Tag: Pearson

Songs and Movies… How can that make me cry?

Why does she cry? Even she doesn’t know, but the right song or movie certainly can start it.

February 6, 2019

Songs and Movies…

It has almost been two months since my Daddy passed.

I can’t find it to cry, normally.  If I think about crying, I remember how happy he is in heaven.  Then crying feels selfish – because I know he was in pain every day here.

But sometimes, I can’t explain it.  And it’s always a song or a movie.  And even that doesn’t always make sense.

I was coming home from work one early afternoon and on comes “Small Town Southern Man.”  No, that wasn’t my Daddy, but the core of the song “…He bowed his head to Jesus… always loved one woman, was proud of what he had… he said his greatest contribution was the ones he left behind…” Yes, that was my Daddy.

I was bawling when the next one happened to be “Love Without End, Amen” – which yes, didn’t need any alteration and went all the way to heaven.  I’m glad my car has cruise control and I’ve been driving 207 for over 20 years.

A song.  A movie. (okay, this one was crazy)   Never saw it with my Daddy, but he had given it to us.  Annapolis.  A story of a determined young person getting to his goal – my Daddy liked stories with real character.  At the end of the film, Louis comments, “I know why your Dad liked that one.” And that was it.  Not that anyone else saw, but I ended up tearing up over the simple thought that I can’t ever discuss this film with Daddy.  It had so many side stories and threads woven this way and that – prime film material for our long-drawn-out discussions.

Whenever something makes me want to cry, I remember the silliest of song lyrics/movie lines and it’s really odd that those four lines remind me of Daddy because he didn’t like that movie. (I’m not a fan or having that one on continual repeat, either.)  “He lives in you.”  And, yes, my mind sings it.

I’m thankful for memories.   I’m thankful for times when I hear my Daddy in my siblings and children – just things he often said or quirky humorous lines.  I almost cried when I first saw my little brother in his new glasses with the hat and stubbly beard – because if the beard were a bit longer, that is how I remember my Daddy (from when I was a toddler) and my little brother is a spitting image (face) of my Daddy.

I feel sad that Daddy won’t see Teddy or Thea (our Baby, named after his/her great-grandfather Pearson) but I know I’ll keep “Living the Legacy” (another song… yes) and just like the girls don’t “remember” their Great-Grandmother Jeanette yet they know her love and life through us, my children will know their Grandfather Pearson’s legacy because it’s in us – and my extension, also in them.

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

Pearson Christmas Party 2018

Picture overload! My family’s Christmas party 2018.

December 22, 2018

Pearson Christmas Party

Imagine twelve adults and thirteen children racing around a beautifully decorated house and every single one of them is acting like they are somewhere in that magic child age around 5 to 8.  That was our Christmas party this year.  It was the best!

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My amazing sister and brother hosted.

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Katy is always ready for a picture!

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Livy painting faces!  Anastasia is concentrating on being very still.  She was rewarded with a beautiful butterfly!

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Jaquline got snowflakes to match her dress!

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Mrs. Claus and helpers!  Tina, Christina (Christy the elf), and Mandy (Elsa-elf!)

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Liam was here, but jumped out of the way!  Brother-cousin time L-to-R JJ, Lucas, Isaac

This video shows our baby sister’s personality – it matches the hat!

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Group Selfie! Tina, Ray, Becca, Charles, Allison

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The teenage grandchildren (Becky, 13, and Christina, 15)

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Bouncy Hat plus Sherlock Pipe (both with accents…)

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The pro (Aunt Becca) teaching JJ how to take a selfie… (He knows he’s adorable!)

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Mom and the boys (silly faces): L-to-R Nathan, Ray, Tina, Charles, Louis, and Andy

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Mom and the girls: L-to-R Mary, Kayla, Katy, Allison, Tina, Becca, and me.

We did not get a group picture, or a full cousin picture, because everyone was just having too much fun!  The girls (my pictures come from Christina, Becky, and Kimberly) managed to get many active shots.

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This was our first year without my Daddy.  Katy and Andy had set up the layout so that he would have a comfy chair, a central view, close to food, close to everything in what Kimberly called “Santa Boompa’s throne.” (The chair with the footstool, Mom’s seat was supposed to be the matching one next to his.)  From this view you could see Livy’s facepainting station (she is so talented), the Selfie station (which was hilarious), the “dance floor” (right in front – so much fun!), the food and beverage buffet area was to the left (easy access to refills and the silly shenanigans going on in there), and the covered porch area was just behind it (where not just the boys were showing off their strength… or trying to).

Even though he wasn’t there, I didn’t feel like Daddy was missing.  I heard him in my brothers, Mom, and several of the children.  I heard his laugh when the boys were showing off.  I could hear him cheering each one on.  I felt his smile as Anastasia passed out gifts for each of the sister- and brother-cousins.  The little ones ran around giving drawings, toys, and hugs to each other and I felt him smile because he loved to give.  I felt his heart as Kimberly reminded me she needed my phone to “take pictures and movies for Grandma,” because “Granddaddy always likes to get pictures for Grandma!”

My Daddy’s legacy lives as the humor and fun he always had rubbed off on us kids and our children.  We love to see each other smile and laugh.  We encourage each other.  We share with each other.  We love.

This makes me so happy I cried on the way home.

Daddy isn’t really gone.  I miss him so bad; I miss being able to talk with him.  No one listens to me chatter away about the story ideas I have like he did.  Daddy didn’t seem to mind if it was the fifth – or fiftieth – time I told a cute something the kids did or a neat thing I learned; he never said “I’ve already heard that.”  I miss that, yes.

But he’s here.  I keep hearing the sing-song voice from the Disney cartoon: “he lives in you.”

Daddy lives in all 25 of us that were there (and the 4 who weren’t) in some way.  His legacy is us.

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

Teaching Textbooks

Finding Teaching Textbooks, a new style for a different learner

August 2, 2018

Teaching Textbooks

I’ve used Pearson, A Beka Book, Nelson, and pretty much any textbook I can find.  Most of the textbooks seem to be aimed at a traditional learner.  One who can read and remember.  This worked well for Christina and Rebeccah.  With a little teaching and a few explanations as needed, they understood.

Kimberly has been a different type of learner.  She is more tactile; she has to hear, see, watch, and do.

Another parent who has several learners like Kimberly, suggested I try Teaching Textbooks.  I found a used copy of Geometry because I was about to help tutor another student who was using it and I like to understand the curriculum so I can help in a style they are used to.

Oh my goodness!

Kimberly was beginning to struggle with math in A Beka’s Basic Mathematics.  She’d tried “Life of Fred” but that was only more confusing to her.

When the box arrived with Geometry everyone was excited… until Christina and Rebeccah saw it was textbooks and were like “MOM!” and went back to the Game of Life.  I went through the first two lessons to see how this textbook worked.  Kimberly got really excited, “Mom!  I get what he’s saying!” and asked if she could do that as math instead of Basic Mathematics.

Kimberly loved it and seriously started to understand the concepts presented.  I was so excited that I researched Teaching Textbooks further, hounded EBay until I found used complete sets of Pre-Algebra, Algebra I, and Algebra II.  Kimberly was super excited when Pre-Algebra arrived and is now doing both Geometry and Pre-Algebra.  Jaquline watched (her learning style is somewhat tactile, and her abstract thoughts lead her to overthink lessons she reads) and is now doing Pre-Algebra with Teaching Textbooks too.   The material is presented so thoroughly and with clear explanations that anyone with a good understanding of basic math operations can understand and retain the subject matter well.

I will certainly be checking out any used Teaching Textbooks course I find.  Check out their site at www.teachingtextbook.com for more information!  (I buy everything used, mostly from homeschool book sales or from friends, 2nd place is EBay when hunting something specific, and lastly, I order from A Beka Book, or Apologia when needing a specific title quickly and can’t find it used.)

Thanks for reading!

Type at you next time…

~Nancy Tart

 

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