About homeschooling, that is. I spent half the summer wondering if we would be covered by our school district. And now that I know we are, I don't even want to participate anymore.
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| "I don't WANT Evie in my picture!" |
When the program first started, the rules were pretty relaxed. We could learn what we wanted, when we wanted, HOW we wanted, and we could purchase our materials wherever we wanted. We could take unplanned field trips. We could take lessons. All I had to do was report on our learning and submit our receipts every month.
But then the rules started changing and we were like frogs in boiling water. You know the story: start turning up the heat slowly and they won't even know they are cooking. Well, we are hopping out of the pot now. The rules have gotten so restrictive and the allowed amount available for resources is half of what it was when we started. No field trips. No lessons. No PE classes (but we still have to do PE). No partially approved curriculum choices. No shopping for good deals on ebay and getting reimbursed. No spur-of-the-moment learning opportunities. Plus, the amount of time I am required to invest in record keeping and weekly/monthly contact has become a burden.
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| Getting ready for a marshmallow roast! |
Mark was curious how much it would cost us out-of-pocket. Because I invested in several instructor's guides for math and language arts when we were first starting, we will only have to pay $250-and most of that is for Ian and can be handed down. When he found out I had already submitted $1800 in purchase orders through the school district (and it didn't even include a YMCA membership), he exclaimed, "What the HELL were you buying?" Stuff. You know, books and workbooks and stuff like that. Some kits. Rosetta Stone. New math curriculum for everyone. New science curriculum. Because I could.
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| Will the one with the REAL black eye, please stand up? |
Another complication that was bothering me was the calendar. The rule changes were announced during the summer, when there was no office staff to answer questions. With such a huge cut in funding, I had to adjust my purchase orders. By the time the office staff is available and revisions are made and approved, we wouldn't receive our learning materials until the end of September...or later. Even in good years we've waited until mid-September. But I would still have to show progress on my learning goals for the entire month. And if I didn't achieve 80% of my learning goals, then I would receive an "unsatisfactory" on my report. Throw in Lucky being born at the end of November and needing time off for that (and also not knowing what kind of trouble she is going to be), I will never achieve 80% of my goals and we will be expelled. I need to start school NOW. My kids are bored with the outdoors. All they want to do is watch TV and mess up the house. We do better with a mid-July through April school year.
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| The benefit of large families: the oldest kid makes the sticks, the middle kids cook the marshmallows, and the youngest eat them. We relax. |
I am once again excited to homeschool. Enthusiasm is contagious. If I'm excited to do something, chances are that (most of) my kids will be excited too. I feel FREE to school in the best way for each child and not have to justify or plan anything a year in advance. I already know EXACTLY what I'm going to do for the WHOLE year...but that is a post for another day.
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| World's Longest Marshmallow Stick |
All the "extras" we are losing by leaving will make great Christmas and/or birthday presents. Things like art and science supplies, gift certificates for books, software... yeah, so, if anyone wants to get the kids meaningful presents, just let me know *big grin*
Now, pictures. Lula got her black eye by falling off the changing table. She usually just sits there and chews on lotion bottles while I spray diapers, but this time she took a dive. Mark said (loudly), "This is a BAD THING that happened!" while she was crying, so I was forced to say back (also loudly), "Thank you, Captain Obvious!" She has entered the dangerous climbing and falling age.
Last night we had a super-fun BBQ and marshmallow roast. Ian cracked us up with his long roasting stick. Jack made us laugh harder when he grabbed the end of my stick and ran off with it (no marshmallows were on it). I throw sticks for him every evening, so I guess it just made sense to him that the stick I was holding was for him. He left all the other sticks alone. Mark and the older boys sat around the campfire as the stars came out, but I had to come in with the cranky, naughty little kids that couldn't be quiet. There is a reason we don't go camping at state parks!
