Bodie, Our SDS Friend

Bodie is a 5 year old little boy with Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome who just had a bone marrow transplant last month.  His dad is in the Navy and they have a wonderful family.  We've met them several times at Camp.   You can read about Bodie on his new website: http://www.bodiejames.com/  His family shares his transplant journey and they are trying to raise money to help pay for medical expenses.

Please keep Bodie and his family in your prayers!

An Ordinary Day

People often ask me what homeschooling is "like" or where do you "do it"? is another question that always comes up.  Over the years and as houses have changed, our  homeschooling space has changed. When the kids were smaller, we could get away with less space.   Our first house had no room for homeschooling other than at the kitchen table.  Matthew did his Kindergarten work there.  Our second house had a great classroom! I really miss that classroom! The previous owners had finished a room in their basement complete with storage space, closets and a wet bar, which became our science bar. Our current house doesn't have a finished basement and we've had dreams of having a classroom down there for years.  We started out doing school work in a spare bedroom here in this house, but after a year, I was going stir crazy!  Now, our classroom consists of a den turned library work room and a formal dining room turned craft and school room.

An ordinary day consists of getting up, doing a few chores, eating and hopefully brushing teeth.  Some mornings are better than others with only a few reminders to take their pills and bring down their dirty clothes.   I've given up on fighting with them to keep their desks organized. Warning: this pictures show a messy school area!

Matthew looking up at me instead of doing his work

Sean at his MESSY desk

Joseph Taking a Test at the small station in the kitchen. Above, you can see his salt and pepper shaker collection (he loves to collect these!) and some of their art work, too....

Joseph Reading with his Bunny

This is pretty much an ordinary day in our house. Most days, we manage to get all of their school work done!

New Articles Published

I wrote two new articles that were published on Associated Content.  The first one is Homeschooling Day Trips: Guilford Courthouse (Battlefield) : Visit the Battlefield Known for the American Defeat that Helped America Win the Revolutionary War

The second one is another coping with Chronic Illness article:  God's Grace is Sufficient: His Grace Helps Kids with Chronic Illness Cope

I hope you'll take a peek. My prayer is always that I can help others who live with chronically ill children by sharing our experiences.

 Have a great day!

It's All God

This morning, when Joseph told the reporter that Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome didn't affect his life, I was shocked. I know they have as normal a life as is possible with chronic illness, but I never expected him to say, "It doesn't," in response to the question, "How does Shwachman-Diamond Syndrome affect your life?" We've worked hard to ensure they have a "normal" childhood, so hearing him say this brought joy to my heart. It also brought tears my eyes.

I know it affects his life-- he tells me about it often. What was beautiful about this morning is that in that ONE instant, that ONE moment, the overall perception of his life came out in those words. It doesn't affect his life in the sense that he is able to enjoy all the normal activities of childhood. We adapt and overcome and find ways to make normal childhood activities possible.

I've been thinking about it a lot today. Friends who have heard the boys say this sort of thing always say, "Oh, it is because you and Chris are such great parents," or something a lot like that. I have to remind people that it is ALL God. Not me, not Chris, but God. If you stepped into our chaotic lives for a moment, you'd see that it really is God who does all of these things. Sure, Chris and I play a part, but God takes over and makes up for what we are lacking.