is homeschooling right for me?

Scary night

We were awake last night until 2am!! The police were searching the woods around our house for a man with a knife. The elderly people acrossed the road must have been terrified!! I will go over today to check on them. The boys were asleep. It is so quiet out here in the boonies, I was shocked to hear the helicopter and see police on our road at 11:30pm The deputies searched until around 2 and then they left, I don't think they caught him. So the 4 hours of sleep I did get was fitful. Wow. We are supposed to leave for Orlando today and I have to pack everything and get the children out of school at noon. We will be tired that's for sure. Maybe we can get to bed fairly early tonight or I can catch a nap on the way down. How scary!!!

We had a great day yesterday. The children worked picking up rocks at one of the rentals. 25 cents per bucket. M. made 10 bucks!! N. made 3 bucks I think my dh was a little shocked. Then we came home and got in the pool. M. said on the way home he can't wait to homeschool so he can work with us everyday. He was so proud of himself. It was good to see him happy. Back to school today for a full day and then wed. til noon, then holiday road.....I need the break too. I think we will do a dry run on the homeschool thing during spring break which is 27-31. Our seeds sprouted in the little garden. We were thrilled. Beans and Peas came up first. The watermelon are spouted. The tomatoes are still just seeds. I washed 3 loads of laundry and hung them on the line yesterday. It was gorgeous out. I'm out of time for now.

Another crazy weekend

Wow what a weekend. I didn't even have time to turn on the computer. I must have about 4000 emails waiting. No public school today, but no beach either. Today we must work on the rentals. We will be taking the boys out of P.S. on Wed and leaving for Orlando to do the tourist thing with my stepson. It will be fun Seaworld and Universal Studios. So I won't be blogging for awhile. M. and N. had attended a huge birthday party on Sun. afternoon. We had such a great time. Saturday we went shopping for the present and groceries. Ick. I don't like large crowds or people when they get cranky so if you want both go to a Wal-Mart on a hot Saturday afternoon. It was a madhouse. I am always up early so I usually go at like 5:30 in the morning. No one is there and it is cooler outside. So I may try to blog this evening some more. Hello to all my friends and REInvestor I have to check out your blog and see how you are doing you and your daughter have been in my thoughts all weekend. I know what it is like don't give up.

Cyberbullies?

There is a huge story in the news about cyber bullying. It is so sad. My child is bullied at school almost everyday including yesterday. Now they can do it on the computer! This is why our computer for family use is in the kitchen where I am all the time. If the kids are on the internet I know where they are and what they are seeing. It is sad that the parents of the cyberbullies don't know what they are doing or just don't care. To be that disconnected from your children must be so ......I don't even know. The child must feel so lost without the love and attention. I will hug mine even tighter today. No public school on Monday. We will be at the beach or in the pool all day. I am ready for the school break to start.

Random blog thoughts

Last night for homework M. had a page of opposits  and nothing else. I logged on to our county's website and found that they are done learning for the year and have been since Christmas. The rest of the year after FCAT will be review. They haven't learned to multiply as a class yet. I taught M. 2 months ago. So I downloaded some sheets of simple multiplication and we did those. He did the 2x without erasing.  He needs to work on Reading Comprehesion so we did a quick story and questions too. N. drew a lovely picture of a dragon and did some clocks and time. He knows what time 6:00 is because he knows before that is Mommy's quiet time or sleeping time. He wakes up very early. He also knows 7:30 because that is bedtime. hehehe. Yesterday those same boys tried to call him names but this time he told the teacher and they got in trouble. Only 8 weeks left.

Yesterday was busy we were back to work on the rentals for a few hours and today will be a work day. We will be preparing for the texturing man to come and texture the walls. My stepson went to visit some other family in FLa so he will be back today or tomorrow. M. cried last night some boys cornered him in the bathroom and called him names again. Also in the library on Monday. He wants his Math award and Reading award for the 2nd grade. I felt so sad for him. We tried to smooth his feathers and get him to feel better. He has worked so hard all year for those awards and he really wants them. He won them last year also. So he will have to tough it out. Next week will be better starting Wed we will be in Orlando for a few days with the whole family to enjoy some theme parks and time together. Today has to be better for him. N. has been "out of it" according to the teacher, but he just wants to be at home with brother. Only 9 weeks left of the year.   

A new/old friend

What a great day yesterday was.My boys went to school early and  the older children got up late and then we went out to lunch (a treat). While they were still sleeping I went to meet a new/old friend. She and I had met at our local library and our children struck up a friendship over the summer at the children's reading groups. I had no idea that she homeschooled. Our local evaluator gave me her number and I went to her house yesterday. I was thrilled to meet her again. Her children are great and her home was lovely. Lots of pictures and love. Her portfolio was great. She was very helpful and answered all my questions. M. is going to love homeschooling and N. will fly I think once he gets the hang of things.

what hill do you want to die on?

My stepson and his girlfriend arrived from Maine last night at around 1:30am and now I am up at the usual time to get the boys ready for school. Wow am I tired. I am just glad everyone is safe and my dh made it to the airport and back without incident. I don't know how much actual work we will get done this week. We have been crazy working trying to get ready for this visit. N. got up when he heard his brother's voice. He is sleeping in a set of swim trunks so in case he needs to go swimming when he gets up. He has like 5 sets so it is ok with me. Just make sure they are clean. He is so funny explaining to me very seriously that he just has to sleep in the swim trunks. Sometimes when you are a mom you have to decide what hill you are going to die on and that wasn't mine. I'll take brushing the teeth or going to bed on time. With an ADD child you never know what will set him off.

you learn something new everyday

Today I will get ready for my step son to come in from Maine. He will be so shocked to see the weather here. We have been in the pool 2times. They still have snow. So my day will be cleaning and laundry. I relaxed in the sun yesterday and had the life of Riley watching the children play. I also learned that Mr Clean Magic Eraser takes the grime off your grout on ceramic tiles. I love that thing. You learn something new everyday.

So Sorry

Was so sorry to hear about Missey a wife mother and servant to God. She must have been a special person to be callled so early. Today is sunny and my stepson(23) will be coming on Sunday for a 2 week visit so my life with be spilling over. My boys are so excited to have big brother coming. They have many things planned. More later.

Homeschool Fuel

I went to the school yesterday and talked to the dean and straightened out the whole mess. I also found out this is not the first time she has had my son M.in there to interigate him about other "incidents" without my knowledge. I told her under no circumstances was she to have my son in there without me anymore. M. will not lie cuz he knows it is worse to lay down with a lie in your heart than to tell the truth and face it. N. had an off day and no wonder. I am wondering what they are thinking by giving the children sugar and candy for everything and then wondering why the Dean in her own words sees 25-50 children per day. There is only 700 kids in the whole school!!! We live in the sticks. I had to read less of my book yesterday my eyes are tired, but wow what a life changer. P.S. I told the Dean M. wouldn't be back next year. Then I called the Alternitive Education Office and requested my letter of intent.

I need some help with the blog

I kinda need some help with the blog I don't know how to get a comment back to grandmommy who sounds like a wonderful person and I would enjoy talking with further. Anybody who could help I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

The underground history of public education

My John Gatto book came in from the library. I am on page 57. I am not shocked at what I read but I have cried at the stories of families with their parenting choices stripped away and children's lives are ruined. I feel the same as M. was told to go to the Dean's office yesterday after 4 full weeks of perfect behavior since his suspension. For supposedly calling a boy a "dweeb". It before school and I was there. N. called the boy a "dweeb" because the boy calls him one everyday at lunch and they are just playing. Anyway M. was yelled at to confess by the Dean. He told the truth as he has been taught. I was never called or asked to come in. There was no note saying M. had been in the office I was so mad. I will be at the school today with dh to hash this out.

More Homeschool Fuel

Poor M. the teacher sent home the last 4 pages of the book and wanted them done for today. I wrote a note to say that we can only do 2 pages per night. Neither one of us has the patience for more. I ask for "t" he writes "f" and on and on. He is in tears. I have asked for testing for 1 1/2 years. I feel so terrible for him. We made it through the 2 pages with a deep breath between each letter. He said on monday night we had such fun after supper the children went out to play and dh and I sat out on the patio to watch and enjoy the weather. Last night he was working on the book. Once this is done I will be so glad. N had a so so day wonder why. Orange popsicle seems to come to mind. I will speak to his teacher about an all fruit substitute. I am hoping that when I look back upon all my entries I will have a record of how frustrated I am and it will fuel me to homeschool.

Orange popsicles and school funding

We are so tired this morning. We help the men dig all the dirt for the pool. We used it to fill in the depression in the yard from the new septic field. The pool is in and filling. M had a good first day of testing. The teacher peeked I guess and told him out of 7 pages of questions he only got two wrong. Math of course. N had a so so day. The school passed out popsicles after PE because it was about 80 degrees. N had an orange one. He is not allowed to have artificial colors. We are trying to control his ADD naturally and they know that. I was perturbed at the very least. I have read in more than one place that schools get a $500 per year per child bonus funding for each child on psychatric medicines including ADD meds. and they can force parents to put their  children on these meds. It is a funding bonus and the kids are zombies, unquestioning and blank. This is unfair to any child. Just another reason to say "See why I want to homeschool"

Wow What a Weekend!!

We had such a busy weekend, got all the fencing up for the pool and then to Lowes for the stuff and to the pool store for a new liner. We purchased a property that had a pool on it so we are recycling it and putting it at our house. We will rent the other property and it is not safe to have a rental with a pool. Sunday working around the house. We have a fixer upper. M. worked on his duck book on Sun. We went over each letter together so slowly. It must have been torture for him. He tried so hard.

Busy Saturday

Today we will be putting in our stockade fencing for the POOL!! I am so excited. The weather is really warming up and we will be so blessed for all the summer fun and relaxation. Plus I am hoping it will take some of the enery out of N. Hope your day is as busy and fun.

See why I want to homeschool?

M. had a call home from the teacher about their 10 page book they are each writing. He is in the 2nd grade. His is on ducks. They have to be hand written. Get this the book is only being written for a fund raiser where the school will sell the books. M. has dysgraphia (like dyslexia, only you can read but you can't write) This task will be daunting at best so I will go to the school each day during that time and help him one on one. Also finally they are going to move him up to 3rd grade math. He is so sharp at math. I have been battling for a while for this. He moved up in reading at the beginning of the year and is the top reader in his class. See why I want to homeschool? N. finally had is first green ticket in a week and he was so proud. We made a big fuss. He is also top reader in the class (Kindergarten) and top math also. We work alot at home to keep the boredom away. Now the big fuss on the news is that temps are hired to grade the FCAT essay. Your child's academic future rests in the hands of a temp? Ridiculous!

I sounded so sad

Well I read over my entry for yesterday and I sounded so sad. I am really excited about the prospect of homeschooling. I ordered the John Taylor Gatto book from the library yesterday and I can't wait to devour it. Our library didn't have it on the shelf. I have been reading and searching the internet for info for months. My dh is supportive however we run a business together so it will be tough. M. and N. had good days yesterday however standardized testing is next week. Yuck.

is homeschooling right for my family