When we moved to Mexico, Ysabela was surrounded in this park by kids who wanted to touch her hair and try to talk to her. 🙂 This park is across the street from our house.
Wordless Wednesday
Free Time
And this is what happens when I get a day off….
Princess Jinx
Jinx the cowgirl…um…dog!
Firefighter Jinx!
Homeschooling=Big Business?
It feels like every website I visit for information lately is trying to sell me something. Let me clarify. I have visited a lot of homeschooling sites in the last few weeks looking for free resources. A lot of homeschool families spend money for boxed curricula, but that has never been my style. My older daughter used the Alpha Omega books for a variety of reasons many years ago, but it was never my first choice. My younger daughter and I used Five in a Row. I am not selling anything; I am just informing you.
For newbies, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by all the choices out there. I have homeschooled before, and I get information overload! Most of the books can be found in the library, but I love books and didn’t mind buying them on ebay in lots. It felt more like a treasure hunt than actual shopping!
If you are looking for supplies to buy, at least check out the free items first, and ask homeschool groups if they have any co-op materials or second-hand items for sale.
Just last Friday, I saw an advertisement on television for K12.com, a free online school. Keep in mind our “local” TV station is in Denver; we live in Nebraska. I called and left my information, and a rep called me back a little later. The school is based in Virginia. Anyway, the rep didn’t have many answers, but I did find out that the “independent study” program can be used here in Nebraska, but to the tune of $800 per class. Yikes! School is big business, and some companies have found their niche with homeschooling families.
One of my friends attended a homeschool conference this year. She was able to take her kids, but noisy kids and parents were thrown out because the sessions were being recorded for people who couldn’t attend. This conference is supposed to be a Christian one, but from what she said, it didn’t have a “welcoming” vibe, but that’s another story!
For once, I would love to be able to check out a website without feeling that a “hook” had been set to interest me in buying something! I don’t mind ads on a website, but enough is enough! And don’t tell me something is free and try to sell me something else.
Fun!
Bela and Gen exploring at the river.
Surprise!
I walked home from work this morning to check on Ysabela and the dogs. I figured I’d find her connected to her head phones listening to music and playing on Facebook. I was only half right.
She did, indeed, have her head phones connected, but not to her phone and music. She was listening to a video on the computer. Would you like to guess the topic? I was excited and amazed that she had signed herself up for a free astronomy class through Udemy.com!
We have been chatting about homeschool options, as you may remember from earlier posts, so I think her initiative in this case is saying something important. I will wait and see if her motivation stays high, then we will revisit our decisions for this school year and make any necessary adjustments for next year.
Art!
Freddy painted this for me. I love it!
Throwback Thursday
Once upon a time in Mexico….
Bite My Tongue
The following responses are things I wish I could say to people who ask silly and/or rude questions or make comments that are offensive. Some people do not realize how offensive some remarks can be, so consider this a heads up.
Offensive Remark #1 (to parent of homeschooled children): What about socialization?
What I want to sarcastically say: I’m totally against it! The kids spend most of the day locked in the closet.
The reality is that most homeschooled kids are very well socialized. You appear uneducated when you make a comment like this because you have obviously confused socializing with socialization. Socializing as we know it refers to hanging out with friends in social situations. Socialization refers to getting along and acting appropriately with people of all ages. Most homeschooled children are able to appropriately interact with adults, peers, etc., with little trouble. Parents go out of their way to have interaction with homeschool groups and play groups as well as shuttle the kids to dance class, the library, church, museums and the local nursing home. I think that covers socialization quite well.
Offensive Remark #2 (to parent of homeschooled children): Aren’t there some “gaps” in their education?
What I want to say: Why do you consider it your business? What do you remember from high school? Can you give an example of an isotope? Can you tell me what you know about fractals? When you give me a confused look, I can then tell you, “Oh, I see I found your gaps!” Face it—we all have them. The reality is that education and intelligence are partly about knowing where to find information not stored in our heads!
Offensive Remark #3: People should choose a spouse that is of the same race.
What I want to say: Are you referring to the human race?
The reality is people are people. No race is better than another.
These three examples are the ones that bug me a lot, but there are more. Others include (but are not limited to) things like: Why can’t everyone speak English? We should send all the foreigners back to their home countries. I’m sure you can add your own examples. I am trying to be less judgmental and more thoughtful. I wish others would do the same.
Wordless Wednesday
We used to take the kids to this duck pond in Virginia.
Jinx!
If you have been reading the blog lately, you are aware that we recently adopted dog number three. 🙂 Her name is Jinx, and she’s a white chi mix with very sharp teeth. She started out on her best behavior, of course. According to Bela and her bestie Gen, the “honeymoon” is over! Last night the girls took her out to play, and they came in looking disheveled, leaves and grass in their hair and teeth marks on them! The puppy won the battle and the war!
They told a horrific tale about getting bitten, chased and mauled by a 10-pound pup. Oh, the humanity! As you might imagine, I got a tummy ache from laughing so hard. After all, a little dog like that is infinitely more manageable than a 100-pound dog, right? The girls do not agree. I heard shrieking outside and looked out the window. As a witness to the “attacks,” I can only say the kids were stretched out in the grass laughing. Not exactly convincing “victims” of a brutal “puppy attack,” am I right?
This little girl looks way too innocent to be so rotten. I think the girls decided to make up a story for my sympathy. If Jinx bit them, she was only trying to “taste” her favorite kids. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! Judge for yourself—does this look like the face of a vicious pup?
Jinx!
What innocence!
Ramblings of a Perforated Mind 