Month: September 2019

Questions:

September 23, 2019

Questions

I love how children ask questions.  Sometimes their questions make you go search something.  Like “what is a rainbow?” or “why are leaves green?”

Sometimes their questions mirror your own; but those you won’t speak.

You know, questions that your doubting mind asks but your thinking heart understands.

“Why are you crying?” I ask.

My little girl is riding with me to go pick up two of her big sisters, “why did Aunt Mary die?  Why is Mandy’s mom gone?  Jay is a baby; he will never remember his mom.”

Her tears fall as she speaks.  I let her finish talking.  My heart aches.  I ask those questions in my head too. 

“I miss my baby sister too.” I start, I want to connect with her heart. “Our world is broken because of sin.”  She nods, she has heard this too. 

“I know,” she is still slowly crying, “but she loved Jesus since she was little like me.”  (Mary had told them once that she was five when she promised Jesus her heart. I was there.  She was telling everyone about Jesus and was just five years old.)  Jaquline didn’t know how complex her aunt’s life had become so fast.  Because of sinful controlling people in her life that kept her bogged down, in fear of her life or her family’s life, and assaulted her mentally as they tried to keep her quiet and separate her from anyone who truly loved her.  As a young teen, some guy misused her, showed her that from a certain spot he could see her father’s bedroom, and told her one shot through the window would kill the man she loved the most.  He was the first to rip her young heart to shreds with his awful controlling self – then he had the gall to continue to threaten her when she moved 300 miles away!  Others treated her like dirt; lying about those she loved and people who cared about her until she actually believed these lies and isolated herself from those who would have helped her.

I could hate these people.  Instead I pray for them. 

But she’s my baby sister.  There was a part of me that wanted to go “Good Citizen” on their carcasses.  But I know Jesus died for them just like He died for me and I am supposed to love my enemies.

Switch back to my car on the interstate with my nine year old sitting shotgun with silent tears crawling down her fair cheeks.  This all flashes really fast so the same song is still playing.

“Do you ever think about where Aunt Mary is now?” Jaquline says. Newsong’s “My Heart is Already There” was playing in the background.

“Yes.” All the time.  That comforts me. “She’s with Jesus.  Can you imagine?  Being in His presence and seeing his face?”

Jaquline giggles. “Maybe all her puppies will be there.”  (Mary loved animals and was always trying to get a dog, but always the guy she lived with didn’t want one.)

“Remember the pictures of her as a baby chasing Boodle?” I ask (cutest little Maltese my family had twenty years ago) Jaquline laughs.  “I bet she’s petting him instead of chasing him now.”

“I ask Jesus why Aunt Mary is gone.” Her voice is distant. “He doesn’t answer.”

I sighed, “do you know why Jesus made us?”

“To be with Him.” Bingo.

“Yes, He wanted a relationship with us.  He loves each of us.  He didn’t want Mary to die, but now she is with Him all the time.  Only God knows when each person’s time comes to die.  We all will die one day.”

“I always hope to die when I’m old like Boompa,” Jaquline said.  “I’m not so sad for Boompa, but I’m so sad for Aunt Mary.  I’m sad for Grandma.” Yes.  Same for me.  I miss my father immensely.  I miss my sister.  I can’t fathom the depth of grief for my mother. 

“Jesus will comfort Grandma.  We have to help love her too.”  I say.

“We can be Jesus’ arms and hug her!” Jaquline’s tears have dried a bit and she’s now thinking about serving others.  She loves helping; it usually brings her happiness.

“Yes.” I smiled at her as we parked.  “And sometimes Jesus uses her arms to hug you, too.”

Big smiles return. 

Yes.  I totally miss my sister.  I grieve for the harshness she ended up living through for the last few years of her life.  23.  Her life’s clock stopped so short, only 23 years.  I always dreamed of her silly dancing at our Christmas parties for ages, smiling her beaming-happy-smile as she watched nieces and her daughter walk shakily down their aisle to their forever-love, dancing with her sons at their weddings, encouraging my teenagers in their Christian walk toward womanhood, and living her new-found free life focused on her three little angels.  Their plans, maybe not together, but at least working together for the best – the children. So, yes, I asked that question.  “Why, God?  Why is my baby sister dead?”  It seemed so surreal for me.  No body.  No last look.  No nothing.  I keep expecting her to drive up, drop the littles off, and enjoy some of whatever food we have just cooked. 

I know this world is broken by sin.  I know it wasn’t ever in God’s plan for us to have death.  I know my grandmothers, father, and baby sister are in heaven in the presence of God.  I have hope I will see them again.  But yes, I did ask those questions.  Yes, my heart aches for my family who must live without her.  I pray for all of us daily.  I find it hardest to pray for those who have hurt her, but that is my challenge.  I must love them as Jesus did.

My mind drifts back:

“…He has called us too! He has called us too! We are all disciples!  Even me and you!” The little voice yells each stanza of the VBS song.  Jumping with excitement, “did I get them all right?” 

I had been singing along and am raking something for a vegetable bed.  “Yes, Mary, don’t bounce on my tilled dirt.” We laugh and she points at her shoeprints.

“Yippeeeeeee!” She hollers and spins.  “Where’s Easter!  I’m gonna sing it to Easter!”  And she runs off in a singing blur, little bright blue eyes sparkling with life, long wispy blonde hair flying about in the Georgia breeze, she’s going to find that silly yellow hen that actually loves to be captured by Mary and sits contentedly tucked in her arms.  I look up to see my vibrant baby sister swinging on the swingset with Easter in her lap, projecting her beautiful voice with some soul-singer power as she practices the song for tomorrow’s VBS service. (You know, where the kids show off to the adults what they’ve learned in the week) Mary would tell the world that she asked Jesus in her heart about two years later.  She had such a love for life and care for others.  No one is perfect.  We aren’t Jesus.  I love her for her heart.  I will always love my baby sister. No, loss never “gets easy” but I do have hope in Jesus that I will see her again.  And that keeps me out of falling into bitterness. I can’t allow my grief to turn into bitterness.  I can’t be Rose from Overcomer; I have to choose joy.

And just like a soundtrack to my life, as I slide back in the car with the two older girls in tow, For King and Country’s “I Choose Joy” is shouting from the speakers.

Thank you, Jesus.  You know my heart.

Type at you next time,

~Nancy Tart

Thea’s First Roller Coaster

September 21, 2019

Thea’s First Roller Coaster

There’s this wonderful place a few dozen miles over the Georgia line that pops up out of the long fields of cotton and orchards of pecan trees with vibrant colors, exotic animals, and fun! 

Wild Adventures. 

This place has a great history for me.  I heard my first concert there as a teenager (which introduced the “new” band DC Talk with NewSong & later was the same two bands we saw together at a winterjam concert!), I went back as a young mom with Christina (her first amusement park), then back again in 2013 with everyone for two days, and a few weeks ago, we went back on a coupon.

Actually, Wild Adventures has been the first Theme Park experience for all the girls (when babies don’t ride, they haven’t experienced it) – Lucas’ first was Six Flags.

And Thea – yes, the baby! – rode her first roller coaster!  Lucas and I were walking around the kiddie section, he was riding spinning bees and such, when he wanted to ride the roller coaster and needed a fellow rider.  I told him, “when Daddy comes over here, you can ride it, I have to stay with Thea.” The operator smiled, “can she sit up by herself?”  Yes.  “Oh, then all three of you can ride.” (WHAT??)

I’m not good at selfies…
but Thea’s face!!

So Thea, Lucas, and I rode Thea’s first roller coaster.  Thea was five and a half months old!  Did this baby enjoy it?  She giggled with Lucas and chewed on her teether the whole time.  The operator called out, “you get two rounds, does she like it?”  Lucas answered by making Thea giggle and clap. 

Of course, everyone enjoyed multiple rides and between Christina and Becky we have plenty of pictures, but I managed to take a couple.

  • All the girls except Thea!
  • Kimberly
  • Kimberly & Me
  • Jillian & Me
  • Flying!

My baby… and her first amusement park ride was a roller coaster!

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

Beach Time

September 16, 2019

Beach Time

I love the reset my body gets from the beach!  The salty air does wonders for my sinuses and makes me feel clean again. 

On the first of September, a beautiful Sunday afternoon, we took the whole family to the beach.  The clouds were amazing, we had a few passing over light rain showers – we love watching the cloud of “murkiness” slowly approach, hover, and pass us.  My littlest love is too tiny for rough waves just yet.  She’s good at crawling in the sand. 

Louis was monitoring the approaching storm from his phone.

I like to leave all technology somewhere else.  I know that means I seldom take pictures, but I’ve learned I’m more likely to enjoy the experience if I’m not tied to a phone, keys, or wallet. Usually, one of the girls now takes plenty of pictures!  Louis didn’t want to get wet at all this round so I did go out twice.  Thea doesn’t cling to me like Lucas used to so I haven’t attempted baby-surfing with her yet.  Lucas jumped on my back for two rides before he took off to dig a giant hole with the girls.

They got this hole so big Lucas could stand in it!

Kimberly and Jaquline were quite excited about it.  Like good little beach-goers, they demoed the elaborate sand castle creation Lucas and Kimberly had made back into the hole as we left.  Becky always reminds them to put everything back.  We usually clean up any trash lying about, but this time there was nothing to take back to the garbage bins. (Our beach is generally clean, which makes me feel good about our community!)

Waves, water, sand, and beautiful skies… perfect beach day!  I love the amazing tapestries painted in the beach landscapes, don’t you?

Type at you next time,

~Nancy Tart

Tropical Thunder

September 10, 2019

Tropical Thunder

Hurricanes are not to be taken lightly.  You know, so many memes make light of hurricanes because people have to laugh at what scares them to give themselves a boost of courage.  No, those of us who have been through the eye of any storm do not take any of them lightly. 

My little town of Saint Augustine, Florida, has been through some big ones: Dora in 1964 (check this cover of Life magazine!), Matthew in 2016, Irma in 2017, and we were bracing for Dorian.  Dorian didn’t do much here, some wind and lots of flooding, but it did what no model predicted as it launched up into a category 5 and slammed the Bahamas Islands as the second strongest storm to make landfall in the Atlantic and sat with its eye just off the island for almost a full day.  No model predicted this 1mph standstill of destruction.

Our prayers were with those in the Bahamas. 

Seriously, though, I’ve been tracking storms since my Daddy grabbed us with an excited smile looking like a boy just opening his favorite toy – “come see this!”  Katy and I raced out of the fortified laundry room where us kids were hiding during Hugo outside into an eerie calm to stare up a black funnel to a tiny circle of stars and I asked, “Daddy, where are the rest of the stars?” We were looking up Hurrican Hugo’s eye in North Charleston, South Carolina in 1989.  That became an obsession.  I watched “Twister” two years after it came out and that rekindled my interest in meteorology, but that’s just me – I’m interested in everything and have likely studied any topic at some point. 

Storms generally follow one of two basic tracks.  You can predict them generally based on low and high pressure systems flanking them and the temperature of the currents in their vicinity.  Yet, one thing I have learned is that once they break that category 4 threshold; they do what they please.  Cat 4 and 5 are totally unpredictable – Daddy called them “Tropical Thunders.”  I have looked up a storm’s eye.  I have played in tropical storms up trees like pirates on ships at sea while my Daddy sat on the covered porch with his portable radio.  I’ve watched gusts of 40mph shove my 6-year-old across the flooded front yard “lake” standing on a boogie board (Hurricane Matthew).  I’ve walked – no waded along – the bayfront as Irma approached, while my kids intoned “behold the power to water” like the dragon from Avatar: The Last Airbender.  I’ve laid over four sleeping children under the sturdy wooden table in the strongest room in the house with Louis over the other side as the kids lay sleeping like Lincoln logs in a row while we prayed the giant roaring train of a tornado spawned by Irma stayed away from our house. I’ve helped countless neighbors with storm debris, cooking food, boiling water, marking downed power lines, etc. after a storm.  I’ve watched my kids do as I did and make forts out of the tree debris – and as a parent I’ve shouted, “watch out for snakes!”

Hurricanes are an awesome, beautiful, unpredictable force of nature.  You can appreciate their beauty from the satellite imagery and the rolling dark clouds of the ocean as they approach.  You fear their terrible strength. 

I might seem flippant when I say, “no, we didn’t evacuate.” But no.  I’m not flippant at all.  I personally understand the devastation a hurricane and its accompanying tornadoes can cause.  I have seen the damage where homes are flat, roofs are missing, cars picked up and tossed – my first school was completely flattened by Hugo.  I saw the matchsticks that remained of the mobile home parks in Matthew’s wake.  I know their terrible power.  If Dorian had come toward us as a 4 or 5, I would have evacuated to my mom’s high-ground, very sturdy, 20 mile inland condo.  My home is a 1979 mobile home surrounded by huge sycamore and maple trees – no way I’m sitting through a cat 3+ in that thing.  Sure, we stayed.  But we were vigilant.  We watched, tracking the storm and plotting various paths.  We had our “goto” bags (2 changes of clothes, baby diapers, important documents, etc.) where we could grab them and go instantly if needed.  We also were prepared for days without power as we were last time.  Not a single outage and our power often goes out in simple thunderstoms.  Still, I will never laugh off a hurricane threat.

I won’t run at the drop of a hat.  I do know how to help others and I know that shelters are for those who can’t live without power (I can, we actually make it a camping adventure!).  I don’t have anyone in my family with a severe medical condition.  I do have animals depending on me to protect them.  Yes, if we evacuated, they would be in our vehicles (one with doggies and Minuit & the other with Guinea Pigs & hens). I don’t live in a flood zone.  I don’t live in an evacuation zone. 

I respect the storms just as I respect the ocean. 

I understand the power of “a little wind and rain” as some memes laughed.  I seriously do.  Daddy filled every 5-gallon bottle with drinking water and the tubs with water for flushing toilets before each storm.  Even if most of the time we emptied them without using them.  He never got complacent.  When we were in an apartment and watching Matthew come (our house was in inland GA at the time) a coworker laughed at Daddy and said, “you really gonna run?” Daddy laughed right back, “I weathered Hugo in a solid brick house up high, think I’m staying in some stick and drywall apartment when a cat 4 is coming that’s wider than the entire state?”  Yes, we went back home for that one.

Nature is wild.  We are given brains to be able to perceive the threats and move ourselves out of danger. 114 years ago when the 1905 Galveston hurricane hit, they didn’t have any warning and were just going about life’s normal business.  Today we have radar, satellite, news channels, severe weather updates on our phones, and easy access to evacuation routes.  All of this was put in place to help people be able to choose to move to safety if needed.  I choose to use this knowledge when needed and keep my family safe. 

Sure, I will laugh at any hurricane joke just like any other Floridian.  I see the image of plywood Florida with battered eyes tucking it’s peninsula up against the panhandle and I laugh too.  This is our risk.  Some places have ice storms, (how do you even drive on ice, seriously?) dust storms, tornado alley, weeks of rain at a time with no sunshine, etc.  We have the occasional hurricaine, coastal flooding, and severe summer thunderstorms.  I’m a Floridian.  I’m a computer-travel child who joked that “named hurricanes followed my family around” as my tracking obsession led me to realize they were aiming at us (no matter where in the Southeast we landed, there was not a single peaceful hurricane season for us – we always had at least one named storm directly on us!).  I might joke about them, but I hold a reverent fear of the awesome power of the force of nature called the “tropical cyclone” aka “hurricane.”

Be vigilant & safe!

Type at you next time,

~Nancy Tart

Leaving My Little Love

September 8, 2019

Leaving My Little Love

I’m looking at the man cross the coffee table as I talk.  I knew even though he said it was okay to bring my baby (at this point, I’m 8 months pregnant) to work with me, there would come a time when my baby would be better off with Daddy and her siblings than at my office with three doggies, a kitty, and office phones.

Almost seven months later, I’m answering Louis’ call while at work and we are discussing Christina and Becky’s schedule for the night while Thea, hearing Daddy’s voice, is yelling at the top of her lungs. Louis says “She really doesn’t need to be in the office.”

We’d been discussing it, but I was very reluctant.  See, I can’t stand being behind a desk… I want to be active, moving, teaching.  Other adults don’t help.  I hate being still.  (Maybe why I don’t listen to midwives or doctors saying “get bed rest” and instead I’m riding to gym with my girls and Louis – yes! He drove! – when Thea is hours old to watch their practice.)  I wanted Thea with me.

Kitty shows up & Thea is in her play seat.  Kitty has stayed away from her the whole 3 months the kitten has been in the office.  Kitty jumps up on the table of the play area and Thea giggles, excitedly pets Kitty, and rubs her hand over her face and head.   Spots break out – a rash… my baby is allergic to cats! Now I won’t jeopardize her health so from then on she stays home. 

I’m sure that was God saying, “quit being stubborn! Listen to your husband.” 

Leaving her home is the hardest thing ever for me.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally thankful for my job, I’m just sad that I can’t have my little love with me.

I’m seriously living for the day when I can come into the office at 6am, even 5am, and leave at noon or 1pm.  That is my working goal.  I don’t care if that means less pay… I want to be home with my children.  My loyalty instinct keeps me returning to work.  I LOVE teaching.  I LOVE coaching – and I get to take all my children!  I feel that with the way the company wants to expand, I will be able to move to 5am to noon or 6am to noon one day soon.  I’m praying that’s soon.  I’ll even work from home on weekends or evenings if needed.  I want to be home. 

I think that’s an issue a lot of us women feel but are afraid to say.  We just want to be home when they are home!  We want to be around our teens so we can learn about these amazing young women.  We want to counsel our preteens and research their deep questions alongside them.  We want to guide and protect our elementary kiddos and watch our preschoolers, toddlers, and infants with wonder and awe as they grow and explore.  We want to help mold their little characters as that is the reason God gave them to us.  He knew we could mold them the way He wants.  He gave them to us so we could be a part of their lives and our heart knows that.  We desire to teach our children.

I feel a great empathy with those who can’t stay home or make their schedules work the way they want.  I watch my single sister (who has an amazing daughter she pours everything into, by the way) struggle with the “failure” she feels for not being around as much as she wants to be.  Girl.  That is me too.  I can’t stand being away.  I wanted a job where I could keep my children with me.  (Running a cab company, I was always home!  Even gym coach, my kiddos are there with big sister or awesome ladies/young ladies or now, Grandma!)

God is teaching me patience.  Also that I can’t be everywhere at once.  He is also teaching me to look from all angles. 

Louis has been working 60 to 80+ hours at 2 or more jobs since Christina was born.  He’s been so busy or sleeping between jobs all their lives.  Now, he has one job at evening/night leaving as we are going to sleep.  He gets to cook amazing meals, homeschool them, and watch them grow.  He took Thea home one afternoon instead of leaving her with my mom and Paige in the afterschool/babysitting room at gym. He said he loved it.  “I can see why you miss taking her to work.” He said.  He loved “hanging out” with Thea for five hours by himself.  She ate two jars of baby food, some rice, some apple, played all kinds of giggling games with Daddy on the bed, and then snuggled with him and fell asleep on his tummy.  Louis said he loves this part of being a Daddy.

Daddy and Thea

I was smacked upside the head with the realization that I was being rather selfish in my desire to always be with her.  Louis wants to be just as involved in our children as I do.  He loves the baby giggles, snuggles, and laughter just as I do.  He feels powerful and insignificant and totally blessed just like I do when one of our angels falls asleep snuggling.  We are of the mindset that each may be the last – but honestly, there is a feeling of finality with Thea that wasn’t there for anyone else.  (I’m not saying we won’t have another, just being honest about feelings – I am totally open for whatever God wants)  I need to let Louis have as much baby time as he wants. 

So, in this season, it’s the hardest of all for me; I’m away from my children ten hours a day.  I’m willing to work for the day when we have four teams, a location I can show up at to make sure the vans are stocked, the teams are off with all their supplies, and I’m joined by someone else in the office who allows me to leave at noon.  This is what I hope for.  A little more at 8 to 4 and hopefully, I’m early morning and working from home. 

My Thea, my little love, is at home.  I rest securely in the knowledge that her Daddy is relishing his time with her, and her big sisters and brother will help see that she’s entertained and well fed!

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

Overcomer: Movie Review

September 6, 2019

Overcomer

My family went to see the new Kendrick brothers’ movie, “Overcomer” on opening weekend.  Oh. My!  This film has great acting, believable serious characters, some realistic humor, and glaring, real-life truth.  It catches you into the storyline almost instantly.  Major disappointment we can all relate to begins the story.  The one glimmer of hope comes from the coach consoling his players with a very serious, “next year will be our year.”

Well, life happens.

(Isn’t that always what seems to be true? We plan what we see as perfection, but a monkey-wrench gets tossed in to muck up said plans.)

The primary employer in the area closes, relocating to another area and because it offered the workers transition into new jobs, of course, most workers relocate along with it – taking the team members with them in ones and twos until only one is left.  Imagine being 17 years old, hoping for a scholarship in your favorite sport and boom, because of something outside of your control, your team is decimated to where you don’t even have a poor team to be the star of.  This faces the coach’s eldest son. 

Meanwhile, the coach is facing an aggravation that blows up in slamming bricks into shattered bits of sand.  He can’t see the light of anything.  No team, 10% pay cut, no scholarship for his eldest son, and being “forced” to coach in a sport he pretty much hates, cross-country, with a team of one (okay, if you’ve seen the trailers, this isn’t a spoiler) – a girl with asthma. 

Enter Hannah.  A petty thief stealing to prove she can get away with is who happens to be granted what her grandmother believes is a “full scholarship,” really her private school tuition is paid for by her late mother’s friend.  This girl feels she has no friends, feels abandoned by everyone (parents are dead, Grandmother is always working), and good at only one thing – running. 

Coach’s wife feels they are teachers to answer a calling of caring for students and showing love.  She accepts Hannah 100% without reservation. 

Coach is still internally fuming over his losses. 

Providentially, he accidently steps into Thomas’ room.  A man whose not-so-old body is being torn apart by wasting diseases brought on by his drug-addicted and abusive past.  He was a champion runner.  Over time, Coach picks Thomas’ brain on how to coach Hannah. 

*Spoiler Alert!*

Don’t go any farther if you don’t want the whole “hidden” twist revealed.  As the blind Thomas asks Coach about himself, I whispered to Thea (she can’t tell anyone anyway, but I like to talk about movies as I watch them and she doesn’t care if I “ruin” the movie) “Thomas is Hannah’s father.”

Yep.  My storywriter brain is connecting the “coincidence dots” and morphing an awesome story of redemption – yes, that’s what the movie does.  Thomas abandoned his family (leaving Hannah with her Grandmother who holds a deep root of bitterness) to chase drugs and junk.  Once though, Thomas was a champion runner.  He believes God has given him a second chance. 

Doesn’t God always do that?  He always gives us a chance at redemption.  I love pointing out stories in real life and in movies where there are second chances or last minute redemptions.  Yes, we are nerds, so I’m usually at least twice a week discussing the redemption story of Star Wars – you know, how Anakin had good intentions, fell away from the good side, wrestled with himself, did so many bad things, yet redeemed himself with his last few hours and gets to be a “good part” of the force.  Redemption has always been offered but we have to accept it. 

Overcomer is one the girls can’t wait to add to our collection – if we didn’t have a limited budget, our clan of ten (my mom joined us) would have gone to see it the next day too, bringing friends along! That is the first time the girls wanted to go back to the theater and see the same movie again.  Usually, if we see a movie together (usually a Star Wars flick), they leave saying “I can’t wait til it’s on DVD!” This one was, “can we see this again tomorrow?”

One line got me as a mother: “For 6 weeks, I had the perfect Dad.”  (Hannah says this at Thomas’ funeral.)  I cried. God used what looked like simple choices to weave together a tapestry of forgiveness, freedom, and purpose for so many people.

What has God orchestrated you toward?  Are you open to love and forgive, or are you stubbornly clinging to bitterness as revenge?  Think about it; what one choice did you agree with God on and now see so much more than just one simple thought of “oh yeah, I did the right thing.”

I love it when movies make me reflect on my heart.

Type at you next time,

~Nancy Tart

Jaquline the Confident

September 4, 2019

Jaquline the Confident

I watched my little girl exude confidence for the first time in public.  At our gymnastics show on Mother’s Day, my Jaquline performed her practiced routine with a cloud of confidence I’ve never seen in her before.  She LOVES gymnastics.  She feels beautiful and strong doing her routines.  She stood up on the mat and told everyone she wants to be an Olympic Gymnast. 

Wow. 

So much for “maybe they’ll have fun” – my thoughts when I was blessed to get them into classes. 

For my family, discovering the sport of gymnastics has improved and amazed us.  In brief, I answered an ad which I thought was part-time clerk help at a gymnastics facility; nope, was a coaching job and I am so totally in amazement that I get to work a dream job in a sport I always wanted to do but my family was unable to afford.  From there, my girls (less Christina, who laughed and said “CAP is enough for me.” – oh, but  she’s now a coach) joined classes.  Kimberly came with strength and pushes to work her way up to the amazing skills she watches the team girls do.  Becky and Jaquline had no interest in fitness before gymnastics but now are working out with determination.  Jillian and Lucas have fun.

Jaquline’s new semester includes her gymnastics classes, reading everything she loves (She graduated up from the Magic Treehouse books to A Little Princess, The Secret Garden, and The Princess and the Swans the last couple of months!), practicing gymnastics outside (no jumps or flips – that’s mom’s rule, but I watch her do her floor routine from the show over and over and over…), learning nutrition (what builds muscle?  I need x grams of protein before workout), and playing word games with her super increasing vocabulary!  Louis says he’ll glance at the table after breakfast and everyone is sitting around doing work except Jaquline.  He’ll go looking and she’s curled up in her bed with some fat book in front of her so he leaves her until she comes out.  She’s sometimes not wanting to do regular schoolwork (it seems every child goes through at least one “I don’t want to do school” phase), but we aren’t worried because right now is a nutrition, fitness, grammar, literature, and vocabulary focus semester.  A few more books in that level and she’ll either be scanning the library for more like them or moving up a notch! (And she thinks she’s “not doing schoolwork” by reading unabridged classics!)

Sometimes we all need a “break” from the ordinary (yes, mom and dad still ask, “did you finish your math, history, and science?”) and our focus shifts to what we find fun.  Jaquline is doing math she doesn’t realize while planning her savings goals.  She’s stepping into real history and culture with “Little Women” and “A Little Princess” (1860 – 1880 United States and 1800s English Empire, respectively).  She’s learning science by watching Becky and Kimberly’s experiments, reading her nutrition books.  She’s doing practical learning by watching how Dad prepares food and analyzing the nutrition in her meals (plus, math and science here too). 

Although her semester finds her trying to be stubborn and “skip regular lessons” this time around, we know she’s still learning.  God is working on her heart now too – “Heidi” is a story of forgiveness, redemption, and return to reliance on God. (Just one example… I LOVE the unabridged versions of classics.)

Don’t be discouraged, parents!  Even if they are “refusing” to learn, they are learning anyway!  Find something they love that is natural learning and encourage that!  They’ve got plenty more years to get “lessons” on track… build relationship and understanding. 

This doesn’t mean we as parents aren’t constantly reminding her to “finish her math” or whatever lessons, it’s just that we don’t fight over it!  Life has taught us that she will come back to “formal lessons” soon.  We had a teen freak and slam forward in her algebra once her sister below her was “catching up” – Jaquline did the same last year when Jillian “graduated” into the same math book Jaquline was using.  Our philosophy is never to alter one person’s progress because of another’s lack; instead we encourage self-growth.  Thankfully, human nature among our children includes a fierce competitive spirit!  They will learn.  They will grow.  Sometimes, though, a sidetrack on a different path is needed.  (Don’t you ever feel that way as an adult? – I do!)

Type at you later,

~Nancy Tart

Becky’s New Semester

September 2, 2019

Becky’s New Semester

Who knew my thirteen year old would be bouncing all over the county (okay, not literally) this semester in her activities?

Becky decided on two courses this semester.  Her online class turned out to be a half-semester starting after her birthday.  Her Macroeconomics started last week.  She has Tuesday and Thursday classes for an hour and a half, getting off just in time for Grandma to pick her up from college on her way to work.  This is nice because it gets Becky to her 4:30 gym class which I would be late for! (Logistics is getting to be a Tetris maze because we have four young ladies involved in four different activities at varying times plus normal household stuff and four jobs between the three of us! – This may ease up when Christina becomes an independent driver!)

Becky has Tuesday & Thursday college, Thursday gymnastics, Wednesday youth group, and periodic meetings with people adopting her little piggies.  She’s doing an online coding class, doing regular schoolwork, assistant teaching, babysitting, and just decided to start her own website to show people her little farm critters. 

Becky wants to be an orthodontic surgeon at the moment; although that has fluctuated from brain surgeon, midwife, obstetrician, dentist, orthodontist, her direction will likely be medical.  She studies all kinds of fun things along the way: conjoined twins (brain operations to keep their brains intact successfully), whole body health, nutrition, how nutrition affects the teeth, how a healthy smile affects a person’s confidence, brain development and chemicals, the effects of stress on the body… you name it, we’ve likely heard Becky popping up from some research with, “hey!  You know what?” and relaying all this new knowledge.  She likes to read opposing views, research, and experiment to see what result she gets.

She’s anxiously waiting for braces; hopefully that happens soon – as she wants a “smile I am proud of.” (But I don’t know how we’ll squeeze another item in our family schedule!)

I’m thoroughly enjoying this discovery stage Becky has been traveling through.  I smile when I think of her being almost 2-years-old using my phone charger as a Doppler to “hear” Kimberly’s heartbeat and later handing my midwife the instruments as she named them during the first part of Kimberly’s birth.  That started Becky’s love of health, the human body, and eventually medicine.  My little scientist.  Animal lover.  Comedian.  I pray she finds her path as God leads her and enjoys her journey along the way! 

Type at you next time,

~Nancy Tart

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