Nov. 3, 2009 Not so bad, sometimes, not to be able to sleep
My third most embarrassing open secret is that I can be high strung. I have a dreadful time sleeping once I'm awake, especially if K woke me up while I was dreaming.
Last night after getting her back to bed at 3:30, I was totally awake. Totally awake, and cataloging things that scare or hurt me. I prayed, I forgave the people who had bothered me( probably repeats of other nights forgiveness), I confessed my worries, and tried to plan them without worrying about them. I got cranky again at the people who have hurt me, confessed that (again)...What an embarrassing cycle, I'm reading great books to my kids, I'm reading my Bible daily (through the Bible in one Year is up to Ezekial - kind of weird racy stuff some of it, my eyebrows hit the ceiling when I read it in Pioneer Girl Camp during nap hour) why do I think of that stuff when I can't sleep?
Then I thought of the big sloped meadows of Huntersfield, that smell of hay and wild thyme. I remembered the verse "Be completely humble and gentle, the Lord is near." and for once did not ask snarkily, if that is a warning or a comfort but got out of bed, stretched my sore muscles, and thought productively about my worries:
I don't have to have finished scrapbook pages to present my trip to China to my geography class, it is enough that I tell them the story with the photos secured to the cardstock with nothing but the tension of the page protector. In fact, looking at the calender, this is the last class I have to lecture in because the kids present their project on the last two days of co-op, so this is the last week I have to prepare any sort of lecture or activity for them. What a relief. Researching and Preparing a lecture in one week is just too short a time. Note to self; re-read this before attending the next planning meeting for anything.
K woke up again at 6AM, DH got up with her, listened sympathetically to my brain dump, and took K for a walk to the convenience store for some milk. I wrote our menu and grocery list.
There, my two big worries done before breakfast. It may be embarrassing, but it was a blessing too.
How did the rest of the morning go? (not that its completely gone yet, it just feels that way from daylight savings) I can't think of proper nouns, I can't get my kid's jokes, and we finished kitchen table school already, so I must have cracked the whip, though nobody cried but K - and isince she wanted to play with the paring knife, oh well, she can be thwarted. M is sick, so we stopped his school early - we really weren' t getting anywhere. I pulled out some art supplies and M drew with K while B and I caught up on adverbs. None of my formal schooling ever got to adverbs, so I'm into new territory.
I wonder if maybe I'm also getting sick, in which case, I'm not neurotic, I'm feverish. Much more respectable. ;-)
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Oct. 9, 2009 Recent Quotes
K: "See Bubbles?" in bath, while pointing to my new bottle of lavender/chamomile body wash
B: "The only good use for zuchini is in chocolate cake."
Me: We can discuss the health care bill during break time, we have to start co-op now.
M: "Today has been a medium day so far."
K: pointing to the raisin canister, "Rai rai?" |
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Sep. 16, 2009 I Need Grace this Week
I woke up today at 5AM because K was fussy. I settled her back in bed (I'm so glad it's dark at 5AM these days) but could I settle me back down? No. I got up to write lists and think.
But all I could think about was how untidy the floor was.
So, after breakfast, B took K for a walk in the stroller, while M and I picked up his room, put some beloved Bionicle boxes up on display on his display shelves, so they don't keep falling on the floor because there is no room for them in the trofasts, (Ikea removable shelf/boxes) and then vacuumed. I know that I'm entering one of those 12 yearly times of stress when I feel that I MUST VACUUM, MUST HAVE ORDER, MUST...
It's funny how emotionally linked I am to my carpet: no white bits of pilly paper? I feel serene. STUFF everywhere? I feel crazy. Ask any of my college roomates, lab partners, my Husband, or my Mother: I am not a tidy person, but lately, I must have order.
Yesterday, I HAD TO GARDEN. I dug up the problematic flower bed, set aside the "iris that wanted to take over the world," separated out the golden day lilies, found most of the camasia bulbs, and a few daffodil and tulips, replanted them in the 'anything goes' bed, dug in some
fertilizer, talked to the passing high school students (I asked them to use quieter voices during Kari's nap time, to which they added to their loudest companion, or scape goat, "and DON'T CUSS!") then planted the new peach colored Darwin tulips, day lilies and re-emerging oriental poppy, gave away some of the iris, then gave away the rest after supper. I still have some in the rose bed, where the flowers go beautifully with the leaves of the rosa rubiflolia in June where there are flowers.
I couldn't help digging up the morning glory, which was the only thing still blooming, but for all the lost beauty, it's much tidier, which is comforting.
I guess I MUST HAVE ORDER, because Co-op starts this Friday, I haven't yet printed the charts of what student is where for connecting parents with children in case of fire, loose teeth (long story) or temper tantrums, I haven't completely decided what I'm doing with the kids in my frame construction modeling class (AKA Messing About with Drinking Straw Construction by Bernie Zubrowski) or Geography class, although I did go shopping yesterday, and I keep getting e-mails about other co-op classes. This Sunday is the first day DH and I adapt a CEF Bible Club curricula for Sundayschool ages toddler through 5th grade.
I'm excited about all this, but for some reason, I can't sleep and I NEED to vacuum (and dig in the garden and have order...) So, please pray for me -
and the people putting up with me this week!
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Jul. 15, 2009 Odds and Ends before Surgery
I'm trying not to think too apocalyptically about tomorrow's surgery. I've learned how to use my crutches, I need to practice some more today. DH has been settling K back down to sleep sometimes in the night, so we know that she does know how to fall asleep again without nursing. The deaconesses have lined up who is bringing meals for next week, and who will drop by to take M and K to the park sometimes (B will be at camp next week). I do dread starting the day with no water or food, even if the surgery is at 9AM. I dread how I may react to the anesthesia, and analgesics, and how poor K will do while I must "pump and dump." How am I going to show her affection while telling her she can't nurse (and wrestling with her?) Will it be more stressful for her to just have other caretakers, or will it be better for her if I just keep explaining? She does like her Ducky-Dolly, but really, I am her 'lovie.'
It's a reassuring thing that everyone at the hospital was glad I'm attacking the toe joint now, before the other toe joints are affected. I sure hope the better toe makes my hip stop aching. But sometimes this seems like an expensive, upsetting move.
I've ordered some books and videos from the interlibrary loan that I'm interested in reading. This first week of recovery, I'm supposed to elevate my foot, and keep ice on it, so making scrap book pages or sewing won't be possible, (I have to sit up for that). I probably will be too sleepy for that anyway. I may have a lot of pain too (yuck). I hope I can take something other than Percocet, as I get wicked scary dreams from that. What a waste, all that time on my hands, with people to watch my little kids, but can I make anything? No, I can just lie down, read books and watch TV. If I had a knitting project, maybe I could accomplish something, but I don't have anything started. Maybe I'll swatch some ideas? I could perhaps organize photos for the China scrapbook I've been planning for the last year and a half, perhaps I should splurge today and print them so I have the prints to visualize off-computer.
I hope I might be able to play on the computer a bit though, if I put my foot up (but over my heart? Maybe I'll get to play on the computer later.) Cathy Z did a cool tutorial on Alli Edward's blog about using photoshop to make photo collages for scrapbooking. I want to figure out how to do that on the Gimp. (Since my computer is a Frankenstein of parts DH found on the road on recycling day with a few choice things ordered from E-Bay or Tiger Direct, we use Linux, Ubuntu in particular. It makes no sense to buy a platform that costs more than the hardware. But standard tutorials need translation, even if open source programs rocks.)
K's whitenoise CD does help with neighbor's noises and the refrigerator motor roar, but it's not enough for her to sleep soundly. I'm still getting up with her more than twice a night to sooth her back to sleep. I borrowed the No Cry Sleep Solution for Toddlers and Preschoolers from the Library. We tried putting her bedtime back to 7PM, when she is fussy right after dinner. We actually started the bedtime ritual at 6:30. She did sleep well last night.
My Mom's car transmittion was declaired dead; the real problem was that the engine is cronically overheated, and stressing out the transmittion. So she bought a new red car last night wiht the trade in. I forget what sort of car it is, but I'll post soon. Or maybe I won't. I should spend to day on stuff I've got to get done before the surgery. |
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So, what are the things I usually do that no one else has to usually worry about?
I need to get them listed because I'm about to pass them over to the other adults in the extended family. The last few times I did this were when K and M were born, or when I went to Guang Zhou. But in China, I wasn't around to pick holes if someone did it differently, and with babies I was around to answer questions. I'm not really sure what it will be like on Thursday after the bunionectomy, but my mother in law the RN said that it won't be as big a deal as childbirth (my only in patient experience, the foot surgery is outpatient though.) I just hope I'm gracious and patient! That worries me about as much as will I get weird dreams from pain meds and how much is this going to hurt?
I got my crutches yesterday, and lessons in the PT department. I can even do stairs, though it makes me tired, I'd better practice and get stronger - will this count as exercise?
M woke up vomitting today, and B just went to bed felling off. K is complaining in her crib that she is NOT tired. I guess if it's a stomach bug, I won't be having surgery on Thursday, or something. I'm washing my hands a lot.
Things I do once a week:
Thursday - pick up the CSA box
Friday - create a menu that will use up all our share of the veggies, buy groceries based on what the recipees call for that we do not already have on hand, and any things we're running out of for the house.
At some time during the week make the kids pick up the floors, then vacuum the house while M and B play with K.
At some point clean the bathroom
At some point mop the kitchen floor
Monday take out the garbage from all the little waste baskets throughout the house (workshop, B's desk, under the kitchen sink, under the bathroom sink, K's room and diaper genie, my room) that way they get collected on Tuesday morning when the trash and recyling trucks come. B takes out the recycling.
I'm the only one who puts away my clothes, K's and DH's. B does his own and M's. Well, that's not really a one foot job, so I'll have to explain what order there is in that one.
Keep up with e-mail reminders from the library and try to get books returned or renewed before we have fines.
I'll add to the list as I think of things, M just crawed on my lap for a cuddle, and the time says I'd better get my bath in if I'm going to do it at all before K wakes up.
Addendum: I do 17 of the 20 loads of Laundry a week.
I also cook 19 of the week's meals generally speaking.
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Jul. 13, 2009 Thoughts on our schedule
When I was starting to think about homeschooling, I did NOT want to have a schedule, not that I don't crave order or structure, it's just that the most readily available books on homeschooling in my library were written by un-schoolers, and I thought that I'd be too un-responsive to my kid's educational passions if I had a schedule. I also know how task oriented I get if I have a list - oh I LOVE lists, but I'm not always lovable while I'm fixated on one.
So with my foot surgery looming this Thursday, and being able to describe what the kids expect as a normal day being a good idea as I'm about to pass them off on my Mom, DH, and my in-laws, I made the slightly snarky chart from the last entry. I truly was surprised by how predicable our days are.
One thing that jumps out to me is that when M has been telling me that he's bored, he's not just complaining. I really need to focus on him more.
I downloaded Susan Wise Bauer's talk from Amazon last May about the Joys of Classical Education. It made a lot of sense that a grammar stage child's greatest need is for things to be the same, as they don't realy know what to expect out of time yet. M is always asking what day it is (and not just because he wants a turn at warzone 2010, or BZ Flag, which are only allowed on weekends). He doesn't know yet. I've been avoiding time to go home now meltdowns at the park since B was a toddler by giving a heads up, "You have time for one more slide, then we are leaving." I learned that trick at a class on personality in children at a conference on childcare, my neighbor organized it for the local day care centers for getting the credit hours their workers needed.
Since May, I've been reminding M of what day it is, and helping him get oriented to the week. This Sunday he gleefully announced at breakfast that today was Sunday, and that meant Sunday school.
I also took a book out of the library on toddlers and sleep. I can dream can't I?
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Jun. 4, 2009 On re-reading children's literature
Last Fall when I read M The Chronicles of Narnia, I realized that CS Lewis gave me my love of parenthesis.
When I read The Borrowers last month, I found the housekeeper character really creepy, and wondered that I had such cozy memories of reading the to book myself. It was my second long book that I read to myself after the Secret Garden, both books undertaken after Mrs Brock the Nyack Children's Librarian showed us movies in the cool basement during a hot, muggy summer.
I'm in the middle of The Jungle Book right now, it's recommended to go with the chapters on England and India in the Story of the World Volume III. I never actually read this before, I tried in 4th grade, but the type was too small, and I got confused on the animal names. I'd been given a record of the Disney songs from their movie, and I wanted to be pretty and mysterious as the little girl singing about "when I'm grown," There doesn't seem to be much of her in the books at all though. Wow, talk about nature being red in tooth and claw, B keeps pointing out things he's read about wolves being different from the stories, I keep reminding him that Kipling hadn't actually visited the jungle, although he was born in India. The boys are enjoying it very much, although for me, sometimes this gets just a bit too....19th century manly? Jingoistic?
I do like the poetry though.
I've been reading ahead: It's time for me to go read the chapter about all the people killing one another to get the jewels Mowgli takes out of the ruined city, and gives back to the toothless cobra before anyone else gets killed. What cheerful nap time reading ;-(
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May. 30, 2009 Nothing like finding out directly:
Henry Cate read an article that there are more girls than boys being homeschooled these days, and decided to do an informal survey to see if it is so. The comments section are interesting. He'd really like it if you add your comments and info to his survey.
Since both of my students are boys, we don't fit that description. I do remember that there were more young women than young men at Houghton ("a private Christian liberal arts college in a rual setting,") when I was a student, so perhaps families do tend to feel more protective towards their girls than their boys, although the friction from a bad educational fit for a boy in the younger grades seems to me to be a really, really, really compelling reason to homeschool.
But then, I'm not explaining us, I'm explaining the mythical statistical people out there. We did have trouble finding play mates for B until we sponcered a Lego club. M is still looking for playmates even after we did a lego club for him. So, around here, yes there do seem to be more girls than boys being homeschooled. |
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DH got all seven of the new shelves up! Now I have to (get to?) transfer and arrange the books from the old living room now workshop/study to the guest den. There are a lot of books.
Susan Wise Bauer's resent blog quoting an article about text book creation makes me glad we do own so many books, especially with the Percival Blakeney Academy amen to that and the Handmade Homeschool musings on reading and writing made me wonder about my own library.
What books do I own and why? I'm about to be lugging them down the hall. There are lots of paper backed novels from my teen years (including college) usually things the local library didn't carry, like ALL the Anne of Green Gables books, lots of Lord Peter Whimsey mysteries, George MacDonald edited for modern reader pot boilers, C. S. Lewis essays, biographies of favorite writers, Madeleine L'Engle books as they were being published. Old math books that DH actually does refer to when he cooks up engineering projects, chemistry texts that I can't bear to give up yet, intro to Greek books from out stint at TEDS, LOTs of how to knit books,sewing reference, scrapbooking magazines, gardening reference, and now various homeschooling how-tos or children's literature that the library doesn't carry. Books being published that I just had to know What-Happens-Next are also on the shelf (the latter Harry Potters, the Queen of Attolia, for some reason I did wait for the library copy of the King of Attolia, although DH kept getting dibs on it, so I read it aloud to him so we both could find out What-Happens-Next)
So, with South Eastern Mass public libraries mostly linked up into an interlibrary loan group that is as fast as Amazon, I usually get books out of the library rather than buy them (even second hand, unless I just Have to have it...) but I do seem to buy a lot of reference, because my projects last longer than the one month borrow period; if I'm going to be peering at something daily, possibly dribbling coffee on it, possibly ruining the spine, I should buy it anyway, I'm courting fines.
Not that I don't have lots of fines any way. I keep money in the library backpack pocket with the library cards so I can always cheerfully pay fines and keep the books flowing (and being stored on someone else's shelf when I'm done!) DH calls it our Homeschooling Book Club Membership Dues, the librarians think we are refreshingly goofy, and always let us know about fines gently and kindly.
But with town budget cuts, many of the participating libraries are beginning not to send out their collections on interlibrary loan, so I may begin to have to buy more living books for the homeschool myself. I wonder what books will be sent away to make room, and which ones will continue to board here?
Maybe we'll just buy more shelves.
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May. 4, 2009 More Signs of Spring in Earnest
On the drive to church yesterday, DH said that the colors of the buds were like an echo of the Fall, but with "eager green," visible too.
This Morning K reassured me that the sounds out the window were, "Deh zing." The birds had woken her up and scared her, DH must have been teaching her what they were before he brought her to me. She didn't sleep well last night.
The apartment smells of lilac, and new paint (Laura Ashely Sage Green). |
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Apr. 28, 2009 If K is sleeping better, why am I so Foggy?
OK, it's time to stop day dreaming, get showered and start the teacher intensive school - B is doing his chores, K appears to be sleeping, and M is hosting a Bionical War in the bedroom, I hear lots of laser sound effects.
The weather outside is beguiling, even with the mayflies. I weeded the flower beds when I brought out one more load of garbage before the truck arrived. I just got pulled into it. The peonys are copper colored shoots, the hyacinths and early tulips are done, but the late tulips and daffodils are fresh and charming.
DH moved ALL the furniture last night, but we have to pick up the little boxes and unpacked stuff before we can begin to prep for painting the new library/TV room/guest bedroom. I stayed up last night to keep him company, and also because I was too sleepy to go to bed (that involved moving) - maybe that's why I'm foggy? K only woke up at 2AM last nigh, she did the same the night before! I think we are done with this particular teeth/growth/noisy upstairs/whatever it was but Baby couldn't sleep bit. But my mental acuity is really dull. Still.
When I dressed K this morning, She picked up a fancy pink and brown diaper cover that matched her skirt, and said, "Hmmm?" on a rising inflection when I held out her pants. So I let her wear the skirt even though it was chilly at breakfast, she kept swishing the fabric and smiling at me. I think she likes the pretty spring clothes coming out of the hand me down closet.
I like the way change of season clothes means everyone has something to wear even if I'm out of laundry quarters!
OK Christine: go get clean. Go teach spelling. Go, Go, Go!
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Apr. 23, 2009 What to do this morning
K is singing to me from her crib that she isn't sleepy. That though she's got a little fever, she isn't sleepy, that she wants out.
Her brothers are at a VBS right now, and I want to get things done. Like get those pull on pants I sewed yesterday to work better by adding another row of elastic, because they don't stay up very well. Sewing means putting her into her enclosure so she doesn't explore the ironing board, or pin cushion, or the boxes of who knows what in the half of the workshop that isn't packed yet. I'm sure that would make her sing some blues, and not help her nap at all.
Why am I sewing in the middle of a move? I'm desperate for clothes, after trying to shop for attractive, affordable, modest clothing last week I decided this was what I had to do. And with 2/3 of my kids elsewhere these mornings this was the time.
Well...maybe when DH and I talked it out, I should have gone into more details about what it means to sew well fitting clothes...
I think I'll let K out, and go to the library to pick up that book about organizing paper work and workshops. Maybe after the sunshine she'll nap easier, or fall asleep in her stroller.
Then I'll fix the elastic.
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Mar. 31, 2009 Signs of Spring:
Robins coming out of the woods to my lawn
Peepers singing in the vernal pools
My boys begging to not wear coats (hats, mittens...)
...then asking for cocoa
Catalogs of pretty Spring cloths
Mom bought K an Easter dress
A skate boarder just surfed the hill by my house
- his boxer shorts were blue and white striped.
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Mar. 25, 2009 Notes for a schooling almanac
We are all healthy. We are back from visiting in NY. So I cracked the whip this morning and got all the teacher intensive stuff in before 11AM so we could go to the park. This afternoon B has been working steadily on his independent work, we were hoping to run out the Staples before supper, but K finally fell asleep and so that won't be happening today.
Today will be the first day I have on record as fulfilling all of my goals for a school day since late January.
I think I set really high goals last August.
If I ever construct an almanac of our homeschooling year, I need to remind myself that while "school vacation week" in February is a crowded time at museums, it's still a good idea, because whatever time we gain by not vacationing, we loose in two good sick weeks. The birthday rich month of March is also full of wonderful field trips (I'd rather foot the money for a museum than a birthday party, you don't have to store all the new toys, usually the fall apart easily kind kids pick out, and I get weekly doses of hosting other people's excited children at co-op and Lego.) But March is not a month full of crossing out kitchen table school achievements. For one thing, the time change wipes us out around here - we may not go anywhere but church on an outside schedule, but around here, the morning starts with Daddy's shower shutdown, and he is on a schedule.
Last year I went to China for 2 weeks in October, then had jet lag for two weeks, then had a baby, then the guys had Chicken Pox. We finished school in early July, enough to report that we were done with a good conscience.
I found out yesterday that I need surgery for a bunion. Hopefully we will still finish in good time to file all the papers, pick out new curricula, and make the personal use portfolio.
Maybe I'd better not worry about it; sufficient unto the day is the trouble thereof...and the deaconesses at my church make awesome casseroles.
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Feb. 25, 2009 My solo trip to the CVS
We needed bar soap for hands last night, so DH asked me if I wanted the chance to be the errand adult, and I took it. I also added, that as long as I was going to the CVS, I'd get the 118 photos of K printed, the ones I want to scrap. DH did a quick mental multiplication of $.19 a photo and let me at it.
While I waited for the one hour printing to crank through, I read some books in the back row, they had one featured on Focus on the Family lately about birth order, by Dr Keven Lehman. I read it gingerly so I didn't damage the spine. Today I was trying to de-emphasis perfectionism in both the school boys, they are functionally first borns being 5 years apart. Since all 3 of my kids are five years apart, its sort of like raising 3 only children, according to the book.
Question for the homeschool bloggisphere: how do you teach the fussy/perfect subjects like spelling and handwriting without encouraging perfectionism in your so inclined children? What if you the parent ARE the teacher? I know it can be done, even though most of the childhood advice books assume that these roles are done by two different people. I don't particularly want to Jeckle/Hyde myself though!
The book urged folks not to neglect younger children's photo albums. How's that for a pat on the back? When I got home, K wanted to play with the photos. She kept saying, "Kitty!" and pointing to the baby pictures. "Kitty," appears to mean anything cute, like her stuffed animal cat. Well, she is that cute.
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Jan. 3, 2009 ADD post at The Thinking Mother Dec. 22, 2008 My Favorite thing about Homeschooling is... Oct. 3, 2008 What to do? What to do?
Baby K is sleeping, DH and the boys are at the YMCA swimming. I could do lots of mother culture type stuff. I think I'm too tired to think of which though:
I could organize my craft desk.
I could write messages inside the cards I have just made this last week that are on top of the desk and clean them up that way.
I could so sit in the living room that DH re-arranged beautifully and watch the new-to-us TV he fixed the fuse in and anchored to the wall (safety note for readers: if you aren't a trained electronic technician, don't try to fix anything with a screen; the power supply can hold a BIG charge for a long time after the gadget has been un-plugged)
I can go answer my phone!
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Sep. 4, 2008 So that's why we had no Autumn Garden last year...
Spinach actually grows nicer for me in the Fall than in the Spring. I was wondering last week: why hadn't I grown any last Fall?
This week as I was trying to get ready to start school and/or procrastinating on getting ready to start school (cleaning out closets, bringing outgrown/not their color hand me downs to the Salvation Army, writing schedules for their subjects, organizing the coming co-op, Sunday School and Lego classes I'll be teaching) I realized why I hadn't gotten any spinach, lettuce or carrots planted last August. I must have been either preparing to start up homeschool, or procrastinating on starting up homeschool.
We planted spinach, carrots, lettuce and Swiss chard yesterday, pulled lots of impressive purselane (didn't eat it though, I'm the only one who likes it) and rag weed as high as M. I kept telling myself that this was science. I felt guilty that we weren't "doing school." which is why I keep telling myself we are going to switch to year round schooling, so I don't have the guilt of starting or not starting.
Well, this year we did plant the veggies, maybe next year we will school year round.
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Aug. 2, 2008 Outlines, Gardens and Chilling Out though Sleep Deprived (with pictures)
I've been thinking about how we sort and organize ideas, and wondering how to present the information to the children who will be taking my research paper class this Fall at Co-op. Planning a bulb bed is like making an outline, you have to put things together, and pay attention to chronology, no matter how beautiful two flowers would be together, if one is done blooming before another starts, you'll never see them together (without some greenhouse tricks but that's too complex for me!) I thought this game the gardeners play at Blithewold is a great idea! Sort of like keeping a tough scrap book page out on your desk for a while up-sidedown so you can fiddle with the lay out and just think composition, not getting all tied up in other associations.
Writing about gardens, I took the boys and K to Tranquil lake yesterday. Its been two years since we visited, M is now wearing that shirt B is pictured in!
I wanted to see what cool things they have done to the display gardens.
Meanwhile, I got frustrated with the children, because of all their logistics: I need a drink, where is the portapotty, oh, K needs changed,
 I don't think you can wear her backpack style, she's slipping...when I realized that they were having fun, and all that stuff was fun for them, it wasn't things to get over with in order to have fun in the garden.
 So many day lilies were blooming in the fields, some year when I want to work on the succession of my flower beds, I'll go there when I have a blank spot, and order a lily that blooms when mine are done. That should fill in gaps nicely.
I Wonder the best way to suggest that the kids fill in gaps in a paper' s argument, or find information when their outline is thin. I wonder how to get them to actually look for weak spots without feeling bad. Can the library ever seem as inviting as a garden?
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