Everything Is Funnier After You've Stayed at Home For a Solid Month. Even Husbands.

Tonight on the table, I saw my copy of the Homeschoolers' Friend,* freshly arrived. "John rarely sees my work in print," I thought. "I'll show him this time."

I had written an article about Roald Amundsen, Robert Scott, and their race to the South Pole. John would be interested in their story. "Here," I said, handing him the open magazine. "Maybe you would like to see something of mine after it is published." 

I stood at his elbow and began skim-reading the article, as I supposed he was doing. 

He wasn't.

"Will you look at that!" he said, assuming a fake Southern accent. "They printed the wrong picture. That doesn't look like you at all." 

I'll take it as a compliment (no offense to Amundsen), and I will continue showing John my work before it reaches the illustrators. 

Unless, of course, we are in quarantine and I'm low on laughs. 

*Homeschoolers' Friend is a magazine for homeschooling families, published by Christian Light four times per year. 

Guest Post: Just Stand Back Up

My Sarah girl had quite the six-year-old philosophy going on this afternoon. She asked if I'd like to come to her singing show which would include "some thoughts."

After singing a few songs, Sarah said: 

"So. Life is like a game, and Jesus is the goalie. 

And Satan has the ball sometimes, and he tries to throw the ball and knock us down. 

And Jesus blocks the ball. 

But sometimes Satan knocks us down and we get confused. 

But then we just get right back up and stand for Jesus. 

And if we stand up often enough, Satan just leaves us alone after a while." 

I sat there, astonished by the simple philosophy coming from her beautiful, sincere heart. "Where did you hear about this?" I asked.

"Nowhere. It's just how I think it is. Is it that way, Mom?"

The illustration she shared is a little too real for me personally, too real for all that's happening around us to pass it off as six-year-old rambling. Sometimes it really does seem Satan has the ball and is doing his best to score a goal.

But. The Goalie.

That's a force Satan can't mess with and win! My choice to stand right up back up for Jesus and just do the right thing determines my victory in so many places of this game.

It's that simple, friends. Just stand right back up for Jesus. Trust Him to block those scores the enemy is trying to make.

We are on the winning team. 

Vera Smoker is a lover of Jesus, authenticity, and good cups of coffee with friends. Her delight is to make their home a warm, welcoming place for her husband of almost eight years and their two children. Hobbies outside of homeschooling include cooking, making flowerbeds delightful, camping, hiking, and all other things outdoor with family and friends. 

National One Cent Day 2020

One of my children's favorite national holidays is National One Cent Day. Last year, they earned pennies throughout their school day for things like neat writing, diligence, and improved scores. I put prices on everything in my rewards tote and they had fun shopping with their pennies at my "yard sale."

This year, National One Cent Day fell at a time when my rewards box was empty, so I created Mom's Store.

Mom's Store

--Stay up past bedtime $.10

--Dessert for supper $.10

--Eyewitness space packet $.08

--Do a craft $.05

--Do a science experiment $.05

--Get a printed coloring page $.04

--Eat a mint $.02

I made a second list to help them earn more money than neat writing can buy them:

Job Chart

--Wash dishes $.02

--Set Table $.01

--Clear Table $.01

--Wash leaves of plant $.02

--Pick up toys $.02

--Sweep floors $.03

--Wash stairwell wall $.02

--Do Math Brain* 5x $.05

*Math Brain is an electronic flashcard game.

The children loved my store and told me this was their favorite day of the week. Meanwhile, my entire afternoon was spent on the run. They kept me busy finding science experiments and crafts, sourcing supplies from around the house, helping one child make a paper machê globe while the other needing continual oversight to make a camera case on my sewing machine. I had dessert in the oven, dishes piled high, and a child at my elbow asking, "Mom, is there any way I can please earn three more pennies?" 

I plan to do this again next year, but being wiser and more experienced, my store prices are going to double. I want my children to have fun and earn a reward (notice the singular tense), but they don't need to buy out the store. 

It so happened that National One Cent Day landed on April 1, the day we planned to have a Daffy Dinner with some friends. When our friends couldn't come because of a stay-at-home order, I promised the children we would do the meal anyway, just with us. John came home from the office in time to see the children set his spot at the table with a large kettle for a plate, a gravy pitcher for a cup, and a ladle as a spoon. Good sport that he is, he played along with us and helped make it a fun meal.

Griddle plate, corn handle fork,
spaghetti keeper cup

9x13 plate, baby spoon/fork, gravy shaker cup

Serving bowl plate, baby fork/serving spoon,
quart jar for a cup

After my Overly Ambitious day, I was relieved to see that the next national day I planned to celebrate was National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. You can't get easier than that.

Bonus picture:  As I typed this post, the robot and sign were placed at my elbow. This is what you get when a ten-year-old boy has been on the property for three weeks solid.