Susie-Q&A
• Aug. 29, 2009 - Classical Conversations: Week One
We had a great day at Classical Conversations yesterday. Even though Chicken was very nervous about the Foundations presentation (a simple introduction), she managed fine. I enjoyed all the tutors and thought they did a great job.
I was so glad to have attended that Parent Practicum. I’d be even more whirly in the head had I not had that introduction. I think the children enjoyed themselves…I know Scrub did! He *loved* the art class! Mopsy loves anything that involves social interaction and talking about her toys (show and tell). Bug said she “didn’t understand a thing,” but I reminded her that this was an intro, and things would become clearer as we went. Buster only got the “I-can’t-do-this!” anxiety once (to my knowledge); and his tutor put it right to rest by reassuring him. I was surprised that he actually got engaged and called out answers. He seemed to understand the content fine.
My one misgiving arose from Fuzzy’s abhorrence of nurseries. (I’ve never made him stay in church nurseries because we were visiting around for so long and they were all total strangers to him. Plus, the little ones always seem to get sick, and then there’s a risk of ear infection, and I just *hate* having to guess if it is or isn’t an ear infection and wonder if I should take them to a doctor. At least CC has a sick policy.)
I knew I’d have to walk away from a screaming child yesterday and, as it turned out, I did. However, I was informed later that he did not cry for very long--just off and on, and even played and napped a bit. It’s a long day for a little guy to spend with complete strangers, and I felt for him. Yes, I guess I coddle him a bit too much. He’s my baby, after all. Pudge didn’t even want to stay in the second session, and he usually likes to stay and play with toy trucks. He settled in, though. Over time they’ll get to know people and be less apprehensive, I’m sure. They do get a lunch break with family, and some outside running time.
Right now, I’m a bit scattered as to what I need to prepare next week. I’m afraid I’m going to forget or neglect something and let the kids down. I feel like I need some sort of CC clearing house to gather up all the disparate documents, instructions, schedules, etc. (I have a notebook, but my stuff has already outgrown it! And there are several different binders and books that the stuff is contained it.) Maybe a daytimer? Really, what I need is a single sheet checklist, and I do happen to have a student one, thanks to a long-distance CC Facebook friend. (See? Those social networking sites can come in right handy.) I need to rework it to include Mom’s duties too. "Check calendar--is it a helper day?" for instance.
I have some sort of “helper” duty next week and even though I wrote all my 2009 helper dates on the calendar, right now I can’t even remember what that is—oh yes, I think it’s nursery back-up, or something, and I don’t even know the nursery workers and their names yet. So I’m a bit nervous about that. Plus I have to remember to go check on it halfway through the session, or something like that. I think? And the girls are supposed to wear green to Essentials, and the little kids are supposed to dress for messy art lessons, and we’re supposed to print and staple checklists to assignments, and we need *two* snacks for each child, not one, morning *and* afternoon, and I’m low on grocery money, so that means I need to bake something, and I have no working homeschool computer or printer, so I’ll have to print stuff at Staples, which means I need to go through and tab everything we could possibly need for this week, and download whatever has been sent so far from the tutors via my laptop and put it on a flash drive, and I can’t do handwriting using the history sentences without my StartWrite (on dead computer, so I will have to re-download the software once the hard drive’s replaced) and oh yeah, there are presentations to prepare for five kids, and I don’t have enough in the budget to join C3 and download memory songs or order the CD/CD-ROM, or even buy enough laminator pouches to laminate the history or vocabulary cards—thank *heaven* the tin whistle thing is 7 weeks away because four of them need tin whistles!…and…and…my head is whirling! LOL! I’ll feel so much better once the routine is down pat. This mish-mash is literally the way I think. Oh what I wouldn’t give to have a logical, 1-2-3, organized mind. I can concentrate on the theoretical just fine, but practical arrangements stymie me. I *did,* however, drag out the roll-y suitcase to haul all those binders around in. Won’t be without that next week.
As for lunches, I think I’ll have to nix the cooler idea…not enough hands…no way can I pack 7 different lunch bags…kids won’t keep up with them…so we’re sticking with a plain old grocery sack to carry it all together since we all have to eat together anyway, and *one* water bottle per backpack. Just make it last or refill it at the tap, kids.
But logistics aside...I’m really glad that we are all learning the same content. That makes homeschooling so much easier. I can just use that one student checklist to make sure we cover everything for everybody during the week! And I know the “train the brain to retain” thing is going to be so much more effective than the eclectic stuff I was doing. They will actually remember it! So, overall, 2 thumbs up!
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• Sep. 8, 2009 - Classical Conversations