Leadership Education: How DOES it all work together?!..

The above question is one that is asked frequently both inside of Leadership Education circles and out…

by people who are just curious about what you’re doing…

and those that are attempting to do it “correctly.”

Age integration with relevance is something that many people struggle with.

Face it, we’re used to being with our peers…

all through the public or private school educational process.

Then BAM!…

We’re out in the “real world”…

where we get to work with people of all ages.

Regularly.

Because society is like that.

It isn’t into having us “line up at the office…”

Or “stay with those that are our age.”

These practices aren’t overly conducive to the “feel” of corporate America…

or day to day living.

I hope that by sharing this post with you today…

you’ll get a small glimpse of how our family has done it.

Not that we’re perfect models.

But we have had really good results.

Which is why I’m on here yacking with you precious people day after day.

I wish to high heaven that you’d choose to respond!

It’s really quite simple.

Go to the bottom of ANY post…

and where the “three little pictures” are…

to the right of them or below them…

is a tiny “comments” in red.

If you click on it…

it takes you to a box where you can leave your thoughts.

Then they will post.

Pretty elementary, huh?

In light of the fact no less that three people have inquired how to do this…

just this week…

I am extending the giveaways until Wednesday!

You can do it…

really.

Hope you’ve “felt the LOVE” this Valentine’s weekend!

A “Family Field Trip to the Lincoln Shrine” as seen through the eyes of TommyMom...

First, you find something really worthwhile to attend.

If you happen to live in Southern California…

the Lincoln Shrine would be one of those things.

And with Lincoln’s birthday being this past week…

coupled with the invitation to attend one of only two events held at the Shrine annually…

this would fall under the definition of “worthwhile” in our family.

Which means, “Head ‘em up, Move ‘em in…RAWHIDE!”…

Sorry, I’ll try to contain myself.

Got swept up in the moment there!

We’ve actually been to the Shrine twice this month.

We’re studying the Civil War this year…

And things that were going on in the world during that time period.

We use a great methodology…

that is a total hand-in-glove fit with Leadership Education.

More on that at the FATJEF with Karen Kindrick Cox.

We won’t discuss how trip #1…

nearly involved a ticket from local law enforcement for Son #3.

Surprise, surprise…

(More on that later.)

Every phase of learning can benefit from a trip such as this.

Knowing the phases and the Seven Keys would be most beneficial.

Having your students/”mentees” know and execute them as well…

is heaven!

Perhaps something to aspire to?…

Fairly soon?

If you don’t grasp those, you have little to aim for…

execution is frustrating and poor.

Here we go:

Scholar and above:  Note Civil War surgical techniques.  Contrast those with the current events in Haiti, and procedures being used there.

How do they compare?  Give specifics, please ( written or oral…just want to “know that you get it.”)

What does Libelous mean?  How would you use this word today, or would you at all?  Comparable adjective?

Do you think that Jefferson Davis was a traitor?  Why do you think he believed what he did and acted upon it?  Could you do the same?

Why is this sculpture so rare?  What is the controversy surrounding it?

It is said that Mary Todd Lincoln was “nuts.”

Many think that she suffered from undiagnosed bi-polar disorder.  What is it?  What do you think her “problem” was?

Could her mental issues, in your opinion, be tied to the deaths of multiple children?  Explain from your perspective.

Her one surviving son eventually institutionalized her for a time.  She never forgave him.

How does this line up with your personal worldview where your parents/family are concerned?

How about your core?  Your core book’s thoughts on honor, respect, tough times and issues?

What do you think you would do, if faced with this choice/personal hardship as an adult child?

Let’s look at “battle gear”, utensils, uniforms…

Converse with the reinactment troops present to gain insight into…

Indispensable gear…

battle strategies, different weaponry.

“Provisions, shelter.”

Love of Learning, Core…

“Meet” Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln…

“See” how he continues to affect even pop culture by watching “his episode” of Star Trek!

“How can YOU “Live Long and Prosper, baby?!”

Look!  Lincoln Logs!

And a cute little girl dressed in period costume to construct them with…GO #5!

Whoa, #4, you’re “thinkin’ it through!”

Nice.

Yes, I can “get a close up of it before someone wrecks it.”

Hardtack anyone?

Notice the “real deal”  in upper right corner, top shelf…why didn’t it ever mold?!?

What is it made of?

What is scurvy and what caused it?

How does hardtack taste?

N…

A-S…

T-Y.

Unanimous vote of where it belongs?

Great “deal breaker” discussion on what it takes to preserve/perpetuate freedom, sacrifices made, whether or not you could deny yourself a well rounded diet, clothing, other seeming “necessities” for the sake of freedom…

and on and on it goes!

Yep!  Just another…

Beautiful day…

In the “Leadership Education Neighborhood.”

this doesn’t even weigh in on the docent discussions, many of whom are veterans of at least one, if not multiple wars!

examples: Sherman’s March to the Sea: Was it a good strategy?  Who else in history parallels his philosophies?  Any of our other generals that you can think of, past or present?

What about the “necessity” of war?  What is it really like to “be there?”

Discussions on the virtues of our leaders during the Civil War…

What would it really take for Robert E. Lee to get through Westpoint without a demerit?  Is it even humanly possible from your perspective?

Life is good!

Hope you got somethin’!

Leave a comment!

Filed under "It's All In a Day...", Leadership Education, Real Life | Comments (12)

What exactly IS a Perky Paradox?…I’m so glad you’ve asked!

this week on Tommymom, there will be not one, but T-W-O giveaways….why? because I love you!

you, the readers,” rock my world”, “float my boat”, “ring my bell”, whatever cutsie little saying you’d like to apply…i’m game, babycakes! so in the spirit of Valentine’s Day and all, I want you to “feel the love!”

i have noticed that there is a serious lag in conversation…and…it means one of three things, or possibly all of them.

1. you’ve all come down with a near-fatal case of laryngitis that causes paralysis of the fingers as well

2. i’m standing in an empty “auditorium”, tapping the microphone loudly (THUMP, THUMP, THUMP) trying to see if it’s really “on”

3. you’re all dying to say something, but need to be bribed.

I’m personally going with number three, knowing the caliber of the readers here, so feel free to chime in and see what the TWO FABULOUS MYSTERY PRIZES will be!

Winners will be announced next Monday right here on Tommymom.com. so stay tuned!  and keep those comments coming for your chance(s) to win!…there will be plenty to talk about this week!

now, a word from our sponsor.

this post is continued from February 3, 2010…

I would like to be able to tell you that the “she was going down” reference in my prior “PK/PP” post…

eluded to my driving need to defend my little brother.

That would be a shameful lie.

I was out to protect the most valued individual in my mind in this particular situation.

Myself.

I was not going to mingle with duck droppings.

On any level.

And besides…”she was going down” is merely a historical reference.

Because she was.

The bucket as mentioned, was a 5 gallon beauty that was filled to the top at the scene of the crime.

DeDe was no wimp.

She was farm bred stock through and through.

She hoisted that baby up and out of that pond faster than you could run for the highest hill.

Well, almost…

That’s where I had happened to relocate when I saw my brother’s need.

And did nothing.

I’m “there” for him like that from time to time in life.

It’s what older sister’s do that have appearance issues…

Sacrifice the weaker link for the greater good.

The force from the dump, caused DeDe to take a step backwards…

and she was standing on some very slippery “ground”.

The rapid shift in the weight of the bucket threw her off balance right along with my brother.

Down they went…

into the pond…

the contents of which, to this day, I’d rather not contemplate.

And just in case you’re wondering…

Tim’s pants were no longer white.

They began to laugh…

and laugh…

and laugh.

I was still in shock.

DeDe looked up, smiled and said very cheerfully…

“Oh, come on!…this is so much better!”

We’re having fun and we’re on equal ground now!

I’m still not certain that this defined the reality of the moment,

but it definitely defined the beginning of a friendship.

That has lasted 40 years.

Right about here, I’m feeling somewhat obligated to define the “perky paradox” piece.

If you’ve ever seen “Green Acres”…

you’ll be able to go with this…

we’ll begin with this post and elaborate more later.

You see…

I had pretty much ONE IMPRESSION of “Life on a Farm” in those days…

It was most certainly coming out loud and clear in my interaction with our newfound community as well.

Looking back…

I was the one that deserved the “duck dropping bomb.”

I was in desperate need of an attitude adjustment.

I thank God every time I think about that incident…

that I DID get the attitude adjustment…

and my brother got the bomb!

My dad came out of the house to load up for evening service…

saw the condition of my brother,

tipped back his head and howled…

and got a towel for him to sit on during church!

He was totally unfazed.

See, my dad saw the influence that the “uber-city chicks” were having on his daughter.

He didn’t care for it one bit.

In fact, I found out later, he was quite concerned.

He didn’t choose to resond by just totally cutting those girls off…

he chose to redirect me to new pursuits, friendships and interests.

Contrast that with so many people’s parenting style today…

they feel “trapped”, “unvalidated” in their pursuits at parenting, so the focus is on themselves…

“they need a break”…so many times this results in play dates and liasions that aren’t closely monitored for

content…

worldview…

overall influence.

Parents wanting a strong foundational basis for Leadership Education and it’s ultimate goal…

see things from a totally different perspective…

CORE is the most critical phase…

it influences who you will become.

CORE is static…

as you will see later on in this story through example,

you are forced to draw upon it throughout your life.

It is paramount to choices…

actions…

decisions.

Influence.

Are you keeping a solid pulse on your CORE?

What about the CORE phase of your children?

Part of the mission of Tommymom is to keep it real, folks.

Yessirree…

No “slappin’ a happy face on it” over here for the sake of community.

We’re gettin’ down and dirty…

Honest.

Humble.

Which is why I’m going to show you how farm life really looked back then.

Here’s DeDe in 1972…upstairs in the bedroom of the “old house”…

where, if you look at the slant on the right hand “wall”…

which is really a ceiling…

you’ll know why, when we sat upright too quickly from the beds…

we were rarely in our right minds!

may I just say here how much I love her?

She about had a coronary when I said that I was using this photo…

to illustrate the level of “farm chic” that was flowing freely in that decade, and upon which I’m going to elaborate further…

and then let me use it anyway!

more on the paradox piece next week…stay tuned!

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The “Pastor’s Kid” meets the “Perky Paradox”, part 3: Core: It’s a Lifelong Phase

continued from the post January 29, 2010…

The “family in question” who had birthed the girl I “hated”, lived roughly one mile from the church.

It seemed like an hour’s drive that fateful day.

When we arrived, I noticed that there was a duck pond to the right of the driveway.

As was to be expected, there were lots of ducks.

And a huge goose.

That, in the annals of waterfowl history…

goes down as the meanest goose to have ever graced this planet.

Despite what DeDe’s mom, Jane, may try to interject here…

by way of a comment.

He was the exact breed of the picture shown, and was a “Graylag” goose.

Trust me when I say that there was nothing pertaining to the word “lag” in this fowl-fellow’s vocabulary.

As we got older and I could drive…

whenever we needed to drop something off at the house,

my brother could time making it to the door just ahead of this beast…

impeccably.

Because if you didn’t?…

Let’s just say that in merely looking at this “Googled” water fowl…

my Achillie’s tendons are tingling!

As we continue to discuss core issues…

I’m hoping to rustle up some more visuals of the events and people being described here.

Just know that I’m working on it, and that it’s complicated right now.

When we arrived at the door, the happy parents of the above-stated offspring, were there to greet us…

along with the three other sisters in this brood.

Admittedly, this did soften the blow.

Somewhat.

Stepping through the dining room, to the kitchen…

there she was.

Standing at the KitchenAid mixer…

whipping up dessert.

May I pause to interject here,

that not much has changed over the long haul of years?

DeDe has been standing, off and on, at a KitchenAid mixer…

whipping up something…

for the last 40!

“HI”!…

She came over to greet us.

This move was not only waaayy too exuberant…

it was highly suspect.

I knew right then and there that she, too, was being coerced into polite conversation with “the enemy.”

I had no choice…

I had to act quickly.

“Hello”, I replied.

Brilliant.

“We’re glad you’re here.”

“We’re going to have a great afternoon.”

It became painfully apparent that this individual addressing me…

had suffered some form of severe blow to the head.

Or there was an Oscar waiting somewhere nearby.

Dinner was amazing!

Always has been at the Ohlund estate.

You’ll never go hungry, rarely eat so well,

and could rustle up a hearty one-of-a-kind meal at 2:30 a.m. if necessary.

Once the table was cleared…

and the dishes were on their way to being done…

we were sent outside to play.

Once again, the brilliance of the “Dad CORE and Love of Learning” gene strikes.  No “helicopter parenting” techniques for him.

i.e.  “Honey-I-know-you-hate-her-but-could-you-be-nice-just-this-once?” or “I-hope-she’s-nice-to-you-darling-because-I-know-

you-would-never-paint-an-inaccurate-picture-with-all-of-your-10-year-old-maturity-while-I-wring-my-hands-tactics.”

Nosiree.

It was pretty much beyond implication that we had better BOTH do one thing.

Work. It. Out.

In Core Phase, it is very wise to allow situations to manifest themselves fully, in which a child will either chose to succeed or fail.

Without your intervention.

But definitely under your watchful eye and loving guidance.

How are you doing in this area of your life?

Never letting children fail and suffer natural consequences of actions and decisions,

however immature they may be, is to ultimately set them up for huge failure later in life.

Our parents definitely knew this.

Darn it.

Once we were outside, Ms. “Head-Injury” experienced an amazing comeback.

There was absolutely no doubt about it.

She was a pig.

Didn’t have any at the time, but definitely was one.

I mentioned earlier that my brother was in kindergarten…

when we were relegated to this new-found farm life.

He was cute.

And nice.

And totally unsuspecting.

in keeping with my promise to resurrect photos pertaining to the “era” being covered, I scanned this beauty in the garage. It hangs above my dad’s workbench. It was made in a Swanson pot pie tin…with plaster of Paris.   He created it in Sunday School.  I love the gold metallic paint job.  My brother is known for his artistic talents.  I also really admire the photographer’s ability to center the subject.  Moving on…

In all actuality, he was in a whopping first grade, I believe…

by the time the “lucky lotto” came up for the Ohlunds to entertain us.

We were pretty much eating our way through the weekends at a brisk clip by then.

DeDe sauntered by the duck pond.

It was an unusually warm day.

“Would you like to swim?”

I would not.

My little brother, possessing numerous fish-like qualities…

was always game for this particular invitation.

Even if it was just a bathtub.

In he went.

I stood on the side.

Because I was waayyy smarter than these two.

And so much more “highly refined.”

I’m quite certain at this point, the adults were yucking it up over coffee and dessert…

while the “perky paradox” was about to make her move.

“You know, I think we’ve all had enough of you being such snooty, city-slickers.”

This was definitely aimed at me.

I stood there, attempting to act nonchalant.

DeDe looked at me and smirked.

“I think that it’s time we baptized you into the country life.”

She proceeded to dip a 5 gallon bucket deep, deep into the pond…

Where those ducks swam.

Multiple times each day.

And she dumped it over the head..

of my sweet little, unsuspecting brother!

He was in white pants to boot.

I was shocked and horrified.

This was definitely a new development…

and she was goin’ down!

to be continued…

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Today It’s Your Birthday!

Fifty years ago today, a hero was born…

In the middle of a blizzard in Glasgow, Montana.

There really wasn’t anything super-hero-like at the time…

But he was definitely into emulating heroes of his own.

There was no doubt about the fact that he was a cute kid.

And a great older brother.

He grew in stature and began to get an education.

Dead center, in the front row, of the kindergarten class.

As he grew up in this organization…

The size of his family grew right along with him, until he had three brothers.

He played a little football…

and did a bit of fishin’…

He acquired friendships…

and served others, while loving God and country.

Eventually, he began to date a girl…

(well he actually dated far more than one, but for the sake of this tribute, bear with me here.)

At the time, she apparently thought that looking like Laura Ingalls Wilder was “chic.”

He didn’t care.

Because the appearance of style wasn’t paramount…

evidenced by this hair.

The boy and the girl hung out a lot…

decided to get married…

and eventually had this kid.

Incidentally, mocking another’s personal sense of style…

nearly guarantees that you are bound to lose your own.

This truth would be evidenced in the above photo by HER hair.

This is better…

but could still use help.

Along with the birth of this child…

they decided that perhaps it was time to start focusing on the really important things.

Like ever strengthening faith.

Family.

Core values.

Personal growth.

Fast forward to this past Saturday evening…

Lots of years, lots of growth, coupled with the inevitable hard times and struggles…

and five sons later.

A surprise party.

that involved a lot of planning… (and strategic packing)

Effort and reliance upon family and a community of dear friends…

But in the end it produced this…

and this

Which eventually led to THE SURPRISE…

A gathering of nearly 200 family and close friends…

It was an evening of fun…

timeless memories…

and powerful tributes.

It was an evening to be treasured…

and will most definitely be remembered.

Would you care to read a sampling of the things that were said?

“He is a great older brother.”

“As kids, he never “ratted” us out, but became one of us.  We were a brotherhood…

He’s carried that same ethic into adulthood and would do anything for me…in fact he has.”

“He has a tremendous work ethic.”

“He is always there for me whenever I need him.”

“He practices servant leadership.”

“He models his faith without saying a word.”

“He loves unconditionally.”

Then the rubber really met the road.

Son #1

“Most kids growing up think that their dad is the greatest…

Today, at 21, mine still is.  I couldn’t have picked a better one if I had been allowed.’

“He has never given me a reason to be ashamed of him.”

“He doesn’t quit.  Ever.”

Son #2

“My dad practices servant leadership.”

“He inspires not only this present generation, but the future one.”

“He leads by being the example, which produces inspiration, not requirement.”

“We could never express to you how much we admire and love our dad.”

Followed by a toast…

Yep…there were lots of tears…

tons of laughs.

Joyous reunitings.

You know…

the stuff that life is made of.

There was clean up…

highlighted and demonstrated here by the dear friends previously pictured…

don’t they look nice?

There is always an opportunity to practice servant leadership…

regardless of how you’ve just been honored.

But make no mistake…

Honored you will be.

If you pay the price.

Trust in a good and gracious God.

Do the work.

Run the race.

It takes a lot to make a family, a legacy, a life.

Proof that heros are made, not born.

Happy 50th, to my #1 Hero!  XO,

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The Family Dinner Hour

Leigh Anne’s number one priority has been and will always be her family.

She also feels strongly that it is possible for women to incorporate all of their interests, goals and ambitions into a balanced life.

She loves working with women and helping to inspire them to achieve their goals and dreams while still maintaining motherhood and family as their number one priority.

She has been a homebased mom for 25 years since her first baby boy was born!  She has been married to hubby Jim for 28 years and is mom to Logan, 25, Clark, 23, Calista, 20 and Tessa 16.  She has run various types of homebased businesses – from selling crafts,  teaching children’s sewing classes and for the past 19 years a direct sales business. She has been fortunate enough to receive numerous national and regional awards in personal sales, recruiting and leader development.  She is  a top leader in her company.

In her spare time Leigh Anne loves reading, gardening, scrapbooking, photography and entertaining.

I grew up in the 60’s and 70’s (yes, I turn 50 this month!), in a middle class, Midwestern home, where every evening at 5:30 p.m. our family had dinner together.  At the time this wasn’t that unusual, most of the families in our neighborhood were doing the exact same thing.

Yes, life was a little slower back then and children weren’t involved in 20 different activities on a weekly basis. Because both my husband and I grew up eating dinner together as a family it has always been an important part of our family dynamic.

We have learned to be a little more flexible (o.k., so it may not happen EVERY night) and creative (more on that in a minute) as a result of the life style we live today but it is still something that can happen – it just takes a bit of planning and creativity!

In a newspaper article I read they gave some pretty amazing statistics in favor of eating dinner together as a family – The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University in NY found that the more children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink and use drugs.

Now I know that eating dinner together as a family is no guarantee that your children will never get involved in smoking, drinking or drugs but it can help and it can’t hurt!

What use to be referred to as the “family dinner hour”, is now more like the “family dinner 15 minutes.”   I’m not sure the amount of time is as important as the fact that you do connect and share that time and food together.

I have learned different methods and strategies over the years that have enabled us to eat dinner together as a family – at least the majority of the time.

Now I must admit, especially when the kids were smaller, sometimes the family dinner time was enjoying (I use the term loosely) a Happy Meal in the car together on the way home from soccer practice, sometimes it was a frozen pizza eaten standing up around the counter, or a grilled cheese sandwich but we were eating together!

Nowadays, with only one child left at home and a long list of after school activities and jobs on top of that it would be so easy to not worry about the family dinner hour.

No matter what the season your family is in, the point is that you make the best of the situation you have and that you are connecting as a family as often as you can, even if it’s only part of the family.  When my husband travels, it would be easy to let the family dinner slide because there is just me and my daughter but we still sit down and eat together (it may be takeout but we eat together)

After 28 years of fixing and planning family dinners I have learned a few tips and tricks that make consistent family dinners easier.

1. Have a well stocked pantry.  For a complete list of what I keep in my pantry check out this post on my blog.

Being prepared is half the battle!  It’s hard to fix dinner when there is no food in the house.

2.  Have a plan! There are several ways to do this.  If you don’t have a supply of favorite family recipes or don’t like having to decide what to eat every night you may want to use a menu planning service, there are quite a few available.  For a list go here.

Each month/week a menu list complete with recipes and grocery shopping list are sent to your inbox – how easy is that!

At our house we have put all of our family favorite recipes into a binder.

along with a list of favorite dinner ideas.   Keeping your recipes organized and in one place with a list of family favorites is a huge help when it comes to deciding what’s for dinner

Sitting down with your list of family favorites once a week or once a month to plan out the menus saves lots of time and lots of trips to the grocery store!  Knowing what’s for dinner every morning, before your day begins, can reduce the stress that meal planning and the family dinner hour can bring!

If you are like me and enjoy introducing new recipes into your family’s dinner repertoire on a regular basis I’d love for you to visit me at my blog, Your Homebased Mom for lots of  new recipe ideas – all tested in my kitchen!

3.  Choose a theme – having a different theme for each day of the week can work well too and make decisions easier.

Rice Sunday (stir fry with broccoli)

Pasta Monday  (Spaghetti)

Crockpot Tuesday (Beef Stew)

Mexican Wednesday (Soft Taco Bar)

Easy Oven Thursday (Frozen Pizza)

Grill Friday (Hamburgers)

Chicken Saturday (Baked Chicken Breast)

There are lots of options available, even if you eat the same thing every night of the week, the important thing is you are eating it together – as a family!

Please visit Leigh Anne at her blog  Your Homebased Mom where she blogs on a regular basis sharing some of her family’s favorite recipes!

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What are you thankful for?…Raise your voices and sound off!

On Monday, TJEd 1,000,000 was in Thousand Oaks, Ca. It was a beautiful and very productive evening.

The Mancuso Family hosted us in their home for the night as well.

It was a lovely and wonderful experience.

I love to go into the homes of families practicing TJEd…

It is inspiring, infuses one with hope, and serves to give affirmation at the grass roots level; that there are families in America taking responsibility for furthering the cause of liberty and freedom through education.

There are still others that would really like to know what this looks like on a daily basis.

In its purest form, TJEd is very organic…

Read Leadership Education by Oliver and Rachel DeMille to gain further insight.

It can be used with any educational or life model.

It is principle based, not “forms” driven.

You don’t have to belong to a club, organization, or institution to “qualify.”

You simply take the principles and begin…with you, not them.

Throughout history, millions have done just that…

With amazing results…

I loved this simple, yet effective wall in the Mancusos kitchen area.

The written word is powerful affirmation.

And coupling words with pending holidays is quite an affirming visual for people.

The turkeys are the Mancuso children’s hands. I ask you, how cute is that?

I also took some pictures for you of the kitchen island…pilgrims, pumpkins, the Declaration of Independence… visual affirmations of values being communicated in core and love of learning.

These are phases of learning that we continue to build on throughout our lives.

I know that I seized the moment to add my turkey to the wall!

What are you thankful for?…

Perhaps some visual affirmation would be in order?…

It is my desire that this blog community would be a place to lend your comments…

We benefit from the diversity and perspective of others…

I invite you to sound off!…

Of course, fabulous prizes often help!…

Starting the week after Thanksgiving, in celebration of the upcoming holiday season, there will be one prize a week given to a lucky TommyMom reader!

All you have to do is read and comment!…

It’s like Christmas and Hanukkah coming to your door!…

A random generator will pick one of the comment numbers, and that individual will become the lucky recipient of the featured prize!…

Be sure and sound off!…

Tune in Monday to see the results of the first TJEd 1,000,000 tour with Dr. Brooks!

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Sweep the Leg…

“Robert Kiyosaki mentions in his Rich Dad, Poor Dad series how the poor teach their kids to join football or basketball teams; the wealthy, golf or tennis.  It is conveyor belt versus leadership all over again–employee training sports versus individualized, mentored leadership athletics. Of course teamwork is also valuable, but you can learn teamwork just as well in swimming, tennis, golf, and martial arts. The same lessons apply to other facets of our social life and activities. Baseball was Oliver’s love from ages eight to sixteen. His coaches and teammates were among his best friends and most influential mentors. He would not change that experience for anything. When our children came of baseball age, we took them to a baseball park to watch a game, and also to a martial arts studio to watch a practice. They enjoyed both, but we noticed the tension of  parents arguing at the baseball game versus the order and safety of the dojo. It was ironic, but more importantly, it was a powerful lesson in leadership.” ~ Leadership Education, Oliver and Rachel DeMille

I would like to tell you that we were naturally insightful and discerning in applying the above suggestions, but that is not the case.

The quote and its source book hadn’t yet been written.

We HAD however, along with MILLIONS of other Americans, watched “The Karate Kid.”

What is highlighted in blue and red was the real scenario.

Almost verbatim.

Arguing parents…

Tensions running high…

Competition that was over the top…

“Athletes” in tears…

Did I mention that the “athletes” were 5?…

I should point out two things…

1. The above quote “When our children became of baseball age..” would’ve been a profound consideration.

Son #1 was the lucky individual that was then 5.

I have still not ruled out the possibility that child #1 is merely a parental test lab for life’s situations.

2. I know several individuals in team sport coaching positions that are life changing individuals.

I plan on featuring some of them on this blog.

They mentor in extraordinary ways.

Clearly, for our family, martial arts became the choice.

More details will follow later…

November 13th was a banner day!

Son #2 tested for his second degree black belt.

Where the physical and mental training are concerned, the test has gone on for quite some time…

Four months…

Two hours a day…

In addition to the “regular weekly workout-at-the-dojo” schedule.

Faithfulness…

Mental and physical acuity and self-discipline…

Stamina…

Strength…

Fortitude…

Courage…

All of these and more are the rewards of the diligent.

Diligent accurately describes Son #2.

Karate, along with life lessons and Leadership Education, have taught him to always remember those that have mentored powerfully and well along the way to a goal…

To rejoice in the fact that great mentors and examples can also be family…and when they are, one is most fortunate.

That mentors may take a lesser role, but never a lesser influence…

And at the end of the day, you can rejoice in a goal achieved…

Watch “The Karate Kid” to celebrate and check for tips…just in case…

And to laugh hysterically at this video…

Just for fun…

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Who is Tommy… and are you his mom?!

“His Creditors Were All Paid”…

“His Moral Character Was of the Highest Order”…

“He Detested Impiety”…

“Religion?…He believed that it was a matter solely of conscience ; and after thorough investigation , people were responsible for the righteousness, but not the rightfulness, of their opinions. He believed that the expression of his opinions might influence theirs, and he would not give it!”…

“His Precepts Were Those of Truth and Virtue”…

“In the Bosom of His Family”…where the beauty of his character was exhibited…

“He Spoke Only of the Good Qualities of Men”…

“The Friend of the Working Man”…

“His Powers of Conversation Were Great”…

“Methodical and Exact”…

“He Was a Gentleman Everywhere”…

“A Bold and Fearless Rider”…

“He Was a Miser of His Time”…

“He Died a Pure and Good Man”…

Facts in today’s post are insightful reflections on the life of Thomas Jefferson, written by his eldest grandson, Thomas Jefferson Randolph.

They are included in “The Real Thomas Jefferson”, compiled by Allison, Maxfield, Cook and Skousen, which can be ordered here: National Center for Constitutional Studies

For many people, one of the more  daunting issues in pursuing Leadership Education, is the realization that they don’t know what it “looks like.”

One of my intentions on this blog, is to make an honest attempt at marrying the “lofty, intellectual, and historical” with the “present day, how-do-I-do-this-and-what-does-it-look-like?” needs that everyday life presents in a “modern” culture.

I trust that this aspiration will work…

even though I will certainly have a need to readily acknowledge error from time to time.

In attempting the lofty pursuit of marrying these two worlds, I think that, as a mom, “Tommy” is more appropriate than “Thomas.”

Unless I were to become irritated, even angry with him…

Which is entirely possible in Leadership Education when attempting to dialogue with the greats.

But hey…

The fruit is on the tree.

He created the masterpiece of his life, the Declaration of Independence, at the young age of 33…

Served as governor of war-torn Virginia and once escaped British capture by only minutes…

Was one of the geniuses behind the American Constitution, even though he was serving in France during the Constitutional Convention…

Was a true Renaissance man, skilled in farming, scientific experimentation, practical invention, economics, political philosophy, and statesmanship…

“Tommy”…

A “nickname” for the greatness of “Thomas.”

I am a mom.

I can change the world from home…

Which has many given nicknames…”Pad”, “Crib,”Cave,” “Dump,” “Joint,” “Nest”…

None of which signify the true meaning of the word and its powerful ability to influence others from the grass roots level.

Then, to influence the culture…

And the country…

And the world…

“Tommy” indicates endearment…

Familiarity…

Perhaps, because he is the most prolific example of the outcome of a Leadership Education, I should be really familiar with Thomas…

Jefferson…

I should speak with endearment…

With a familiar tone…

As if we’re on a first name basis…

Like I know him and the essence of his being…

It’s something I’m working on every day in my own educational pursuits…

I want to respect, revere, admire…

Without huge formalities…

Because then, I really know…

I am a mom…to five boys…each of which could be the next “Tommy”…

How about you?

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Why Read This Blog?

Because no one is an island; but for moms at home, it can certainly seem like it.

Community is necessary, even vital, for inspiration, encouragement and meaningful dialogue.  It keeps us sharp, helps us to know that there are “others out there in a big wide world,” and invites healthy interaction through the sharing of opinions and ideas.

Thoughts, opinions, and ideas are often the impetus for genius to be unbridled.

…And, let’s face it….in the midst of lofty self- inflicted expectations, it never hurts to laugh hysterically once in awhile!

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Welcome!

It was bound to happen.

Me. Blogging.

I love to read. Books. Blogs. And everything in between.

I also love to write. Well, really I love to talk.

Such is the fun of blogging. I get to talk by writing on the internet.

How fun! (And a little scary for those who already know me…my filter isn’t always on.)

I plan on writing about leadership education, homeschooling my 5 boys and real life.
In the coming weeks and months I hope to fill this website with entertaining posts, great resources and a healthy dose of our real life enjoying our freedom as a family lucky to live in the United States of America.

I hope we can all connect often! Thanks for stopping by. Come back and visit again soon…

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