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Jean in Newcastle

Jean in Newcastle

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Actually, I'm in the Eastern time zone, so you posted that at 5:59pm...

 

We went to the library, returned a bunch of stuff, and the kids stocked up on books, which the kids are now devouring (reading!). Then we went to the grocery store I hate (but which is the closest thing to us by far), and I grabbed stuff for breakfast/lunch, but couldn't make up my mind on dinner as Celery was running 60mph through the aisles (PE!). I contemplated doing tacos, which is my usual summer Thursday food, but a) I didn't know what aisles to find the stuff I needed in, and b) we live within walking distance of a Taco Bell/KFC now. So, I decided we'll walk to Taco Bell for dinner (PE!).

 

And, in all truth, I don't do a good job with counting days/hours... it's more that I know we didn't do much when we were supposed to do stuff, and I know there were things I wanted to get done before the end of the school year that we haven't gotten done. I could totally do Renai's thing about spinning everyday activities into 'educational' stuff - I started my homeschooling education reading books and email lists and stuff about unschooling before Celery was even born... but there's a limit as to how far I feel it's okay to push that, and I don't want to let myself go down the road of "everything is educational" and neglecting my kids while I'm bending the rules.

I'm sure that your kids have been keeping themselves occupied in some ways lately. Public schools often count watching Reading Rainbow as part of language arts. (We did in the schools where I taught. ). Reading a Magic Schoolbus book or watching their videos is legitimately science. There are fun educational activities that still count.

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Critterfixer

Critterfixer

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I worked. Very tired, but not as emotionally exhausted as I was Tuesday evening. 

I hope the missing boy is indeed okay and decides that he wants to go home and tells his parents where he is.

Hope the numbers were good for Spud's little one. Of course, that means tonsils out, but still--ice cream all day!

I'm going to bed soon to recover my strength. More work on Saturday, and then next week.

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Southern Ivy

Southern Ivy

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I need summer vacation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I'm just DONE. I just need it to be over with. Today sucked and I couldn't get myself to do anything wrt kids. It's really bad (my wife gave them an iPad this morning, and I'm not even sure if they've had anything to eat or drink today). And the stupid thing is that Celery got 94th percentile on his end of 4th grade test, and Broccoli got 91st percentile on his end of 2nd grade test, so why on earth am I supposed to do any more flipping school this year is beyond me. But NY thinks I have to count days and hours, and not much school got done during move. Gaaaaah! There's over a week left before my 4th quarterly is due. And my paperwork for summer camp was due over a week ago, and I thought it was due just a couple of days ago, and our printer is still not hooked up, but at least I bothered to *find* the medical forms the doctor already signed, so I'll beg wife to hook up the printer tonight and try to get the paperwork in tomorrow... I just hate being late (I was going to do it before the move, but my wife just grabbed all my papers and stuck them in a box which I then couldn't find). I just... burnt out. 

My saving grace for the last few weeks of school and dealing with 25 kids was Teachers Pay Teachers. We did a lot of research projects from there and did a lot of experimenting and creating with DIY.org.

Not sure if something more laid back like that is ok with NY, but I'd probably try to finagle something. 

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luuknam

luuknam

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My saving grace for the last few weeks of school and dealing with 25 kids was Teachers Pay Teachers. We did a lot of research projects from there and did a lot of experimenting and creating with DIY.org.

Not sure if something more laid back like that is ok with NY, but I'd probably try to finagle something. 

 

 

Oh, I can do pretty much w/e. What I need though is to just send my kids away to camp and not see them for a week. Which is not an option, since the schools around here don't have summer break yet, so there aren't any camp options around here yet. I have 'fun' stuff. I just don't have the energy to do it. 

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Paige

Paige

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I'm sure that your kids have been keeping themselves occupied in some ways lately. Public schools often count watching Reading Rainbow as part of language arts. (We did in the schools where I taught. ). Reading a Magic Schoolbus book or watching their videos is legitimately science. There are fun educational activities that still count.

 

My DDs 7th grade science teacher sent a permission slip home for them to watch Happy Feet. It's the end of the year, so whatever, but I couldn't believe she included a paragraph justifying the scientific and educational value of Happy Feet and why it was a learning opportunity. Even I wouldn't count that as school! We watched Liberty's Kids and Ted Talks and I felt a twinge of guilt. 

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luuknam

luuknam

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I read the kids some summer poems by Emily Dickinson as their bedtime story, and apparently getting the printer to work was as easy as plugging it in on the right side of the power strip... I plugged it in on the side that has battery backup, which for some reason doesn't work??? W/e. Progress. 

 

Some fun parts about the move that I hadn't shared yet (I think). A week ago or so as the kids and I were walking to the car, we saw two probation officers in bulletproof vests walk up to our front door. So, I got out and asked them who they were looking for, thinking they might very well be looking for whomever lived in our apartment previously. Nope, they were looking for the guy who's temporarily staying with our upstairs neighbor (we're in a duplex). So, I got to explain to the kids what probation is etc. 

 

It's also super mosquito-y here compared to where we lived before, so we got to discuss mosquito life cycle and mosquito-borne diseases. 

 

And the kids learned that I suck at parallel parking, even though I passed the parallel parking test for a big rig when I got my CDL in Texas. They also learned that I prefer to just walk a block so I don't have to parallel park. 

 

So, lots of educational moments here. 

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AMJ

AMJ

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Clearly the neither the writers of Star Trek TNG nor Michael Dorn have ever heard ME sneeze.  I find Worf's supposedly fearsome Kingon sneezing to be wimpy and quiet.

 

I am MUCH more ferocious.

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AMJ

AMJ

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Today's supper was from page 71 of the Fresh20 cookbook: Panfried Chicken Milanese, with an arugula salad.  No leftovers on the chicken!  I quite liked the salad, too.

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AMJ

AMJ

Posted
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Block scheduling! So you had a lot of PE and electives. You can make it up with blocks of reading, science, and math later. Do you school through summer? We always did because of moves and stuff eating into the school year. That made me feel a lot better about missed days in the regular school year. And your kids are little...nothing is really that important or uncatchuppable* when they're little.

 

*Not a word.

 

 

It is now.

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ikslo

ikslo

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DS: I don't want steak.

Me: Okay.

Me: Ooooohh, looks perfect. You sure?

DS: Well, a little.

DS: Do we have more steak?

Me: Yes, but I thought you didn't like steak.

DS: But you actually cooked it the right way this time!

 

Humph. :LOL:

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AMJ

AMJ

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I read the kids some summer poems by Emily Dickinson as their bedtime story, and apparently getting the printer to work was as easy as plugging it in on the right side of the power strip... I plugged it in on the side that has battery backup, which for some reason doesn't work??? W/e. Progress. 

 

Some fun parts about the move that I hadn't shared yet (I think). A week ago or so as the kids and I were walking to the car, we saw two probation officers in bulletproof vests walk up to our front door. So, I got out and asked them who they were looking for, thinking they might very well be looking for whomever lived in our apartment previously. Nope, they were looking for the guy who's temporarily staying with our upstairs neighbor (we're in a duplex). So, I got to explain to the kids what probation is etc. 

 

It's also super mosquito-y here compared to where we lived before, so we got to discuss mosquito life cycle and mosquito-borne diseases. 

 

And the kids learned that I suck at parallel parking, even though I passed the parallel parking test for a big rig when I got my CDL in Texas. They also learned that I prefer to just walk a block so I don't have to parallel park. 

 

So, lots of educational moments here. 

 

 

These are all good, pertinent lessons!

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AMJ

AMJ

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You know what feels really good? When you see a curriculum and think, "if I was a good mom I would make time to do stuff like that but I don't know where I'd find the time" and then guilt consumes you until you go look at online samples WHEREUPON you realize you already do that on your own and you didn't have to spend $30 for someone else to tell you to do that. Muahahahaha! 😎

 

 

:hurray:  :hurray:  :hurray:

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AMJ

AMJ

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Me, looking for my black Target PJs:

"Not you...not you either...you're the one that I want......🎶ooh ooh ooh honey...the one that I want..ooh ooh ooh the one I need; oh yes indeed🎶"

 

Sent from my HTCD160LVW using Tapatalk

 

 

Sing it!  :hurray:  :hurray:

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Paige

Paige

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My parents are coming tomorrow and staying the week with us. So much cleaning to do!! I don't think I'm going to do it all and I anticipate complaints.

 

I wish they lived close enough to come and go instead of staying for a week. I'm happy to see them but my introvert self is already missing the alone time that will not happen. This is my last peaceful night until sometime next week, who knows when, b/c they don't know when they'll feel like leaving.

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Paige

Paige

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I feel my children would greatly benefit from a screen fast. They're up to over an hour a day now. Is that normal for this age? Because my kids are butt.

 

Eh, an hour a day is just 1 adult evening drama on tv. That's not so bad...nobody would say someone who only watches Law and Order every night was addicted to the tv. Butt reducing screen time can't hurt them. I say whatever you want to do is fine. 

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KrissiK

KrissiK

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Confession--I don't like holding baby humans. I'm always afraid they will cry or squirm. Baby puppies, kitties, birdies and so forth--I'll love all over them all day long. :laugh:

I'm kind of like that myself, actually. I'm all over making faces at the baby looking over her mother's shoulder in the pew in front of me at church, but actually holding the child.... I'm afraid she's take one look at me, see that I am not her mother and scream bloody murder.
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Paige

Paige

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I only like holding my own babies. I'll hold yours if I need to, and I can soothe him, put him to sleep, and be a good babysitter, but it never feels natural. I hope if I'm a grandparent someday that I'll be able to relax with the babies like they are my own. 

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Slache

Slache

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The time isn't really the issue, but I wonder if it's a factor. The problem is their attitudes. They fight over it and complain. They've been watching it to keep them quiet when Alex sleeps, but they've become so crappy. I guess we'll start Monday. Oi.

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Junie

Junie

Posted
Posted (edited)

My parents are coming tomorrow and staying the week with us. So much cleaning to do!! I don't think I'm going to do it all and I anticipate complaints.

 

I wish they lived close enough to come and go instead of staying for a week. I'm happy to see them but my introvert self is already missing the alone time that will not happen. This is my last peaceful night until sometime next week, who knows when, b/c they don't know when they'll feel like leaving.

 

But then they could come over unannounced.

 

I like that my parents live several hours away.  I get to see them often enough and I always have warning that they're coming.   :)

 

 

ETA:  It's an "I love my parents from a distance" Booyah.

Edited by Junie
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Ellie

Ellie

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I've been so busy. :willy_nilly:

 

Did I tell you that our ho'ike was a great success? If not, then yes, it was. If so, then never mind. :001_tt2:

 

I went to my first pipe band rehearsal last week. I have a drum, beaters, and the harness thingie to carry the drum when I march. :D

 

I am now on vacation, having finished several of the things that have kept me busy over the last few months. Still teaching hula, though.

 

That is all.

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Another Lynn

Another Lynn

Posted
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Good Morning!  Friday!  

 

swim, violin practice, stuff in the crock pot, dd's friend coming over this afternoon, need to put tags on books and take books to the used sale TONIGHT!!!, and borrow the little wagon from my mom and dad to take the books in with.  (Don't wanna!)

 

COFFEE!!!!!

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prairiewindmomma

prairiewindmomma

Posted
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So, I like the looks of Art of Argument, but I'm kinda skeptical that Discovery of Deduction is going to flow well. It looks super clunky, and I'm not impressed by their sample schedule.  DoD's sample schedule for the semester includes all kinds of quizzes and tests.  When you look at the tests that they offer for separate purchase (first eyebrow raise from me), the schedule does not match (second eyebrow raise from me). They also recommend additional supplementation from another book that they don't sell (third eyebrow raise).  Finally, the author of the text, who is also the author of the quizzes recommends reworking the last section of her own book (hands up in exasperation).

 

Seriously, just put out a second edition of your book and get it over with, iykwim.

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prairiewindmomma

prairiewindmomma

Posted
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I've reworked their schedule to make everything fit gracefully together.  I'm going to go ahead and pay $5 for the tests so that I can put that together into his final portfolio.  One of the universities that he is looking at seems to have an uneasy relationship with homeschoolers (they don't accept mommy grades, I've heard they want to see completed work) so I'm anticipating that my box of completed work will be reviewed at some point. Given the scrutiny that I suspect he will be under, I create syllabi and include ISBN numbers in my list of materials. I treat the paperwork end of things much as I would if I were teaching at a university. I don't think they'll do much more than glance over the syllabi and flip through the completed work, but I'm trying to make it easy for them to do that (and only that).  

 

As much as I respect unschoolers, I really think those who abandon the education of their children and call it unschooling or TJED have done the rest of us a great disservice. Frankly, I didn't really understand the phenomenon until I moved here and realized how many people are doing a poor job of educating their children. It has nothing to do with budget and a lot to do with the amount of work that they are willing to put in, both in researching what is appropriate to cover and in doing the actual work of educating or facilitating the education of their children.  The children of those families show up at university completely unprepared to handle university level work.

Edited by kbeal
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Susan in TN

Susan in TN

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Good morning!

 

Babies! TV! Hula! Pipe Band! Insomniac Lesson Planning!

 

Dd14's orchestra festival concert was very nice! It is always surprising what they can throw together in less than a week. They ended with a Bugs Bunny medley. :D

 

So you all still haven't told me what to do for dd14's English 9 class. I want to cover ancient literature and have a guide to specific works with basic analysis (and writing and vocab would be a bonus.) I have looked at Memoria Press (expensive!), Smarr, and Progeny Press (can't find ancient stuff with them). I had Omnibus 1 somewhere but can't find it. Might have loaned it out. If I have to piece things together I guess I can do that. Don't make me go swimming in the sea!

 

I was going to take the kids to the violin shop to have their instruments repaired, but I think I'll wait until after the July Old Lady Party. I really need to go to the grocery store since people are starting to panic over a lack of food staples and we are out of bathroom tissue. Fortunately we have tissues.

 

Coffee!

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