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laughing lioness

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Posts posted by laughing lioness

    Do you feel like Christmas magic is all up to you?

    in The Chat Board

    Posted · Edited by laughing lioness

    I used to when I was younger. Now, I realize that people are really happy with TIME, simple food, thoughtful gifts, good music, time to be together and laugh. We don't blow through the present opening routine. We stop, get more coffee, read each others books, include experiences (one of dh's gifts yesterday was to watch "The Martian" as a family- good times!).

     

    Dh made a chart for me this year to keep track of gifts (I'm notorious for losing them and pulling them out after everything is done or finding them in July) and it made a huge difference, esp. as we add son-in-laws and babies to be. I kept track of everything I had bought for everyone and focused on spending about the same on everyone instead of giving the same # of gifts. One ds got less, but he also got a high end watch, which he specifically asked for. 

    My 12 yo organizational  maven hounded everyone all fall until they submitted an Xmas list and it was great. My dh LOVED having a list and bought me exactly what I wanted and even went in to a women's clothing store by himself (!). He got the specific book titles that he wanted (in a specific field that needed special ordered). 

     

    Having more money and older kids helps. My kids love giving gifts and they don't always have $ to give, but, for instance, ds 21 found a like-new leather jacket for dh at a re-sale store. No one cared that he didn't get everyone a present (he's in college)and loved the story of how ds found the coat and that dh has a new coat he'll wear. 

    • Like 5

    High School Planning Angst - time, credits, depth, Oh My!

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    I think it depends on your student, your resources and goals. My 4th kid has 4 science credits as a Sophomore -including Bio and Adv Bio + labs but he is also JUST finishing Alg I. He is also doing a pretty rigorous classical program and easily puts in ~ an hour a day on subject areas (Latin, Gov) etc. Lit and Comp are a breeze for him so it's way under an hour a day. He also reads at least a novel a week for fun, goes dancing, will be in a play and TP. You can balance rigor with interests, but being intentional and planning make all the difference. I sit down with ds once a week and go over his schedule, and help him map out the work he needs to get done in a week. I also put limits on his school day. If he is working hard on something and still going after 7 p.m. I usually tell him he needs to be done and remind him that I am actual teacher,regardless of what all we outsource. 

    • Like 9

    S/O planning. How are your plans for THIS year holding?

    in Logic Stage & Middle Grade Challenges

    Posted

    We are doing CC Challenge A this year. DD is doing Saxon 8/7, Henle, LTW, along with Rhetoric, memorizing the world and writing weekly Science papers. We also have a 1 Act play scheduled for Jan and TeenPact in Feb. I am going to order an on-line Art Class -probably Mixed Media course for dd12 and dd 25 to do together while older dd is here visiting for Xmas. 

    The only thing we may be changing is TeenPact, which we may not do.

    Next year I think I'm going to switch dd to MUS for Alg 1/2, but otherwise we're sticking with Challenge. We are loving it. 

    What kind of Planner does your student use? Really need help for 8th grader....

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    My kids have basic student planners. We are doing CC Challenge this year, I work from home, we are involved in church and other activities. The day after CC the kids and I sit down individually and plan the week. We put everything on the planner - school, work, church, chores or big projects, and then break down the week's worth of work by day, including week-ends. This makes doing school on Sat.(if needed) more palatable than if it just "happens." 

     

    During the week my 15 yo works through his planner- mostly on his own- and crosses off things as he completes them. For bigger projects (he just did a 10 min presentation, based on a timeline he created, on the history of Padua) I help him plan and implement. 

     

    For my 12 yo I direct her to her planner every day. She loves writing things down but gets bogged down in the work. Some of it she finds very tedious and avoids, so in those areas, I am directing her every day. Also, we do math and Latin together and sometimes geography and flash-cards for any memory work. 

    I also edit her papers for her. 

     

    We don't do ANY screens during the school day (except occasionally ds 15 with research) and my kids take frequent "green therapy" breaks (outside- even when it's sub-zero). It really re-calibrates them. Once Jan hits, we are all going to the gym together again, too. 

     

    Like others have said, don't rush. I'm on my last 2 and I literally see how allowing your kids to grow into taking ownership is more fruitful than pushing them. 

    • Like 2

    Moms of athletes: talk to me about NCAA requirements

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted

    Reading the boards, I have occasionally seen mention of the NCAA and that they must approve of high school curriculum. Since having a student athlete was not on my radar, I did not pay any attention.... until now, that DS has expressed an interest in continuing his sport (Judo) at college.

    Talk to me slowly, please. What does that entail for my high school curriculum? He is a junior, so choices have been made already... are we screwed? Does every student who wants to play a sport at college have to adhere to these requirements? Or only certain sports? Or only if scholarships are involved?

    Help me out, feeling slightly panicky.

    I don't think Judo is an NCAA sport. That is going to be the first question to get answered.

     

    NCAA is capricious. They can change things mid-stream and do. 

     

    If you are interested in NCAA, it is best to establish a relationship with them early on. Follow their regulations; even if you do, they might change them. 

     

    You do not have to win an NCAA scholarship to compete in college.

     

    https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/sports-scholarships/martial-arts-scholarships/

     

    http://www.ncaa.org/

    What subjects and curricula/curriculum are you doing with your 9th grader?

    in High School and Self-Education Board

    Posted · Edited by laughing lioness

    Last year my 9th grader did

    MUS Alg,

    Essentials (CC),  The Grammar of Poetry,Myths and Legends on line

    Adv. Bio, Chem and Bio labs on line,

    History of the Anc. World, History of the Ren World, American Hx, Old Western Culture -the Greeks (just watched the videos); Middle East studies/ geography

    One Act Play, Drama Camp, Shakespeare Camp, water-color class

    RS German, FFL

    TeenPact State Class

     

     

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