. I know many other women have felt these conflicting feelings of grief at what I won’t have again (to be pregnant and nursing) mingled in with a relief of sorts and an excitement about moving away from sleepless nights and diapers. Jonah could not be more precious. He is a boy with his kicking and throwing and jumping but he is very gentle and loves to sit and cuddle with me. He still has his paci, lovey and bear and since he is the last baby in our family, I don’t have any plans of pushing him to get rid of it. I will let him be little as long as I can.
All the Little Grubbs 