You read that right. This is the end. Yes, of course it is the end of 2014, but it is also the end of this blog. This is my final post on Our Sunnyview.
This blog has served me faithfully and well for several years, but lately I just haven't felt that it fits who I am - who my family is - any more, and so I am beginning a new blog at a new location, one that is entirely mine. It's not perfect yet, since all new things have learning curves and growth periods, but it's up and running, and I'm excited to show it to you.
I hereby introduce to you my new blog: Approximating Adulthood.
Please join me there as we enter 2015 and I continue on this new phase of my life. I look forward to seeing you there.
As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read, either now or whenever you have done in the past. Your comments and loyalty have made this journey possible.
Happy New Year!
--Sarah
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blog. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Friday, September 6, 2013
Blog List Update
Just wanted to take a quick moment to point out that I've added a lot more blogs to the list on the right (keep scrolling... keep scrolling... it's there). It only shows the 10 that have been updated most recently, but feel free to check out these other sites. Most are homeschoolers, some aren't. Most are about moms/kids/parenting, but a few aren't.
And if you have a blog and want to share, or if you have a suggestion for one I might like to read, let me know! I'm kind of on a new-blog binge right now.
And if you have a blog and want to share, or if you have a suggestion for one I might like to read, let me know! I'm kind of on a new-blog binge right now.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Writing
When I was a little girl, if you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have told you either a secretary (wow, I had high ambitions... the feminism movement never really arrived at my house) or an author. Sometimes I might have said teacher, but that was only when I had a teacher who actually liked me (Third Grade Teacher Whom I Still Loathe, I'm looking at you.)
Anyway, all through my childhood, I loved to write. I wrote short stories all the time. When I got to middle school, I was quite sure I was going to write for National Geographic as an adult, and I even wrote to one of their contributing authors for help on how to do what he was doing, and I actually got a response! It was gracious and kind and full of information that I took to heart. When I got to high school, I took a 'class' that found internships for students at various companies around town, and I managed to get myself on board at the local newspaper. From there, I was hired as the lifestyles reporter/editor (editor meaning I laid out pages and worked on special sections, not that I actually edited work from underlings... I WAS the underling.)
But... life has a funny way of changing your plans for you. Shortly before I got pregnant with M1, I quit the newspaper job. I was offered another one, but it involved a lot of traveling in the area as well as being primarily evening-based, and I wasn't particularly interested in never seeing my husband. A couple months after I discovered I was pregnant, I had to drop a journalism class because A) I was too sick to function and B) the teacher was highly regarded but fairly ignorant and didn't seem to comprehend how a newspaper really worked. (For example, an obituary contains all information that is submitted as long as it meets the guidelines, and you certainly don't edit out names!)
Since then, I haven't progressed one iota toward my goal of being a writer. Sure, I write this blog, and I even did NaNoWriMo a couple years ago, but as for having work published independently? Hasn't happened.
Lately, though, I've discovered my typing fingers still work, and my brain is still churning out ideas. A woman from a forum that I visit has recently begun a new inclusive homeschooling blog, and I've been accepted as a regular contributor (go leave a comment or two!). So that's positive. Then a couple days ago, my brain generated a couple of characters for a book, and they haven't shut up since. So I'm performing my own little NaNoWriMo in the wrong month. The kids asked me this morning what I'm writing this story for, and I had to tell them that I'm just writing it to get it out of my head.
It feels good to write. It feels good to let the words flow out the ends of my fingers to be shared. It feels good to have a writing groove and deadlines, even if they are just personal ones. It reminds me just how much I enjoy writing for others as well as myself.
And that, my friends, is a thing worth (re)discovering.
Have a great weekend, wherever you are!
Anyway, all through my childhood, I loved to write. I wrote short stories all the time. When I got to middle school, I was quite sure I was going to write for National Geographic as an adult, and I even wrote to one of their contributing authors for help on how to do what he was doing, and I actually got a response! It was gracious and kind and full of information that I took to heart. When I got to high school, I took a 'class' that found internships for students at various companies around town, and I managed to get myself on board at the local newspaper. From there, I was hired as the lifestyles reporter/editor (editor meaning I laid out pages and worked on special sections, not that I actually edited work from underlings... I WAS the underling.)
But... life has a funny way of changing your plans for you. Shortly before I got pregnant with M1, I quit the newspaper job. I was offered another one, but it involved a lot of traveling in the area as well as being primarily evening-based, and I wasn't particularly interested in never seeing my husband. A couple months after I discovered I was pregnant, I had to drop a journalism class because A) I was too sick to function and B) the teacher was highly regarded but fairly ignorant and didn't seem to comprehend how a newspaper really worked. (For example, an obituary contains all information that is submitted as long as it meets the guidelines, and you certainly don't edit out names!)
Since then, I haven't progressed one iota toward my goal of being a writer. Sure, I write this blog, and I even did NaNoWriMo a couple years ago, but as for having work published independently? Hasn't happened.
Lately, though, I've discovered my typing fingers still work, and my brain is still churning out ideas. A woman from a forum that I visit has recently begun a new inclusive homeschooling blog, and I've been accepted as a regular contributor (go leave a comment or two!). So that's positive. Then a couple days ago, my brain generated a couple of characters for a book, and they haven't shut up since. So I'm performing my own little NaNoWriMo in the wrong month. The kids asked me this morning what I'm writing this story for, and I had to tell them that I'm just writing it to get it out of my head.
It feels good to write. It feels good to let the words flow out the ends of my fingers to be shared. It feels good to have a writing groove and deadlines, even if they are just personal ones. It reminds me just how much I enjoy writing for others as well as myself.
And that, my friends, is a thing worth (re)discovering.
Have a great weekend, wherever you are!
Monday, January 21, 2013
Four Years
For some reason, it occurred to me today that I've had this blog for a long, long time.
I checked.
It's been 4 years and 2 days since I wrote my first blog post here. Since that time, I've been through so much, both in homeschooling and in general. Many of you have been reading this since the beginning. Some found this blog more recently.
Regardless of how long you've been reading, I am grateful for all of you. Your perspectives have been beneficial to me many times over the years, and I cherish every single comment and every single pageview.
Thank you for reading. If you feel inclined, leave a comment about why you read this blog and what your favorite moments are/have been. I'm always curious what drives people here.
Have a lovely week!
I checked.
It's been 4 years and 2 days since I wrote my first blog post here. Since that time, I've been through so much, both in homeschooling and in general. Many of you have been reading this since the beginning. Some found this blog more recently.
Regardless of how long you've been reading, I am grateful for all of you. Your perspectives have been beneficial to me many times over the years, and I cherish every single comment and every single pageview.
Thank you for reading. If you feel inclined, leave a comment about why you read this blog and what your favorite moments are/have been. I'm always curious what drives people here.
Have a lovely week!
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Updates!
I finally managed to update the curriculum links on the left as well as the curriculum page here on the site! After a long weekend where I don't feel like I accomplished much, this feels a lot like progress!
In the words of a famous (pseudo-)homemaker, "It's a good thing."
In the words of a famous (pseudo-)homemaker, "It's a good thing."
Friday, October 21, 2011
I Feel Pretty!
I am not a happenin' person. I happen to know that. I can't be trendy if I try (tried once, wound up looking incredibly stupid, vowed to never let that particular fiasco happen again). So imagine my surprise and delight when I opened up my inbox yesterday to find this:
Along with it came this message from Resa from Rebel Homeschool:
Hi there, I'm not sure if you read Educating April blog. She gave me the "Stylish Blogger" thing, which seems to be a little compliment and a "7 things about me" game. If you don't want to do the 7 things, that's fine. I just wanted you to know that I really appreciate your blog. Your posts come through with a heartfelt honesty that never fails to impress me. Thanks for being a wonderful homeschool blogger.
Best Wishes,
Resa
I'm touched. I'm flattered! Thank you so much! And I can totally play along, especially since it's Friday and I went to the doctor this morning and I discovered I've lost 14 lbs. and he told me I'm in "perfect health." It's just a great day, isn't it?
1. I have had gray in my hair since I was 14. The first time I found one, I pulled it out just to see if it really, truly was attached to my head. It was. I cried. Then I kept discovering more. Now I dye my hair. It all works out.
2. I have ridden in a hot air balloon. I hate flying in airplanes, but I love hot air balloons. They are so quiet and peaceful. They let you drink champagne on board and/or afterward. Best of all, I understand the physics!
3. I am genetically missing four teeth. Two of them are wisdom teeth, which is great because it saves me the surgery. The other two are the two that are supposed to be on either side of my top front teeth. My mom is missing the same two, and I think M1 is as well. Don't know about M2 yet.
4. I want to visit New York City. Here's what I want to do: Arrive first thing in the morning. Get in a cab. Explore (i.e. drive or walk around) for the next four hours. Take a bajillion pictures. Go to a museum. Spend one night in a plush hotel. Eat indulgent meals. Visit Central Park and maybe one more museum. Get on a plane and leave. I think that's about all I could take. City girl, I am NOT.
5. I took tap, ballet, and gymnastics lessons as a youngster... all from the same teacher. Her name was Patty Pasek. I also played soccer. The coach was the mom of one of my classmates. I loved all of it. Then we moved to Oklahoma and my mom got depressed and I didn't get to participate in a single extracurricular activity until I joined the high school band. It makes me sad, but it also makes me who I am. No regrets.
6. I cannot see the book Sarah, Plain and Tall without shuddering. Imagine being the new girl in fourth grade. Imagine being Sarah, plain and tall, when that book is read aloud to your fourth grade class. Imagine the taunting.
7. I am too cheap to purchase real art for my walls. Instead, I've been trying to find cross-stitch patterns of the same things so I can spend a year stitching them and then have to spend as much money on framing as it would have cost me to purchase the art in the first place. Someone talk me out of this idea!
Thanks again for reading this blog, everyone. I'm passing my award on to Toni at This Simple Life. Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Can-Do Attitude!
I am coming out of my uber-funk. I would like to extend a truly heartfelt THANK YOU! to all of you folks who reached out and helped me through the darkness of the past few days. It really, really meant a lot.
Now that I have hit bottom, I'm coming back up and see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am making a plan for M1. We talked this morning. He said that he is having a hard time sleeping at night, so we're going to work on his melatonin. I had been slacking off with it lately, so I have to try to fix MY oversight before worrying about his. We may wind up back on medication; we may not. We shall see, but at least now I have a plan. This is good. As for M2, I'm going to keep a close eye on her. She bawled for 20 minutes yesterday (would have been longer except we had to go into her violin lesson, and so she stopped) because she's convinced her entire class hates her. They love her. I've watched them around her, and they truly adore her. She just can't see it right now. So my job is to try to build her up so her depression doesn't eat her alive. Nobody should be eaten alive at the age of 5.9. Again, we may end up on medication; we may not. But there is a plan.
I also am going into all this with a positive attitude, a 'can-do' attitude. I am the Little Engine That Could. One of my friends posted a status message on Facebook this morning: "Today, I'm trying out the Law of Attraction and purposely not focusing on anything negative in my life. The theory is, by focusing on only positive things, you bring more positivity into your life. I'm also joyfully thinking of what I DO WANT, instead of what I do not want." I think this post is amazing and wonderful, and I hope to join her in her endeavor. She's really cool to begin with, but it's easy to get bogged down in details and drama. Guilty as charged right here. Sentencing: Positive thinking for 21 days. My mother always told me, "Twenty-one days to break a habit; 21 days to make a habit." Here's to three GOOD weeks.
Now, to begin. Without further ado, I present to you a POSITIVE story from my week:
M1 fixed dinner on Sunday night. Really, he started the process on Wednesday. I had been puttering around the house doing chores and getting ready to go run errands when I noticed that he had disappeared from the living room. I heard bangs in the kitchen. I worry whenever I hear bangs in the kitchen, so I hollered across the house to ask him what he was doing.
"Picking out recipes."
???
I wandered in, and sure enough, he had several of his cookbooks strewn across the floor and counter.
"I think this," he said, pointing to a recipe that said "BBQ Burgers." Oddest BBQ burger recipe I'd ever seen since it called for chicken gumbo soup and no BBQ sauce whatsoever, but I didn't say a word.
"And a tossed green salad," he continued, flipping pages, "and fries. And tapioca pudding for dessert."
Had to say something there. Not a tapioca fan. He nodded, accepted the input calmly, and flipped to a baked apple recipe instead. "This?"
Sure.
He got out a piece of paper and went through the ingredient list for every recipe. He asked me about ingredients if he didn't know whether we had them or not, and he created his own shopping list. When we went to the store, I put him in charge of his own shopping, and he didn't forget a single thing.
On Sunday, he was so excited that when I called him into the house about 2 p.m. to make the salad (so he didn't have to do everything at once), he wanted to make the whole dinner then and there. We settled for making the salad and prepping the apples. He was so cute making the salad: He made it according to the recipe, looked at it, and announced, "This needs more lettuce." My boy is already learning to improvise. Proud mama moment.
When dinnertime came, he asked for some help from Oz with putting things in and out of the oven, but he largely did fix the meal himself. I avoided the kitchen so I wouldn't interfere, so I don't have pictures, but the sounds were calm, not chaotic.
The 'burgers' were good. We discussed the recipe and decided they needed some added spice next time, and M1 took the constructive criticism as it was given and made notes on his recipe. The salad was delicious. Oz hates red apples but ate his baked apple dutifully and was relieved to hear that the kids didn't care for the recipe, either, though he didn't say as much to them. M1 put a big "NO" next to that recipe. It was a wonderful meal.
Positive experiences. Good times. These are my goals for the days ahead. I want more of THESE stories. I can do it!
Now that I have hit bottom, I'm coming back up and see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am making a plan for M1. We talked this morning. He said that he is having a hard time sleeping at night, so we're going to work on his melatonin. I had been slacking off with it lately, so I have to try to fix MY oversight before worrying about his. We may wind up back on medication; we may not. We shall see, but at least now I have a plan. This is good. As for M2, I'm going to keep a close eye on her. She bawled for 20 minutes yesterday (would have been longer except we had to go into her violin lesson, and so she stopped) because she's convinced her entire class hates her. They love her. I've watched them around her, and they truly adore her. She just can't see it right now. So my job is to try to build her up so her depression doesn't eat her alive. Nobody should be eaten alive at the age of 5.9. Again, we may end up on medication; we may not. But there is a plan.
I also am going into all this with a positive attitude, a 'can-do' attitude. I am the Little Engine That Could. One of my friends posted a status message on Facebook this morning: "Today, I'm trying out the Law of Attraction and purposely not focusing on anything negative in my life. The theory is, by focusing on only positive things, you bring more positivity into your life. I'm also joyfully thinking of what I DO WANT, instead of what I do not want." I think this post is amazing and wonderful, and I hope to join her in her endeavor. She's really cool to begin with, but it's easy to get bogged down in details and drama. Guilty as charged right here. Sentencing: Positive thinking for 21 days. My mother always told me, "Twenty-one days to break a habit; 21 days to make a habit." Here's to three GOOD weeks.
Now, to begin. Without further ado, I present to you a POSITIVE story from my week:
M1 fixed dinner on Sunday night. Really, he started the process on Wednesday. I had been puttering around the house doing chores and getting ready to go run errands when I noticed that he had disappeared from the living room. I heard bangs in the kitchen. I worry whenever I hear bangs in the kitchen, so I hollered across the house to ask him what he was doing.
"Picking out recipes."
???
I wandered in, and sure enough, he had several of his cookbooks strewn across the floor and counter.
"I think this," he said, pointing to a recipe that said "BBQ Burgers." Oddest BBQ burger recipe I'd ever seen since it called for chicken gumbo soup and no BBQ sauce whatsoever, but I didn't say a word.
"And a tossed green salad," he continued, flipping pages, "and fries. And tapioca pudding for dessert."
Had to say something there. Not a tapioca fan. He nodded, accepted the input calmly, and flipped to a baked apple recipe instead. "This?"
Sure.
He got out a piece of paper and went through the ingredient list for every recipe. He asked me about ingredients if he didn't know whether we had them or not, and he created his own shopping list. When we went to the store, I put him in charge of his own shopping, and he didn't forget a single thing.
On Sunday, he was so excited that when I called him into the house about 2 p.m. to make the salad (so he didn't have to do everything at once), he wanted to make the whole dinner then and there. We settled for making the salad and prepping the apples. He was so cute making the salad: He made it according to the recipe, looked at it, and announced, "This needs more lettuce." My boy is already learning to improvise. Proud mama moment.
When dinnertime came, he asked for some help from Oz with putting things in and out of the oven, but he largely did fix the meal himself. I avoided the kitchen so I wouldn't interfere, so I don't have pictures, but the sounds were calm, not chaotic.
The 'burgers' were good. We discussed the recipe and decided they needed some added spice next time, and M1 took the constructive criticism as it was given and made notes on his recipe. The salad was delicious. Oz hates red apples but ate his baked apple dutifully and was relieved to hear that the kids didn't care for the recipe, either, though he didn't say as much to them. M1 put a big "NO" next to that recipe. It was a wonderful meal.
Positive experiences. Good times. These are my goals for the days ahead. I want more of THESE stories. I can do it!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Just a Note..
I would like to thank you all for letting me overthink things and only laughing at me a little bit. While I might feel a bit sheepish... it does remind me to lighten up.
And for that, I appreciate you all.
And for that, I appreciate you all.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday Randomness
1. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page. Check out the blue box. I've set up a Twitter account for this blog. If you tweet, you can find me at @oursunnyview. It contains a lot of the randomness that doesn't make it on here. Right now I have two followers. One of them is Bill Engvall. I feel special.
2. Oz is home, but he's working again. He's also going to be out of town all week. Weekend? What weekend?
3. The kids and I are going to go to a Halloween party this afternoon. I look forward to taking pictures.
4. M1 is no longer vegetarian. I know he did this on purpose because I now have more cans of beans in my pantry than any living person should ever have. Thankfully, those keep. I've also made him swear to finish up all vegetarian soups (and the tofu) that I had already bought and to give me at least a week's notice if he ever decides to become vegetarian again.
5. We had biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast.
6. The horse lady has put a scarecrow in my pasture. It's bright orange and is stuck in a matching bright orange traffic cone to stand up. Every time I look out there, it startles me.
7. The light in my bedroom kept flickering after I went to bed last night. This wouldn't be an issue except that the light was turned off at the switch. After I went to sleep in the living room, it apparently stopped. No, THAT doesn't make me paranoid at all.
8. We're now getting 5-6 eggs per day out of our chicky-girls. I know they're taunting me, because when the weather finally takes a turn for the cold, they'll (more or less) quit laying.
9. I discovered the other day that if I scratch my 25-pound black cat in just the right spot, he involuntary starts gnawing on things. Like me. Or whatever is in front of his mouth. It's hilarious, and it tickles.
10. I watched "Full Metal Jacket" and "When Harry Met Sally" last night. I'd never seen either of those movies. I thought they were both awesome, and now I understand why they hired Adam Baldwin to be John Casey on "Chuck." Last week I watched the original "Ocean's 11" with the Rat Pack. Now I feel the need to see "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Casablanca," "2001: A Space Odyssey," and "Gone With the Wind." I'm sure that list will grow, and I'm happy to take suggestions of good movies.
Have a happy Sunday, everyone!
2. Oz is home, but he's working again. He's also going to be out of town all week. Weekend? What weekend?
3. The kids and I are going to go to a Halloween party this afternoon. I look forward to taking pictures.
4. M1 is no longer vegetarian. I know he did this on purpose because I now have more cans of beans in my pantry than any living person should ever have. Thankfully, those keep. I've also made him swear to finish up all vegetarian soups (and the tofu) that I had already bought and to give me at least a week's notice if he ever decides to become vegetarian again.
5. We had biscuits and sausage gravy for breakfast.
6. The horse lady has put a scarecrow in my pasture. It's bright orange and is stuck in a matching bright orange traffic cone to stand up. Every time I look out there, it startles me.
7. The light in my bedroom kept flickering after I went to bed last night. This wouldn't be an issue except that the light was turned off at the switch. After I went to sleep in the living room, it apparently stopped. No, THAT doesn't make me paranoid at all.
8. We're now getting 5-6 eggs per day out of our chicky-girls. I know they're taunting me, because when the weather finally takes a turn for the cold, they'll (more or less) quit laying.
9. I discovered the other day that if I scratch my 25-pound black cat in just the right spot, he involuntary starts gnawing on things. Like me. Or whatever is in front of his mouth. It's hilarious, and it tickles.
10. I watched "Full Metal Jacket" and "When Harry Met Sally" last night. I'd never seen either of those movies. I thought they were both awesome, and now I understand why they hired Adam Baldwin to be John Casey on "Chuck." Last week I watched the original "Ocean's 11" with the Rat Pack. Now I feel the need to see "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Casablanca," "2001: A Space Odyssey," and "Gone With the Wind." I'm sure that list will grow, and I'm happy to take suggestions of good movies.
Have a happy Sunday, everyone!
Monday, August 30, 2010
I did it!
If you look on the right-hand side of the page and scroll down a bit, I've finally gotten a blog list posted! Many of these belong to personal friends; others I have just found. With only a few exceptions, these are not blogs with hundreds or thousands of followers. They are just the blogs of people like myself who just want to share tidbits of their lives with all you lovely people. This list will update according to the 10 most recent posts, so continue to check on it occasionally, because you never know what you might find. :)
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Things I'm good at
I couldn't wait till morning, at a decent hour, to write this. I just couldn't do it. This has been bugging me for two days now, since I stupidly got on the computer and ranted about M1's math issues. *sigh* I knew it would come back to bite me in the behind. It always does. I experience massive word vomit, and inevitably it gets all over someone, and then I can clean and clean and clean, and yet there's still the funk in the air.
So I'm trying to clear it.
Now here's the fun part: *I* am the one who got hit with the word vomit. Nobody has said anything to me, but one thing I'm really, really stinking good at is GUILT. Self-inflicted guilt. Mental flagellation. Martyrdom. Whatever you want to call it, now you know. I'm an expert. I will invent guilt even before anyone else has a clue that I should feel guilty.
Oz knows this particularly well. I had a bit of a buying spree over the weekend at a particular candle store that's part of a national chain. I walked out of the store with three bags and ran straight into a giant wall of GUILT. Serious, massive guilt. I almost returned half of the stuff before Oz finally was able to convince me that it really, truly was okay to have bought it.
The point of this post, however, is embedded in a particular phrase that I wrote in the rant the other morning. It said, "Most of our groupmates are more of the permanent homeschooling/unschooling variety, which works for them, and I'm sure they'll be aghast at me dragging along all this stuff for him to do, but that's just how it works for us. It's the price we pay for having homeschooling be a potential temporary choice. I have to toe the line a bit more."
Now... at the time, I was mostly fearful (yes, fearful) of my friends' reactions! I honestly thought they'd be very confused, maybe even upset if I showed up with work for M1 to do at our meeting because really, if everyone else is playing, why would he have work to do? Why would I punish him like that? I have no idea why I felt fearful. I could claim the guilt thing, but that's the reason I'm writing this post, not the reason I was fearful. I can only say that at the time, I felt like I was against a wall, and I have a tendency to get a little paranoid when that happens. Also... deep down... I knew that bringing work would prove to everyone that my methods weren't working. Oh, and my massive fear of rejection by my peers. However, after I re-read all that later, when I was calmer, I realized that the above paragraph could totally have been taken another way and seen as bashing those who are unschoolers.
I would like to officially try to clean up my word vomit here and say flat out that I ADMIRE UNSCHOOLERS. I would *love* to be like that, to accomplish M1's (and my) goals without any sort of mental anguish, to be free inside myself to do whatever it is that takes our fancy that day or week or month and yet progress. I've seen some very smart kids in our group. VERY smart. And independent and entrepreneurial and just flat-out WONDERFUL. So how could I possibly think these folks are doing something bad when I've seen such good results??
Especially when I'm sitting there having a rant about my own son who is clearly rebelling against the way I'm doing school??
Anyway. Nobody has said anything to me, but I would like to apologize anyway. I hope you can forgive me, and honestly, if you have a clue how to make my boy love math again, I'd love to hear it.
Even if it means giving up the books and walking away.
Though I'll probably have guilt about that for a while, too.
Thanks for listening.
So I'm trying to clear it.
Now here's the fun part: *I* am the one who got hit with the word vomit. Nobody has said anything to me, but one thing I'm really, really stinking good at is GUILT. Self-inflicted guilt. Mental flagellation. Martyrdom. Whatever you want to call it, now you know. I'm an expert. I will invent guilt even before anyone else has a clue that I should feel guilty.
Oz knows this particularly well. I had a bit of a buying spree over the weekend at a particular candle store that's part of a national chain. I walked out of the store with three bags and ran straight into a giant wall of GUILT. Serious, massive guilt. I almost returned half of the stuff before Oz finally was able to convince me that it really, truly was okay to have bought it.
The point of this post, however, is embedded in a particular phrase that I wrote in the rant the other morning. It said, "Most of our groupmates are more of the permanent homeschooling/unschooling variety, which works for them, and I'm sure they'll be aghast at me dragging along all this stuff for him to do, but that's just how it works for us. It's the price we pay for having homeschooling be a potential temporary choice. I have to toe the line a bit more."
Now... at the time, I was mostly fearful (yes, fearful) of my friends' reactions! I honestly thought they'd be very confused, maybe even upset if I showed up with work for M1 to do at our meeting because really, if everyone else is playing, why would he have work to do? Why would I punish him like that? I have no idea why I felt fearful. I could claim the guilt thing, but that's the reason I'm writing this post, not the reason I was fearful. I can only say that at the time, I felt like I was against a wall, and I have a tendency to get a little paranoid when that happens. Also... deep down... I knew that bringing work would prove to everyone that my methods weren't working. Oh, and my massive fear of rejection by my peers. However, after I re-read all that later, when I was calmer, I realized that the above paragraph could totally have been taken another way and seen as bashing those who are unschoolers.
I would like to officially try to clean up my word vomit here and say flat out that I ADMIRE UNSCHOOLERS. I would *love* to be like that, to accomplish M1's (and my) goals without any sort of mental anguish, to be free inside myself to do whatever it is that takes our fancy that day or week or month and yet progress. I've seen some very smart kids in our group. VERY smart. And independent and entrepreneurial and just flat-out WONDERFUL. So how could I possibly think these folks are doing something bad when I've seen such good results??
Especially when I'm sitting there having a rant about my own son who is clearly rebelling against the way I'm doing school??
Anyway. Nobody has said anything to me, but I would like to apologize anyway. I hope you can forgive me, and honestly, if you have a clue how to make my boy love math again, I'd love to hear it.
Even if it means giving up the books and walking away.
Though I'll probably have guilt about that for a while, too.
Thanks for listening.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
And now for something completely different!
OK, I've bogged this blog down with the deep, dark, secret insides of my world for the past three days, so I'm really feeling the need to lighten things up a bit.
So here's a good one. Did you know that this blog, for whatever odd reason, now has 26 people listed as followers? TWENTY-SIX! I'm amazed. I keep thinking that sometime people are going to realize that this blog is just a very odd little corner of the world and serves no real purpose and bail on me, but then one more person adds themselves and I find myself amazed all over again. THANK YOU!! You are the reason I write! Well, that and I can't make myself keep a journal, but apparently a blog is another story altogether. And my husband likes to tell me that for every person following, there's probably another person out there reading who just doesn't 'follow.' Which is fine by me. I just love you all!
And to prove it, I'm going to share with you my top 5 favorite movies of all time. Or at least for this year, until something else comes out and I like it better.
I'm fickle like that.
So here goes:
1.
There's nothing like this movie. I don't care for horror movies. I don't care for movies where there's all action and no plot. But I. LOVE. This. Movie. I can't help it. I bought it for Oz, but quite honestly, I'm the one who usually pulls it out. In fact, I watched it last night, which is how it made #1 on the list and why I'm writing this post in the first place. I giggle every time I hear the words "Fascist" and "Hag!" I'm sorry. You'll have to watch the movie to understand.
2.
Jessica Tandy cracks me up. She reminds me of my own grandmother - you know, the one with the farmhouse in impeccable condition who gave me her Frankoma - and even sounds like her on occasion. She doesn't miss a lick. Just substitute Lutheran for Jewish, and you've got it, right down to the floral dresses and weekly hair appointment and the do-it-just-so-and-that's-MY-way attitude. Tough old birds, yes, but they do know how to run everything and run it well. I tell Oz that after my grandmother passes, I'll have to watch this movie to remember her by.
3.
I love Sandra Bullock in her romantic comedies, but I think this one is my favorite. Two Weeks' Notice is probably second, but The Proposal still wins. I'm not sure if it wins on its own merits, the fact that it deals with getting married fast to deal with immigration, or... the fact that it stars Betty White. Because Betty White's performance ranks right up there with getting to see Ryan Reynolds' rear end. Which is another bonus. Oh, and I love the dancing scene because the song that Sandra's character sings is a very... um... *interesting* club song (not that I'd know from personal experience lol) and if they hadn't been clever at editing it, this movie would have to have been rated R.
I'm just sayin'.
4.
Honestly, the only reason this movie made the list is because it made me cry. Hard. Almost to the point of sniffles. And I don't cry at movies. I didn't want to see this movie at all, because I'm not a sappy movie person (Have you worked out I'm picky about movies yet?), but one of my friends insisted I see it and brought it over. I watched it, and to be honest, I didn't care for the first part... but then it gets good. It hooks you. And then, before you know it, you're bawling like... OK, well, you're crying. I don't know what makes most people cry because I don't often cry, but I cried at this movie. And I'm not ashamed to say it.
5.
I had a hard time picking #5. There were several contenders. This one won simply because of what it is. It's Monty Python, and I love Monty Python works. I love spouting quotes and songs and other tidbits from this movie. How many people can't finish the quote, "Your mother was a hamster..." It sustains me on nights when I want something intelligently stupid to watch and TV doesn't provide that (though "House" does a nice job). It's a classic.
Now... What I want to know is... What are your top 5 movies du jour?
MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL
THE NOTEBOOK
THE PROPOSAL
DRIVING MISS DAISY
HOT FUZZ
So here's a good one. Did you know that this blog, for whatever odd reason, now has 26 people listed as followers? TWENTY-SIX! I'm amazed. I keep thinking that sometime people are going to realize that this blog is just a very odd little corner of the world and serves no real purpose and bail on me, but then one more person adds themselves and I find myself amazed all over again. THANK YOU!! You are the reason I write! Well, that and I can't make myself keep a journal, but apparently a blog is another story altogether. And my husband likes to tell me that for every person following, there's probably another person out there reading who just doesn't 'follow.' Which is fine by me. I just love you all!
And to prove it, I'm going to share with you my top 5 favorite movies of all time. Or at least for this year, until something else comes out and I like it better.
I'm fickle like that.
So here goes:
1.
There's nothing like this movie. I don't care for horror movies. I don't care for movies where there's all action and no plot. But I. LOVE. This. Movie. I can't help it. I bought it for Oz, but quite honestly, I'm the one who usually pulls it out. In fact, I watched it last night, which is how it made #1 on the list and why I'm writing this post in the first place. I giggle every time I hear the words "Fascist" and "Hag!" I'm sorry. You'll have to watch the movie to understand.
2.
Jessica Tandy cracks me up. She reminds me of my own grandmother - you know, the one with the farmhouse in impeccable condition who gave me her Frankoma - and even sounds like her on occasion. She doesn't miss a lick. Just substitute Lutheran for Jewish, and you've got it, right down to the floral dresses and weekly hair appointment and the do-it-just-so-and-that's-MY-way attitude. Tough old birds, yes, but they do know how to run everything and run it well. I tell Oz that after my grandmother passes, I'll have to watch this movie to remember her by.
3.
I love Sandra Bullock in her romantic comedies, but I think this one is my favorite. Two Weeks' Notice is probably second, but The Proposal still wins. I'm not sure if it wins on its own merits, the fact that it deals with getting married fast to deal with immigration, or... the fact that it stars Betty White. Because Betty White's performance ranks right up there with getting to see Ryan Reynolds' rear end. Which is another bonus. Oh, and I love the dancing scene because the song that Sandra's character sings is a very... um... *interesting* club song (not that I'd know from personal experience lol) and if they hadn't been clever at editing it, this movie would have to have been rated R.
I'm just sayin'.
4.
Honestly, the only reason this movie made the list is because it made me cry. Hard. Almost to the point of sniffles. And I don't cry at movies. I didn't want to see this movie at all, because I'm not a sappy movie person (Have you worked out I'm picky about movies yet?), but one of my friends insisted I see it and brought it over. I watched it, and to be honest, I didn't care for the first part... but then it gets good. It hooks you. And then, before you know it, you're bawling like... OK, well, you're crying. I don't know what makes most people cry because I don't often cry, but I cried at this movie. And I'm not ashamed to say it.
5.
I had a hard time picking #5. There were several contenders. This one won simply because of what it is. It's Monty Python, and I love Monty Python works. I love spouting quotes and songs and other tidbits from this movie. How many people can't finish the quote, "Your mother was a hamster..." It sustains me on nights when I want something intelligently stupid to watch and TV doesn't provide that (though "House" does a nice job). It's a classic.
Now... What I want to know is... What are your top 5 movies du jour?
Monday, September 7, 2009
Because I'm pretty much messed up...
... I won myself a little prize on a blog recently. Well, Oz and I did. Specifically, we won the right to share THIS
with you. It's from Homemade Hilarity. Oz and I may possibly have very odd minds to earn this badge. Nothing quite like a Badge of Awesomeness to prove it. :)
with you. It's from Homemade Hilarity. Oz and I may possibly have very odd minds to earn this badge. Nothing quite like a Badge of Awesomeness to prove it. :)
Friday, January 23, 2009
2009 Weblog Awards - Pioneer Woman fans unite!
http://2009.bloggies.com/
Check it out - Ree's been nominated! Multiple times! Go and vote for her photography, writing, layout, and overall bestestness. Let's hope she wins!
Check it out - Ree's been nominated! Multiple times! Go and vote for her photography, writing, layout, and overall bestestness. Let's hope she wins!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Why?
I suppose no homeschooling blog would be properly written without an introduction and an answer to the perennial question, "Why?"
There are lots of versions of this question that I have encountered over the past few months, and they seem to come from all directions.
"Why do you want to homeschool?"
"Why do you think you can do better than [insert school/teacher here]?"
"Why is your family going along with this idea?"
If it's not 'why,' it's still something along these lines:
"How is he going to have any friends?"
"Are you going to be able to get anything done around the house?"
"How are you going to be able to get any time to yourself?"
Most of these, I will admit, are valid questions, especially the one about having any sort of time to myself. However, in the interest of reminding myself later - when I feel like quitting - why I'm doing this, I think it'll be good to take the time to answer all of these. Besides, it'll be good to have this later so I can also show my son why I believe homeschooling is the best decision for him at this time.
"Why do you want to homeschool?"
I guess this is the question I get the most, and it requires the longest answer. It has come from family, friends, educators, and homeschool enthusiasts. I know they all mean the best (well, except perhaps some of the educators), but it's still a tough question to field, and I had to answer it to myself before I was able to answer it to anyone else.
The answer is: I think it's for the best. M1 has been diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and 'pervasive emotional developmental delays.' He's a great kid. When he's properly medicated, he is the sweetest, most thoughtful soul you've ever met. He has big dreams and a lot of emotions all built up in his little body, and they sometimes get mixed up when they come out. This has made private school difficult at times. Before we were on the right medication, it was not uncommon for me to receive phone calls or have hurried conversations about his behavior with his teacher or even the principal. It was devastating for me as a mother, and it certainly wasn't any fun for him, either. He's doing better now, but now he has other complaints about school. He's bored, and that's not going to get any better. I tested his reading using a quick web site analysis the other day, and he's reading at roughly a fourth-grade level. At the beginning of this school year, he was reading at maybe a high kindergarten or early first-grade level, so obviously he has progressed rapidly. I'm proud of him, but this rapid progression has meant that he has surpassed all but one other classmate in reading. While his classmates are sounding out 'c-a-t,' he's starting to read chapter books. This isn't going to change next year, and I don't want him to be bored any more than he wants to be bored.
Then - and it pains me to say it - there's the school itself. I adore the preschool program, and for the price, there's not a better one in our entire metro area. The teachers are wonderful, and last year when M1 was in that class and some of the students were getting antsy, the lead teacher started with some simple sight words and phonics rather than allow them to stay bored. I will happily let M2 stay there next year. However, the school itself is old, and while they are planning to erect another building over the next few years, it IS going to take that long. I just don't want the kids going to a school where the heat could be out in certain classrooms for weeks or where the doorbell to the preschool works only intermittently or where the Internet and phone for the school itself also work sporadically. The administration affectionately refers to these problems as "gremlins," and I suppose after many years at a place there is a certain affinity to remain, but it doesn't really fly with me. I'm also not Catholic like most of the school population, and I can see some serious theological problems arising in the next few years. I initially hadn't considered this a big problem, but M1 is showing great depth in philosophical subjects and will truly think these things through at a young age.
So it's time to pull him out. Is that a long enough answer for that question??
"Why do you think you can do better than [insert school/teacher here]?"
"Why is your family going along with this idea?"
I think I'll answer these two questions together. I don't know whether I can do better than any school or teacher out there. I could fail miserably. But I'll never know until I try, and the best I can do is try to keep him challenged and work on his problem areas one-on-one, and that's more than any school can offer, no matter what the price. I think that's why my husband and my family have come around to the idea, because they understand that if I can't do it, then I will admit that. I sure hope it won't come to that, though!
Of course, there's always the perennial question,
"How is he going to have any friends?"
Easy! I'm part of a mom's group in the area, I am going to begin participating in an area co-op that offers weekly playdates and many other events, and this town is chock-full of great things for homeschool kids/families. I'm sure we'll meet some great friends along the way, and we're not going to lose touch with his best friends from his current school. They won't be back next year, either, so he won't be missing them. :)
Finally,
"Are you going to be able to get anything done around the house?"
"How are you going to be able to get any time to yourself?"
As for the first one, I won't be able to answer that until I start homeschooling this fall. I figure I'll work it out. I'm pretty structured to begin with, and since we'll probably be home a good part of the day anyway, it'll probably get done. When it comes to time for myself, I have a really fantastic network of great friends, and I love going out with them! I don't think I'll be giving that up, either.
So that's pretty much the 'why' of homeschooling! Not the shortest answer, but I think it'll be a good reminder in a few months when I'm asking myself what the heck I got myself into!
Thanks for reading ;)
There are lots of versions of this question that I have encountered over the past few months, and they seem to come from all directions.
"Why do you want to homeschool?"
"Why do you think you can do better than [insert school/teacher here]?"
"Why is your family going along with this idea?"
If it's not 'why,' it's still something along these lines:
"How is he going to have any friends?"
"Are you going to be able to get anything done around the house?"
"How are you going to be able to get any time to yourself?"
Most of these, I will admit, are valid questions, especially the one about having any sort of time to myself. However, in the interest of reminding myself later - when I feel like quitting - why I'm doing this, I think it'll be good to take the time to answer all of these. Besides, it'll be good to have this later so I can also show my son why I believe homeschooling is the best decision for him at this time.
"Why do you want to homeschool?"
I guess this is the question I get the most, and it requires the longest answer. It has come from family, friends, educators, and homeschool enthusiasts. I know they all mean the best (well, except perhaps some of the educators), but it's still a tough question to field, and I had to answer it to myself before I was able to answer it to anyone else.
The answer is: I think it's for the best. M1 has been diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and 'pervasive emotional developmental delays.' He's a great kid. When he's properly medicated, he is the sweetest, most thoughtful soul you've ever met. He has big dreams and a lot of emotions all built up in his little body, and they sometimes get mixed up when they come out. This has made private school difficult at times. Before we were on the right medication, it was not uncommon for me to receive phone calls or have hurried conversations about his behavior with his teacher or even the principal. It was devastating for me as a mother, and it certainly wasn't any fun for him, either. He's doing better now, but now he has other complaints about school. He's bored, and that's not going to get any better. I tested his reading using a quick web site analysis the other day, and he's reading at roughly a fourth-grade level. At the beginning of this school year, he was reading at maybe a high kindergarten or early first-grade level, so obviously he has progressed rapidly. I'm proud of him, but this rapid progression has meant that he has surpassed all but one other classmate in reading. While his classmates are sounding out 'c-a-t,' he's starting to read chapter books. This isn't going to change next year, and I don't want him to be bored any more than he wants to be bored.
Then - and it pains me to say it - there's the school itself. I adore the preschool program, and for the price, there's not a better one in our entire metro area. The teachers are wonderful, and last year when M1 was in that class and some of the students were getting antsy, the lead teacher started with some simple sight words and phonics rather than allow them to stay bored. I will happily let M2 stay there next year. However, the school itself is old, and while they are planning to erect another building over the next few years, it IS going to take that long. I just don't want the kids going to a school where the heat could be out in certain classrooms for weeks or where the doorbell to the preschool works only intermittently or where the Internet and phone for the school itself also work sporadically. The administration affectionately refers to these problems as "gremlins," and I suppose after many years at a place there is a certain affinity to remain, but it doesn't really fly with me. I'm also not Catholic like most of the school population, and I can see some serious theological problems arising in the next few years. I initially hadn't considered this a big problem, but M1 is showing great depth in philosophical subjects and will truly think these things through at a young age.
So it's time to pull him out. Is that a long enough answer for that question??
"Why do you think you can do better than [insert school/teacher here]?"
"Why is your family going along with this idea?"
I think I'll answer these two questions together. I don't know whether I can do better than any school or teacher out there. I could fail miserably. But I'll never know until I try, and the best I can do is try to keep him challenged and work on his problem areas one-on-one, and that's more than any school can offer, no matter what the price. I think that's why my husband and my family have come around to the idea, because they understand that if I can't do it, then I will admit that. I sure hope it won't come to that, though!
Of course, there's always the perennial question,
"How is he going to have any friends?"
Easy! I'm part of a mom's group in the area, I am going to begin participating in an area co-op that offers weekly playdates and many other events, and this town is chock-full of great things for homeschool kids/families. I'm sure we'll meet some great friends along the way, and we're not going to lose touch with his best friends from his current school. They won't be back next year, either, so he won't be missing them. :)
Finally,
"Are you going to be able to get anything done around the house?"
"How are you going to be able to get any time to yourself?"
As for the first one, I won't be able to answer that until I start homeschooling this fall. I figure I'll work it out. I'm pretty structured to begin with, and since we'll probably be home a good part of the day anyway, it'll probably get done. When it comes to time for myself, I have a really fantastic network of great friends, and I love going out with them! I don't think I'll be giving that up, either.
So that's pretty much the 'why' of homeschooling! Not the shortest answer, but I think it'll be a good reminder in a few months when I'm asking myself what the heck I got myself into!
Thanks for reading ;)
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