Ignore this thread!

[learning123]

Lynn- Sounds like you're having a fun time with your family. Enjoy the craziness! It flies by after it's all over, doesn't it?!

Paige- Your son sounds like a fun one to have- and it's great that you are comfortable and confident that he's getting what he needs from people who love him. Whew!

@Tsuga They know the technical skills just need refreshing- I'll bet they appreciate your candor and respect. I'll also bet that your chances are better than you think.

Just started a new music teacher for the instrumentalists in our family. He's a top level teacher, very intense, and I hope my poor children are able to thrive--or at least not get kicked out of his studio! 

[Critterfixer]

37 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

 

That’s an interesting dream, Critter. What’s been hiding in your anxiety closet?

There ain't no telling. I blame Hemingway. The lone writer. Walking. Alone. In the rain. With a yowling cat.

[Critterfixer]

Four more pages of this chapter to revise. Then on to Chapter 23 for editing.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I was sleeping deeply until I was woken up by (you guessed it) a galumphing elephant. And now there isn't enough time for second sleep before I have to get up with a galumphing puppy. 

I have not gotten the overnight report on MIL. Pushy cousin (who is also very generous with her help) took the night shift and will have it indefinitely. Dh has a dental appointment first thing and then will go to relieve her for the day. . Another relative is flying in today to take day shifts over the weekend. Filipino families are loud and opinionated but they come together in a family crisis. 

[KrissiK]

Good morning, Junie!!

[Jean in Newcastle]

You all didn't know it, but I had an "ITT therapy session" in my head this morning.  I unloaded all my anxieties and shortcomings to you  and you all  said "there, there" and "you're doing  ok".  Thank you so much!  I feel so much better!  Aren't you all happy that you live in my head as well as on my computer screen? 

[Critterfixer]

Well, the contest closed this morning. I'm in it. Odds if the contest was random would be about 7 to 1. Sadly, it isn't random. I rather expect my personal odds are close to 400 to 1. Still, that's better than the lottery.

[ikslo]

We watched Chasing Coral last night on Netflix to end our school night.  It was supposed to be something fun.  We both cried.  You should watch it.

[ikslo]

I'm not getting texts again. 

[prairiewindmomma]

The epi-pen shortage is hitting us personally---no epi-pens, auvi-q, or even vials of epinephrine to be had at our local pharmacy.  Our current stash is expired--which is a problem with school and camp and other places where you must have a current prescription.

[Junie]

5 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

The epi-pen shortage is hitting us personally---no epi-pens, auvi-q, or even vials of epinephrine to be had at our local pharmacy.  Our current stash is expired--which is a problem with school and camp and other places where you must have a current prescription.

I'm sorry.  That's horrible.

My epi-pens are so expired I don't know that they would have enough potency to save a gerbil.  I probably should throw them away.  I've been carrying the same pen in my purse for 10 years.

:hiding:

I will wait until the current shortage is over and then (maybe) get a new script.  Except I think my doctor retired.  I always forget about it because I rarely have reactions any more and the worst reactions I have had have been thwarted effectively by Benadryl.

[prairiewindmomma]

6 minutes ago, Junie said:

I'm sorry.  That's horrible.

My epi-pens are so expired I don't know that they would have enough potency to save a gerbil.  I probably should throw them away.  I've been carrying the same pen in my purse for 10 years.

:hiding:

I will wait until the current shortage is over and then (maybe) get a new script.  Except I think my doctor retired.  I always forget about it because I rarely have reactions any more and the worst reactions I have had have been thwarted effectively by Benadryl.

I will sleep better if you have a current epipen. There's some evidence of people having anaphylactic reactions to the biologics after a time. Ahem.

FWIW, epipens were still effective after 4 years according to some studies I've seen. If it's still clear, it's probably good. We've had a few pens go cloudy, and we tossed those, but we regularly hold on to our expired pens for just in case situations like this one with the shortage. 

[Paige]

8 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I will sleep better if you have a current epipen. There's some evidence of people having anaphylactic reactions to the biologics after a time. Ahem.

FWIW, epipens were still effective after 4 years according to some studies I've seen. If it's still clear, it's probably good. We've had a few pens go cloudy, and we tossed those, but we regularly hold on to our expired pens for just in case situations like this one with the shortage. 

That's scary. DS's epipen is really expired but I figured it was better than nothing. We don't know what he's allergic to- he had a couple mildish anaphylactic reactions many years ago but we don't know what to avoid. Thankfully benadryl has always worked well enough in the past. I should see about getting him an adult sized one.

[Paige]

Jean, there, there...it will be ok. You are doing fantastically in a tough situation. 

[Junie]

13 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I will sleep better if you have a current epipen. There's some evidence of people having anaphylactic reactions to the biologics after a time. Ahem.

FWIW, epipens were still effective after 4 years according to some studies I've seen. If it's still clear, it's probably good. We've had a few pens go cloudy, and we tossed those, but we regularly hold on to our expired pens for just in case situations like this one with the shortage. 

Sigh.

[prairiewindmomma]

Jean---I have always admired the grace, love, and dignity you display in a long list of challenging situations you've been through.  You've got this!

[Jean in Newcastle]

Mom!  Paige and Prairie are making me cry!  (Good tears, though. ) 

[Slache]

35 minutes ago, ThatBookwormMom said:

If Squishy is a monkey, I'm his favorite tree.

I am not a tree. I am a whack-a-mole.

[prairiewindmomma]

I'm working on Oldest's transcript, and on getting this year's worth of work product boxed away.  

What do you guys do with all of that? I have nightmares about being able to produce everything and having it declared "not enough".

[ikslo]

2 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

The epi-pen shortage is hitting us personally---no epi-pens, auvi-q, or even vials of epinephrine to be had at our local pharmacy.  Our current stash is expired--which is a problem with school and camp and other places where you must have a current prescription. 

(((Prairie))) I really hope they get this sorted out soon.

We checked ours the other day and we are good until Jan 2019 - assuming he doesn't need them and we need to get refills.   

[ikslo]

2 hours ago, Junie said:

I'm sorry.  That's horrible.

My epi-pens are so expired I don't know that they would have enough potency to save a gerbil.  I probably should throw them away.  I've been carrying the same pen in my purse for 10 years.

:hiding:

I will wait until the current shortage is over and then (maybe) get a new script.  Except I think my doctor retired.  I always forget about it because I rarely have reactions any more and the worst reactions I have had have been thwarted effectively by Benadryl. 

Junie, go get a new script.  (Toe-tapping emoji)

2 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I will sleep better if you have a current epipen. There's some evidence of people having anaphylactic reactions to the biologics after a time. Ahem. 

FWIW, epipens were still effective after 4 years according to some studies I've seen. If it's still clear, it's probably good. We've had a few pens go cloudy, and we tossed those, but we regularly hold on to our expired pens for just in case situations like this one with the shortage. 

We have expired pens, too.  I can't bring myself to toss them. 

[ikslo]

1 hour ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I'm working on Oldest's transcript, and on getting this year's worth of work product boxed away.  

What do you guys do with all of that? I have nightmares about being able to produce everything and having it declared "not enough". 

I save it all.  I have nightmares about it, too.  The struggle is real.  Then there's my spreadsheets, "made contemporaneously with the instruction," which detail way more than will probably ever be necessary.  Until I don't have it.  And then BAM!  I'll need it.  Sigh.

[ikslo]

How many books should an average 5th grader read independently during the school year?  (Not including read-alouds!)  Curious to what is appropriate. 

This is a child who would never choose to read a book that wasn't assigned for school.

[KrissiK]

4 minutes ago, ikslo said:

How many books should an average 5th grader read independently during the school year?  (Not including read-alouds!)  Curious to what is appropriate. 

This is a child who would never choose to read a book that wasn't assigned for school.

Are you talking “schoolish” books? My kids read none. None. Well, no schoolish books. They read plenty of what Charlotte Mason would term “twaddle”. But sometimes i’d Like to tell Charlotte Mason to just take her twaddle and stick it where the sun don’t shine.

[KrissiK]

I’m sorry for being disrespectful to Charlotte Mason. I’ve just really been struggling lately with this whole education thing. I’m looking at the history standards for 7th grade for this charter school my kids are goizing into next year and I’m thinking, seriously? My kid is supposed to be able to “Analyze the cause and effects of the vast expansion and ultimate disintegration of the Roman Empire.” And that’s just one standard. And sure, I could spoon feed her the information, I could walk her through it, but would she really learn it? And is it worth it? And it has started to hit me like a ton of bricks how .... how some entity can say that all the children, with such a variety of interests and gifts and talents and struggles, should be able to meet a certain set of standards and is that even a good and profitable use of their time?

Personally, I am not worried about “meeting the standards” because i’ll Figure something out, but it’s the idea that this is the standard for all children. I think for some kids, this would be interesting and doable and necessary and all that, but for other kids... not so much.

[prairiewindmomma]

True story: cannot find any of the Spanish work ds did last year.  I wonder if it was in a lost box.  I'm inventorying everything now in a panic.

[ikslo]

17 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

Are you talking “schoolish” books? My kids read none. None. Well, no schoolish books. They read plenty of what Charlotte Mason would term “twaddle”. But sometimes i’d Like to tell Charlotte Mason to just take her twaddle and stick it where the sun don’t shine. 

Chapter Books/Literature

I assign a mix of fun literature and history-related literature.  I don't test on it.  We discuss it and answer questions verbally, or sometimes we don't discuss it at all.  LOL

[prairiewindmomma]

26 minutes ago, ikslo said:

How many books should an average 5th grader read independently during the school year?  (Not including read-alouds!)  Curious to what is appropriate. 

This is a child who would never choose to read a book that wasn't assigned for school.

One a month.

[ikslo]

6 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

True story: cannot find any of the Spanish work ds did last year.  I wonder if it was in a lost box.  I'm inventorying everything now in a panic.

Everything DS did for Russian this year is on duolingo.  So I'd have nothing to "prove" he did anything, since it's my account.  Could just as easily be me doing it.

[Susan in TN]

2 hours ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

Mom!  Paige and Prairie are making me cry!  (Good tears, though. ) 

'Cuz we love you! ❤️

[Another Lynn]

2 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I'm working on Oldest's transcript, and on getting this year's worth of work product boxed away.  

What do you guys do with all of that? I have nightmares about being able to produce everything and having it declared "not enough".

I keep it in banker's boxes in my closet.  #formeraccountant.  Plus, sometimes I like to look back through things for the sake of my own memory.  

[ikslo]

3 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

One a month.

Okay, that makes me feel better. 

DS says I make him read too much, so I was wondering.  I think he will have read 13 books this school year according to my records.  Some are shorter than others, though.  Most took just under a month.  He gets assigned a chapter or two each school day, depending on the length of the chapters.

[prairiewindmomma]

9 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

I’m sorry for being disrespectful to Charlotte Mason. I’ve just really been struggling lately with this whole education thing. I’m looking at the history standards for 7th grade for this charter school my kids are goizing into next year and I’m thinking, seriously? My kid is supposed to be able to “Analyze the cause and effects of the vast expansion and ultimate disintegration of the Roman Empire.” And that’s just one standard. And sure, I could spoon feed her the information, I could walk her through it, but would she really learn it? And is it worth it? And it has started to hit me like a ton of bricks how .... how some entity can say that all the children, with such a variety of interests and gifts and talents and struggles, should be able to meet a certain set of standards and is that even a good and profitable use of their time?

Personally, I am not worried about “meeting the standards” because i’ll Figure something out, but it’s the idea that this is the standard for all children. I think for some kids, this would be interesting and doable and necessary and all that, but for other kids... not so much.

I've been going through a similar crisis of thought.  For a variety of reasons, Oldest will be the only child fully homeschooled next year if all goes according to plan. While I have incredibly mixed feelings about public school, I have had a variety of realizations about homeschooling. One of them is that we achieve an incredible amount of stuff at home....we just don't know how to document and chart and explain it like it's done in published curricula standards.  

I agree that a one size fits all mold is not ideal, and that a variety of state standards do not adequately prepare students for the life ahead of them.

[prairiewindmomma]

6 minutes ago, ikslo said:

Everything DS did for Russian this year is on duolingo.  So I'd have nothing to "prove" he did anything, since it's my account.  Could just as easily be me doing it.

He's in 5th grade. It's all good.

[ikslo]

1 minute ago, prairiewindmomma said:

He's in 5th grade. It's all good.

I know.  You said you were in a panic over missing Spanish work.  I was trying to make you feel better.

[prairiewindmomma]

I only keep the planner and a few work samples for kids <9th grade.  Ds's missing spanish work is 9th grade work. 

Add to the missing list: English I.

I really do think I must have a missing box or something.

[ikslo]

29 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

Are you talking “schoolish” books? My kids read none. None. Well, no schoolish books. They read plenty of what Charlotte Mason would term “twaddle”. But sometimes i’d Like to tell Charlotte Mason to just take her twaddle and stick it where the sun don’t shine.

I hate the word/concept of twaddle, too.  I am a firm believer that anything that gets a kid to read is worth the paper it is printed on.

 

If my kid read plenty of "what Charlotte Mason would term twaddle" on his own, I'd not assign so much, I think.  But he won't read what I don't assign, so I might as well assign stuff I want to read, too.  :)

[Another Lynn]

14 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

I’m sorry for being disrespectful to Charlotte Mason. I’ve just really been struggling lately with this whole education thing. I’m looking at the history standards for 7th grade for this charter school my kids are goizing into next year and I’m thinking, seriously? My kid is supposed to be able to “Analyze the cause and effects of the vast expansion and ultimate disintegration of the Roman Empire.” And that’s just one standard. And sure, I could spoon feed her the information, I could walk her through it, but would she really learn it? And is it worth it? And it has started to hit me like a ton of bricks how .... how some entity can say that all the children, with such a variety of interests and gifts and talents and struggles, should be able to meet a certain set of standards and is that even a good and profitable use of their time?

Personally, I am not worried about “meeting the standards” because i’ll Figure something out, but it’s the idea that this is the standard for all children. I think for some kids, this would be interesting and doable and necessary and all that, but for other kids... not so much.

Amen, Sistah! 

Semi related - I know someone whose kids go to a 3day program (i.e a Memoria Press / Highlands type school) and every time I've seen her the last 3 weeks she says how she couldn't homeschool without the 3-day school because they wouldn't get anything done right now or the whole month of May.  I'm always struck a little speechless because honestly we've been down to little or no school for a while and I'm perfectly fine with it.  I think it's completely natural to take a break when you need it.  Know what else?  the youngest two have read more books in the last 3 weeks than they did the last 3 months.  Possibly coincedence, but I think from now on I'll plan on May being "free reading plus a math lesson (maybe) month."  But I digress.....      

6 minutes ago, ikslo said:

Chapter Books/Literature

I assign a mix of fun literature and history-related literature.  I don't test on it.  We discuss it and answer questions verbally, or sometimes we don't discuss it at all.  LOL

Sounds good!  

5 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

One a month.

I agree this is reasonable.  

[Another Lynn]

9 minutes ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I've been going through a similar crisis of thought.  For a variety of reasons, Oldest will be the only child fully homeschooled next year if all goes according to plan. While I have incredibly mixed feelings about public school, I have had a variety of realizations about homeschooling. One of them is that we achieve an incredible amount of stuff at home....we just don't know how to document and chart and explain it like it's done in published curricula standards.  

I agree that a one size fits all mold is not ideal, and that a variety of state standards do not adequately prepare students for the life ahead of them.

This is SO true. 

[Slache]

I thought one book a quarter. :leaving:

[Critterfixer]

Revisions in, and part of my editing list inflicted on the current chapter under the knife. My dark blue highlighter went down today. Now I'm short my favorite red and my favorite blue. This is unacceptable.

You can learn something from anything you read; if only not to read it again, or to figure out three paragraphs in that you hate it. The trick is stepping back and thinking about what you read, and deciding what to take from it. Just my opinion, though.

[KrissiK]

44 minutes ago, ikslo said:

I hate the word/concept of twaddle, too.  I am a firm believer that anything that gets a kid to read is worth the paper it is printed on.

 

If my kid read plenty of "what Charlotte Mason would term twaddle" on his own, I'd not assign so much, I think.  But he won't read what I don't assign, so I might as well assign stuff I want to read, too.  ?

We actually go to the library once a week now, and the girls lug home all these “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” type books. But they like them, and it is nice to see their noses in a book. Somehow, i’m Hoping they will graduate to a little better reading.

[Another Lynn]

5 minutes ago, KrissiK said:

We actually go to the library once a week now, and the girls lug home all these “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” type books. But they like them, and it is nice to see their noses in a book. Somehow, i’m Hoping they will graduate to a little better reading.

Krissi, that's great!  I think one way to stretch them a little bit is by exposing them to the next level or quality of lit. through read alouds.  But having said that, I'm not so great at doing it lately.  Youngest dd was on a Nancy Drew kick most of the year.  Now she's into the Spirit Animals series (some of the same contributors as the Warriors series - so not high quality lit.).  Most of her reading this last year was her choice.  I'm thinking about next year alternating her choice, my choice, etc.  We'll see, lol.....

[Jean in Newcastle]

3 hours ago, prairiewindmomma said:

I'm working on Oldest's transcript, and on getting this year's worth of work product boxed away.  

What do you guys do with all of that? I have nightmares about being able to produce everything and having it declared "not enough".

I do not keep proof of high school work. Schools do not keep proof of high school work. I do keep my grade book which has grades for all assignments and papers and tests. I also type up a course description which has listed all texts and resources. 

[Susan in TN]

Got a reply email back from the amazing cello professor answering a few questions - the primary question being how much her lessons cost and you know what?  She is so reasonably priced I am amazed!  It makes the cost of gas getting there almost a non-issue!  Also she said she can schedule lessons in the morning or afternoon depending on her university class schedule and would also be willing to schedule every-other-week lessons since it's a longer drive than we'd normally have to make.  (I know a lot of you regularly have to drive an hour to get anywhere!   )

I am super pleased.  ?

[Susan in TN]

Ds22 got his diploma in the mail today, and despite the envelope saying in big letters (*twice* on each side) DO NOT BEND!, the mailman bent it in half to get it in the mailbox.  Not Pleased.  

He said his interview went very well, and the guy seemed impressed at ds's level of tech/IT knowledge.  If and when the job opens, it would be a "temporary" position until the company decides to make it a permanent position.  Ds will be looking into other opportunities and temp work in the mean time, but the guy did seem pretty positive about the future possibilities.  

[Critterfixer]

54 minutes ago, Jean in Newcastle said:

I do not keep proof of high school work. Schools do not keep proof of high school work. I do keep my grade book which has grades for all assignments and papers and tests. I also type up a course description which has listed all texts and resources. 

I like this. This I can handle. 

[Critterfixer]

I think I may have been kicked out of the contest already because I wasn't able to meet the tech requirements. Waiting to hear back from one of the judges on whether I figured out Twitter too little, too late.

[Tsuga]

7 hours ago, ikslo said:

We watched Chasing Coral last night on Netflix to end our school night.  It was supposed to be something fun.  We both cried.  You should watch it.

My daughter.has done endangered species twice in a row for her science project. It just gets worse and worse. 

[Tsuga]

3 hours ago, Another Lynn said:

This is SO true. 

Dont quote. If I developed a homeschool gradebook online made especially for specific homeschool types (CM, Montessori, etc) aimed at making it possible to bulk upload grades or enter bit by bit, would you pay $5/mo for up to 6 students?

I might create a private group.