Nov. 1, 2008 - Lit, Math and youth group revisited
Side bar: AND WHERE did the frog come from on my blog??? Cute little green guy, but I sure didn't put him there....I don't know how!!!
Man, our plates are so full, I just can't seem to use this blog like I did last year; as a daily journal of small son's education. Blech.
MAYBE if I got up earlier.....but this whole menopause/hot flash/disturb your sleep every couple of hours things is for THE BIRDS. I got more sleep when my children were babies....thought the 'sleepless' part of my life was OVER!!!!
SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
On that note.....some more changes.
Gotta love homeschooling, don't ya? We try something, it doesn't work for our children, or fit our lifestyle....and we can CHANGE IT!!! Try doing that in your local school system. I'd tell you stories about my neighbor and her 9 and 4 y/o and the trials they've endured just this year.....but.....it's same song second verse, so I'll spare you the details. I'd be 'preachin' to the choir' anyway, eh?
About the changes.
Small son has decided that this slick 'computer' school HE choose.....just isn't his cup of tea! Not sure exactly what it is about it that he doesn't like, but....I HAVE noticed that he likes holding a book in his hand. AND he loves reading, which is why the literature based, Charlotte Mason approach is what we're going back to ............AGAIN. Upon small son's request.
I know this happened last year, only later in the year. This time it only took about 3-4 weeks for him to 'zone out'. You'd think the flashing graphics and funny people on this thing would hold his interest.....but.....he IS gravitating more to history and is intrigued with all things Egypt and Arabic. How to explain to your Aspie 13 y/o that there is war and unrest in the part of the world he wants to go 'dig' in. Sigh. Ah, for innocence.
SOOOOO.....that being said, I am scrambling to find some of his old texts from that discipline.....some here, some there (there being the storage unit that was blown away this summer by the tornado)....and some I will have to buy or borrow from yon library.
No more Lit class......his last class was Wed. I will miss my one hour with some great moms. But, it is best for small son. He will NOT miss being the only boy in a class of 6 giggly, adolescent, soon to be full blown teen girls. Can you believe they studied Call of the Wild?? Such a boy book.....anyway, that experience is over.....and he even admitted he was glad he did it....just does NOT want to do it again. Hmmm. Maybe more unit studies or guide sheets for lit, eh?
Math. What can I say about THE most frustrating experience of my life?? It's like God is just NOT going to give up......I mean, I hated math when I was in 4th grade and the teach accused me of being a 'busy body' b/c I gave a girl a pencil who had arrived late to class b/c of 'catechism' classes. (always been a 'need filler', but in p/s, I guess that's a bad thing).
Then there was the whole "Quizmo" experience. My dad would sit me down on weekends at our dining room table and literally try to POUND math facts into my head. He thought he was "helping", I'm sure, since he was the proverbial 2nd shift dad and not around during the week in the evenings to 'help'. All I remember was tears and heartache.
I think those experiences traumatized me and I never got past......division. Anyway, large son and only daughter seemed to muck thru it ok in p/s .......and now in my twilight years......God has gifted me with this child as a reminder, I guess, of what I still need to work on (or as a reminder of my failure or maybe a chance for me to finally 'get it'??).
Sigh.
SOOOO......I ordered another MathUSee student text and we're doing it AGAIN. WHY is it so hard for him to grasp the concept of place value?? Isn't that a foundational concept???
Well, we watched "Rainman" with Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise (I do NOT recommend that movie to anyone unless they have TVGuardian, HORRIBLE language, which reminds me, they seem to have replaced the atrocious language of the 80's and 90's with violence and sex?? Or is that just me that thinks that?)......Dustin Hoffmans portrayal of an autsitic adult was hard for me to watch.
So many of his 'responses' to his brother were so similar to small sons. "I don't know".....the fact he had no concept of time unless it was tied to a tv program.....the sound sensitivity.....phew.
HOWEVER.....there was that phenomenal math ability.....wouldn't it be grand if our lives were like the movies??
So.....back to MathUSee, and he's really not dragging his heels too badly with this. I think b/c it's 'easier' b/c he's already done it? I refuse to skip him past the place value part until I know he REALLY understands.....and if he never does???? Well, that is something I'm leaving to God.
And it seems my decision about Youth Group has been vetoed by hubby......hmmm.
He insists small son go every other Sun. afternoon and participate.....even if all he does is sit there and soak it in.....perhaps he is right. Small son loves to do everything else with these kids.....maybe he just isn't comfortable with all the personal/God talk stuff?? Seems to fit.
This Sunday is our Hymn sing/potluck. NEXT Sunday is the YCL youth thing.....we'll see how it goes.
SO.
No more Lit class. Co-op on Tuesdays. Signed up for the second session of Art.....starts in 2 weeks. MathUSee is it for us.....AND......apparently Ambleside Online. YCL every other Sunday afternoon. And a partridge in a pear tree.
Life goes on.
Pray as we locate books.
Denise aka The Domestic Angel
