I gave thanks for my daughter’s upcoming birthday in church yesterday during our congregational prayer time. Everyone in the congregation applauded. I was sitting in the choir pews on the platform. My daughter was sitting in front of me. With our former pastor’s daughter gone, my daughter is often the youngest person in the congregationContinue reading “The Cloud”
Category Archives: Education
Into the Labyrinth
Today, my daughter entered the labyrinthine world of Dairy Cow Showing, but she wasn’t entering alone. My wife has blazed a trail for her. So significant is dairy showmanship to my wife’s identity that Alex Trebek asked her about it on Jeopardy in the show’s obligatory get-to-know-the-contestant segment. A cloud of family witnesses surrounded myContinue reading “Into the Labyrinth”
Back to School
My daughter is back at school. Give thanks. Send up prayers. We were away for the four days leading up to the semester, which meant no parent/teacher conferences. All that we knew was that my daughter’s best friend from kindergarten would not be in her class. I feared the early morning battles, the struggle toContinue reading “Back to School”
Summer Dispatch 5 – Literary Heroes
My daughter finished the third book of the Harry Potter series, The Prisoner of Azkaban, yesterday, and she proceeded to start it all over again. In a way that hasn’t been true with the first two books, my daughter has started identifying with Hermione Grainger. I gotta tell you, it’s a great thing to see.Continue reading “Summer Dispatch 5 – Literary Heroes”
Summer Dispatch 4: Art Camp
Last year, my daughter attended a three-week day camp I held at our church. She was the youngest kid in the crew, but it was small and she got on well enough. Her dad was there the entire time, after all! This year, we signed her up for a one-week art camp in a nearbyContinue reading “Summer Dispatch 4: Art Camp”
Summer Dispatch 3: Toys
My daughter’s a mom. For some time now, she’s been calling her favorite stuffed bear her daughter. This summer, she’s taken the conceit to another level. Tuesday, she held a birthday party for her daughter. This included party guests, cake, wrapped up presents (with cards…and gifts from grandpa and grandma), and many other party-related ephemera.Continue reading “Summer Dispatch 3: Toys”
Summer Dispatch 2 – Audiobooks
My daughter had just finished her fourth audiobook the last time I posted. It is now July 7, and her tally just keeps growing. The two longest books she’s listened to are the first two volumes in the Harry Potter series: Sorcerer’s Stone and Chamber of Secrets. Both are nearly ten hours in the JimContinue reading “Summer Dispatch 2 – Audiobooks”
Summer Dispatcch 1: The Movies
I tried to take my daughter to the movies this summer. Twice I failed. Yesterday, I succeeded. It’s getting hot here in South Carolina, so daytime romps at the local parks don’t make much sense. We’ve been wearing the local libraries out. A $2 showing of Space Jam on Tuesday was just what the summerContinue reading “Summer Dispatcch 1: The Movies”
Book Reviews
My daughter completed her fourth audiobook today, Madeline L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time. I took the opportunity to ask her to summarize and review each of the four audiobooks she’s completed. Here they are. Saving Winslow Summary: A boy saves a donkey. Review: It was a good book. I liked the donkey, Winslow, especially hisContinue reading “Book Reviews”
Graduation
My daughter graduated from kindergarten today. She and roughly 100 other kindergarteners shared what they learned in five areas this morning. She had the privilege of introducing her unit, a parade of animals. This afternoon, she brought home a couple of certificates and what functions as a kindergarten report card. Her certificates praise her readingContinue reading “Graduation”
Learning Together 