NEW GLASSES & LIFE LESSONS

Tyler got new glasses last month, but it wasn't time for a routine change. Due to some circumstances that led up to the need for a replacement, it was decided that he would need to pay for it out of his own spending budget. He'd recently wiped out that portion of his money, so he only had $7.00 and some change. 

He and I walked to Woodburn Vision Source one day so he could explain the situation and hear directly from the staff what the charge would be. Given the budget that we require our kids to use for most of their childhood, it would have taken him another couple months to have enough to afford the $20.00 copay. 

This created a problem.

* Tim and I were not going to cover the expense for him.

* His eyes were hurting without glasses, so he didn't want to wait very long. 

* He was not allowed to go into debt with us in order to get the glasses before he could afford them.

There was a simple solution, though. He did extra work to earn extra money.

He and I made up a pie chart, just like the ones I've used with the money I've earned for #BracesOnFaces with Silas and Devon. My pie charts dealt with percentages, while his used dollar amounts, but the concept was the same. He had a visual reminder of how much progress he'd made and how much more he had to save. 

Once his pie chart was filled up, we walked to the optometrist's office again. He signed in, waited to talk with the employee he'd met with earlier (she knew the scoop about him earning the money to cover the copay), counted out his money for her, and chose some new glasses.

Unbeknownst to me, he edited his pie chart after getting the new pair by trying to turn the 2 in $20.00 to a 0 because he no longer had anything to earn. Then, in typical W fashion, he made a silly face when I asked for a picture of him with his completed pie chart and new glasses.

He did a smiling one, too.

There were two unexpected parenting wins that came from the situation, little gestures that, in the midst of a season where I get discouraged by having to repeat the same things over and over to the little Ws, reminded me that it's not all bad just because I'm worn out.

First, Devon walked up to Tyler one day and handed him two rolled up dollar bills. That's not a huge amount, but it was a full 10% of what the copay was. Although replacing the glasses wasn't Devon's responsibility at all, he'd been part of a situation that led to the demise of the existing pair. I thought it was honorable that he voluntarily became part of the solution.

Second, Tyler was updating his pie chart one day and realized he was super close to being fully funded. Naomi, who was in another room at the time, came up and dropped $1.00 in front of him, allowing him to fill in the last slice of the pie chart. She, like Devon, had been involved in part of the problem, but wasn't responsible for it. She just wanted to support his efforts to pay for the replacement glasses. I appreciated her kindness.

So many life lessons from this ordeal.

* Taking responsibility for your choices
* Living within your means
* Doing research to get the info you need in order to make a plan
* Brainstorming solutions to problems
* Acting with integrity
* Being a humble, cheerful giver
* Being a humble, grateful recipient

I'm thankful for how it all worked out!

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for drying racks to hang laundry on. What's one thing you're thankful for?

FRIDAY NIGHT FRENZY: SUPERHERO NIGHT 2019

Our church had an event for grade school kids on Friday night. Tyler and Gabi were participants, Devon and Naomi helped out. We took a couple quick pictures before they all took off for the evening, one smiling and one silly.

DOUBLE DATE

Last night I was able to hang out with a particular friend for the first time ever. Christa and I have known each other for many years, but live in different parts of the country and had never met in person. Until last night, that is! She was in my neck of the woods, so we met up at Mike's Drive-In. 

She brought Jeff ...

 ... and I brought Tim, so it was a double date.

We spent almost three hours chatting about everything under the sun - some of the highs and lows of parenting, a couple decades of marriage, what God's teaching us these days, a variety of job situations, addressing conflict in conversations with people outside of the situation, paying off debt and saving excess money for future needs, and more. There was also quite a bit of laughing at our similarities. 

And people who suggest silly poses when we take group shots? You know the Ws like those folks!!

Grabbed one last shot before we headed our separate ways.

It was such a fun way to spend the evening!

Photo credit: The last two pictures are from Christa.

THANKFUL THURSDAY

I'm thankful for new dishes. What's one thing that you're thankful for?

SONLIGHT GUEST BLOGGER - MARCH 2019

If you're in a general homeschooling funk because of spring fever or struggling with time management in the daily grind, here are some tips I shared on Sonlight's blog in March.

3 Ways to Rejuvenate Your Homeschool as You Celebrate Spring
Salvaging Your Homeschool Day in Twenty Minute Increments

I hope you find some of those ideas to be useful!

Disclosure - I was invited to be a guest blogger with Sonlight for one year in exchange for some free curriculum. All post topics and opinions are my own. If you are a first time Sonlight customer, click this link and use referral code BW20197051 to get $5.00 off your purchase of $50.00 or more. That referral code is totally separate from my role as a guest blogger and will give me credit toward my own purchases. The referral code can also be found on the sidebar of my blog.

BOOKS I FINISHED - FEBRUARY & MARCH 2019

*****

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, written by Matthew Desmond

It's easy to make assumptions about those who are forced out of their homes, but the truth is the situation is usually far more complicated than it appears on the surface. A tenant's poor decisions usually contribute to their eviction, but the system is set up in such a way that those decisions may have been preceded by, and are definitely followed by, various factors that make it exceedingly difficult for them to get into a stable housing situation. They're set up for failure, no matter how hard they try to succeed. Desmond introduces the reader to landlords, property managers, and tenants who are in the middle of the eviction fray, showing the discrepancy between those who suffer from poverty and those who benefit from the suffering of others.

p. 69, Eviction had a way of causing not one move but two: a forced move into degrading and sometimes dangerous housing and an intentional move out of it. But the second move could be a while coming.

p. 181, (speaking of  how those living in distressed neighborhoods are more likely to help each other in practical ways than those in more affluent neighborhoods) These exchanges helped people on the receiving end meet basic material needs; and they helped those on the delivering end feel more fully human.

p. 298, Eviction does not simply drop poor families into a dark valley, a trying yet relatively brief detour on life's journey. It fundamentally redirects their way, casting them onto a different, and much more difficult, path. Eviction is a cause, not just a condition, of poverty.

p. 389, How often, I wonder, is coping mistaken for culture?


*****

Little Pear, written and illustrated by Eleanor Frances Lattimore

A spunky little boy who always finds himself in the middle of an adventure. This is a school book I read to Tyler.

*****

Mom & Me & Mom, written by Maya Angelou

Angelou spent a decade, from three to thirteen, living apart from her mom. Although their reunification was initially stressful for her, they became very close. This book is about their relationship over the years, how her tiny spitfire of a mom was a role model and her biggest supporter.

p. 135 (speaking of a time she came close to killing herself & her son, after which a friend ordered her to write down all her blessings) After that exercise, the ship of my life might or might not be sailing on calm seas. The challenging days of my existence might or might not be bright and promising. From that encounter on, whether my days are stormy or sunny and if my nights are glorious or lonely, I maintain an attitude of gratitude. If pessimism insists on occupying my thoughts, I remember there is always tomorrow. Today I am blessed.


*****

Mountain Born, written by Elizabeth Yates

Learning to be a shepherd is an opportunity for lots of life lessons as a young boy grows into a young man. This was my fourth time through this school book and the following quote is still a favorite.

p. 47, Old Benj once said, "A man must have a care to what he puts in his mind, for when he's alone on a hillside and draws it out, he'll want treasures to be his company, not regrets."


*****

The Patchwork Bride: A Novel, written by Sandra Dallas

Running away from a pending marriage, a bride-to-be spends time with her grandma, who encourages her through the story of a woman who abandons marriage three times before finally settling down.


*****

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