Aug. 26, 2009 - My own personal $600 per month toilet
Never do I feel more "a leg up" in the process than the first few weeks of school. I love hearing of my friends' kids experiences...the new two minute passing time for middle school, navigating the "up" staircase and the "down" staircase, the locker jams, FB pics of school buses pulling away at 7am, the first graders who haven't yet touched a pencil. I love these because they not only fill me with a bit of nostalgia, but they also alleviate the guilt that comes when I declare a four day week or a long vacation or "heck, it's a beautiful sunny day and we're homeschoolers who are going out to enjoy it!" We've been back at it for a couple of weeks now. Rather than orientation/navigation issues, we dived into our Latin, our music practice, our adapted Shakespeare Richard III (in written and in animated formats), our Renaissance and Reformation history, our area and perimeter, algebra, TI-89 Titanium programming calculations (depending on the kid). I need the annual reminder that what we do is both flexible but also just darn efficient.
Oh, to bottle and remember these days for the upcoming November and December, when our emphasis will be on "life skills" such as how to diaper a baby, how to fix lunch so Mom can nap. I will be certain then that the kids would be so much better off somewhere--anywhere--else but home. My rational side knows this is not true, but I don't expect to be rational in the first months of a new baby.
But am I really all that rational now? (don't answer that.) 3/4 of our property taxes go to the local schools. That's about $6K annually straight to D204, or $600 monthly per 10 month school calendar. What do I get for my $600? Well, the elementary school secretary is quite kind enough to let me stop in and use the bathroom during my long morning waddles around the neighborhood. Maybe I am a chump; even if I stop in to pee every week day, that's $30 a flush. Shouldn't I also at least be given a latte and a bouquet every time I enter the building, in grateful appreciation of me forking over the cash without burdening the district with my four, soon to be five, kids?
It seems expensive to me, as far as loos go. But not having to send my kid to a non-air conditioned building at the end of August nor having them waste time searching for the "down" staircase? Priceless.
Blessings, Holly
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Aug. 17, 2009 - First Day of Homeschool
Preceded by a night of the three year old puking.
Not always considered two great things and certainly not two great things that go great together.
All in all, a successful day though. Puking was done by 4am. School started at a respectable 10am-ish and morning chores were mostly done cheerfully and well.
For the next little bit, at least until AWANA starts, we are beginning our school day with copywork/dictation from the Character Qualities chart featured on the Duggars' website:
http://www.duggarfamily.com/characterqualities.html
Today's trait was "Truthfulness" and we discussed how twisting and shading the truth can be "putting on falsehood." We also touched on the fact that one can report solely the truth yet still give an overall false report/impression. Good discussion and nice to begin the day together. After copying/writing from dictation the trait, the definition and the associated Bible verse, each kid decorated their paper with colored pencil flourishes.
We then jumped in to our new history curriculum The Mystery of History. All three boys can do this together and it also allows each kid to practice some outloud reading. We will center on Renaissance and Reformation this year. We looked at the Tower of London on google video and created a neat little flip chart to keep all the English rulers straight. The princess finger painted while we discussed the first unit in MOH. Bigger kids also watched another of the Teaching Company's 30 minute DVDs from the World History course.
The big boys practiced their music (trumpet and sax, respectively) while the eight year old tackled Rosetta Stone Latin and I ran out to the store for some supplies.
We reconvened after lunch for me to do some pattern blocks with the eight year old to reinforce the concept of "area" as we finish up his Singapore Math left over from the spring. He should move into book 4A within a week or two. The 12 year old jumped into Harold R. Jacob's Algebra and the 14 year old is learning to use his new TI-89 Titanium calculator. He'll start Thinkwell's PreCalc in the next week or so. After math, bigger boys tackled their Rosetta Stone Latin while I took a short nap and the princess watched Dora and the 8 year old played outside.
In between subjects throughout the day, there were periods of play and all the boys headed out, beating the rain, in the late afternoon. Both of the bigger boys are reading GA Henty's A Knight of the White Cross , which corresponds to what we're learning in history, and the younger boy read some of Cobblestone Publishing's wonderful Appleseeds magazine.
The 8 year old will take a Fun with Physics class at our co-op beginning in early September and might do some hands on science as part of an every other week boys' club I am forming for his age. I am still mulling science options for the two bigger kids and don't have a good solution to that yet. Lots of ideas, few concrete conclusions. The biggest kid right now is signed up for Science Olympiad at our co-op. But we need some time to build into and adjust what we already do have planned, so I am not too stressed about that elusive science component (yet). I am looking forward to the karate, art, woodworking and band that will begin with the co-op. The middle kid will play soccer this fall in a local league as well. Math Club and AWANA both gear up in mid to end of September.
I figure today will be the most organized, most planned, most generous in patience and of spirit that I am likely to be, so if long silence follows before a next update, you will know that replicating Day One has proven elusive. But if you've homeschooled more than five minutes, you probably already knew that.
Blessings, Holly
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Jul. 13, 2009 - Strong Willed Mommy.
I love this 7/13 column by Julie Bogart of Bravewriter. Good reminders to at least *this* strong willed mommy!
http://blog.bravewriter.com/
Blessings, Holly
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Mar. 23, 2009 - How to get the wrigglers reading!
Lots of active ideas to get into books with a group of boys. Great site!
Blessings, Holly
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Mar. 21, 2009 - What I do well as a mom
I don't cook. I'm not particularly patient. Hands-on activities are so, well, messy so I often avoid those.
But I pester on behalf of my children better than anyone out there. And when occasion warrants it, I can do so in charming manner (if I do say so myself).
I've been talking to the Director of Ed over at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry since November about this pilot homeschool program. In every email, I raised the issue of how firm the lower age limit of 14 really was.
On Thursday night, deadline day for the program, I sadly deleted my Science Minors email. I had more polite back and forth with the director. No, age 14 was quite firm, he said. I'll catch ya in the fall then, I said. No fall program planned, he replied. What? How 'bout spring?, I asked. Bear in mind this is a pilot program, he gently chided. You're killin' me, I told him sadly.
Last last night, the email below arrived! I am so happy! We'll fill out the app today!
Blessings,
Holly
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:26:26 -0500
Subject: Spring Science Minors
Hello all,
A few weeks ago you received the below message… This program was designed for youth 14 and up with very little exceptions. However, after further consideration youth 13 ½ are welcome to submit an application as long as they are functioning on a high school level in both science and math… Great News right? So, here are the important dates:
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Mar. 13, 2009 - Wish I had said it.
I read an article by a green advocate (Porritt) in the UK who blasts as irresponsible those families who have more than two children. Bad for the environment. Bad bad bad. Selfish.
This is somewhat akin to a home educator saying those who drive their kids to and fro to school daily are environmentally irresponsible because of the car lines formed each day. I present as evidence my local elementary school with cars lined up 30-45 minutes before the bell, engines on to keep the waiting occupants warm. No house feeding into the school lies more than one mile away and the vast majority lie within half a mile of our neighborhood elementary.
But that would be bitter and divisive to point out, so I would never say that.
I laughed outloud at this comment, though, offered by one reader of the BBC online article:
I have three children. I feel it is my duty to attempt to repopulate the World with intelligent individuals in an attempt to offset Mr Porritt's stupidity. Idiocy-offsetting, kind of like carbon offsetting, just a little more immediate.
Kirstine Berry, Bracknell
Hats off to Ms. Berry!
Blessings, Holly
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Feb. 10, 2009 - Click Schooling
For years now, I've subscribed to the free daily email clickschooling. I've recommended it to all my parent friends--homeschoolers and traditional schoolers. I tell those on my own yahoo group about it and use many of the links as resources at our site.
If you somehow missed all my enthusing about ClickSchooling in the past, be sure to check it out now! List owner Diane sends this description:
ClickSchooling <http://www.clicksch
daily, web-based curriculum ideas that save you time and money
and boost your kids' knowledge of the world. The free reviews
are sent in a daily email, Monday through Saturday, that are
focused on a specific subject as follows:
* Monday = Math
* Tuesday = Science
* Wednesday = Language Arts
* Thursday = Social Sciences
* Friday = Virtual Field Trip
* Saturday = Electives: Music, Art, & Languages
The sites include excellent information delivered in a
student-friendly, multi-media format, and often contain free
interactive games as well as printable lessons and materials
that can be tweaked to your needs and interests whether you
are homeschooling, unschooling, or after-schooling. Many
teachers use these recommended resources in the classroom as
well. Most of the sites are suitable for a wide age range.
Subscribe to ClickSchooling (by visiting
http://www.clicksch
reviews for free.
You can also search the content-rich ClickSchooling archives
here: <http://www.homefire
Blessings, Holly
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Jan. 28, 2009 - Another Step--Check out www.DanaRamsey.com
For those looking for the Disney scoop, please see my post below.
For those interested in learning more about an admirable homeschooling mom who has built a business from scratch over the past two years, be sure to check out:
I'd be proud of her even if she wasn't my sistah friend! Her own website is just another step in the path of Dana building a career that brings in necessary income while allowing to her to home educate her own kids. In the upcoming months, Dana will be expanding into portfolio assessment in addition to testing, teaching and tutoring, so be sure to check her website often!
Blessings, Holly
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Jan. 14, 2009 - Why Scholastic Lost My Business or The sixth or seventh email, now an open letter.
Hi, Scholastic:
My account is showing only as debited for the order, not credited. I will continue to monitor my account over the next few days.
Your exceptionally brief note and Scholastic's lack of apology for the bad service I received confirms my thinking that Scholastic does not care to earn my business. I have already shared my poor customer service experience with 150 home educators on the yahoo group I moderate. Several have warned of similar online ordering problems they have encountered.
It would have been simple to earn my business back. When a different company sent me a wrong order a few years back, not only was I told to keep the incorrect item with their complements, but they sent me the correct item at once with priority shipping at no charge. I received an apology note explaining that while mistakes happen, they certainly strive for better and would I please accept this $10 credit toward a future order to give them another try? You can bet I did.
When a local pool we joined did not have part of the facility ready by opening day, they sent each pass holder a note specifically explaining the hold up and the new target date for completion. Additionally, they sent us two free guest passes and explained they would add an additional weekend for passholders at the end of the season. In short, they took "lemons" that they really couldn't control and made lemonade. Not only did I rejoin the pool the next year, but I also told many of my friends about the manager's excellent handling of a potentially problematic situation.
Your company took "lemons" and has made rotten lemons from my problems. If home educators can't order for the first time on line or can't change their school address on line, that should be clearly stated somewhere on the website. It isn't.
Second, when a home educator already in your system emails to correct their address, as I did immediately after seeing my online order had defaulted to the old address, it should be corrected. If a call from verification is necessary, home educators who call in should be connected through to verification, not told they will have to wait until verification calls them. Two of my items went out of stock while I waited for that call.
Third, if verification says there will be no problem shipping to the correct address, the order should ship to the correct address.
Fourth, if it does not, customer service should not then say it is impossible to do so. What was the purpose of my online order, the email and the phone call then?
Fifth, customer service should not compound the error by saying they would not credit the account until the items sent to the incorrect address make it back. And when a customer specifically states they would like an apology, perhaps one should be forthcoming.
Sixth, if customer service then changes it's mind and decide to credit prior to receiving the incorrectly addressed order back, perhaps it should also acknowledge all the previous irritations and mistakes.
Imagine if instead of steps 1-6 from Scholastic, I had instead gotten the address corrected, a prompt apology, my order sent for free to my correct address and a credit to try Scholastic again along with a vow to do better next time? For $7 and change, you not only lost a customer but have generated poor publicity sent to 150 potential customers and several other folks telling of similar (though not as extensive) ordering difficulties.
Seems to me that's much larger than a $7 screw up. For the sake of your company, I hope you will address these training and process issues.
Sincerely,
Holly
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Dec. 2, 2008 - Holiday Curriculum covering National Standards
I realize that some of you/us, have a hard time letting go of our "regular" educational thang, whatever that thang may entail. But let's face it, by December, we and our kids are often just a bit burned out on the regular thang. Yet we worry, worry, worry that if we change our carefully calibrated agenda, something will be "missed." This, for reasons unknown, is the great horror of home educators, to "miss" covering something. Why? We don't know. Intellectually, we know we can't possibly cover everything anyway, but still, there it is.
Or maybe I'm just talking to myself and none of you face any of those internal struggles.
Either way, here's a holiday curriculum, a sortof unit study offered free by the lady who also runs the ClickSchooling yahoo group. Enjoy!
http://www.homefires.com/curriculum/holiday.asp
Blessings,
Holly
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Nov. 11, 2008 - Write what you know?
Apparently, my 11 year old channels Almanzo from Little
House. Still, I think it's a very good poem.
Blessings, Holly
Wheat and barley, all brought in.
I watch the frost claim the squash;
A white sheet, the washing of frost.
The corn is stored in a bin.
The cucumbers are placed
In pickle brine's silent embrace.
The silo sticks up solo
Through the whirling flakes of snow.
The lake iced, very near
This is my winter and I hold it dear.
By light from the lantern,
I milk the cow.
The hearth is bright as I enter the house.
I leave the cold winter night.
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Nov. 3, 2008 - Kinesthetics and Gender
A while ago, I got myself into trouble on my blog and with real life friends over my blast about full day kindergarten. That's the trouble with being both an opinionated and a nonstop talker/writer; one often lands in trouble. James 3:5-6 could well be considered the Lord's personal letter to me, which in loose paraphrase could be translated, "Shut up already."
This morning, to my delight, I ran across an article perfectly explaining my bedrock belief that institutionalized, full day school proves toxic to many, if not most, young boys. Being the mom of three boys (and a princess!), I possess more than academic interest in the topic. This author explains his view in much less controversial and moralistic tones than I typically choose. I might note that's rather effective.
http://www.homeeddirectory.com/newsletter.htm#6
Scroll about half way down for the short article on Kinesthetics and Gender.
Blessings, Holly
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Oct. 15, 2008 - Annoyed
No one really believes me when I tell people we do "not much" when it
comes to school. I suppose in some ways I'm lying, because I do try to
immerse my kids in a life of rich experiences at all times. You
unschoolers will know what I'm talkin' about. You Type A-ers will know
what I mean when I say I just can't go that direction full throttle.
I'm a tad too insecure to let go of all my schooly-ness and while I
certainly appreciate a delight driven approach, I find that bumps up
against the most empirically demonstrated fact of my faith--sin nature
(in particular, slothfulness). Two of mine might could be
unschoolers. One would be a professional gamer if let completely loose.
So, I do "not much," but I do it very consistently. The three I am
formally educating are all boys. Sitting still or sitting for any
length are not strong suits. So, we do little but I try to demand
excellence and full attention in the short bursts we do. You Charlotte
Mason fans will recognize this approach.
One routine which I've enjoyed is Tuesday Teatime. I stole this idea
from www.bravewriter.com. One need not be creative, I believe, but
merely a creative thief. Each Tuesday we sit to eat goodies and read
poems aloud. We don't really analyze them, though sometimes I might
point out a technique. We just enjoy them. Sometimes we try to write
one or two afterward "in the style of," but even that not
consistently. I just want them to love poetry. I don't know why; I'm
not even sure I love poetry, or at least not a lot of it. Maybe I am
in it for the goodies. Each boy must come with one or two selected
poems to read aloud. This receives varying degrees of thought, from
none at all to a great deal. But one kid, my 11 year old, always
writes an original poem to share.
I loved this one. He dashed it off in the 2-3 minutes before Wednesday
Wacky Words (which is what Tuesday Teatime alliterates into when we
forget or are busy). Enjoy! Blessings, Holly
Annoyed
I've got a father
I've got a mother
A little brother too.
When they annoy me,
I annoy them, I do.
I have a room
I have a broom
Mom's telling me to clean my room.
It makes me annoyed, so I annoy her too.
I'm in time out
I'm gonna pout
I'm annoyed myself; I'm gonna shout!
(I annoy myself, I do.)
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Oct. 10, 2008 - The Leopard Print Within.
Thanks to a board dust up on a homeschool forum I moderate, I've
written much publicly over the past day and even more in private
emails about how we are all so much more than the political (and
other) shorthand categories used to define us.
I am a conservative, evangelical, home educating, 40 something mama
of four kids ages two to teen. Let your mental image of me develop.
If it didn't involve long hair, glasses and denim, you're just not
being honest. And yes, I know some of you pegged me with a loaf of
home made, whole grain bread in my hand too.
Well, today, I purchased a pair of three inch high-heeled, peep-toed,
sling back, sleek-furred (though I pray to all things PETA it isn't
real fur...I don't think it is), leopard print pumps.
Take THAT, stereotype!
These pumps were made for walkin' and a walkin' s what they're gonna
do, out on a date with my fabulously hot, bald headed hubby of 17
years. Do you all remember The Velveteen Rabbit? How the rabbit had
had all the fur rubbed off of him from too much love and thus, had
become 'real'? Well, so it is with my bald headed, much loved hubby.
True to form, I did get these for a relative steal at Nordstrom Rack.
Originally $80 (who in their right mind would pay that?), I got em
for $29.90.
My point? Be fabulous. Be you. Or be a better you. Be a leopard
print you.
Blessings, Holly
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Sep. 15, 2008 - My Small Act of Civil Disobedience
I took my crew to the library today. A prominent feature shelf declared Back to School as the September theme. I moseyed on over for a look-see. ONE book on homeschooling. One really boring book, an academic issues type book with essays balancing each other. Homeschooling is good for socialization. Homeschooling prevents healthy socialization. That type of thing. Blech. I've been in education for a dozen years, on both sides of the public and home divide; I read geek books for fun and I wouldn't make it past the first essay in that thing.
I decided the good librarians at the 95th Street branch needed my help. Desperately needed it--clearly they had no finger on the pulse of real homeschoolers. So I jazzed up their feature shelf. You're welcome.
After a quick trip to the upstairs stacks for my supplies, I returned to the feature bookshelf and tucked that boring book from it's cover out position to a 90 degree turn so that only it's slim spine showed. That gave me room to feature the book detailing how a wonderful family homeschooled their African American kids into the Ivy League. I set it next to a book all about how hard it is to crack the Ivy League admissions code. I enjoyed the juxtaposition.
Next, I put Lisa Rivero's book The homeschooling option : how to decide when it's right for your family on an eye level shelf, cover out. I am hoping people will discover her and go on to read her other titles.
Finally, on the lower shelf I set the massive The complete home learning sourcebook : the essential resource guide for homeschoolers, parents, and educators covering every subject from arithmetic to zoology by Rebecca Rupp. I figure people should see a book that a decent number of homeschoolers have actually thumbed through. I accomplished all this at the most prominent bookshelf in the library without being detected. Or at least without being stopped.
I think it would be quite funny if the homeschoolers in my area make a point of going to the 95th St. branch and praise the librarians for what a great job they did representing homeschoolers on their Back to School feature shelf. It could be our little joke.
Blessings, Holly
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Sep. 8, 2008 - Good Socialization
Good socialization is primarily age-integrated. It occurs when the young are included in the lives of older and wiser people, especially parents and other family members at home and the spiritual family of one's local church. Walking with the wise is a lifestyle, not a program. It is a club of fellow enthusiasts, not a class of uninterested age-mates. --Gregg Harris
You can read the whole piece here:
http://www.hofcc.org/content/view/13/30/
Harris captures many of the reasons we have chosen to home educate.
Blessings, Holly
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Aug. 18, 2008 - Quality Kids' Literature Searchable Database
http://www.dawcl.com/introduction.html
Thanks to my cousin for letting me know about this one! And to the creator Lisa R. Bartle for providing such a resource.
Blessings, Holly
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Aug. 4, 2008 - A Must Belong To Group
http://www.homeschoolbuyersco-op.org/
For you Dave Ramsey fans, the Homeschool Buyer's Co-op is going to have a group buy on some of his financial materials within the next week. Savings up to 67%!
Homeschool Buyer's Co-op is simply a must if you home educate. It's free to join and, as far as I can tell, they don't sell your info. At least, my spam has not increased over the past year I've been a member. They save you money by pooling buying power into group buys. About once a week or so, you will receive an email updating you on the latest group buy opportunities.
I've gotten the PLATO CyberEd Science courses from them. Sure, the standard evolutionary religion is presented, but still, a decent science overview for $20. This year, I'm signed up for the God's World monthly publications from them and I'm just waiting on a BrainPOP group buy.
If you're trying to stretch a buck, this is a good group for you.
Blessings, Holly
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Aug. 1, 2008 - Clueless About Commas.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/words/grammar/punctuation/commas/index.shtml
OK, so it's not a moral failing, but my 11 year old remains totally clueless about commas. His familiarity with other forms of punctuation is glancing at best.
This is not news to me. I've been helping him clean up his poetry for some time now. He's a wonderful, lyrical writer with an artist's soul and he shines best in poetry.
But, darn it, at some point ya just gotta learn when to use a comma. This year, we will master comma use if, it, kills, me. And it may. At least if Week One in our IEW Medieval History-Based Writing Lessons book provided any indication.
If any of you are struggling to aid an English mechanics challenged kid, I highly suggest the BBC link above.
Stay, tuned for progress updates. Such progress will no doubt be slow tenuous and painful. Unless you love, sentences like in this, paragraph!
Blessings, Holly
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Aug. 1, 2008 - Sign up NOW for the best free middle school science kits I've come across!
http://ultron.aps.org/forms/aps.cgi?ID=200801
Registration just opened for the free PhysicsQuest science kits for grades 6-9. After freebies are gone, you can purchase them for somewhere in the $20 range, so click now to save yourself some money. Home educators and institutional teachers are both welcome to sign up for the freebie.
This kit provides some of my kids' favorite science activities of the year. Do-able experiments that generally work and all the components come with the kit. Am I the only one who rejoices when there is an experiment whose instructions do not begin with "Obtain plaster of paris..."? This kit is self-contained, baby! It's as if they knew some of us are a bit too busy to go gather "typical household objects" for experiments. I ask you, in what household is plaster of paris a typical household item? But I digress...
The history lover in me appreciates that each year the theme and experiments derive from one famous scientist. We've covered Ben Franklin and Marie Curie the past two years. This year, they chose Tesla. The kids will learn a little background and history as they explore the science.
Further, they use the solutions of the experiments to solve a mystery or puzzle. Schools sending in correctly completed puzzle solutions are entered into a prize drawing and your kids will receive completion certificates.
I just can't say enough about this free program, except RUN, don't walk to sign up if you've got middle school aged kids.
Blessings, Holly
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