Today is the last day of NaBloPoMo. I succeeded, even if I did so with a lame two or three sentence post from the iPhone on PC's birthday.
In the month of November...
... we decided for sure to sell the house, even without any sort of offer on the table for the new house.
... my baby turned one.
... my aunt, uncle, and cousin refused to come to Thanksgiving dinner with us for the first time.
... we removed the wallpaper in the kitchen and repainted it.
... the china cabinet was moved to the dining room.
... EG finally got her new bed.
... EG finished Writing Tales 2.
... EG started algebra.
... EG started Classical Writing Homer.
... FB renewed his desire to write.
... the cat lost more fur on the back of her hind legs.
... most of the leaves fell from the trees.
... the exterior of the house got painted.
... I missed greatly Dollhouse Fridays.
... I was upset that Dollhouse was canceled.
... I was disappointed that the CSI crossover involved Ray going everywhere.
... I discovered I was still bitter about the fiasco last year with regards to Girl Scouts.
... co-op session ended.
... EG had her first band concert.
... I finished the cord that will go between FB's (unknitted as of yet) mittens.
... I fell madly in love with the Kindle app for iPhone.
... I posted to this blog, every day.
Showing posts with label nablopomo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nablopomo. Show all posts
29.11.09
Tomorrow Is A New Day. And A New Writing Program.
Just before our Thanksgiving break, EG finished Writing Tales 2. She's zoomed through both it and Writing Tales 1 since the beginning of this calendar year. Therefore, it's time to plod ever onward.
Into Classical Writing: Homer.
In an attempt to be prepared, I had bought all of the materials over the summer. I spent several days reading through the materials and felt that I had a good grasp on the program. I then put the materials away, and went about the rest of our homeschooling year.
The last two weeks have been... hectic, to say the least. As I referenced in a previous post, I've been feeling mentally down this past week, and between Wednesday night and Friday afternoon, several more things were added to the weight on my mind. Somewhere in between the summer and now, combined with the possibility of moving and every day life, I forgot that there was a need to, well, prepare for Homer. That there was something called a "Preparation Week."
Oops?
Luckily, it doesn't look like it's really an entire week of work, so we should be okay to move cautiously forward. I like how thorough the program is and honestly, I'm eager for EG to get started.
That said, I've been thinking over the past several months about the possible value of two writing programs. Many people use multiple approaches to math; since math and writing are, in my opinion, the two most important areas, why not two writing programs? Yes, it could lead to a high volume of required output, especially as a student grows older, but...
So?
Homeschoolers talk the talk about wanting to produce excellent writers, but there's also a lot of talk about not requiring too much too soon. No, it's not a good plan to turn a six year old from writing with ridiculous expectations. EG's not a six year old, though.
In practice, she was pursuing two different writing programs this autumn, since one of her co-op classes was creative writing. The two different aspects of writing were different enough in focus that she didn't seem to have a problem with doing "writing" twice. Actually, some weeks, she was doing it more like thrice, as we attempted to use IEW's Geography-Based Lessons.
I don't know what I might have her use in partnership with Classical Writing, or if I will continue to let a more creative writing be the secondary focus, but it's a thought that keeps persisting.
Into Classical Writing: Homer.
In an attempt to be prepared, I had bought all of the materials over the summer. I spent several days reading through the materials and felt that I had a good grasp on the program. I then put the materials away, and went about the rest of our homeschooling year.
The last two weeks have been... hectic, to say the least. As I referenced in a previous post, I've been feeling mentally down this past week, and between Wednesday night and Friday afternoon, several more things were added to the weight on my mind. Somewhere in between the summer and now, combined with the possibility of moving and every day life, I forgot that there was a need to, well, prepare for Homer. That there was something called a "Preparation Week."
Oops?
Luckily, it doesn't look like it's really an entire week of work, so we should be okay to move cautiously forward. I like how thorough the program is and honestly, I'm eager for EG to get started.
That said, I've been thinking over the past several months about the possible value of two writing programs. Many people use multiple approaches to math; since math and writing are, in my opinion, the two most important areas, why not two writing programs? Yes, it could lead to a high volume of required output, especially as a student grows older, but...
So?
Homeschoolers talk the talk about wanting to produce excellent writers, but there's also a lot of talk about not requiring too much too soon. No, it's not a good plan to turn a six year old from writing with ridiculous expectations. EG's not a six year old, though.
In practice, she was pursuing two different writing programs this autumn, since one of her co-op classes was creative writing. The two different aspects of writing were different enough in focus that she didn't seem to have a problem with doing "writing" twice. Actually, some weeks, she was doing it more like thrice, as we attempted to use IEW's Geography-Based Lessons.
I don't know what I might have her use in partnership with Classical Writing, or if I will continue to let a more creative writing be the secondary focus, but it's a thought that keeps persisting.
28.11.09
Where do we go from here? When does the end appear? When do the trumpets cheer?
Some days I'm not sure what we're doing, or why we're doing it, at least with regard to attempting to sell our current house and buy the one we like. Today is definitely one of those days.
To finish everything that we feel is necessary, we need just slightly more money than we currently have available. Part of it is, of course, that it's the wrong time of the year. We had Thanksgiving groceries to purchase, and have Christmas gifts still to buy. There's never a lot of extra money around the holidays. Of course, there's also a certain amount of reluctance to spend too terribly much money on a house that we'll be leaving. We're trying to focus our purchases on things that can leave with us, now, but there are still a few things that must be done to the physical house.
We met with a realtor about selling our house (our other realtor is a buyers' agent only) on Tuesday. He had brought some comparables but after seeing the house decided to pull new comparables. We got those listings this morning. Based on those listings, I don't think any of them are exactly comparable, but he seems to feel that they are. Worse, he thinks we should list it at a price that's about $20K less than what we hoped to get for the house. Now, I know that I don't have a lot of experience in real estate, but even looking at the same houses that he feels are comparable, I expected a suggestion about $10K more than what he did suggest.
And buying the new house is dependent in large part on the selling price for this house. We'll be using what we have after closing costs and paying the mortgage to make what we hoped would be a substantial down payment, thereby reducing our monthly mortgage. If we list at his suggested price, even if we sell quickly, we won't make enough to buy the new house and still live month to month. This is obviously not a good option.
I can't help but feel like it's my fault. If I had been less impatient, we could have finished staging the house before a realtor ever saw it, just like one of my staging books suggested. If I had just been feeling less down this past week, I could have started on the prepacking, and it would have looked less cluttered. If I had just done something different, I could change what price he suggests for listing.
Of course, it's not a binding suggestion. There are smaller homes in the vicinity listed for more, and frankly, that would be a red flag to me as a buyer. Why, I'd wonder, is the larger house listed for less than the smaller one? I'd suspect there's something that's being hidden, or that the owners were really desperate to sell, and would accept really low offers. Neither of these things are the image I want to project.
So today's a day to ponder, I suppose. I already felt mentally assaulted this week for various reasons - this is just one more! I feel so overwhelmed and I don't know where to start, so instead I just watch television and read the internet. Not the best coping skills, I know, but I feel so overwhelmed and so out at sea that I don't know where to go.
To finish everything that we feel is necessary, we need just slightly more money than we currently have available. Part of it is, of course, that it's the wrong time of the year. We had Thanksgiving groceries to purchase, and have Christmas gifts still to buy. There's never a lot of extra money around the holidays. Of course, there's also a certain amount of reluctance to spend too terribly much money on a house that we'll be leaving. We're trying to focus our purchases on things that can leave with us, now, but there are still a few things that must be done to the physical house.
We met with a realtor about selling our house (our other realtor is a buyers' agent only) on Tuesday. He had brought some comparables but after seeing the house decided to pull new comparables. We got those listings this morning. Based on those listings, I don't think any of them are exactly comparable, but he seems to feel that they are. Worse, he thinks we should list it at a price that's about $20K less than what we hoped to get for the house. Now, I know that I don't have a lot of experience in real estate, but even looking at the same houses that he feels are comparable, I expected a suggestion about $10K more than what he did suggest.
And buying the new house is dependent in large part on the selling price for this house. We'll be using what we have after closing costs and paying the mortgage to make what we hoped would be a substantial down payment, thereby reducing our monthly mortgage. If we list at his suggested price, even if we sell quickly, we won't make enough to buy the new house and still live month to month. This is obviously not a good option.
I can't help but feel like it's my fault. If I had been less impatient, we could have finished staging the house before a realtor ever saw it, just like one of my staging books suggested. If I had just been feeling less down this past week, I could have started on the prepacking, and it would have looked less cluttered. If I had just done something different, I could change what price he suggests for listing.
Of course, it's not a binding suggestion. There are smaller homes in the vicinity listed for more, and frankly, that would be a red flag to me as a buyer. Why, I'd wonder, is the larger house listed for less than the smaller one? I'd suspect there's something that's being hidden, or that the owners were really desperate to sell, and would accept really low offers. Neither of these things are the image I want to project.
So today's a day to ponder, I suppose. I already felt mentally assaulted this week for various reasons - this is just one more! I feel so overwhelmed and I don't know where to start, so instead I just watch television and read the internet. Not the best coping skills, I know, but I feel so overwhelmed and so out at sea that I don't know where to go.
27.11.09
Irony: It's the Spice of Life
I went through the first twenty-five years or so of my life thinking that I was a pessimist. I doubted whether things that I wanted would actually occur. If something didn't occur, I told myself that I wasn't disappointed, as I hadn't really expected it to happen. I frequently would spout the idea that if you didn't expect much, you were either not disappointed or pleasantly surprised.
Imagine my surprise when I realized I'd been lying to myself.
I'm not a pessimist. Rather, I think I'm a pretty huge optimist. No, in the day to day of life, I might not think that the small things will all arrange themselves perfectly. On a macro scale, though, it's pretty clear from my actions that I'm actually an optimist. Not sure how things will happen? Turns out my actual belief is more along the lines of "it will work out perfectly, and if not perfectly, at least good enough." I have no good explanation for my years of thinking I was a pessimist. I suspect it has something to do with environment and a deep-seated need to protect myself from extreme disappointment. I suffered disappointment or hurt in a tiny thousand ways, and really, I think I just was trying to protect myself. If I could convince myself that I hadn't really thought something would happen, there wasn't a need to be disappointed when it didn't... right? And so perhaps my swing into optimism was brought about after my world really did align in such a way that things in general worked out.
The truth is, though, that this optimism and faith in the universe is probably what has kept me sane. If everything will work out in the end, there's no need to freak out right now. I find myself able to manifest things in a way that I never would have expected. The downside, of course, is that there is disappointment. It was there before, though; I just didn't allow myself to label it as such. I think perhaps it's better this way; I see it and label it, and actually work through it, instead of burying it, insisting that it doesn't matter. Too many things that "didn't matter" in my past find a way to resurge now, and decades-old disappointment is, unsurprisingly, even more difficult to handle.
In November, it feels like everything is about giving thanks. Being grateful. it's come to feel almost trite, in some regards. I am thankful, though, that I actually acknowledge my optimism now. Rose-colored glasses can occasionally fog up, and that's not fun; it's much harder to get light through the very dark glasses.
Imagine my surprise when I realized I'd been lying to myself.
I'm not a pessimist. Rather, I think I'm a pretty huge optimist. No, in the day to day of life, I might not think that the small things will all arrange themselves perfectly. On a macro scale, though, it's pretty clear from my actions that I'm actually an optimist. Not sure how things will happen? Turns out my actual belief is more along the lines of "it will work out perfectly, and if not perfectly, at least good enough." I have no good explanation for my years of thinking I was a pessimist. I suspect it has something to do with environment and a deep-seated need to protect myself from extreme disappointment. I suffered disappointment or hurt in a tiny thousand ways, and really, I think I just was trying to protect myself. If I could convince myself that I hadn't really thought something would happen, there wasn't a need to be disappointed when it didn't... right? And so perhaps my swing into optimism was brought about after my world really did align in such a way that things in general worked out.
The truth is, though, that this optimism and faith in the universe is probably what has kept me sane. If everything will work out in the end, there's no need to freak out right now. I find myself able to manifest things in a way that I never would have expected. The downside, of course, is that there is disappointment. It was there before, though; I just didn't allow myself to label it as such. I think perhaps it's better this way; I see it and label it, and actually work through it, instead of burying it, insisting that it doesn't matter. Too many things that "didn't matter" in my past find a way to resurge now, and decades-old disappointment is, unsurprisingly, even more difficult to handle.
In November, it feels like everything is about giving thanks. Being grateful. it's come to feel almost trite, in some regards. I am thankful, though, that I actually acknowledge my optimism now. Rose-colored glasses can occasionally fog up, and that's not fun; it's much harder to get light through the very dark glasses.
26.11.09
Harvest & Abundance
Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. It's not because of the food, though I do enjoy it. It feels the most connected to me, the theme of a harvest celebration running across years and cultures. It feels like the one time of the year when the country as a whole pauses, and remembers exactly what the season is. The richness of the colors, the crisp bite in the wind - it's the ultimate expression of autumn for me, and autumn is my favorite season.
EG observed today that she liked Thanksgiving, but it seemed like a holiday "where the adult girls have to do a lot of work, but the boys don't do any." She was mostly right, of course, but she said this before the spousal object's mother arrived. MIL does not work. She brings one dish, tells my mother and I how long it needs to be warmed, and does nothing else except eat.
Oh, and heckle my father about not wanting to eat broccoli cheese casserole (my dad doesn't eat broccoli!), take pictures after being asked not to, and call FB "a mess," and not really in a nice way.
We shed some of our usual attendees this year, though not by design. They decided they'd had a better offer, it seems. I'm trying hard not to be bitter and be thankful for what we do have and with whom we did share the day. I'll get there eventually.
Thanksgiving is a reminder each year to listen to the rhythm of the seasons. I actually prefer to do my resolutions and reevaluating in the autumn (rather than the New Year or even the spring). I'm looking forward to FB & EG going to spend the weekend with my parents tomorrow, and a nice slow weekend with PC and the spousal unit. I think I'll spend some time doing my reevaluating and resolving. It's the perfect time to curl up with hot apple cider and do so. :)
EG observed today that she liked Thanksgiving, but it seemed like a holiday "where the adult girls have to do a lot of work, but the boys don't do any." She was mostly right, of course, but she said this before the spousal object's mother arrived. MIL does not work. She brings one dish, tells my mother and I how long it needs to be warmed, and does nothing else except eat.
Oh, and heckle my father about not wanting to eat broccoli cheese casserole (my dad doesn't eat broccoli!), take pictures after being asked not to, and call FB "a mess," and not really in a nice way.
We shed some of our usual attendees this year, though not by design. They decided they'd had a better offer, it seems. I'm trying hard not to be bitter and be thankful for what we do have and with whom we did share the day. I'll get there eventually.
Thanksgiving is a reminder each year to listen to the rhythm of the seasons. I actually prefer to do my resolutions and reevaluating in the autumn (rather than the New Year or even the spring). I'm looking forward to FB & EG going to spend the weekend with my parents tomorrow, and a nice slow weekend with PC and the spousal unit. I think I'll spend some time doing my reevaluating and resolving. It's the perfect time to curl up with hot apple cider and do so. :)
24.11.09
B-R-E-A-K!
Hooray! Thanksgiving Break! Five glorious days before any more schoolwork has to be done. I'm not sure who is more excited - EG or I. :)
Between now and Monday, though, we're going to be relocating our school materials. Yes, part of the staging process. I'm feeling a little uncertain about it, but hoping that it will be extremely temporary. I'm not naive enough to think we'll sell the house, buy the new house, and move before January fourth or so, but by the end of January certainly seems like a reasonable goal... right?
EG will be starting a new writing program after Thanksgiving. She started Life of Fred: Beginning Algebra last week. She's in a good groove with the remaining subjects and materials (with, of course, our usual exception of spelling). Every year, between mid-November and the end of January, she makes a big leap. It surprises me still, because I keep thinking How can she leap still higher, but she does. I'm eager to see where her leap this year takes her.
Between now and Monday, though, we're going to be relocating our school materials. Yes, part of the staging process. I'm feeling a little uncertain about it, but hoping that it will be extremely temporary. I'm not naive enough to think we'll sell the house, buy the new house, and move before January fourth or so, but by the end of January certainly seems like a reasonable goal... right?
EG will be starting a new writing program after Thanksgiving. She started Life of Fred: Beginning Algebra last week. She's in a good groove with the remaining subjects and materials (with, of course, our usual exception of spelling). Every year, between mid-November and the end of January, she makes a big leap. It surprises me still, because I keep thinking How can she leap still higher, but she does. I'm eager to see where her leap this year takes her.
23.11.09
Easy Button for Homeschoolers
"Nothing worth doing is easy."
I'm working on a sekrit project, which I'll eventually (in 2010) reveal, but as I was taking the first steps towards completion of it, I had to remind myself frequently of the above statement. Nothing worth doing is easy. Nothing worth doing is easy.
It's applicable to homeschooling, as well. Let's assume that if a person decides to homeschool their children, they also feel it is worth doing. Let's further assume that they feel it's worth doing well.
That's not going to be easy.
What's difficult about it will vary for different people. For some, it's giving up a large amount of their "me time." For others, it will be focusing on multiple subjects at multiple levels for multiple children - every day. The guarantee, however, is this: it won't be easy.
Some homeschoolers, though, seem to think that Staples sells a Homeschoolers Version of their Easy Button. Don't get me wrong; there may be days, subjects, weeks, whole months that will seem easy. The journey is long, however; it will not always be smooth sailing. So many of the posts that can be found on message boards and mailing lists, however, are essentially a well-cloaked version of "I need the Easy Button for this!"
There's nothing wrong with lamenting the lack of Easy Button, but trouble can start if someone attempts to fashion one. Putting a high school age student and a third grader together for history? There's at least one person who will tell you that sure, that can work! Teach the same exact science material to all four of your children (and, no, none of them are the product of multiple births)? I guarantee a respondent will tell you that they've done just that. In most cases, though, you're sacrificing a component of at least one child's education.
Similarly, the time advantage of homeschooling will begin to wane at some point. This will be either because your child doesn't have homework, or because your child is doing more than he or she would in a traditional school - a second foreign language, religious studies, extra science, two math programs, or in-depth arts study, perhaps. Yes, that makes it harder. More of your time has to be devoted to supervising, guiding, and teaching, even if the actual face-to-face teaching time has decreased.
We wish it were easy. I certainly do. It would be nice to press the Easy Button for some aspect of homeschooling - just one! But I can't.
No, it's not easy.
But nothing worth doing is.
I'm working on a sekrit project, which I'll eventually (in 2010) reveal, but as I was taking the first steps towards completion of it, I had to remind myself frequently of the above statement. Nothing worth doing is easy. Nothing worth doing is easy.
It's applicable to homeschooling, as well. Let's assume that if a person decides to homeschool their children, they also feel it is worth doing. Let's further assume that they feel it's worth doing well.
That's not going to be easy.
What's difficult about it will vary for different people. For some, it's giving up a large amount of their "me time." For others, it will be focusing on multiple subjects at multiple levels for multiple children - every day. The guarantee, however, is this: it won't be easy.
Some homeschoolers, though, seem to think that Staples sells a Homeschoolers Version of their Easy Button. Don't get me wrong; there may be days, subjects, weeks, whole months that will seem easy. The journey is long, however; it will not always be smooth sailing. So many of the posts that can be found on message boards and mailing lists, however, are essentially a well-cloaked version of "I need the Easy Button for this!"
There's nothing wrong with lamenting the lack of Easy Button, but trouble can start if someone attempts to fashion one. Putting a high school age student and a third grader together for history? There's at least one person who will tell you that sure, that can work! Teach the same exact science material to all four of your children (and, no, none of them are the product of multiple births)? I guarantee a respondent will tell you that they've done just that. In most cases, though, you're sacrificing a component of at least one child's education.
Similarly, the time advantage of homeschooling will begin to wane at some point. This will be either because your child doesn't have homework, or because your child is doing more than he or she would in a traditional school - a second foreign language, religious studies, extra science, two math programs, or in-depth arts study, perhaps. Yes, that makes it harder. More of your time has to be devoted to supervising, guiding, and teaching, even if the actual face-to-face teaching time has decreased.
We wish it were easy. I certainly do. It would be nice to press the Easy Button for some aspect of homeschooling - just one! But I can't.
No, it's not easy.
But nothing worth doing is.
22.11.09
Style
One of the pitfalls of homeschooling, I think, is the possibility for the primary homeschooling parent to have his or her identity swamped. Swamped? Yes. Under the lists of living books, the catalogs of curriculum, and the detritus of daily work, I think a homeschooling parent's identity can start to be defined ever more narrowly.
Being aware of this danger, I do try to mitigate it. I can feel myself slipping under the pile at times, and then I know it's time to reenergize and renew. Sometimes it's simple, but other times, it feels like the pile is taller. Heavier.
I mention this because this week I've been having fun with a book called Style Statement: Live By Your Own Design. The idea is that, through the exercises in the book, you eventually discover your own two-word style statement, following the 80/20 principle. The first word is your 80%, your foundation. The second word is your 20%, your creative edge.
I don't particularly want to share my style statement (some people might, there's no right or wrong way to go about it), but oh, the process has been fun. Once I found my statement, I then personalized the definitions and words associated with it. The result is a one-page description that really beautiful defines me, in the best possible way.
The best part, though, is that the book doesn't end with discovering your style statement. It has suggestions of how to use your style statement, going forward. There are suggestions of actions to take, journaling prompts, and specific ideas of what you could do on a weekly basis.
The appeal of it, though, from a homeschooling parent's perspective, is that it's simple. Once you have your style statement, you have it. It's done. Two words that you can use as a touchstone, no matter what else you may be doing. That, I think, is powerful.
Being aware of this danger, I do try to mitigate it. I can feel myself slipping under the pile at times, and then I know it's time to reenergize and renew. Sometimes it's simple, but other times, it feels like the pile is taller. Heavier.
I mention this because this week I've been having fun with a book called Style Statement: Live By Your Own Design. The idea is that, through the exercises in the book, you eventually discover your own two-word style statement, following the 80/20 principle. The first word is your 80%, your foundation. The second word is your 20%, your creative edge.
I don't particularly want to share my style statement (some people might, there's no right or wrong way to go about it), but oh, the process has been fun. Once I found my statement, I then personalized the definitions and words associated with it. The result is a one-page description that really beautiful defines me, in the best possible way.
The best part, though, is that the book doesn't end with discovering your style statement. It has suggestions of how to use your style statement, going forward. There are suggestions of actions to take, journaling prompts, and specific ideas of what you could do on a weekly basis.
The appeal of it, though, from a homeschooling parent's perspective, is that it's simple. Once you have your style statement, you have it. It's done. Two words that you can use as a touchstone, no matter what else you may be doing. That, I think, is powerful.
21.11.09
Staging a House of Homeschoolers
Like any good homeschooler, FB has been paying attention to various aspects of life, even if they aren't related to school. Since I've been researching staging the house in preparation for selling it, I've watched some related shows on television. FB has offered me staging advice since then ("I think we should move this furniture around in order to sell this house!); he's also asked me to buy Sunsweet Ones, showing that advertising works.
In order to stage the house most effectively, though, we're going to be moving furniture, as FB suggested. Our current homeschool room is going to be repurposed, and our homeschooling space will be shared with the playroom space. We're repainting and buying a few accessories and the like. We're also learning how to improvise.
Today's finds: a round table with four chairs, a piece of art for the living room, and a small rug to define a 'foyer.' The table was a big deal; we really needed to stage the dining room with a round table, but we can't really use a round table because we need a bigger one, not a smaller one. Yay Goodwill!
In order to stage the house most effectively, though, we're going to be moving furniture, as FB suggested. Our current homeschool room is going to be repurposed, and our homeschooling space will be shared with the playroom space. We're repainting and buying a few accessories and the like. We're also learning how to improvise.
Today's finds: a round table with four chairs, a piece of art for the living room, and a small rug to define a 'foyer.' The table was a big deal; we really needed to stage the dining room with a round table, but we can't really use a round table because we need a bigger one, not a smaller one. Yay Goodwill!
19.11.09
Reflections...
Purple Child turns one tomorrow. Today, however, is a Thursday, and she was decidedly born on a Thursday, one week before Thanksgiving, so I can't help but feel like today is an anniversary of sorts, even though it's not her birthday.
I'll post her birth story tomorrow (publicly! omg!). Some impressions and reflections though...
And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free resonated with me before the birth. It would become a mantra after the birth.
Thursday nights. Girl Scout nights. I was having contractions, avoiding seeing too many people anyway. My mom took EG to the meeting. I was the leader. I had planned meetings for the rest of the year with my co-leaders. My 02s.
(Plans they threw out.)
My mom went to get EG early. Somehow, she had known. Feverishly working on her project, "in case she had to leave early."
(That was the first time they were rude to EG. They hadn't dared before that night, because I was usually there.)
The space shuttle was supposed to be visible. I posted online about Al Gore coming to my city. I was riding the post-election euphoria still. I had thought she was waiting just for the election, but she waited a little longer than that.
(It was the beginning of the end for me, but they had already castigated me and turned me out. I just didn't know it yet. I tried, I tried so hard, for the girls.)
And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free
Someone told me that Purple Child would bring me clarity and continue to teach me things. She did. She let me hang on to that mantra. As I had shut out the world on a chilly November night and brought her into the world, I could shut out the people that would hamper me from flying.
I tried to insert myself, to protect people, and they tried so hard to bring me down. I had to walk away, in the end, five months later. I had to be free. But I knew they couldn't bring me down. It's all so tied up in PC's birth, the process she initiated, the things I learned.
It hurt. A lot.
It feels good to be free.
I'll post her birth story tomorrow (publicly! omg!). Some impressions and reflections though...
And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free resonated with me before the birth. It would become a mantra after the birth.
Thursday nights. Girl Scout nights. I was having contractions, avoiding seeing too many people anyway. My mom took EG to the meeting. I was the leader. I had planned meetings for the rest of the year with my co-leaders. My 02s.
(Plans they threw out.)
My mom went to get EG early. Somehow, she had known. Feverishly working on her project, "in case she had to leave early."
(That was the first time they were rude to EG. They hadn't dared before that night, because I was usually there.)
The space shuttle was supposed to be visible. I posted online about Al Gore coming to my city. I was riding the post-election euphoria still. I had thought she was waiting just for the election, but she waited a little longer than that.
(It was the beginning of the end for me, but they had already castigated me and turned me out. I just didn't know it yet. I tried, I tried so hard, for the girls.)
And if I'm flying solo, at least I'm flying free
Someone told me that Purple Child would bring me clarity and continue to teach me things. She did. She let me hang on to that mantra. As I had shut out the world on a chilly November night and brought her into the world, I could shut out the people that would hamper me from flying.
I tried to insert myself, to protect people, and they tried so hard to bring me down. I had to walk away, in the end, five months later. I had to be free. But I knew they couldn't bring me down. It's all so tied up in PC's birth, the process she initiated, the things I learned.
It hurt. A lot.
It feels good to be free.
17.11.09
Four
I wish I could bottle four, and save it forever.
There's a simple joy in a four year old. A love of life, and every experience is cherished. Treasured. Emotions run high - a moment after laughing, there could be tears. Intensity, yes, but a growing ability to listen. A smidgen of reasoning. A delight in accumulating new knowledge.
I love the paradigms that four constructs, both the nonsensical and the more logical.
Today FB was watching me make meatloaf. "Is that ground beef from our cow?"
(We bought a quarter of a local, grass-fed cow back in June.)
After I affirmed, that yes, it was from our cow, he asked me how I had made meatloaf before we bought the cow. In his mind, he can't remember the paradigm before, where we bought it at the grocery store.
We didn't get a digital camera until just as EG turned five, so all of my pictures of her at four are on film, not digitized. One of my favorites of her, ever, though, was taken that year. Standing on the beach, bathed in the waning sunlight, her grin both innocent and impish. Sometimes I'd like to have that four year old back - and I know I can't.
I know I can't stop FB at four, either. I won't be able to keep PC from turning five in her time. I just have to try to store the days up in my head and remember them. All 1,095 of them.
There's a simple joy in a four year old. A love of life, and every experience is cherished. Treasured. Emotions run high - a moment after laughing, there could be tears. Intensity, yes, but a growing ability to listen. A smidgen of reasoning. A delight in accumulating new knowledge.
I love the paradigms that four constructs, both the nonsensical and the more logical.
Today FB was watching me make meatloaf. "Is that ground beef from our cow?"
(We bought a quarter of a local, grass-fed cow back in June.)
After I affirmed, that yes, it was from our cow, he asked me how I had made meatloaf before we bought the cow. In his mind, he can't remember the paradigm before, where we bought it at the grocery store.
We didn't get a digital camera until just as EG turned five, so all of my pictures of her at four are on film, not digitized. One of my favorites of her, ever, though, was taken that year. Standing on the beach, bathed in the waning sunlight, her grin both innocent and impish. Sometimes I'd like to have that four year old back - and I know I can't.
I know I can't stop FB at four, either. I won't be able to keep PC from turning five in her time. I just have to try to store the days up in my head and remember them. All 1,095 of them.
16.11.09
The History Files
Despite my insistence that we are not a history-centered homeschool, I do find we spend a good portion of money on biographies and supplemental histories. Part of it is the nature of the subject; it's very easy to be, for example, math-centered and diversify without needing to spend a large amount of money. Another part of it is availability; there are far more books written for children and young adults about various parts of history than there are about different parts of math, Latin, writing, or even science.
Preparing to cover history from 1850 to the present was a lot of fun, for me. When I was prepping this week's assignment sheet for EG, I told her, "We've made it to the 20th century in history! Yay!" She wasn't quite sure why I was so excited. It's a time period I've always enjoyed, though, and that made it particularly difficult to pare down the number of extra books planned.
As a result, the following list is pretty long. And, yes, we already owned a lot of these before I started planning this year's history lessons.
Abraham Lincoln's World, Foster
If You Traveled on the Underground Railroad
Ghosts of the Civil War, Harness.
If You Lived at the Time of the Civil War
Gettysburg
Lee and Grant at Appomattox
Paddle to the Sea, Holling.
Tree in the Trail, Holling.
Minn of the Mississippi, Holling.
Seabird, Holling.
If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island
Shutting Out the Sky
Usborne True Stories: The First World War
The World Wars
The Yanks Are Coming
The Woman's Rights Movement
Stalin: Russia's Man of Steel
Six Days in October
Children of the Great Depression
The Sinking of the Bismarck
Air Raid Pearl Harbor!
Battle in the Arctic Seas
The Great Escape: Tunnel to Freedom
Invasion: The Story of D-Day
Victory in the Pacific
The Good Fight
America & Vietnam: The Elephant and the Tiger
Team Moon
There Comes A Time
If You Lived At the Time of Martin Luther King, Jr.
10,000 Days of Thunder
Ain't Gonna Study War No More
Gay America
33 Things Every Girl Should Know About Women's History
They Led the Way
Madam President
A Nation Challenged
Preparing to cover history from 1850 to the present was a lot of fun, for me. When I was prepping this week's assignment sheet for EG, I told her, "We've made it to the 20th century in history! Yay!" She wasn't quite sure why I was so excited. It's a time period I've always enjoyed, though, and that made it particularly difficult to pare down the number of extra books planned.
As a result, the following list is pretty long. And, yes, we already owned a lot of these before I started planning this year's history lessons.
Abraham Lincoln's World, Foster
If You Traveled on the Underground Railroad
Ghosts of the Civil War, Harness.
If You Lived at the Time of the Civil War
Gettysburg
Lee and Grant at Appomattox
Paddle to the Sea, Holling.
Tree in the Trail, Holling.
Minn of the Mississippi, Holling.
Seabird, Holling.
If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island
Shutting Out the Sky
Usborne True Stories: The First World War
The World Wars
The Yanks Are Coming
The Woman's Rights Movement
Stalin: Russia's Man of Steel
Six Days in October
Children of the Great Depression
The Sinking of the Bismarck
Air Raid Pearl Harbor!
Battle in the Arctic Seas
The Great Escape: Tunnel to Freedom
Invasion: The Story of D-Day
Victory in the Pacific
The Good Fight
America & Vietnam: The Elephant and the Tiger
Team Moon
There Comes A Time
If You Lived At the Time of Martin Luther King, Jr.
10,000 Days of Thunder
Ain't Gonna Study War No More
Gay America
33 Things Every Girl Should Know About Women's History
They Led the Way
Madam President
A Nation Challenged
15.11.09
The Perils of a Warm Climate
We live in an area with a relatively warm climate. Yes, we have four (or three and a half, maybe) seasons, but overall, we trend towards warmer. Still, it's been unseasonably warm the past couple of days. It's been appreciated since our entire HVAC unit stopped working - it won't even run the fan.
However, it's not appreciated since I went for a walk this afternoon early, and within minutes of said walk, I started sneezing. And sniffling. And pressure began to build, making my head hurt.
I'm trying hard not to resent it. I essentially lost most of my day to a headache, since I spent more time in the shower or in bed after that than anything else. I lost my appetite, which I suppose is one way to eat less.
I've said before that illness is a sign to slow down and take care of yourself. Normally, I wouldn't classify an allergic reaction in this category, but since I reacted so strongly, I admit it has me wondering. At the very least, it's accomplished something big - it's getting me to bed early.
However, it's not appreciated since I went for a walk this afternoon early, and within minutes of said walk, I started sneezing. And sniffling. And pressure began to build, making my head hurt.
I'm trying hard not to resent it. I essentially lost most of my day to a headache, since I spent more time in the shower or in bed after that than anything else. I lost my appetite, which I suppose is one way to eat less.
I've said before that illness is a sign to slow down and take care of yourself. Normally, I wouldn't classify an allergic reaction in this category, but since I reacted so strongly, I admit it has me wondering. At the very least, it's accomplished something big - it's getting me to bed early.
14.11.09
Goals, And The Setting Thereof
Lately, goal-setting has been on my mind. It's come to my attention in various settings and in various ways, marching seemingly inexorably towards my conclusions. I read about a program for preschool and kindergarten students that involves, amongst other things, having the students make a plan for their main play activity each day. In essence, the students are setting goals for what they'll do while they play. There have been a few thoughtful threads lately on the WTM boards about goal-setting and inspiring excellence.
I have a lot of goals for my kids, and I want them to have goals for themselves, as well. I don't know what the best way to achieve those goals is, and I don't know the best way to inspire the kids to set their own goals. Here's what we've attempted and will be attempting, though.
01. Weekly Goals. Most weeks on Sunday afternoon or evening, we take a legal pad and titled it "Goals for the Week." FB has two lines, EG has three, and the mister and I each have four lines, plus a varying number of lines for combined goals. In general, we suggest one goal for each of the kids, and they come up with their other goal(s). At first, we had to give them more guidance, but they do relatively well at making them. A goal cannot be something that is already expected. I.e., EG can make her goal to finish all her schoolwork by a certain (earlier than usual) time or date, but she can't just make it her goal to finish all her schoolwork. That's required already. We adults try to model a combination of goals in various areas - focused leisure activities, learning activities, reading, and extra projects to improve household life.
02. Evaluation Meetings. We've been pretty slack about doing these formally, despite our best intentions, but we do them informally from time to time. The evaluation meetings were something we devised as a way to keep the away from home parent in the know about goings-on related to school. In practice, it serves as a handy way to assess progress in a variety of areas. Progress assessment is a vital component of goal-setting.
03. What's On Your Transcript? I have set out a sample of what might be on a transcript or college application - courses, testing, extracurricular activities, awards and recognitions, and so on. From that, I've completed it, the ideal that I would like to be completing for my kids to send to colleges several years from now. I've also talked about various components of it with EG. Between now and the end of next summer, we're going to talk about each component, what she's interested in it saying when she's finished with grade twelve, and what steps are required to make that happen. Do I think the finished product will look anything like what either of us currently thinks is the ideal? No, probably not. Do I think that it's still a valuable exercise? Absolutely.
04. Short Term and Long Term Goals. One of the strengths of the Girl Scout program, in my opinion, is that there are opportunities for scaffolding in terms of goals. EG has set some goals for her time in the Junior level program. She's stalled somewhat in the completion of those goals, but that's a multifaceted issue. More specifically, though, she wants to earn the Bronze Award, which is a terrific example of setting short term goals that lead towards a longer term goal. There are multiple steps that must be completed prior to beginning a larger project. Still, the long term goal is not as distant as some, and there is a concrete reward at the end, apart from the more abstract ones.
That's the core of my thoughts. We also try to encourage goal-setting when it comes to money and where to allocate it, but we're not too consistent on distributing allowance! There's a goal for us to work on. :)
I have a lot of goals for my kids, and I want them to have goals for themselves, as well. I don't know what the best way to achieve those goals is, and I don't know the best way to inspire the kids to set their own goals. Here's what we've attempted and will be attempting, though.
01. Weekly Goals. Most weeks on Sunday afternoon or evening, we take a legal pad and titled it "Goals for the Week." FB has two lines, EG has three, and the mister and I each have four lines, plus a varying number of lines for combined goals. In general, we suggest one goal for each of the kids, and they come up with their other goal(s). At first, we had to give them more guidance, but they do relatively well at making them. A goal cannot be something that is already expected. I.e., EG can make her goal to finish all her schoolwork by a certain (earlier than usual) time or date, but she can't just make it her goal to finish all her schoolwork. That's required already. We adults try to model a combination of goals in various areas - focused leisure activities, learning activities, reading, and extra projects to improve household life.
02. Evaluation Meetings. We've been pretty slack about doing these formally, despite our best intentions, but we do them informally from time to time. The evaluation meetings were something we devised as a way to keep the away from home parent in the know about goings-on related to school. In practice, it serves as a handy way to assess progress in a variety of areas. Progress assessment is a vital component of goal-setting.
03. What's On Your Transcript? I have set out a sample of what might be on a transcript or college application - courses, testing, extracurricular activities, awards and recognitions, and so on. From that, I've completed it, the ideal that I would like to be completing for my kids to send to colleges several years from now. I've also talked about various components of it with EG. Between now and the end of next summer, we're going to talk about each component, what she's interested in it saying when she's finished with grade twelve, and what steps are required to make that happen. Do I think the finished product will look anything like what either of us currently thinks is the ideal? No, probably not. Do I think that it's still a valuable exercise? Absolutely.
04. Short Term and Long Term Goals. One of the strengths of the Girl Scout program, in my opinion, is that there are opportunities for scaffolding in terms of goals. EG has set some goals for her time in the Junior level program. She's stalled somewhat in the completion of those goals, but that's a multifaceted issue. More specifically, though, she wants to earn the Bronze Award, which is a terrific example of setting short term goals that lead towards a longer term goal. There are multiple steps that must be completed prior to beginning a larger project. Still, the long term goal is not as distant as some, and there is a concrete reward at the end, apart from the more abstract ones.
That's the core of my thoughts. We also try to encourage goal-setting when it comes to money and where to allocate it, but we're not too consistent on distributing allowance! There's a goal for us to work on. :)
13.11.09
Weekly Report: Week Fourteen
Brrr. I'm so glad that our house is actually on three different furnaces. Even though the main one is inexplicably not working (filter is suspected), the one for our schoolroom is.
EG had a good week. She finished steps fourteen and fifteen in AAS L5, and completed unit 3 in JAG. She also finished her rewrite of "The Silent Couple," and began the final story in Writing Tales 2. She also read The Red Fairy Book and did ten minutes of penmanship practice daily.
No new drill levels were beaten this week, but EG did complete twelve pages in Key to Measurement Book 4, eight pages in Key to Decimals Book 4, and all the lessons of Hands-On Equations. She's started working on the final level of problems in the Verbal Problems book from Hands-On Equations.
In history this week, EG read about the Boxer Rebellion and "other stuff about China," to quote. :) She wrote her summary about the Boxer Rebellion, and I couldn't help but think about Angel and Spike. She read another biography of Teddy Roosevelt, Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt!, and we're going to talk about how different biographers choose different incidents and approaches to the same subject.
I've decided I'm not overly impressed with our kit for color and light. Nevertheless, I think EG's getting a decent enough introduction to the subject. They did activities seven through eleven, then skipped twelve because we didn't have... something odd. I can't remember. They did thirteen, instead. EG also read the pages about light in the Usborne Illustrated Dictionary of Science.
Continuing in Latin meant more chapter twelve. It seems like the amount of history information is increasing chapter by chapter. I'm viewing it as non-essential but a nice way to allow for more time to master the vocabulary. I am trying to decide where we'll go after finished Lively Latin. I know there is a Lively Latin 2, but I've also heard complaints about errata, plus the possibility of it not being completed, if EG continues at her breakneck pace. I know I'll put her in Latin Prep 1 afterwards, either way, so I'll probably go ahead and purchase that, then decide.
EG has added another poem to her memory work, and she did three pages of logic this week, as well as reviewed the two words that have given her difficulty from VfCR 4. I'm not sure that the words give her difficulty so much as the context in which they're presented, but I'm still making her review them once more before going forward.
FB has been caught reciting parts of EG's memory work, in disjointed order. It's hilarious. It is interesting how much he's picked up just from listening in, though.
We're painting the kitchen and dining room, after having a stager come on Monday and give us various recommendations. We haven't painted the trim in the kitchen and dining room. I just don't think we have time - we have guests coming tomorrow afternoon - but it sure would be nice to be done with all the painting in the room and not worry about going back to do a little more.
EG had a good week. She finished steps fourteen and fifteen in AAS L5, and completed unit 3 in JAG. She also finished her rewrite of "The Silent Couple," and began the final story in Writing Tales 2. She also read The Red Fairy Book and did ten minutes of penmanship practice daily.
No new drill levels were beaten this week, but EG did complete twelve pages in Key to Measurement Book 4, eight pages in Key to Decimals Book 4, and all the lessons of Hands-On Equations. She's started working on the final level of problems in the Verbal Problems book from Hands-On Equations.
In history this week, EG read about the Boxer Rebellion and "other stuff about China," to quote. :) She wrote her summary about the Boxer Rebellion, and I couldn't help but think about Angel and Spike. She read another biography of Teddy Roosevelt, Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt!, and we're going to talk about how different biographers choose different incidents and approaches to the same subject.
I've decided I'm not overly impressed with our kit for color and light. Nevertheless, I think EG's getting a decent enough introduction to the subject. They did activities seven through eleven, then skipped twelve because we didn't have... something odd. I can't remember. They did thirteen, instead. EG also read the pages about light in the Usborne Illustrated Dictionary of Science.
Continuing in Latin meant more chapter twelve. It seems like the amount of history information is increasing chapter by chapter. I'm viewing it as non-essential but a nice way to allow for more time to master the vocabulary. I am trying to decide where we'll go after finished Lively Latin. I know there is a Lively Latin 2, but I've also heard complaints about errata, plus the possibility of it not being completed, if EG continues at her breakneck pace. I know I'll put her in Latin Prep 1 afterwards, either way, so I'll probably go ahead and purchase that, then decide.
EG has added another poem to her memory work, and she did three pages of logic this week, as well as reviewed the two words that have given her difficulty from VfCR 4. I'm not sure that the words give her difficulty so much as the context in which they're presented, but I'm still making her review them once more before going forward.
FB has been caught reciting parts of EG's memory work, in disjointed order. It's hilarious. It is interesting how much he's picked up just from listening in, though.
We're painting the kitchen and dining room, after having a stager come on Monday and give us various recommendations. We haven't painted the trim in the kitchen and dining room. I just don't think we have time - we have guests coming tomorrow afternoon - but it sure would be nice to be done with all the painting in the room and not worry about going back to do a little more.
12.11.09
Secular Thursday: Missing Out
On Wednesdays, FB takes a tumbling class at the local YMCA. The mothers generally stand outside the room and talk; EG goes to swim, and I chase PC around the hall. There's one woman who likes to talk to me about homeschooling. She doesn't exactly ask questions; she presents whatever she's thought of as a problem with homeschooling, and I have to respond. I have stock responses by now to a lot of questions, so that helps. It's especially fun when someone questions your ability to teach higher level math and science, and you get to reply with "My husband and I both attended Georgia Tech." It tends to shut them up, fast.
Her most recent concern dealt with high school activities. "What about high school," she began. "Not the courses, but all the extra activities. What about marching band, and debate, and things like that?" I fobbed her off with my stock answer, but on the way home, I thought about what she'd said.
And I laughed.
I went to a private day school for girls that had, at the time I attended, grades 7-12 (now it also has a sixth grade class). The two specific examples that she had chosen were activities that I didn't have at my high school. In other words, I wasn't homeschooled, yet I had no opportunity to participate in matching band or debate. It gets even more amusing when you consider that in our area, there is a homeschool marching band. As far as I know, there isn't a non-Christian homeschool debate team, but I'd really love to change that in a few years.
Her examples were poorly chosen. She did have a very real point: the high school experience will be very different for a homeschooled student versus a public school student (and, as I experienced firsthand, versus a private school student). I typically answer in a way that suggests that "it's okay, we can do most things that public school kids do!" However, that's not really how I feel about the matter at all. No, EG, FB, and PC won't experience the same things as their public-schooled counterparts. Their peers won't have the experiences that they will gain, either, though. There are numerous disadvantages and advantages to all types of educational paths for homeschooling, and while public school may be the norm, it doesn't negate the potential value in other paths.
Finally, can I just say how weird it is for someone to even bother quizzing me about high school when my oldest kid is nine? Sure, I think about the future and like to plan ahead, but I don't even know this woman's name. When I think about it, that's pretty weird.
Maybe my kid and hers will compete in debate in ten years. Or marching band. ;)
Her most recent concern dealt with high school activities. "What about high school," she began. "Not the courses, but all the extra activities. What about marching band, and debate, and things like that?" I fobbed her off with my stock answer, but on the way home, I thought about what she'd said.
And I laughed.
I went to a private day school for girls that had, at the time I attended, grades 7-12 (now it also has a sixth grade class). The two specific examples that she had chosen were activities that I didn't have at my high school. In other words, I wasn't homeschooled, yet I had no opportunity to participate in matching band or debate. It gets even more amusing when you consider that in our area, there is a homeschool marching band. As far as I know, there isn't a non-Christian homeschool debate team, but I'd really love to change that in a few years.
Her examples were poorly chosen. She did have a very real point: the high school experience will be very different for a homeschooled student versus a public school student (and, as I experienced firsthand, versus a private school student). I typically answer in a way that suggests that "it's okay, we can do most things that public school kids do!" However, that's not really how I feel about the matter at all. No, EG, FB, and PC won't experience the same things as their public-schooled counterparts. Their peers won't have the experiences that they will gain, either, though. There are numerous disadvantages and advantages to all types of educational paths for homeschooling, and while public school may be the norm, it doesn't negate the potential value in other paths.
Finally, can I just say how weird it is for someone to even bother quizzing me about high school when my oldest kid is nine? Sure, I think about the future and like to plan ahead, but I don't even know this woman's name. When I think about it, that's pretty weird.
Maybe my kid and hers will compete in debate in ten years. Or marching band. ;)
And Leap
Throughout each of my pregnancies, I've had certain songs that resonated with me during that time. When I was pregnant with Brigid, one of the songs that I listened to repeatedly was "Defying Gravity," from the show Wicked. There were a couple of lines that particularly stood out. One of them is above, particular the second sentence.
November 11, 2008, was my official due date. I hoped I'd have Brigid before that date, but the morning November 11 dawned with me still pregnant, and no sign of impending labor. In fact, it would be nine days later, on November 20, 2008, before Brigid would make her appearance at last, but on November 11, I was still hopeful that I'd be holding her ex utero within just a day or two.
Choosing an unassisted pregnancy and an unassisted birth had been the easy part. The best way to describe an unassisted pregnancy for me is blissful. No, I didn't have formal prenatal care from an outside source, but I took excellent care of myself. I monitored myself for issues, in more or less the same manner that a care provider would have monitored me. For many reasons, I approached my due date feeling good (with the exception of the SPD, but I have yet to find a care provider who can do much more than offer sympathy or a chiropractor recommendation for that!).
Really, going "past my due date" was the hard part. Not the birth (which was quick, but you have to wait until next Friday to hear about it), but the nine days that stretched in front of me. Many times when you read of women who have gone past their due dates, they are readying to be defiant in the face of pressure to induce or submit to testing they feel is unnecessary. There's a feeling of empowerment, I suspect, that comes from that defiance.
When you're the only care provider you have, there's nothing to defy. There's no reason to be empowered in the face of adversity, because there is no adversity. There's just you, and there's just waiting. Waiting. Waiting. Instead of defiance, there is surrender.
When I had gotten pregnant, I had known what I wanted to do for my pregnancy and birth. It was "too late" for me to change my mind, even at the beginning of the pregnancy. I had trusted my instincts, and I had even closed my eyes to the outside pressures and naysayers.
It wasn't Brigid's birthday. In retrospect, though, I can say that November 11, 2008 was the day that I leapt.
