Keeping It Real
Lest you think that my home is all smiles and giggles, and homeschooling a breeze, let me just share a tiny snippet of today's math lesson with Noah:
Well, first let me set the scene for you: Eden is walking around crying about something. Josiah is playing computer games but yelling from the other room that he needs help. Caleb is doing work at his desk but always feels the need to make an announcement each time he completes a task. And I am sitting with Noah trying to teach him about money.
Me: (showing Noah a penny) What is this?
Noah: A penny!
Me: Great! How much is it?
Noah: 1 cents
Me: Great. (Showing Noah a nickle) What is this?
N: A nickle
M: Awesome! How much is it?
N: Umm...... 5 cents?
M: Yes! Great job! (showing Noah a dime) What is this?
N: Umm..... a dime?
M: Yep! And how much is it?
N: (looooooong pause.... looks around the room) 10 cents?
M: Yes! Ok, now let's review them again. (showing penny) What is this? How much is it?
N: A penny! 1 cent!
M: Yes! (showing a nickel) And this one?
N: Ummm... a quarter?
M: No, Noah we don't have any quarters. What is this?
N: A dime?
M: No, Noah, this is a nickle. Stop looking around the room. Look right at this coin. Are you looking at it?
N: I'm looking at it.
M: This is a nickle. Say "nickle"
N: nickle
M: nickle
N: nickle
M: This is a nickle.
N: Nickle
M: It is 5 cents. Nickle, 5 cents. Say that.
N: Nickle 5 cents
M: Good. Ok lets start again. (showing penny) What is this? How much?
N: A penny! One cent!
M: Yes. Ok (showing nickle) What is this? How much?
N: A quarter?
M: (palm on forehead!) No, Noah. What is this?
N: dime?
M: This is nickle. Say nickle.
N: nickle
M: nickle
N: nickle
M: nickle, 5 cents
N: nickle, 5 cents
M: Ok.(back to the penny) What is this? How much?
N: A penny! 1 cent!
M: Yes. Now what is this (showing nickle)?
N: Umm..... a dime? No. Ummm.... a quarter? I forgot.
M: A nickle. Say nickle.
N: nickle
M: A nickle. 5 cents.
N: A nickle. 5 cents.
(we seriously had the above conversation over and over for about 15 minutes)
M: What is this (penny)? How much?
N: A penny! 1 cent!
M: (showing nickle, praying that he gets it this time, trying not to lose my mind) What is this?
N: Umm.....(very long pause, looks around the room) a nickle???
M: YES!! How much is it?
N: Umm.... 10 cents?
Some days are easy. Most days are hard. Some days I wonder why I am subjecting myself to this. Some days I can't understand why every mom doesn't do this because it is so great. It's why I love grace. It's why I need grace. I cannot, repeat cannot, do this job. I am a huge failure. I am broken down. Confused. Exasperated. Frustrated. Unprepared. But God is good. His mercy is new every morning to erase my mistakes. And He lavishes me with such grace- undeserved favor. I certainly have done nothing today to merit my kids' love, acceptance, affection. I've been short, frustrated, not understanding, impatient. But they have still smiled, and hugged, and laughed and that is all so undeserved. Our pastor said this week that God will never go bankrupt giving out His grace. Thank goodness. Because I am convinced that He has to give me a lot more than the rest of you.
Days like today make me thankful for friends, and hot coffee, and girl dates to Starbucks after kids are asleep and husbands who allow us the chance to do that. Counting down the hours, even as I count the gifts. Oh, and I cannot guarantee, in fact, I am not even going to state with any kind of certainty that if you run into Noah this week and show him a nickle he won't tell you it's a quarter.
Well, first let me set the scene for you: Eden is walking around crying about something. Josiah is playing computer games but yelling from the other room that he needs help. Caleb is doing work at his desk but always feels the need to make an announcement each time he completes a task. And I am sitting with Noah trying to teach him about money.
Me: (showing Noah a penny) What is this?
Noah: A penny!
Me: Great! How much is it?
Noah: 1 cents
Me: Great. (Showing Noah a nickle) What is this?
N: A nickle
M: Awesome! How much is it?
N: Umm...... 5 cents?
M: Yes! Great job! (showing Noah a dime) What is this?
N: Umm..... a dime?
M: Yep! And how much is it?
N: (looooooong pause.... looks around the room) 10 cents?
M: Yes! Ok, now let's review them again. (showing penny) What is this? How much is it?
N: A penny! 1 cent!
M: Yes! (showing a nickel) And this one?
N: Ummm... a quarter?
M: No, Noah we don't have any quarters. What is this?
N: A dime?
M: No, Noah, this is a nickle. Stop looking around the room. Look right at this coin. Are you looking at it?
N: I'm looking at it.
M: This is a nickle. Say "nickle"
N: nickle
M: nickle
N: nickle
M: This is a nickle.
N: Nickle
M: It is 5 cents. Nickle, 5 cents. Say that.
N: Nickle 5 cents
M: Good. Ok lets start again. (showing penny) What is this? How much?
N: A penny! One cent!
M: Yes. Ok (showing nickle) What is this? How much?
N: A quarter?
M: (palm on forehead!) No, Noah. What is this?
N: dime?
M: This is nickle. Say nickle.
N: nickle
M: nickle
N: nickle
M: nickle, 5 cents
N: nickle, 5 cents
M: Ok.(back to the penny) What is this? How much?
N: A penny! 1 cent!
M: Yes. Now what is this (showing nickle)?
N: Umm..... a dime? No. Ummm.... a quarter? I forgot.
M: A nickle. Say nickle.
N: nickle
M: A nickle. 5 cents.
N: A nickle. 5 cents.
(we seriously had the above conversation over and over for about 15 minutes)
M: What is this (penny)? How much?
N: A penny! 1 cent!
M: (showing nickle, praying that he gets it this time, trying not to lose my mind) What is this?
N: Umm.....(very long pause, looks around the room) a nickle???
M: YES!! How much is it?
N: Umm.... 10 cents?
Some days are easy. Most days are hard. Some days I wonder why I am subjecting myself to this. Some days I can't understand why every mom doesn't do this because it is so great. It's why I love grace. It's why I need grace. I cannot, repeat cannot, do this job. I am a huge failure. I am broken down. Confused. Exasperated. Frustrated. Unprepared. But God is good. His mercy is new every morning to erase my mistakes. And He lavishes me with such grace- undeserved favor. I certainly have done nothing today to merit my kids' love, acceptance, affection. I've been short, frustrated, not understanding, impatient. But they have still smiled, and hugged, and laughed and that is all so undeserved. Our pastor said this week that God will never go bankrupt giving out His grace. Thank goodness. Because I am convinced that He has to give me a lot more than the rest of you.
Days like today make me thankful for friends, and hot coffee, and girl dates to Starbucks after kids are asleep and husbands who allow us the chance to do that. Counting down the hours, even as I count the gifts. Oh, and I cannot guarantee, in fact, I am not even going to state with any kind of certainty that if you run into Noah this week and show him a nickle he won't tell you it's a quarter.
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