lauracolumbus
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Posts posted by lauracolumbus
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Well, I'm the same way. I know I don't sleep well at night (and I had kids w/severe sleep issues when they were babies, so I know what that tiredness is about). This 2-4 exhaustion time is different.
It could just be our bodies' biorhythms. Remember in several parts of the world this is prime siesta time.
I have found that the days I go to the gym at this time, I come home very energized. However, it is very difficult to motivate myself to go during this time. I find it's easier if I go around 2 b/c by 4 I'm done.
Restricting carbs helps a bit, but I seriously crave them.
Laura
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Review sounds perfect. Esp. if you're on the way to the pool!
Enjoy this time.
Laura
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My dh was deployed for 15 months (3 mos. training, 12 mos. in Iraq). He got home about this time last year. My dc were almost identical to your dc's ages and genders when he deployed.
Quite honestly, I just focused on math and Latin for the most part that year. They did a significant amount of reading. We did a lot of co-ops/extracurriculars b/c I wanted to keep them busy and their minds occupied w/their friends. I think they learned a lot w/their classes/fun stuff (although I did worry about how far behind they were getting). I don't regret it at all. We got through a difficult year unscathed, and I tried to make up for it this year.
I, too, slacked off on the cooking/cleaning regimen (and it's hard to gear back up on that now).
I strongly urge you to take it easy and enjoy the summer. Just do what you believe to be truly essential (and do the same during the month he is home). You'd be amazed at how much you can cut back on while your kids keep learning the core subjects.
Laura
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I think there's a Tarbucks Earth Science book for the college level (and another high school level). There are also some great TC dvds on the subject.
Laura
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Thanks Cathie. That lets me know that I'm not out of line for thinking $5/20 minute visit, especially since we're a minute away.
I'm surprised at your son's out of neighborhood prices. It seems like it would be more.
Anyone else?
THanks,
Laura
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My hubby says he knows how to be saved, he's just not sure how to not be.
The world would be a much more peaceful place if everyone accepted this. I personally love it.
Laura
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My opinion has changed quite a bit now that I've actually started leaving them home alone.
When ds was 12 I freaked out at the thought of leaving him home alone and walking around the block w/a cell phone in hand. I have reasons--my parents' house burned to the ground, and I was a violent crime victim--so I'm sort of waiting for the next crisis to happen.
When he was 12 1/2 I started leaving him home for brief periods and eventually w/dd (now 12), and eventually w/dd8. Now, I feel very comfortable w/about 3 hours (he turns 14 next week). When dd is 14 I'm sure I'll feel even more comfortable, and who knows when dd8 is 12, I may just take one of those out of town vacations (probably not). I'm not near as paranoid as I once was and I do see the benefit of giving kids the responsibility and independence of staying alone.
Laura
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We're looking at going out of town for a 3 day trip, and I'd like to ask our piano teacher whose yard backs up to ours to let our dogs out 3x/day while we're gone.
She's about 21ish and doesn't have a job (other than teaching my kids piano--she doesn't really have the experience to teach piano, but I wanted to help her out since she graduated w/a music degree and no job). I usually pay a 12 year old neighbor $3/visit, which is about $9/hour b/c she's here long enough to let them outside and give them food/water (hopefully at least 20 mins./visit).
I will pay the 21 year old more, but I'm also considering using her for a much longer trip (possibly 3 weeks), so I don't want it to be cost-prohibitive.
I've told her she can bring her dog over to play w/ours if she likes (we've already tried this and our dogs are 'ok' with this--hers loved it).
I'm thinking between $15/day for three visits. What do you think? It could net her about $350-375 over the longer trip.
Laura
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It could be worse. I saw a photo DH took of me over the weekend and there was my dad. With breasts.
I needed this chuckle tonight.
Thanks,
Laura
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I much prefer to read happy news rather than all the depressing news around me.
And the photos on your blog are gorgeous.
Laura
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Reading this made me teary-eyed and grateful to be a part of this homeschooling community.
Laura
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It depresses me that this even being debated.
Laura
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I, too, was asked to run and my immediate reaction was to question whether anyone would vote for a homeschooling parent. But then I realized that not everyone on the school board has a child currently in the district (eg if your kids graduate should you be forced to retire?). Also, the school board should have diverse views--especially those of the taxpayer--the owners of the school system. Assuming your a taxpayer, you have a major vested interest in how your tax dollars are spent.
We currently have a homeschooler on our school board. She was elected during an anti-levy sweep at the polls. Our district made national headlines for canceling sports after yet another levy failure. ESPN and another news network (can't remember if it was CNN) covered it. Enormously embarrassing for our community.
Another current school board member also briefly homeschooled one of her kids and had another in a private school. She has called me to ask my advice on some issues.
In Columbus, Ohio (our neighbor), one popular school board member was chased off the board b/c her child was in a private school.
I may consider it in the future (but am looking more seriously at city council). I am extremely concerned about the direction of education in our community and think that is yet another reason why homeschoolers should be on school boards.
Laura
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Oh, I forgot we did Figuratively Speaking for literary analysis. Fabulous little curriculum.
Laur
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Analytical Grammar is a great way to get caught up on grammar in a short period of time. My dd12 (6th) and ds 13 (8th) completed all three parts this year.
Math: we've used Saxon and LOF. My youngest is using MM, but it only goes up to 6th. I love it.
Logic: Case of Red Herrings, Thinking Toolbox, and Traditional Logic
Geography: Runkles, in upper grades.
Science: BFSU has a middle school program, but you should probably do the K-2 program as well. DS did Rainbow Science this year. It's a great program for 6-8. Another great program is Joy Hakim's Story of Science
Writing: WWS, IEW
Vocab: CE I and II.
Latin: LC, FFL, Wheelock's.
History: Follow WTM recs or HO, Hakim has an American History series, which can take up several years. We've used All American History in one year w/Teaching Company dvds.
Literature: We just read. Might try LLotR or the 7th grade program next year (sorry name escapes me).
Laura
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I'm British and was brought up hearing a lot about WWII, my father fought in Egypt and took part in the D-Day landings. We were taught about it in quite a lot of detail at school, but it was only at the age 17 that I saw any of those horrendous photographs of Auschwitz; I remember being quite traumatised for a long time. I think it is possible to teach WWII to younger children without exposing them to the full horrors. Last summer we took the boys to Normandy and visited the museum and cinema at Arromanches, they were fascinated and really enjoyed it.
Cassy
:iagree:
My kids know some of the facts of Auschwitz, but will not see images or books in detail for a while. I see no need til they're older.
Laura
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If you do go w/Saxon, you can use Art Reed's dvds to introduce the lesson and/or use the Saxon Teacher to see how each problem is worked out on a white board. The solutions manual is a lot cheaper to use than Saxon Teacher.
I've seen this: http://www.mathrelief.com/ recommended on here as well, and something I might consider for Alg. II.
Laura
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I had my youngest at 41. I spent my entire 40th year pregnant. I was pregnant for 3 mos, miscarried, got pregnant again, delivered dd, and got pregnant again when she was 6 mos. old, and miscarried again. I was still nursing when I was pregnant the final time and dh and I were rarely having tEA at that point b/c dd never slept.
I do think about how old I'll be when she graduates, gets married, have her own babies. She talks about it as well. I'm just going to have to take better care of myself.
Up until I was 45 I wanted one more. Now I know I couldn't handle the sleepless nights--my kids were non-sleepers.
A woman at my church just had a baby at 47. She ran a marathon in her final months of pregnancy, and of course looks fabulous.
Laura
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Both my dc were in Latin 1 w/Lukeion this year for Latin 1b. We had a tutor for Latin 1a, and she strongly suggested we buy the pre-printed Wheelock's flashcards b/c they had the derivatives and something else on them, which escapes me right now.
For Lukeion, dd followed Mrs. Barr's advice and made new ones. DS just did the Quia online cards. DD got a higher grade! As my dh is always fond of saying, "Your hand has a memory."
We just used regular index cards we had lying around. No extra coloring.
Laura
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And back to the debate of whether you should do the hard stuff first when they're fresh or ease into the day with something enjoyable, I found it is completely different for my first two dc. W/my ds, I find school works better when I assign math (his nemesis b/c of the effort level, not the material) as the last subject of the day. If he procrastinates it cuts into his down time. Plus, we fly through the other material he enjoys.
With my dd, she prefers to tackle math first thing in the morning when she's fresh. Plus, she's eager to put it behind her.
W/my youngest dd we haven't found a rhythm yet. If I let her read first, she's a happy camper, but I have a difficult time getting her to switch gears.
Thanks everyone for all of the helpful advice contained in these responses.
Laura
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Elizabeth,
We're not in high school yet either and no LDs (and I didn't make it through all of the posts), but what helps here on Mondays (and most other days) for my work resistant ds is to start the day w/a dvd--usually history or science. Right now we're mostly working the TC American History dvds. After eating breakfast and watching the dvd, ds reads a corresponding chapter in his AAH text. Then he does his dreaded math. This transition has helped him a lot to start his school day in a much happier mood.
Another approach I am considering is to use Monday mornings as a regrouping/reviewing time before we start our school day. My plan is to start the day w/pancakes, and coffee (for me), hot choc. for the kids and review important points from the previous week. Then I will segue into the current week's highlights (activities, unusual aspects of our school week). Then we'll watch an educational dvd.
We don't stop math, Latin (and science this year) during the summer. My kids are super busy, but there's still plenty of time to do at least 3 hours of math a week over the summer. Ditto w/Latin and reading. It really helps save time in the fall, as we skip a lot of what would be review time. This has enabled my dd12 to be in the middle of Alg. 1 in 6th grade though she's really not mathy. Because she's ahead, she's only doing 1/2 a lesson a day. This has made math a whole lot more tolerable for her. My ds is envious.
Laura
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When my ds was about 2.5 he kicked a toddler crawling in front of him. At 3 he punched a kid for wishing him a happy birthday. Up until 4-5 he threw the biggest fits whenever we had to leave anywhere. He was referred to the behavior therapy clinic at about 2.5-3 (we didn't take him). He locked me out of the house at 3 and I had to have the police kick in the door (in the middle of the winter). I could go on...
He's now almost 14 and is a total sweetheart. No one who knows him now will believe me what he put me through (my sister of course never lets me forget :glare:). He is the easiest, happiest go lucky kid in the world and loved by EVERYONE (siblings excepted).
Man did I have my worries.
Laura
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When we first started homeschooling, I bribed my kids w/lots of extra activities to keep them happy and social--they're very, very social kids. We were out of the house 4 days a week, but usually only half days.
My son decided to head off to our local all-boys Catholic high school. He was on the fence, and I knew I could come up w/something pretty big to bribe him to stay home, which is what I wanted. I decided against it. Now it's his decision and he owns it. I'm sad, but know he will have a great experience.
I think you'd be surprised at how many of us bribe on a regular basis in one form or another.
Laura
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I had never heard of the 5 para. essay until I started hs'ing. But, I'm old and bit clueless.
So, I asked SWB after one of her sessions at our hs conference. She pretty much said it was an artificial construct used to make teaching writing easier.
Having said that, I find it is a great way to start out for beginners, and will probably come in handy on SAT/ACT writing. I do think it becomes rather formulaic very quickly.
Laura
Typo or is it really this out of hand
in High School and Self-Education Board
Posted
Thanks for the list.
Laura