Race To The Finish Line

I can't believe I haven't blogged on this since October 2012! What have I been doing? Oh yeah, surviving, learning, teaching, being, growing, backsliding, experimenting. Yeah, surviving. DD Phee is half way through 9th grade. Her interests and talents are emerging. This means once again I question all that we're learning or trying to shove in her brain that doesn't really matter in the grand scheme of things. Each day I question the validity of impending college requirements and if we should even 'require' or push her in that direction. Each day I think God is saying 'slow down, one day at a time'. I'm not good with one day at a time.

Last night I was having some pains. I googled them to make sure I wasn't having a heart attack. I wasn't of course but it sure felt like it. Most likely gas, right?! lol But while trying to go to sleep, I was planning in my head what needed to happen if I did have a heart attack. I'd need to make sure someone grabbed my bra and socks. I tried to remember the meds or vitamins I take regularly so I could tell the nurse. It's not that I'm a paranoid. I'm just a 'here's a problem, what needs to be done about it in sometimes great detail' planner. Okay, this sounds funny typing this since I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants person as well. Is that possible? This is probably why I overthink Phee's schooling or lack there of and worry about her schooling future. I'm conflicted.

On the one hand I'm thinking, it's already January and we haven't gotten anywhere in American History this year! I need to throw together a curriculum plan to finish it up in 14 weeks! Race to the finish of 9th grade! On the other hippy mama hand I counter with 'what does she even need American history for? She loves art and music and writing. She's learning guitar, piano and drums. She's writing a book about Doctor Who as a kid. She loves words, looks up definitions and plays word games all the time. She's teaching herself how to write music. Last night she was in the art studio inventing and spray painting and drawing. Why muck all that ambition up with learning by rote?'

I read this interesting article by Matt Walsh today that someone posted on Facebook. He talks about not being college material. I so agree with this line of thinking! Not that my 2nd child has struggles with schooling. It's more an application problem with her, attention to drudgery; unlike my older daughter who worked extremely hard but felt like she would never get anywhere. I understand there are kids whose choice of career warrants a college education and beyond: lawyer, doctor, microbiologist, engineer, architect. But what about the musicians, the writers, the artists, the inventors, the chefs? Can't these skills be just as easily learned and earned through books and classes (but not necessarily a degree), experimentation and apprenticeship? What harm are we causing in placing an expectation of 'you have to get a degree or you'll never amount to anything?' This thinking will not work for everyone, in fact it might backfire on us. Quashing creativity has only gotten us more drones in the workforce. Those who go against the grain are the inventors, the dreamers, the impossibles. I'm using a computer, a phone and an Ipad invented by the company started by a man who never finished college, Steve Jobs. This is not to say I don't have high hopes and goals for my child. Slacking will not get you anywhere, unless your goal is McDonald's fry cook. And even then slacking can get you burnt or fired. But creativity is monumentally important. Have you listened to this TED talk by Ken Robinson? It's a must!

I think my goal as a parent is to equip her to be able to go to college if that is her desire; make sure she has a basic to advanced understanding of english, math, reading comprehensively (even if we never learned additional information over these subjects, which we will, she will have a leg up on many a public school child.) However, I will not require it of her. As long as she is always learning, has a plan to move forward and not a plan to live on my couch in front of a TV for the rest of her life, I'm good with that.

Linking to Monday's Homestead Barn Hop, Homeschool Link Up & Hip Homeschool Hop.

 

Posted with Love from Contessa

Homemade Summer Fun!

School has ended for this family, this semester. We're enjoying our summer vacation and I'm trying not to think about the fact I have not finished up this semester's paperwork, nor planned for the fall.

The teen graduated this month and has her college classes for the fall all lined up. She took the ACT again a couple weeks ago and we're anxiously waiting her scores. Either way, she is still going to college at the local community college.

The summer has been packed with many kids visiting, spending the night, movie nights, pool days and laziness galore. We're trying to fill moments with art, reading and other things besides organized homeschool or TV. Camp time is coming up and I'm hoping to sneak away with the hubby for a weekend before the fall descends on us.

Today the little one had her cousin over and they searched high and low for a 'slip-n-slide' type apparatus in this house. They settled on a paint tarp. Perfect homemade summer fun!

I'll be back soon I'm sure, whining about all the schooling I need to plan, now for just one child. In the meantime, enjoy life. Talk soon.

Saddling Up!

So, we're back in the saddle again. Homeschool started for us last Tuesday. I like to get a few weeks in before the Labor Day holiday just so we have extras hours accomplished in case we want to take off more days during the Christmas holidays. You know how it is. Juggle juggle juggle.

So far things are running smoothly. The teen's college classes are challenging. The greatest challenge however, is figuring out how to fit in time for the homeschool classes as well. College takes a lot of work! She's taking Sociology, College Composition and Modern Western Civilization. Big words for a science, language arts and social studies credits. At home this semester we're tackling Algebra 2 and 1/2 a course on Government. I've also thrown together a 1/2 credit course loosely called 'Bachelorette Living'. A friend suggested it and I thought it a good idea.

Bachelorette Living will cover: cooking/baking basics. Budgeting & shopping for groceries as well as planning for utilities, insurance and rent (for when she has a place of her own.) It will also include cleaning & laundry instruction, basic household repairs. How to set up electronics, basic sewing and repair. I'm hoping to also show her how to do basic car checkups. I'm sure I'll learn all that right along side her. The course will flow nicely into next semester's Personal Finance course covering: more budgeting, especially for large purchases, credit cards/debit cards, bank accounts, balancing a checkbook, stocks, bonds, 401k, whatever she would need to know about money. After these two courses I"ll feel confident to kick her out into the world. I mean gently tap her out of the nest when necessary. lol

The little one has embraced Sonlight curriculum. So far we love it. I bought Sonlight Core 5 (History, Reading/Read Alouds, Bible) and also their Science program, used of course. I've been supplementing with a math textbook to catch her up to 5th grade math (we didn't quite finish last year's textbook and she forgot some things over the summer.) Language is a textbook too. I feel like I'm already falling into last year's rut of textbooks. I need to sit down and plan out a month's worth of learning that doesn't involve textbooks for the most part. I do not want to hear again how she HATES school. I feel like such a failure then.

The little one asked me the other day if learning to play Blackjack and bet on each hand counted for anything in school? Oh brother! Apparently dad taught her. They couldn't just play a nice round of Monopoly or Go Fish. *sigh*

I'm really hoping to enjoy this year and not count the days until Thanksgiving vacation. But I do feel like my summer hasn't even started yet. Our real summer was full of problems. The teen hurt her leg. On crutches for weeks. Dr., Dr., ER, ER visit. Then she got a spider bite that turned into MRSA. Dr., Dr., Hospital for surgery and a 5 day stay. Then my mother had to have surgery. We visited her in the hospital and then spent weeks going to her house during the weekdays to help care for her (loved spending all that extra time with her.) Everyone is mending now but I just miss my summer time of lazing around, pool visits, lots of art time and reading time. Oh well, there is always next summer.

Cheers to a great school year!