[Year Round Schooling ... question about breaks]

We take a week off every 4-6 weeks. I'm not super structured about it, we take a week off if it's a holiday or there's a big event coming, we have relatives in town, we're tired of school, etc. We started because it seemed that my 5th grader never had any downtime--we tend to be out most evenings and her workload is heavy enough that it felt like she was always doing schoolwork or out running around. Our weeks off have brought balance and they keep me from feeling like I have to find the kids stuff to do during summer vacation--my kids would get bored about 2-3 weeks in and then I would spend the rest of the summer taking them places. :P

 

I aim for 36 school weeks per year. Today was our first day of school for the upcoming school year. Last year we started on June 27, so we're slightly ahead of schedule. I was worried about not having a clean break between school years and about never getting more than a couple weeks off in a row, but it hasn't been bad at all!

[Did your infant sleep with you?]

I was miserable the few times I had anyone in my bed besides DH and I. I'd kick him out if I could, too. :P I couldn't fully relax when the baby was there. Breastfeeding was never a problem for me--I would get up and nurse them, then put them back to bed when I was done. Sometimes I fell asleep in the chair.

 

I think it could be very discouraging for some women to think that breastfeeding means your baby has access to your body around the clock. Some people need space and shouldn't be made to feel that they can't meet their baby's needs as well as their own. If you desire to sleep with your baby, there are safe ways to do it. If not, don't. Either way, it's a personal decision and moms don't need to add to our guilt by adopting a sleeping arrangement with which we're not comfortable.

[They really are unorganized at CVA, aren't they?]

My list was spot-on accurate. I was actually sort of hoping it wouldn't be. :P

[King Tut]

We're going at the end of the month with our co-op. I can't wait!

[ND Wilson on Why Hunger Games is Flawed to Its Core]

Great writers write from a knowledge of that human behavior: Orwell creates a believable society in 1984 because he knows how people behave.

 

What the reviewer is saying is that Collins doesn't. Her characters are all over the place, being self-sacrificing one moment and killers the next. It doesn't add up.

There are many flaws Collins' writing, but inconsistencies within the characters isn't one of them, in my opinion. People are complex; very few of us are always brave, or always self-serving...especially when you consider that the HG characters are teenagers. :P Most of us are more likely to sacrifice ourselves or others for a family member than for a stranger, and I would say this is especially true with teens.

[ND Wilson on Why Hunger Games is Flawed to Its Core]

I didn't love everything about HG, but I think this guy completely missed the point. Katniss isn't a heroine, she is a girl who is trying to survive, playing a part to protect the people she loves. I would say the only time she acts autonomously based on any sense of her own principles was her last action in Mockingjay. That is the one time (IMO) she refuses to do what is expected of her to protect her family, friends, or herself.

 

Katniss is primarily motivated by survival. That last action is the one time she does anything particularly brave or unexpected. And even that was arguably an act of emotional survival.

 

I think each of the characters acts in a way that is consistent with his/her motivations, if somewhat one-dimensionally. The whole point of HG isn't even revolution, really--it's survival. The revolution wasn't even a true revolution, IMO. It was only successful because it had the support of a nation outside of itself that never truly intended the people of Panem to have true freedom.

 

I think he is dead on. Those saying this isn't a Christian world view novel maybe right on that point, but they've missed the point he was making with those examples. Each of those writers, in his view, has an insight into how people really act. Collins does not, her characters do things that are totally out of keeping with their previous behavior and for that matter what real people do.

 

I had read a series of works prior to reading the Hunger Games that gave me the other half of his equation: totalitarian governments don't work the way we see the one in the Hunger Games work either. Once again Collins doesn't understand how people really act. No way do such governments survive setting up the Hunger Games for 75 years; why? Because by having the violence be totally predictable they would have allowed those under them to device strategies against the games themselves.

 

Think about the success of the Civil Rights movement. Because leaders of the Civil Rights movement knew exactly what the other side would respond with, they made sure to put that violence in the face of the TV viewers. How long did we as a country need to see peaceful demonstrators beaten and pushed down the street by fire hoses before we stopped it?

 

Totalitarian governments are much more subtle. They don't allow people to feel bound together by any ties like each district does. Instead they quietly and subtly destroy those sorts of ties. They certainly don't host a yearly kill kids fest that binds each group of people more tightly not only to their own group to others as well.

I disagree with your assessment. How long were black people oppressed before finally achieving legal equality? Longer than 75 years, and one can argue that they still don't have actual equality 50 years after MLKJr. The Capitol in HG was successful (for a time) because they controlled the media and because they played on peoples' fears of losing loved ones.

[Schooling through the Summer]

We finished our school year last week, are taking two weeks off now, and will do school through the summer (with time off for vacations, weddings, etc...we'll probably get 8 weeks done). I like it better that way because then we can take time off whenever we want during the year...it also helps my PS son manage his free time if we have a little structure.

[newspaper blog says "more like homecrueling"]

Wow--it must have been a slow day in Albany, NY if they have nothing better to publish than that piece of trash. I think I'm more upset that a news organization would publish this than that someone holds this opinion.

 

Speaking of opinions, when someone brought up the idea of homeschooling being better than inner-city schools, her responses were:

 

#26 @ Suzy — That’s not a bad idea. But, I can’t see myself advocating for parents who live in an underfunded inner-city school district shelter their children from the very environment they’ve chosen to raise them in.

and

#30 @Suzy … and I find it highly debatable that if one is living in a severely underfunded inner city public school district, that they would have the time to educate their children as they are probably out working. Juss sayin’ …

[Why do homeschoolers eat their own?]

Clink! :cheers2:

 

Yes, in my experience the fangs come out over ALEs more than any other homeschooling issue. It does make me sad.

 

Those hoops endanger us all. I know you don't see it, and that is ok. But some of us have lived it. And we will continue to fight, for the right to teach our own in true freedom.

 

Wow, thanks for providing an example of the OP's original point. :tongue_smilie:

 

I respectfully disagree and resent the patronizing tone here, and I believe that as long as public schools exist, we should encourage as many different public school options as possible, as long as the right to independently homeschool is not compromised (which it hasn't been in WA after close to 2 decades of ALEs). The traditional model has failed many students, and providing as many alternatives as possible (vouchers, charter schools, ALEs, k12/Calvert-type programs, etc) allows families who can't independently homeschool a chance at a decent education.

 

To answer the OPs original question, I think the infighting comes when people are fearful of losing what they have. I'm sure we all appreciate the right we have to educate our kids at home, but most of the bickering and hand-wringing over different educational methods comes when people think that "those homeschoolers" are putting our rights at risk.

[s/o on Mattress Buying...if you've bought at Ikea or Overstock or...]

We bought a terrible mattress from IKEA. Within 5 years it was falling apart and you could feel all the springs when you laid down on it.

 

We've been very happy with the mattresses we've bought from Costco. Twins are <$150 and they are actually comfortable when you lay down on them.

[The coming meltdown in college education..]

Doomsday!! Yay!! Gotta love doomsday blogs.

 

If the money dries up, the market will correct itself, just like the housing market did. Theoretically, fewer people will go to college, but employers will also stop using college degrees to weed out prospective employees. Really, many jobs do not *need* to be done by someone who is college educated, it's just easier for employers to require a degree than to test for adaptability, problem solving skills, ability to work toward a goal, etc.

 

There are a couple factors in pretty much any education-is-so-expensive discussion that bug me--1) educational snobbery, and 2) the social factor.

 

1) In my state, public universities are more than adequate and tuition costs under $10,000 a year. Community colleges are even cheaper, and some would argue provide a better education at the 100 and 200 level. People who insist on expensive private school educations would do well to look at the cold, hard facts about what the advantages of each are.

 

2) I don't know how many times I've heard, "I know he could live on campus, but I would hate for him to miss out on the social experience of living in the dorms." So people add $50-100k to their loan package. If you can afford it, fine, but people shouldn't cry about the cost of education when there are some really obvious areas that can be cut back in many situations.

 

In WA, most people can get a decent education at public colleges for under $50k. Working while one is in school can cut that down dramatically. I'm not saying college is for everyone, but I think there are smart ways to approach the financial aspect of college that many people ignore.

[Why are people so afraid of being "behind"? Vent.]

Why do we freak out? I don't know, why do parents freak out about anything that turns out to be fine in the long run? Because we're parents. Because we don't know if it's going to turn out to be fine in the long run, and it's on us if it doesn't. Because we don't always know why a kid isn't progressing--whether they're on their own timetable, or whether there is a problem that needs to be addressed.

 

I have a son who could have benefited from a little *more* freaking out. I let him lag behind for years. He was making progress, so I decided he must be on his own schedule, that he'd catch up when he was ready, all the positive self-talk we as homschoolers often engage in. Over the past year, he has grown increasingly frustrated with life in general and began taking it out on his younger sisters. When it got out of control, I put him in school. He was on average about 2 years behind across the board, so we ended up retaining him a year and his teachers got him (mostly) caught up to grade level. He is still academically vulnerable and emotionally volatile. I am reading "The Explosive Child" and hoping to have a solid plan in place before school lets out for the summer. He was a terror over spring break.

 

My point is that uncertainty is uncertain because we don't know for certain that things will work out. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes it's hard to tell when things aren't working. Unless you (generally) are someone who does not have educational goals for your kids, you have to continually assess if your goals are appropriate, if they're being met, if the tools you're using are adequate. There is wisdom in being able to know one's child well enough to be able to determine when something is a concern and when it isn't, but there is nothing noble about seeing that a kid is not meeting academic goals and shrugging one's shoulders. It's our job as homeschooling parents to care, to figure out why, and to make sure needs are being met.

[Is Facebook making us lonely - article]

I agree with KFP. I feel that I am more connected, that my relationships are richer and more substantial because of FB. I am in daily contact with people that I would otherwise only see occasionally (if that), including relatives, high school friends, moms in my co-op, friends from church. It makes communication, planning, organization easier for ministries with which I am involved. I get advice and receive encouragement when I need it.

 

Were it not for FB I would be alone with my kids in my home most of the time. I love my kids dearly, but they do not meet my social needs. We don't have the time to join social groups, so for me FB has been a way to connect with people and still put my family first.

 

However, I do think there's a difference between using FB to enhance existing relationships and using it to be in contact with people with whom there is no real relationship. If ones only relationships were computer-based, or if people were using internet friendships to replace real ones, I can see how that would increase loneliness. The article referenced a lonely actress who was seemingly only connected to people via internet...but most people I know do not use FB that way.

 

Social networking websites are a tool that can be used positively or negatively, just like anything else.

[Do you think you could you cut 30% off your grocery budget?]

I am starting to feel bad reading all these comments. Do we really need to feed our kids organic for them to grow well and be healthy? Yes, obviously it is better. If you can't afford it though, you can't afford it. I just can't imagine spending so much on groceries. That would be great! But completely extravagant for us. I am not intending to put anyone down. If anything I feel like the bad person here, feeding my kids "the junk" from the grocery store. We buy cheap no matter if processed or not, white or wheat, local or non local. The only organic item we eat is our chicken eggs. :( Wish we had the money to buy the best of everything for our kiddos, but my husband is a hard worker and I appreciate what he brings to the table for our family.

I've decided that I'm better off eating non-organic veggies and having those be the foundation of our diet than loading up on meats and starches. Especially since this way of eating is relatively new for us and I still make a lot of meals that my kids don't like. I am finding that I spend less money eating only whole grains, though, because I don't eat as much and what I do eat is nourishing. YMMV.

[Do you think you could you cut 30% off your grocery budget?]

I don't know how much it is saving us yet, but we have Bountiful Baskets in our area and that has changed the way I feed our family. I had already decided to cut out sugar, flour, artificial sweetners, potatoes, white rice, and anything processed. Then we started getting Bountiful Baskets, which is basically a fruit/veggie buying co-op. We get about $50 worth of produce for $15, and we can add on when we want. Those are the foundation for our meals, and I add in quinoa, meat, etc. as necessary. We do not get organic, so I don't know if that's as good of a deal (I've heard it isn't).

 

http://bountifulbaskets.org/

[Help me think: Kids making their own routine/schedule?]

Maybe do a seach for "altered cookie sheet"? I'm not sure if they need to be magnetized or if the coating makes a difference.

[Thomas Kinkade-cause of death]

Kinkade's outrageous drunken behavior in public was well-reported upon prior to his death. His fraudulent business practices with gallery-owner franchisees were also well reported before his dearth, as was his practice of selling prints with value-added "touch ups" applied by people other than himself as works of value. His products themselves were pure kitsch that rank with black-velvet painting of Elvis and poker-playing dogs.

 

H. L. Menkin was spot-on when he said, "no one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public."

 

Bill

 

I resent that--I love poker-playing dogs. :glare:

 

[What other options are there besides hotel/motel for large families?]

Try Homewood Suites or Embassy Suites. We had 8 people in a two-bedroom suite and they provide lunch and a light dinner (the dinner was actually plenty for the kids, and we had brought along babysitters so we went out).

[Is this our American culture, home education culture, or just regular parent culture?]

I vote for "American/parent culture". The worst offenders I have met are the preschool moms at the dance studio. There's a difference, in my humble opinion, between mommies who are proud/excited about their kids and mommies who are insecure and looking to one-up each other so they can know for sure that their darling is superior to all other kids.

[Poll (wait for it!): as a student, did you know of s*xual assaults in your school(s)?]

Not beyond elementary school pantsing (which went both ways) and feeling someone's back to see if they were wearing a bra. But my high school was an affluent suburban school with a lot of strong extracurricular programs and my main social circle was the honor roll/band geeks. Not that those categories mean we were immune, but we had a lot fewer of the risk factors where abuse is more common.

 

I will say that a close friend in a younger grade reconnected with an elementary school friend, they went out and he went farther than she was comfortable with after she asked him to stop. That's the only specific instance of abuse I know of.

[Green Smoothie Resources? And What kind of Blender?]

I have a Ninja--way cheaper than the Vitamix! I looked at all the Costco blenders (except the BlendTec), and the Ninja was twice as many watts as the rest. My only complaint is the pitchers are plastic--I wish they were glass.

 

I have popsicle molds to freeze what is leftover, and my rule is they can either have a smoothie or a smoothie popsicle. They don't always love them, but the popsicle is easier to get down.

 

I've read that one should alternate between leafy greens, we've been doing spinach and kale. Baby spinach blends much better than regular spinach, and I've been told that Costco now carries baby kale! Regular kale/spinach don't blend all the way, and the kale chunks are what my kids object to most.

 

I try to do 2 veggies (one leafy green + one other) and 2+ fruits (frozen berries from Costco + whatever I have on hand). Bananas are great sweeteners and hold everything together nicely.

 

I love my green smoothies! They are filling and a great way to get more fruits & veggies than I would ever eat whole. And now that we've resolved the "chunky kale" issue, my kids enjoy them too. :)

[CVA's asset lists are so riddled with errors...]

I would actually consider driving out to Valley/Colville if I knew when their surplus sales were going to be. You know they're not going to reuse the vast majority of what we're sending back. The idea that they're going to be trashing or giving away this stuff for a small fraction of what it's worth makes me a little crazy.

[Green Smoothies, will your kids try them?]

DD11 is the most adventurous. I freeze our leftovers in a popsicle form and tell the others they can choose between a fresh smoothie or a popsicle.

[Ha, a s/o from "The Denim Jumper" - webpage]

I'm disappointed that that seems to be the only post!

 

Me too! Someone needs to pick up where this guy left off!

[Colville SD is starting a new alt ed program--CAFE]

I know what you mean...and I suspect that MP3 won't be able to hold off the bureaucrats for very long, so I'm not counting on being there forever either.