I'm not very good at keeping up with this blog at all. For one, I don't really think that anything too exciting happens here that would be worthy of bothering to post. And for another, when something does happen, I don't always think about this place. I really should do more.

One thing that has been on my mind again is other home schooling moms. I've pretty much come to the conclusion that I really just don't like them. I've had the misfortune to come across way too many of them who know it all. They also seem to be a group, as a whole, who will nitpick and argue about the smallest little thing.

In my dealings with them, it always seems that the conversation always steers around to how we teach and what curriculum we use. I'd never tell another mother that the books and teaching methods she uses is all wrong but I've been told that, myself, on several occasions. For instance, when I started out and was using a boxed curriculum, that was all wrong because that essentially puts the child into that said same box. I don't know about that. I took what I needed and ignored a lot of the garbage from the boxed curriculum.

The fact that my son has just finished 4th grade and still doesn't read very well is apparently all my fault even though I've spent untold amounts of money on this supplement or that supplement. Also, I have my kids on a fairly rigid schedule and we do what is generally referred to in most home schooling circles as "school at home." Never mind the fact that both my kids and I are comfortable with this and like knowing what we're going to do and when, but this is apparently all wrong too because I don't let my kids develop their imagination or some other nonsense.

We are Christians but since religion wasn't the primary reason for me wanting to home school, that too is wrongheaded. And as a Christian, apparently, I'm not doing my duty to my kids to incorporate Bible study into our every day lessons. I guess it's not enough for us to have Bible study and be involved with AWANA and say our prayers outside of school hours. Then there is the fact that I chose to go with one of the correspondence schools offered here in Alaska. The ones who've chosen other ones are quick to point out how much better the one they're with is. And the ones who've chosen to go independent don't consider us true home schoolers at all really.

There's the fact too, that I have no intention of home schooling either of my two past 6th grade if at all possible. Those who go all the way seem to think I'm taking the easy way out. It's not that at all. I just wanted to be able to lay down the foundation of their educations. I'm not at all comfortable teaching upper level maths and sciences. And yes, I'm aware, that there is online help and any number of other things that could allow the kids to basically teach themselves with very little hands on effort on my part but if I'm going to go that route, why not let them go to school and have some interaction with their peers?

Yeah, I get that you can socialize your home schooler and I think we've done fairly well for the most part. Both kids are involved in many after school activities where they socialize with other children but it's simply not the same as spending most of your classes with a friend and then eating with them at the same table at lunch and having slumber parties on the weekends and so forth.

My daughter's best friend is moving away to another state in the next week. This coming year which will be her 6th is going to be a very lonely friendless year for her. In a lot of ways I feel really bad about it and am almost tempted to go ahead and send her to school. My son has two best friends. One he sees only in the summer and the other he sees on odd weekends since he also moved from our neighborhood. He doesn't seem to require the social interaction that our daughter does so I'm fine with the situation as is with him.

My last gripe is that God forbid if I should want some information about one of the other correspondence schools to compare to the one I'm with. That is apparently a high crime and misdemeanor. To even want to know such things when there are independent home schoolers present is patently taboo. Quite frankly, it seems to be the independent home schoolers who are the worst as far as any of the above and to get offended about someone offering information about the program they're with is just petty.

Like almost wanting to send my daughter to school, I almost want to leave the home schooling group I'm in because the drama gets real old. There seems to always be someone stirring the pot about some stupid thing or another. I honestly don't understand why people can't read the first sentence or two of a post and decide, "Hey, this doesn't apply to me. I think I will skip over it and read the next thing." Am I calling them fatuous. Yeah, I am.