The Finn Family: Faith Tutorial

Ah well, once again I have missed several months of updates, and it would take multiple lengthy blogposts to truly catch up. Instead, let's hit some highlights and lowlights of the past few months, shall we?

Highlights:

Hamilton, the musical: I had heard about it, but had not listened much to it. It kept reappearing in my Facebook feed, and then I saw the cast performance on the Grammys. And then Nathan started listening to it on Spotify. And then on our way home from Memphis one night we downloaded the soundtrack and, well, the rest is history. It is fabulous, fun and even a bit educational! Give it a listen, you won't be disappointed. And if someone would like to buy me tickets to see Hamilton on Broadway, I would not turn them down.

Memphis, the city: For our 15th wedding anniversary we took a trip to Memphis. Honestly, it took a long time to get to the place where Memphis was "okay" for a big anniversary trip. What I really wanted was a trip overseas, but our time, money and resources are not lining up for that trip to happen any time soon, if ever. Instead of some elaborate exotic getaway, we spent three days exploring the fabulous city of Memphis--and it's only an hour away! Because N and I didn't fly anywhere, we spent more time "on the ground", eating really well, and splurging even on a night at the Peabody Hotel. It was delightful, and even better-- it's close enough for us to visit again and again.

Georgia, the big: This spring, Georgia has taken up violin lessons AND has started her first stage of braces. She loves the violin and is taking to it very quickly. To my utter amazement and pride, she performed in her first recital just two months after beginning lessons, and was even the first person to play. She has a natural confidence and ease that is a joy to see develop. Georgia also started her first phase of braces, and she has been so excited and proud of that. Instead of seeing them as an obstacle, she is embracing them.

Baxter, the brilliant: Baxter struggled a little bit at the beginning of our time at Faith Tutorial this year, pushing his boundaries and testing the teacher multiple times a week. To be blunt--and this does not excuse his disobedience--he was bored with a lot of the work. Change occurred with him in two major ways. We shifted our focus more from punishing his acting out to praising his good behavior, and I began working with his review work more directly. That second part shows my inexperience as a teacher:-), but I didn't review with him much early in the year because he knew EVERYTHING. Once I started reviewing even the stuff he "already knew", Baxter began acing all of his phonics quizzes and little tests, and that changed everything. He loved to brag on his scores of 100, and it bugged him if he didn't make it. Baxter's a competitive boy, and once he knew what was within his grasp, he went after it like a champ.

Eleanor, the reader: That Eleanor is five years old now, and wants to read like her siblings. We have been slowly working through Hooked on Phonics (just like I did with her siblings!), and she is catching on very quickly. Stop the clocks, people. I need my girl to stay little.

Fuller, the superhero: Fuller turned three in April and his birthday was filled with superhero surprises. Hulk is still his absolute favorite, so when his Aunt Ruth sent him a Fuller-sized stuffed Hulk and an Avengers sleeping bag, his life was made. He has been sleeping with both ever since! (I had to insist on removing the sleeping bag, because it was making his bed so hot). Next up for this guy: potty-training. Pray for us.

Gallbladder, the saga: Nathan had his gallbladder removed in April. The surgery went very smoothly, his recovery was easy, and he has felt marked improvement ever since. However....

Lowlights

Gallbladder, the saga: Before we knew that Nathan had gallbladder issues, he spent several months battling severe pain, indigestion, stomach discomfort and many other symptoms. Praise the Lord, the doctor listened to Nathan's complaints and quickly scheduled tests to determine the root of the problem, but he still spent weeks in pain. It was a physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining time for everyone in the family. I am thrilled to be on the 'other side' of this story, and I pray our time in those trenches of regular, severe pain give us more sympathy and empathy for those with chronic pain, illness and disease.

Cancer, the killer: We lost two friends to cancer this spring. Both were women who loved Jesus, who now see Him face to face and worship at His feet and feel no more pain and suffering. But these women leave behind husbands and children who love and miss them, and friends who ache and struggle. It's hard. There is more that I could write, but suffice it to say: we long for a better world, one without disease and illness, death and brokenness, pain and suffering. Maranatha.

There is so much more I could say and write, but perhaps if I leave that off I will actually write another blog post. Ha! Thanks for reading, and feel free to comment about your spring highlights (or lowlights too).

It's Back to School time in the Finn house!

This year, we are doing school a little bit differently.

The two big kids are enrolled in Faith Tutorial here in Jackson.

They will attend the tutorial on Tuesday and Thursday mornings,

and will cover English, Science, Art, and Math (for G).

They will have homework/assignments for the days they aren't in class.

I will still cover history, spelling, and other subjects at home.

Since they are now going to school (even in a reduced manner), the kids needed backpacks.

After reviewing a very professional poll (I asked Facebook:-),

I ordered L.L. Bean Deluxe backpacks--and to say Georgia and Baxter were excited was an understatement!! They were thrilled, and I am excited about quality backpacks

that should grow with them over time.