My children and I blazed through earth science, and we’re on to biology. It’s one subject, at least in its “lab” component that works well for both Neil and Kelly. Kelly marvels and observes while Neil extracts scientific principles from the experiment. A few weeks ago, I got some worms for a few experiments. Our…
Category: Education
Anxiety Week
I’ve been doing very light blogging, because I’ve been putting all my writing efforts into this current gig I have that pays me for doing writing, which I love. But I still love blogging, so you can still expect to see the rare, in-between entry. This last week has been one of great anxiety. Charybdis…
Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009
I have to say this year has been exciting, and at times spectacular for me. In February, I got to revisit Germany for the first time in many, many years. I had a great time, but I missed my family much more than I expected to. And one lasting part of the experience is that…
Our 2008 Christmas Treasure Hunt
It’s become our family tradition to hide each others’ gifts and set up clues in order to find them. This year it was my turn to hide Peter’s presents. I tried hard to keep it easy, but not too easy. When the clues are too hard to figure out, it frankly gets frustrating for everyone….
The Great Homeschooler Chemicals Hunt
Since my children are both doing school at home, I am their science teacher. I figured getting what they needed for science labs would be easy enough. After all, most substances, like Epson salts and steel wool without soap, were easy enough to find at local grocery stores or hardware stores. And when I needed…
World’s Worst Mom Redeems Herself
Today I pulled Kelly out of hell kindergarten. After seeing the class, I was a bucket of nerves every time she was in class. How lost and ignored was she that day? When will scissors boy lurch at her? Peter went in to see the classroom on Tuesday. He merely saw it as extremely mediocre,…
World’s Worst Mom Week End, Part 1: School
At the end of this week, I felt I was the world’s worst mom in my treatment of Kelly. It started out, ironically enough, by my volunteering in Kelly’s classroom. I’ve blogged several times about San Jose Unified’s despicable policy of requiring parent volunteers to be fingerprinted and vetted by the FBI, at the volunteer’s…
The Charybdis and Scylla Ancient Greek History Test
Neil just took this test, and passed it with 90 points, but that’s because I gave him 5 points for the extra credit question he answered correctly. Peter didn’t do as well. Can you pass it? Charybdis and Scylla Academy Ancient Greek History Test 10 multiple choice questions, 2 points for each correct 1. Who…
Tying Up Loose Ends
Next week, we’re leaving on a grand adventure: a driving trip across the United States. In one month, we plan to see Yellowstone Park; South Dakota’s Black Hills; Chicago; Niagara Falls; Boston with MIT; New York City; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; Washington, DC; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Disney World; New Orleans; Austin, Texas; Roswell, New…
School of Lowered Expectations
I really want to like our neighborhood school, where Kelly is currently going. I know she loves it, because every day after school, she can’t even wait to walk home before showing me the work she’s done. She’s putting more effort into reading independently than she did when she was with me, she asks me…