In the Afterglow of a Mother-Daughter Trip (Passport to Purity)

My almost 13-yr-old spent yesterday with her sister and two friends in circa 1850's dresses and bonnets, sitting in the rain with "parasols" in a little fishing boat they pulled into our front yard. They called themselves Jo, Beth, Amy, and Meg (from Little Women) and designed many adventures.  Ginger the cat was in every scene.  

I don't think this is normal 2013 tween behavior.  I would have more likely been calling up boys with my friends and giggling uncontrollably at this age, so my heart was warmed by their wholesome, imaginative spirit of play. Just to bring it into the 21st century, there were several moments when their little bonneted heads were gathered around the laptop looking up vintage dresses on Etsy.  

Megan and I spent Thursday and Friday on our Passport to Purity Trip.  She navigated us to antique shops, thrift stores, and consignment shops in Minneapolis.  Her favorite was Steeple People thrift store because the price was right for her pocketbook.  She spent $2 on some soft fabric.  Her souvenir was a $5 rusty old horse bit from Art and Architecture.  She has a thing for horses and bits.  

I thought it might be fun to juxtapose the old with the new, so we stopped by the Walker Museum and sculpture garden.  

We liked the garden, but the museum was head-scratchingly modern and abstract, which led to comments like "I could paint that in the dark" and a very brief visit.  The Minnesota Institute of Arts is more our style.  Lunch was at the ultra modern Melting Pot fondue restaurant.  It was yummy and inspired me to almost buy a fondue pot at the Salvation Army.

The Pratt-Tabor Inn in Red Wing was a perfect ending for our day.  Its Italianate architecture and crystal chandeliers in every room mesmerized us.  

Deb, the owner, was delightful.  She line dries and irons all the sheets and linens, for pete sake.  Friday was mostly spent biking and thrifting in Red Wing and Lake City, and we ended with horse back riding with my friend Karen at River Road Riding.

All along the way I slipped her letters from women in her life.  She loved them all, basking in the glow of love and encouragement in each letter.  In the car, we listened to Barb and Dennis Rainey teach on everything from puberty changes to God's design for sex and dating.  I loved the interviews with teens.  We pulled off to the side of the road to complete object  lessons with water balloons, matches, and play dough.  We both now have a good definition of dating and a beautiful vision for purity.  It is a high calling in this sex-drenched culture, but it is not impossible.  

The message was simple.  "...that He might be preeminent."  That Christ might take first place in every area of our lives.  

What a sweet opportunity to bond and cover important topics in a fun way.  Highly recommended!

A Mother-Daughter Trip (Passport to Purity)

I often have an ache within that time with my children is slipping through my fingers like a kite string on its long ascent.  I can feel the friction of the string's momentum against my grasping hands.  It's vaguely painful, but the kite rising is glorious to watch, and truly there is no stopping it, so I might as well hold loosely and smile.

Hold loosely, but celebrate milestones.  Next month my daughter will be 13, and in our family, we mark this age by taking a trip using the Passport to Purity (P2P) curriculum, because here is what is important to us:

• That we set God's standard for purity before our children, giving them something to aspire to, while teaching them of grace and forgiveness
• That we open the doors of communication about awkward subjects like body fluids and sex
• That we begin to affirm who they are becoming and address character flaws before they become too ingrained
• That we show them they are worth the investment of time and money to take a trip together

My husband took my son on a long roadtrip to Cedar Point Amusement Park in Ohio, stopping along the way to do projects from P2P.  Dave still refers to some of the object lessons from that trip in conversations with Noah.

Megan and I will be staying closer to home.  The destinations are a surprise to her, but I tried to think about going places she would love, so here is our itinerary:

Minneapolis:

Art and Architecture

Steeple People Consignment

June Clothing Consignment

Melting Pot for lunch

Walker Art Center

Red Wing:

Pratt-Tabor Bed and Breakfast

Lake City

Bike Ride on trail

Zumbro Falls

Horseback Riding at Karen Whitaker's

In between our activities, we will listen to the P2P CDs and complete the projects and conversations.  For some development of life skills, Megan will navigate and will help keep a budget sheet.

What I'm most excited about is giving her a series of letters written by women in her life who took the time to  write down what they see in Megan and how they are praying for her.  I think this will be a watershed moment in her life.  

Honestly, my sweet girl is a little nervous about this trip and so am I.  There will be some awkward moments as we listen to frank teachings, but I want her to hear this stuff from me.  Homeschooling has kept her pretty insulated so far.  It's time to open the doors with truth from God's word so that she can be discerning and hopefully avoid some of the regrets I carry.  

I'll let you know next week how it went.