It is beneficial for each and every one of us…

regardless of what calling in life we practice…

to rest, rejuvenate, recharge.

For those of us practicing Leadership Education…

the opportunity to do these things is fast approaching!

The Fifth Annual Thomas Jefferson Education Forum (FATJEF)…

in Southern California is scheduled for Saturday, March 3, 2012…

at the Goldy S. Lewis Community Center…

11200 Baseline Road, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739.

Dr. Shanon Brooks will be speaking as keynote to the youth…

and Dan Ralphs will be running that youth session for the day.

Dr. Brooks will then be presenting a “Classic” track of Thomas Jefferson Principles.

I could listen to him teach organic TJEd all day long.

Oh, that’s right…

he will be!

Catherine Down will present Latin…

C. Darren Butler is going to get “down and dirty”…

teaching principles of gardening…

Dr. Erik Lundquist will speak on mind development…

and Andrew Pudewa, of Institute in Excellence for Writing…

will be our keynote speaker…

to name a few!

There will also be a Q & A panel discussion led by Shawn Crane.

Speakers will have products for sale…

and other vendors will be in attendance.

The cost is $55 per adult or $90 for a couple (same family) and includes lunch.

The cost for the youth conference is $35 and includes lunch.
You can mail your completed registration form and a check to:

Deena Ortiz
13727 Smokestone Street
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739

Feel free to call her with any questions at 909-899-9869…

or to email her at deena.ortiz@gmail.com .

I invite you to go to FATJEF.com…

for further information…

and regular updates.

Deena Ortiz…

founder…

organizer…

and TJEd visionary…

is generously offering…

to give away one seat to this conference…

here on TommyMom!

To enter…

simply leave me a comment…

as to why you would like to attend…

why you are attending…

what you hope to get from this conference…

or just to say “hi!”

Winner will be announced next Friday, February 3rd!

I not only hope you win…

but look forward to seeing you there!

who is consistently…

a selfless servant to countless individuals…

an incredibly hard worker…

faithful friend…

brother…

son…

father…

leader…

and husband?

Today…

Happy Birthday…

would be appropriate!

 XO,

Why Monticello College?

“Monticello College promotes the vital principles of leadership that are needed to help restore a culture of freedom and prosperity in the 21st Century. We need a revolution of truly excellent Jefferson-style education in America, and Monticello College is greatly helping blaze this trail.”   – Oliver DeMille

Josiah Bunting, in his book, An Education for Our Time, states, “The things our country requires are simply not the things our colleges are prepared to deliver.”

Why Monticello College? Because we are prepared to deliver the things our country requires.

Monticello College Information Webinar
Join us for a Webinar on January 19, 7:25pm MT

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now

We understand that this type of education and environment are not for everyone, but if this intrigues you, join us and after 30 minutes you will know all you need to pursue Monticello College or not.

Title:    Monticello College Information Webinar  
Date:    Thursday, January 19, 2012
Time:    7:25 PM – 8:30 PM MST

After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream, 1963

“Nonviolence means avoiding not only external physical violence but also internal violence of spirit. You not only refuse to shoot a man, but you refuse to hate him.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.

“A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

“The function of education, therefore, is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. But education which stops with efficiency may prove the greatest menace to society. The most dangerous criminal may be the man gifted with reason, but with no morals.”
Martin Luther King, Jr., The Purpose of Education

In a day and age…

when motherhood is often characterized…

by the world at large…

as a makeshift career…

a lack-lustre profession…

a “waste of your real time”…

I simply love…

that there are mothers…

(with fathers strongly behind them)…

who will trade personal status…

career accolades…

and personal validation…

for daily trenches….

endless messes…

and often immeasurable progress.

Instead…

they will arm themselves with courage…

faith…

a huge measure of tenacity…

in the face of well-meaning…

eyebrow-raising individuals…

some of whom are both family and friends…

in order to build precept upon precept…

and line upon line…

trusting that the processes…

keys and phases…

of Leadership Education work.

Because in the end…

while they come to book group…

possibly sleep and sustenance deprived…

they humble themselves to do the work…

believing all the while…

that this process works.

The reality being…

that future George Washingtons…

Lincolns…

Einsteins…

and the like…

are being cultivated…

nourished…

inspired and mentored…

by the individuals…

who in reality rule the world…

because they rock the cradle.

Mothers…

(and supportive, helpful, faithful fathers)…

I simply LOVE you!

]]> http://www.tommymom.com/simply-love-12460/feed 3 http://www.tommymom.com/221-happy-happy-birthday-12081 http://www.tommymom.com/221-happy-happy-birthday-12081#comments Mon, 19 Dec 2011 11:00:09 +0000 Teri http://www.tommymom.com/?p=12081 Being born in the month of December…

has both pluses and minuses.

I suppose every month of the year…

has its birthday drawbacks.

While in my teens…

I emphatically declared…

to my poor mother…

that I would never give birth to a child…

in the month of December.

I kept my word…

and gave birth during this month twice!

On December 18, 1990…

this incredible gift…

entered our lives.

Yes, you are reading that weight…

correctly!

This kid was the size…

of a two-month-old at birth!

Carrying and birthing him…

taught me a lot about digging diligently..

for the truth.

Three doctors recommended…

that I terminate my pregnancy…

for medical reasons.

The fourth…

an elderly gentleman…

the voice of reason…

and an admirer of my tenacity…

to stand firm in my convictions…

had me read the finer print…

in a medical publication.

“Never give in to hysteria and the masses.”

Excellent advice.

You, Son #2…

are the glue that “holds this gig together.”

Built like Frosty the Snowman at birth…

you grew into what people referred to time and again…

as the Michelin Tire baby!

A sunny disposition and “Doris Day” outlook throughout childhood…

certainly helped to balance out these two individuals!

Much of the time…

it still does!

You possess a fierce loyalty to both family…

and friends.

Your community service…

is both stellar and inspiring.

The passion and love that you have for “The Bard”…

and how you share it with others…

makes it seem simple, rather than “hard.”

Your sense of humor is impeccable…

your laugh contagious…

and your ability to celebrate life inspiring.

The commitment you have…

to the tenets of our faith is most effective.

You have been recognized on a national level…

for possessing biblical knowledge.

But…

where it matters most…

in the day to day practice…

of both demonstrating and living those tenets…

you are an incredibly faithful…

and self disciplined young man.

Most recently…

in the passing of your Uncle Tim…

I was the beneficiary of that faith.

Personally devastated…

I lay on my bed one evening.

You quietly came in…

laid down next to me…

and began to describe…

in detail…

with wit…

and a flawless impersonation of my brother…

what you imagined him doing in heaven.

Once you had me laughing…

you leveled your gaze at me….

and very lovingly said…

“Mom, no matter how much I miss him…

I could never wish him back…

from what he’s currently experiencing.

We’ll see him again.”

I shall never forget that.

In this…

the beginning of your 21st year of life…

let me be clear in stating…

that your dad and I…

are the winners.

We have had the distinct privilege…

of being your parents.

You were a gift to us 21 years ago.

Today…

you bestow the gift of yourself…

to so very many…

in a hurting world.

We love you, Preston!

Happy, Happy Birthday!

XO,

Madre

I started TommyMom because my friend Sherra…

along with some other individuals…

felt that I had something to say.

Some of “those other individuals”…

thought that it would be beneficial…

to share insights…

stories…

and adventures…

in educating and raising these punks stellar young men.

With a lot of coaxing, encouragement, and behind-the-scenes support…

I hit the “publish” button on that fateful day…

and sat back and sweat!

I don’t recollect entirely…

what I was expecting.

I do remember…

that my brother, Tim…

called me almost the minute…

my post hit cyberspace…

to both encourage me…

and offer me pointers.

My dear friend, Maggie Croudy…

left a comment…

a few days later.

I felt as if the floodgates had opened!

Fast forward to this past Tuesday.

I paraphrase here slightly…

but I received a message…

from a lovely cyberspace friend…

that said, “Psst…

are you aware that TommyMom…

has been nominated for…

The Seventh Annual Homeschool Blog Awards?!”

I was floored.

Not only was I unaware…

but the voting has been under way for roughly two weeks!

Today…

I have had a couple of people ask how they could cast a vote.

You can click on the word vote in red on this post…

and it will take you to the link.

The voting ends today!

Yes, I have confessed…

many times…

that no one from Apple or Microsoft will be phoning me soon.

Here is what I really, really, want to convey.

I am humbled and feel incredibly blessed…

to have even been nominated!

The opportunities that being TommyMom…

has afforded both me and my family…

are rich and amazing!

My boys got a PR “gig”…

with LifeStream…

as the result of a post!

Son #2…

had hundreds of people and many of you…

turn out to support baby Samuel’s blood drive…

as the result of posts.

Along the way…

I brought my brother Tim into the mix…

and you all grew to love and respect his contributions here…

and most recently…

have genuinely grieved with me and loved me…

with the news of his death.

You have been enriched through the fantastic mentoring…

of Dr. Shanon Brooks…

have gotten to know one another better…

attended The Thomas Jefferson Education Forum…

here in Southern California…

and learned to celebrate Leadership Education…

whenever and wherever it shows up!

We have laughed until we’ve cried…

shared in the comments…

and celebrated this crazy journey called life.

I have grown to love you so very much…

and appreciate the incredible diversity displayed…

and celebrated through this readership.

I received a gracious invitation from Sue Gallagher…

and Meghan Tucker, founders of Hip Homeschool Moms…

to be on their team of Mom moderators and contributors.

And there are other exciting things currently in the works…

for the blog and its readership!

I am one blessed individual.

Thank you.

I mean that with all of my heart.

So…

if you have a moment…

and are desiring to vote…

know these things:

1.  There are hundreds of tremendous blogs and people behind them…

that benefit so very many things.  Build your community by reading and contributing.

Blogging is work.  It’s fun work, but it’s work.

2.  That TommyMom, is in category 19…

which is “Best Homeschool Methods Blog.”

Again…

I’m so very humbled.

I even love the category…

because I do believe in this method…

with every fiber of my being.

It’s part of why I do what I do.

You all are the other part.

I’d be honored for you to vote.

Take a look at some of the other nominees…

and categories as well, will you?

In honor of this honor…

I am going to give away…

a copy of “A Thomas Jefferson Education”…

next Monday…

to one lucky reader who leaves a comment.

Because someone asked me about the book recently…

and I think it’s always wise…

to remember “from whence one came.”

You guys rock!,

Here are some of the things I’ve learned in my own journey…

Sometimes…

even at a very young age…

unfortunate things happen…

to set a course of events in motion…

and that many times, those events…

take root in the form of attitudes that grab a hold of a heart and run deep.

That even when accomplishments can appear to look good on the outside…

they can partner with those events and feed those attitudes, that in turn, produce actions.

And when the improper mentors are in place…

you have a recipe for often toxic and dangerous feelings and emotions.

Justified long enough…

they give way to heart issues…

that in the end…

serve no one well.

I’ve learned that this…

can happen to anyone…

anywhere…

and at any time.

A watchful, caring parent-mentor…

takes stock in the situation…

even if they have made errors…

and often has to make more than one painful decision…

when finding a new mentor.

Once this occurs…

the mentor takes stock of the situation as well…

realizing that all of this didn’t happen over night…

and digs in to build relationship.

Because in the end…

relationships that are solid…

healthy…

and laden with trust…

trump all.

The partnership…

working long and hard…

accomplishes the goal…

which in the end…

produces even greater character and integrity…

because of the journey traveled.

I also know…

that truly great mentors…

possess phenomenal ones of their own.

That success comes to those who are willing to work hard…

and practice selfless dedication…

coupled with leadership that serves the greater good of the group.

That diversity within the group…

be it age…

walk of life…

or other factors…

when recognized and embraced properly

produces a broader worldview…

greater balance…

and the ability to see the whole from a wider spectrum.

That being in an elite group of individuals is a good thing…

when that group represents back-breaking work…

unwavering dedication…

and endless devotion.

And…

in the end…

it really is all enhanced by family…

where seeds of greatness should and can…

be nourished to both start and flourish.

And in the end…

that group will forever and always have your back…

which is a reason to dance and sing.

Sort of.

(Because that was required, not inspired!)

But…

if you’re really really fortunate…

that group includes your older brothers.

Because your friends may come and go…

but they will always be there.

Along with the rest of the black belts!

Congratulations, Son #3!

We couldn’t be more humbled by your tremendous drive…

tenacious perseverance…

and incredible accomplishment!

The fight was definitely worth it.

And so is the decision to pursue Leadership Education…

and its principles…

for life!

Today is the actual observance of Constitution Day.

I took the above definition…

from the website.

It really is mind-boggling…

to consider…

all that went into the discussion…

drafting, and creating…

of our Constitution.

The sacrifices that ensued…

were not only sobering…

but also reinforced…

and continue to reinforce…

that freedom isn’t ever free.

In honor of this day…

and because I love my TommyMom readers…

I have an incredible giveaway!

I want you to meet two very special people…

who are the creators of an awesome game.

Son #1 and I…

had the privilege of going to their home…

to try it out.

Pam Barret is passionate about Constitution Quest…

which she and her husband, Dave, spent years developing.

In fact…

they lived with color-coded Post-It Notes…

all over their bedroom wall…

as they wrote…

re-wrote…

edited…

and discussed.

They had test groups…

of friends and families…

who played…

offered opinions…

and gave feedback.

The day we visited…

Pam became more and more excited…

with every roll of the dice!

Her enthusiasm is contagious.

Dave is more the steady, soft-spoken…

voice of logic and reason…

but they are both simply delightful.

And smart.

Check out this hometown write-up…

to see for yourself.

Both Pam and Dave…

have been devoted and dedicated educators…

their entire adult lives.

I was inspired just visiting with them!

The game was carefully designed…

to include a graphic organizer…

that has helped students pass AP exams…

individuals seeking citizenship…

classrooms discuss and study together…

the list is pretty much endless.

The Barret’s relied on Bloom’s taxonomy…

hoping that one of the goals in game play…

will be to analyze metacognitive thinking…

expressing publicly what players…

are reasoning and analyzing…

in their questions.

Sound heady?

Looking for Alex Trebeck?

Here was our family experience…

I set up the board…

and stated announced excitedly…

that we were going to play.

Sons #2-#5…

ran.

Mostly the other direction…

but there were preconceived notions.

Hey…

I even rounded up my folks.

Here’s the box…

along with my personal stash…

which I can already tell you isn’t enough!

Set up was fun.

You have cards color coded…

which coincide with the space colors on the board.

No photo can do justice to the richness of this game.

It’s beautiful.

Enclosed…

are a copy of The Constitution…

the Rules of Play…

and an Answer Key.

You also receive a Score Pad…

complete with engraved pencil.

Classy.

When you get to the end of your pad…

I’m assuming you would do…

what you do with every other score-pad-game!

Run some more off!

There are two columns on every page…

so you get a lot of play out of one paper.

The pieces fluctuate.

You receive 4 stands…

and “flat” framers and founders.

After choosing your piece…

you slide it in the stand.

This is far more important…

to some of us than others.

I chose Charles Pinkney.

Charles is the new love-of-my-life…

because he was a very sharp dresser.

It is clearly evidenced in the above photo.

The depth of my priorities and character…

are clearly showing.

I think he is a Nordstrom ancestor.

Moving along…

there are prolific individuals…

as well as virtual unknowns…

amongst the piece choices.

This was also intentional.

The Barrets hope to incite curiosity…

that will result in research on the part of individuals playing…

where these framers are concerned.

With the current sales being at 900 games…

they are already witnessing this goal…

along with other creative ventures.

Their hope is Constitutional Literacy.

From the first roll of the dice…

we were honestly hooked!

Son #5…

finally felt vindicated in birth order…

because he was in charge of the answer key…

as well as being a team player with me.

My mom and Son #3 were a pair…

in more ways than one.

Son #2 went forth alone.

And was leading in points…

for most of the game.

Son #4 and my dad…

were a duo.

My dad is a rather daunting presence…

but was honestly stumped more than once.

You have the three branches of government…

and a Facts and Founders category…

from which to choose questions.

There are also spaces entitled Quest.

Watch out for these!

The questions are True/False…

and involve double points…

both plus and minus…

depending on whether or not…

your answer is correct!

It killed me and Son #5.

He was still solid as a rock…

because he had the Answer Key…

except when it was our turn!

An additional 10 points…

for getting around the board first…

was a deal breaker…

allowing my mom and Son #3…

the unexpected win!

You simply can’t predict!

Game play lasts 30-40 minutes…

depending on length of discussion.

We can’t wait to play again…

and are looking to do so at least once a week!

Joseph Andrews said that the acquisition of knowledge…

is much like hiking.

A lake looks pure…

but since it is a lower water source…

is it safe to drink?

As you journey higher and higher…

in your hike…

the source becomes more and more pure.

The Founders learned through…

Research, Reasoning, Relating, and Recording.

We need to pursue the purest possible information.

Studying the writers and framers…

along with The Constitution…

and The Federalist Papers…

will help us drink from pure sources.

In honor of Constitution Day…

and the upcoming week of celebratory activities…

and thanks to the Barrets…

I am giving away one of these games!

Read the following…

in order to know how to obtain entries.

I hope you win!

Come back and post for each entry in the comments section in order to obtain credit.

1. Subscribe to TommyMom via e-mail or RSS feed here.

2. Like TommyMom on Facebook here.

3. Tweet about this giveaway including @TommyMom5 ConstitutionQuest game.

4.  Like Constitution Quest on Facebook here.

Disclaimer: While I purchased my own game, I was given one to give away here on TommyMom.  Nevertheless, all opinions expressed are entirely my own.  Giveaway is for residents of the United States only.  The Constitution Quest may be seen and purchased at both the  Nixon Library in Yorba Linda, California, as well as at Montpelier, the home of James Madison, in Orange County, Virginia.

A winner will be chosen next Thursday evening at 9:00 p.m. PST. Announcement will be made here on TommyMom next Friday.

This giveaway is linked to the Hip Homeschool Moms Giveaway Day.

It’s hard to believe that 10 years ago we were a different country.

People could go to the gate to see loved ones off on a trip…

you could put a bottle of shampoo in your carry on bag…

and when the power went out in a large section of Southern California (as it did this week)…

no one had to announce that it was NOT an attack of some sort.

Yes, we definitely behave differently because of the 9/11 event that happened 10 years ago today.

I’ve always believed you can tell a lot about a person by how they choose to remember things.

I am accused frequently of being an optimist.

One of my favorite T-shirts of all time was worn no doubt by a pessimist, and it read, “Optimists are half full of it”.

There is humor and truth in that statement!

It seems there are 3 ways that memory can be applied when it comes to times of crisis.

One way is to look back with REGRET…

remembering the horrific events that caused, panic, death, destruction, and anger.

Another perspective would be to reflect on the PERSONAL impact of such events.

Dwelling on how an event affected someone individually is not uncommon…

and often people like to recant where they were, what they felt…

and how influenced their own lives were during times of stress and fear.

There is a third way to revisit crisis and change…

that is much more productive and conducive to growth and connection…

between people, teams, and organizations.

Out of most crises come two things: HEROES and HEALING.

There will no doubt be many specials over the next week…

that focus on the planes crashing into the towers…

people jumping off the roofs, and the destruction that ensued.

That is sadly what sells advertising in this day and age.

No doubt others will tell their personal stories.

While there is nothing wrong with remembering all aspects of such turbulent times…

it is more beneficial to the future to focus on other aspects.

Allow a moment for a recollection of other events.

Let’s remember the heroes who became such…

simply because they chose to act.

Many had no special talent or background.

Todd Beamer, whose name honors a high school in our state…

gave the order, “Let’s roll”…

undoubtedly saving lives in our government from being taken by Flight 93.

Firefighters went back into the buildings…

in order to save others.

History recognizes these types of people, as it always seems to do.

Paul Revere, John Paul Jones, Harriet Tubman, Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr….

it doesn’t matter what era one chooses…

there are accounts of those who chose to act in times of crisis.

What might have seemed insignificant and simply “what needed to be done” at the time…

can often live eternally as heroic.

But remembering the heroes only brings half of the value…

when moving forward from times of turmoil.

Focusing on the healing that takes place…

coming together for a common purpose…

setting aside past bitterness, overcoming fear…

and creating a united resolve to move forward…

is the hidden value of crisis.

Remember when members of Congress stood on the steps of the Capitol building and sang together?

There were no Republicans or Democrats that day…

just Americans.

How sad that a mere 10 years later…

they are back to the fighting and backstabbing…

for power against each other.

Remember when companies pitched in…

to help their competitors stay afloat…

amidst the debris of paperwork on the streets…

and lost data from destroyed networks?

Remember the construction companies that volunteered equipment and manpower…

to clean up seemingly insurmountable piles of rubble?

Remember the feeling of unity and pride in what our nation had survived?

These are the actions and memories that should be sustained.

In no way is there a comparison…

between the 9/11 tragedy…

and smaller crises that we face in our corners of the world.

But our REACTION to those crises can be applicable.

During high stress…ACT.

Be the one who makes an effort to assist.

ANY effort is valuable.

Be the one to set aside past resentments and fears…

for an opportunity at growth and healing.

Resolve to unite with others for a common mindset and goal.

Take pride in overcoming problems that are mountain-like in appearance…

turning them to molehills collectively.

By doing so…

we can look back on times of crisis…

like the Revolutionary War, The Great Depression, Pearl Harbor…

and yes even 9/11 with pride…

because of the heroes who acted…

and the healing that resulted.

Best,

Tim