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.

My Flipping Smarty Pants Daughter

We live in Alaska and have for the past 6 years. Shortly after moving up here, I was diagnosed with SAD or seasonal affective disorder. The acronym for it is quite apt as having it basically means that the lack of sunlight in the winter up here causes you to be really sad. I've even joked with my husband on occasion that when the first snow falls in October, he can just commence to putting me into a medically induced coma until April. I really do not like winters up here.

Now, knowing that I have the winter blues hasn't necessarily meant that I've noticed other people's problems during this time. I guess we all get a little selfish and self absorbed when we're not feeling completely content. However, one thing that I have noticed over the past four years since I've started home schooling my kids is that my son seems to start every year off with a bang. The first quarter has always been a good one for him and he seems to learn so much. This year was probably his best first quarter of all.

But just like every other year, this past week or two, I've noticed that he's kind of plateaued and may even be going down hill a bit. For the first time this year, however, I have someone else to notice whats's going on. He has a reading tutor at the local school here. So I was talking to her about his progress and how he seems to do this every single year because she's noticed a drop as well. She mentioned that while she's no doctor, there could be a chance since this happens every year at the same time, that he might have SAD. And suggested that it might be worth trying to see if a happy light would help. Oh my gosh! How did I not put two and two together all these years?

I've never gotten a happy light for myself. I've basically just managed my own symptoms with vitamin supplements. I've wanted a happy light but I've felt that it was too much to spend on myself. Any one with kids will know what I'm talking about. But now that it's my son that may be having the issue, well, that's another thing entirely. So as soon as I could, I made a trip to Sam's Club and I picked one up. Now, we're finally getting to my smarty pants daughter.

I told my son after getting the light that I was getting it for him and that it might make him feel better. He was pretty excited for me to set it up so last night, I did just that. I set it up and placed it on the table (to basically blind us) during dinner.

The dinner conversation, obviously, was all about the light and SAD and phototherapy. My daughter listened for a bit and then piped up and said, "I really don't like you getting a happy light for J."

Flabbergasted, I asked her why on earth not if there was a possibility it could help him to which she replied, "Because it's a trick. You think the light will make you happy and since you think that, it makes you happy. I do the same thing with sugar. I know that sugar doesn't make me happy but I've tricked my brain into thinking that it does so whenever I get sad, I have a little sugar and I'm happy."

Then she proceeds to pour even more salt into the wound by singing, "It's a placebo," over and over and over again.

I blame her cynicism on her dad. When I relayed our conversation to him, he agreed with her. Scientific studies be damned. Both these two have an idea in their heads and that's it. I don't care. The light will be on for a while each day when we're doing school and we'll see if there are any noticeable results in the boy's performance in school. And if there is, then the boy and I will have the last laugh.

A single serving of macaroni and cheese from a whole box

I'm sure I'm not the only one who has wondered how to do this. I may, however be the only one who's actually taken the time to do the math to figure it out. I've done a Google search looking for the information and have come up empty handed. You may wonder why anyone would want to do this. Here are my reasons, 1.) While Easy Mac does all the measurement for you, you have to admit that 3 or 4 bucks for 6 servings is a major ripoff. I can get 4 servings out of a regular box for about a buck. 2.) I could make the whole box but if I'm the only one who wants some or maybe it's just one of the kids who wants it, then the rest has to go into the fridge as leftovers and leftover mac and cheese is just nasty. So anyway, here's the directions I've come up with to make a single serving of mac and cheese from a whole box.

First, you need to put the pasta in one container and the cheese powder in a second much smaller container. That being done, measure out a rounded 1/4 cup of pasta into a microwave safe bowl. To that, add 1/2 cup of water. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Now for the powder, spoon out 4 teaspoons of the powder and sprinkle it around the cooked pasta. Add a splash of milk. I'm not entirely sure how much milk that is but if I had to guess, I'd say it's about a tablespoon. And last, add a half a pat of butter. You can add a full pat if you want. I just don't like my mac and cheese super greasy. Stir it all together and Voila! you have a single serving of mac and cheese to enjoy for mere pennies.

I just put the smaller container of powder inside the container with the pasta and save it for the next time I want to make a single serving of mac and cheese. Have fun!

The Drudgery of Housework

Ok, so I admit that I'm an abysmal housekeeper.

Part of the problem is that I just don't have time for it. Between home schooling the kids and then all the activities they do after school, it's almost impossible. I guess I could give up my computer time but, honestly that and my nightly reading and God time are the only me times I have so I'm really not willing to do that.

The other problem or problems as I see it are the fact that I don't have a dish washer and the fact that there are too many things that have to be timed properly. Starting with the lack of a dishwasher thing, I generally have about three loads of dishes each day. My definition of a load is the amount of dishes that fit into my drainer. I usually get two done each day which means that by Saturday, the loads that didn't get done during the week are there on my counter in all their disgusting glory.

I can't wash dishes and do laundry at the same time because of the way our hot water is set up. I also can't wash clothes and dry them at the same time because if both of them are running the breaker will trip. I can't use either of them if I'm using my oven for the same reason. Obviously, laundry is the other thing that tends to pile up around here.

I've tried various ways of getting both of these chores done and so far have come up with nothing that's really feasible. I'm still working on it. If I ever get it right, I'll let you know.

Other parents; other home schoolers in particular.

Maybe it's just because it's that time of the month but there is something that really bugs me. It's super parents. Here's an example of the kinds of conversations I have with these people. I am exaggerating just a bit but only a bit.

Me: We've decided to go with the Calvert Curriculum for our schooling this year.

Other parent: Oh we've researched for the last 48 months based on our childrens' individual needs, learning styles and proclivities and have formulated our own curriculum based on a combination of unschooling, the Charlotte Mason method, Waldorf method and A Beka curriculum.

Me: We try to say our prayers every night before going to bed.

Other parent: We have several times of quiet introspection through out the day where we think about our selves and our place in the universe. We meditate and do everything in mindfulness and gratitude. Everyday, we pick a Proverb from the Bible and talk about how it relates to us specifically and our relationship with God. And we recite the Beatitudes each morning before school being mindful of exactly what Jesus was saying to each individual as well as the church as a collective.

Me: We had Kraft macaroni and cheese, hot dogs and carrot sticks for lunch.

Other Parent: There is no way I would ever serve my child anything processed ever. We have only organic vegetables. We don't eat red meat and only organic free range chickens and wild caught fish. We visit our local farmers market every weekend for our vegetables and eat them raw most of the time. In addition to our farmer's market purchases, we have a large vegetable garden and use it to teach our children about ecology, botany and entomology. Our milk is my own breast milk pumped using a sterile reverse osmosis filtration pump with no plastic parts.

Me: I've got my kids each signed up for AWANA, Scouting and swimming. My daughter also does orchestra.

Other parent: Oh we do AWANA, Classical Art, Crochet, Scouting, 4-H, reading club, hiking club, FFA, hockey, soccer, swimming.... ad infinitum. I believe it's good for children to be well rounded.

Other parent 2: We only do one activity and that's (fill in the blank). I believe it is important for children to have down time. It sparks creativity for them to be bored some of the time.

Me: My son is a little hyperactive during school. It makes it a little difficult at times.

Other Parent: I have 6 foster children coming from a variety of abusive situations which all need different levels of understanding. They are each of varying races. So our curriculum for them must be tailored to their specific multicultural needs. This is also a good learning experience for our own children as they are able to see first hand how different cultures can relate to each other and they are able to understand better the transgressions of their ancestors. Of our three biological children, one suffers from Asperger's syndrome. He's gifted as well so we have to tailor our curriculum to be advanced enough that he's not bored but still at his level so that he's not frustrated. Our daughter has cerebral palsy and is uncommunicative. We must have a special computer in order to do her schoolwork. Our youngest has been diagnosed with ADHD and has dyslexia, dyscalculia and dysgraphia. Two of the children also have bi-polar disorder, one is schizophrenic and one has OCD.

You see where I'm going with this. Yeah, you're perfect parents, I suck and I'm totally incompetent. Here's your parent of the year award. *rolls eyes*

A couple of pics.

The pics are courtesy of my friend Bren. She took them on a trip to Whittier. Thanks Bren. That's them up above.