Several of my last blog entries have been a little heavy, so I thought we would do something a little more lighthearted!
The last two meetings I have spoken in, have brought with them a lot of interesting questions about my life. How about I open up the floor to you, my dear readers? You may ask me a question about anything you would like – paralysis, views, beliefs, home life, marriage, children – anything goes!
Here is the way we will do it. Just leave me a comment with your questions and I promise I will answer every single question by replying to your comment! You may want to check the box that tells you to notify you of follow up comments so that you will know, by email, when I have answered your question.
This could be fun so don’t be shy!:) Thank you for your interest in the story God is writing in my life!
I love you all!
Alicia Reagan 
What did you do to make all your husband’s hair fall out? 🙂
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It was simply because he lived with me. That is enough. 🙂
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This should prove just how honest and candid she will be!
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When we were in Marietta, you said you had just found out the cause of your paralyzes, knowing this, how has it changed your outlook?
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It has greatly helped me in not being afraid when something is “weird” feeling to me. For example, sometimes if I have pushed my wheelchair all day long, my hands will feel tingly. Before, that would scare me to death afraid that I was about to lose my arms or something. Now, I know it is because the nerves in my arms are just inflamed from being used all day long and nothing else is about to happen. It has really taken the anxiety level down knowing that their are others just like me who have leveled out and do not get paralyzed again higher up over night.
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Hi, I am new to the world of a wheelchair and I have been trying my best to NOT get in the chair. How do you accept the fact that you need to be in a wheelchair. I’m having a lot of trouble with that!
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Well, in my case, I had no choice to be in a wheelchair or not. That would be my only way to get around. However, I know that certain conditions only give you x amount of energy and then you are done and would need a wheelchair to get around. That is probably where you are at. It is very psychological and you feel that to give into the chair you would be accepting defeat or something.
I want you to just stop and think that a wheelchair is just a tool – just like glasses. If it helps you to reserve your energy and get more accomplished through the day then there is no shame with that. Probably, the biggest thing is worrying that people will think you are lazy or something. That is just something that you will have learn to ignore. People can say some really hurtful things (even if you have no other choice but to use a chair) and you just have to learn to get over what other people think. You must do what is best for your health. There is a difference between lazy and need. If you need to use a chair, then use it. You will have emotions that you have to deal with, but it will get easier (most days!) 🙂 I would love to hear your story sometime!
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I have a question that I’ve wondered about. What type of homeschooling teaching style do you use (traditional, curriculum based, unschooler, unit studies, ect.) And if you use curriculum which ones? Sometimes I find it hard to keep up with ministry obligations, homeschool co-op group, a son with special learning needs (ADHD/autism and the list goes on), a daughter with medical needs, a 7 year daughter who is so smart she’s almost ready for 4th grade, and baby #4 on the way I feel like “school” can get pushed to the back burner. How do you keep up?
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I don’t keep up. That is the honest truth. I am by nature not self-motivated and my personality is to just have fun and skip all responsibility. However, that is not the best way to run a family!:) For the first couple years after paraysis, the truth is that I absolutely (health wise) could not keep up. I could not keep the house up or homeschool. I really just decided that if my children could come through all of this with more character and a love for Jesus (and not bitterness) then I was very happy with that and would have succeeded as a homeschooling mother. We did not go far in curriculum those years. We pieced together what we could, and they did more “Charlotte Mason” approach. They learned a LOT of life skills!!:) Last year, things were normalizing much more and so school went better. But, I realized I could not do school like I had done before. I just do not have the energy to do what you said (ministry, babies and toddlers, everyday house stuff and homeschool). We did much better last year at keeping the house in order and me learning to prioritize my life. I have had to learn to say no, pull back in areas of life that I don’t have to do (like library time and homeschool group), and things like that. This year, my husband wanted us to try ACE paces and I have loved it. It has taken such a burden off of me to try and figure out what we are doing next and what we should focus. They just know what to do every day and I help them when they need it. I really love that. If I feel we need to take a day and focus on something more “unit” study or a character trait then we will just take a day and do that. But realistically, I just can’t do that every day. So it is wonderful to have the paces that they can work in when my day has more of “life” packed in it. I think the point is that you remember it is “home” school and therefore it has to fit in with your home and the situation you have. You cannot compare yourself with everyone else because everyone else does not have your situation. So just do the best you can, love on those precious babies and just take it one day at a time. I would rather my kids grow up with a little lower academics and a happy home, than be able to speak Latin and have a stressed out mother all the time.
I hope this all makes sense and has answered your question!
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Neither do I – thanks for being honest in your reply 🙂 I feel the same way you do, but it took me almost 7 years of homeschooling to get to that point. I guess we all need to hear that it’s ok to be behind in “book work” especially when there is more to schooling than just books. We went a totally different route curriculum wise this year and it has been great! I actually incorporate life skills into our daily plans. With Aaron its mostly therapy things (he has hypotonia, which is very low muscle tone, and is delayed in fine motor skills) so things like buttons, zippers, handwriting, tying shoes, and so on need to be practiced everyday. With the girls it’s more household things and sometimes we just use the “house” as a school day. We learn how to cook, read instructions, clean, cut coupons, ect. I think I hear and now have chosen to ignore a lot of flack because my mom and mother in law are teachers and they are just stunned when my kids can’t answer a question within a few seconds or quote phonics charts by heart. Which I don’t think makes them good academically, it just makes kids good at memorizing. I agree with you, I would rather have my kids lower academically then for all of us to be stressed out all the time. I tried that way for the past few years and it did not work – our “goal” is for them to have a heart for God and a willingness to serve others.
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Amen to all of that!!
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Hi Hot Wheels, I read all of your blog entries and thoroughly enjoyed every one. The only question I have for you right now is…..how is your diet (remember that) coming along? Betcha thought I forgot about it, didn’t you?
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Oh Jerry,
I was afraid you would ask me that!!! It is going, going, gone!!:) I am not gaining weight but I am not losing it either. I got discouraged because my husband lost like 75 lbs in just a few months and I was doing exactly the same things he was and only lost 10 lbs. I am not gaining, and I am not eating awful, I am just not losing. I know that I need to up my activity level and so that is what I am trying to do – although life gets very busy and extra exercise is what goes out the window.
Thank you for asking though and keep it up because you are like my Jiminy Cricket and are my diet conscience!:) I hope you are doing well!
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If you had a friend who Keeps all your decorating books, and your color samples of paint, what would you really think of her? And if she promises she will eventually return them to you, would you believe her?
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If I were the truest of friends, I would just give them to her!!:) Also, I would think no evil of her and be so glad that she is enjoying them. Also, if I needed them, I would call and her and tell her that I was in need of them. Otherwise, they would just be collecting dust on my shelf instead of hers!:) Love you, you crazy friend of mine!!:)
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This is about homeschooling. I have often thought of doing homeschooling but get a lot of negativity from people even my husband
sometimes about it. Saying she should be in a school with people… What should I do? I do not feel so happy about regular school… Just not sure what to do since my own husband snarls his nose at it…
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I would pray. You still have a couple of years before you have to officially worry about it. There are perks to being around other children but with those perks come negatives such as being around other children!:) For myself, I decided that I would rather my children grow up a little socially awkward (although they are not turning out that way) and be able to maintain some innocence and security about them The public school world can be a scary and intimidating place – as you know. The Lord may open a way for her to attend a good Christian school, or He may allow for your husband to see a bigger picture to homeschooling than he realized. There are a LOT of stereotypes to home school, and although people fit those types, most do not. There are SO many options – from books, to computer, to live classroom via internet, etc. Lots of options and then you and he get to pick it!
I think that sometimes our men worry most about it because of the time and the toll it takes on us. When we already feel overwhelmed then they cannot imagine the monster we will become when we take on one more thing! So, they may not want us to just because they are trying to save us from ourselves!:)
I would take these next couple years and teach her all that you can for her age and work on making sure your priorities stay in balance so that you stay balanced! Then your hubby may see, over time, that you are capable of handling it (or you may see that you are not).
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