The in-laws are coming

The house is now officially in-law clean.

There are three kinds of clean - every day clean, company coming clean, and in-law clean.

My in-laws called two nights ago to tell me they were coming for the weekend. 40 hours notice. My in-laws are wonderful people. Really. We are as different as night and day, black and white, country club and American Legion. We've sort of grown on each other over the last 13 years or so and we like each other pretty well by now.

My father in law is high maintenance. Very high maintenance. I'm not sure how my mother in law has survived all these years. I know how to make him happy. I bought all the foods he likes and I had Jeff buy mulch and manure for the garden. He can keep quite busy puttering out in my yard taking care of the plants.

My mother in law is not high maintenance but she has a tendencey to say things that are unbelievable. One of my favorites was the time she said to me in a phone conversation after a visit, "I'm sure you're a much nicer person when we're not around." Hmmm ... what is that supposed to mean exactly??? "Actually," I told her, "I don't think I am."

I have three sons and no daughters. Someday I'll be the mother in law. I try to treat my in-laws as I'd want a daughter in law to treat me. Maybe I'll even try to be nicer than I normally am.

Homeschool evangelism

On one of the homeschool bulletin boards I was called a "homeschool evangelist". I actually took the time to look up evangelist just to be sure I wasn't one. The only definition I could find for evangelist was a Christian one. But even putting that aside, I'd still say I'm not a homeschool evangelist.

I strongly believe that the public schools are pretty terrible places. I agree with John Taylor Gatto who says the system is so broken it can't be fixed. I disagree with the basic premise on which our educational system is built. Therefore, I believe that even "good schools" are not places where most children should be.

As a Unitarian Universalist, I have been challenged for taking my children away from the public school system. I have been encouraged to work within the system to effect change. I've been told that the public schools need parents like me. The problem is that I don't believe my children need to be part of some social experiment. I'm not willing to sacrifice the lives of my children while I wait for the schools to get better.

I don't believe the schools in their current state can be improved. "No child left behind" is leaving more and more children in the dust. We are wasting precious educational dollars to do more testing to tell us what we already know. Our children are not receiving good educations.

I don't preach the good word of homeschooling on the streets or amongst my neighbors and friends whose children go to school. I won't say anything bad about our local school system. I usually don't say anything at all when friends and neighbors complain about things happening at the school. Sometimes though - when I think someone is really ready to hear it - I simply say, "It doesn't have to be that way."

Writer's block

I've got a serious case of writer's block. Usually, I have blog titles and ideas floating in my mind but right now the mind feels empty.

Now that Spring is here, I've been cleaning out the cobwebs in my mind. I unsubscribed from a yahoo group that was giving me more grief than joy. I rededicated myself to my children's education. I got out my knitting needles and started a big project that I've been putting off. I'm reading Oliver Twist again. I completed a pile of paperwork for Nana.

I've been spending more one on one time with Jared. My only goal for his kindergarten year was to teach him how to read. Now that he's reading quite well it's time to add new things to our routine. A few days ago I pulled out the Miquon Orange book and we sat down and did a bunch of pages. Today after math, Jared said, "Thanks, Mom, that was fun." I'd like to finish Miquon orange over the summer and start Singapore in the fall.

Baseball season has started and the lessons we learned last year are still fresh in my mind. I love Adam's coach this year and pray he doesn't disappoint me. Baseball is easily ruined by overzealous parents and coaches who think winning is everything and the end justifies the means. Our children know that the most important things are to try your best and to have fun. I wish more parents taught their children the same thing.

Opening Day

Yard sale season has started in my corner of the country.

I know many people don't understand the appeal of yard sales. Buying used things that other people don't want. Wading through other folk's trash. Bumping shoulders with other people trying to get a bargain.

I love yard sales. Almost every Saturday from April through October I'm out in my trusty Saturn hatchback, following my favorite map, going from house to house and town to town according to the list I printed out the day before. I start early but not too early. I'm not one of those people who show up on your lawn at 5:30 am. I don't tend to haggle too much - only if I know the price is way too high and the item won't sell at that price anyway.

I buy amazing things at yard sales - brand new (or almost new) name brand winter coats for the boys for $3 or less, tons of Ravensburger games and puzzles, great dress up clothes, amazing things for our homeschool adventure, and boat loads of books. Wonderful books!

We have shelves of easy readers in our home because of yard sales. I've never paid more than a quarter for any of them (they retail for $4.00). We also have all the classic children's books and many wonderful educational books. I find homeschooling stuff often - Beautiful Feet history guides, cuisenaire rods, Easy Grammar, Brain Quest decks. I also find educational stuff all the time- Binary Arts games (like Rush Hour and River Crossing).

This weekend I had two great buys. The first is The Picture History of Great Inventors. This neat book is a decade by decade chronicle of the world's greatest inventions - complete with timeline. When I looked it up on Amazon, I found that it is out of print. My second great buy was a complete unit study on frogs. It included an Uncle Milton's Surf Frog habitat, 6 books on frogs, a giant rubber frog that ribbits when you turn it on, and small plastic tadpoles and frogs that show the frog lifecycle. The boys were so excited. We've already read the books and now I need to order (or find locally) the frogs.

I can hardly wait for next Saturday.

Puh-lease

Students in D. are finding a little something missing in their school lunches -- the bun.

School officials are making over the menu in search of healthier options. At Woodman __ School, the lunchroom no longer carries sandwich buns.

"Students eat one-fourth of their sandwich and they're full. The rest, quiet honestly, is thrown away," food service administrator Mark Covell said. "We're trying to improve their diets with a few less carbs."

A local school district is getting rid of the kids' buns. I haven't heard anything this ridiculous since Ronald Reagan declared ketchup a vegetable.

I am concerned about childhood obesity. I think way too many kids are way too fat. I don't happen to think getting rid of their sandwich buns at school are going to make even the smallest difference.

This same school district hasn't gotten rid of soda or vending machines in the schools yet. Schools make money off of vending machines, after all.

Can you think of anything less appealing than a school cafeteria cooked hamburger or chicken patty without even a bun to cover them up? Most schools have gotten rid of plastic knives with the zero tolerance laws. How the heck are 6 and 7 year old children supposed to eat their hamburgers without buns or knives to cut the hamburgers with? How does one put the ketchup on the hamburger (so the serving of "vegetable" can be counted) without a bun?

Maybe these kids don't finish their sandwiches because they're disgusting. Maybe we should improve the quality of the cafeteria food.
Give the kids back their buns!

Reason number 4 trillion and 12 why I'm glad I homeschool.

Housecleaning drama

I probably shouldn't blog hop before writing my own blog entry for the day. MFS stole my blog entry for today and she said it much better than I.

Go ahead. Read her blog. I'm the person she's referring to who said, "I just don't understand what all the drama's about."

Just about any day you can check out various homeschool bulletin boards and you will find someone who posits the questions, "Is it possible to homeschool and maintain a clean home?" Now I don't think that most of them are really asking a question. They are looking for validation. Looking for an excuse to not maintain their homes. They're much, much too busy to possibly find the time to do some dishes or laundry, never mind sweep a floor or make a bed. AND they want to find others like them to make them feel okay.

It's not okay to have a filthy house just because you homeschool. There is enough time in the day to care for your children, provide them with an excellent education, cook and feed them meals, and do the basic housekeeping. In fact, there's also time to do some reading yourself, get outside for some exercise and watch Law & Order or CSI.

It would seem that in the time it takes to post an entry searching for validation and the time it would take to read the sympathetic replies, one could find the time to load the dishwasher or start a load of laundry. It's not that complicated. Really.

Priceless

They may fight more than half of the time and they may spend too much of their time playing World War II but this picture shows true brotherly love.



That's Adam helping Jared with his batting stance. I was watching out the window and saw Adam help Jared get into position over and over again without once losing his patience. It was worth it to let him skip outside this morning before his schoolwork or chores were finished. Math, spelling, piano and the dishwasher will all be waiting for him later on.

I feel like one of those Mastercard commercials.
Batting helmet: $10
New batting tee: $10
New baseball cleats: $30
4 new baseballs: $12
Gear bag:$20
Big brother helping little brother: Priceless

A grateful heart

It's Sunday and a good time to remember those things I'm grateful for:

A glorious warm Spring day after a week of rain

A wonderful visit at the playground with my Nana and two youngest boys yesterday

Wonderful neighbors and friends for my boys

My backyard grill - could dinner get easier than grilling?

Adam's baseball coach for this season - we just found out last night he has a GREAT coach (more on that later)

Hot tea, hot showers and clean clothes

A cool breeze late at night

My trusty computer and washing machine and dryer

A great husband who says, "What's the plan for today?" and doesn't even blink when I say, "I think I'll take a trip to the bookstore."

Spring. Hope springs eternal.

Week in review

I spent way too much time this week trying to get the SpamKiller to work. In frustration, I finally gave up. For two days I didn't receive any email at all. It made me realize how dependent I've become on email. One committee I'm on does about half of our communication via email. Advancement for Cub Scouts requires leaders to email me there information so I can enter it into the computer. I love my computer and I love email. I love the instant gratification.

Another busy week ...
Adam broke his front tooth. Again. For the third time in 6 months. This meant an emergency trip to the dentist yesterday and caused Adam to miss the 4-H pet show. Luckily, he didnt further damage the tooth. The littler boys went to 4-H without me and had a blast at the pet show. Jared was very proud to show his guinea pig, Kacheek.

I'm feeling bad and guilty because my Nana's social worker asked me to take my grandmother home for a weekend and I refused. I really can't imagine having her here for an entire weekend. I wouldnt' be able to sleep with her in the house. I'd be worried to leave her alone with the boys. I'm worried that the utter chaos of my house would be very bothersome to her especially after the structure of the hospital. I just can't do it. Maybe a better person could but I can't.

Spring is here. Now that the rain is gone, the grass is green and things are sprouting up all over. Baseball tryouts are today. Cub Scout hike-a-thon is today. It's a great day to go to the playground. I plan to open the windows to air out the house. Ahhhhhhh ...

New furry friends

The boys and I took advantage of the rainy weather yesterday to take a drive to the Mall. The boys were anxious to use their Build A Bear gift certificates they received for their birthdays (my sister gave all the boys their present on Adam's birthday).

Adam and Jared had built bears in 2002 and were looking forward to buying new clothes. Eric was scared of the place last time but was excited to build a new bear this time. He got a lovely bear named Star.



We were also given a new guinea pig. He is huge and furry and Jared named him Kacheek. Jared has wanted his very own pet for a long time and he just loves this furry fella who shares a room with him. He seems friendly and is very docile.

Catching up on our reading & other stuff

Last week was a very busy week for us. We had to be out of the house every single day. When we have weeks like that, I tend to fall behind on housework. Then I spent the day at Nana's on Saturday and we celebrated Easter yesterday - I'm behinder than ever.

We have another busy week planned for this week. One of us is out of the house every day and I have meetings two different nights. Today is the day to get caught up before we need to head to town for Adam's orthodontist check up.

I've spent the morning doing laundry. The third load is now ready to go into the dryer. We got our schooling done and the boys are outside enjoying the sunny weather.

Reading Update ...

Last week, I picked up So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading. In it, the author chronicles her attempt to read 52 books in 52 weeks and write a book about it. I read the book quickly and while I disagreed with the author in many instances on book choices, I found the book interesting. I especially liked how she talked about judging a friendship by whether or not you like the same books. Or what to do when a friend recommends a book that you really hate.

I also finished The Amber Spyglass (His Dark Materials, Book 3). Terrific books. Wonderful. I am very sad to come to the end of the trilogy. I really wanted to find out what happens to Lyra and Will as they get older.

Over the weekend I read The Secret Life of Bees. I enjoyed the book a lot. It was much lighter reading than I've been doing lately and I'd recommend it for a weekend away or a summer book or a book to read between tougher books. I thought it had good things to say about forgiveness and the power of the individual.

Jeff finished reading The Water Horse by Dick King Smith to the littler boys. They liked the book but, still, nothing has captured them like Charlotte's Web and I continue to search for the perfect book. They really enjoyed the last Freddy book so I picked up Freddy and the Spaceship at Borders this weekend. I also got Ginger Pye. We'll have to see which one they choose.

Adam is taking a break from his WWII reading and asked if he could read Eragon (Inheritance, Book 1) again. Eragon is responsible for his fascination with dragons and I'm happy to have him reread it.

Time to get back to work. That kitchen floor isn't going to mop itself.

Happy Easter

Easter 1972 - just 3 days before my 7th birthday

Nana stuff (again)

I didn't mention that I went to court again this week for my Nana. This hearing was for two different appeals she has filed concerning guardianship issues. I understand this is her way of trying to have even a smidge of control in her life and though it frustrates me to have to go to court so often, it doesn't make me angry. When she sees me she acts very pleasant - she's doing much better. When I see her, I just want to make everything all better.

Going to court is always difficult. I hate having to sit in a small room (this time we met in the judge's chambers) and say not so nice things about my Nana. She never looks me in the eye and she never flinches. This time, however, my father decided to show up. He refuses to take care of his mother and has been very unhelpful but he showed up to try to protest my appointment as guardianship over estate because he finally figured out he can't touch her money. *sigh* He was well behaved in court but verbally attacked me on my way to my car. He is a nasty man.

I was telling Jeff that I was embarrassed my father showed up at court because I didn't want him opening his mouth in front of the judge and saying something stupid (he refuses to acknowledge that I have to manage my Nana's affairs according to the law). I was embarrassed that we come from the same gene pool. "Don't worry, honey," Jeff said, " you come from the deep end of that gene pool." Maybe you had to be there but it made me laugh.

Today, Adam and I returned to Nana's apartment to do some more cleaning out. I thought my father was taking care of this but he said he won't do anymore now that I've put my Nana's money into an account that doesn't have his name on it. It was a beautiful day and I hated to spend it inside her stinky apartment (she smokes and hasn't opened a window in years). We worked hard and filled the van two times with stuff for Goodwill. Adam was a great help - it was nice not to be there alone.
I'm not sure how I'm going to finish. I think I'll make some phone calls and see if I can pay someone to go in and finish the job. There's nothing left in the apartment that I'm saving.

My trip to Nana's will be good for at least a few good entries. Stay tuned for "Country Girl goes to the Big City".

Hiking

Today we went on our first homeschool hike at the Urban Forestry Center. Some friends of mine have planned hikes for homeschoolers around the state twice a month. We weren't sure if we'd be able to hike today -the weather forecast yesterday was calling for snow.

Today we woke up to bright and sunny skies and decided to join our friends for the hike. I'm not much of a hiker. I don't really like to be cold, hot or sweaty and I don't care much for bugs. Hiking in April may be the best idea. The bugs aren't out yet and we were able to wear jeans and sweatshirts and stay quite comfortable.

It was good to be outdoors. The boys really enjoyed being with their friends, running along trails, finding cool things like rocks and bird feathers, and eating pepperoni on crackers for lunch. The moms enjoyed each other's company and kept and eye on all the children. I'm glad I got my butt out the door and on the trail.

SPAM

Here is an email that I received today trying to sell me Viagra. I think if I were more talented I could count syllables and make beautiful haiku. If you care to write a haiku using this wonderful message, please leave one in my comments or leave a link to the haiku on your blog.

Easygoing Disquietude

enormous blind transoceanic burette wield actinolite clammy fame affix sebastian agreeing braille arrogate pixy bemadden con business counselor chris vouch aggrieve dune careworn attire adjacent cbs tessellate appearance berlitz bully dais financier al rhubarb asphyxiate wharf twelve bryophyta kennel bend cowardice confucius ardent gaulle blacksmith tap crankcase marshal multiplexor solicitude strickland carlton conspiratorial egypt byproduct davison teetotal telepathic reticulum dishwasher augur actress diplomat failsoft negroes postage dint ellison undulate cinder ambidextrous impropriety verbiage renaissance workmen

chaise swerve insouciant forgettable maya under scout earl gullah independent wolves tearful toot abreact punditry yoga debenture re gyrfalcon rutledge arachne bloat condition rig pattern boxcar chicagoan rhythm alphabet albatross drowsy provocative final brandenburg tina poet alphameric hillel quarterback duffy solicitous dot alterman frick bacteria abrupt actor loquacity parboil insignificant anderson

Homeschool Stuff

Dy has started a Curriculum Wishlist on her blog. I tend to have a list things that I know I need or want to buy and I buy them as my Paypal account fills up from ebay sales or when I find a great deal on a used curriculum board.

Just a minute ago, my rural route carrier knocked on my door. She had a large box from By Way of the Family. Oooohh, the excitement. In this box I received:
Singapore Math - I ordered solution manuals for the first time. I'm not sure I want to tackle Primary Mathematics 5 on my own. I got PM 1 for Jared but I'm still thinking about Right Start.
The First Whole Book of Diagrams and Worktext I'm hoping Adam will find this fun.
English From the Roots Up We're planning to do this as a family.
Explode the Code 4 We just love the Explode the Code series and it has just the right amount of writing for Jared.

A few weeks ago I received an order from Overstock.com. I got the following books:
First Language Lessons
SOTW II

I also ordered a great Art resource that was recommended by the Tanglewood folks. It looks amazing and it fits in so well with our history studies. I highly recommend it.
Art in Story: Teaching Art History to Elementary School Children

Piano books have already been bought for the fall, too. We use Spelling Power so we don't need to buy anything else for that subject for years.

Just this morning I sent away for our ants to live in our Ant Hill. They'll be here in a few weeks.

Except for Science and additional reading books, I think I may be done homeschool shopping for the 2004-2005 school year.

Thoughts on turning 39

Today is my birthday. I'm 39 years old.

I'm in my 40th year. When my mom was 40, I was in college. My oldest son just turned 10 three days ago. My life is so different from my mother's.

After graduating from high school (the first person to do so in my mother's family), I went to college and graduate school. I partied my way through college and got my act together a little bit in graduate school. I taught preschool, waitressed, worked as a research assistant - anything to pay the bills and leave me enough time to party. I was engaged two times before meeting my husband. I backpacked across Europe and drove a VW Rabbit around the United States. My early 20's were a crazy time.

My mother dropped out of high school at 15 to go to work to support her family. She met my father when she was 16 and married him when she was 18. She had me 10 months later and my sister 17 months after that. She and my father divorced by the time I was 3 and she remarried when I was 7. She brought in ironing, waitressed, worked in factories and bartended - anything to pay the bills and keep her children fed. I don't think she had too much fun in her 20's.

I remember when my mother was in her early 40's. I think she had a mid-life crisis. She finally realized that life needed to be about her for a change. She partied with girlfriends, went on trips to warmer climates, and stayed out late. I was happy that she was having fun but she sometimes embarrassed me.

If I had to do it all over again there aren't many things I'd change. I'm very, very glad that I had my wild times in my 20's. I feel pretty settled approaching 40. I'm happy with this phase of my life and I wonder what life will be like when the boys grow up and move out. It seems so far away but I know the time will go by fast. It may be cliche but the time really does go by faster the older I get.

A busy Saturday

The birthday celebration is over. Pizza and ice cream were great. The presents were gratefully received and well loved. The sleepover went well (they finally went to sleep at 10:30 after many reminders). We got out the door early today to head into town. The boys loved the Chinese buffet and we had time before the movie to walk to the shoe store to buy cleats for baseball. I let the boys go to the movie alone while I walked around downtown and then sat on a bench in the lobby reading my book. Truthfully, I had no desire to watch "Home on the Range".

Earlier this week, The Well-Educated Mind yahoo group had a chat about Pride and Prejudice. I had never read the book before and loved it. We had a great discussion. It is so nice to have people to discuss the books with.

The next novel on the list is Oliver Twist. None of the participants in the discussion were looking forward to Oliver after Pride and Prejudice. I started Oliver Twist last night and have to say that I am pleasantly surprised. I'm really enjoying it.

The introduction to this edition is written by Philip Pullman, author of His Dark Materials Trilogy. I read the first two books after finishing Pride and Prejudice and am currently finishing the third book. Wonderful books.

It's been a long week and I'm tired. When we returned from the movies I found a letter in the mailbox informing me that I have to be back in court on Thursday. *sigh* On Monday I'll call the appropriate social workers and lawyers to make sure we don't lose this particular legal battle with my Nana. I'll try to put it out of my mind until then.

Spring Forward

Thank you, MFS. I would have completely forgotten about Daylight Saving Time if I hadn't read your blog today. What cave have I been living in?

I'll let the results speak for themselves ...

You are a GRAMMAR GOD!


If your mission in life is not already to
preserve the English tongue, it should be.
Congratulations and thank you!


How grammatically sound are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Wow, they're getting old!

My oldest son is 10 years old today. Double digits. It's hard to believe that 10 years ago on a blustery April day we had no children. Our lives were so different before he was born.

Happy Birthday, Adam!

This morning we let Adam open a few presents: a Boston Red Sox tee shirt, a Sports Illustrated for Kids magazine (the subscription is coming in the mail), and Dr. Ernest Drake's Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons. He's wearing the tee shirt and can't put the book down. I know I've said it before but if you haven't checked out this book yet you really should. Adam said it may be the best present he's ever received.

We've got a busy weekend planned. Tonight we're having pizza and homemade ice cream cake (I found the recipe almost 7 years ago for Jared's first birthday and it's been a family tradition ever since). Adam is having a couple of neighborhood friends over for ice cream cake and having one friend spend the night. He'll open the rest of his presents tonight. Tomorrow we plan to go to see the new movie, Home on the Range, and have Chinese food for lunch.