Spring!

       Something oddly wonderful and a little unnerving is happening in Chicago. It is mid March and Spring had sprung. I don't mean it is peaking through the sky to say hello, I mean it is here in full force sitting on my deck waiting for the burgers to be done. The tulips are sprouting and the trees are flowering and everyone is confused and a little giddy. Shorts and tank tops adorn the whitest of arms and legs and no one cares! It Spring!  Neighbors are outside commenting on how much the toddlers grew over the winter..but really what winter. The snow blower still has gas in it and the firewood was hardly touched. Chicago, you should be ashamed of yourself. You call that a winter. This is a town where Easter egg hunts are often snowed out and  the last frost may come just shy of Mother's Day. But I forgive you for this  blip, this anomaly this pleasant surprise and hope you don't take it out on us in Summer. For now, all I can say is Thank you Mother Nature! For once I get to  go on Spring Break even if it is in my own back yard!

Kid teaches Mom

     Sometimes in our efforts to pack everything into a school day we revert to what we know. What I know is traditional school and although I realize it is not the best model, it quickly becomes my default. I can basically end up lecturing and  giving out worksheets if I am not careful. I have to admit, there are days when it is just easier.


    I looked at Sarah during a lesson on cells and she looked totally bored. So I decided to switch it up a bit. I gave her the materials and told her I would be back in 30 minutes for my lesson, (at which time I took a well deserved break and read O magazine) She had to teach me about single cells, multicellular organisms, bacteria, protozoans and amoebas. What kid doesn't want to be the teacher?   She did great and we both learned a lot.   Sarah likes to be the boss which is tough because I like to be the boss too.  Of course when she does it, it is bossy and disrespectful and when I do it, it is parenting.


Sometimes I find the best solution is sitting right in front of you. One of my favorite quotes is " If you can't explain something simply then you don't understand it well enough" I'm not sure if that is it exactly but you get the idea....I think Einstein said it but I could be wrong...I got it off Pinterest. 


If anyone reading this blog has never heard of Pinterest..google it and say goodbye to your life. I know  people say smoking is hard to kick but...ohhh this Pinterest is a tough one.  There are a ton of great home school ideas if you are tempted.. but you have been warned.


I think I may have Sarah research and teach a lesson once a week. She's smart, likes to talk and can use the internet just like me. I'll let you know how it goes.

Needed: a new face for home schoolers

Because I haven't been watching TV and my time  on the Internet is spent....um lesson planning..yeah that's it planning lessons, I have missed some of the the Republican commentary.   How did I miss that Rick Santorum home schooled his kids or something like that.? You know it is very trendy now. everyone is doing it! Well, I certainly am glad that the national spokesperson for home schooling has shifted from Michelle Dugger(who is is the sweetest person on the planet) to Rick Santorum (who is the craziest person on the planet).  Yea!! At the risk of this blog becoming political I have to ask myself, what the hell?


Please come forward all you parents that are fed up with education(not you..sit down Rick). Everyone else who feels that they can do better. Many of us have taken the plunge, not because the schools are immoral  or evil but because we think the model may be flawed and our kids can actually learn better in a different environment.  We respect educators and education and reject ability grouping and teaching to the test. We would love the state to do better and know that reform will eventually take place, but until then we choose to take on the privilege of guiding and teaching our children ourselves.


Yes, it is becoming downright popular. Perhaps this  community, that once prided themselves as being off the grid, is now being viewed in a different light. The attention is mostly good but a little bad as well. With attention comes scrutiny. I am new to this, so I am by no means an authority but I do know it is one of the most personal choices a family can make. It is seldom taken lightly. When Bill Gates pulled their kids out of school for a year while they were travelling, no one commented, nor should they have. I am only mentioning it myself because Bill Gates is cool( In that nerdy Zuckerburg sort of way).


As the debate over public education rages on, the home school community grows in numbers and not for the reasons you would normally think. We left a religious(catholic) school for academic reasons not the other way around. Surprisingly, we are not alone.


No agenda Homeschool said it better..check out this link
http://www.noagendahomeschool.com/blogs/news/5820234-there-isn-t-one-face-of-homeschooling

Oh Happy Day!

It is never a good thing when a store closes, jobs are lost and communities suffer, but I have to say if it is going to happen, I am so glad I got there early. Some may not know this about me, but I have a thing for office supply stores. Some women like shoes or chocolate but I crave file folders and colored paper.


Today was a happy day for me. The Office Max in a nearby town is going out of business....I just lost my breath a little thinking about it.  I heard the news and jumped in the car to drive 30 minutes in rush hour. My adrenalin was pumping. YES! I got there and the whole store was 50% off (excluding computer stuff..but who cares about that). Folders, highlighters, binders, paper, pens and the holy grail..Post-its. For those of you who are amateurs, you should know that the best you will ever do on post-its is buy 1 get 1 half off. The sales associate asked me if he could help me and I explained that I needed to do this my way. He understood.  I circled once to access and then proceeded down each aisle. At the checkout..It just got even better..the candy and diet coke was 50% off too!!


I love the thought of getting organized without actually ever being organized. Weird I know.. I will always crave the perfect home office and home school.  Maybe my  desire to home school is deeply routed in the thought of school supply shopping all year long. Maybe I am just looking for an excuse and Sarah is just my pawn in this game. I Once thought of working at an Office Max but felt that if I saw the inner workings, it would taint my memories. I feared they would put me in copy max and I would have to listen to some lame customer complain about their  business cards, all the while the sharpies needed to be straightened and colorized. All fantasies aside, it was a great day. Oh did I mention that after dinner I went back for more.... I now get to sort everything ..It is going a long (and fun ) night.

Anderson Cooper

    I just watched the Anderson  Cooper show about Adhd,  which also talked about unschooling.  I know it's lent and I gave up TV but I made an exception because it was kind of like research..Right? Well, in true form they were talking about medication and they had two examples. The sane mom who has her kid in school and medicates. She was sympathetic and sweet and you could totally  feel her struggle. She was nonjudgmental and typical of so many  parents out there.  Then we have the example of a Mom against medication, who surprise.. surprise,  unschools. All I could say is Oh Crap! Why couldn't my side get the normal one. Although the unchooling mom has great points, she was judgey and annoying and talked about how before 1850, everyone was homeschooled. Well guess what? before 1850 there was slavery and women couldn't vote. That is a ridiculous argument. You had a national forum and you blew it. After watching that show I wanted to Medicate Sarah and send her off to school.
It is no wonder that people think homeschoolers are religious zealots or frustrated hippies. Just so you know, I have met none of those..Okay I met one but that doesn't count. 


I have three goals for this blog. 1) keep an accounting of our progress 2) post links of stories of cool homeschoolers and 3) never use the word journey in my writing (after 10 seasons of The Bachelor, I can never look at that word the same way.. except of course, if I am referring to the most awesome band ever!!)


In closing, the best part of the show was Anderson Cooper himself who I haven't seen since Fat Tuesday and I can honestly say I have missed. I have to thank my sister for tipping me off to this episode which I taped. On April 9th I am taking a sick day and watching 40 days worth of Anderson Cooper and The real Housewives....I can't wait..See.. Homeschoolers aren't all crazy. 

Tough Audience

Sarah is in a Science group, of which I am very thankful because Science is not my strength. All has been good, mostly because I joined while the group was in progress and the other parents had already signed up the teach the lessons. Although I felt guilty for not doing my share, I was secretly doing cartwheels. Well, this Tuesday, I do have to actually DO a lesson.It is on electrolysis. which of course, I thought it was permanent hair removal but not so... It is actually...well... I am not sure, but by Tuesday I will be.  The Moms in this group were so generous to let us participate but I fell like they are way out of my league. They have had older kids, they seem pretty smart and I am shamelessly riding on their Science coat tails.


Anyway, I need to get on the stick and plan this lesson!  The girls are a tough group too... smart and I think easily bored. They don't laugh at my jokes and they ask questions (ouch).  I have no problem talking to adults who frankly can be easily duped by fancy speech and big words. Kids not so much. They see right through me, they know I am a fraud.  My strategy is to not embarrass myself or Sarah and provide really good snacks afterwards, which is a pretty good plan for life in general. 

You don't hate writing and sit still!

I now have a follower.(Okay, it is my sister but whatever) Thanks Peggy! I am thinking that maybe I should start telling people about this little blog. 


Today began with Sarah serving the 8 am mass and It was a school mass which was fun because she got to see all her old classmates. This is the first time that I have been to one of these masses that I didn't feel at all nostalgic. I saw the kids in their uniforms, I saw them doing the readings and ..nothing. Don't get me wrong they were cute and well behaved, I Just didn't have the slightest pang that Sarah should be back there. As far as I can tell, Sarah didn't either. So its official, we have moved on. Coincidentally, we had a great homeschool day too.


After a brief meltdown that even Sarah knew was lame because I saw her crack a smile during a tantrum, she actually did some pretty good writing. I just have to get her to stop saying she hates writing. One thing at a time. After her writing assignment she said "now is that what you were looking for" as only an eleven year old girl can  say. And I said "as a matter of fact it is ..you little snot" Actually, I didn't say the last part out loud,I just wanted to. 


Writing is hard for most people and for someone who has not sat still since 2002, it is really tough. She has energy like no other. She often does her work on a red exercise ball (at least someone is using it) upside down with the dog licking her face. On a side note, I think my dog Lucy has some attention issues as well, but that will be saved for a later post. I am sure she isn't listening but low and behold she can repeat exactly what was said. This is remarkable and infuriating at the same time.


Everyday I say what is the end goal?, and today in the end, she wrote a book report that was pretty good. We are both still standing (even if  one of us is standing on her hands) and I am pretty proud of that.