Nov. 20, 2009
Home Spun strip #417
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
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Nov. 19, 2009
Home Spun strip #416
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
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Nov. 16, 2009
Home Spun strip #415
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
 Homeschooling parents. We're a talkative lot. Put us together in one place and we can chatter on. I think this is because we spend so much time with kids we crave adult talk. Especially when those adults have an idea what we are going through and love homeschooling as much as we do. When you tell a homeschooler you are tired and burnt out, they never suggest putting the kids back in school. |
Nov. 13, 2009
Home Spun strip #414
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
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Nov. 11, 2009
Home Spun strip #413
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
 Sometimes it helps to have an older child who is very excited about learning games to balance the ambivalent child. Nothing makes an activity interesting as knowing your older sibling wants to play it. |
Nov. 10, 2009
Home Spun strip #412
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
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Nov. 1, 2009
Home Spun strip #411
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
 Oops. I can't believe I forgot to put the Halloween comic strip on this blog. I've been so busy it's been a bit overwhelming to keep up on dual posting. If I ever forget to post, check my Home Spun Juggling blog for updates! |
Oct. 28, 2009
Home Spun strip #410
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
 Every year I get three pumpkins. Three kids, three pumpkins. No complaints. Well, some complaints. Someone always has the better shaped pumpkin, or the best stem. I would get very excited helping to scoop out pumpkin guts and helping them decide on designs and carve them. But as they get older, they do a lot of the work themselves. Marina has been carving her own pumpkin for years. This year Sierra did most of her own carving. They all make their own designs. Which leaves me with very little to do other than scooping pumpkin guts. Which isn't exactly fulfilling, creatively. You all know from my cakes and our edible models how much I love playing with food. This year I bought an extra pumpkin. I had to get Sierra to agree to allow me to carve one (she gave me the littlest) but it was worth it. I didn't realize how much I missed carving pumpkins. It satisfies my inner sculptor. If you want to satisfy your own inner sculptor, but without the pumpkin guts, this is a cute site for virtual pumpkin carving. Don't tell the kids until you've had some time to play with it. |
Oct. 25, 2009
Home Spun strip #409
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
 Chase has always loved his superheroes, movie and cartoon characters. As I write this, he's playing with Star Wars action figures with Sierra. I like that he is 13 and still enjoys some imaginative play with his little sister. Unfortunately, it's always been hard to find the superhero/character of the moment when he wants a costume for Halloween. They never seem to have his size. The stores always seem to assume that kids will move on to more sophisticated costumes when my son still wanted to dress up as Yu-Gi-Oh. After my last endless search for his favorite character in the right size, I put my foot down. From now on, he has to make his own costume. Last year he was "Death's Door." This year he's going to be Skulduggery Pleasant, the skeleton detective. I should have put my foot down a long time ago. |
Oct. 23, 2009
Home Spun strip #408
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
 This was one of those weeks where I would have loved to wear pajamas all day. But alas... Monday found our cupboard bare, library books needed to be returned and Marina had work. Tuesday was supposed to be my easy day. Just bring Chase to religious ed. in the evening. So of course, I chose that day to take the kids apple picking. Marina also had a meeting at the library about impending cuts to the budget. She's getting quite an education there. Wednesday was our monthly storytelling group, the Homespun Storytellers, at the smaller library, followed by playground time. Then I had to bring Sierra to tap dance class and get milk. Why are we always out of milk? I need to buy a cow. Thursday was a homeschooling get-together. "Old timers" and new homeschoolers, as well as some families who are just thinking about homeschooling. I've been to a few of these get-togethers, so you would think I wouldn't end up missing the exit. I guess I was more tired than I thought. Then I needed to stop at the pet store (Sierra's lizard needed crickets) and since the pet shop is so close to the gravitational pull of a bookstore...well, resistance is futile. I was then home long enough to check email and head back out to...anyone? Anyone? That's right! The library! Marina had a teen book group to go to. Today is Friday. So far, all I have planned is taking Marina to work. We shall see what happens... |
Oct. 20, 2009
Home Spun strip #407
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
 This particular situation works both ways. I've been known to yell out spelling words from the bathroom. Don't laugh, it keeps him on task until I get back. As you can see, my kids get to answer as many questions as I do about homeschooling. The main question my son gets is about what homeschooling is exactly. This is similar to a question Carolyn (Guilt Free Homeschooling) would get: "HOMEschooling. How does THAT work?" I was asked these exact words quite often. My response: "Quite well, thank you!" Then I continued the conversation to ask which aspects they were curious about and answer those questions. However, my initial response always resulted in a wide array of facial expressions, from amaze to shock to relief to happiness.Chase usually answers, "I school at home." He isn't really into elaborating. Especially when the same kids ask him the question repeatedly. They can't seem to wrap their minds around it. |
Oct. 19, 2009
Home Spun strip #406
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
 Yes, I have gotten this question once or twice. What about phys. ed.? It isn't my typical FAQ, but I guess it could be a variation on the big S question. No, my kids don't do teams. They could if they want to. They have formed teams in loosely organized games of dodgeball, baseball, and capture-the-flag after some homeschooling events. For the most part, they prefer individual athletic pursuits, like tree climbing and capture-the-cat-that-has-just-caught-a-shrew. Cats make wonderful sprinting coaches, in case you were wondering. |
Oct. 16, 2009
Home Spun strip #405
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
 This answer courtesy of Comfy Denim. I've used it too! In the supermarket, it's an adventure in real world math, as well as organization skills, planning, etc. I've been getting answers to the question I posed in Home Spun strip#404. Here are some of your snappy comebacks to the statement: "I could never do that!"
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Oct. 14, 2009
Home Spun strip #404
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
 This question/statement, "I don't know how you do it!" comes from The Stone Age Techie. Thanks for the memory jog, Karen! Her answer was great too: "I don't know how I fought with him for hours each night to finish his (first grade!) homework, or how I hauled him out of bed, shoveled food down his gullet, and got him out the door each day for school... we are all so much happier without that in our lives anymore!"Since I never experienced the joy of waking up my children before 8:00am, I usually give a somewhat simpler response to this question. I make it up as I go along. The partner statement for "I don't know how you do it!" is usually "I could never do that!" I hear that a lot. I never did figure out a clever response that one. Any takers? |
Oct. 12, 2009
Home Spun strip #403
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
 Continuing my series of answers to homeschooling questions, I don't know why this is such an interesting topic. It's like asking a chef what he used in that sauce, even though you may have no clue how to tell saucepan from a stew pot and limit your culinary exploits to memorizing take-out telephone numbers. I also wonder how many people throw around the term curriculum and actually know what it means. Or which meaning they mean. Know what I mean? For us, I have a list of subjects written in a notebook and we have a library. Actually, two libraries and an extensive collection of books on various topics which may or may not be perused over the course of a year. If I wanted to follow a school's curriculum, I would send them to school. Why reinvent the wheel? |
Oct. 9, 2009
Home Spun strip #402
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
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Oct. 7, 2009
Home Spun strip #401
Posted in Home Spun comic part 21
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Oct. 5, 2009
Home Spun strip #400
Posted in Home Spun comic part 20
 Every week I amaze myself by coming up with ideas, but some weekends my brain is a bit overloaded. This week's three strips were an eleventh hour inspiration. This week is already promising to be busy (when is it not?), so I'm asking for a little help. Do you have a favorite answer to a common homeschool question? Tell me! If I use your answer in a strip, I will give you credit and link to your blog! |
Oct. 2, 2009
Home Spun strip #399
Posted in Home Spun comic part 20
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Sep. 30, 2009
Home Spun strip #398
Posted in Home Spun comic part 20
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