Home School 2009...

So this is a new year and home school needs to be taking more time and effort as Ruby is a big first grader. She's doing mostly 2nd grade curriculum, as amazingly enough, much of the 1st grade curriculum is still just moving beyond reading readiness, and Ruby is beyond that.


So we started out using this curriculum. For some reason, my super anxious learner was totally turned off by it. I can't articulate why, but it was drudgery. I knew after the first few weeks that we couldn't use it as our base curriculum, so we switched to The Well Trained Mind curriculum, First Language Lessons, found here.


Both curricula follow roughly the same concepts in the same order, so I will still be able to utilize some of the student pages and children's lit of the LLATL course while following FLL.


I guess curriculum choice isn't that interesting to most of my few readers, so I'll spare you the rest of the specifics.

I've had the opportunity to defend my choice to home school my children recently, and I always come away from those conversations more convinced that I am doing the right thing (insert "for my family here" if you think I'm trying to say that you should be doing the same thing as I am doing). I don't think that home school is for everyone, it's a personal decision, and I don't stand in the way of public, private or whatever other options people choose for their family.

That said, home school is right for my family, today! I can't speak for a year from now or five years from now, as life could bring many unknown and unanticipated scenarios that could make home schooling impossible. At this point, with my limited knowledge of what the future holds for my family, I am planning to home school my kids to college (which will be free to them when they are 16 and they should be done with their A.A. for free before going to college).

So some interesting thoughts have come up as a result of the conversations I've had with people about my choice. Always...the issue of socialization...to me, the most ridiculous argument for the necessity of public school EVER.

I usually completely ignore the bait that people lay down about socialization because it's so crazy to me that you would ever say that every child in public school is socially well adjusted or that home schooled children are socially backwards. I went to public school, and there were plenty of awkward children there! To boot, there was social hierarchy among very young children, name calling, physical fighting, fussing over name brands. I actually had to make a conscious decision as an adult to undo much of the high school social survival techniques I'd acquired during my years in public school.

One question rose to the top for me in my recent debate with a friend of mine who works in public schools. The question wasn't asked as a part of our conversation, it was the question on which hinged our entire disagreement, "is a person done socially developing/maturing by the age of 18 or the day he/she graduates from high school?"

She was pretty much saying that children who are at home in their cushy, "every body loves me" environment their whole lives missed the chance to ever confront rejection or controversy or diversity or confrontation.

I have to say that not only do I wholly disagree with the notion that we are finished beings by the age of 18, but so does relevant research. Let's put research aside for a moment though...

If at the age of 32 I were to think about some of the most pivotal experiences I've had that have shaped who I am today, I'm going to have to say that being made fun of for having big boobs in the fifth grade does not rival the lessons I learned as a 21 year old missionary with a companion who hated me. My maturity at 21 did not allow me to become small because one person (really, she's the only one, lol) didn't like me! At 21, I had to think long and hard about why in my future I would never want to presume that my opinion of another human being should ever really matter to that person. I learned that it doesn't feel good to be given a negative (not constructive)evaluation by a peer, and not to let it define me at all. This experience of peer rejection was entirely different as a 21 year old than as a 10 year old, and I'd say more worthwhile and productive. I don't know if I'd say that I gained anything from my fifth grade experience, because immaturity didn't allow me to do anything but want to be a different person entirely to please my peers. This is one example of MANY.

My point is that there are many, many formative years from which we learn socially and we experience rejection or social hardship. We could be fired, have a spouse betray us, have a child hate us, lose a loved one...and those things can change and mold us at any stage in our lives. Being made fun of, not making the basketball team, not getting asked to prom or being the chesty girl in 5th grade aren't necessarily essential to our adult life, as we have our adult life to continue to process self love and the meaning of success.

I'm not saying that those experiences in public school ruin who you are either, I'm just saying that you aren't a finished person the day you graduate from high school, and therefore if you don't experience the hard cold world until you are the young age of 18 years old (which is really presumptuous to say that a homeschooled child won't experience rejection or squabbles with peers...we aren't holed up in the house all day!), you aren't going to be a basket case when things don't go your way.

So now, the research...there are many things you can read about comparisons of homeschooled students and public schooled students, but the one that applies to this subject focuses more on what happens to these two groups once put in a college scene. Dr. Laura (generally I'm not a fan, but she presents the findings of research in this blog post and it's more interesting to read than the actual study, which is only available in summary unless you pay money) presents the research here.

Basically, students entering college scored virtually the same, with one exception. Children educated in the public schools had more anxiety about classes, grades, social pressures than homeschooled children. Otherwise, this study on social transition from high school to college found the two groups congruent.

So does that make a huge argument in favor of homeschooling? No! However, if at the very least it could make a case for people to back off the socialization argument as a reason to oppose homeschooling, mission accomplished! I promise, I have the well being of my children as a top priority...just like you do yours.

Advice for very full term pregnant women (not me, yet)...

It really made me laugh to read the following on my cousin Kaitlin's blog. I don't know who wrote it, but it is really funny...

Inevitably your husband will come home to find you unable to move under the weight of this gigantic fetus you are carrying and will want to know why the house is a mess and dinner isn't made and then you'll want to stab him because this is all his fault but you don't have the energy to find a clean knife.

And you'll want to explain how completely exhausting being pregnant is but men never understand so whenever Victor would say "How can you be tired? You hardly did anything today!" I'd respond, "I made someone's ear canals today. Inside my stomach. Without even using my hands. What did you do today? Paperwork? Gosh, how exhausting. I MADE SOMEONE'S NERVOUS SYSTEM."

Then my husband would walk away, suitably impressed. Or scared. Either way he left me alone. And this is how you have a successful marriage.

Something I'd like tethered to my couch...

A hair brush. I have two little girls who sometimes (way less frequent than I expected from daughters) agree to brush my hair. Unfortunately, there is rarely a brush handy. If I send them for the brush, a singing mermaid fairy barbie with detachable hair will lure them in and the brush will be forgotten. Sometimes, I jump up in search of the brush, and return screeching to a halt, brush in hand like I'm a dog ready to play fetch. I get a few unenthusiastic strokes, and the fun is over. I try to make it more enticing, "pretend you are the hairstylist and I am going to pay you." Three more strokes. A half stroke...

"Money please!"

A side note: Alice is very interested in causing pain to others in innocent ways. I get really violent brushing from her, and she'll ask, "Does that hurt you, mama?" When I say "yes!" She'll say, "I'm sorry" and give it to me twice as rough as the first time. Hmmmm.

Three of a kind...

We had our ultrasound today, and our hunch that we were having a boy was WRONG! We are going to be the proud parents of another little girl!!!! We all laughed when she told us!

Ruby said, "Alice, you wanted a boy, right?"
Alice said, "No, I wanted a girl!!!" (Not true)
Ruby said, "Me too!!" (Not true)

It's funny how any news is fantastic news! We are all super excited to have another little sis...the only drama being that Chris immediately started calling her "Lucy", and that will not be her name!!! Ahhhhhh...

The girls kept making me laugh during the ultrasound, which was making it harder for the tech. One of the things I remember was Alice watching the screen and declaring, "The baby is NAKED!" Lol.

Camping Therapy...

After the rainiest camping experience of this northwesterer's entire life, I needed to heal. Camping can't go, I'm the sister of four Eagle Scouts who always went shopping when they all went camping (so fun!!), so I totally push the camping thing on my husband, and we'd go more if he didn't loathe so much the whole doing and undoing of a camping trip.

Anyway, so when we got dumped on over Labor Day, I could feel the camping debate potentially heating up for next summer so we started shopping...and we got this tent trailer for $950! Not bad, right? The canvases are like new, and the people who owned it have recovered all the upholstery and took really great care of it.

Now, we just store all our stuff in there all summer long, grab a cooler and some groceries, hook it up to the truck and go camping! Every weekend, right?!
We'd barely had it a week and Chris and the girls slept in it two nights in a row (in the driveway, it was pouring down rain).
The above pics were from Alice's birthday party. It was on a Sunday, and the girls planned all kinds of funny things they wanted to do. They wanted to have a "pajama party" in the tent trailer, so that is why they are in pj's. We played some of the math games Ruby has been making at co-op and Chris read them books and they just loved it. Such little party planners.

Three special days for my four year old...

October 10th, day one, 3 years and 364 days old: Alice's birthday fell on a Sunday, so we wanted to celebrate on Saturday. It was a really nice weekend, and we planned to go as a family, with my mom to NW Trek, a zoo-like (but much more animal friendly) outdoor habitat for native animals. So we were driving from my mom's south to our house, and Alice puked. Nooooooo! We changed our plans and decided to take it easy at home. We did open presents with Oma there, but no cake that day, as Alice was iffy (she never threw up again though, and was 100% by late afternoon).

Alice loves, loves, loves Playdough. She literally cries every time it is put away, even if she's had an hour to slice, dice and mold it. This playdough factory was put to immediate use by she and Oma. Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa Pierce! My kids are suckers for soft, cozy things that you can sleep with. Can you tell? Alice wrapped this blanket from my folks right around her.

October 11th, day 2, 4 years old: We went to church, and then had cupcakes after lunch. I have a love hate relationship with Tom and Jerry. I love watching the show, I can usually laugh out loud within a few minutes. I think it's funny when my girls make screeching to a halt sound effects or roll around on the ground together like Tom and Jerry. However, our several months of watching the show every day (it was always Alice's pick) have ended because the girls were totally getting out of hand. There was talk of killing, strangling, etc. AND they never stopped wrestling the whole time they watched the show. They were possessed by T and J and it got old and concerning. Anyway, Alice wanted a Tom and Jerry theme and I think the cupcake lady did a cute job with the idea.I took a really nice nap, and the girls and Chris started the pajama party in the tent trailer (previous post). I joined them after a bit and they made use of the new swings Chris installed in the garage... To finish off the night, we carved pumpkins and enjoyed some more party fun before bed.
October 12th, day 3, 4 years and 1 day old: Alice invited two friends, Braden and Ellie to come to Build-a-Bear with us. Mimi came too, which was more to intervene if Alice and Ellie were trying to call off their love/hate relationship, but turned out being mostly for me, because I so enjoyed having her company and another adult around...and the girls got along famously. It was a fun time, they all got something cute and cuddly and all the pictures turned out horrible because I couldn't get the white balance right in that joint. Oh well.

So that's my girl, she's getting so big! I can't believe my baby is four! Happy Birthday, Alice.

Sister friends...

Leisha, me, Jenn, Sandy, Eden and Kelly

I coined the term "sister friends" a few years ago, because I realized that although I didn't have sisters, I felt as though I did because I am so fortunate to have a dozen or so "sister friends." A few weeks ago, a friend of mine said, "sisters are the friends you get to choose," and I thought, "how did I never hear that quote before now!?" That is the perfect quote for me.

These are five of my oldest friends, and we planned like six months ago to get together for some consolidated time to work on projects. They all came down here and we enjoyed a "slumber party sans kids and got lots done at the same time!

Ruby the joker...

Ruby is full of jokes. She's really believable and very witty. I never get around to posting her funnies, but I happened to be sitting here now while she decided to play a joke on Chris.

She came down from upstairs, and said very seriously, "Dad, I think I found something special to you. I think it might belong to your cell phone."

He was in the john, but was curious enough to open the door.

In her hand was a container full of dead hair that she's been collecting from brushes just to play a joke on him.

"Here." She said.

My Aesop...

We've been struggling with Language Arts this year. It was annoying me because it should be our favorite subject! We finally settled on a curriculum that is now working well for us, and we are studying Aesop's fables, memorizing poetry and all the while learning about sentence structure and proper grammar.

Here are Ruby's versions of two of Aesop's fables:

The Turtle and the Hare

Once upon a time, there was a rabbit teasing a turtle. He said, “how fast can you get to the breakfast table for breakfast? Let’s plan a race.”

So they did. “But someone needs to say who wins. Let’s ask that fox.”
The fox said, “On your marks, get set, go!”

As the rabbit leaped and was way ahead, soon, the turtle could not see him. From all that jumping and leaping, the rabbit thought that he could take a nap. But while he was taking a nap, the turtle went straight past him to the finish line.

The turtle wins the race! But the rabbit said, “but I’m the faster runner!” But the fox said, “The turtle wins the race!”

And that was the end of ‘slow and steady wins the race.’

The Lion and the Mouse

Once upon a time there was a lion taking a nap under a very leafy tree. A few minutes later, a mouse came scrambling over on his way to the leafy tree where his home was nearby. But he accidentally stepped on the lion’s tail and right away, the lion woke up.

He picked the little creature up and said, “how dare you disturb me, I will eat you for that!”

“Oh, please, please don’t eat me, I’ll pay for that sometime. I’ll help you when you need help, I promise!”

He was confident about his promise that he let the little mouse go.

Several weeks later, the lion was hunting. He didn’t see a net on the ground from hunters. He stepped in the net and suddenly he fell right in. He began to growl until the mouse heard him.

The little mouse came scurrying over and nibbled on the net, until it was all done. The lion shaked his mane and finally said, “Little mouse, I am so grateful that I let you go, you are so small that I couldn’t believe you, but I was wrong.”

They lived happily ever after.

The End

And once again, the little mouse saved the lion.

Camping Labor Day part 1...

Oh wait...we weren't even camping by Labor Day because of the RAIN!!!

For those who don't live in the northwest, you might think that we just have to live with the fact that the weather can spoil our outdoor fun. However, it's a pretty safe bet that if you drive 2-3 hours east, you'll be rain free. Eastern Washington has an entirely different climate than Western Washington.

So our annual campout with our life long friends was intentionally planned East of the mountains so that rain could not inhibit our plans. We were going to swim in the Columbia River, soak in the sun, play cards, eat good food and enjoy quality time together...

...or just go bowling...make a tent city...run to walmart from dry clothing...go home early...lose sleep...