Homeschoolers ‘R Us

We have officially survived our first 3 days of homeschool. The girls seem to like it and I do too. My only complaint is trying to entertain Izzy (with something other than Dora and Max & Ruby) while the other two work. 

Jackie is doing a bit of review work in math.  We need to get a better handle on multiplications and a better understanding of division before we move forward in her math. She is doing really well in her other subjects. She is really enjoying “A Child’s History of the World”…she likes the way the stories are told and in the process she learns about history. And the art is tied to the history so as a result we are getting ready to make our own cave paintings….we read about cave people and looked up photos of cave paintings  on line.

The reading is technically too easy for Katey, but we are working on endurance (so she can read longer books) and comprehension.  We talk a great deal about very short stories.  And we are learning about  order…what comes first, next and last in a story.  She really likes her science and just sat beside me to make a chart about different lengths of different bugs.  I didn’t know that a 1st grader needed to know about predictions, infering,  and communicating information but apparently she does.

Jackie came up with idea for us to have a pajama day once a week.  I think its a good idea but I want find a day we don’t  have to go anywhere.   I love the fact that we can get up and eat a good breakfast without being forced to eat it in the van. I enjoy not spending hours a day in my van waiting to drop kids off at school and then pick them up. I’m more flexible with Izzy’s nap too.  I’m sure every day will not be as peaceful as these last few have been but so far, so good.

Theme Song….

Lately I have an understanding for the challenges that Salmon face on an annual basis.  We are making some pretty big changes in our lives in a few short months and, while it may make sense for our family, neither of the biggest changes exactly go along with the social “norms”.  We feel in our hearts they are the right decisions and no one has given us a particularly hard time about them, but big changes are still hard.

So I was in my kitchen by myself the other day. The girls and DH were somewhere out of the house for a bit….I was cleaning and listening to my ipod (with my headphones on so I can get in my groove).    This song came on…..the lyrics struck me at this particular moment on this particular day…so I turned it up and DANCED!

The Long Way Around by the Dixie Chicks

My friends from high school
Married their high school boyfriends
Moved into houses in the same ZIP codes
Where their parents live

But I, I could never follow
No I, I could never follow

I hit the highway in a pink RV with stars on the ceiling
Lived like a gypsy
Six strong hands on the steering wheel

I’ve been a long time gone now
Maybe someday, someday I’m gonna settle down
But I’ve always found my way somehow

By taking the long way
Taking the long way around
Taking the long way
Taking the long way around

I met the queen of whatever
Drank with the Irish and smoked with the hippies
Moved with the shakers
Wouldn’t kiss all the asses that they told me to

No I, I could never follow
No I, I could never follow

It’s been two long years now
Since the top of the world came crashing down
And I’m getting’ it back on the road now

But I’m taking the long way
Taking the long way around
I’m taking the long way
Taking the long way around
The long
The long way around

Well, I fought with a stranger and I met myself
I opened my mouth and I heard myself
It can get pretty lonely when you show yourself
Guess I could have made it easier on myself

But I, I could never follow
No I, I could never follow

Well, I never seem to do it like anybody else
Maybe someday, someday I’m gonna settle down
If you ever want to find me I can still be found

Taking the long way
Taking the long way around
Taking the long way
Taking the long way around

OK….maybe not…

So the “bliss” was short lived….Saturday night Izzy woke up with the worst upset tummy…there was such a mess everywhere, Jason and I had a hard time figuring out which end it came out of.  You would think that 3 well educated adults could figure that out rather easily!  HA!  And the whole time we were cleaning up, my dh was acting like he was going to die if he touched any of the mess.  I mean really…this is the man who had to go to a waste water treatment plant as part of a college class! We had to do a couple of clean ups, but then we were all able to get some sleep. We got up yesterday morning and Izzy wouldn’t eat all day. She did vomit a few times in the morning hours, but after that she just slept and laid around….which is VERY out of character…this is the kid who hates her car seat and loves to play outside.  In the afternoon, she ate a couple of saltines and some plain cheese ravioli for dinner.  This morning she had spit up in her crib a little and had a little more diarrhea, but it looks like things are getting better.  What is going on? No fever…was it something she ate?  Maybe a stomach bug?  Like any good parent, we aren’t sure…we’ll keep an eye on her.

Well, I had an appointment for her this morning (Monday) because of a constant runny nose and cough.  Pediatrician thinks there might be some seasonal allergies.  The allergist decided to test her..it was awful…they laid her on her belly and held her still while I talked to her…they were about 2/3 of the way through when she decided she had enough and wanted to get up….so we had to physically hold her down for the rest of the test. When we were done, she was so upset she fell asleep in my arms.  Results…there are some minor allergies to pigweed, yellow pine and mold.  There are also reactions to shellfish, chicken and oranges. We have to keep her off of those foods for a month and then go back for follow up testing. The allergist thinks the food reactions may be false positives, but because you never know when a kid is going to have a MAJOR reaction we have to keep her free of those foods until we take her back.

Which may explain the upset tummy Sat night and yesterday….our dinner on Sat night included shrimp. She didn’t eat any of the actual shrimp but it was all cooked together.  Not sure about that one yet.  Nothing serious, we don’t know for sure of the allergies…I’m trying to remind myself that this is manageable. May make life a little more challenging since I have been collecting chicken recipes for the last few months, but we can deal with it.

On a fun note though..yesterday Jason and I were watching the DVD from Calvert about their curriculum.  Katey sat down and started watching with us. She asked to watch the information on what all the grade levels learn.  She said it was going to be cool if that’s what she gets to do next year for home school!  Its comforting to know she thinks of home school as a positive change.

Nothing like a little panic….

Ahhh…the beauty of paying a great deal of money every month for my children to attend a private school.  Don’t get me wrong, I can understand paying a great deal of money for private school if the public schools in your area are either unsafe or just not up to par.  Obviously, we have done it for the past 2 years.  But sometimes you just have to scratch your head and wonder if you are really getting your money’s worth. I do it every where else…I buy the cheaper paper towels but if they don’t do the job as well as the pricey ones, I switch back.  The same thing with shoes. I HATE to pay a fortune for kids’ shoes….but with the feet on my kids, it is just a waste of money to go to Target, buy a pair of shoes and then fight with the girls to get them to wear them.  So, I go to the fancy shoe store in town and make sure we get those narrow shoes to start with. 

For the most part, we have really enjoyed being at St Bob’s School these past 2 years.*   The K4 teachers did an amazing job getting Katey acclimated to full time school.  The 2nd grade teachers did a great job getting Jackie caught up in all of the important places….like phonograms.  The principal and staff is well organized, professional and friendly. Most of the parents are great and will chat and talk with someone who has not lived in XYZ Town their entire life.  But there comes a time when there are things that make you go “hmmm”.

This started for me when there was a meeting for parents whose kids will start in the “big school” (first grade” next year.  When the First Grade teachers outlined what would be expected of the kids, the Kindergarten teachers were surprised. I’m sure I don’t have to tell anyone why that is SO wrong. Then last week there was another one…

At the end of Spring Break I was talking to a neighbor who has her son in Kindergarten at the local public school.  We were talking about what the kids are doing in school.  Well, mainly I was. I was surprised that Katey’s class had not started any addition when I know they get tested on their addition math facts in First Grade.  Of course, we have done some work at home, but there’s only 8 weeks left of school. Shouldn’t the teachers be preparing the kids to start First Grade? When I told my neighbor they had not started ANY addition, she was shocked…her little boy is adding double digits.  Hmmmm

Well, last Monday I was excited to see the workbook pages come home that Katey’s class had finally started addition.  Yeah!  I like the way the teachers were presenting the ideas and concepts associated with addition and then….the subtraction workbook pages came home on Wednesday….Hmmm….I was in the car pool line on Wednesday and saw the subtraction paperwork.  I thought I had just seen the addition papers start coming home, but I won’t swear to anything these days my brain is in such constant chaos.  I got home and checked the school paper pile, and sure enough it was the addition chapter pages. Hmmm

Addition and Subtraction in the same week? Within 3 days of each other?  And then it hit me…they are cramming for the Standardized Testing that starts on April 8th.  These teachers, at this expensive private school, are cramming for the standardized tests for my KINDERGARTENER!  Is it just me or is there something really wrong with that picture?  I don’t think I’m getting my money’s worth.

* Name changed so no one can sue me for defamation.