The Itchy Homeschooler

Merchant of Venice

2012-02-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

We finally finished it. Merchant of Venice. I don't think anyone here is going to ask me who the author is. This was my daughter's first introduction to Shakespeare. She wanted to start with Hamlet, but I prevailed and we started with Merchant of Venice and plowed through it about 60% faster than we had planned because she loved it so much. Wonderful was the time we spent talking about Europe of that time. About the way people lived, the social strata, prejudice, the worldview as people had back then. Unfortunately some school districts have banned Merchant of Venice, due to the racist issues contained therein, but I have always felt that banning a book, story, or play, steals the opportunity to learn from it, to discuss, and does more harm in the end.

Shakespeare's plays are a commentary on the relationships people have with each other. The relationships on a large scale, such as the interaction between people of 'class' with the menial classes. The relationships of men and women, as related to romance, and as it relates to how women were seen and treated as little more than mere ornamentation and breeding vessels. Why, in fact it wasn't love that had Bassanio so obsessed with obtaining fair Portia's hand in marriage. It was her wealth. As was customary then, a woman could never be mistress over her own fortune. If she wasn't under her father's guidance, or her husband's yoke, a proper lady was under the guidance and protection of another male relative. After Portia's father died, it became imperative that she be married with haste. Clearly though, the man had high enough an opinion of his daughter that he didn't marry her off to the most suitable match and title that could be had, but designed a test of character, if you will, which would weed out the money grabbers. Interestingly enough, then, that it was greedy Bassanio who managed to see past the gold and silver.

The idea, that Portia and Nerissa were forced to take on the guise of young men, in order to plead Antonio's case, amazed and bemused my daughter. It also speaks about the relationship people then had with other people of the world. The typical insular British mentality is shown in Portia's soliloquy, where she discusses, nay dissects, her suitors, preceded by her words, 'I know it is a sin to be a mocker, but...' All the suitors are foreigners and discarded as such. The only one who gets off with relative minor bruising to the ego is the Englishman, who is, however, mocked for his lack of languages other than his own. Arragon, and Morocco, are targets because of their skin color. In fact, Shakespeare's set directions, clearly demanded, that the actor be a 'tawny moor dressed in white.' Of course, what helped Missy understand the play and jokes, was knowing who the target audience was in Shakespeare's time. Although, some higher placed members of society watched the plays, it was primarily middleclass citizens (not a very accurate description but it will have to do for now), and the 'groundlings', people of decidedly lower socio-economic stature and usually illiterate. This helped her understand some of the bawdier jokes, as well.

It is noteworthy that the insular 'people-from-other-countries can-be-placed-into-preassigned-pegs' notion hasn't gone away. We have just changed the way we portrait it.Watch movies and sit-coms and really evaluate how someone from another country is type-cast into a particular role. And we train our kids from a young age to see things this way, even on the Disney channel, characters are typecast according to country of origin. Don't worry though, we aren't the only ones who do this. You should see the unflattering light in which the 'ugly American' tends to be type cast in other countries. I couldn't resist but digressed and discussed why this 'stereotyping' according to appearance, coloration, language etc, evolved and how it aided our early ancestors to survive millions of years ago.

Delving back into Shakespeare, let us discuss briefly how Shylock was portrayed. Many opinions about the portraiture of Shylock have been written, and I too felt compelled to take extra time to discuss Shylock with my daughter. I always felt that he was one of Shakespeare's more tragic figures. Shylock was never really portrayed as a human being with feelings and emotions. A person deserving of courtesy and kindness, something even the 'wonderful' Antonio never did. In fact Shylock even mentions being treated quite abominably by Antonio. Apparently the lovely, and oh-so honorable Antonio even spat at him more than once. Of course, Antonio accused him of un-christian usury. The double standards therein are noteworthy. First of all, in truth, Christian lenders exacted interest as well, and the Jews were not allowed to have any other occupation. They were banned from the guilds, were banned from owning or farming land, were banned from all other occupation, other than lending. When Shakespeare did give Shylock mention of humanity in the famous lines: 'Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands?...if you prick us, do we not bleed?' it wasn't meant in a context of eliciting compassion, but in Shylock demanding that his idea of perverted justice be carried out. Even when his daughter runs away with Lorenzo and elopes, stealing his property in the mean, he is mocked rather than pitied. Jews, having been banned in England since long before Shakespeare's time, it is unlikely that he ever met many. While some Jews persisted and remained in England, they were subject to pervasive and endemic racism. I spent considerable time with Missy, discussing what that meant, and what they experienced. How can a people be understood and integrated into society when they are outcast, living at the perimeter of society, in their own enclaves and small communities.

Merchant of Venice was my first introduction to Shakespeare. Sadly enough (and because it was a school) we didn't discuss the story behind it. We didn't discuss racism, prejudice, male chauvinism, or European history of that time. What an opportunity, therefore, to get to experience it all over again with my daughter, in the way it could and should be. Not merely a lesson in Elizabethan English and Mr. Shakespeare's play crafting, but a lesson in that, and so much more.

Today is Wednesday - Park Day

2012-01-25T06:36:00.000-08:00

Oh my. That means something will happen to upset my plans to go to the homeschooler's park day meeting. Last time (two weeks ago) it was my employees' sick husband. I have a feeling it will be that again today, as he has to see a doctor at one in the afternoon. She thinks he hasn't been feeling well again. Just once, I want a Wednesday to go smoothly. Pweeeeze?

On a bright note, we have been plugging away nicely on our school work and trying to catch up on the lost days. We are almost done with Merchant of Venice, since Missy loves it so much. The other book we went through on double time was Karen Hesse's 'Out of the Dust', a magnificent historical novel written in first person, free-verse poems, that was very hard to put down. This 1998 Newbery Medal winner, is a great homeschool resource. It led us to discuss so many things, and I have no doubt that Missy will pick this book up again and again to read on her own.

Bear has made amazing progress in reading and math. We don't do much with him at a time, and the days he doesn't want to do school, that's alright with me too. He has understood the relationship between multiplication and division. His favorite tasks are the word problems I write for him where he has to decide what is being asked, and what mathematical formula will give him the answer. Actually I never expected him to 'get it' so fast. I always introduced mathematical concepts to him well ahead of the 'normal' timeline because I always wanted him to feel comfortable around numbers and slowly grow into understanding concepts. A recent worksheet I gave him showed me that he is comfortable enough with it to have used logic to answer the questions rather than calculations. The worksheet asked the child to enter in the symbols of operation. All four of them, addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. He answered twenty questions in under 10 minutes and when I asked him how he explained his methodology. He used reasoning and a clear understanding of the relationship numbers have with each other depending on the symbol of operation. What a thrill.

The fear I have when, these kids go back to (if they go back) to public school, is 'will they still enjoy learning as much as they do now?' I am afraid I know the answer. But I also have to admit, as hard as it is, that I cannot and should not continue to teach my daughter past this year (sixth grade) in order to do right by her. And I know Bear's personality demands a bigger setting with more children. He would be devastated to be alone at home with me while his Sissy isn't here.

One little step at a time. One little step...

Crazy week # 1.

2012-01-16T04:55:00.000-08:00

I find myself up an hour earlier than intended thanks to:

a) my contractor photographer texting me at 5:24 AM letting me know he received the itinerary for today (when I asked him to confirm this last evening) - yes, even low volume sounds wake me up. Even through earplugs.
b) my dd (damned dog, darling dog, darned dog - take your pick) ralphing in his kennel at 5:55 AM.

nice.... real nice....

And shame on me for going to bed so late.

so sue me....

I am owly in the morning.

even when I get up after my requisite seven hours of sleep.

I hate people who can do with four or five or six hours.

I am not one of them.

Last week was crazy. My dh (husband with 'd' starting adjectives in front) left Tuesday AM for a month long family related trip. On Wednesday morning one of my employees calls me and asks if it was OK for her to take her husband (too sick to drive and no car besides) to the doc as he was doing poorly. OK. Not a problem. I'll cover for her for a few hours. Well, a few hours later she calls and tells us they are at the ER! The doctor thought he was having a heart attack and sent him straight there. Except it isn't a heart attack but an ever increasing range of serious symptoms and no diagnosis even as of Sunday night. A specialist is in finding zebras is coming to look at him today, so hopefully he can help. Dr. House to room 4425 please.

Obviously I didn't get to teach the kids this week, between Monday packing, Tuesday the kids Dad leaving and Wednesday through Friday covering for my employee at the office. My employee plans to come in late and leave early and work a half day for the forseeable future so she can both be with her husband and not burn through all of her vacation time. This should allow me to get my children's education back on track.

Helloooooo, i'm baaaaack!

2012-01-03T09:53:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I blogged. A number of reasons are to blame for this. I was quite busy for a long time between November and December. A general feeling of inertia didn't help. What to write, what to say?

Frankly, today I don't have much more to say either. For starters, let me wish all of you a wonderful New Year. May the year 2012 bring you good health, creativity, and success.

2012 will be, for us, a year which will bring many changes. My father in-law will be coming to live with us. That is a big deal. And since we cannot afford a bigger home he will be making the family room into his bedroom. I've known for over two years this was coming and for over two years now I've been telling myself not to let my imagination run wild. Try that!

We are going to try and have our children enrolled in a nearby school. Well, nearby is relative. The school is about 12 miles away and that distance peppered by a great many red lights, and roads well attended by hungry cops waiting for anyone going even three miles over speedlimit. And to make matters all the more challenging....school starts there at 7:30 AM! Aaaack!!!
We also don't know if that school will accept our children. We are not in their district but that public school is the only one we are willing send our children to. The three 'ifs' here are:

1. Will they accept our kids.
2. Will they work with our kids abilities rather than age.
3. Will Missy's health be able to handle it.

Our reasons for attempting school again are several. We are a self employed family. The company needs to grow in order for us to survive the economy, and in order to do that I have to be there at least 3-4 hours a day to run product development and planning. We also feel that in order for Missy to access certain academic opportunities she needs to go to a school. There is a great local private school but the tuition runs about 10K per child and we cannot afford this any longer. Bear needs more interaction with children his age and so we have decided to try this.

Frankly, I am utterly torn up about this move. I don't really want to do it, and neither does my daughter. We love homeschooling and would love to continue doing this but in our small town we simply don't seem to have the co-ops here you might find in larger cities. We are academically very focused and it appears that the primary flavors of local homeschoolers are unschooling, Waldorf oriented, or Christian based. If we had some strong local homeschool options in terms of classes, lab time etc, we would probably be more likely to continue homeschooling especially with my father in-law at home. He would be able to oversee the children doing their independent lessons while I put in my hours at the office.

One thing is certain, unless I see with absolute certainty that the kids are thriving, this experiment will be short-lived.

Both of these changes fill me with much trepidation. But there is no way out of at least one of them, and so I need to charge forward.

This is a helluva time to reduce my wine intake....

As seen on other blogs and facebook.

2011-10-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

A great post on Pagan Household titled Death sits next to us at supper. Thought provoking and short. The best kind of stuff.

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How True.

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Oldie but still Goldie!

Culture of Rudeness

2011-10-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

I am fed up of rude people. Lately that includes my children (at times anyway). And I can't fault them really. They are surrounded by a culture that approves of rude behavior. Just watch a few episodes of shows on Disney Channel and your head will reel.

Except Phineas and Ferb.
Don't knock that show. It's hilarious and I love it.

Our children are raised watching shows where exceptionally rude behaviour is met, not with shock and disdain by the audience, but with laughter. We teach our kids that it's cool and funny to be rude, selfish, mean and dumb.

Nice.

Let's look at what we adults watch and laugh at/with. There is an abundance of shows with rude actors, reality TV stars, anchors and other TV personalities. For those of you who watched Ricky Gervais during Oscar night... were you disgusted or amused? Be honest now. America has become a country that lauds mediocrity, rudeness and downright insulting behavior. We confuse rudeness and maliciousness with honesty and straightforwardness.

Half the adult shows we watch are based on making fun of others, being rude and obnoxious. And we gobble it up. I notice an uptick in my children's rudeness depending on what they watch and I firmly believe that adults are just as susceptible to it.

When my son or daughter is rude or mouthy I call them on their bad behavior. Unfortunately we let adults get away with it. How often have we been faced with a rude person and said something? I bet most of us just seethe inside but keep our mouths shut.
I own a business and my staff and I have seen a considerable increase in our customers' rudeness over the years. And since we need their business we suck it up. I've even had my receptionist have to dodge a pen being thrown at her. That was you Mr. Durrant !!!!! And guess what, we were dumb enough to let you use our services again. In fact you are a customer right now. What kind of manners did your mother teach you? But your money is just as green and we have to pay our bills. So, we suck it up.

Entitlement Society At sometime, in the last 80 years or so, we have become increasingly demanding. The customer is king. Now, over the last few years, this entitlement notion, has been coupled with rudeness. We see it all around us. It's cool to be demanding and rude. We often we have customers come at us with an aggressive stance regarding some demands they have. I wish they would understand that a polite and sweet demeanor would be so much more effective. Be polite, be appreciative and you'll have a much better chance to get what you want and get it a lot faster than by being obnoxious and manipulative. Man, I wish I could tell them that.

Internet Society The anonymity afforded us by the Internet has greatly contributed to the general tone we find among people. People are downright vicious, rude and malicious behind that perceived veil of privacy and anonymity called the Internet.

I've been accused of being rude. So has my staff. Surprisingly the people who call us rude are invariably the ones who come at us with unreasonable demands and then are surprised when we stand firmly by our policy. And I stand firmly by my staff. I've seen them stay calm and polite even when they had someone scream at them and call them names (and later complain to me that my staff had been rude to them).

I had three customers scream at me. I asked one to leave the building when she started to throw things around, denied another one service (incidentally she came back the next year much better behaved and a pleasure to deal with), and I hung up on the third. The one I hung up on called back and was incredulous.

"Did you hang up on me just now?"

"Yes, I did. And if you yell at me again I'll hang up again."

"Oh? Well, it was on a speakerphone so you probably thought I was shouting."

" No sir, you were shouting at me and when you do that I cannot hear your words, only your voice."

Silence....

"Well, I am sorry."

" Good, apology accepted. Let's discuss this like adults now."

And we did. And it worked out so much better that way.

Being polite does not mean being a push-over, or a floor mat. I've seen parents shrug their shoulders when their little darling was rude or selfish and pass it off with a 'Oh, she's is so strong willed' or some other excuse of similar nature. We do not give our children the tools to maintain their position in an educated and polite way and so they become rude and obnoxious and we wonder what happened. 'Gee, I have no idea where he gets it from?' Have you looked in a mirror lately? Watch your kids. Our mirror is right there.

(And since we are talking about rude...when you go into a business or store and ask the employee questions could you please not talk on your cellphone at the same time and later on claim that your questions weren't properly answered?)

Taking my HEALTH for granted... a wake-up call.

2011-10-19T13:35:00.000-07:00

I am forty-two. Yep, 42. There I said it. I am forty-two and overweight. I was forty-one and overweight last year and this year I am forty-two and ten pounds more overweight. My yearly visit to our family doctor was a wake-up call this year. As I sat in the waiting room I observed the other patients coming in an out and what I saw was a lot of old folks with a LOT of health issues, many preventable. Like diabetes. And that, kiddos, is written in the stars for me. Diabetes is something I find on both sides of my family. Anyway, to stay on track. As I was eventually whisked into the examination room (after the hated weigh-in) the nurse whipped out a full size piece of paper, sat down at the doctors desk and asked me for my list of medication.

'Nothing.'
'Wow, well, that makes my life easier then.'

We proceeded onto the next step, the blood pressure check.

'One-hundred-eight over sixty-six! That is marvelous'

I took that for granted. After all, I never have high blood pressure.

Eventually (and it was a looong eventually) the doctor came in and we talked. He told me that I had been gaining between eight and ten pounds every year since he started seeing me.

What?

He also told me my cholesterol has been on the high side for the last two years, but since I don't have any other risk factors he didn't put me on statins. But now I am in my forties and that's when researchers believe plaque starts accumulating. You know, the kind of arterial plaque which sends us to the hospital or the morgue when we are in our fifties and sixties.

Gulp.

I don't want to sit every three months in a doctors waiting room when I am in my fifties or sixties. But it was clear that I would, unless I examine my life and change a few things.

'So, what do I do?'

'You are really asking me?'

'Who else should I ask? You are my doctor!'

The good doctor sat down, pulled out a calorie and weight calculator and discussed things with me and gave me some plans. He also cautioned me to go slowly and change things a little at a time rather than crash and burn.

Good advice.

So, here is:

Change #1 - Eat smaller portions.
Change #2 - Prepare snacks in controlled portion ahead of time and eat only those.

I was a skinny kid. My nickname in highschool was 'Ribs' because I was so bony. Now its more akin to 'Beluga' whale. But the problem is that my parents never stopped my snacking. I was always eating, what-ever, when-ever, where-ever. It didn't matter. If it was within reach and fit side-ways in my maw it was gone. Now I seem to gain weight reading anything printed in bold. I love to snack and it has been a life-long habit. So the smart thing here would be for me to cut down on my meal intake and have healthier snack options available rather than eat whatever the kids are eating.

It sucks and I don't like these kind of changes. But these kind of changes are probably a whole lot better than the drastic changes which would accompany a serious and long term health crisis.

I informed my husband about these changes and told him that there are two things I will not compromise on until the bitter end.

My cup of tea and two cups of coffee in the morning

and

my glass of red wine in the evening.

You can try and pry them out of my cold, stiff, and dead fingers.

Atheists are right!

2011-10-19T09:40:00.000-07:00

Nooooot!

A dear family friend of my parents passed away a weeks days ago. He and my mother loved to have philosophical and theological discussions. Incidentally one of my favorite discourses as well.

He was an atheist and so is my mother.

What differentiated the two of them was the fact that he would practically shove his beliefs down anyones throat. My mother is private about it. And the two of them would have the biggest squabbles about that. Her take on the whole thing was that personal beliefs are just that, personal. And whether it is a deep belief in God of what ever flavor you choose, atheism or the spaghetti monster, it isn't something that is meant to be forced upon people. She used to tell him that he was just as bad as the Jehova's witnesses and Evangelists who would come pounding on our door with regularity. His response was irate to say the least. And he could be irate at great length and with gusto. >Grin<

I completely agreed with my mother. As much as I disliked it when complete strangers felt it necessary to try and convert me (and there was something about my mother and me that attracted religious nuts) I felt that it was just as bad when our family friend ambushed people with his particular brand of religion. It was inconsiderate and rude and for some reason atheists have lately delighted in shoving their convictions into peoples faces.

My children are raised in an agnostic home. My husband believes in God. I am purely agnostic but make sure that my children understand that this is merely my point of view and that they are welcome to build their own. I tell them about different religions and encourage them to be respectful and considerate but not ever be scared or bullied into any sort of faith or belief. I cannot stand some of the atheist activities I've been reading about over the years. What bothers me is that they can be so incredibly intolerant towards people and symbols of faith. Why do they feel so threatened I wonder?

Do you really need to be a person of the same faith or at least any kind of faith to reply in kind when someone wishes you something like 'God be with you?' What do you think?

A day at the Zoo!

2011-10-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

Not many words but mostly some pictures of a recent outing/Fieldtrip to the zoo. It's a dinky little zoo but it's better than nothing. For us it was a big event as it is the first time in 5 years that we were able to go. Missy's allergies handled it fairly well with an extra Benadryl for good measure and a puff or two of the rescue inhaler.

We had no idea how windy and cold it was at the zoo and poor Bear was freezing. Missy had two layers on but Bear only one. After taking this picture it was clear we weren't going to enjoy this day with Bears teeth chattering and so we went to the souvenir shop and purchased an overpriced but warm sweatshirt hoodie for the boy.

A gibbon. We saw this chap and a black Gibbon in this enclosure.

By a large pond we saw all kinds of water fowl.

Here in the USA these fellows are a big deal, in Europe they are pretty common.

Feeding frenzy.

And this strange beastie was found petrified by the water's edge. Did Medusa get it, we wondered?

Born at the zoo, this little fellow is quite the star. It's a girl actually.

Mom and Dad keeping a close eye.

This interesting beastie is called a Rock Hyrax.

One of a pair of Fennec Foxes. Native to Northern Africa, they are the smallest foxes in the world. They live in an extremely hot and arid desert and even have fur on their paws to keep them from getting burned. Their large ears allow body heat to dissipate and keep them cooler.

Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree, Merry, merry king of the bush is he...

Presenting Mr. and Mrs. Hornbill

Nigel's better looking cousin.

I wuvvvv you.....

Yep, that's the spot.... thaaat's the spot, now a little to the left, my left, not your left....

Where'd she go? Where'd she go?=

Mountain goats

What is pink and has black stripes? A Zebra with sunburn, of course...

A cotton tamarin enjoying lunch.

A wallaby

Spot the red wolf.

Nagini's cousin, twice removed.

Llama at the petting zoo. Except they make sure you can't pet these cantankerous animals.

King of the jungle.

Unreached?

2011-10-15T08:28:00.000-07:00

I love reading homeschool blogs. That being said, many that I like are Christian. I am not a Christian. But I have nothing against Christians. But then I have nothing against Buddhists, Wiccans, Hindus or Muslims. I furthermore am neutral towards Unitarian Universalists, the Baha'i, the Taoist, Animists and just about any other form of worship. But what gets me hot under the collar is the Christian arrogance to think that a person is lacking if they are not reached, AKA converted. So, today in reading one of the blogs I visit about once a month or so, I noticed a button in the corner called 'Unreached People of the Day' staring at me. Featured on the button is an Indian village woman. And some stats were given on the button as well. It encouraged people to pray for these people because there is no evangelical presence in their area.

At the risk of stepping on all kinds of Christian piggies here and loosing who knows how many 'friends' on my blog I must say this: Leave non-Christians alone. Please! They are doing just fine! Please take the time and familiarize yourselves with other religions and realize that the core messages on all of them is the same. They have a faith that is as dear to them as yours is to you. Hinduism is much older than most other current faiths. And I say current faiths because they come and they go. A faith may hang around for thousands of years but eventually it changes as new prophets come along and new religions evolve!

Converting a people removes a deep root from them. A link to their history, their land, their culture and their ancestors. And this is worst for rural people who must have that link as it merges their lives with the rhythm of the land.

Pray for them if it makes you happy, but let them be who they are, just much as you would want to be allowed to remain who you are.

Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. [Matthew 7:12]

Lots to do and I am making it public!

2011-10-02T08:18:00.000-07:00

I have much planned to do today, but like many of us, I tend to go off with the faeries and don't get nearly as much done as I planned or could. So, in an order to hold myself accountable I am posting my 'to-do today' list here.

1. Cut up two chickens and cook them - done cutting them.
2. Finish Bear's room - done
3. Plan next week's menu -done - sort of
4. Clean out the refrigerator
5. Plan my to-do list for Saturdays dinner invite
6. Vacuum house - done one room >grin<

Designed Homes

2011-09-30T15:08:00.000-07:00

I have a notebook I am slowly filling up with pictures of homes, rooms, design details etc. The home I live in was mostly 'decorated' by my husband. While the furniture is all a high quality it does not reflect our life-style or taste anymore. My dream is to slowly change our home, one room at a time into a reflection of us as a family. I enjoy clipping and pasting the pictures into the notebook and then writing my thoughts about the picture in the margins.

Another nice resource is dwellinggawker. Here are some images that grabbed my attention. I hope you enjoy them.

I love the vibrant colors in the Morrocan style decor in the first picture. The Tuscan style home in the subsequent pictures appeals very much to me but I find the colors scheme inside too monochromatic. Aside from that the house is too big for my liking but I love the limestone-stucco combinaton and view of the vineyards.

Skulls for All Hallows Eve or Dia de los Muertos

2011-09-30T14:12:00.000-07:00

A recent foray into Michael's Craft Store yielded some wonderful paper mache skull masks. The kids and I had a wonderful time decorating them.

Ant Swarm in our Front Yard!

2011-09-30T14:01:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago we found hundreds of ants in our front yard. To see a better image click on the pictures. These ants were getting ready to swarm.

Into the lion's den....or... how to organize a kid's room.

2011-09-24T07:01:00.000-07:00

My poor son. His room is a disaster. The way I see it, there are several causative agents and they will be addressed today!

a) he has a hard time letting go of things. This means I need to go with him piece by piece through his possessions and help him evaluate what can go and what means enough to keep.

b) lots of stuff and not enough storage. Once we evaluate what stays we will decide what storage he needs.

c) his clothes closet is a small walk-in and the floor is so strewn he can barely get in. Time to clean up.

d) the shelves are too high and he has a hard time getting to them to hang things back up again.

e) he has no place to keep worn clothes he will wear again. It's time to get a peg rack and let him hang his stuff.

f) a hamper for dirty clothes. We have a chute just a few steps between his and his sister's room but for some reason my kids and their dad find it nigh impossible to utilize.

g) due all these problems he has trouble maintaining a habit of tidying up effectively ever day. Hopefully this will be remedied once we are done fixing his room today.

Unfortunately the kids went to bed late last night and then Bear woke me up at 3 AM crying that he couldn't sleep. So I tucked him into my bed to sleep alongside his dad while I went to sleep in his bed. Sounds awful, huh? Not really. His twin bed without headboard and very firm mattress reminds me of the bed of my childhood. So I sleep really well on it. I got up at eight (yes, I did sleep in too) because Archie needed to go potty. Besides, I so love my quiet mornings. Yes, at nine am everyone is still being a slug while I am itching to get at my son's room and start. I will take before and after pictures to document the proceedings.

A Must-Read-Blog Entry at Parentatthehelm.com

2011-09-16T17:14:00.000-07:00

http://www.parentatthehelm.com/6666/homeschooling-parent-responds-to-disneys-teacher-of-the-year/

I found a link to this post on the current CoH. I strongly recommend you take the time to read this well worded and thought-out response to Disney's Teacher of the Year article.

Rhythms and Routines

2011-09-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

As many of the nights are starting to get cool and translate into crisp mornings, the rhythms of the world around us change. Birds are beginning to seek each others' company and flock. Overhead we hear the call of the geese which brings to mind the changing seasons. Tomorrow is Labor day, our unofficial end of summer here in the US. Early risers will notice that the morning hugs its dark cloak just a little longer, reminding us that we will rise in the dark in not too long a time. Children are seen running, back-packs bouncing, to school and we too have started our new school year.

This will be our third and possibly final homeschooling year (more on that some other time). Our first year was fairly regimented and strict and I wasn't much into lesson planning, unsure on how to proceed. The second year was laissez-faire and while satisfying in a creative way, not very satisfying in an academic sense. This year I have our academic day planned out with the help of a free, academic software called Skedtrack.

Click on this image for a screenshot of Missy's Math Lesson Plans

What we all love about the year (so far) is the predictability of the day. We can run school pretty much on auto-pilot. Each morning, when we log in we can see at a glance what is on that day's menu (so to say) for both children. Having a clear visual has had another benefit. The kids take ownership of their learning and love to click the completed button when they have completed a lesson. I am able to plug in our school year, include vacation and holidays and personal days, as well as sick days. The time it took to customize it and enter the lesson plans for two children was labor intensive for sure, but what I spent in time and labor then, I save now when I most need it.

I have left my blog to it's own devices these past months having been very busy with a multitude of responsibilities. Summer came, a new puppy came. Then, mid August my husband left on a month long trip. He is expected back in a few days. In his absence (and he took off from work in July) I had to increase my presence at work. All of this left me little time for blogging. But looking at all my favorite blogs many of you took a hiatus of sorts as well. I look forward to blogging more in the coming months. I have also started a small cooking blog. My little food blog is more designed to be a record of my recipes and fiascos for my children some day (I pdf the files), than something that would ever make it to foodgawker. But I am having fun with it and that is what counts. My biggest challenge is the photography aspect of it. I borrow my daughter's dinky point and shoot and I don't have good light in the house either. Yet another challenge to overcome.

One of nature's rhythms is calling right now.... time to walk the pup.

Archie Revisited.

2011-08-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

This is Archie. He is a 4½ month old Airedale puppy. His favorite activities include playing, eating, playing, eating, bugging us for food, eating paper products, goosing people in the rear, jumping and play biting (which still hurts).

Big teeth and these are just the milk teeth.

Trying hard to sit still for a nano second.

Airedales have classic large noses.

It's hard work to drive Mommy nuts.

Swimsuits shrink when exposed to water - HONESTLY!

2011-08-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

So, in a moment of insanity I decided to take the kids to the pool today. We diligently applied sunscreen and wriggled into our swim attire. That is, the kids wriggled. I on the other hand wrestled. I hadn't worn my suit in 2 years and the last time I handled it I sent it through the washing machine. And even though I followed the manufacturers directions explicitly (I think) the darn thing shrunk. It must have. There couldn't be an other reason (stop snickering!). Of course we got ready just to find out the pool wouldn't open for another hour. I decided I needed a lengthy visit to the bathroom. After all, bloating was most likely the reason I looked and felt like a overstuffed pork sausage in its casing. After my visit to the porcelain temple I felt I could actually breathe a little (stop laughing. OK, really.... stop laughing!!!!). Thankfully we are not going to a club pool but a little, dinky community pool. I am sure I'll look just fine.

See? I told you it would work out....

Oh, well, fine.... this isn't really me. It's close though. Really close. Honestly. We could be twins.

A woman can dream right, even if she is a mother...

Two different birds, very different nests.

2011-07-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

Our neighborhood is very mature with towering trees and mature shrubs and bushes. That of course attracts all kinds of birds. Here are two examples of what likes to nest in our garden.

This Robin's nest was abandoned by the parents. It was built by our deck under the eaves of the roof over our porch. This Mama thought we were too loud and abandoned the nest. Unlike the Robins who built a nest in a decorative wreath on a friend's front entrance door and didn't mind people coming in all day and night. After my children and I admired and studied the nest we donated it to another homeschooling family with the request that they pass it on to the next homeschooling family after they were done. The four young birds that never were still had plenty of admirers.

This is a Cardinal's nest slapped together in our honeysuckle shrub. I removed it after the young were gone and the nest had been abandoned.

The difference in the construction of these two nests is remarkable. The Robin's nest is a tightly woven, sturdy structure, glued together with mud and lovingly padded with soft grasses inside. The Cardinal's nest is barely hanging on. Slapped together with twigs, some plastic and a few dry leaves the nest looks as though it couldn't withstand much more than a gentle breeze. Yet, both birds successfully raise their young every year.

Garden Friends

2011-07-22T07:35:00.000-07:00

A beautiful visitor to our garden a few days ago.

One Word - Yuck!

2011-07-18T12:25:00.000-07:00

This is a screenshot of weather.com from our location.

Introducing my stinkers.

2011-06-30T06:25:00.000-07:00

May I Share our Garden with You?

2011-06-23T20:27:00.000-07:00

As much as I'd love to take credit for this beauty, I cannot. This is mostly the creation of my husband, who despite a busy schedule, and out of sheer stubborness, maintains this garden every year. Much of the plants are perennials and I mostly participate by watering and pulling weeds and dead heading. Oh, and collecting Japanese Beetles and drowning them in a diabolical frenzy. Enjoy!

The chainlink fence to the left will be replaced with a wooden privacy fence by our neighbors due to their aggressive dog. Archie, our airedale will be heartbroken as he adores Gina, the noisy mutt.

Rabbits love this lilly. One year they ate it down to the stem, flowers, leaves and all.

We have a huge, old deck. While a great feature of the backyard, it takes a lot of maintenance. My pressure washer is my best friend! No, wait, that would be my dishwasher. Or is it my washing machine. Actually, it's my coffee maker.

Yup, my gardener husband has to have the dangerous variety of plants too. These cacti have formidable thorns.

Between our front, back and side yard we have approximately 20 different varieties of hostas.

This arrangement never fails to impress. The coleus is the filler and thriller. Potato vine is the spiller and will eventually reach all the way to the bottom. We over winter our many varieties of coleus in our family room.

Some African daisy sort of thing flanked by stingless nettles.

In the background are my tomatoes, jalapenos and green pepper plants. I wish there was space for more.

Phonics Friends

2011-06-20T11:51:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite early reader resources is a series called 'Phonics Friends' published by 'The Child's World'. The beginner version is called 'Alphabet Friends' but is based on the same principle. The cost is unfortunately prohibitive and simply not something I can image a family purchasing outright. Rather, I would recommend that you check with your local library to see if they have either version.
In 'Phonics Friends' children are familiarized with the various sounds a particular letter makes. We read 'Umberto's Summer Day, The Sound of Short U' today. The book is laid out in a simple, easily understood, format. The first page is an introductory page which can be read by the parent or educator to the child. This page introduces the child to the letter and phonics feature or sound highlighted in that issue. Concluding the book is a page with word lists including the words the child read in the book. The sentences are easy to understand and a child will feel quite accomplished after reading one of these books. There are photographs on the left page and the right page features two to three sentences. Even an early reader can easily read and comprehend the short, illustrated stories within these books. Each sentence is reasonably short and contains at least one repetition of the phonics sound featured in the book.

My son (who will be six years old in August) loves these books and chooses them over and over again at our local library. He can read the books by himself with minimal assistance. I am a big believer in teaching children to read via phonics, adding high frequency word recognition only once phonics has been mastered. If I had to rate this series I would quite possibly give it a five out of five stars.

Boredom Busters?

2011-06-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

If you are a parent you are guaranteed to have heard the whine: 'Mom, I'm booooored.'
What should we do? Many parents pack their children's days full with activities even during summer. Kids go to all sorts of camps and activities in the hope of staving off the summer doldrums. I on the other hand, will try to have a healthy balance between activities and carefully cultivated boredom.

'Huh?'
.................................

Here is what usually happens:

'Mom, I am bored.'

'Mmmmmm.'

'What shall I do?'

'How about playing with your cars, or coloring?'

'I don't feel like it.'

'Ok, how about....'

..............Well, you probably know how this goes on. I keep coming up with other ideas and they all are summarily rejected.

Then...

'Can I watch some TVeeeeeeee?'

'Nope.'

'Can I go on the computer?'

'Nope.'

'Can I play with the DS?'

'Nope.'

'But I am so booooored....'

'Too bad.'

The victim of my callousness slinks off to brood on the unfairness of it all. As he ascends the stairs to his room I may hear some stomping. Sort of his way of telling me that he isn't impressed with me at all.

I could say I sigh but I normally just grin.

And eventually my son, my youngest, does come up with something to entertain himself.

Unless, ....

.....he gets hold of his dad, in which case the conversation usually lasts only 2 minutes (at the utmost) and ends with the beeping sounds of the TV being turned on.

Pushover.

Wienie.

Marshmallow.

And here comes the 'when I grew up' yarn.

Yawn.

I had to haul water from an icy river after chopping wood for an hour and then I walked many miles to school. Upon coming home I had to milk the cows, swap the deck....
Seriously, even Tom Sawyer didn't have to do that. I just wanted to see if you were paying attention.

But in all honesty, I think I had a better childhood than my kids. We didn't have countless TV shows clamoring for our attention. There were no videogames. And personal PCs didn't exist either.

Uh-uh. I think I just dated myself.

We played outside all day long. And read books. And then acted out the stories. We rode our bikes everywhere (without helmets) and swam in the local pond. Of course I grew up in a small village in Germany and these things were not only perfectly safe but also normal. Would I let my daughter ride her bike alone to her friend who lives a few blocks away? Heck no! Sad. Isn't it.

Let's bring this conversation back to the word.

Boredom. B-O-R-E-D-O-M. BOOOOORRRREDOM.

Boredom forces the mind to stop spinning. It forces a child's mind to relax for a little while and step back. Boredom comes in stages.

Stage one: The realization that the current activity has become less than satisfying.

Stage two: You keep doing the activity because you are hoping it'll become fun again.

Stage three: You give up the activity and maybe try something else with similar results.

Stage four: You realize that you are bored.

Stage five: You sit in your room and drool on yourself. After a while you attempt to fill that mental space with something else. If you are a teenager you may fall asleep. Or you pick up the phone to find someone to talk to. Eventually you'll start doing things which may or may not be stupid or dangerous and realize you are not bored anymore. If the bored child is not a teen he or she will go on the prowl to find something to fill that mental space.

Hello, it echoes in here, someone fill me up.

Don't.

Let them fill it up themselves. Just provide the raw materials.

When nothing comes to fill up the space the child will eventually come up with something creative to fill the space.

Boredom encourages thinking. It encourages creativity. But only if we allow the child to fill the space herself. To fill the space without our input of activities and especially without the use of electronic baby sitters. Give them options. At their disposal have Legos, crafts, art, books, discovery in the backyard, train the pet stupid tricks. Etc. It can't be spoon-fed entertainment as that defeats the purpose, the children have to use their brains to come up with something.

Allow your child to experience and deal with boredom. He or she will become a much safer teen. Teenagers who never learned to manage boredom will be far more likely to engage in risky behaviour just to stop feeling that way. Teach them from young on to be creative. Yes, it may be that your young child will come into the kitchen and say he wants to cook or bake or borrow pots and pans to make a percussion set up for 'music'. And when they do, don't you dare say 'No', if you can at all help it. Be creative with them and hand them a spoon.

New Sounds in Our Home

2011-05-31T07:50:00.000-07:00

It is 9:15 AM. I just got done eating a delicious breakfast. Oh, that tardy you say? Not so. I've been up since 5 AM thanks to the new sounds in my bedroom. Since then I got up, cleaned the kitchen, roused the kids and fed them breakfast and assigned tasks; I fed my husband and sent him out of the house. Breakfast for me was some Indian style scrambled eggs using left over veggies and enjoyed while reading this weeks CoH hosted by Why Homeschool. Good stuff. And all the while my ears are attuned to the new sounds. We have a new baby. Not one that requires bottles and diapers. It's a furry baby that needs frequent trips to the backyard for potty. Even at three in the morning. The new sounds in our home are the sound of a sleeping puppy, or a puppy crying for attention. And often they are the sounds of children playing with the puppy. And then there are the inevitable cries of 'No! Archie, no biting!' or 'No! Archie, no eating shoes!' And what would life be without the chorus: 'Archie peed on the carpet......'

We chose Archie on Saturday morning at the home of his breeder. We were the first there to choose from the boys (five of them) and Archie it was. Or Purple as he was known until then. The largest pup was a bit to sleepy for my comfort. Archie, the second largest was just the right kind of active. The craziest one was a pup with spotted ribbon. He was the runt of the litter and clearly the clown as well.

Meanwhile Archie has moved right into the house and our hearts. He is not quite 8 weeks old and a lovely fellow. He seems fairly mellow but has his crazy moments too, just like a healthy puppy should. Missy adores him to pieces and he loves her right back. Bear and Archie have their moments. Bear is still wary of puppy bites and doesn't understand why Archie doesn't obey his every command/demand. IT man tries to be manly but is clearly head over heals with this little scrap of fur and I... I need sleep. But he is cute.

Archie conquering a piece of wood.

Famous People - Queen Victoria 1819 - 1901

2011-05-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

I chose 'Queen Victoria' by Franz Xaver Winterhalter because it shows her as a young woman rather than the melancholy dowager she became in her later years and the portraits of which are well known.

“ Her Majesty Victoria, by the Grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender of the Faith, Empress of India. ”

Alexandrina Victoria was born on the 24th of May, 1819, to Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn and Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Her childhood was strictly regulated and rather melancholy. After the death of the Duke of Kent, the Duchess of Kent found much solace and help in her comptroller Sir John Conroy. He was also rumored to be her lover. In an effort to raise Victoria into a woman totally dependent on them and without any opinions differing from theirs, she grew up in virtual isolation. Living under the yoke and restrictions of an elaborate set of rules and protocols devised by her mother and Conroy, the young girl was not even allowed to interact with other children. She could not move about the palace freely but was required to always have governess or her mother accompany her every step. Rather than break her spirit, this made the young girl even stronger and as soon as she was crowned queen she made her displeasure and anger known by banning Conroy from her household and banishing her mother to a far side of the palace.

Victoria was educated and raised by her governess Baroness Louise Lehzen of Hanover and tutored in a number of other subjects by various tutors. She grew up speaking German, English and eventually learned French as well.

Being the only legitimate child of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent (who died less than a year after her birth) young Victoria became heiress presumptive after the death of George IV in 1830. At that time there were no clear provisions made (legally speaking) for an underage monarch. And so it was decided by the Regency ACT of 1830, that her mother, the Duchess of Kent, would act as Regent should Victoria ascend the throne while still a minor. This of course was something greatly desired by the Duchess. However, King William , remained a burr in her side by stubbornly refusing to die. He disliked the Duchess to such an extent that he stated his desire to live until Victoria’s birthday to prevent a regency by the Duchess of Kent.

Upon King Williams’ death Victoria became the monarch on 20 June, 1837, the coronation itself took place a little more than a year later on 28 June 1838. Since the Queen was an unmarried woman she was still required to live with her mother even though the queen mother had been banished to the far corner of the palace.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
Victoria first met Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (her cousin) when she was only seventeen. In her diary she wrote: "[Albert] is extremely handsome; his hair is about the same colour as mine; his eyes are large and blue, and he has a beautiful nose and a very sweet mouth with fine teeth; but the charm of his countenance is his expression, which is most delightful." They continued to keep contact via letters and very infrequent visits by Prince Albert.

The Queen and Prince Albert were married on 10 February 1840. They had 9 children and 42 grandchildren. It was Prince Albert and Lord Melbourne that taught Victoria much about being a 'constitutional monarch'. In simpler words, a 'constitutional monarchy' gives little power but offers much influence. A number of attempts on her life was made during her reign, but her strength in dealing with these situations only helped her popularity. It was typhoid fever that took Prince Albert from the side of his beloved Victoria on December 14, 1861. His death devastated the queen. Her mother had passed away in March of the same year, and despite their poor relationship over much of Victoria’s life, the loss was hard on her. Victoria entered a state of mourning and wore black for the remainder of her life. She also began to live in seclusion and avoided public appearances which earned her the nickname ‘Widow of Windsor’. The political climate along with her seclusion reduced her popularity but she continued to reside mainly in Balmoral, Osborne house and Windsor Castle.

As time went by, Victoria became increasingly reliant on her Scottish manservant, John Brown. Although rumors of a romantic connection were refuted, when she was laid to rest in her coffin, she had a memento of John Brown with her, along with one of her beloved Albert. Rumors surfaced in 2008 that Victoria's body wore the wedding ring of John Brown's mother, placed on her hand after her death, however this has not been verified by credible sources.

Queen Victoria died January 22, 1901 of a cerebral hemorrhage at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, where she had spent every Christmas after being widowed. She was buried beside Prince Albert in the Frogmore Mausoleum at Windsor Great Park. Queen Victoria had reigned for a total of 63 years, seven months and two days and died at the age of 81.

Sources:
http://www.victorianstation.com/queen.html
http://www.royal.gov.uk/HistoryoftheMonarchy/KingsandQueensoftheUnitedKingdom/TheHanoverians/Victoria.aspx
http://www.victorianweb.org/vn/victor6.html
Wikipedia.com

Weekly Geography Fun Quiz # 1 Answers

2011-05-25T11:16:00.000-07:00

So, how many did you know? I hope you had fun discovering the answers with your globe and atlas.

1. The Orinoco is a river in which northern South American country? Venezuela

2. Asuncion is the captial of which central South American country? Paraguay

3. Is Guatemala a South American country? No it is not. It is a Central American country.

4. Where would you look for the Rio Grande? Border between the State of Texas and Mexico

5. Which are the greater Antilles? Group of Islands including Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola (Haiti/Dominican Republic.)

6. Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of which southeast Asian Country? Malaysia

7. Where would you be if you sailed along the Strait of Malacca? Between Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra

Geography Quiz Time!!!

2011-05-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Here, just for fun and for furthering your 'eddicashun' is a geography quiz I put together. See which ones you knew and use a globe and an atlas for the rest. Avoid using the computer, that makes it too easy. The answers will be revealed in a few days. If you want this in a pdf format to use for your homeschool send me a feedback with your e-mail address. I have altogether 5 quizzes. I will pass on the pdf files after all quizzes have been published.

Weekly Geography Fun Quiz #1

1. The Orinoco is a river in which northern South American country?
2. Asuncion is the capital of which central South American country?
3. Is Guatemala a South American country?
4. Where would you look for the Rio Grande?
5. Which are the greater Antilles?
6. Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of which southeast Asian Country?
7. Where would you be if you sailed along the Strait of Malacca?

Teach your children geography. We live in a global community and yet, many adults don't even know where to find Iraq or Afghanistan on a globe.

Do you speak Indlish?

2011-05-19T09:02:00.000-07:00

People all over the world speak English. It is the de facto official language of this globe. And few other countries pride themselves over their command over the English language as much as India. And yet, when foreigners visit India, or have the pleasure of speaking with Indians 'fresh of the boat' they invariably are stumped by some of the idiomatic expressions of Indian English. I stumbled across a wonderful blog yesterday. It is called 'India outside my window' and I highly recommend it. The author writes beautifully and her pictures truly capture the essence of that country. And I should know, I've spent much time there myself. The author of this blog writes a wonderful post on "Indlish" and I hope you do take a moment to read it.

Here is a excerpt from her post. Click on the link to read the post in its entirety.

Communication can be confusing in a country where cakes are called pastries, a dress is clothing, people ask you to off the light and on the fan, backside is not your rear end but the rear of a building, and people don’t die, they expire (like a gym membership or credit card). People also shift and not move house. And just to make things more confusing for foreigners, a cover is a bag or envelope, vessels are not ships but dishes, a hotel is actually a restaurant and a parcel is not a package to be sent by post but a take-away.

Saturday Morning and A long and slow rain...

2011-05-14T06:38:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday morning. And we are all doing what we normally do on a Saturday morning. Bear is watching TV. On Saturday mornings he is allowed to watch Public Television shows. That is special because he isn't allowed to do this any other mornings of the week. You know, I have pretty much banned all save for a few Disney shows from our house. All the little guy learned from those shows is questionable behavior and morals. The shows I hate the most are 'Wizards of Waverly Place' and the 'Zac and Cody' series. The shows I love on PBS are 'Martha Speaks, Ruff Ruffman, Curious George, Clifford (do you guys adore T-Bone?), Electric Company..., geez OK, I like them all except for Sesame Street.

I digressed, back to what we are doing. Saturday AM is my 'hang out at the laptop morning'. I wake up with my cup of tea at the laptop every morning but on Saturdays
I give myself extra time.

IT Man is working.

Missy is either still asleep (that girl can sleep!) or busy reading in bed.

Only one more lazy Saturday left for us. Two Saturdays from now we'll be busy getting ready to meet our new family member early in the morning (after a sleepless night no doubt). We are picking up the pup on the 28th. Boy! will that be interesting. Training a pup again, cleaning up oopses and muddy paw-prints (what was I thinking when I said 'yes' to getting a dog?) taking away half chewed remotes and other valuables and soothing a crying child because the dog ate a favorite (insert noun here).

It's raining today. The slow, steady rain gardeners so love. Or those that have freshly seeded their lawn and need slow, steady rain. It's a good day to do inside stuff. My house looks like a tornado went through and this day is perfect for some cleaning and tidying. I'll rope the kids in to help. And maybe IT man when he is done with his stuff. Although he had a bad back spasm yesterday and is still in pain. He'd better clean away his newspapers otherwise he'll be in more pain.

I think I'll start now.
I also think I'll start posting pictures of the children.

But now I will wake up Missy.

Right after I ask IT man to make me some coffee.

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T07:27:00.000-07:00

All mothers are lionesses when it comes to their cubs!

To all my fellow mothers out there, wishes for a peaceful and Happy
Mother's Day!

Here is the 'Word Play' Answer

2011-05-04T18:19:00.000-07:00

SHRIMP ON THE BARBIE!

Playing with words - or my food?

2011-04-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am weird. I have a weird sense of humor. I've been working on it but sometimes I loose the battle. And then stuff like this happens......
.....What am I saying here?

Arbor Day Craft from Momtastic.com - Upcycle your old magazines!

2011-04-25T12:09:00.000-07:00

Talk about a fabulous craft idea for Arbor Day, which is, by the way, the last Friday of April. I came across this idea on craftgawker which linked to Momtastic.com. The link to this craft is here. What a neat way to use up old magazines and make something new and beautiful. Make your crafts, take pictures, and post it on your website. Let me know when you did so I can make a post with links to your blogs and pictures!

Look who is coming for dinner?

2011-04-24T05:49:00.000-07:00

...and lunch and breakfast....

In about a month, we will have a new family member. We are going to be joined by an Airedale boy who will be just a little younger than what you see in this picture here. We chose the airedale breed because of Missy's allergies, after considering a number of other breeds as well. What we like about this breed is that it is relatively rare and therefore has not quite as many breed specific health issues as some of the other candidates. We also wanted something larger than a yorkie. One of our neighbors has an airedale, so we had Missy rub her hands into the dog's fur and then rub her face and eyes. There was no reaction! IT man and I love the mastiff breeds but Missy is terribly allergic to them and with all the over breeding, they do have a lot of issues unless you go with some of the rarer breeds. Due to the allergy issues we were not going to go with a rescue dog, although I visited the local sites frequently and even inquired about one young dog who was an funny and adorable mix of two low allergen breeds. But he had already been adopted. We hadn't planned on getting another dog but the kids wanted one so badly and IT man and I like the security of having another set of ears in the home at night. Our dogs' barking chased away a burglar once so we know it works. The kids' age is ideal for adding a dog to the family right now, with Bear going to be six in August and Missy 11½. Airedales are very energetic and smart (unfortunately also stubborn) and so our life is about to take on another level of crazy :)

One of my favorite kitchen tools - The Misto

2011-04-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

I bought a Misto roughly 4 months or so ago and it's become one of my favorite kitchen implements. It is a stainless steel canister with a built-in, easy to prime, pump that you can fill with a bit of your favorite oil.

Why I like it:
a) It was inexpensive. I paid roughly $10 for it.
b) No propellants or additives to my sprayed oil.
c) Because of point 'b' my pans, etc no longer have gummy, sticky, impossible to clean, gunk on them.
d) Because of point 'b' I don't have to wonder what I am inhaling when I use the spray and what I am feeding my family.
e) More economical than regular cooking sprays in the long run.

What I don't like:

Well, only one thing really. I wish it came in different colors because I would love to buy one for other oils that I use. With only one color canister I would get confused and use the wrong oils for my foods if I can't see at a glance which oil I am using.

What do I use it for?

Spray my cooking grates, pans, meats and vegetables, pasta, fish, etc with Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

You will LOVE THIS BLOG - I guarantee it!

2011-04-15T08:41:00.000-07:00

Last week I came across a blog by Scott Bedford, a father whose sheer creativity is beyond description!

The name of this blog is WHAT I MADE.com.

This is what he is showing today. Just go to his site, download the file, print and follow his AMAZING hand-drawn and written directions and make this for your kids.

He has so many fabulous ideas on his site and the blog alone is eye-candy.

Joy

2011-04-11T04:58:00.000-07:00

Saturday and Sunday blessed us with amazing spring weather. It was sunny and quite warm with temps going into the low eighties even. We cleaned our screened-in porch and yard and enjoyed the outdoors all day long. All the while our doors and windows were wide open and the kids ran around outside all day long playing in the yard. Even the neighbors commented on that.
Now, why would a neighbor comment on that? Because they haven't seen Missy outside in spring for years. Until last year they didn't see her in summer and fall or winter either. In prior years we had the house bolted shut. Open windows? Not a chance. Playing outside? Are you insane? Bear is so attached to his sister that he never wanted to play outside if she didn't come too. So, he too, once he left daycare, didn't get much outside time in.
Yes, she'll probably be a tad itchy for the next few days. And it wouldn't surprise me if the inhaler got used a bit more, but it's worth it. The joy of seeing my children play outside is so great I wiped a secret tear of joy here and there. Even now as I see these words take shape on my digital paper. They replace tears (equally secret) of sorrow when I'd see my little girl stand by the window watching the children of the neighborhood play outside. Or when I'd see her thin, bony, scratched bloody shoulders slump in defeat when I refused to listen to her entreaties of 'Mom, I promise I'll stay on the concrete, I won't touch the grass, please, just one minute, just one minute.' It broke her spirit and my heart.
I guess the treatment is working. She is getting allergy shots. And I firmly believe that removing her from school made a huge difference. Her body no longer had to constantly combat all those allergens everbody brought to class on their clothing. Her immune system was allowed to calm down. But all that is technical. Meanwhile, I'll gladly have tissue boxes in strategic locations all over the house for my sneezy kids if it means they can play outside like normal kids.

Watch an American Bald Eagle pair raise their kids!

2011-04-03T06:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.raptorresource.org/falcon_cams/index.html

Click on the above link. But be prepared, it's completely addictive. Watch the parents care for their youngsters.

We'll miss you Arby.

2011-04-02T17:25:00.000-07:00

Arby, the talented author of one of my all time favorite blogs 'Boarding in Bedlam' , announced the other day that he was taking a hiatus from writing. The announcement was brief and without explanation and the ability to leave comments and wish him and his wonderful family the best of luck has been removed. I knew how I felt about that. Whaaat? No more 'Bedlam'? No more funny and many insightful blog posts to get me through my day? But I understand. Sometimes we need to make decisions that are the right one for our families, ourselves and we do not owe anyone an explanation. But darn it, I wanted to let him know, he had my full support and best wishes. Today Arby wrote a post which gave us some of his reasons for making that decision, and I appreciate that.
Arby would be a person I would be proud to call my friend. He is clearly doing a great job raising and homeschooling his kids. His love for them is so evident throughout all his posts and I love the fact that he doesn't take himself as seriously as some people tend to.

If you read this Arby, I just wanted to say, I wish you and your family all the best. Somehow I don't feel the poster who made the remarks that hurt your feeling so meant to do that. But I understand that feelings hurt just as much whether you meant to stub your toe or did it by accident. My daughter trusts me no less than the day before I told her that we were Santa. She quickly figured out the toothfairy thing too, although she already suspected that because the toothfairy was a real ditz. Trust goes much beyond playing Santa and the Easter Bunny. I look forward to catching up with you at the Homeschool Apologist. As much as I'll miss Bedlam, and I know I am speaking for a lot of people here, you have my support and unconditional friendship. You just go and do what's right for you and your family, the rest will sort itself out just fine.

Love,

Marlis

No, he didn't escape...the curse is upon my son as well

2011-03-31T07:32:00.000-07:00

Allergies. My daughter has suffered terribly with allergies and they were the reason for us starting to homeschool. Now, for the past few months I am watching my son get more and more allergic. He doesn't have eczema like his sister, and he doesn't have asthma (yet), but he is clearly allergic. We'll have to allergy proof his room. He has nasal symptoms in the mornings and lately his little cheeks look bumpy with little hives. His sister is quite upset about this as she is terrified he'll go through what she endured. And that was a nightmare. Missy's eczema is mostly gone now. She has a patch of KP (Keratosis Pilaris on her belly) and some eczema rash that comes and goes on her upper thighs (precipitated by underwear I think). Bear has KP on his upper arms and knees, nothing to be concerned about, but since KP is a form of eczema I am worried he might still develop it. After all, he has a 25% chance of getting eczema too. I put on a brave face but inwardly I am afraid too. Non- lethal allergies may not take your life but they can certainly take the quality out of it and they are certainly life altering.

The Three Questions

2011-03-28T17:49:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you come across a decent book. At times you may be lucky and pick up one that's pretty good. But rare are the times when a book is perfect. A book which carries a message where everyone can take something away from. And which is beautifully illustrated. Not the pretty 'awww, that's cute' illustrations. But the kinds of illustrations which contribute to the written word in a way that completes the experience to perfection.

Several years ago, during a scholastic books bookfair I came across one such book. It is titled 'The Three Questions' and is based on a story by Leo Tolstoy. This book is written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth.

The story begins thus...

There once was a boy named Nikolai who sometimes felt uncertain about the right way to act. 'I want to be a good person,' he told his friends. 'But I don't always know the best way to do that.'

The story deals with three main questions of life.

When
Who
What

Nikolai's friends are a a heron named Sonya, Gogol, a capuchin (by the looks of it) monkey, and Puskin, a gorgeous borzoi.

In the story, Nikolai asks his friends three questions. And the three friends give him honest answers, as they see them. But as Nikolai ponders the three different answers he realizes that their answers didn't seem quite right to him. So, he decides to visit Leo. Leo, the turtle, whose ancient wisdom would surely guide him.

I will let the story tell the rest.

It is a timeless message which transcends age, gender and creed and I encourage you to read this book. And if you have done so already, ready it again.

Lesson Idea - Math - Linear Graphs using real data.

2011-03-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

What better way to learn compiling, arranging and presenting data than with real information. To practise making Linear Graphs, Missy used weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Website. She made a graph charting the daily highs for May 2010 of three cities in our area.

Here are some screenshots to help you navigate. Click on the pictures for a larger and cleared image.

This is the NOAA's website. Enter in your Zipcode in the upper left corner.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on 'Regional Weather Summary'

This is the page that will pop up. In the section for 'Climate' click on 'Local'

This is the page that will open up. From 'Product' click on 'Monthly Preliminary Climate Data', choose your location and then choose the 'Archived Data' option. Now your child can choose which month's data to retrieve.

We really enjoyed making the graph on quadrant paper using different colors for different cities. Missy also calculated the median, mean, range and mode.

And the winner of the Giveaway is Tim!

2011-03-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

Tim won the giveaway! CONGRATULATIONS!

I'll be contacting you today.

Sorry for the delay. These last few days were beyond crazy and I only now managed to get to my blog. Tim, I'll be contacting you.

What??? Nobody wants Twenty Free Bucks?

2011-03-13T12:30:00.000-07:00

Alright, People! I announced a give-away several days ago. Make that about 2 weeks ago, and only two people entered. Hey, great odds for them and I am sure they are thrilled no-one else entered. But if I am to be able to get more give-away sponsored by different companies I can't show them that only two people entered. The giveaway ends on the 15th at midnight CT. Here is a link to the give-away , go enter for your chance to win $20, usable at any of the CSN stores.

2011 Bucket List

2011-03-11T18:25:00.000-08:00

I borrow this idea from another blog. It's not my life's bucket list but just 10 things I want to do before this year is over.

1. Take my children to a concert.
2. Take my son to a zoo.
3. Have a date with my husband.
4. Have a dinner consisting entirely of some rustic bread, brie, olives, pears, apples. Did I mention brie? And of course olive oil and a good aceto balsamico. My keyboard is wet, I need to stop drooling.
5. Have the above mentioned dinner sans husband or son but with my daughter while watching a chick flick. She will not touch the olives. Everything else we will squabble over.
And it will be wonderful.
6. Write a letter to my Dad telling him how much I appreciate him.
7. Write a letter to my Mom telling her how much I appreciate her. Do you know the song 'I hear voices' by Chris Young? I need to let them know I hear their voices all the time. If you haven't heard this song, it's ok. Not everyone is into country music.
At least go to the Internet and read the lyrics.
It's worth it.
Trust me
8. I want to go out for a 'couples dinner' with a dear couple I know. Their daughter is my daughter's best friend. And we grown ups get along great.
9. Send someone a present -Just because-
10. Take my children to a church, a synagogue, a Muslim prayer center, and our local Sikh prayer center so they can learn about different faiths and what they mean to the faithful attending those places of worship.

More to come I think.

As heard on 'Good Luck, Charlie'

2011-03-07T05:06:00.000-08:00

Cast of Characters.

Charlie, adorable,blonde toddler (approx. 2 years old)
Charlie's Mom.
Charlie's considerably older brothers.

Setting: Basement Family/Laundry/ whatever room. Charlie is sitting on a portable potty in front of TV, while mother alternately cajoles and bribes Charlie to go potty.

Two older brothers barge in and try to set TV up to play video-games. Mother tells them not to do that because baby Charlie only goes potty when she can watch `the Gurgles (presumably something like the Wiggles).

Older brother: "Charlie needs the 'Gurgles' to do her business?"

Mother: "Yes, dear, Charlie needs the 'Gurgles to do her business, much like your dad needs the sports section to do his."
***

Can you relate? Our family certainly can. We all have our 'potty aids' too!

IT man needs his Wall Street Journal.
I need my I-Pad or a book (preferably cook book - don't ask, I don't know either)
Missy whatever book has been stashed in the bathroom.
Bear whatever he can sing to himself because he can't read well enough just yet.

Are you a 'potty reader'?

Our Daily Bread

2011-03-04T17:59:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, our neighbor's daughter spent the morning with us while her mother taught a Bible class. She is a lovely young girl, about a half year younger than my daughter. I promised to feed the young lady lunch because her mother expected to return just before one in the afternoon. Lunch was going to be simple. Ham sandwich and grapes, along with a glass of cold milk. Alas, at night I realized I was out of bread. No problem. With my trusty, and much loved KitchenAid Stand Mixer I was just going to whip up some bread. And I did. A simple 50-50 wheat-white bread which I made in the span of 3 hours without much effort at all. Her mother thought I joked when I said: 'Oh, I was out of bread, so I quickly made some.'

What has happened to us? For thousands of years we baked our own bread.

Breaking bread together at the table was synonymous with inviting someone to friendship. It implied trust and welcoming.

The Bible is full of references on sharing bread. Apparently to ancient people of that region, bread was an important thing.

Now, bread has become something we pick up at the store. Wrapped in sanitary plastic and with a list of ingredients ranging from 9 to 39 ingredients. And we have lost our connection to it.

Let us break bread together.

The simple act of pulling apart a loaf of fragrant Challah bread, fresh out of our own oven, or slicing into the brown goodness of a loaf of wheat bread should be something we can all come together over. Bread is something found in just about every culture. It keeps well, it travels well and it can be eaten plain, by itself or with an array of other goodies. It can be simple with no more ingredients than grain, water and maybe some salt. It can be fancy with eggs, butter, milk and wonderful seasonings. Oftentimes, when we celebrate a special occasion, our daily bread takes on a celebratory shape. But whatever the shape, Bread is something basic that belongs to all of us.

Bread can be flat like Chapatis or Pita. It can be fancy and artfully styled like a braided loaf of yeasty goodness. You'll come across rustic loaves that crackle under your hands and those whose silky smoothness leaves you swooning in a fog of carbohydratic intoxication. I made the last part up but you have to admit is sounds gooooooood. Doesn't it?

My mother, who grew up in postwar Germany, remembers the women of the village walking to the community baking oven every day to bake their families' daily bread. The community oven was similar to the coffemaker of todays' office community, a place to gather and communicate. While the bread baked, women caught up on gossip, news and traded tips and ideas. My mother remembers all kinds of breads coming out of that oven. Some women made simple, rustic loaves with the family's initials on it. Or a particular style of scoring which easily identified the owner of that bread. Other women were careful to lovingly shape and style their bread. And during Easter, breads were woven and baked with colored eggs embedded in the dough.

Our Daily Bread.

I will try to bake bread at least once a week now and try and share it with someone other than family alone. Who knows, maybe at least in our family, we'll find our connection to that communion again.

Let Us Break Bread Together.

Communion may be a Christian term now but it is a word derived from the latin communio or 'sharing in common'. If you bake this week, take a portion of your bread and share it. Maybe it will be with your co-worker. Maybe you choose to break bread with your neighbor. Whoever who decide to break bread with, whether you are a Christian, a Hindu, Wiccan, a follower of Islam, or Buddha, be blessed. Even if you are agnostic or atheist, the meaning of breaking bread transcends all levels of belief. It is something that is part of us as human beings.

Bread is in our DNA.

Geography Quiz - Answers!

2011-03-02T20:44:00.000-08:00

Here are the Geography Quiz answers. Hope you had fun!

The island of Svalbard sits north of which country?
Hint Svalbard is located between Longitude 0 and 30E North of the Arctic Circle. It is owned by that country.
Answer: Norway

The city of Hanoi sits by a river which empties into which Gulf? Hanoi is a city in which country?
Answer: Vietnam, Gulf of Tonkin

Which country would you find south of Nicaragua.
Answer: Costa Rica

Which states border Colorado?
Answer: Wyoming, Utah, New Mexico, Nebraska, Oklahoma

Ulaan Baatar is the Capital of which country?
Answer:   Mongolia

Where would you find the highest navigable lake in the world and what is it’s name?
Answer: Lake Titicaca in Peru and Bolivia

Chad is a country in which Continent. Who are it's neighbors?
Answer:   Africa. Libya, Niger, Sudan, Central African Republic, Cameroon, Nigeria

Which seas surround Italy?
Answer: Adriatic Sea, Tyrrhenian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Ionian Sea

On which island would you search for Mt. Etna.
Answer: Sicily.

Which islands would you find if your ship drifted just south of the Tropic of Cancer just west of 150W Longitude?
Answer: Hawaii

The Suez Canal is found in which country?
Answer: Egypt

Which countries belong to the 'Skandinavian Countries'?
Answer: Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway

The city Minsk is the Capital in which country just right of Poland?
Answer: Belarus

What and where is the Bosporus?
Answer: The Bosporus Straight, Also known as the Istanbul Straight, is one of the narrowest navigationable straights in the world. The Bosporus separates the Black sea from the Aegean Sea and from there the Mediterranean Sea.

The Euphrates is a river in which country?
Answer: Syria and Iraq.

Which countries would you find clustered around the Caspian Sea?
Answer: Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Iran, Azerbajan

The Strait of Gibraltar separates which two continents and which two countries?
Answer: Africa and Europe. Spain and Morocco.

Don't forget to enter the give-away a few links down!

Geography Quiz

2011-03-01T12:04:00.000-08:00

Here is Geography Quiz I wrote for my daughter a while ago. Take a stab at it and see how many questions you can answer. If you want this in a printable format with answer key for your kids send me a comment with your e-mail address and I'll send you a PDF file. Use your globe and atlas to find the answers to this quiz.

Have fun!

I will post the answers tomorrow!

Geography Fun # 1

The island of Svalbard sits north of which country?
(Hint Svalbard is located between Longitude 0 and 30E North of the Arctic Circle. It is owned by that country. )
Answer:

The city of Hanoi sits by a river which empties into which Gulf? Hanoi is a city in which country?
Answer:

Which country would you find south of Nicaragua.
Answer:

Which states border the state of Colorado (US)?
Answer:

Ulaan Baatar is the Capital of which country?
Answer:

Where would you find the highest navigable lake in the world and what is it’s name?
Answer:

Chad is a country in which Continent. Who are it's neighbors?
Answer:

Which seas surround Italy?
Answer:

On which island would you search for Mt. Etna.
Answer:

Which islands would you find if your ship drifted just south of the Tropic of Cancer just west of 150W Longitude?
Answer:

The Suez Canal is found in which country?
Answer:

Which countries belong to the 'Skandinavian Countries'?
Answer:

The city Minsk is the Capital in which country just right of Poland?
Answer:

What and where is the Bosporus?
Answer:

The Euphrates is a river in which country?
Answer:

Which countries would you find clustered around the Caspian Sea?
Answer:

The Strait of Gibraltar separates which two continents and which two countries?
Answer:

Don't forget to enter my Give-away which ends March 15, 2011 for a chance at winning a $20 coupon code for CSN stores. http://itchyhomeschooler.blogspot.com/2011/02/site-review-and-giveaway.html

Site review and Giveaway!

2011-02-25T18:57:00.000-08:00

I have the opportunity to give a product review for CSN stores and bless one of my readers with a (drumroll please) $20 gift card usable at any of their on-line stores. While this does not cover shipping costs you still get $ 20 free bucks. A sweet deal in my book. Thank you very much! CSN stores.

The review? It's on TV stands. Here is a link to their Flat Panel TV Stands . You know, until I was asked to write this review I didn't really spend much time thinking about TV stands. But once I did, well... The thing is, almost all of us have at least one TV and TV stands just are part of it. Even if you have a wall mounted TV, you'll still need a place for all the other gizmos. You know, the cable box, voltage conditioner, game equipment, DVD player, etc. We have two flat screen TVs. One is in the family room (which will soon be my FIL's room). The other one is in what used to be our living room. One is a stand alone TV on a stand (older), the other one is mounted to the TV stand itself (way more secure). Both stands are are open. And here comes the decision making if you are planning to buy one. While we like the closed TV stands for their neat appearance they have two drawbacks. Heat from the gizmos and hard to access cables etc if you need to make adjustments. The drawback with the open one is that no matter how neat you are, it just looks more cluttered. The biggest drawback by far is dust! dust! dust! Although we are done buying TVs (I am saying NO to a TV in the bedroom) I can't help but wish that I had known about tvstands.com when we bought the last TV 1½ years ago. Best Buy didn't even come close with their selections. And here is what really rocks... some of their models even ship free!

Here is what you can do to win the gift card. You have chances for two entries! Leave me your name (screen name is fine) and link to your blog. If you have no blog be sure to send me a separate feedback with your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win. If you send me two comments like that I can post one and leave the one with your e-mail private since all my posts are first screened. For your second entry visit a CSN site and post a link to an item you would buy with the $20 giftcard or put the giftcard towards.

This give-away ends midnight CST on March 15, 2011 and is open to US entrants only.

How will the winner be chosen? We have a very scientific approach. On March 16, 2011 I will print the entries on equally sized pieces of paper. My blind folded son will pick one piece of paper and his sister (who knows how to read and will not be blindfolded LOL) will read the name. I will notify the winner via e-mail and on their blog if I have their blog address. The winner will also be announced on my blog. The winner's name and e-mail will be forwarded to CSN Stores and they will then e-mail a coupon code to the winner.

Bon Chance!

A Blog I feel in love with - you might too!

2011-02-24T12:44:00.000-08:00

I wanted to post a link to a blog I stumbled upon the other day. It is called mindfuldrawing.com and the artist Paula Kuitenbrouwer has such an eye for detail that I can't help but smile my way through her blog. Her color pencil drawings clearly profess a deep love for nature, as only one who is in tune with nature can capture its essence so profoundly. If you love the work of Marjorie Bastin you will, no doubt, love Paula Kuitenbrouwer's magical world. The picture above is one of her works. If you need a shot of Spring and have a moment, stop by her site.

Thomas Jefferson had it right!

2011-02-20T09:54:00.000-08:00

Commerce with all nations, alliance with none, should be our motto.
Thomas Jefferson

Conquest is not in our principles. It is inconsistent with our government.
Thomas Jefferson

This week I bring you two quotes because they both are ever so relevant in this day and age. I often wonder what the founders of this great nation would say if they could see it in its current state. We have made allies of nations which would love nothing more than see us falter and fail. We are trying to conquer an other nation under the guise of bearing the gift of democracy when the true purpose is greed and want for black liquid gold. True democracy cannot exist in an Islamic nation. A truly democratic, islamic state is an oxymoron. But that's the subject of an entirely different post. As I teach my daughter about the founders of this nation, as we explore the ideals and tremendous forsight these men of old put into this task, I cannot help but notice how America has strayed further and further from these ideals. What would they say if they saw how America the Great, the symbol of Freedom (yes, I capitalized these words on purpose) is now owned hook-line-and-sinker by China.

Yes, I do realize that the world has changed a great deal. But some of the thoughts voiced by Thomas Jefferson should ring true even now. When America was attacked on 9/11 the world was on our side. Almost everyone felt that our invasion of Afghanistan was well justified. What followed then was that the leader of this Nation listened to the wrong voice/s and invaded Iraq. There went all the goodwill. This former leader can't even show his face in Europe now for threat of being charged with violating the Geneva Conventions. To some extent we do need to allie ourselves with some other countries. The threat of radical Islamic states continues to grow and they have made their aim in life perfectly clear. Convert the entire world to Islam.
And so, here we are, allied with the likes of Pakistan and indebted to China. Indebted to China and sending Millions of Dollars in funds to confirmed scoundrels like Karzai and Zardari.

Where is this all headed next?

Happy Birthday Missy!

2011-02-14T05:19:00.000-08:00

Missy about 5 minutes after birth.

Happy Birthday, Missy! Eleven years ago you came in to our life. The best Valentine your Daddy and I could ever have imagined. You were this little, brown eyed, brown haired bundle with a big, insistent voice. We brought you home a few days later where you were welcomed by Brutus and Paddy, our dogs. Boy, did they go crazy over you. They weren't allowed inside your room so both parked themselves just outside your door. They would creep forward so at least their heads were inside, after all they couldn't bear to miss anything.

You stood up on your own by the time you were 8 months old but nothing on earth could convince you to walk. I was one inexperienced Momma. I had absolutely no idea what happens when baby starts walking. During your first Christmas you learned to walk and you stopped nursing a week before your first birthday. You already had cut down to one morning snack and I wasn't going to keep wearing those bras for one feeding. You didn't mind, I think you were OK with it as long as we had our morning snuggles. Hugs in our family are a big thing. You are eleven now and still love a snuggle. I feel so lucky!
Here you are, that angry, wailing, hungry infant is now alternately a poised, funny young girl, or a moody, sulking tween. For the most part you are the first version. But hey, I'll take both. As long as you don't get as bad as I was (my poor parents), we'll make it alright!

We passed through a lot of phases along the way. Do you remember Elmo? I still have your Elmo stuffie. You know, even though I am a thrower that was one of those things even I had to hold on too. After that Strawberry Shortcake (?) made you smile. Remember that huge doll someone gave you? We had no problem donating that to daycare, huh? And of course My Little Pony and Barbie. One phase you never quite outgrew is your love for matchbox (and larger model) cars. You rock! Of course we experienced Little Pets and Littlest Pets and the very expensive Pokemon. I love how very anti-fad you are now. No Silly Bandz in our home!

You are an awesome young girl. You are kind and considerate and giving. I suppose that is why your little brother is still alive. You went through some rough times but came through with an inner strength that will guide you all your life. The last eleven years were the best of my life and I look forward to experiencing the next of your life's years with you.

We love you so much.

Mom

Confucious on Friendship

2011-02-13T06:38:00.000-08:00

"Have no friends not equal to yourself."

- Confucious (551 - 497 BC) Chinese philosopher.

I wanted to start a new weekly feature on my blog by posting quotes from around the world. Hopefully the quotes will make you think, sometimes laugh, sometimes frown. Some will be from Confucious and other really looooong ago folks. Some till be contemporary. A lot will be from George Carlin. Feel free to drop a line if a quote made you think. Maybe you agree with it. Maybe you don't.

As to the quote above I can only say I mostly don't agree. It depends on how you read it. None of my friends are 'equal' to me. And that's what I like about them. I admire each of them for some characteristics, abilities, personality traits they have. These characteristics, abilities, personality traits are something I admire because I don't have it (or I don't think I have). Each of them have enhanced my life. On the other hand Big C has a point if he means there must be a string of commonality running through the relationship. There are somethings I could never abide by. So obviously there must be a level of 'equal'. If he meant equal in terms of socio economic status or pedigree in ancient China, he certainly had a point. The very hierarchical and pedigree dependant social structure of his time was most definitely not conducive to friendship across the tracks. And to some extent this holds true even now. We all tend to gravitate towards friends that are to some extent in our realm.

When you look at your friends what do you see in them that you value in your life? And please really think about your true friends, not acquaintances, they don't really count unless you think they are good future friendship material.

La la lala la la lala Elmo's World...

2011-02-01T14:39:00.000-08:00

Elmo.... if you raised a child in America in the last 30 years you've met him. He is a small, furry monster, who lives on Sesame Street. He is affectionate, kind and caring. He loves to meet little kids and just adores babies. Elmo lives in 'Elmo's World and has a Methuselah of a goldfish called Dorothy.

My daughter adored Elmo when she was a young toddler. Her second birthday cake featured Elmo. She had Elmo shirts, sneakers, bags and of course an Elmo stuffie. And as much as it was a treasured part of her early toddler life, I was elated when she outgrew Elmo. You see, Elmo always drove me crazy.

La la lala la la lala Elmo's World...
La la lala la la lala Elmo's World...

What drove me nuts wasn't his falsetto, or even his ever cheerful, insipid voice. It was the fact that even after 30 years he still hadn't learned the use of pro-nouns.

La la lala la la lala Elmo's World...

Someone hand me an airsickness bag...

La la lala la la lala Elmo's World...

.... please.... aaarrrgghhhhh, no !!! it has Elmo on it !!

excuse me.............

......sorry.

Would someone please enroll that furry, red, little monster in an intervention class? He has got to learn to use pronouns. What is he teaching our kids? I thought Sesame Street was all about fun and LEARNING! Give the little creep an ultimatum... start using pro-nouns or you're looking for a new job.

How big are they anyway as seen from your front yard?

2011-01-31T16:34:00.000-08:00

http://vimeo.com/19231255

The above link will take you to a really cool video posted on Vimeo. It shows the relative size of some planets if they were to orbit earth at the same distance as our Moon.

Over one year already? - Blog Anniversary

2011-01-29T10:10:00.000-08:00

I just noticed I've been blogging for over one year now! January 9, 2010 was my first post! Time flies!
A thanks to all who read my blog, strangely enough it's an ego boost to some extent and we grown-ups need that too at times. Blogging is also a good way to keep me sane and so a big THANKS to all of you who so often provide me with words of wisdom.

My Real Life vs. Other Families' Homeschool Blogs

2011-01-27T08:54:00.000-08:00

I am not completely happy about where we are academically at the moment. Honestly I think we are behind. Behind whom? Well, us! We could have been much further along the course I so carefully charted in Summer. So, who or what is responsible for this delay.

There are some external factors. Due to work related issues I missed 2 learning weeks in November and a chunk of December. But as inconvenient as that was, it isn't the real issue here. The real issue, I realized after much thought, lies with me. My lack of confidence in myself. I'd constantly pore over blogs of other homeschooling families to see what they were doing, learning, teaching. I am a researcher by nature. Give me a project and I happily spend hours immersed in research. I'd read those blogs and constantly think to myself: 'they've been doing this for x number of years, I must learn from them.'

or: 'what they are doing must be better than what I was planning, let's not teach this or that until I've seen what someone else has been doing.'

And so we slipped behind where I think we could have been. Not because my kids couldn't handle the work, but because I was too afraid to not do a good enough job. Hours were spent reading educational sites and blogs to the detriment of the NOW for US!

Once I realized that it was as though a veil had been lifted. The here and now and us is far more important than the added map, graph, or other learning tool from other sites. I also learned that, at times, other homeschooling parents are quite possibly as much unsure of what they are doing, as I am. Our first year of homeschooling was with the guidance of Missy's old school. After all, this was to be a temporary situation and we intended to rejoin the school. I used their curriculum (with the exception of science which we supplemented). We asked the classmates all the time to see what they were doing to make sure we were if not ahead at least at par. The curriculum was finished way ahead of time and we spent the remaining months reviewing. Until a few days ago I hadn't realized how unsure I was of what I was doing. Looking back now it is apparent that what I had set out to do is just fine. There will always be someone doing something much better than I could. There will always be someone far more creative. But that's like trying to follow the Joneses. There will always be someone....

Well, guess what, there is me and there is us and that's good enough for me.

So, one of my New Year's resolutions is to stop spending so much time reading about what everybody else is doing in their homeschool and just get seriously busy 'doing' ours.

Great Visit with Allergist!

2011-01-24T15:53:00.000-08:00

We had a fabulous visit with Missy's allergist on Friday. He was thrilled to see how well she is doing now. He's been taking care of her since June or July 2007 when she came into the hospital as a desperately ill little girl. I'll have to post some pictures to show you guys what I mean. She still has all her prescriptions (just in case) and per my request we added generic Flonase for when growing season starts. For anyone who knew my little girl when she was so very sick, her improvement is astounding. She went from a child who was too skinny and short from a lack of appetite to one who is now in the 50th percentile for growth. From a child who couldn't play outside in winter because of her asthma to one who doesn't want to come inside. From a child who was covered in raw, weeping, crusty, eczema from her scalp to her toes to smooth, soft, healthy skin. How grateful we are!
Her current amazing improvement has a lot of parents wondering why she is still being homeschooled. Aside from the fact that we like homeschooling we still see plenty of evidence that her allergies aren't gone. Both Missy and Bear horsed around yesterday with blanket which needed a wash and both were varying degrees rashy after that. Missy can go somewhere and get a reaction within minutes. The dragon is merely asleep it seems and we aim to keep it that way. Now it would appear that her little brother is getting increasingly sensitive and breaks out in allergic rashes more and more often. But then he had a 25% chance of getting some allergies. He has keratosis pilaris. How that fares as he gets older we'll have to see.

Way lower in this post I have some pictures of some of Missy's limbs during her flare-ups. I must warn you though, these pictures are disturbing. Thankfully she doesn't suffer through this anymore. Her skin is a silky as can be. These aren't the worst either. The worst was in 2007 and 2008 but the pictures taken then aren't digital.

Covered in hives and Eczema

This is what her bed would look like in the morning before I had a chance to vacuum.

This is the inside of her favorite pair of black jeans. They look grey because her skin came off.

This was taken two days after she visited a pool. Many E sufferers find relief in chlorinated pools as it reduces infections and the overgrowth of staph found so often associated with this disorder. However, Missy, is one of those few unlucky people who are overly sensitive to chlorine.

Which is the Beast in your Homeschool?

2011-01-18T09:53:00.000-08:00

Which subject has the greatest power in your home? In ours its clearly the Beast called 'Math'. It is a fearsome beastie indeed, as it, unseen, creeps into my daughter's heart and reduces her to a red-eyed, frustrated, angry, young girl. We are doing algebra right now. Very simple algebra and yet she has convinced herself that it's hard. Until she stops doing that I can't help her.
I moved away from her into another room while she solves six simple questions. I hear sighs, snorts and the occasional sniffle of barely suppressed tears of frustration. Here is a kid who thinks electron configuration is fun and yet the simple act of finding the lcm or lcd of 3 or 4 denominators is a source of frustration. I am frustrated too because I gave her simplest way to find out that information (courtesy of her math wiz Dad) and can't think of anything easier. Heck, If I understand it, trust me... it's easy!!! I wish I could help her and I wish I could instill in her a sense of peace. Everything comes to her so easily in terms of academics, this makes a challenge to her all the more frustrating. But even though I know she is frustrated I piled on 6 more questions as I believe in challenges. Running away from them won't do. Will I do a 'tiger mom' thing on her? Heaven's forbid, no! But those six questions will be answered today.

MLK - 'I Have a Dream' - Vocabulary Repost

2011-01-17T07:23:00.000-08:00

Although I posted this last year I thought I'd post it again in honor of Dr. King's Anniversary. If you want a copy of this leave me a comment with your e-mail address (will not be posted) and I'll e-mail you a PDF file.

***********************************************************************
This vocabulary compilation is created from words found in the famous “I have a dream” speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. While many words in the list have a host of other meanings (ie ‘score’, or 'threshold'), I have tried to include the definition to those words as they applied to the speech.

Some information

I used the Merriam Webster online edition http://www.merriam-webster.com. After looking up the various definitions I removed extraneous information to make the vocabulary list more understandable to the primary school student. This list would be suitable for 4-6 grade students.

Etymology = Origin

It is important to learn about the origin of words as it leads to the ability to infer the meaning of other words in the future.

Each word is classified into its various uses. In grades 4-6 students are familiar with the basic functions such as nouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives. Here are two new types of verbs a student should familiarize themselves with.

The transitive verb is a verb that requires both a direct subject and one or more objects. The term is used to contrast intransitive verbs, which do not have objects.

Jill sees Jack. (Jack is the direct object of "sees")
You pushed the car. (Car is the direct object of "pushed")
I caressed the cat. (Cat is the direct object of "caressed")

In grammar, an intransitive verb does not take an object. In more technical terms, an intransitive verb has only one argument (its subject), and hence has a valency of one. For example, in English,

The verbs sleep and die, are intransitive. Some verbs, such as smell are both transitive and intransitive.

Some examples are :

The patient will sleep until sunrise. (sleep has no object)
The cat died last night. (die has no object)
(verb, transitive verb)
(noun)

**************************

bankrupt (noun)
Etymology : from the Latin rumpere - to break
1 : a person who has done any of the acts that by law entitle creditors to have his or her estate administered for their benefit
2 : a person who is completely lacking in a particular desirable quality or attribute ; : marked by violence or ferocity : fierce — witheringly (adverb)

beacon (noun)
1 : a lighthouse or other signal for guidance
2 : a source of light or inspiration

brutality (noun)
Form(s): plural brutalities
1 : the quality or state of being brutal
2 : a brutal act or course of action

captive (adjective)
Etymology: from Latin captivus - prisoner or captive
1 : taken and held as or as if a prisoner of war
b (1) : kept within bounds : confined (2) : of or relating to captive animals
2 : a situation which makes free choice or departure difficult

character (noun)
1 : reputation
2 : moral excellence and firmness
— in character : in accord with a person's usual qualities or traits
— out of character : not in accord with a person's usual qualities or traits

citizen (noun)
1 : an inhabitant of a city or town or country
: synonyms citizen, subject, national mean a person owing allegiance to and entitled to the protection of a sovereign state.

community (noun)
Form(s): plural communities
Etymology:, from Latin communitas - to share
1 : a unified body of individuals: as a : state, commonwealth
2 : an interacting population of various kinds of individuals (as species) in a common location

cripple (transitive verb )
Form(s): crippled; crippling
1 : to deprive of the use of a limb and especially a leg
2 : to deprive of capability for service or of strength, efficiency, or wholeness
cripple as a noun (derogatory) “look at that cripple at the corner.”
synonyms - maim, weaken

curvaceous (adjective)
: having or suggesting the curves of a well-proportioned feminine figure
broadly : having a smoothly curving shape

degenerate (adjective)
1 : having declined or become less specialized (as in nature, character, structure, or function) from an ancestral or former state
2 : having sunk to a condition below that which is normal to a type;
3 : having sunk to a lower and usually corrupt and vicious state.

discipline (noun)
Etymology: from Latin disciplina teaching
1 : training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character
2 :control gained by enforcing obedience or order
3 : self-control

declaration (noun)
1 : the act of declaring : announcement
2 : something that is declared

decree (noun)
Etymology: from Latin decretum - judgment, edict
1 : an order usually having the force of law
2 : a religious ordinance enacted by council or titular head b : a foreordaining will

democracy (noun)
Form(s): plural - democracies
Etymology: from Late Latin democratia, from Greek demokratia, from demos + -kratia -cracy
: a government by the people for the people. Rule of the majority ; b : a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system

demonstration (noun)
1 : an outward expression or display
2 : public display of group feelings toward a person or cause

despair (verb, intransitive verb)
Etymology: from Latin desperare, from de- + sperare - to undo hope
: to lose all hope or confidence

devotee (noun)
: an ardent follower, supporter, or enthusiast (as of a religion, art form, or sport)

desolate (adjective)
Etymology: from Latin desolatus, de- + solus - alone
1 : joyless, disconsolate, and sorrowful through or as if through separation from a loved one

dignity (noun)
1 : the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed
2 : high rank, office, or position b : a legal title of nobility or honor
3 : formal reserve or seriousness of manner, appearance, or language

discontented (adjective)
: dissatisfied, malcontent

discord (noun)
Etymology: from Latin discordia - disagreement
1 : lack of agreement or harmony (as between persons, things, or ideas) b : active quarreling or conflict resulting from discord among persons or factions : strife
2 : a combination of musical sounds that strikes the ear harshly (2) : dissonance b : a harsh or unpleasant sound
synonyms - discord, strife, conflict, contention, dissension, variance mean a state or condition marked by a lack of agreement or harmony. discord implies an intrinsic or essential lack of harmony

discrimination (noun)
1 : the act of discriminating
2 : the quality or power of finely distinguishing
3 : the act, practice, or an instance of discriminating categorically rather than individually
b : prejudiced or prejudicial outlook, action, or treatment

dramatize (verb, transitive verb)
Form(s): dramatized; dramatizing
: to present or represent in a dramatic manner

emancipate ( transitive verb)
Form(s): emancipated; emancipating
1 : to free from restraint, control, or the power of another; especially : to free from bondage
2 : to release from paternal care and responsibility and make sui juris
3 : to free from any controlling influence (as traditional mores or beliefs)

exalt (verb, transitive verb)
Etymology: from Latin exaltare, from ex- + altus high
1 : to raise in rank, power, or character
2 : to elevate by praise or in estimation : glorify
3 : to raise high : elevate

fatigue (noun)
1 : the uniform or work clothing worn in the field.
2 : weariness or exhaustion from labor, exertion, or stress
3 : the tendency of a material to break under repeated stress

faith (noun)
Etymology: Latin fidere - to trust
1 : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust
3 : something that is believed especially with strong conviction; especially : a system of religious beliefs
synonyms - belief
— on faith : without question

foundation (noun)
1 : the act of founding
2 : basis (as a tenet, principle, or axiom) upon which something stands or is supported

fierce (adjective)
Form(s): fiercer; fiercest
Etymology: from Latin ferus - wild, savage
1 : violently hostile or aggressive in temperament
2 : marked by unrestrained zeal or vehemence
3 : furiously active or determined

freedom (noun)
: liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another :
synonyms - freedom, liberty, license mean the power or condition of acting without compulsion.

ghetto (noun)
Form(s): plural ghettos also ghettoes
Etymology: Italian, from Venetian dialect ghèto island where Jews were forced to live, literally, foundry (located on the island), from ghetàr to cast, from Latin jactare to throw
1 : a quarter of a city in which members of a minority group live especially because of social, legal, or economic pressure
2 : an isolated group : a situation that resembles a ghetto especially in conferring inferior status or limiting opportunity

gradualism (noun)
: the policy of approaching a desired end by gradual stages

gentile (noun)
often capitalized : a person of a non-Jewish nation or of non-Jewish faith; especially : a Christian as distinguished from a Jew

hallowed (adjective)
1 : holy, consecrated
2 : sacred, revered

honor (noun)
Etymology: from Latin honos - honor
1 : good name or public esteem : reputation
2 : a strong sense of ethical conduct : integrity

hamlet (noun)
: a small village

hew (verb)
Form(s): hewed; hewed or hewn or hewing
: to give form or shape to with or as if with heavy cutting blows

inextricable (adjective)
: forming a maze or tangle from which it is impossible to get free
inextricably - adverb

invigorate (transitive verb )
Form(s): invigorated; invigorating
Etymology: probably from in- + vigor (from the Latin liveliness)
: to give life and energy to : animate; also : stimulate
— invigoratingly adverb

interpose (verb)
1 : to place in an intervening position
2 : to put forth by way of interference or intervention
3 : to step in between parties at variance : intervene

insufficient (adjective)
: not sufficient : inadequate ; especially : lacking adequate power, capacity, or competence

inalienable (adjective)
: incapable of being alienated, surrendered, or transferred

injustice (noun)
1 : absence of justice : violation of right or of the rights of another : unfairness
2 : an unjust act : wrong

jangle (verb)
Form(s): jangled; jangling
: to make a harsh or discordant often ringing sound

legitimate (adjective)
being exactly as stated: neither spurious nor false

luxury (noun, adjective)
Form(s): plural luxuries
: a condition of abundance or great ease and comfort : sumptuous environment

languish (intransitive verb)
1 : to be or become feeble, weak, or enervated
2 : to be or live in a state of depression or decreasing vitality
3 : to become dispirited

momentous (adjective)
: important, consequential

manacle (noun)
Etymology: from Latin manicula - handle
1 : a shackle for the hand or wrist : handcuff —usually used in plural
2 : something used as a restraint

magnificent (adjective)
1 : impressive to the mind or spirit : sublime
2 : exceptionally fine
synonyms - grand

nullify (transitive verb)
Form(s): nullified; nullifying
Etymology: from Latin nullus - none, not any
1 : to make null; especially : to make legally null and void
2 : to make of no value or consequence
synonyms - nullify, negate, annul, abrogate, invalidate

opportunity (noun)
Form(s): plural opportunities
1 : a favorable juncture of circumstances
2 : a good chance for advancement or progr

oppression (noun)
1 : unjust or cruel exercise of authority or power
b : something that oppresses especially in being an unjust or excessive exercise of power
2 : a sense of being weighed down in body or mind : depression

obligation (noun)
1 : the action of obligating oneself to a course of action (as by a promise or vow)
2 : something (as a formal contract, a promise, or the demands of conscience or custom) that obligates one to a course of action
3 : something one is bound to do : duty, responsibility

proclaim (transitive verb)
Etymology: from Latin proclamare, from pro- before + clamare to cry out
1 : to declare publicly, typically insistently, proudly, or defiantly and in either speech or writing : announce 2 : to declare or declare to be solemnly, officially, or formally
synonyms see declare

poverty (noun)
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: from Latin paupertas, from pauper, poor
2 : scarcity, dearth
3 a : debility due to malnutrition b : lack of fertility

promissory note (noun)
: a written promise to pay at a fixed or determinable future time a sum of money

prodigious (adjective)
: extraordinary in bulk, quantity, or degree : enormous
synonyms - monstrous

persecute (transitive verb)
Form(s): persecuted; persecuting
1 : to harass or punish in a manner designed to injure, grieve, or afflict; specifically : to cause to suffer because of belief
2 : to annoy with persistent or urgent approaches (as attacks, pleas, or importunities) : pester
persecutor (noun)

prosperity (noun)
: the condition of being successful or thriving; especially : economic well-being

quicksand (noun)
: something that entraps or frustrates

racial (adjective)
1 : of, relating to, or based on a race
2 : existing or occurring between races

redemption (noun)
Etymology: from Latin redimere to redeem
: the act, process, or an instance of redeeming

redeem (transitive verb)
1 : to buy back : repurchase
2 : to get or win back
2 : to change for the better : reform

righteous (adjective)
1 : acting in accord with divine or moral law : free from guilt or sin
2 : morally right or justifiable
b : arising from an outraged sense of justice or morality
synonyms - moral
righteousness (noun)

sweltering (adjective)
: oppressively hot

Score
: twenty b : a group of 20 things —often used in combination with a cardinal number c

symbolic (adjective)
Variant(s): also symbolical
1 : using, employing, or exhibiting a symbol
b : consisting of or proceeding by means of symbols
2 : of, relating to, or constituting a symbol
3 : characterized by or terminating in symbols
4 : characterized by symbolism

segregation (noun)
1 : the act or process of segregating : the state of being segregated
2 : the separation or isolation of a race, class, or ethnic group by enforced or voluntary residence in a restricted area, by barriers to social intercourse, by separate educational facilities, or by other discriminatory means

sacred (adjective)
1 : dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity
2 : worthy of religious veneration : holy : entitled to reverence and respect
3 : highly valued and important

selfhood (noun)
1 : individuality
2 : the quality or state of being selfish

self–evident (adjective)
: evident without proof or reasoning

symphony (noun)
Form(s): plural symphonies
Etymology: from Latin symphonia, from Greek symphonia, from symphonos - concordant in sound, from syn- + phone voice, sound
1 : symphony orchestra
2 : something that in its harmonious complexity or variety suggests a symphonic composition

threshold (noun)
: the place or point of entering or beginning

militant (noun, adjective)
1 : engaged in warfare or combat : fighting
2 : aggressively active (as in a cause) : combative
synonyms - aggressive

tranquilize (verb)
Form(s): tranquilized also; tranquilizing
: to make tranquil or calm : pacify; especially : to relieve of mental tension and anxiety by means of drugs
intransitive verb

urgency (noun)
1 : the quality or state of being urgent : insistence
2 : a force or impulse that impels or constrains : urge

upward mobility (noun)
:the capacity or facility for rising to a higher social or economic position
upwardly mobile - adjective

unspeakable (adjective)
1 : incapable of being expressed in words : unutterable b : inexpressibly bad : horrendous — unspeakably adverb

veteran (noun)
Etymology: Latin veteranus, from veteranus, adjective, old, of long experience, from veter-, vetus old — more at wether
veteran (adjective)
1 : an old soldier of long service b : a former member of the armed forces
2 : a person of long experience usually in some occupation or skill (as politics or the arts)

vicious (adjective)
1 : having the nature or quality of vice or immorality : depraved
2 : impure, noxious
3 : dangerously aggressive : savage
4 : malicious, spiteful
synonyms - vicious, villainous, iniquitous, nefarious, corrupt, degenerate mean highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct. vicious may directly oppose virtuous in implying

withering (adjective)
: acting or serving to cut down or destroy : devastating

Great Grammar Resource

2011-01-17T06:10:00.000-08:00

I just came upon this really neat website called 'Daily Grammar' and have attached a link here.

http://dailygrammarlessons.blogspot.com/

I don't do Chinese Mothering and my Kids are still OK!

2011-01-15T12:47:00.000-08:00

As the evidence suggests, Amy Chua, and her Chinese mothering techniques are the topic of much discussion among thousands of parents. If over 5,700 comments on the WSJ article alone wasn't enough any site that carried the article and permitted comments/feedback was certainly inundated. We talked about the article a great deal in our home since we read it in the Saturday Edition of The Wallstreet Journal. Aside from her insufferable air of superiority there is a lot to be learned from this. It made me evaluate our parenting philosophy.

Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior

Can a regimen of no playdates, no TV, no computer games and hours of music practice create happy kids? And what happens when they fight back?
By AMY CHUA

A lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder what these parents do to produce so many math whizzes and music prodigies, what it's like inside the family, and whether they could do it too. Well, I can tell them, because I've done it. Here are some things my daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were never allowed to do:
• attend a sleepover
• have a playdate
• be in a school play
• complain about not being in a school play
• watch TV or play computer games
• choose their own extracurricular activities

• get any grade less than an A
• not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama
• play any instrument other than the piano or violin
• not play the piano or violin.

***We are a family that places a great deal of importance in academic achievement. But we understand that the success of a person rests not only in a ton of academic achievements, or conversely having six extra curricular activities under ones belt per week but in a balance thereof. Being in a school play fosters a number of important skills which these children most likely lack. Participating in playdates and sleep-overs fosters the exchange of ideas. It also allows children to have a glimpse into the life and ways of other families, see the differences and similarities and respecting and learning from those. One would suspect that Amy Chua didn't want her children to 'get any ideas' and therefore prevented interaction with other children. How sad!
I'm using the term "Chinese mother" loosely. I know some Korean, Indian, Jamaican, Irish and Ghanaian parents who qualify too. Conversely, I know some mothers of Chinese heritage, almost always born in the West, who are not Chinese mothers, by choice or otherwise. I'm also using the term "Western parents" loosely. Western parents come in all varieties.

*** I know some parents who somewhat qualify but none to the extent of Amy Chua. The bunch of Indian parents I know, who like Amy Chua, focus greatly on academic and artistic achievement all temper their drive with time off, even if limited. Those kids can go on playdates, participate in school plays and are well-rounded individuals.

All the same, even when Western parents think they're being strict, they usually don't come close to being Chinese mothers. For example, my Western friends who consider themselves strict make their children practice their instruments 30 minutes every day. An hour at most. For a Chinese mother, the first hour is the easy part. It's hours two and three that get tough.

***I think daily practise is important but honestly would I be willing to hover over my kids 2-3 hours a day while they practise the violin? Not a chance. And not because I don't love music but because I know that they are unlikely to be the next YoYo Ma. I would much rather let them play and explore and be truly creative than practise hours of music. Half to one hour of practise? Great idea! 2-3 hours? Waste of time.

Despite our squeamishness about cultural stereotypes, there are tons of studies out there showing marked and quantifiable differences between Chinese and Westerners when it comes to parenting. In one study of 50 Western American mothers and 48 Chinese immigrant mothers, almost 70% of the Western mothers said either that "stressing academic success is not good for children" or that "parents need to foster the idea that learning is fun." By contrast, roughly 0% of the Chinese mothers felt the same way. Instead, the vast majority of the Chinese mothers said that they believe their children can be "the best" students, that "academic achievement reflects successful parenting," and that if children did not excel at school then there was "a problem" and parents "were not doing their job." Other studies indicate that compared to Western parents, Chinese parents spend approximately 10 times as long every day drilling academic activities with their children. By contrast, Western kids are more likely to participate in sports teams.

****I believe both, that learning must be fun and interesting to be something the student can be passionate about. How many of us can recall classes with teachers whose lukewarm delivery all but lulled us to sleep? ( Mrs. Das I am talking about you.....) But I also believe that my childrens' academic achievements reflects on me as a parent. Let me elaborate. My husband and I believe that the parents' strong involvement in their child's schooling goes a long way in creating success. Many western parents I know, aren't willing (or able) to spend that much time and effort. And I don't mean bringing cookies once in a while to the class or staying to help the teacher for a theater production. I mean the daily grind of reviewing what the child learned that day, supervising homework and making sure the child understood it all. Many folks feel they can just leave all that to the teacher and the school and then holler bloody murder when their kids get grades that reflect that mindset. Parents are the single most driving force in a student's success. Show me a parent who has a 'who cares, it ain't my job, that's what I pay taxes for' attitude and I'll show you a student with the same 'who cares' attitude to match.

What Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun until you're good at it. To get good at anything you have to work, and children on their own never want to work, which is why it is crucial to override their preferences. This often requires fortitude on the part of the parents because the child will resist; things are always hardest at the beginning, which is where Western parents tend to give up. But if done properly, the Chinese strategy produces a virtuous circle. Tenacious practice, practice, practice is crucial for excellence; rote repetition is underrated in America. Once a child starts to excel at something-whether it's math, piano, pitching or ballet- he or she gets praise, admiration and satisfaction. This builds confidence and makes the once not-fun activity fun. This in turn makes it easier for the parent to get the child to work even more.
Chinese parents can get away with things that Western parents can't. Once when I was young-maybe more than once-when I was extremely disrespectful to my mother, my father angrily called me "garbage" in our native Hokkien dialect. It worked really well. I felt terrible and deeply ashamed of what I had done. But it didn't damage my self-esteem or anything like that. I knew exactly how highly he thought of me. I didn't actually think I was worthless or feel like a piece of garbage.
As an adult, I once did the same thing to Sophia, calling her garbage in English when she acted extremely disrespectfully toward me. When I mentioned that I had done this at a dinner party, I was immediately ostracized. One guest named Marcy got so upset she broke down in tears and had to leave early. My friend Susan, the host, tried to rehabilitate me with the remaining guests.

***I couldn't decide whether to cry after reading this or be outraged. There are somethings my parents have done which were outrageously insulting. Specifically my Dad who has anger management issues and I remember them to this day. I will never verbally abuse my children like Ms. Chua. Sure, we all will, by the time we are done raising our kids, be accused of saying something we regret later on. Calling my child names when he or she is being disrespectful to me is a lack of control. Just because the child acted in a reprehensible manner doesn't warrant my acting in a likewise manner. Who is the grown up here?

The fact is that Chinese parents can do things that would seem unimaginable-even legally actionable-to Westerners. Chinese mothers can say to their daughters, "Hey fatty-lose some weight." By contrast, Western parents have to tiptoe around the issue, talking in terms of "health" and never ever mentioning the f-word, and their kids still end up in therapy for eating disorders and negative self-image. (I also once heard a Western father toast his adult daughter by calling her "beautiful and incredibly competent." She later told me that made her feel like garbage.)

Chinese parents can order their kids to get straight As. Western parents can only ask their kids to try their best. Chinese parents can say, "You're lazy. All your classmates are getting ahead of you." By contrast, Western parents have to struggle with their own conflicted feelings about achievement, and try to persuade themselves that they're not disappointed about how their kids turned out.

*** I am not perfect and therefore cannot DEMAND perfection from my children. I can only suggest it and tell them to expect if from themselves.

I've thought long and hard about how Chinese parents can get away with what they do. I think there are three big differences between the Chinese and Western parental mind-sets.
First, I've noticed that Western parents are extremely anxious about their children's self-esteem. They worry about how their children will feel if they fail at something, and they constantly try to reassure their children about how good they are notwithstanding a mediocre performance on a test or at a recital. In other words, Western parents are concerned about their children's psyches. Chinese parents aren't. They assume strength, not fragility, and as a result they behave very differently.
For example, if a child comes home with an A-minus on a test, a Western parent will most likely praise the child. The Chinese mother will gasp in horror and ask what went wrong. If the child comes home with a B on the test, some Western parents will still praise the child. Other Western parents will sit their child down and express disapproval, but they will be careful not to make their child feel inadequate or insecure, and they will not call their child "stupid," "worthless" or "a disgrace." Privately, the Western parents may worry that their child does not test well or have aptitude in the subject or that there is something wrong with the curriculum and possibly the whole school. If the child's grades do not improve, they may eventually schedule a meeting with the school principal to challenge the way the subject is being taught or to call into question the teacher's credentials.
If a Chinese child gets a B- which would never happen-there would first be a screaming, hair-tearing explosion. The devastated Chinese mother would then get dozens, maybe hundreds of practice tests and work through them with her child for as long as it takes to get the grade up to an A.
Chinese parents demand perfect grades because they believe that their child can get them. If their child doesn't get them, the Chinese parent assumes it's because the child didn't work hard enough. That's why the solution to substandard performance is always to excoriate, punish and shame the child. The Chinese parent believes that their child will be strong enough to take the shaming and to improve from it. (And when Chinese kids do excel, there is plenty of ego-inflating parental praise lavished in the privacy of the home.)

*** Here to some extent I must agree. American society, has become increasingly narcissistic. And mediocrity is completely accepted. How many of us have been to little league ball games, tumbling/gymnastic/cheerleading meets, and other minor events and seen every kid toddle off with a little trophy. We pat them on the back and the result is that we've ended up teaching these kids two things, and both wrong. ONE- you don't need to work hard to become good at something, someone will give you rewards just for having a pulse and showing up. And TWO- Patience and perseverance is not needed in life. We are a microwave society and your trophy will be ready in 5,4,3,2,1, Enjoy-your-meal, seconds. Shaming a child is definitely not the way to go. But for goodness sakes, what is wrong with setting some goals and standards and let these kids strive for something higher in life. I can instill a drive for success in my children without shaming them. But I don't praise mediocrity either.

Second, Chinese parents believe that their kids owe them everything. The reason for this is a little unclear, but it's probably a combination of Confucian filial piety and the fact that the parents have sacrificed and done so much for their children. (And it's true that Chinese mothers get in the trenches, putting in long grueling hours personally tutoring, training, interrogating and spying on their kids.) Anyway, the understanding is that Chinese children must spend their lives repaying their parents by obeying them and making them proud.
By contrast, I don't think most Westerners have the same view of children being permanently indebted to their parents. My husband, Jed, actually has the opposite view. "Children don't choose their parents," he once said to me. "They don't even choose to be born. It's parents who foist life on their kids, so it's the parents' responsibility to provide for them. Kids don't owe their parents anything. Their duty will be to their own kids." This strikes me as a terrible deal for the Western parent.

***Yes, my duty is to my children. They were born per our choice! It is that sense of duty that fuels me to do my best while I help them grow their wings and learn to fly! It is important that they learn from me about this world that surrounds us and how to navigate it. They owe me their hard work in the sense that I expect us to be a team.

Third, Chinese parents believe that they know what is best for their children and therefore override all of their children's own desires and preferences. That's why Chinese daughters can't have boyfriends in high school and why Chinese kids can't go to sleepaway camp. It's also why no Chinese kid would ever dare say to their mother, "I got a part in the school play! I'm Villager Number Six. I'll have to stay after school for rehearsal every day from 3:00 to 7:00, and I'll also need a ride on weekends." God help any Chinese kid who tried that one.

Don't get me wrong: It's not that Chinese parents don't care about their children. Just the opposite. They would give up anything for their children. It's just an entirely different parenting model.

Here's a story in favor of coercion, Chinese-style. Lulu was about 7, still playing two instruments, and working on a piano piece called "The Little White Donkey" by the French composer Jacques Ibert. The piece is really cute-you can just imagine a little donkey ambling along a country road with its master-but it's also incredibly difficult for young players because the two hands have to keep schizophrenically different rhythms.

Lulu couldn't do it. We worked on it nonstop for a week, drilling each of her hands separately, over and over. But whenever we tried putting the hands together, one always morphed into the other, and everything fell apart. Finally, the day before her lesson, Lulu announced in exasperation that she was giving up and stomped off.

"Get back to the piano now," I ordered.
"You can't make me."
"Oh yes, I can."

Back at the piano, Lulu made me pay. She punched, thrashed and kicked. She grabbed the music score and tore it to shreds. I taped the score back together and encased it in a plastic shield so that it could never be destroyed again. Then I hauled Lulu's dollhouse to the car and told her I'd donate it to the Salvation Army piece by piece if she didn't have "The Little White Donkey" perfect by the next day. When Lulu said, "I thought you were going to the Salvation Army, why are you still here?" I threatened her with no lunch, no dinner, no Christmas or Hanukkah presents, no birthday parties for two, three, four years. When she still kept playing it wrong, I told her she was purposely working herself into a frenzy because she was secretly afraid she couldn't do it. I told her to stop being lazy, cowardly, self-indulgent and pathetic.

Jed took me aside. He told me to stop insulting Lulu--which I wasn't even doing, I was just motivating her-and that he didn't think threatening Lulu was helpful. Also, he said, maybe Lulu really just couldn't do the technique-perhaps she didn't have the coordination yet-had I considered that possibility?

*** Jed was right, calling a child lazy, cowardly, self-indulgent and pathetic is insulting and abusive. "You just don't believe in her," I accused.

"That's ridiculous," Jed said scornfully. "Of course I do."

"Sophia could play the piece when she was this age."

"But Lulu and Sophia are different people," Jed pointed out.

"Oh no, not this," I said, rolling my eyes. "Everyone is special in their special own way," I mimicked sarcastically. "Even losers are special in their own special way. Well don't worry, you don't have to lift a finger. I'm willing to put in as long as it takes, and I'm happy to be the one hated. And you can be the one they adore because you make them pancakes and take them to Yankees games."
I rolled up my sleeves and went back to Lulu. I used every weapon and tactic I could think of. We worked right through dinner into the night, and I wouldn't let Lulu get up, not for water, not even to go to the bathroom. The house became a war zone, and I lost my voice yelling, but still there seemed to be only negative progress, and even I began to have doubts.
Then, out of the blue, Lulu did it. Her hands suddenly came together-her right and left hands each doing their own imperturbable thing-just like that.
Lulu realized it the same time I did. I held my breath. She tried it tentatively again. Then she played it more confidently and faster, and still the rhythm held. A moment later, she was beaming.

***Yes, I have used similar tactics with my daughter when it came to some math (division) recently. However, I did feed and water the child and I did not verbally abuse her. Missy was informed that careless mistakes on something so basic were inexcusable and she would have to do three more question for every one she got wrong. It took a few hours, some Kleenex and snacks but she did it! Here is the crux though, Amy Chua stayed by her daughter's side the entire time. So did I. You cannot succeed in this if you aren't willing to put in the time.

"Mommy, look-it's easy!" After that, she wanted to play the piece over and over and wouldn't leave the piano. That night, she came to sleep in my bed, and we snuggled and hugged, cracking each other up. When she performed "The Little White Donkey" at a recital a few weeks later, parents came up to me and said, "What a perfect piece for Lulu-it's so spunky and so her."

Even Jed gave me credit for that one. Western parents worry a lot about their children's self-esteem. But as a parent, one of the worst things you can do for your child's self-esteem is to let them give up. On the flip side, there's nothing better for building confidence than learning you can do something you thought you couldn't.
There are all these new books out there portraying Asian mothers as scheming, callous, overdriven people indifferent to their kids' true interests. For their part, many Chinese secretly believe that they care more about their children and are willing to sacrifice much more for them than Westerners, who seem perfectly content to let their children turn out badly. I think it's a misunderstanding on both sides. All decent parents want to do what's best for their children. The Chinese just have a totally different idea of how to do that.

Western parents try to respect their children's individuality, encouraging them to pursue their true passions, supporting their choices, and providing positive reinforcement and a nurturing environment. By contrast, the Chinese believe that the best way to protect their children is by preparing them for the future, letting them see what they're capable of, and arming them with skills, work habits and inner confidence that no one can ever take away.

***I think a balanced approach is the way to go. Admittedly I expect a lot from my children. But as a homeschooling mother that merely means that I must expect much from myself. I cannot blame anyone but myself if my kids don't do well academically. However, I believe in their self esteem. I believe in love and kindness. I believe in being strict and demanding but tempering my expectations with the understanding and acceptance of the fact that my children are just that... children. They need the opportunity to play pretend. They need the opportunity to meet other people and see how they live to truly succeed in this world. And yes, my kids watch TV, they watch the news and they do play video games. Amy Chua's children probably have somewhat of a myopic view of this world since their mother has chosen to curtail their horizon so severely. Are Amy Chua's daughters exceptionally talented in what they do? Without a doubt! How well they'll end up doing in the real world where they have to deal with other people and their viewpoints is up for debate.

Amy Chua is a professor at Yale Law School and author of "Day of Empire" and "World on Fire: How Exporting Free Market Democracy Breeds Ethnic Hatred and Global Instability." This essay is excerpted from "Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother" by Amy Chua, to be published Tuesday by the Penguin Press, a member of Penguin Group (USA) Inc. Copyright © 2011 by Amy Chua.

Organization....is Bliss!

2011-01-12T18:15:00.000-08:00

I finally received the two Sterilite 4 Drawer Medium carts I'd ordered on January 2nd. And one of them arrived broken. Arrgh! Anyway, since I had ordered them from Wallyworld Site to Store I went to the store to see if they could replace it or if I had to return the purchase. Lucky me found the same type of cart at the store and I returned home with two carts.
What I had needed them for was the kids' work and note books. They had all been in a giant heap on the bookcase and every time we changed subjects it took several frustrating minutes to locate the needed materials. Since we are learning in our formal dining room space is somewhat limited. We have one decent size bookcase there but with everything on it and in two 4 drawer carts we ran out of space and our dining/school table was under piles of papers and books. Conducive to learning? Noooooot....
On January 2nd I emptied the drawer carts, labeled them for each child, and moved things around and into two temporary crates. Each drawer was labeled. And you know what? Suddenly it was so easy to find books, workbooks and notebooks when we needed them. Ahhh, the joy!

Here are our four 4 drawer carts and labels

Missy (2 carts)

Math
Science
Geography/Worldstudies
History
French
Art
Misc.
Assorted

General

Craft Supplies
School Supplies
Stationery
Assorted Tools

Bear

Reading & Writing
Math
Misc.
Coloring Books/Craft Paper

Now I have enough space on my bookcase to bring back the reference books I had to place in a different (and less accessible) location.

Yeah me!!! I am excited about all the space and the fact that we can learn in a reasonably organized room.

And the Giveaway winner is.....

2011-01-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

..... (Drumroll Please.....)

Gina from Fairiemom78.blogspot.com!

Congratulations Gina, I am sure you will love this set. Please send me a comment with your e-mail address (won't be published) and I'll forward it to the publishing company.

Thank you all for taking part in this give-away. I enjoyed the added bonus of learning about lots of new blogs and visiting them. I just wish I could send each one of you one these wonderful kits.

Giveaway!!! Giveaway!!! Giveaway!!! Giveaway!!!

2010-12-27T10:31:00.000-08:00

I am ~~stoked~~ pleased to present this amazing give-away. Publications Internation Ltd has graciously consented to a 6 book set give-away of their interactive library. As some of you may recall, I wrote a review on their products a few weeks ago. In case you missed it, here it is again.

Fun in education has come a long way since I grew up. Take the above pictured set for example. I wish they had stuff like that when I grew up! So what is this you ask?

Combine richly illustrated 'Britannica' produced books with a SD-X Interactive Reader Pen and let the magic happen. It did in my house. So much so, that the kids had fights over who got to use it when and how long. We purchased the the above pictured set at Sam's Club for about $25 (sold out in a few days) and it's worth every penny and more. The set contains 3 books and a 'Reader' Pen which when placed at various points on each page provides hours of additional information and audioclips. We bought the set which has 'EARTH', 'HUMANS' and 'SPACE'. There are, however, other combinations available. The set is published by PIL Books and here, for your convenience, is a link to their interactive store. In addition to the hours and hours of interesting soundbites your child can also challenge herself with quizzes. Now, because this set became the ball everyone wanted to play with in our home I appreciated the added bonus in the headset port available on the pen's top. This was helpful for us as one kid was able to listen to his heart's content to the lessons while perusing a richly illustrated book without distracting his sister who was working on something else at the same time. We simply used the headphones from his I-Pod Shuffle.

And here's the BIG NEWS!!!!The wonderful folks at PIL are making the magic happen for one of you lucky winners. Here is how you enter:

1. Leave a comment and be sure to leave a link to your blog. If you have no blog leave me two comments, one I can publish and one that contains your e-mail address (which will not be published) . This will be counted as one entry.
2. For an extra entry visit the PIL website and copy a link to a product that really interests you. Come back and leave me a comment with the link added to the PIL link you liked.

How will the winner be chosen? We have a very scientific approach. On January 10th I will print the entries on equally sized pieces of paper. My blind folded son will pick one piece of paper and his sister (who knows how to read and will not be blindfolded LOL) will read the name. I will notify the winner via e-mail and on their blog if I have their blog address. Please contact me immediately (my comments are only published after approval so your e-mail address and real life name are safe and won't be published) The winner's name and e-mail will be forwarded to PIL Publications and they will then mail the goodies to the winner. Now please understand, that PIL agreed (understandably so) to mail the book set to winners in the continental US only. If you live outside the continental US you will unfortunately not be able to qualify for this give-away.

If you have any questions please let me know. I've never done this before and hope I didn't make things too hard to understand.

Bon chance!

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T08:22:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Itchy Homeschooling Family.

IT Man, Marlis, Missy and Bear

Tribute to a Mother

2010-12-22T20:07:00.000-08:00

I'd like to take a moment and tell you about a mother. The mother of the mother of my husband. A deeply devout mother who dedicated her life to her daughters. Especially her middle child, my mother-in-law. You see, my mother-in-law had meningitis in her thirties and once she awoke from a three week coma she had to relearn everything. Enter my grandmother-in-law. She packed her bags, moved in and never left. Once again she taught her daughter how to walk. She taught her daughter once again how to eat, talk, go potty and write. Once again my grandmother-in-law (I call her Didu), patiently taught her daughter how to button a blouse and tie a knot. And although my mother-in-law (who passed away last year) learned all those things she never regained full function. And so Didu stayed. My mother-in-law had lost most of her hearing due to the disease and her balance. My grandmother-in-law was her ears and steadied her when needed, isn't that what we mothers do?

Didu had been bedridden for a while now and lived mostly in her dreamlike world of memories, occasionally vocalized with urgencies such as 'your husband is coming home from work, let us quickly make a snack for him'. About 4 days ago she entered a permanent dream state or coma. The decision was made to let this 90 something lady go to sleep and today she once again rejoined two of her daughters and her husband.

Didu, rest in peace. I'm here to take care of your grandson.

Your grand-daughter.

Fried, Frazzled, Frustrated or Flummoxed?

2010-12-20T19:40:00.000-08:00

I just have one recommendation. Click on the link below, make sure your kids don't read over your shoulder and be prepared to laugh yourself to a stomach ache.

http://boardinginbedlam.blogspot.com/2010/12/arbys-wild-weekend-adventure-with-mary.html

Our almost eleven year old desperately wanted to read this story after watching even her father burst our laughing, but this is R rated. Or would this be PG 13? I am confused. At any rate, she wasn't allowed to read.

Arby, my dh asked if you had aspirations as a writer. All I can say, if you ever write your memoirs, can I have a personalized, autographed copy?

Wow, an Award! Thank you.

2010-12-14T06:54:00.000-08:00

Thank you to the gracious and inspirational blogger of a homeschoolstory for honoring me with the Stylish Blogger Award. I was told to write seven things about me so here goes:

1. I have lived on three continents.
2. Certain music can move me to tears. I always thought I was weird until an article on MSNBC.com showed me I am not alone. Phew, that's a many decades old load off my shoulders....Not thaaat many decades, but still...
3. I've experienced the pain of infertility and the joy of feeling life grow within me.
4. I like spicy foods and cook a lot of ethnic dishes, primarily Indian.
5. I learned English when I was 15 and it's been my primary language since then.
6. I never thought I'd have a blog, it just kinda grew ( I'd bet this happens to a lot of people)
7. I used to play the flute.

Now, I would love to honor some other bloggers that continue to inspire me.
http://boardinginbedlam.blogspot.com/ This homeschooling Dad hits the nail on the head and makes me laugh.
http://raisingfutureleaders.blogspot.com/ Lisa, is a lady who has done a fine job raising her kids. Her blog is full of cool resources and inspiration.
http://oursplendidadventure.blogspot.com/ This budding blog is something to keep an eye on!
http://thechurchcook.blogspot.com/ Kay Heritage, I find myself coming back to her astounding recipes over and over.
and last but not least http://dreamaboutfood.blogspot.com/ designer of awesome recipes! Really, don't go there if you don't want to be addicted. If you decide to visit her site anyway... I did warn you and I will not be held responsible.....

Thank you all, though who visit my blog and leave a note now and then, you ALL are apprecitated.

Early Childhood Math Concept

2010-12-12T15:01:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to share our approach to teaching Bear math for a long time. The system developed when he had just turned 3 years old. Along with a concept in numbers I also re-enforced numbers, patterns and fine motor skills. The cost of this was minimal.

We used pipe cleaners and inexpensive wooden beads from a craft store
along with colored card board. Each cardboard have a number on one side and the
corresponding number of dots on the other side.

Once he started to understand the concept of numbers we enjoyed additional activities such as bringing the right amount of toy cars in a particular color.

Colored beads and pipe cleaners are a wonderful way to teach young children about patterns.The reasonably rigid structure of the pipe cleaner makes beading easier.

Of course at the end of the day the best tools and activities for a child are interaction with parents. Count the apples in a bowl, the eggs in the basket. Play games like ' if you and sissie have breakfast and both of you want one egg each, how many eggs should I cook?' Count Frootloop style cereals and let them make patterns for a necklace. Use Frootloop style cereal for learning to make bar graphs and tally charts.

Bear is now five years old and does 2nd grade math. While I am thrilled about his interest in math, I know he is no prodigy (thank goodness). Nor is the fact that he does 2nd grade math so remarkable since the standard seems abysmally low. The wonderful thing about homeschooling is the fact that he can learn at his pace, whatever that may be. I am convinced however, that starting early is the key. As long as it's a game and there is no pressure a child's natural curiosity will lead them to discover and investigate.

Arrggh! Perfectionism meets Teenage Hormones!

2010-12-07T09:54:00.000-08:00

This morning is not shaping up too well. My ten year old daughter is upstairs in her room sobbing her eyes out because she didn't get a glowing critique on a piece of creative writing. She has a tendency to mix the tense mid paragraph going from present perfect to past perfect. Additionally she failed to meet the assignement's real purpose, to create a character and tell us about her.

My almost eleven year old is sobbing in her room and I am really to bang my head against the wall. I told her that I am not her personal cheering squad and will push her harder as she gets older. Mediocrity will not do. Mediocrity will not get her anywhere in this world. Look where mediocrity has led this country. Hard work and sacrifice by our forfathers built this amazing country. And mediocrity is tearing it down.

(A few minutes later) I just realized that she has no goals. Nothing she is working towards. She is just floating along without any plan on where she wants to go. Her best friend is working towards being an olympic swimmer. Boy, that kid works hard. Ever seen a ten year old girl with sixpack abs? I have. Even more amazing that she does all this on a diet not containing any dairy, eggs, or nuts since she is allergic (anaphylacts). She is currently in the top 2% in her age group in the country! My daughter on the other hand seems to, at some point, have given up. Her allergies have taken away so much we all grew soft on her. Being highly intelligent and not having to work very hard in many regards added to the problem. Things just kinda come to her. In many ways I really admire my daughter. Of course I love both my kids but my daughter is someone truly amazing. Now we need to find a way to channel this and I have to find a way to guide her.

Her current assignement, not meant for anyone's eyes but her own, is to write in her private journal what her goals and dreams are for herself. It's time to be still, to be contemplative and look within.

For both of us.

Great Gift Idea for Any Parent Interested in Education

2010-12-04T17:25:00.000-08:00

Fun in education has come a long way since I grew up. Take the above pictured set for example. I wish they had stuff like that when I grew up! So what is this you ask?
Combine richly illustrated 'Britannica' produced books with a SD-X Interactive Reader Pen and let the magic happen. It did in my house. So much so, that the kids had fights over who got to use it when and how long. We purchased the the above pictured set at Sam's Club for about $25 and it's worth every penny and more. The set contains 3 books and a 'Reader' Pen which when placed at various points on each page provides hours of additional information and audioclips. We bought the set which has 'EARTH', 'HUMANS' and 'SPACE'. There are, however, other combinations available. The set is published by PIL Books and here, for your convenience, is a link to their interactive store. In addition to the hours and hours of interesting soundbites your child can also challenge herself with quizzes. Now, because this set became the ball everyone wanted to play with in our home I appreciated the added bonus in the headset port available on the pen's top. This was helpful for us as one kid was able to listen to his heart's content to the lessons while perusing a richly illustrated book without distracting his sister who was working on something else at the same time. We simply used the headphones from his I-Pod Shuffle. I contacted the boss-man of PIL Books in the hopes of getting a 'give-away' arranged but unfortunately my e-mail was ~~ignored~~ lost. But don't let this stop you from checking out these cool book sets. This investment is a treasured part of our growing home library.

Contemplative Days

2010-12-02T17:24:00.000-08:00

I am in a contemplative mood, to say the least. But before I go deeper into my ruminations, let me tell you what brought me here.

Thanksgiving was marvelous. Exhausting but wonderful. My friend went on ad nauseam about her 'new kitchen' but other than that we had a good time. She and her husband come every year. Since our families live too far away they are our ersatz relatives and the children adore them. The fact that they bring really cool toys doesn't hurt either (*smile*). On Friday we did nothing. No, actually it was NOTHING in capital letters. We bummed around all day recovering from the previous exhausting days. I haven't bummed around like this for years and it was marvelous. On Saturday we went shopping at an outlet mall which is a little more than an hour away. We returned home rather late and the kids went straight off to bed. To decompress I stayed up and played on the PS3. It's my addiction. That and a glass of wine make my day. What can I say, I am a teenager in an old broad's body. I was a mere minute or two from turning off the PS3 to retire to bed when my cell phone rang. I looked at the caller ID and it was the name of one my my employees. At 12:40 AM that could only be some bad news. My young employee sobbed into the phone when I answered 'My Mom's dead, we found her, she's dead.'

....

....

I asked what any good boss would ask : 'Where are you? Are you at home?' When she said she was I told her I'd be right there. Since she lives less than 5 minutes drive from my house I was there within 10 minutes. And there, my employee of 5 years and her sister collapsed in my arms and cried and cried and cried. They had found their mother, you see. She had some substance abuse issues and her not answering the phone or calling back only several days later was normal. So when calls on Thursday and Friday went unanswered, the girls went to check on her on Saturday evening. According to the fire department people and the police she had died sometime on Thursday. Autopsy results are pending. The sad thing here is that the kids are blaming themselves. Without going into details here, I can tell you this with certainty. It was not their fault. Was this unexpected? No. But in a twinkling these young women lost their mother.

Previous weeks saw me loosing a dear friend. He died suddenly and unexpectedly at the young age of 63. And then, a beloved family family friend went in from some routine colon cancer surgery and is now, almost 7 weeks later still fighting for his life because of complications and largely due to incompetent doctors. And that's in Germany. Then my employee's mother fell on the carpet and stayed there. I am also worried sick about my Dad. He is alive and propped up with a stick and the marvels of modern medicine. My mother too has health issues (cancer survivor) But Dad? A bad heart, bad kidneys, a bad liver and claws for hands because the rheumatic arthritis ate his bones and dissolved them. It breaks my heart.

After Peter died (the friend I told you about ) I made sure I sent a heartfelt card to the seriously sick friend in Germany. And thankfully he got it while he could still read. Peter? Well, I always meant to write to him. I always meant to take the time and send him an e-mail but just always found myself too busy. And now he's gone. And my employee's mom? Gone too. I learned one thing from this, don't put off letting the people in your life know how you feel about them. There is no 'replay memory' option in our lives, no 'undo' button. As for me? I plan to make good use of the pile of cards purchased over the years and really send them to the intended recipients.

One more thing about the friends in Germany. Every year since the birth of my daughter they've sent Advents Calendar cards. And today, even though Rolf is still in the hospital and his faithful wife at least 4-6 hours a day by his side, they sent the children their yearly special cards and me a card to thank me for the one I sent them a few days ago. Even in some of their darkest hours they still thought about other people. Hours later I still tear up over this. Stick a fork in me, I am done!

As for me, I am taking a lesson from all of this. Acknowledge all of those who are in your lives. I've always made sure I read the badges of store clerks and use their names when I talk to them. I've always written down the names of customer service I talk to over the phone and use those when talking to them. Now it's time to acknowledge those I've been taking for granted.

Actions and Consequences

2010-11-20T11:51:00.000-08:00

What do you think of my decision? Please be honest.

A few weeks ago I found one of my son's t-shirts with several scissor cuts in the hem area. When confronted he (eventually) admitted to cutting the t-shirt. Don't you hate the sentence ' I don't knooooowwwww.....' You know the kind you get when you ask your kid why in the name of Sam Hill they did something?! It was a brand new shirt and I wasn't pleased. I gave him a scolding and a stern warning that he could only cut paper and only with permission. Later I found another t-shirt with a cut in the bottom. I didn't say anything figuring it had happened shortly before the one I'd found previously.
This morning I noticed my daughters' Corbin Bleau (sp?) concert ticket on her desk. I wondered why it wasn't in it's usual place but didn't say anything suspecting that she was rearranging her belongings. I should mention that she met the singer/actor and he autographed that ticket.
Hours later I heard much commotion. My son (who turned 5 in August btw), cut up the ticket. I gave him a spank on the derriere this time and grounded him for the rest of the weekend. No sweets, desserts, tv or pc time. Now IT man is mad at me for messing up the weekend. He felt I should just have left the grounding to the rest of the day until evening. You see, Saturday is family TV night. We watch a movie and eat a steak dinner. Now that we won't watch the tube together tonight IT man is boycotting steak and family time. Thanks, I love being the family ogre. Apparently we can't do without the TV. He feels my punishment is too severe and is irate that it affects our family movie time. Gee, sorry I didn't time Bear's bad behaviour better. He should have done this on a Monday. He also feels Bear shouldn't have had access to scissors and that I shouldn't teach him how to cut stuff up even though I told him that this was necessary fine motor skills practise we must do. He found the scissors in his big sister's desk by the way.

So, you experienced mothers and fathers out there. Please let me know what you guys think. Was I too severe? I know this is quite a severe punishment but feel that the lack of punishment during the t-shirt episode contributed to this. My parents were big on punishments. His parents quite the opposite. I strive for the middleground. Our children are rarely punished. Scolded and sit down meetings happen with some more frequency but two day groundings can be counted on one hand for both combined.

How do you discipline your kids? Do you discuss the punishement together or does one parent usually assume the ogre role? How do you handle the situation when one of you disagrees with the punishment?

Everybody's got one...(show me yours, I'll show you mine)

2010-11-16T08:53:00.000-08:00

Gotcha!
Now, go pick your mind out of the gutter. There's a dear. Here, sit down, have a cucumber sandwich and a spot of tea. Fancy a biscuit? That's British for cookie.

Everybody's got one? By that I meant 'Opinion'. What floors me is how liberal we all are with our opinions on things which often don't even affect us at all. Throw out some words into any gathering of people and see what happens. Homeschooling and Circumcision just to mention two, are biggies. One thing I'd like to ask those who make such bilious comments about homeschooling is this: "How does my decision to homeschool my children affect you?" Why do you feel entitled to 'bless' us with your unsolicited opinions? Many anti homeschooling opinions are penned by individuals who have little one-on-one experience with homeschoolers. I can see how some teachers may have a dim view of it for a variety of reasons. The thing I am not always sure about is this; are these views truly based solely on their care and concern for the children or a variety of other reasons.

So what is it that invites people, even those not directly impacted by homeschooling, to make comments? Read any homeschooling blog and you are sure to come across personal accounts of homeschooling parents having to fend off often uninformed and negative remarks about their choice. Comments often made by family (in which case I can understand the concern but please educate yourself before opening your mouth) and in many cases strangers. Shouldn't we all make sure we are educated about an issue before we open our mouths.

My son currently has the habit of telling people he meets that he is homeschooled. Out of the blue and for no reason. I wish he wouldn't do that. I don't want people judging my children based on some preconceived negative notion about homeschoolers. Much rather, I'd prefer it to be something they find out later when they know my children and me for who we are. We all have thoughts about a multitude of different topics and issues. But a wise person keeps their thoughts and opinions to themselves unless solicited to share them. Even then it's often wiser to remain silents and noncommittal especially if ones knowledge is third hand and poorly formulated or apt to hurt someones feelings. My feelings about religion, as for example, would ruffle many feathers. Why would I go and trample over what is important to someone else just to hear myself talk?

Rather than accosting someone with a bunch of preconceived notions about something, just ask some questions and really listen to the answers. That's another thing I see a lot of. People ask questions merely as a way to draw one into a conversation. The questions are usually meant as a vehicle to allow the person who asked to then follow it up with their opinions and it often becomes clear that they didn't really listen to the answers given.

Free speech. On so many occasions I told my daughter that Free Speech is one of the things that makes this country so great. One other great thing is the liberal use of the 'Delete' button. Or the 'X' button to close a browser window. It definitely saves some nerves. Just because we have the liberty of Free Speech doesn't necessarily mean that it's one we are required to use all the time. And yet the increasingly narcissistic nature of our society invites more 'opinions' and 'thoughts' than in the decades before.

Silence can be golden.

Make your Own Pizza, it's easy!

2010-11-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

A few months ago one of my son's friends came over for a playdate. For lunch I thought we could all make pizza together. So, along with a base of flat bread I set our cheese, sauce and pepperonis. My son's friend refused to eat. To the evident embarrassment of his mother he pronounced the food 'yucky'. Poor kid has never seen a pizza without the box....

We like to make our own dough when I have time. It's ridiculously easy!

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 + extra cup unbleached white flour
1 packet yeast
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
1 tbsp + extra for the bowl olive oil
warm water (sorry, I don't measure)

Place 2 tablespoons of flour in a small bowl. Add sugar and yeast and about a half cup hot/warm water. Mix well and place in a warm spot. When the mixture has doubled in size and become bubbly add the starter mixture to the rest of the flour. Add olive oil, salt and more water as needed and knead into a nice, elastic, dough. If it's too stiff you'll have trouble keeping it from retracting later. The ideal dough is not stiff and not too sticky. Add more flour if too sticky and more water if too stiff. Knead for about 5 -7 minutes. It's therapeutic. Now pour a bit of olive oil into a good size bowl and put your ball of dough into it. Since you want the dough to double in size make sure the bowl will easily accommodate the growth. Swish to distribute the oil. Cover the bowl with cling wrap or a damp towel and place the dough in a warm, draft free place until doubled in place. I like the oven. I turn it on at 170 degrees (my lowest setting) and once warm turn it off. I open the door for a moment so it can cool a bit more and then pop the bowl with the dough in there and close the door. Voila.

Once the dough has nicely doubled punch it down and divide into two. Hand stretch each piece into a nice piece of pizza base. I make mine rectangular as you can see. Let rest for 10-15 mins in a warm place. If you like your pizza crust crunchy by-pass this step. Now comes the fun part. Toppings. I like to use Contadina's pizza sauce in their squirt bottle. It keeps well in the fridge. Apply a base of sauce. Some like it saucy. Some don't. We like it on the lean side. The kids like their pizza simple. Just add sauce, cheese and pepperoni. I like mine with tons of veggies and no meat or pepperoni. I also like to use minimal cheese on the bottom (just enough to hold the veggies in place and instead use some left over Brie (I live for that stuff) on top. Sprinkle with Italian herbs and pop in the oven at 370F. Bake until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. Now, if you use lots of toppings you may need to keep it in the oven longer than if you make a basic cheese and pepperoni version. The nice thing here is the flexibility. Use up old marinara or spaghetti sauce and veggies. I've even added left over steak from a steakhouse on the pizzas. Be creative. Click on the pictures to see a larger version of my pizzas. Then drool.

My raw uncooked pizza featuring zucchini, mushrooms, onions, olives and brie.
Divine, I tell you, DIVINE!

Once cooked this pizza practically begs you to devour it at record speed.

St. Martin's Day

2010-11-11T12:37:00.000-08:00

Laterne, Laterne

Laterne, Laterne, Sonne, Mond und Sterne!
Brenne auf mein Licht, brenne auf mein Licht,

aber nur meine liebe Laterne nicht.

2.
Laterne, Laterne, Sonne, Mond und Sterne!
Sperrt ihn ein den Wind, sperrt ihn ein den Wind.
Er soll warten, bis wir zuhause sind.

3.
Laterne, Laterne, Sonne, Mond und Sterne!
Bleibe hell mein Licht, bleibe hell mein Licht,
denn sonst strahlt meine liebe Laterne nicht.

St. Martin's is a day much enjoyed by German children. This evening they roamed about their towns, villages and neighborhoods carrying lanterns and singing songs such as the one posted above. We would make lanterns and then carry these shining beacons of light with us in the dark as we went about singing. There was usually at least one mounted rider and his horse representing St. Martin and his mount. It is common to see this rider wearing a bishops miter, robes and carrying the staff. In our town we often had the entire equestrian club riding along with the designated St. Martin. It was beautiful. Imagine dozens of children walking together with colorful lanterns singing together in the dark of night. The fact that we received treats in return for our signing was an added bonus. Today is incidentally also my mother's and IT man's birthday.

St. Martin was a bishop who shared all he had and when he had no more and he saw a beggar freezing and cold he took out his sword and cut his cloak in half. He gave half the cloak to the beggar to keep him warm. According to legend he dreamed of the beggar that very night and in his dream the beggar was Jesus.

St Martin of Tours started out as a Roman soldier. He was baptized when he was grown up and became a monk. He was a very good and kind man, and eventually became the Bishop of Tours. As well as being kind, he was quiet and simple. He didn't want to become Bishop, but he didn't have much choice. There are many legends about his life. The most famous is when he cut his cloak in half to share with a beggar during a snowstorm, to save the beggar from dying of the cold. Another legend is about his trying to hide so as not to become Bishop. The story is that he hid in a stall in a barn, hoping to escape the people who were hunting for him. They had come to take him to be appointed Bishop. A flock of geese made a lot of noise and gave away his hiding place. The goose is the animal symbol of St Martin and a favorite food on Saint Martin's Day. (from http://funsocialstudies.learninghaven.com/articles/stmartins.htm)

Droolworthy Mashed Potatoes - Different, I promise!

2010-11-08T18:12:00.000-08:00

you'll need:
1 acorn squash or a butternut squash. Either will work fine.
4-5 potatoes (good size)
½ yellow onion
1 tbps packed brown sugar
2-3 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste

I don't have an exact recipe here for you, bear with me. The good news is that you practically CAN'T screw this up and it will taste heavenly!

This recipe yields a pot of gorgeous, steaming, orange hued, mashed potatoes with the most divine flavor ever. IT man would happily sit down with a bowl of this stuff just by itself and I can't cook this without stealing a lick now and then. OK, a small bowl worth. But once you try this you'll understand.

Peel and cut up about 3 cups worth of butternut or acorn squash. What you want is approximately 1½ inch size cubes of organgey gorgeousness. Toss these lovelies with a half, reasonably finely chopped yellow onion, 1 tbsp. brown sugar, and no less than 2 tablespoons of butter cut into pieces. Come one, you know you want it, add another tablespoon, it's sooooo worth it. Now, toss all this together along with some pepper and salt to taste and spread out on an aluminum lined cookie sheet. Pop this into the oven at about 350 F and let it bake. Stir once in a while. You'll probably open the oven door more often than you need to just to smell that amazing, heavinly, aroma of caramelizing onions and squash. Meanwhile peel and cut potatoes. You'll want about 5 cups of potatoes cubes approximately 2 inches in size. Boil these with a pinch of salt until tender. Before you drain them retain 1 cup of the starchy liquid.
When the potatoes are cooked and drained mash them nicely. Use some milk if you want, or the starchy liquid you reserved. Cook the squash until quite tender and the onions pleasingly browned. Pour the whole mess into a bowl and mash. Add the mashed squash to the mashed potatoes and stirr. This is fabulous with your turkey dinner or any dinner for that matter. If you want to fancy it up for a nice presentation top each serving with a dollop of black pepper crusted goat cheese.

By popular demand I'll be serving this again on Thanksgiving.

Before entering the oven. I had red onions on hand
and they work just fine. For this batch I used Acorn Squash

After coming out of the oven.
I should have added more onions but it's still yummy.

A totally Kidcentric Day.

2010-11-07T07:29:00.000-08:00

We spent the entire day in an university town yesterday. Oh, what a day it was. Missy has been enrolled in a gifted program at the university and went to attend two 3 hour classes. The first was a math class titled ' Multiplication Strategies to Amaze and Bewilder Your Parents & Teachers' which was based on the teachings of Bill Handley, Australian Math Educator. The next class was titled 'Forensic Science'. She was was really lucky to get in to that class as it fills up fast and by the time we decided to spend the whole day doing this it was booked. Additionally it was meant for grades 6-8. Missy is '5th grade'. I simply called them and asked if they ever bend the rules on age range and if they would call me if a slot opened up. Well, they just fit her right in! She had a great day except for the part in forensic science when they burned sheep's wool and other fibers to teach the students how to identify different fibers. Missy is horribly allergic to wool. Even without touching it. For her, just being in the same room is enough and when they burned it she obviously had a reaction. My first question when I saw her face after class was 'What did they have in the room?' Two benadryl later and several puffs of her inhaler she was better. She clearly enjoyed both classes but was a bit frustrated with the second. She was familiar with a good many of the forensic tools and techniques (don't ask, we are weird) and being the youngest in the class nobody wanted her in their team. So, my (awesome, I might add) girl just walked up to a table with some kids and parked herself there. Missy wasn't taking avoidance for a cue or an answer. She ended up doing most of the writing while the boys generally clowned around.

All in all, the two classes were a total success.

And what did Bear get to do all day? He had a blast! We spent pretty much most of the 6 hours with him at the local Children's Museum. Bear, IT Man, and I discovered, made a mask, played with the exhibits, made all sorts of cool stuff and generally wore Bear out. He even went on a carousel at the mall. Who would have thought that iridescent green horse-mer-dragons make such great rides. After we picked his sister up from the classes we went back to that mall and goofed around at the Best Buy store until dinner time. Yes, we are all horribly into anything with buttons. A dinner in our bellies crowned the day. Our discussion on the way home (Bear was asleep by then) was about the possibility of alien life on our planet, dimensions, singularities and wormholes , and other related stuff. Did I mention we are weird?

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes - Addictive is the right term for these babies

2010-10-28T18:35:00.000-07:00

We are addicted to these pancakes and they make a wonderful Saturday breakfast. We love them with ripe pears although applesauce works well too.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes

Yield: 15 smallish pancakes

1¼ cups all-purpose flour (we use half unbleached all purpose flour and half whole wheat flour)
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2-3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice mix depending how strong you like it (the original recipe calls for separate spices but I am lazy even though I have all the spices mentioned)
1 cup milk (if you use whole wheat flour you may need about a ½ cup more as the dough gets too thick otherwise)
½ cup pumpkin puree (we like to use a bit more than that)
1 large egg
2 tbsp. vegetable oil or melted butter

Preheat the oven to 200˚F. Set aside a baking sheet or oven safe serving platter.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a medium bowl. Make sure to blot out any chunks of brown sugar. In a separate small bowl, combine the milk, pumpkin, egg and oil or butter. Stir into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. The batter may still be lumpy.
Heat a greased skillet or griddle over medium heat (325˚F for the griddle). Pour the batter on the griddle or skillet in 1/3 cup portions. Use the back of the spoon or measuring cup to smooth the batter into desired circle shape. When bubbles start forming on the top, carefully use a spatula to flip to the other side. Let cook for a few more minutes until golden brown. Transfer the pancakes to the baking sheet or oven safe platter; place in the oven to keep warm until serving. Repeat with the rest of the batter until it has all been cooked, regreasing the pan as needed. Serve with cinnamon sugar, honey or maple syrup.

Adapted from a recipe found at http://penniesonaplatter.com/

A sad commentary on the content of America's shopping carts

2010-10-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my darling husband went to Sam's Club to shop for some items I needed. And as he stood at the check-out a nice, elderly lady commented how nice it was to see a man eating so healthy. My husband informed her that it was as per a shopping list his wife gave him for our family. Upon hearing that the nice lady said: 'Oh, bless her heart for feeding her family so well.'

What was in that cart you ask?
1 g. Milk
1 3lb. tray of stew Beef
1 bag Gala Apples
I box Grapes
3 Cucumbers
1 bag Onions
1 3lb. bag Broccoli
1 bottle White Wine
1 box of fake (Cholesterol Free) Eggs

The thing that we find so sad is the fact that a shopping cart filled with healthy food is so noteworthy as to provoke a comment. Had he stood there with his cart full of cardboard, plastic and preservatives he wouldn't have stood out at all. But apparently a cart full of fruits and veggies is unusual. To me this is another sign that maybe I am doing something right after all. We are eating fewer and fewer preserved items. Even my son has lately turned into a veggie chomping kid who happily snarfs down all kinds of veggies. It took time to bring him to this point but it happened. Yes, we eat chocolate and Nutella makes a regular appearance on top of whole wheat bread in our home. But we also eat a ton of veggies and fruits and apparently that is a rare thing among those who shop at Sam's. My kids like juice as much as the next kid but have gotten used to the fact that we don't have it every day. As to 'sugar bubbles' aka soda... we never buy that for our home. It simply isn't something that finds it's way into our diet unless we make a rare trip for junky fast food.

Fresh foods aren't that hard to make. And by eating healthier foods we end up eating less. Tonight's dinner was Chinese Beef Broccoli. 1 lb of beef and almost a pound of broccoli florets fed the four of us with a little left over.

I am not a health nut. But I have, over the last two years or so, become increasingly aware of the garbage we put into our mouths. And we, as a family, are working on fighting back. We do eat out once in a while. And yes, we eat Nathan's Hot Dogs once in a while too while gulping down coma inducing amounts of liquid sugar (aka Coca Cola). But we believe that it's OK, as long as those indulgences are tempered with a healthier daily lifestyle which includes lots of fresh vegetables and fruits.

Now if I can only nail down the exercising part....

I shall rant and rave about 'high fructose corn syrup' in an other post.... LOL

Slinky Malinki that dastardly cat....

2010-10-24T11:10:00.000-07:00

Book Cover of 'Slinky Malinki

If you haven't read Lynley Dodd's books to your kids yet you've really missed out. We started with 'Slinky Malinki' and the fun tempo of these well illustrated books is a joy to read aloud. The words rhyme well and even young children will catch on quickly when it's time to say 'Slinky Malinki'. Lynley Dodd wrote several other books along the same line and they all are great read-aloud books we can't recommend enough.

We give this book an enthusiastic thumbs up!

The Nobel Prize Winner is....

2010-10-21T12:34:00.000-07:00

Wait a minute, where did that name come from?

Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born in Stockholm, Sweden, 21 October 1833. He was not a strong child and his doting mother lovingly nursed him to health. At the age of nine his parents moved to St. Petersburg, Russia. Alfred studied Chemistry with Nikolay Nikolaevich Zinin and continued his studies in the same field even after moving to the United States at the age of eighteen. His studies in chemistry brought him to the study of explosives and eventually to the ‘safer’ manufacture and use of nitroglycerine. Unfortunately a powerful explosion at their factory in Heleneborg in Sweden on September 3 , 1864 took the lives of five people. Among them Alfred’s younger brother Emil.
It is interesting to note that Alfred Nobel became quite proficient in six languages despite lacking a formal middle and highschool education. He spoke Swedish, French, Russian, English, German and Italian. He also held held 355 different patents with dynamite being the most famous.

There were several women in Alfred Nobel’s life, but none of these relationships ever lead to marriage or children. His work was his true love in the end and when he wrote his last will in 1895 he left much of his wealth to the foundation which bestows the famous ‘Nobel’ prizes. The first prize was given in 1901 to Henry Dunant, founder of the Red Cross, who shared it with Frédéric Passy. The Nobel prize honors outstanding achievements in chemistry, literature, medicine, physics for work in peace and now economics.
Alfred Nobel was only 63 years old when he passed away in 1896 in Sanremo, Italy.

Could someone just give me the answers? Please???

2010-10-18T18:50:00.000-07:00

Today I had an interesting conversation with another homeschool mother. I respect her opinions and she has 5 kids, the way I figured it she'd have that answer. You know what I'm talking about, right? I mean THE answer. For you, THE answer might be for a different thing. For me it was: Drum roll please and some dramatic music..... climaxing.... climaxing....

Cursive Handwriting

Well, this 'handwriting' thing is leaving me 'handwringing' and the way I saw it, the other mom, experienced as she is, had the answer. Or so I thought. Dang that woman.... I feel no wiser now that I did before. Didn't someone give her the memo? The memo that says: If you have five kids and are homeschooling you know all the answers? But at the end, she really is the wise one. Her recommendation is to listen to my heart and that, at the end of the day, I know my kid best.

You see, my daughter is a south-paw and the cursive she learned in third grade in school was just about the only thing she hated about school. She has a decent print handwriting but her cursive is well, let's say degrading quickly. Yes, I could sit her down once a week and force her to write cursive. However, I have a feeling that it would be a thing she would deeply resent in addition to wasting hours of our time which would be better spent studying something else. Now, the question is, why do I feel so strongly about this? After all, as long as she can read cursive just fine, and write legibly why would her ability to write cursive make one bit of difference? That's the part I am not sure about. There are plenty of 'learned men and women' who have a lot to say about this, both in favor of cursive and against it. And to be honest, both make some good points. So, do I feel like I ought to teach her cursive simply because it's what her father and I learned? Is it because when I look at some things other people have written I always observe their handwriting? We see approximately 1,000 -1,200 people's handwriting in our company each year. Is it because a good neat handwriting conveys a sense of being educated and thorough? Or are all these preconceived notions a thing of the past. A thing of the 'we grew up without word processors and spell check' past.

What do you think? Where do you stand on the 'Cursive' vs. 'Print' Issue?

The Day Hell came to our Home!

2010-10-15T09:10:00.000-07:00

I found this link on Alesandra's blog (you can find a link to her site on my blog). I read this and was horrified. It looks like... well, I shouldn't say but needless to say there are more than a few fishy things about what's happening there. Please read this blog (link below) and pass it on to as many people as you can.

http://lionesshomeschool.blogspot.com/

One more thing. Please upload the (sound) files on those links to a PC if you can, just in case they suddenly 'vanish'.

OMG, Bear Bear ate and liked Spinach!

2010-10-13T18:30:00.000-07:00

Bear-Bear is a boy. He is five. And most of his life, actually from the time he ate 'Gerbers' and other 'stuff' he 'hated' anything green. When he was three he wouldn't even play with his pretend green vegetable toys (pretend food). Over the last year he began to appreciate green peas, green beans, tolerates brocoli and now today scarfed down two servings of spinach salad...!

We are still looking for the pod....

Mother Teresa's Hands

2010-10-11T17:20:00.000-07:00

This picture speaks to me. When I was a little girl we visited Mother Teresa in Calcutta. It was a day or two before Christmas and the nuns and children were decorating a rather sad little plastic tree with the only decoration they had.... cotton puffs. But the joy and gratitude they exhibited was palpable. They were signing carols and just giddy with happiness. Mother Teresa greeted each one of us individually. My father, my mother, and me. She held our hands in her hands and greeted us as though each one of us was the very center of her universe at that moment. I can still remember the feel of her hands to this day. They were very hard and rough and yet so loving and gentle. The hands of this amazing woman were so powerful and yet so tender. It saddens me to this day that her passing did not receive the attention it deserved because Princess Diana died a week earlier. I am not a religious person but even I recognize that this woman was more than all of us could ever aspire to be.

Here are some links to other sites.

http://www.motherteresa.org/

http://www.ewtn.com/motherteresa/

All Hallows Eve, Samhain...

2010-10-06T13:22:00.000-07:00

All Hallows Eve, Samhain...

Who doesn't love Halloween? It's the time for childlike fun, wearing disguises, and finding excuses to create silly foods. Not to mention stealing your kids' candy once they are asleep....

(BTW I'll post a fun recipe I found for witches stew later on in this post.)

Did you know that Halloween has ancient Celtic roots? It is a holiday the observance of which goes back way past the beginning of Christianity. The ancient Celts celebrated a special day called Samuin later Samhain on the 31st of October/November 1st to observe the end of Summer and the harvest and the beginning of the dark days of Winter. They believed there to be a border or veil between this, our corporeal world, and the world of the spirits. And this veil or border between our worlds was believed by them to be thinner and more easily crossed on Samuin. Rituals took place on Samuin to ward of the spirits that were harmful and evil and to invoke the aid of beneficial spirits and ancestors. To ward of evil spirits as well as hide their identity from those that had crossed over people would wear masks and costumes. There were a good many traditions - which varied from town to town - involved in celebrating Samuin or All Hallowes Eve. One such tradition was deemed very necessary. A Bonfire, sometimes two side by side. The bones of animals sacrificed for the feast would often be added to such fires. Sometimes two bonfires were lit side by side and the participants were encouraged to pass between them to purify themselves. Fire and light is one of those things that has significance in just about every culture in the world. It is our little bit of the sun, the life-giving energy we cannot do without. Another practice that revolved around light lives on to this day, albeit a tad altered. The carved pumpkin. In the days gone by this would have been a large, hollowed out, turnip used to carry a tallow candle. In North America however, pumpkins and gourd were easier to come by and conveniently larger. Pumpkins became to be associtated with Halloween only around the mid nineteenth century. Alright, now you know where and why the holdiay started and where the carved pumpkin came from. But what about trick or treating? The of going from door to door begging for treats dates back to the Middle Ages. Poor folk would, on Hallowmas (All Saints Day), go door to door and offer prayers in return for food. They also 'offered' threats of mischief should their demands not be met. In some form or the other and on different days of the year this has been a tradition in most European and some Scandinavian countries.

Well, if you go trick or treating this year, or you hand out candy to those who trick or treat at your door you can see that you are indeed taking part in a celebration that has taken place for about two-and a-half thousand years! The religious significance is no longer there unless you are a Wiccan family celebrating Samhain but it's merely a day for fun and too much candy. If you do hand out candy be different. Give a small bottle of water, or some pretzels or anything else not sugary. My kids tell me they always get thirsty and the non-sugary snacks are a welcome change. Be sure to wear a glo-stick so you may be easily seen in the dark and arrange for a meeting place with your attending adult if you get separated. Under no circumstances go into anyone's house, even if you are lost and wish to use the phone. Let your parent or other adult check all your candy before you eat it. To prevent temptation eat a light meal before you go trick or treating. And please, be polite. Don't tromp over someones' yard and flowers, even if you see other kids do it, and always say 'thank you' when you receive your treat!

Have a SAFE and Happy All Hallows Eve.

For short but intersting article on Samhain or All Hallows Eve and how these days were used by the Church to help convert the Celts to their faith visit this link.

http://www.loc.gov/folklife/halloween.html

A Witches Cauldron of Chili

1 1/4 Pounds ground goblin gizzards
*Vegans and Vegetarians leave out the ground goblin gizzards or use a vegetarian option like Tofu.

1 Medium eye of Cyclops (onion)

1 15 Oz. Can soft shelled beetles (kidney beans)

1 28 Oz. Can blood of bat (V-8 juice)

1/8 Teaspoon pureed wasp (prepared mustard)

1/4 Teaspoon common dried weed (oregano)

1 Dash Redtailed hawk toenails (crushed red pepper)

2 Teaspoons ground sumac blossom (chili powder)

1 Teaspoon hemlock (honey or sugar)

1/2 Cup fresh grubs (sliced celery)

1 Tablespoon eye of Newt (pearled barley)

1 Tablespoon dried maggots (uncooked rice)

Water from a stagnant pond (tap water)

Preparation :

Substitutions are in parenthesis. Best made during the last phase of the moon, if that is not possible, just do the best you can in a softly lighted kitchen after dark.

Brown the gizzards in an iron cauldron over a fire made from the

siding off of a haunted house, add chopped eye of cyclops and simmer until the pieces of eye become translucent again, add blood of bat, and soft shelled beetles, bring to a slow bubbling boil. At this time, add the common weed, maggots, toenails, sumac,grubs, hemlock, eye of newt and the pureed wasp.

As it cooks you may want to adjust the consistency with pond water.

You can tell it is done when the eye of newt swells and the vertical tan colored 'cats eye' appears on one side.

I found this on the web quite a few years ago and don't remember who created this recipe to properly credit the author.

Education Nation -MSNBC.com's article on Homeschooling

2010-09-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

Here is the link. Front page no less!

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/39342787/ns/today-parenting/

Nature, I miss it so...

2010-09-25T07:47:00.000-07:00

Here I sit in my sealed home. The weather outside is fabulous at a sunny 75F. And we? We are sitting inside. In the days before I never closed a window and the chirps of birds and chattering of squirrels were my background noise. When I grew up I mostly lived in the country. The hills, dales, forest and orchards of southern Germany were my playground as a child. And later on my parents had a small hobby farm with about 6 cows, sheep, goats, pigs, all kind of fowl and a dog. And through all of this I grew atuned to nature. I understood her. I could feel the changes in the wind, the angle of the sunlight streaming through the trees. I knew every tree and shrub in my surroundings. Every summer my parents and I spent countless bugbitten hours plucking all manner of berries and in the fall we harvested mushrooms and apples. What wonderful times these were. Now this has all changed in my life and I feel so sad for my children for this. A connection to nature is priceless indeed and it's one my children don't have. My daughter's allergies to countless trees, grasses etc confine her to a life spent indoors. She is getting better and we were able to spend some time outside this year compared to the previous years where her time outside was usually the amount of time it took her to get from a building to the car and again in reverse. I firmly believe that her improvement is primarily due to the fact that she is homeschooled and the shots which she's been getting for a year now. We know she'll always have allergies but she was able to go outside in the garden this year.
I love reading blogs like 'BuntBlume' formerly 'BuntGlass' and 'Untrodden Paths'. The connection to Nature which these mothers forge would have been similar to mine. Maybe I should simply take a leap of faith and try a bit more now that Sissy reacts less and recovers faster. How can my children become good stewards of a world they have no connection to.

Me? Like Science? Since when....? I failed Chemistry......

2010-09-21T09:18:00.000-07:00

One of my major I-am-homeschooling- panic attacks came when I recognized my daughters unbridled enthusiasm about starting Chemistry in 5th grade. She was so excited. And I was like, whoaaaa there Nellie, hold on a moment, I can't do that.....
You see, several circumstances in my life happened and so, when I switched schools (among other things) in 8th grade, I went from a 'artsy' school to a 'science and math are crucial' school. The kids who were my new classmates had two years of science already under their belts. Me? I was screwed. I picked up in math, eventually figured out physics, did brilliantly in biology, and failed, I mean abjectly failed chemistry. It was pathetic. So, the prospect of victimizing my daughter and screwing up her future because I can't understand chemistry left me worried all summer long.
Well, we've been studying chemistry for a few days now and have to say we are having a blast. It's all simple right now of course, elements, substances, compounds, molecules, atoms, ions, electrons, protons, neutrons, and so on. We are studying the differences between physical properties and chemical properties and it's amazing..... I understand it all. Oh, yeah, my little smartypants daughter is breezing through it.
The moral of this story...enjoy homeschooling for what it really can be. A journey through the world WITH your children.

We, thank you very much, are having a grand time!

Jackie Evanko didn't win- Whooohoooooo!

2010-09-15T20:15:00.000-07:00

My 10 year old daughter and I whooped with joy when we watched 'America's got Talent' and it was announced that Michael Grimm was the winner of that show. Actually we admit to some embarrassment here. We deride shows the likes of America's got Talent. But when little Ms. Evanko became one of the final four we started to watch. I sang opera as a child and had a scholarship waiting for me and I have a daughter now the age of that young lady. And so this story spoke to me. And yesterday I told my daughter how I hoped that little Ms. Evanko wouldn't win. History bears us out. There are few child stars who make it later in life. The stress of not experiencing those crucial formative years proves damaging to all child stars. Some come out the winners later in life. Most did not get so lucky. Ms. Evanko, little Jackie deserves a life as a child. A very talented child. Arguably the most talented person in that entire building. But still a child. She should go and run with her friends and scab her knees and go trick or treating. She needs to go back to school and do math homework and get glue all over fingers and gum stuck in her hair.

Little Ms. Evanko, I have never every heard 'Pie Jesu' delivered as well as you did. But for your sake I hoped you wouldn't win. I can't imagine the burden you carried all these weeks. The expectations and hope of all of your family and friends, of your neighborhood and town must have weighed heavily. And here is my wish for you. Go be a child, free of anything but the usual responsibilities, act silly, have fun and just be a kid. And when you have a solid education spread your wings and fly. I hope to hear your angel voice for many decades to come. But not at the expense of your childhood.