Elena 
Outside my window…
Winter is never going to end. Ever.
I am thinking…
My week is very discombobulated – and so is my blogging. Concert, two birthdays, a girl still recovering from foot surgery, paying bills and start of soccer and track- I’m a bit overwhelmed!
I am thankful…
for the quietness of Lent, when I can get it!
In the kitchen…
Made a delicious breakfast casserole for dinner tonight from one of my Paleo cookbooks. It has a sweet potato crust, sausage, and eggs with coconut milk- very delicious – and no leftovers!
I am wearing…
My medium sized yoga pants thank you very much! (Squeee!!!) a black T-shirt and a black cafe wrap.
I am creating…
one more concert on Sunday and then there will be a little break.
I am going…
to work out tomorrow no matter what! Need to keep my typing up too.
I am reading…
various things on my Kindle.
From the Learning Rooms:
Since Izzy was supine with her foot elevated, she has been reading along with books on CD. She finished Tom Sawyer last week and is doing Huck Finn this week. I also give her a little bit of Algebra. I don’t know if she will go to choir this week or not. We’ll see.
I am hoping…
To keep up on the kitchen work! Without Izzy, it really piles up!
I am looking forward to…
spring break!
From the Learning Rooms:
Getting Izzy back up to speed. She did manage to read Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn on her two weeks of recovery, so that’s pretty good!
- Spelling program per Dr. Holinga for all three kids. We were pilot families for her program last year and it is finally going to be available to the public as Spellingyousee.com
- AP U.S. History and American History course from For Such a Time as This,
Lectures in American History from the Great Courses and Kahn Academy!
- Apologia Science – Physical Science Izzy. Creation science Botany for Rosie
- Noah and Izzy doing Geometry with Mr. D. Rosie doing Saxon math with me.
65% through The Jungle
- Latin for Homeschoolers for Noah
- English from the Roots Up for Izzy.
- Pathway readers for Rosie and the Wand for Language arts.
I am going…
- To work on soccer schedules.
- List my last piece of property to sell.
- Set up the new computer I bought because my old beloved computer runs Windows XP and to upgrade to Windows 7 was going to cost around $300 anyway!
I am pondering…
It takes me a little time to think things through sometimes. At our last homeschool meeting, 60% of the moms had kids in regular school along with homeschooling. This doesn’t surprise me but I wonder how one is able to break the mold and decide to homeschool and at the same time keep institutional schooling as a viable option. I want to understand the thought process. I do think that in a Catholic Homeschool Group, moms are more influenced by following the faith and doing curriculum from Seton and Mother of Divine Grace. But my influences were more eclectic and so I see homeschooling as more of a philosophy and way of life than they do. Anyway, it’s interesting to ponder.
A favorite quote for today…
Open mindedness goes two ways. We just celebrated Easter. 2000 years or so 12 simple men, left their lives as they knew it to go spread the news about this man Jesus who was humiliated and executed as a common criminal. These men could not be stopped and without a lot of education, without weapons, without anything other than renewed enthusiasm they faced ridicule and even death to travel miles from home to tell everyone about this man. All but one of them was savagely killed for doing so. The one that survived was tortured several times, even as an elderly man, but would not recant, and would not back down. And more amazingly they all got people to believe in what they were saying -and many of these people faced cruel and tortuous deaths but would not turn away. Were they all insane? part of a cult? or… maybe, just maybe this Jesus Christ was who he said he was and these very early Christians knew it because of the way the apostles lived their lives and told their stories. Perhaps you can open your mind to the possibility of that?
One of my favorite things…
Mr. Pete cuddling little Miss C!
A peek into my day…
Mr. Pete and Rosie going to the father/daughter dance
My daughter is contemplating homeschooling/co-op schooling. My grandson will do his major subjects with her four days a week. He will then join a group of 5-7 children within his age range (7-10) for a day of book talk, art, PE, a second language and field trips.This is the outgrowth of a very large Catholic homeschooling association in her area.
I actually think this way of schooling might become the norm for "at home" parenting. Her friends are from every walk of life. They, in general, are not homeschooling for religious reasons. They are homeschooling because there is no real alternative to the mess of public schools in their area.
Most of her Catholic friends would put their children in Catholic schools if they did not have 30 students in a class and charge $6,000 to $7,000 per child. There are no discounts for sibs. This happened when the diocese had to sell most of their schools because of the abuse cases and the Catholic schools re emerged as Catholic private regional schools.
Almost all of her friends plan to "put their kids back" into Catholic high school so they can still attend the college of their choice. This co-op has a track record of that working quite well.
My daughter has actually started saving for high school rather then college! It will be interesting to see if the high schools change as a very well educated group of kiddos hit their doors!
Maybe all of this explains your younger homeschooler parents a bit more.
My guess to is that as homeschooling becomes more common the parents have less of a siege mentality than those who were old hands when you started. When you have to fight to do something you tend to be far more committed to it than if you pick it as one of several equally available options. You want to homeschool your kids, Ms. X may want to get this kid out of that class and Ms. Y may love the way the school has handled her first child but realizes that something there isn't working for the second (or vice-versa).