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Homeschooling Support

2010-02-12T14:56:00.004-06:00

This post is going to seem a bit rambling, but I am hoping to work some things out in my mind here. It involves the homeschool group I am part of, and the commotion that has been brewing in recent weeks. This will take quite a bit of back story so bear with me...

When I first began to consider homeschooling I was lost. I didn't know any homeschoolers, and I had no idea how to find them. After some searching I did find a couple groups. None of them met my needs. Some were formed for older kids. Some had a forced statement of faith. Others were just full of crazies. Finally, I I met a few like minded people. All of our kids were relatively small, so our get togethers were more about the kids playing and the Moms socializing than about "school". This lasted for 2+ years. People came and people went. Sometimes, people decided to send their kids to school. Sometimes they moved away. Sometimes they just drifted off because our gatherings were so informal. Others would drift in to take their place. We had field trips and park days, and in general it went well.

Finally a year and a half ago one of our members said she had found a group of other homeschoolers that we should merge with. I'll be honest I was a bit nervous because I didn't want to end up like one of those previously mentioned crazy groups. Eventually we met, and most of them seemed "normal". My initial reaction to almost all of them was positive, and as we planned for the fall of '09 I felt pretty good. We had lots of good ideas, and a regular meeting space. Then the year started. For a number of reasons the meetings didn't go as I had hoped. I left every single meeting feeling awful. It was utter chaos. I was ready to drop the regular meetings altogether. Still there were a few high points. Many in our group were also members of Earth Scouts which seemed to run much more smoothly. Also, several of the more rowdy families moved on. I guess they sensed that the situation wasn't a good fit for them. We took a break for the summer vowing to have some park days, but somehow none of us took the initiative to plan them.

When summer ended we decided to get back to our regular meetings. We met again with lots of good ideas. Additionally we stated this year with a great group of people. I can honestly say that I like all of them. Fall went pretty well, and I was fairly happy with things in general. After a short winter break we met and discussed more ideas, and got back to our regular meetings. I thought things were going well. Then it started...

It's funny how little innocent things can start such drama. Someone made a suggestion, and then someone else have a flippant response. Suddenly it's on. People begin debating things that probably shouldn't be debated. People get annoyed; people feel misunderstood; people get mad. Eventually that issue gets dropped, but Pandora's box has been opened. The next misunderstanding gets to this point even quicker, and is slower to be dropped. Finally people stop speaking altogether.

I will be honest. The whole situation has me feeling sick to my stomach. I do not like conflict (although I do enjoy philosophical debates). The dismissive, territorial tones of some people make it almost impossible for other people not to respond in defensive tones. Then the cycle continues. I am afraid of where it will lead. As I said I like these people. Do I think they are perfect? No! Am I perfect? No! Still I do like these people. I feel a connection to them, and I really do hope to make this group my perfect support system. I also would love to be part of the support system for them. It doesn't seem possible at this time. The group seems to be developing into some us vs. them mentality. I HATE that.

So now we are on the edge. I'm just very nervous about what comes next.

The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray

2010-01-17T22:07:00.003-06:00

I've figured out the main reason I don't blog often. It's not that I don't have lots of ideas for entries. I do. It's not that I couldn't find time to write. I could. The real reason is that I want to have an idea fully fleshed out before I write about it. I am sure that is silly. In fact, I know that most bloggers use the actual writing as a way to develop an idea. My problem is that I want to know where an entry is going before I even start it.

I guess that could be a problem in other aspects of my life as well. I am a planner. If I don't have a plan I feel scared. It makes me nervous, and if forced to operate without a pan for too long I actually get sick. The rational me knows that sometimes it is a good idea to "fly by the seat of your pants", but I really have a hard time sticking to that. I can't tell you how many times I have decided that I should be more spontaneous. Yes, I see the absurdity of planning to be more spontaneous.

The problems with over-planning involve a couple things. Of course, there is the problem of missing out on new things because I have already planned something else. I think that I have done an ok job over the past few years combating that one. I am much more flexible than I was a few years ago. I credit that to being a Mom. My girls, so often, find amazing opportunities. They are so amazing that I know we can't pass them up (even if it means adjusting my precious plan.) This flexibility has created a new problem that I can't seem to shake. Even though I am happy to add new things to my plan as they are presented, I can't let go of the planned activities. The result is that I end up feeling stressed as I try in vain to "stick to the plan". Eventually I end up feeling like a failure.

This tends to be especially true with the girls' school. I have what I think are very realistic goals for them. The plan is for them to do math and language arts (writing for Kali, reading for Claire) five days a week. I do have "curriculums" for other subjects, but they are used to supplement the life learning. The problem ends up being that as I try to be flexible to allow lots of opportunities for life learning we often have less that five days to devote to math and language arts. As much as I believe that real life learning is absorbed better than artificial desk learning I still can't let go of the plan when it comes to skills like reading, writing, and arithmetic. This results in school sometimes being less than the euphoric experience I imagined when I decided to homeschool the girls.

So once I again I am planning to be more spontaneous. To help me in this endeavour I looked up a few quotes about chilling out.

"Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans." John Lennon

"Expect the best, plan for the worst, and be prepared to be surprised." Denis Waitley

"In preparing for battle I have found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." Dwight Eisenhower

"Those who plan do better than those who do not plan even though they rarely stick to their plan." Winston Churchill

"It is not the strongest of the species that survive, not the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change." Darwin

New Year...

2010-01-10T10:40:00.003-06:00

Well,I am a little late on posting a new year update. In fact, the new year didn't really begin in the way I was hoping. My Gramps dies on January 2nd after having broken his hip a week earlier. I know that he had an amazingly long (and eventful) life. In fact,you could almost say that he had several lifetimes. He was a child in Brush Creek Tennessee. His family were sharecroppers, and he began working the land at a very young age. He also got married when he was quite young, but we don't really know what happened to that marriage. As a young adult he joined the Army, and fought in WWII. He was on the communications team. His job was to sneak in and run communication lines before the combat teams arrived. He helped lay the lines at Normandy! It was very dangerous work, and in fact he lost his hearing in one ear (and a good friend) when his fox hole blew up. The war wasn't all bad for Gramps though. I am sure we could fill a whole book with the escapades of (the alias he gave all the European women he wooed). After the war he came home and married Margaret. They moved to Illinois where they could find work. Then when they couldn't have children, they adopted my Mom. The real story is that my Gramps brought my Mom home as a present for his wife. Unfortunately, Margaret struggled with mental illness, and because of this she always wondered if my Mom was actually Gramps illegitimate child (which she was not). It was a rough patch of time for my Gramps, as he tried to protect my Mom from Margaret, but it formed a close bond between my Mom and Gramps. Eventually, Margaret succumbed to her illness and committed suicide. Shortly after that my Mom became an adult, and Gramps decided to move back to Tennessee. Once again he took to wooing the woman, and it seems he had quite a good time partying for a few years. Eventually, he met another woman to settle down with. She was a widow with a 10 year old son, and 2 grown daughters. Gramps married RosieLee and tried to raise the son. He and RosieLee stayed married for 27 years. Toward the end RosieLee was dealing with Alzheimer's disease. Gramps took care of her faithfully even when she became combative. Eventually she too died, and Gramps was once again a widower. By this point he was in his mid 80's, and my mom was able to convince him to come live with her. He was suffering from severe artery blockages, and it took some time for my Mom to nurse him back to health. The past 6+ years have been spent living with my parents. He got joy from spoiling their dog, doing circle the word puzzles, watching Wheel of Fortune (and beating everyone), and playing with my kids. I would venture to say that getting to be with the kids is a big reason he survived so long. So as you can see, he had quite a ride. Even so, the abruptness of his death is hard. We should be thankful that he didn't have a long painful death (and we are), but we didn't really have time to prepare ourselves for it. At any rate, I personally am thankful that my children got to really know their Great Grandfather, and her really was a GREAT Grandfather.

Well, this turned into a tribute to Gramps. I have more to say about the new year, but I think I will save that for another post.

Happy New Year Gramps!!! We miss you...

I meant to write .... Really!

2009-07-25T12:30:00.002-05:00

Life seems to have a way of getting away from me. I am fully aware that it has been 6 months since I wrote a post, but that's just the way it is lately.

Anyway, we are about to get back to schooling regularly. My plan is to do four or five weeks of school then take a week or two off. This way I won't feel better scheduling breaks. I also want to make more time for field trips. The girls are both at such great ages that I think trips will be easier and more beneficial than ever before. This will be the first time I homeschool both girls full time. I am feeling a bit nervous, but I have planned a bunch and that always calms me. Here is the plan:

Morning Message:
This will be an interactive activity that both girls can participate in. It may be from history, science, art or music.

Seatwork:
Kali

Math
Grammar
Cursive writing

Claire

Math
Language arts

Special Activity:
This will be done together and will encompass all other subjects. My plan is to have a loose theme each week. We may not do every subject every week. One week we may do history and art. Another we may find time for science and music. Also, there will be a box of books and a box of resources (like worksheets and games) that support the theme. These will be available all the time.

Here is a list of the curricula I am using:

Mc Ruffy Press math grades 1 and 3
Mc Ruffy Press language arts grade 1
Spectrum language arts grade 3
Hacourt Family Learning cursive writing practice book
Carson Delrosa Integrating Reading, Writing, and Words Lessons
Scholastic Month-by-Month Trait-Based Writing Instruction
Themes to Remember by Marjorie Kiel Persons
Discovering Great Artists by MaryAnn F. Kohl & Kim Solga
Story of the World book 3

So there you have it. It seems a bit ambitious, but I think we will be doing it in bits and pieces. Also I am not going to be rigid about finishing everything.

Wish us luck!!!

2009-02-28T09:34:00.002-06:00

I had great parents. Not perfect parents mind you. I mean they were 17 when they got married,18 when I was born. Neither of them had good parental role models, so they were basically using trial and error to learn to parent. Still I always knew they were trying. I knew they cared. My brother and had everything we needed and even some things we wanted despite the fact we were dirt poor (at least when i was very young). There was plenty of hugging and talking.

Then I became an adult and they continued to be my parents. They made the transition so seamlessly. They became my cheerleaders and my safety net. The security I felt as a young adult knowing that someone would try to catch me if I fell was amazing. There was still lots of hugging and talking. I am well aware of how fortunate I have been.

Slowly, though, things have been changing. I am becoming my parents cheerleaders and safety net. I am the one giving encouragement when my parents feel overwhelmed. I am the one to try to relieve her insecurities. I am the one hiding my own anxieties to keep from worrying them. I know this is normal. I am the one doing the hugging and talking. I know this is how it is supposed to be. I know this is their reward for the great job they have done all these years parenting me. But sometimes, I still wish I was the kid...

Our first dance competition

2009-02-26T07:03:00.004-06:00

Sometimes I have so much to say that it seems hard to organize into a blog post. The result ends up being a choice between a very disjointed post or no post at all. I guess I should go for the disjointed post, but I usually choose to wait until my thoughts are more organized (which seems to be never lately.) Anyway, for today I will try to stick to one topic, but my ADD brain may have trouble.

Last weekend was Curly Q's first dance competition. I have really mixed feelings about it (as does Curly Q..) It was a workshop as well as competition so the schedule was intense. She had classes from 7:30 -2:30 pm Saturday, then they competed. Sunday classes were from 8-3. It was a lot for her and the others in her company. By Sunday morning they all looked like they would rather hide than dance. Adding to the trouble was that the age group they were in went up to 10 (plus some kids were actually older). Still, the teachers were fun,and every one of them talked about the importance of having fun while dancing.

The competition was quite a learning experience. Some of these companies are SERIOUS. One in particular jumps out. In order to join their company you have to homeschool your child. This is because they practice dance 6 days a week. They also brought a make-up artist, seamstress and caterer to the competition. The biggest surprise was the massage tables and masseuse. Yep, that's right, between routines and classes the dancers from their studio got professional massages.

The problem for me isn't that they did these things. Obviously they are very committed, and it showed in their dancing. They were very good, amazing even. The problem is that by competing with them we start to feel like we should be that good. In order to be that good our girls would have to be just as dedicated, but in truth I would rather raise a well rounded daughter than a competitive dancer. It is so easy to get caught up in it though.

So there you have my initial thoughts on dance competitions. I am kind of hoping that the next one is a different experience.

One of THOSE Moms

2009-01-30T08:33:00.004-06:00

I admit I struggle with hubris. Not for myself (although I do have a healthy amount of self confidence),but for my girls. I know that simple biology accounts for my belief that my girls are among the best. All Moms think that about their children. Still, when one of them seems to excel at some thing or even if they make some sort of advancement my heart swells. When Curly Q. started dancing I was sure she was the BEST in her class. Actually she was, but when compared with other good dancers she is average. She holds her own,and if she continues I think she will do well. She has a great memory for choreography,but she has to work to learn the steps. However,if you had asked me last year I was sure dancing was in her blood.

Now it is Bear's turn. She is in a dance class with kids a full year older than her, and she is one of the top two dancers in the class. It makes me smile as I watch her pick up steps so easily. The place I am most excited for her is gymnastics. She has mastered all the beginning skills and is being moved up to the next level. Her teacher (who is probably just very good at keeping parents happy to come back session after session) tells me he is very impressed with her. The prospect of being asked to join both dance company and gymnastics team is very real,and I have to admit it feels exciting in a strange way even though either opportunity would be a huge expense both financially and time wise. If she happens to be chosen for both she would be required to choose one which could be quite a tumultuous choice. I shouldn't be looking forward to these situations, but I am.

Even as I look back over what I have written I know it is crazy. My children are 5 and 7. There is no need for them to excel at anything other than being kids. I think I keep my feeling under wraps enough that it doesn't affect them and their choices.

BTW I know I am freak so please don't feel the need to remind me of that fact in the comments ;-)

Consumerism

2009-01-16T08:24:00.002-06:00

I grew up with shopping therapy. We weren't well off when I was very little, but by the time I hit high school we were doing pretty well. Also, I started working when I was 15 and all my earnings became spending cash. So the mall became my psychiatrist's office. Didn't do well in a theater audition, try this new shirt. Broke up with my boyfriend, how about a new pair of earrings. As I got older it continued. Didn't get the job I wanted, new curtains will fix everything. Having trouble with a friend, well at least my furniture matches. This went on for a LONG time.

Of course as I have mentioned here, I am trying to be a better consumer. I try to replace things as I NEED them. I try not to buy stuff that will be obsolete within a short period of time. The problem with this is that I have no psychiatrist. So here I sit with the winter blahs, and I have to find a new fix. I know that I should try exercising. There is so much research that shows how the endorphins released during exercise can combat depression. But who feels like exercising when they are depressed. Maybe if I buy a cute new exercise outfit and some shoes... ;-)

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-03T16:02:00.003-06:00

This year Curly Q. expressed interest in making her own resolutions. So at breakfast Friday I brought it up. I thought we could give each other suggestions as to what changes we could make for the new year. I was pleasantly surprised by how insightful they both were. We each ended up with 3 personal resolutions plus a few things we plan to work on as a family.

Bear's Resolutions:

Hold her pencil correctly
Talk when she is upset instead of hiding and crying
Clean up after herself

Curly Q.'s Resolutions:

Listen to her belly when deciding what and ow much to eat
Stay out of other people's business
Be more optimistic

Mom's Resolutions:

Spend more time with kids doing fun stuff
Talk to kids instead of just sending them to their rooms when they misbehave
Do one cardio and one yoga workout each week

Family Resolutions:

LISTEN
Give our dog more attention
Use less paper
Do more to take care of the environment

So there you have it. I think these are great goals. Plus I think we can actually achieve all of these.

2009

2009-01-02T09:49:00.003-06:00

Well it is 2009...

I am not going to make any promises to keep up with this blog. What I am going to promise is that I will post whenever I think of something I want to say. In the past when I have gone for a while without posting I find it hard to start again because I feel like I need to make a grand re-entrance. I promise to not worry about that. Of course that will make this blog all the more disjointed, but I guess that is part of its charm. Right?

Ok, now that is out of the way....

This year I am going to change my kids names on this blog. I am planning on mentioning it in several online communities I am part of. I have been trying to come up with appropriate nicknames. I want something that will define them forever, and I want it to be postive trait. So calling my oldest dancer or Miss Impatient will not do. So the oldest will be referred to as Curly Q. and the youngest will be Bear. Now I have to figure out how to change the old posts.

I do have a great post about our New Year's resolutions, but that will have to wait because I have to go do my daughterly duty. My Mom really owes me...

A different story...

2008-09-11T10:16:00.003-05:00

I wrote about how well socialized my kids were, but I am a different story. When I was very young I was very much like Curly Q. Everyone was my friend, and I loved to spend time with people. Then I went to public school, and for various reasons I was not accepted fully by my peers. Maybe it was my ugly glasses, maybe it was my intelligence, maybe I was just too eager to be accepted. Whatever the reason I was a social outcast on and off throughout elementary school. By high school I had lost the glasses and gained some self confidence. I found my place in the hell that passes for society in high school. Within my circle (and maybe even outside my circle) I was fairly popular. In fact I LOVED high school. College was also fairly easy for me socially. I had a medium sized circle of friends and making new friends was not difficult for me.

So what happened? I have a very small circle of friends whom I love to spend time with, but outside of them and my family I often avoid social interaction. It just seems like so much work to begin a friendship which more often than not winds up to be not worth it. I'm not nervous about new people I am just too lazy to get to know them. There are only so many hours in the day, and I sometimes feel that I am spread too thin as it is. Still I know that I should invest more time in solidifying friendships with people especially in the homeschool community. The problem with that is that since people have such diverse reasons for homeschooling it's difficult to find what I am looking for. Maybe I am just way too picky...

Socialization

2008-09-08T10:01:00.003-05:00

One of the chief complaints people have about homeschooling is that the kids won't be properly socialized. I will admit that when I started homeschooling I worried about this too. Curly Q. is such a social person that I was sure she would need lots of interaction. Bear doesn't seem to need other people as much and that made me worry too. In the past year and a half I have learned to believe what I kept telling myself.

First, different people need different amounts of socializing, and that is ok. Just because Bear prefers to play alone sometimes doesn't mean that she is destined to become a sociopath described by her neighbors as a quiet young woman who kept to herself. Curly Q. isn't destined to become a playboy bunny because she craves constant attention.

Second, when it comes to socializing quality trumps quantity any day. At school kids have plenty of opportunities to socialize, but most of the time they have no good role models to turn to for these interactions. There ends up being a blind leading the blind situation.

Last, a school social group is terribly artificial. First they stick everyone who's birthday is within a 12 month period together. Then in some case they further group the kids by ability. This might be a good idea for teaching and learning, but not for socializing.

We are becoming more active in our local homeschool group, and these points seem so obvious when spending time with them. The kids move from one conversation to another (with all ages of other kids and grownups) with total ease. Some of the kids spend lots of time socializing; some kids are more frugal with their words. None of them appear to be ill at ease although it is a very new group. There may come a time when we decide homeschooling isn't the best choice for us, but I am sure it won't because of socialization.

Midnight Rendevous

2008-09-05T10:04:00.003-05:00

I am tired again this morning. My husband will tell you it's my own fault (which it may well be, but don't tell him). You see my kids like to sneak into my bed in the middle of the night. I let them stay for a little while, then I walk them back down the hall to their own beds. Some nights we do this dance half a dozen times. My dear husband says that I should crack the whip, and they would stop. Once again, I know he's right, but the problem is that I like having them with me. I like that they need me in the night. I like that they are quiet and still and warm. In truth if we had a bigger bed I might not even do the walk down the hall over and over again. The day is coming when they won't want to snuggle up with me. The day is coming when I won't be able to provide the support they need. Some day I will have to fight the urge to climb into bed with them because I need the the reassurance only they will be able to provide. Until then I will enjoy the peace of snuggling a sleeping child in the midnight hour--even if it means a groggy morning.

My little critical thinker

2008-09-04T10:47:00.003-05:00

The other day when Sarah Palin was announced as McCain's running mate I was watching it unfold on the news. Curly Q. was watching too, and she started asking questions about the election. "I thought the person with the most votes became president and the second most became vice president." That got us to talking about how the political parties present a team for us to elect. I also mentioned that this was a big election year because there has never been a minority in the White house as either president or vice president, and since both parties have a minority on their team it we are guaranteed that a minority will be one after this election. She immediately got a strange look on her face. She says, "That's why he did it! He wanted her to be on his team because people will vote for them just to get a woman in the White House!"

My six year old daughter can see through the republican tricks... Do you think we can expect the same from the general voting population?

Day 2

2008-09-03T21:21:00.003-05:00

As it turns out Wednesdays will be long days this year. We start out the day at the dance studio and end the day at the dance studio with a long stretch of caring for Gramps in the middle. I think next week I will make sure not to schedule anything on Tuesday or Thursday after Bear's preschool.

As for dance it went well for both girls. Bear is in a small class with girls from last year. It was fun to see how much the girls have changed. They all seemed so much more serious. Last year they were all goofing around during class. This year they all focused for the whole hour class. It also helps that it is a smaller class.

Curly Q. takes classes 2 days per week. Wed. is her long day with 2 1/4 hours, and by the end of class it showed. All the girls were dragging by the end. Not that they weren't trying. Their glazed faces would alternate with looks of fierce determination. As if by sheer will they could fight off the exhaustion. Still Curly Q. said she had a lot of fun. I, on the other hand, was stuck in the lobby with biggest stage Mom of all. It was torture.

So what did we learn today class...
1. I was right to assume that Wed. will not be a school day
2. We need to pare down our fun lunches out with Mom because we are just to dang busy with "real" activities
3. I should only drink water while at the dance studio because carbonated beverages hurt when you gulp them to suppress laughter at the preposterousness (good word huh?) of aforementioned stage Mom

Not exactly the lessons I expected to learn when I got out of bed this morning.

I'm Back

2008-09-02T06:11:00.003-05:00

We took a much needed break this summer. It included lots of swimming, playing outside, and of course since I have more than one child lots of bickering. I remember doing the same thing to my Mom every August. I kind of thought since we homeschool the August blahs would be lessened, but I suppose kids will be kids.

Today is the big day for everything. Bear has decided to go to a local preschool, so she starts today. I think it will be good for her to spend time in that type of social situation. She seems to be sufficiently anxious and excited. I am feeling back to school jitters for her too, but I am sure she will do fine.
Curly Q.and I will be starting our new homeschool stuff today also. I plan to do math, spelling and grammar today. We may be able to fit in some history too. Here's our curriculum list:
Shurley Grammar
Centre for innovation in Mathematics Teaching year 2
Spelling Time
Story of the World book 2
R.E.A.L. Science: Earth and Space from Pandia press

Bear will continue to use Headsprout and will join us for some history and science activities. I am not sure how much time they are expected to focus during preschool so I am going to wait to see how much I can expect from her at home.

The girls will also continue their extra curriculars. Curly Q.will be dancing two times each week for 2 hours a day. Bear really wanted to take gymnastics so we enrolled her in that, thinking she would not take dance. Then one of her classmates from last year called and asked if she wanted to take a class with her. Beart wanted to, and I thought it was a nice idea for her to keep some friends from last year. Plus since we have sold our sold for Curly Q. to dance, Bear can dance almost for free. So as it turns out she has school or some other organized activity. We will see how it goes.

So that's the basic info on us. I plan to blog every day during the time I have set aside for Curly Q. to journal, so the radio silence should be done. Wish me luck!!

Summer Vacation

2008-07-09T05:23:00.003-05:00

Without really planning to I sort of took a summer holiday from this blog. I spent most of June helping my parents get ready for their Independence Day party. It is a huge affair (with over 100 guests), and it went off without a hitch. There were more kids this time, and each of the girls seemed to find someone new to play with.

In other news, I have been desperately searching for a gymnastics program for Bear. She decided that she doesn't want to do dance next year. I think it has little to do with whether or not she likes dance, but since Curly Q. is dance crazy, Bear wants her own thing. I can understand that. Although, it would be far more convenient if she stayed in dance. The place the girls used to take gymnastics is difficult to get to because of a road construction project which is expected to take a year so I am trying to find another place. We tried our local park district, but it is a joke. Bear can do more gymnastics in my living room. Yesterday she went to a class at another gym, and so far I am not sure. I'll keep you posted...

What If???

2008-05-31T14:55:00.002-05:00

I have been MIA, but I wanted to participate in this month's Thinking Homeschooler wiki

The question is "What would you be doing right now, if you didn't have kids?"

This is a strange question for me because I knew that one way or the other I would be a Mommy. Even when we were having trouble conceiving I just figured, "Well,I guess we should look into adoption." So the idea of no kids, well, it is tricky.

I do have some aspirations that have been put on hold (if not put away altogether) because of my choice to be a parent. I always wanted to get my PhD, and if I didn't have kids I would probably have gotten it by now. Ideally I would have designed an alternative charter school and could say that I was making a difference in the way Chicago "does" education. Truthfully I would probably be teaching college level education or literature classes. I would enjoy in-depth conversations about things other than how to get peanut butter out of carpet. My husband and I would still be up to date on non-PG rated movies. I would have money to pay someone (other than Fantastic Sam's) to cut my hair because I wouldn't spend it all on dance lessons. My morning would involve gourmet coffee and ME time. My evening would involve wine and ME time. My weekends would involve more ME time.

Hmmm... On occasion I have complained that I would love more ME time, but life without kids involved way too much ME time. (Also far to few sloppy peanut butter kissess)

So it's been a week...

2008-05-20T06:17:00.003-05:00

I really want to keep up with blogging, but it seems to get pushed down the priority list every time. Anyway, lots has been happening so here's the update.

Testing:
I decided that we should do standardized testing every year for peace of mind. So we spent last week doing the Iowa Basic Skills Test. I gave Curly Q. the first grade test, and she got nearly every question right. I was surprised to see how well she has overcome her test taking anxiety. Bear took the preschool test, and she did well on most of it, but her minor speech issues really showed up in the language section. She has a tendency to substitute the "f" sound for other sounds (like "th" or s-blends). This was really obvious on the test.
I have always heard how biased these tests are and after administering them I have to say I totally agree. The vocabulary used (not just in the vocabulary section) could mess some kids up. For example in the math section they used the word "beneath" instead of under on the preschool test. I am guessing this will confuse some preschoolers. The biggest problem I had was with the social studies section on the first grade test. One question showed three pictures and asked which shows something most people can't/don't do for themselves. The pictures were a person painting a room, a person working on their car engine, and a person gardening. Depending on your socioeconomic status all of those could be done by someone else or all of them could be done my yourself. There were many questions like that.

Dancing:
It seems that dance has taken a front seat in our lives for the past few weeks (and will continue for at least next few weeks). We love our dance studio. It is owned by 2 young women, and I love to support small independently owned businesses. Plus Curly Q. is in love with dance right now. So even when we are not at class she is practicing.
At the beginning of May Curly Q. had auditions for dance company. The studio has several such companies divided by age and ability that compete and have additional performances. Curly Q. was asked last year, but I thought she was too young. She was asked for this year, and I thought she was too young (plus the rehearsals went past her bed time). She was asked for next year, and although I still think she is too young, she is so excited that I couldn't say no again. So she auditioned and she must have done well because we found out yesterday that she will be in the petite dance company which is the higher of 2 available for her age. She is thrilled, and I am happy for her. Still I am sure I will be writing tons more about the scary stage Moms I met at the audition. Luckily I think most of the really scary ones ended up in the other company.
This past weekend Bear's class got to go to a dance competition. It was quite an experience. We were there from 7:45 until 2:00. It made for a long day especially for a 4 year old, but she handled it really well. I was actually very worried that Bear wouldn't do very well. She NEVER practices. I mean she is 4 so that is fine, but I didn't want her not know anything when she got up there. I have seen her at class, and she didn't seem to know the dance. When she got on that stage something clicked though, and she was amazing. Not only did she know all the movements, but she put the right energy and attitude into them. Anyway, the group ended up getting a gold metal, highest in their division (they were the only 4 year olds tapping), and out of all the acts they were in the top three. She is excited because she got three ribbons, but she is disappointed that the studio gets to keep the trophy.

Ok so consider yourself updated. We are finishing history this week. Bear has started Headsprout. Curly Q. is plugging away at her math and reading (although we may just skip the rest of the reading program). As for this week we have 2 days at Mom's, a trip to the recycling plant, and my brother's family is coming into town. Hopefully I will do better about blogging. I'll try to blog after our field trip tomorrow.

Mother's Day

2008-05-11T06:56:00.003-05:00

This morning I was awakened early. The excitement of the day was just too much for my girls. I got morning snuggles and then was instructed to "Go back to sleep!" After they left I opened the windows wider and turned off the air cleaner. It is lightly raining, and I lay here listening for a while. As I did I thought about my life (something I rarely take the time to do), and, as I suspected, I have it pretty good. Even with the craziness that has been chasing me down lately I can't think of a better life for me. One of the best things in my life is being a Mom. I always wanted to be a Mom, but until I actually became one I had no idea why. So in honor of Mother's Day I want to list my favorite things about being a Mom right now.

1. Middle of the night snuggles. Even though I try desperately to keep the kids in their own beds one wanders in at least once a week. I love sleeping with my arms around them. Their warm little bodies snuggled up to me. I feel like I could actually hold on to them and keep them safe from everything.

2. Husband's admiration. Husband and I have always admired each other, but it feels so good to know he thinks I am a good parent. I work harder at this "job" than I have at any other, and I love that the person in it with me not only appreciates the effort, but admires it too.

3. Curly Q.'s creativity. Curly Q. could have easily become a very smart, but non-creative kid. I don't brag that often, but she is highly gifted. It took a lot of encouragement for her to understand the creative process (i.e. that there is no "right" way to be creative). Now she writes stories, draws, makes up dances and plays. I LOVE seeing her think outside the box.

4. Bear's stubbornness. I know many people don't think a stubborn child is a good thing. I love that Bear has her own mind. Parenting her is more difficult in some ways because I have to help her see the reasons for my values and rules. Still I have no worries that she will be led by the crowd.

5. Witnessing the learning process. I am a teacher by trade, and I have always enjoyed teaching, but homeschooling is amazing. It is so different from when I was a teacher. I don't feel responsible when the girls learn something. As a teacher I was always proud that my students were all reading by the end of kindergarten. Now I enjoy watching my girls revel in their own accomplishments.

Ok so there are many more, but I have just been informed that my breakfast in bed will be ready in a minute. So I will close now.

Happy Mother's Day

Book Tag

2008-05-01T08:29:00.002-05:00

Book tag! Here are the rules...

*Pick up the nearest book.
*Turn to page 123.
*Post the 5th sentence.

Deadliest of the Species by Michael Oliveri This book was written by a friend of mine, and it is a very good horror novel. Ok commercial over :-)

"He could not tell if he argued just for the sake of a fight or if he actually took offense to her views"

If this sounds like fun... Tag you're it!!

National Spank Out Day

2008-04-30T17:34:00.002-05:00

Over at the Thinking Homeschooler the challenge is to write a post about National Spank Out day which happens to be today.

Once again I find myself in the minority. I am a person who feels that the occasional smack on the behind is effective. Both of my my children have received a few swats, and I believe when used judiciously they are a good part of a discipline toolbox. I stress that it is just one available tool. In fact I can't remember the last time either of my kids got physical punishment.

Here's an example of when a swat would have handled the situation. At the dance studio where my girls dance, there is a water dispenser. Every week it is a problem for one Mom. Her son (who is about 4) repeatedly goes to it and allows water to spill all over the floor. Every week I hear her say, "Now, E... we don't play with the water dispenser. Then she distracts him for a few minutes, but eventually he wanders back to it and the cycle is repeated. I guarantee that if that child knew that a spanking was even a remote possibility the Mom could say, "If you touch that water dispenser again you will get a swat," and the behavior would stop. Instead we hear the endless negotiation which still ends with a wet floor.

As I said, I know this position is not popular. Many people say that it inevitably leads to low self esteem or violent tendencies. As far as I am concerned that a load of crap. Yes, abuse (of any kind physical or emotional) leads to emotional problems. However, an occasional swat gets a child's attention and says I mean what I am saying. It should always be followed by a conversation to be sure the child understands where he or she went wrong, and I personally always end that conversation with the words "I love you" and a hug. Time will tell if I have created sociopaths with my discipline methods.

As a last note, this conversation always reminds me of the South Park episode on ADD.

The Hunger Site

2008-04-23T08:43:00.002-05:00

Don't forget that you can fight world hunger (and breast cancer and support rainforests, animal rescues, children's health organizations, and children's literacy) just by clicking around at this site. They also have a retail site where they sell fair trade items.

Why isn't anyone talking about this???

2008-04-22T17:48:00.002-05:00

Today being Earth Day has heralded more than the normal "green" conversation in the media. Now, truth be told, I am getting crunchier by the second. We gave up paper towels, got a recycling bin, stopped getting bags at the grocery store, etc. I think it is wonderful that being green is suddenly in vogue. All this interest in over consumption, such as "The Story of Stuff" is a great place to start, but...

Isn't the problem of overpopulation just as (if not more) important in this discussion. I haven't heard anyone say, "Maybe we should be teaching all these people living in poverty how to stop having babies." Our world is at its human being capacity. The proof is that we are depleting ALL the natural resources very quickly.

I would guess that many homeschoolers won't agree with me on this. In fact in my circle of friends (both homeschoolers and not) there are as many large families (3+ kids) as there are small families (1or 2 kids). Of course most people will agree that having more children than you can support is unwise. I think a case could be made that having more than 2 kids for a couple is irresponsible.

The question is, "When will all the movie star bring this point up?"

Oh BTW

HAPPY EARTH DAY!!!

Check out the link for The Story of Stuff. It is a long video but it will affect you.