My Readers' Choice: 38 Posts

Today is my birthday, and I am 38 which completely blows my mind. 

Wasn't I just 29 a few days ago?  Can 20 years really have passed since my high school graduation?  And 22 years since I got my driver's license?  And a quarter of a century since I turned 13 and got braces?

I actually have a scar on my knee that is 35 years old. 

And what an interesting pre-bday week I have had!  It is a truly rare and special occasion when one nearly blinds herself and then almost gets blown away by a tornado all in one week.

You already know about the accident that had me yelling EYE Carumba!  (My husband comes up with these, folks.) 

Well, the tornadoes that ravaged the South hit our home county hard between midnight and 2 a.m. Thursday.  By morning we were on our state's disaster area list.  Public schools were closed because of extensive damage and power outages. 

We watched the Weather Channel all day Wednesday as the tornadoes and storms moved across Alabama.  As the worst was about to reach Georgia, it seemed our home was going to take a direct hit. 

We decided to go to my parents' house because it looked like the storms were going to be less severe there.  However, minutes before the worst should have hit our home, it changed direction and basically missed us.  There were strong winds and heavy rain but nothing strong enough to cause damage. 

A different front, however, later travelled directly over my parents' house, and a tornado touched down in the woods directly behind us.  It ripped the roof off a house in an adjoining neighborhood and caused two huge oak trees to fall squarely on the house next to it, completely crushing the entire house. 

Then it moved toward my parents' subdivision but lifted just before it plowed over the house next door to them.  We heard it swirl over our roof as we hid in the closet.  We thought hail was pounding the roof but later realized branches and debris being swept away by the twister were slamming into it as they flew over.

Trees in the neighbor's yard were cracked in half.  There was a huge mess to clean up, but neither my parents' house nor the one next door were damaged.  Incroyable!  I apologize for the lack of photos but using a camera was outside my range of abilities this week.  :)

I considered writing a post listing 38 things for which I am thankful in honor of my 38th birthday.  I am truly thankful for God's protection this week.  It was a difficult one, but we were spared the worst outcomes in both situations.  My heart aches for those of you who suffered substantial losses, and you are all in my prayers.

Because a very popular meme dedicated to the topic already exists, I decided against the thankfulness post.  Instead, I have decided to share the many ideas that have bounced around in my brain this week as I have been unable to do little more than talk to myself.  Each conversation turned into a blog post that I could not write. 

What is it they say about genius and insanity?!

I did manage to scribble each title down on a sheet of paper, and, coincidentally, there are 38 of them! 
In celebration of growing older, regaining my vision, restored electricity and being able to use the computer again, I took the time to decode my scribbles.  Here are 38 Posts I Will Write One Day.

*hack, hack, cough, cough* 

Drum roll, please....

1. Give your kids the best YOU can give.
2. A Gracious Teacher
3. Drawing Your Children Near
4. Delegate!  (Yes, home managers can do this, too!)
5. A Supportive Church
6. Supportive Homeschool Friends
7. Loaded Questions, Gentle Answers
8. Curricular Choices for Kids
9. Don't be kid-centric...
10. ...but don't forget you're teaching kids.
11. Homeschooling and the Gospel
12. My Homeschool Philosophy: A Peaceful Home is More Important than Methodology
13. When the enemy suggests you're not qualified to homeschool...
14. Avoiding Cabin Fever
15. Overcommitment Sucks...the life out of you and your family.
16. One Day at a Time
17. Taking Care of Mom
18. Homeschooling Essential: A Good Day Planner
19. Scheduling Your Day according to Priorities
20. Can you really perfect your kids?
21. Can you really make the world a perfect place for your kids?
22. Creating a Print-rich Environment
23. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff
24. Employ Your Strengths
25. Know Your Child(ren)'s Strengths
26. Compiling Work Samples
27. Simplifying Record Keeping
28. The grass is NOT always greener.
29. Don't take a failed lesson personally.
30. Independent Learning
31. Pour Yourself into Your Mothering and Teaching
32. Introducing Children to Different Cultures
33. Immediate Feedback
34. Real-world Experience
35. Teaching History Chronologically
36. Teaching Math Conceptually
37. Stretching Their Brains: Make Your Children Justify Their Answers
38. Essential Questions

So, what do you think?  Take a minute to vote for your favorite by leaving a comment.  I will write the winning post by... this time next year!  :)  Seriously, I will write it asap! 

Happy Birthday to me!
Dawn