Sunday, April 29, 2007

Another Email from my grandpa

My Grandpa sent me this and it struck a cord with me. I don't know how you will feel about it. When he sent it, it was longer but I felt it would be more poignant to end it sooner.


Dear God:

Why didn't you save the school children at ?. ..
Virginia Tech, VA 4/16/07 (recently added)
Moses Lake, Washington 2/2/96
Bethel, Alaska 2/19/97
Pearl, Mississippi 10/1/97
West
Paducah, Kentucky 12/1/97
Stamp, Arkansas 12/15/97
Jonesboro, Arkansas 3/24/98
Edinboro, Pennsylvania 4/24/98
Fayetteville, Tennessee 5/19/98
Springfield, Oregon 5/21/98
Richmond, Virginia 6/15/98
Littleton, Colorado 4/20/99
Taber, Alberta, Canada 5/28/99
Conyers, Georgia 5/20/99
Deming, New Mexico 11/19/99
Fort Gibson, Oklahoma 12/6/99
Santee, California 3/ 5/01 and
El Cajon, California 3/22/01?

Sincerely,

Concerned Student

-----------------------------------------------------

Reply:

Dear Concerned Student:
Sorry,
I am not allowed in schools!
Sincerely,
God

----------------------------------------------------------




Friday, April 27, 2007

The Piano

This is beautiful. I can't watch it and not cry.



Tuesday, April 24, 2007

A great reminder

Sometimes I come up short and things like this help me get back on track.
It occured to me that part of my family thinks I am crazy. But this just feels like the natural and wonderful way to raise and educate my children. I am thankful for this blog to help me understand who I am and find strength in it when so many think I am so strange.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

Finding INCREDIBLE Epiphanies Anywhere

Some days Being of Good cheer with Multiple Core phase children can be quite a challenge. I will admit then when things get a bit too challenging I turn to the TV. I believe it to be a part of my Conveyor Belt Hang over, but when the going gets tough the tough turn on a movie.
I asked the kids what movie they wanted to watch and that turned into fight #213 for the day, so to help my kids learn about freedom of choice, I chose the movie. I chose Disney Pixars "The Incredible's". It was fantastic. Here I am feeling like a bit of a failure because the TV came on before the allotted time but, I loved it, the epiphanies just kept coming and coming, I should have gone to get a notebook.
It is about a superhero family that has had to be relocated into main stream society because superhero powers have been outlawed. So here we have this father who is devastated because he can't use his powers to help people. His mission is being suppressed. He is living his everyday life in drudgery. One day is like the next and he is miserable.
A trial comes there where when an old foe tries to kill him and he is captured. The whole family then is has to come together to save their father. When they are finally allowed to use their superpowers they learn things about themselves they didn't know before. They were able to know what they could do in the time of hardship.
How many of us as mothers feel we are in the midst of the trial? You know the one "How do I get myself a superb liber education while changing diapers, mopping floors, doing dishes, cooking meals, changing diapers, doing laundry, educating my masses? Screaming out loud when do I get my turn? I think that some mothers feel this drudgery of day in and day out and why am I doing this? But then something happens, we gain an epiphany, or a light goes off in one of our children, and it reminds us of our powers, of our mission. That we have a mission that perhaps at this time it is raising the next generation of leaders.
It also helped me realize that epiphanies can happen anywhere. We need to be open to them. Just because we are cleaning goo off the floor instead of sitting in a classroom full of like minded people, just because we are reading 2 word sentences to our kids instead of some great literary classic, just because we are watching Disney instead writing the next great novel, we can still think and we can still receive epiphanies. We know the importance of education for our children, we know the importance of training leaders for the next generation.
It just cemented again in my brain the importance of mission. When that family was finally able to fulfil their missions and use their powers then, were they able to be happy. So yes we will go thru hard times, we will go thru what a friend of mine calls the trenches, and what a great metaphor sometimes my house does look like a War Zone, but it will be worth it in the end.
Simplicity not complexity sometimes I think our conveyor belt hang over tells us it isn't complex enough therefore it is wrong. If I can find a Huge epiphany watching Disney then they must be everywhere, look in the simplicity for them. A bumblebee can be an epiphany. (That's an entirely different Blog) .
Writing this has been a huge learning tool for me. I am going for complexity because I am worried it isn't long enough. So I will end now.
Peg

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Sister Hinckley

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car,
wearing beautifully tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and
with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.
I want to drive up in a stationwagon that has mud on the wheels from
taking kids to scout camp.
I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister
Schenk's lawn.
I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from
making sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children.
I want to be there with a little dirt under my fingernails from helping
to weed someone's garden.
I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheeks and the
tears of a friend on my shoulder.
I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

A day in the life of.....

I have come to the conclusion that scientist that don't believe in the theory of perpetual motion are not parents of 2 year old little boys. The Boy is insane. He is constantly going from one mess to another. He makes them then says in the darn cutest voice "A mess, oh dear" I think that cute phrase has saved his life more than once.
We were outside playing and Hunter and Hailey have discovered Ants. The joy of ants. We followed Ants all morning today. My other girls have been terrified of ants, so this is a good change.
An interesting thing happened. I wanted to start reading "A Little Prince" the the kids today but they did not want to hear it. We got about 20 pages in and they all said it was boring, so Megan went and got the book "The Princess and the Goblin" So we are reading that. They were begging for more but we had to stop because Hunter decided the honey was much better suited all over his shirt, hands and hair then in the bucket. I was reading along when I heard the cute yet fearful phrase "A mess, Oh dear" So we stopped reading so we could clean up Hunter and by the time that was done everyone was onto other things. But it was interesting that the book I wanted was boring, when I let them pick it they were begging for more. So nice. I had heard of that happening but it hadn't happened here until today. They are so excited for the read tomorrow. Hannah was talking about it before Bed.
I enjoy the book as well. at the Salt lake Forum Cyndi Hampton talked about a book fitting the form for her family she strongly recommended this book. Men are Men, Woman are Woman, Good is good, bad is bad. It is a good book. I like the book too.
I decided today I seem to be going in cycles. I have a reading cycle when I read and read and read anything I can get my hands on, then when I surface from that I look at my house and say "A mess, Oh dear" so then I have a cleaning cycle when I can't get enough cleaning done. My health last week kind of screwed that up. I was to sick to clean or read. I got nothing done and now I am not quite sure what to do. I need to pick a cycle or wait and perhaps a cycle will pick me. We have been outside a lot more lately though. So maybe we will have an outside cycle now that the weather is warming up.
Being of Good cheer with multiple core phase children. How do YOU do it?

where to market, where to market

So I am getting a touch nervous about my Forum. The Early Bird date is tomorrow and I have a total of 17 people signed up to come. On the bright side it will not be as touch and go as the Face to Face seminar I hosted in Feb. I have the ability to pay the venue after the forum so that is nice.
In my limited knowledge I have no idea where to market something like this. Newspaper, community bulletin boards, I know of a meeting coming up on Monday for the local home school group. I could go to that meeting or ask someone who will be attending to announce it. I think that is a good idea. I do know some people who will be attending this meeting.
I am a bit nervous. I need fifty people or it is a no go. But it really is not time to panic yet. I will panic may 16 and still only have 17 people. Just kidding. I know this is going to happen and life just isn't life without a little drama.

Sunday, April 15, 2007

A new link

Since I have learned how to do links, here is another one to read. I truly love these articles.
Rachel Demille is obviously married to Oliver. She is a fantastic writer and I hope to be at her level of writing someday. I have a Looooooooooong way to go. But it will be a fun journey.

Wonderful weekend with the youth

I got back yesterday from helping a friend with a fantastic Liber Knights trip. It was only 24 hours but it was good. We had the kids read the book "No Time To Say Good Bye" It is a good book written for 11 - 13 year old's about the residential schools governments forced aboriginal people to go to . It was done in a nice clean way.
We then had a simulation where we took the kids to a near by high school and told them that Homeschooling had been made illegal and they were to be sent of to a reform school in Nova Scotia to be reintroduced into the public mainstream school, and if they or there parents fought back they would lose everything and go to jail. It was pretty good. It only lasted about an hour the kids were ranging in age from12- 14. The debrief was amazing. Some of those kids are so thoughtful and kind. I found it truly amazing what some of them learned from the debrief and experience from the simulation. The difference between simulation and play is the debrief at the end.
The 5 pillars to a great education are Classics, Mentors, Field Experience, Simulations and God. I am glad that their is a group of like minded people that can get together and help to provide these experiences for the youth. Megan my 8 year old daughter really wanted to go but the age cut off is 12. So now she is counting down to when she can go, 4 more years.
a great article to read is
http://www.gwc.edu/pdf/statesman_10_10.pdf
Well that is fantastic I learned how to do links.

I was telling my husband Fred that I like the kids that have grown up with Leadership education at the fore front of their lives. They don't really care about being cool, they accept everyone, they are phenomenal thinkers. I am happy to live in a time and country where it is legal that I can choose the way to educate my kids. I have been coming across a ton of opposition for some reason. I have been having to explain what I do to more and more people. I guess it is only fair, I am planning some great things for the future, but why does this have to be met with such opposition. So many people automatically take the defensive when I tell them what I am doing. "Oh I could never do that" "You are crazy" or my mother in laws new beef "You are gone a lot fixing yourself don't you have any time for your kids", why can't she see I am doing this for my kids and when I am home we have a fantastic time of inspiring, of trying to simplify, and mentoring them. So much to learn and so much to teach.
I am all over the place again. My poor brain can't keep a train of thought. I am also venting.
I had a fantastic weekend watching those kids grow and learn, and it renewed in me again what it is I am trying to do. I want my kids to be better and wonderful and fantastic and whole like those kids from the liber knights I just helped out with.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Schedule for Tjed Forum in may


Well i hope it is readable but its about hte best I can do. This is not yet finished but it should give people an idea of topics that will be covered.
Thanks for bearing with me.

Keep on trying

I am trying to get my schedule for the May Forum on this blog for people to look at. I will keep trying.
Peggy

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Not a blood clot

Well good news. There is something else wrong with me. It is not a blood clot. I just called the Doctor and his nurse said I was normal. So I guess we move onto the next thing. But the dizziness the lack of breath. My inhalor not working the nebulizer working for only a short time. I have no idea what is wrong. I guess I should go back to the Doctor.

Still bad health

I am going onto day 6 of bad breathing. It is moments like this I'm glad I studied Yoga. I have to force myself to breath with my diaphragm or I get all dizzy and I start to see the world close in like the end of the old Warner Bros. Cartoons. That old black tunnel.
But I finally went to the Doctor yesterday, his guess was that it could be a blood clot in my lungs. Very fun. I had a bunch of tests done yesterday, another treatment of nebulizer, and a shot to the tummy to help thin my blood. Now I have a pretty bruise on my Tummy. If the test comes back positive I will need a series of needles to my tummy so it will be nice and pretty by the end of this week. I am trying to use my powers of visualization to make it go away and have no blood clot.
I won't know until this afternoon. I am a bit scared. I called my Mom and told her and she panicked a bit which did not fill me with confidence. But I am sure it is not that. I am only 29 I have plenty of Blood Clot free years.

Monday, April 9, 2007

Email from Papa



This is an email I got from my Grandpa today. I hope you enjoyed it as much as my husband Fred did. He fell out of his chair. No elephants were hurt in the retelling of this story.


"I don't normally pass these "feel good" stories around but this one is
special, and is rather heartwarming on a windy April day.....

In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from
University.

On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing
with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed, so Mbembe
approached it very carefully.

He got down on one knee and inspected the elephant's foot and found a large
piece of wood deeply embedded in it. As carefully and as gently as he could,
Mbembe worked the wood out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant
gingerly put down its foot.

The elephant turned to face the man, and with a rather curious look on its
face, stared at him for several tense moments. Mbembe stood frozen,
thinking of nothing else but being trampled.

Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudly, turned, and walked away. Mbembe
never forgot that elephant or the events of that day.

Twenty years later, Mbembe was walking through the Chicago Zoo with his
teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the
creatures turned and walked over to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were
standing.

The large bull elephant stared at Mbembe, lifted its front foot off the
ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted
loudly, all the while staring at the man.

Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if this
was the same elephant.

Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way
into the enclosure. He walked right up to the elephant and stared back in
wonder.

The elephant trumpeted again, wrapped its trunk around one of Mbembe's legs
and slammed him against the railing, killing him instantly.

Probably wasn't the same elephant."

Saturday, April 7, 2007

Looking for new template

If anyone knows where I can download a nice springy yellow template please let me know. I really want a yellow template. I looked a bit today but had to give up when Hunter decided to empty the whole 18 litres of water from our water cooler onto the kitchen floor. It was pretty exciting. It leaked thru the floor and started to drip into Keirsten and Liza's room. that actually how we found out about it. Liza came running to Fred and said "Daddy there is water dripping from our roof." Fred said "That's not good" He got up and noticed Hunter standing in front of the empty water cooler in a puddle of water soaking wet looking fairly innocent with his finger still holding the spigot down. I laughed because it was all so very funny. It took every towel we could find to clean it up. It was a full bottle He emptied all 18 litres onto the floor for you American types that is 5 gallons. Be of good cheer with multiple core phase children.
So yes a yellow template would be nice. Thank you.

Friday, April 6, 2007

I am a Collector of quotes.

I read a quote today and added it to my list of favourites. I also decided to blog about it. Why because I am still sick and if I stand for to long I feel like fainting. So there for to pass the time and let Fred watch Baseball (which I find incredibly boring) I will blog about deep thought and quotes.
"Great spirits will always encounter opposition from mediocre minds" - Albert Einstein- Wow! How true that is. This makes me think of Joseph Smith. He was constantly under violent opposition his whole life. Every day was trial. Every day was something new but yet the same old same old, mob attacks, arresting, tar and feathering. And yet he carried on doing Gods work, restoring the gospel. Amazing.
Then there is Gandhi. He brought about a revolution without violence. He did amazing things for India. I need to study this man more. There are truly amazing things I can learn from a man like that.
Esther from the bible saving her people. C.S. Lewis and all his amazing works, Mother Theresa. All these great people in history had their opposition and yet they found a way to shine thru it all. Thomas Jefferson Education teaches everyone that they are geniuses and have a mission in life. What is my Mission? I thought I knew for a while but met up with opposition and gave up on it but this quotes makes me realize I need to reconsider.
Who would have thought that a quote from Albert Einstein would have brought me back to my senses? I am a great spirit. I haven't met with violent opposition just very subtle opposition. I don't know what would be easier to deal with?
I truly need to work on my writing and public speaking. I believe my mission will have me doing more and more public speaking. and powerful speaking can be teamed up with powerful writing.
Dr. Demille has taught: "To be good is to do the right thing. To be Great is to do the right thing when it is incredibly hard."
I am on my way to greatness. I hope I don't sound egotistical. It has been a long hard study of learning the difference between Humble confidence and pride. God has decided he wants me to be humbly confident instead of proud.
"To build men and woman of virtue, wisdom, diplomacy, and courage, who inspire greatness in others and who move the cause of liberty" This is the mission statement of the college I plan to attend this fall. I am looking forward to it.

Thursday, April 5, 2007

Emotional Comparison

It has been a very emotional thing for me to start blogging. I know many friends and family members that blog and so I visit their sites and see how great they are, and then there is my little blog. I like the Light house water mark it makes me smile. "So Cute"
I am in the midst of planning a Canadian Tjed Forum. It will be great. A room full of like minded people all trying to find their missions in life and how they can impact the world is going to be awesome. Here is the truly scary part, I have decided to be a presenter at this forum. Can you imagine that me presenting to many new to Thomas Jefferson Education and many veteran Tjeders as well. It is intimidating and exciting all at the same time. My presentation is called "How to be of Good Cheer with Multiple Core phase children" One of my suggestions is "Do Not Compare yourself to others" seems like I should take my own advice. It truly is so debilitating. It can bind you into inaction which is anti Tjed. Tjed is action it is doing, and comparisons get in the way of that. So I promise to stop comparing myself and step into action. I will go and do. I always say to Megan "GO, BE, DO" So I guess it is time to take my own advice.
I will be a good blogger even if my sister Kim is my only reader Yeah Kim!! ( I know there are a few more). Sometimes I feel like the guy on the Mc Donalds Commercial drinking the shake and wanting to go home to blog about it for all his fans and his wife says who your mother. Very Funny But I will do anyway. My mom doesn't even read my blog. Now that's funny. Truth be told I don't think she knows what a blog is. Love ya Mom.
I had my 2nd ever uncontrollable asthma attack today. I had to go to the hospital and get a nebulizer mask to help things open up. When I got to the Hospital my Oxygen levels were at 89%. I really don't know if that is good or bad but when I left they were up to 100% which I can guess is good, anything 100% is good. I always feel kind of funny going into get a nebulizer treatment at the hospital. The one other time I had to go the Doctor gave me a very long lecture on how to take my inhaler properly, and had me take home a Areo Chamber. But I knew how to take it properly and it wasn't working. So today I put it off way to long. I got up to cut some cheese for lunch and it winded me. I had to call my mom at work in Nanaimo to ask if I should go. She told me to go. I didn't get a rude your dumb lesson on how to take my inhaler, I only saw the nurse and she said to come back if I needed to. Very kind.
So back to my Forum. I have had so many stretching and growing opportunities by doing this. I think I have some kind of odd Social phobia, in that I am totally scared to talk to people I hold on even the slightest pedestal. I had to ask 4 such people to present at my forum. It was fine over the email when we were not face to face but some of them called me and one even cornered me at a Christmas party and I almost peed my pants. But it is getting a bit easier, I emphasize, a bit.
Although when I was at the Salt Lake city Forum, I knew it was time for me to open up and come on out of my shell Diet Pepsi or no diet Pepsi. (which by the way it has been almost 3 weeks since my last fix) . So I took the leap and put myself down as a presenter. And the topic I choose has been very therapeutic to me. Being of good cheer wit multiple core phase children. I have many, many core phase children, at least 4 1/2. I think Hannah is in transition to love of learner. Megan is definitely in Love of learner and looks forward to her scholar phase but is only 8, but the idea of getting to read all day uninterrupted really appeals to her. I haven't told her about the daily stewardship she will be responsible for yet though. I'll leave that part until later.
I find blogging to be very therapeutic. How great it is to get to come and vent and not know who in the world is going to read it. If I happen to by chance have a tjeder who actually reads my blog which is my wish. I will post my presentation after my forum so you can read it too. But for now I suggest you check out tjed.org and read Laura Bledsoes essay called "Our Home: Motherhood in the 21 century." It is pretty good. I would post it here but it is kind of long and I haven't learned how to do clever links yet.
Well there it is I felt silly at the beginning but now I feel better, stronger, happier. I am breaking out of that shell, I am stepping out of that comfort zone. How else is one supposed to grow?

Tuesday, April 3, 2007