Spring Break

Dear Elementary School,

Please take my children back.  My sanity is dangling by a very thin thread.  The children have sprouted devil horns and their heads are spinning full around.  It has become quite clear to me that exposure to me, their mother, is one that only breeds pure evil.  Please take them back so I can delight in them in the after school hours when they are tired from working all day and only mildly capable of overthrowing any semblance of control that I have over them.

Most sincerely,

Gingers Mom

And may I declare it with great joy that I am reminded that I am NOT called to homeschool.  Foolish Gingers Mom for ever giving that a moment of consideration.  And now let us rejoice that Spring Break is almost over.  Do you hear the angels singing?  I do believe the sun is shining, the birds chirping and the flowers blooming as all things praise God for the return of school....

Until the end of May.

The pretty one

Dan and I had our first parent-teacher conference yesterday. We went in nervous. Kinda like being sent to the principal's office. I felt on the edge of my seat as though I was abou.t to be evaluated on my parenting by a "professional". Thank goodness, Red's teacher is a blessing from heaven and a complete doll.

We chatted like old friends. Rolled our eyes together at Red's crazy antics.

Basically we found out Red like to talk. Shocked anyone?

Also, to Dan's dismay she informed us that Red's biggest problem is she is pretty. So pretty in fact, all the boys love her and beg to sit with her. This will be her biggest challenge in school. She bats her eyes and cocks her head in that oh so coy way she has and poof....she gets her way.

Damn. I wish that had been my problem.

Lucky litte redhead.

Two Introverts go to Kindergarten

Today, Dan took off work in the morning so that we could attend a class called "Jump Start to Literacy". It was a class for parents of incoming kindergartners and we were "strongly encouraged" to attend. Translated to: if you don't come we know your kid is a dum dum and we will keep her in kindergarten until she is 18. So we went.

There was alot of handouts and slides. I felt like I was back in school myself. I kept thinking about how uncomfortable my chair was and however did I make it through 17 years of school? Man am I glad it is my kids' turn and not me. Whew.

We learned alot about how to help Red learn how to read. The class was actually somewhat useful. Surprise. Armed with our new knowledge and confidence that our kid is a genius and we won't have to teach her anything because she will know how to read simply by carrying our super intelligent genes, we prepared to leave.

Alas, no we were not excused. We were then informed that the current kindergarten class would now come in and we get to use our newly learned techniques with these children....just to prove we were listening. Pop quiz for parenting??? This blows.

I love my kids. Adore them. Want to smother them with hugs and kisses kind of love. But kids....other kids freak me out. I don't know how to talk to them. I'm an introvert. It doesn't get turned off just because you are cute and small.

I looked at Dan. I don't want to do this. "You talk to it." He looks at me blankly. The smiling and timid little people are marched in and handed out to different parents. I keep hoping the kid will choose to sit next to Dan. He scooted over just in time for them to plop an adorable little girl with glasses right between us.

Nervously I look about. She looks smart. Good. Maybe she can teach us and we can just sit here and smile dumbly.

Which basically we did.

She sat down and we opened the book called Beach Things. We were supposed to just look at the pictures and talk about what we see. Before we could say anything, she starts flipping the pages and reading it so fast we couldn't get a word in edge wise. Silently I was relieved. She's so fast and smart I don't even have to think of anything to say.

At last, her teacher gathered her up and I heaved a sigh of relief. I lived to tell the tale of how I had to sit next to a kindergarten kid I don't know. And I used my uber-brilliance to help her read.

Good thing we have a genius like her at home. This is gonna be easy.

The Pressures...and my soapbox

I have my kids in a Christian preschool. I absolutely LOVE it. They are so happy there, it is a great environment and I just love that my kids come home talking about God and telling me Bible stories. I love the foundation that they are setting for their lives. There are times that I think maybe we should continue on with Christian private school, but Dan and I both believe...strongly...that our kids are supposed to attend public school. If we were all to take our Christian children out of public education, what would that mean? And most private schools REQUIRE that you be a Christian to attend. I wonder what Jesus would think about that...

Last time I checked I believe He was the one hanging out with the sinners. Not amongst the leaders of the synagogue...

When pressed, the Christian school's response is that the mission of the school is to provide solid Christian education to supplement what is being taught at home. "Evangelism" and "Outreach" are not the ministries that the school is seeking at this time.

HUH???

Isn't it the job of EVERY Christian to present the gospel in everything we do?

I digress...

It seems everywhere I turn there is pressure to keep my kids out of public school. As if I am not a committed Christian, or committed parent. If I were really dedicated I would make the financial sacrifice to put my kids through a private school. (Public schools are not competitive enough, they are too liberal, they are too WORLDLY). Of course they are worldly. But God says to go into all the world and preach the gospel. How can we teach our kids to be in the world but not OF the world if we hide them away?

Then there is the issue of homeschooling. Not. For. Me. I am not organized, patient or educated enough to make that kind of commitment. I have friends who have done it and plan to do it. More power to you! I just know that if I made that choice my children's education would suffer.

I went to public school. My brothers went to public school. My husband went to public school. We all turned out fine. In fact, I think we were an incredible witness for doing so. We all went on to college and graduated. We got a good education. I graduated high school and college with honors. And yet still, when asked where I am going to send Red for kindergarten, I get the look. (Oh, I'd NEVER send my kids to PUBLIC school. I CARE about their education....)

It's frustrating. But I guess I just need to do what I feel is right and forget about the criticism I am feeling. Has anyone else experienced this?