Air Force Homeschoolers - Homeschool Blogger

Gelato

Tue, 27 May 2008 13:21:00 -0500

Gelato....yummy yummy yum....

It's been hot (believe it or not) here in Germany the past few days, plus around 90% humidity, which makes me question, are we in Arkansas or Europe, for pity's sake??? I've been moaning and groaning about how on earth we'll get through the summer months with no A/C, which apparently the Germans don't believe in. (yes! I am a spoiled American!!)

Until this....the sound of a bell, the little gelato truck coming around the corner...

Oh......where have you been all my life, gelato? Move over, Blue Bell....I've found how we will get through the summer!

This week....

Sun, 25 May 2008 02:21:00 -0500

I think I have earned a day of rest today. Seems we've been in a whirl since returning from the Netherlands a couple of weekends ago, but what an experience!The highlights, of course, were visiting the Anne Frank House, and seeing the tulip gardens at the Keukenhof Gardens. It really is as beautiful as you can imagine:

Since then, we received shipment of our household goods, so we've been working on unpacking and making the house liveable with our own things.

You appreciate the little stuff when you've lived out of a suitcase for 2 and a half months!

Other activities this week....

...watching baseball games--lots of them, it's tournament weekend

...going on walks and enjoying the trails as they green up

...finishing standardized testing--can you see the enjoyment on the faces?

...looking at cute flippy summer skirts online (Christopher and Banks had a 50% off sale--woohoo!!) I love a comfy skirt with flipflops.

...remembering why we do what we do... thanks Kim for reminding me of this book!

Real life

Wed, 21 May 2008 02:38:00 -0500

We have been busily unpacking boxes and taking a weekend trip to Holland (photos soon to follow!), but in the meantime, I thought this was an interesting read from HSLDA. I find this to be true, often. Even though my high schoolers seem like well-rounded, nice kids who are doing well, with strangers there is often an element of suspicion or negativity when they find out we homeschool. It IS a 'head scratcher'.

The Washington Times	May 19, 2008

Washington Times Op-ed—Acceptance Grows but Myths Persist

by J. Michael Smith
HSLDA President

How we see ourselves and how others perceive us can be very different. That’s one of the lessons from a recent survey by Ellison Research that looked at public attitudes toward various education options.

On a five-point scale regarding the overall quality of education, public school received a 3 and homeschooling a 3.14. According to Ron Sellers, president of Ellison Research, one of the surprises of the study “was the fact that homeschooling is becoming more of an accepted form of education in the U.S.”

Count the Home School Legal Defense Association as one group that is not surprised. HSLDA has more than 80,000 member families and is the largest organization in the homeschool community. We have seen tremendous growth and development of homeschooling over the past 10 years. Two million children are being homeschooled in the United States; every kind of curriculum is available online; and numerous homeschool support groups and co-ops make homeschooling much easier than it was just 10 years ago. It should be gratifying for all homeschoolers to see that this sample of the general public acknowledged the educational value of a home-based education.

Though the debate over the quality of homeschool education has largely been settled, the Ellison survey showed a significant disparity on the question, “Which is most likely to prepare students for life after graduation?” On this question, 42 percent chose public school and just 6 percent chose homeschooling.

Mr. Sellers described this result as a “bit of a head-scratcher.” How could people see public schools and homeschools as essentially equal regarding the overall quality of education but also think public schools best prepare students for life?

Perhaps the respondents were viewing homeschooling as isolating, discouraging interaction with the world. This is a myth. Homeschooling is not, as the name may suggest, confined to the home, but is a practical education based in the real world. Life in the adult world is full of diverse people and is largely unrelated to the peer-segregated environment of an institutional school. Being outside the institutional school environment speeds up the maturing process, thus preparing the homeschooler sooner and better for the adult world.

This is borne out by a 2004 study, “Homeschooling Grows Up,” which was designed to find out how homeschool graduates are faring in society. Commissioned by HSLDA, this study surveyed more than 7,000 homeschool graduates, and the results showed they were more involved with their communities than the average public school student and also were found in all types of employment.

Homeschool students have many opportunities to learn in the “real world,” the place where we spend most of our lives, and do not see themselves as socially unprepared. In fact, just the opposite is true. Homeschoolers have myriad options when it comes to extracurricular activities. They go on field trips, socialize among homeschool support groups and participate in sports leagues.

HSLDA is confident that with the passage of time, more people will come to understand the wisdom of preparation for life through homeschooling. An estimated 100,000 students graduate from homeschooling every year. As more people meet well-educated and socially prepared homeschoolers, the attitudes toward homeschooling will continue to improve and perception will be brought closer to reality.

Field trip, anyone?

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 17:52:00 -0500

Yes, we are really in Europe...I think it is starting to sink in a bit. Though we are all still in a bit of 'culture shock', who can complain with sights like these?

The above is a nearby castle ruin. It was originally built for the German King and Holy Roman Emperor Barbarossa. It's amazing to stand on the grounds of something like that, and realize how long it's been there. Yes, we americans are easily impressed with history!

This is a 600 year-old church called Stiftskirche. It was nearly destroyed in WWII, but obviously they've done a pretty good job of rebuilding the abbey. It's beautiful--wish I had some photos of the inside! My youngest stood breathlessly looking waaaay up at the arched and beamed ceilings, then finally whispered "it's the most beautiful church I've ever seen".

I agree.

The girls and I have booked our Holland weekend tickets to see the Keukonhof tulip garden in a couple of weeks. We are all so excited! We will also get an Amsterdam city tour, as well as visiting a shoe factory and also watching the process of that famous cheese being made.

Then, plans are afoot for a Paris weekend as hubby and I celebrate our 20th(!!) anniversary this summer.

Lest I make it sound like all is fun and travel,...we are still without our household goods (going on 2 months of living out of suitcases), and the weather has been quite cold and rainy. I think we are adjusting as well as can be expected. Shopping helps. Online shopping without having to exchange for euros helps even more. :) Also telling ourselves that this is a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity and Sonic cherry limeades will still be there when we get back to the U.S.

Going offbase has been quite an adventure, and our gigantic family is a spectacle. By 'gigantic', I don't necessarily mean just number of kids (4--a LOT by German standards), but their size. With three of them adult-sized, it's impossible for us to just sidle in anywhere (like say, a bakery) without notice. It's so funny--all the OPSEC says 'blend in', 'don't make it obvious you're american'.....um, yeah RIGHT. With these monsters? Anyway, our minivan looks like a bus the further out we get from base, and the more you see the very many Smart Cars that seem so popular here. (the girls call them "Mr. Bean" cars) We are joking that their dad should get one for work--I'd love to see him fold himself into that thing like Mr. Incredible. Local folks stare at us and we stare at their witty bitty cars that look like they need a can opener to peel open. :)

end of year thoughts

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:02:00 -0500

A friend of mine and I were discussing labels and how we as homeschoolers like to label ourselves and others, to try to fit other homeschoolers neatly into some sort of definition whereby which we know how to handle them and their ideas.

Hmmm....we've homeschooled since 1995 (or '94? can't remember). It's hard to fit all we've done for school under the umbrella of some sort of label. As we just moved here, I went to a homeschool meeting the other night, my first one in this area. It's the end of the school year for most of us, but I definitely wanted to connect with the local christian homeschooling community and I was very glad I went. I came away with several things though.

First was---Gosh. I am old. :)

But seriously....it was humorous to me to sit and listen to moms debating about which history curriculum they ought to use with their 6 year olds. (I could answer that easily--doesn't matter. I promise you when they're 10 or 12 and you ask them about it, they WILL have forgotten it!)

Ok, that aside..I had several moms who, on realizing I had kids in high school, wanted to hear what curriculum we have used for this or that subject over the years.

It's a difficult question to answer (and I still stand by my mostly tongue-in-cheek thought after using the local ps independent study for 2 semesters for my oldest ball-playing son, that legos and library books will get you where you need to be by 9th grade).

But my answer: it's depended on the year. Depended on the type of learners I was dealing with and their ages, whether we just had a new baby, just relocated, where we lived and the types of activities available or how tired I was in any given school year. (Sounds really flaky when I go back and reread that, but it's the truth!) Some years we've used really 'formal' curriculum, some have been more hands-on and unit-y. Just depends. And when you respond that way, you can see the interest wane and their eyes wander as they drift away to someone who will just give them answers, by golly.

Not to sound like I'm being too hard on the younger homeschool moms. Just a reminder that if one is to stay the course, homeschooling-wise, there is a certain amount of flexibility you will have to have. (assuming you are homeschooling through high school) I promise you, I've seen folks fizzle and burn out by trying to hold to too rigid a schedule or specific type of curriculum. On the other hand, I've seen the same from folks who were too loosey-goosey with no structure. We are more of the 'flow of the day' or 'rhythm of the home' type folks. There are better writers than I who have addressed this. Here's another. Good encouragement there.

Keep your eyes on your own work

Tue, 8 Apr 2008 16:43:00 -0500

Micah 6:8
He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God....

At the risk of sounding cynical, I decided to write about some thoughts gelling of late. I've noticed some online discussions about homeschooling 'styles'--some nice and some, well.... just plum not nice. I am constantly amazed at the number of resources there are for us homeschoolers these days. There is a great sharing of ideas and is truly an incredible age we live in. It's wonderful to glean and learn from others' experiences. But with all this abundance comes the risk of comparison and discontent.

But I have to say--keep your eyes on your own work. As soon as encouraging turns into comparing, or lively discussion morphs into something uglier --that whole 'my way is the best way, and therefore YOUR way is wrong', I have to say enough.

Waaaay back when I was growing up in school, I had a bad habit of looking at my 'neighbor's' papers. Not to copy, mind you. Just to see where I was compared to where they were on a test. To see if my drawing was like their drawing. What my handwriting looked like compared to their handwriting. If I should be worried because I wasn't working as fast as they were. I can't tell you how many times I heard a teacher say 'keep your eyes on your own work!'

I think many of us homeschool moms need that reminder. My life is not your life. Your kids aren't my kids. I can't presume to be the voice of God for you, nor should you expect me to be and vice versa. Sometimes (always?) it's best to turn off the computer, to pray with and talk to our husbands and see what THEIR vision for our children and our homeschool is. They have an objectivity about it that we may lack. To remind ourselves that someone who is lauded as a homeschool guru or expert may just not be what they're cracked up to be in the online world. That we don't always get the whole picture.

That, sometimes, the greatest good we can do for ourselves and our families, is not to look up one more curriculum, one more idea or unit study, or one more homeschool blog. But to simply put one foot in front of the other and face up to another day. Many times we know the right thing to do. We would just rather procrastinate, read about it, talk about it, vs actually doing the thing.

Notes on moving

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 05:41:00 -0500

Well, here we are. We made it safely from CA to Germany, all a little worse for the wear. We are excited to be here, but I think we need some more sleep before we can show it. I could tell you how hard the 11 hr plane trip was for me physically because of my recent surgeries, or how we had to pay for a new dog kennel ($75) at the airport because they didn't accept the one we had just bought the week before, or how my girls cried on the transatlantic flight because the stewardesses (oops I mean flight attendants) couldn't tell us whether or not our pet had made the connection, or how much my boys have missed their friends, or how c-c-c-cold it is here. Or how my hubby hit the ground running with work on Day 1 and we have barely seen him and how I've been feeling a little sorry for myself in a new place with no wheels (our van hasn't arrived yet). But I don't want to spend Easter weekend complaining. Really.

I was thinking about things this morning, and it suddenly hit me that this is our 4th move since '02, 3 of them being overseas moves or coming back from overseas. Wow. No wonder I'm tired. Hubby was also deployed to the Middle East twice during that time frame. So I'm giving all of us a little bit of grace for the time being.

Not to feel sorry for ourselves, but it's a reminder of what we deal with as part of our 'normal', and how much we need to be patient with each other. Most military wives I know living this life don't have time to blog about it too. I am starting to understand that, which is why my entries have been sparse of late.

I would say two necessary ingredients for the nomad lifestyle we enjoy would be flexibility and sense of humor. Which is funny to me that I even just typed that, because I grew up my whole life in the same town and definitely had a fear of new situations and people. God has a sense of humor! To think I would ever be encouraging others to 'go with the flow' is laughable if you knew the old me. I'm thankful He chooses to stretch us beyond what we think we're capable of.

Which reminds me--I need to go to the Post office this a.m. and hubby needs to draw me a map since I've never been there before. catch ya later.

Off we go!

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:48:00 -0600

Tomorrow our packers come to start getting us ready for our Germany move! We are exhausted, excited, and hopeful. (not necessarily in that order!) DS#2 sprained his ankle last week and is on crutches--just to add to the excitement of trying to move a family of 6, a dog, a mom still recovering from major surgery in January.....and the fun begins! We've been overseas just a few years ago, but I have truly forgotten how much work is involved.

I should be sorting or cleaning something, so I need to get back at it. It will be a blast to share photos and stories from Europe--soon!

God bless and thanks for the prayers!

Thinking about this whole blog thing....

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:56:00 -0600

I really miss HSB! And I am trying to tweak things here so as to keep posting. One nice thing has been the emails/comments I've gotten requesting access to my other blog. I am overwhelmed. I didn't realize Blogger had a limit on how many you can have 'subscribed' which causes me to rethink, yet again, this whole bloggy thing.

So I'm trying to figure out a way to be more 'generic' with my posts here, so I can continue with the homeschooling blogger community. Bear with me, if any of you are still reading this!

whoops

Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:15:00 -0600

Because of the nature of my hubby's upcoming new job in the military, I have been asked not to have photos or personal info 'out there' for just anyone to google. To that end, I will soon be deleting this blog, and my blogspot blog will be by invitation only. I have had a couple of emails from folks asking for access. I am so flattered! I nearly invited all my 'friends' on HSB, but then wondered if anyone really cared enough to go to the trouble of reading our new blog.

If you would like access to my other blog, please leave a comment here and I will add you. The whole privacy thing has been an issue this year anyway with some strange comments and odd links to my writing. It's probably counterproductive to the whole idea of blogging to have it be private. I think I would keep writing whether anyone was reading it or not, though, so I will carry on. I really do appreciate the sweet comments and emails!

God bless,

Jen