Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.
At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them.
My words are: Intense~ Lovingly~ Growth spurt~ In the blink of an eye~ Bottle~ Blue
They were submitted by: http://berghamchronicles.blogspot.com
They possess a gift or two
One of them is this
They have the power to make a wish come true
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires will come to you
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do
Fate is kind
The sweet fulfillment of their secret longing
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires will come to you
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do
Fate is kind
The sweet fulfillment of their secret longing
Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true
In the blink of an eye, this little munchkin is now halfway thru his 11th year, moving on up to 6th grade! Where did the time go!?!?!
It’s been a very intense year, full of highs and lows, ups and downs. Enough to make a girl wanna turn to the bottle!
I feel like every time I turn around, man-child has experienced another growth spurt. Pajamas, jeans, shirts I swear I just purchased, already too small. I can’t keep up. He’s my baby and I want to hold on to every precious moment because I know all too soon he’ll be fleeing the coop, leaving my little nest empty.
As many of you know, we made the decision to homeschool man-child in January, after much prayer and thought. I’m a big fan of public school and I have a fierce admiration for teachers. Our decision wasn’t based on any perceived failure of his school. Our decision wasn’t religious in nature either. It was a decision based upon the perfect storm of many factors. It was a scary leap. I’ve learned so much over the last few months, and it’s been such a rewarding experience and journey. My son and I have never been closer. I’ve watched him bloom, grow in ways I never imagined. There is no better feeling than the moment when you watch a child begin to believe in themselves, comprehend their own potential and learn the benefits of hard work and perseverance. It was unbelievably heartbreaking to know that our son didn’t believe he was smart, no matter how many times we tried to convince him otherwise.
The hardest part about our homeschool journey thus far is learning when to shut up. I want so bad to always jump in and answer for him or help him navigate a problem. Teaching myself to stop, let him figure things out on his own, let him be wrong, has been achingly difficult. The growth I’ve seen in him on every level in these few short months has validated every agonizing decision that led us here, to this place. I’m just so unbelievably proud of him. The most important aspect of our journey has been watching him bloom under his own confidence, witnessing how proud he is of himself, and watching him discover the excitement and joy to be found in the act of learning.
We’ve learned so much about each other. He’s learned that mommy is a terrible loser. I’m not sure this was really a big secret, but I don’t think he’s every witnessed it firsthand. They play this game in some of his classes called Kahoot. It’s an app they log in and answer questions based on the subject material they’ve learned that day. They are awarded points for every correct answer based on time. So the quicker they answer correctly, the more points they are awarded. Unfortunately, man-child witnessed some mommy meltdowns during some tough losses. At one point, he pats me on the hand, gives me a hug and says “mom, it’s just a game.”
“It’s NOT a game! IT’s LIFE!!!!!” I yell…screaming very unkind things about the other 11 year old’s playing.
Yeah, not one of my finer moments. But there it is. Perfect I’ve never claimed to be.
The homeschool we chose is still part of the public education system, so passing the STAAR test still needed to happen to progress to 6th grade. Waiting to get his scores back was definitely torture. It was difficult to balance being positive about the outcome and realistic. I wasn’t sure the few months we had together in this homeschool one on one environment would be enough. I knew he had progressed leaps and bounds in those few short months, but was it enough? I was terrified that if he didn’t pass, it would unravel all the confidence and growth we had witnessed over the past few weeks. I clumsily navigated that tightrope of realistic expectation versus hopeful anticipation. I wanted to prepare him for the worst possible outcome while at the same time lovingly encouraging him to believe in himself and the hard work and effort he had put forth regardless of what might happen.
So it was with bated breath we waited…
So proud of this boy and can’t wait to see what the next year will bring!
Thanks to everyone who has prayed for us, cheered us on, encouraged and supported us, we couldn’t do it without you ❤
Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:
Baking In A Tornado http://www.bakinginatornado.com
Spatulas on Parade http://spatulasonparade.blogspot.com/
The Blogging 911 http://theblogging911.com
On the Border http://dlt-lifeontheranch.blogspot.com/
The Bergham Chronicles http://berghamchronicles.blogspot.com
Southern Belle Charm http://www.southernbellecharm.com
Part-time Working Hockey Mom http://thethreegerbers.blogspot.ch
The Global Dig http://theglobaldig.blogspot.com
Climaxed http://climaxedtheblog.blogspot.com
mybrainonkids.wordpress.com 