Are You Striving for Merely Average?

While many people in my area would never in a million years homeschool, a lot of them want to say how great it is that I do. Then they give you the reasons that they can't do it with their kids. So I am going to start address those reasons here. Let me preface all this with while I think it would be great for our society, I don't think everyone needs to homeschool. But people start talking like they feel guilty and have to justify their decision. They are not my kids, it is none of my business! But, if you are going to use these silly reasons I need to start addressing them.

The first one is this fear that their kids will not be "normal" or fit in. What does that even mean? I have heard that academically they would be very advanced so they could no longer fit in with their peers. How is this a problem people? So people want their kids to just be "normal"? Isn't that the same thing as average? Average, the median, a C? You want to make sure that your kids can play all the social manipulation games to survive in a children's society? That is all your hopes and dreams are for your kids?

To me this is a mentality that "I will sell out my kids future so they can have more friends today". Talk about shortsighted. My children are very bright but they get along with many types of people. But even at almost 7 and 5, my kids are already losing patience with some issues that are considered normal for their age group. Things like when kids "decide" one day that they like 1 kid but you can't talk to that other kid. So my kids can't play that game, yes I am a failure as a parent;). Just imagine how great the world would be if we all refused to play.

I don't think there is a single parent who would admit that average is all they hope for but I wonder if that is truly what they mean. The soap box if being put away for the afternoon;).

Update: Here are a couple (not all) of the definitions of Normal from Dictionary.com.
-the average or mean: Production may fall below normal.
-the standard or type.

Kids and Their Questions

Scienceray has a great post called 8 Questions About the Human Body That Kids Always Ask. I totally think it is worth the read. It reminds me of many of the questions I had as a kid!

Carnival of Homeschooling

Welcome to the 120th Carnival of Homeschooling and come on into our home. I am sorry I am running late but I had women's retreat this weekend and choir and Bible Study today. So sorry. Let me drop my purse and Bible, just make yourself comfortable and ignore the mess;).

Yes, your kids are more than welcome. They can play here with the others in the playroom. Maybe Sarah's kids from over at Small World can show their wonderful creativity like they did At the Carnival.

Oh did you see the bookshelves and the computer? It is great to have such a learning nook. Kerry over at 10 O'Clock Scholar is sharing a great Geography and Science Combined Unit. Barbara Frank is sharing a great project when she asks, Is There a Young Writer in Your House? Tiffany at the Natural Family Living Blog does a book review on Finding Your Child's Strength. One of my favorite sites, Let's Play Math, is sharing Math Games by Kids that has lots of great Math resources. Homeschool Buzz Reviews asks us if we are looking for a break from your serious reading? Check out our review of the entertaining classic graphic novel Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn. The Reluctant Homeschooler has recently switched from using textbooks to using biographies with her 16 year old so now he is asking, "Why do I have to learn all that?".

Let's go in the kitchen and get a cup of coffee and a snack. Oh, over on the island is the crafting center. ChristineMM at The Thinking Mother is Playing with Needle Felting. sharing how she and her two boys have been enjoying doing daily needle felting which qualifies for 'homeschool art class'.

I love my kitchen too. I am blessed to have so much space in here but it gets messy. Let’s look in at Ship Full O’Pirates. Jenny is sharing some wisdom on Galley Duty.

Take a seat at the kitchen table so we can listen to some of the wonderful people who are willing to give us advice and pointers. Michelle over at Organically Inclined starts the conversation with Attachment Parenting and the Independent Teen. Have you ever asked, My child won’t do craft activities- what now? If so, Melitsa at Play-Activities.com has some answers. Terri at Cricket's Corner shares The Rite of the Hanger for those times that you realize your kids are growing up. Renae at Life Nurturing Education looks at life and the kids with Looking at the Future. A Mountain Homeschool deals with an issue we all deal with in Birthday Parties (and that whole "gift" thing). Life Without School says children need trust .... and they need mentors, guides, and facilitators in Healthy Mentorship. The Upside Down World wants advice on what to do when mom is the one who doesn't want to do school work in Homeschooling Blahs.

Wow that has given us so much to think about but there are so many to talk to we have to keep moving. Let's go sit in the living room and hear all the blood stirring political and insightful philosophical talk. HappyCampers at Reese's View of the World start us off with a poignant Saturday Quote. Then Alasandra of Alasandra's Blog Awards is talking about The Harassment of Homeschoolers Continues At The American Chronicle. Rational Jenn mentions something. Oh, In Case You Haven't Seen This Yet includes some excerpts from an op-ed entitled "Your Child Is Not State Property," and directly challenges the idea that homeschooling parents and children should be monitored by the state. Remember, THEY work for US! :o) Then Findings gives us Socialized Homeschooling in which she discusses the different alternatives available for establishing a social life for my children as homeschoolers. Cristina at Home Spun Juggling continues her series "You can learn a lot from watching animals" with A Tick to Ride. Theresa at Olin gives us another reason to homeschool with Coming to A School Near You. Then Henry Cate at Why Homeschool also gives us Yet Another Reason to Homeschool - Help Stop a Pandemic. Then Learning at Home reminds us that sometimes we are Getting MORE than we paid for in some cases. A Family Runs Through It give us Comment Love where she is seeking advice to jerks who leave her anti-homeschooling comments. Then Dawn Adams presents Day by Day Discoveries: If it Looks Too Good to be True... posted at Day by Day Discoveries talking about K-12 Free.

Oh, that group over in the garage, they are getting ready to take their learning out into the world. Bookworms and Tea Lovers is telling us how to get the most out of Visiting Museums with Children. Brain Blog has provided us with 2 essays that were submitted by homeschoolers in Florida with Brain Health and Alzheimer's Prevention. Jennifer of Diary of 1 shares The Child's Spring Book. It tells us how to make a ziplock-bag-book full of the specimens of spring! My Domestic Church offers us If you build it, they will come! It is all about their homeschool soccer league. Peakmore Academy shares all about Science Fair and more! The Sojourner says Sometimes You Just Gotta Have Fun With Your Kids! She says that sometimes you need to just "play" with your kids like she did at the county fair!

Thanks so much for coming over and hanging out with me! Next week Principled Discovery will be hosting this wonderful carnival. Go over to BlogCarnival and get your entry in before Monday night at 6pm (pacific). If you like this carnival please use what ever social bookmarking (Stumble, Digg, etc) you participate in so we can share this with others. Now go visiting and comment on their blogs about what a great job they all have done!

Technorati Tags: Homeschooling, Carnival of Homeschooling

How We Got Started Homeschooling

I often say the thing that got me started on the idea of homeschooling was attending public school and knowing kids at private schools. But I am not sure if that is totally true. I think it was watching my younger siblings starting school while I was still in high school. I started seeing all the negative things that started as early as kindergarten and paralleled that with my corrupting high school experience and it got me thinking about why we were in school. My brother was a severe asthmatic so at one point early in his school career my mother pulled him out to do a long term, parent directed schooling through the district. With just this change I saw amazing differences in both his intellect and personality. Then we he went back to school I saw him go from very advanced back to normal.

That was it for me. Then looking at my own schooling I realized how the herding mentality held me back as a student and I already knew the social issues that were bad (obviously I was and am a nerd). Then I was blessed to meet someone likeminded. NerdDad had seen the negatives in his own schooling career and decided he wouldn't want to put his children in it either.

We both wanted 4 kids, the wife to stay home and to homeschool. That is part of what got me interested in him;). Now I don't want you to think we were the kids left behind and we are bitter we couldn't read. We were kind of the opposite. Self teachers who never felt nurtured. It was obvious that we weren't in an environment that loved learning (except for a few teachers and their classes) and the school wasn't really caring on developing our character. We were the kids who would have been better left alone in the library for a few years. Now we do know the kids left behind and the schools didn't serve them either. So we decided the schools don't serve anyone other than the government, for the most part.

Once we got married we began educating ourselves on homeschooling. Then obviously we had kids. I loved the classical theory and The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home. So here we are just a couple years in but completely committed to homeschooling!

Heart of the Matter

"Clearly there is an appropriate kind of sheltering. When those who are opposed to homeschooling accuse me of sheltering my children, my reply is always, 'What are you going to accuse me of next, feeding and clothing them?" ~R.C. Sproul Jr

Heart of the Matter asked us to comment on this quote. I am constantly amazed that education is not put in the same category as food and shelter. I have many friends whom I respect that send their kids to public school but... I am really frustrated with these people who think that homeschooling is doing a disservice to our children (versus it just not being a choice for them). If I wanted to be a homeschooling extremist I could make a strong case for public school to not be the norm.

In the US it is our responsibility to feed, clothe and shelter our children. When we are unable or unwilling to do that the government will step in. It means you don't have as many choices as to what your child eats, wears or lives but it gets the basics done. Public school can be viewed similarly, as educational welfare. When you send your child to public school you are ceding both some of your responsibilities and your privileges as a parent such as time school starts, the standards, the curriculum, etc. Now that is fine if that is the choice you make but how is it that I am the one failing my kids? (Is it obvious that I have heard a lot of homeschool bashing lately?)

Court to Reconsider

For all those keeping up on the California Homeschooling drama, the court is going to reconsider their decision. As far as I can tell in the first article I have found, this is not a complete rehearing of the case. They are inviting educators and teacher's unions to submit written arguments. We shall see.

Homeschoolers: Be Ye Attentive But Not Panicked

I have been emailed quite a bit about the ruling that came down in LA County last week. Some people had wondered if I had heard about it while I have been sick since I hadn't blogged on it. Yes, I have heard but I am not worried, yet. First of all, I encourage everyone to read the ruling. Don't rely on news reports, articles and others to give you a picture. Go find out for yourself.

Having read the ruling (or what ever it is the court released), I have strong concerns but nothing has actually changed yet. The most concerning part is this part:

It is clear to us that enrollment and
attendance in a public full-time day school is required by California law for minor
children unless (1) the child is enrolled in a private full-time day school and actually
attends that private school, (2) the child is tutored by a person holding a valid state
teaching credential for the grade being taught, or (3) one of the other few statutory
exemptions to compulsory public school attendance (Ed. Code, § 48220 et seq.) applies
to the child.

While this is very alarming as a legal precedent, nothing has changed. You can still go file your forms to homeschool in the State of California. Now the HSLDA is currently doing many things to deal with this ruling. The big one that has made it around the homeschooling internet is the petition to get the ruling depublished. From what I have read, depublishing the verdict means nothing has changed. Then this ruling will not be reversed but it will not be considered part of the body of law which constitutes legal precedent. On the whole I am not a big fan of depublishing any verdicts. I think it should either right or wrong. This is a very political way to tell the court what they did in that case was right but let's not use it for everyone. Some things I have read said that this is the easiest way to deal with it because it rocks the boat the least.

I don't really think that the State of California is going to change how we homeschool or if they do, not very much. A big benefit that I do see out of all of this is unification. I am on a few yahoo groups and I am seeing secular, unschoolers, and Christians homeschoolers banding together for a common cause. I think this is great! Studies have shown that homeschooling in whatever form is better for the kids and for society. We need to come together and protect our rights together! I would love to see the homeschoolers of California to maintain some of this unity after this issue has been dealt with.

Technorati Tags: homeschooling, California

How to get a boy to do his work.

So here is the issue I need advice on. As everyone knows, I homeschool a 6 year old boy (NerdBug). When I sit him right next to me and am on him like white on rice, he gets his homework done in about 1/3 of the time. So should I sit on him to get him to do it or let him fritter away his day? If he is left to spend forever, what activities should the homework replace? IE, we stop homework to eat, do chores but should all free time be up for grabs? He is only 6. By the way, if he just does the work with me it only takes 30 minutes to an hour a day.

Thanks in advance for the advice

YouTube and Homeschooling

Does anyone else remember the animated science show on PBS called Eureka? Well, it is probably not surprising that bother NerdDad and I loved this show as kids. So NerdDad set to searching this out for the Nerdlings and Eureka! he found them. There are 30 pieces of episodes over at YouTube. We have downloaded them and uploaded them to the Tivo. NerdBug and NerdPie are loving them. They may not understand all the complex science but they ask to watch them over and over. So I am sure that the science will sink in! So I don't know who BubbleBear83 is but I appreciate the effort. Now that is using the Internet to our advantage!

LionCon

This was posted in one of my Yahoo Groups. I thought that some of you might be interested! Go over and check it out!

Welcome to LionCon 2008!

Narniafans, Narniaweb, and The Lion's Call are gathering Narnia and C.S. Lewis experts and fans from across the country for a weekend of fun in sunny Southern California.

Dates:

June 20-22, 2008

Location:

Biola University
La Mirada, CA
about 15 minutes from Disneyland

Price

Early Registration: $65 base price

Where I Homeschool

Homeschooling can take place anywhere and any time. I personally have 3 spots that I use consistently to do real schooling (versus computer games, board games, outdoor observations, etc). The first is group activities like art and history activities. That happens at the kitchen table so I can sit everyone up at once and help them all.





Then for the NerdBug (who is the only official schooler) I have him do a lot of work at the kitchen island. It keeps him close enough to observe without sitting on him. I usually cook or clean the kitchen at the same time.







Then we have reading time on the couch. We read history, science books, literature, well just about anything. We all snuggle in before naptime just about everyday and read together.

So where do you homeschool?

Learning, Competing, Rice

There is this great Vocab building game over at Free Rice. You match the word to the meaning. If you get it wrong they give you the answer but if you get it right, that is when it gets interesting. First, you get a new word and the difficulty builds. Second, for each word you get right they donate 20 grains of rice to the UN World Food Program. The amount you can play is unlimited. Go play, learn and have fun.

Heart of the Matter

I found out about this Friday meme over at Heart of the Matter where you post your thoughts about the following quote.

"Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."
- William Butler Yeats

I love this imagery for a couple of reasons. A fire being is active versus a pail that is static. The pail is filled by someone else where as a fire consumes its own fuel and if you don't provide it, it will reach out and grab it if it is near. A pail is the same filled or empty, but a fire will die without fuel. A pail can only carry so much but a fire can burn forever.

The imagery of the fire is what I desire for my children. It isn't about individual facts but a love for learning and a yearn for more. The unquenchable fire.....

So what do you think?

I Guess I Got What I Want and Deserve

So Friday we had a typical laid back day. We got up and did all out normal breakfast, chores, etc. Then we read Chapter 5 in Story of the World which is on the first unifying ruler in the Sumer area in Mesopotamia (Argon). With in the chapter it briefly introduced the concept of Military Dictatorship, which is how Argon ruled his new country. They loosely go this concept and I told them we could talk about it later.

So we all go get on shoes and go to Costco so we can take advantage of getting in early (with our Executive Membership). One of the nice things about going at this time is there is almost no one there and the kids get cookies. So we eat our cookies and are cruising the aisles and NerdBug brings up Military Dictatorship. So we start talking about it. NerdPie then asks if Argon is still there as a country. Then are there still Military Dictatorships? As we are walking through the store I see people staring. Then the Nerdling (2 1/2) starts saying, rather loudly (but not yelling), military dictatorship over and over. People were staring and not in a good way. So I try to change the subject to the alphabet and songs, didn't work. Then 1 couple says quietly, "Do you homeschool?" To which I say yes and keep walking. Then another woman that I had seen in a couple of aisles asks also. I say yes. Then she engages me in a conversation about what are we studying and other such details. She is looking for supplemental materials for her very bright kids that are in public school.

All I could think through the whole trip is, "Couldn't you guys keep you nerdiness at home?" Then it hit me, this is what I always wanted and how I raised them to be. Sure, we are a little different but should them wanting knowledge that seems to be above them really be a bad thing? I helped make them this way. That is the joy of homeschool, you sometimes get just what you really want;).

(Now, in telling part of this story at my Growing Kids God's Way Class tonight I was told I am definitely living up to my blog name;)

Martha's vs Homeschool Mom's Way

Now that Christmas is over and I am dealing with the trauma of everything not being all pulled together and neat. I needed a little pick me up! I found this over at Ann Zeise's humor page. Thanks Ann!

Martha's vs Homeschool Mom's Way

Martha's way #1: Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone to prevent ice cream drips.

Homeschool Mom's Way: Just suck the ice cream out of the bottom of the cone, for Pete's sake; you are probably lying on the couch with your feet up eating it anyway.

Martha's way #2: Use a meat baster to "squeeze" your pancake batter onto the hot griddle and you'll get perfectly shaped pancakes every time.

Homeschool Mom's Way: Buy the precooked kind you nuke in the microwave for 30 seconds. The hard part is getting them out of the plastic bag.

Martha's way #3: To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

Homeschool Mom's Way: Buy Hungry Jack mashed potato mix and keep it in the pantry for up to a year.

Martha's way #4: To prevent eggshells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.

Homeschool Mom's Way: Who cares if they crack, aren't you going to take the shells off anyway?

Martha's way #5: To get the most juice out of fresh lemons, bring them to room temperature and roll them under your palm against the kitchen counter before squeezing.

Homeschool Mom's Way: Sleep with the lemons in between the mattress and box springs.

Martha's way #6: To easily remove burnt-on food from your skillet, simply add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover bottom of pan, and bring to a boil on stovetop.

Homeschool Mom's Way: Eat at Chili's every night and avoid cooking.

Martha's way #7: Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato based sauces and there won't be any stains.

Homeschool Mom's Way: Feed your garbage disposal and there won't be any leftovers.

Martha's way #8: When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead and there won't be any white mess on the outside of the cake.

Homeschool Mom's Way: Go to the bakery. They'll even decorate it for you.

Martha's way #9: If you accidentally over salt a dish while it's still cooking, drop in a peeled potato and it will absorb the excess salt for an instant "fix me up"

Homeschool Mom's Way: If you over salt a dish while you are cooking, that's too damn bad. My motto: I made it and you will eat it and I don't care how bad it tastes.

Martha's way #10: Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator and it will keep for weeks.

Homeschool Mom's Way: Celery? Never heard of the stuff.

Martha's way #11: Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust before baking to yield a beautiful glossy finish.

Homeschool Mom's Way: The Mrs. Smith frozen pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crust and so I don't do it.

Martha's way #12: Place a slice of apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it.

Homeschool Mom's Way: Brown sugar is supposed to be "soft"?

Martha's way #13: When boiling corn on the cob, add a pinch of sugar to help bring out the corn's natural sweetness.

Homeschool Mom's Way: The only kind of corn I buy comes in a can.

Martha's way #14: To determine whether an egg is fresh, immerse it in a pan of cool, salted water. If it sinks, it is fresh, but if it rises to the surface, throw it away.

Homeschool Mom's Way: Eat, cook, or use the egg anyway. If you feel bad later, you will know it wasn't fresh.

Martha's way #15: Cure for headaches: Take a lime, cut it in half and rub it on your forehead. The throbbing will go away.

Homeschool Mom's Way: Martha, dear, the only reason this works is because you can't rub a lime on your forehead without getting lime juice in your eye, and then the problem isn't the headache anymore, it is because you are now blind.

Martha's way #16: Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

Homeschool Mom's Way: Leftover wine?

Martha's way #17: If you have a problem opening jars: Try using latex dishwashing gloves. They give a non slip grip that makes opening jars easy.

Homeschool Mom's Way: Go ask the very cute neighbor to do it.

Martha's way #18: Potatoes will take food stains off your fingers. Just slice and rub raw potato on the stains and rinse with water.

Homeschool Mom's Way: Mashed potatoes will now be replacing the anti-bacterial soap in the handy dispenser next to my sink.

Martha's way #19: Now look what you can do with Alka Seltzer.

§ Clean a toilet. Drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets, wait twenty minutes, brush and flush. The citric acid and effervescent action clean vitreous china.

§ Clean a vase. To remove a stain from the bottom of a glass vase or cruet, fill with water and drop in two Alka-Seltzer tablets.

§ Polish jewelry. Drop two Alka-Seltzer tablets into a glass of water and immerse the jewelry for two minutes.

§ Clean a thermos bottle. Fill the bottle with water, drop in four Alka-Seltzer tablets, and let soak for an hour (or longer, if necessary).

Homeschool Mom's Way: Put your jewelry, vases, and thermos in the toilet. Add some Alka-Seltzer and you have solved a whole bunch of problems at once.

How to Start Homeschooling in California

Now that we are through the first half of the school year it appears to be a great time to make a change. What kind of change, you ask? It is a great time to pull your kids out of public school and start homeschooling them.

Aren't you tired of your kids coming home with outrageous ideas? Tired of having to do everything according to the public school's schedule? Well, you have options.

Why am I writing this "how to" post? Well, I have a friend who is pulling her kid out of school and I know she isn't the only one. So if you need a little guidance read on.

First, this is a how to for someone who is going to do it alone in the State of California. Meaning no "homeschooling" group, you are responsible for everything. This is not legal advice but a gleaning of all the information I have. You can read further here.

So you need to get a file folder and put the following information in it.

• An attendance record that has your child's absences only.
• Have a resume for yourself and/or your spouse that includes any schooling or training you have. (There is not an educational requirement, you just need to have some background proof of some) You also could put in a copy of your transcripts or diploma of your highest level of education.
• You also need to have 2 state forms completed regarding health and immunization issues. They can be found here and here. You can also exempt out of the immunizations (on the first form) and fill out an exemption for the exam.

Then you will need to file a PSA (Private School Affidavit), which some of us still refer to by the outdated R4 name. You can go over to A to Z Home's Cool Homeschooling to walk you through the form, if you have any questions. Everything is done and submitted on the computer. You need to print off a copy and keep your confirmation code (just in case).

So what else is expected of you? You will also have to instruct in English (unless your student is currently learning English, in which case it needs to be at least 50%). You will also have to make sure you teach at least the "accepted" subjects. You can go to the Content Standards on the Education Department's site to get grade level goals (though not required). You also need to keep a basic course list. Mine is basically a book list that can be found here.

The subjects for 1st to 6th (there aren't rules for kindergarten):

• English
• Math
• Science
• Social Studies
• Fine Arts
• Health
• PE

That is it! Remember, we have all seen the current school system so it can't be that hard! Good Luck!

Nerds, High School, and Socialization

Apparently when you search "facts about nerds" on Google we come up 2nd. The first site returned is fascinating article by Paul Graham on "Why Nerds are Unpopular". It brought up many great points that spoke to my own popularity issues in high school and also to many reasons as to why I homeschool. While I am quoting many pieces, I recommend you read the article in its entirety.

One of his great points is that nerds don't want to be popular enough to be popular.

But in fact I didn't, not enough. There was something else I wanted more: to be smart. Not simply to do well in school, though that counted for something, but to design beautiful rockets, or to write well, or to understand how to program computers. In general, to make great things.

At the time I never tried to separate my wants and weigh them against one another. If I had, I would have seen that being smart was more important. If someone had offered me the chance to be the most popular kid in school, but only at the price of being of average intelligence (humor me here), I wouldn't have taken it.
...
The main reason nerds are unpopular is that they have other things to think about. Their attention is drawn to books or the natural world, not fashions and parties. They're like someone trying to play soccer while balancing a glass of water on his head. Other players who can focus their whole attention on the game beat them effortlessly, and wonder why they seem so incapable.

He also speaks as to how real life compares to high school.

Why is the real world more hospitable to nerds? It might seem that the answer is simply that it's populated by adults, who are too mature to pick on one another. But I don't think this is true. Adults in prison certainly pick on one another. And so, apparently, do society wives; in some parts of Manhattan, life for women sounds like a continuation of high school, with all the same petty intrigues.

I think the important thing about the real world is not that it's populated by adults, but that it's very large, and the things you do have real effects. That's what school, prison, and ladies-who-lunch all lack. The inhabitants of all those worlds are trapped in little bubbles where nothing they do can have more than a local effect. Naturally these societies degenerate into savagery. They have no function for their form to follow.

When the things you do have real effects, it's no longer enough just to be pleasing. It starts to be important to get the right answers, and that's where nerds show to advantage. Bill Gates will of course come to mind. Though notoriously lacking in social skills, he gets the right answers, at least as measured in revenue.

So once again all this just points out the obvious, if high school isn't real life why is it so important to make your kids learn how to fit in? I feel it harms the kids more than anything, so I homeschool to combat it all and raise functioning adults.

Friedman on Schools (Choir Style)

Is there really anything more I need to say?

Homeschooling Carnival: I am Thankful Edition

Welcome everyone to this week's Homeschooling Carnival. In honor of the nearing Thanksgiving holiday I have decided I should go over some of the many nerdy things I am thankful for. We have many delightful entries into this week's carnival so let us jump right in!

I am thankful for Veterans. Without them we wouldn't have any of the freedoms that we enjoy today. The Diary of 1 gives us a great Veterans History Project. Everyday Me has a great project for homeschool kids in writing Medal of Honor winners. They give us directions on how to go about that with True Heroes.

I am thankful that NerdDad and I made the decision to homeschool. We have many reasons (tune in later in the blog for more on that) for homeschooling and how it ties into our overall life priorities. The Joyful Journey shares some of hers in Why Not School?? Key Words is Sharing My Answer to One Adoption Question where they share their educational philosophy. Homeschool 2.0 reviews 2 Million Minutes and talks about how it relates to their own philosophy. All Info About Homeschooling talks about their choices in Living Intentionally. Large Family Mothering gives us a brief description of our philosophy, after 19 years of homeschooling and 14 children, and encouragement to seek the truly important things instead of the expected in The Plans of Mice and Mothering.

I am thankful for the over all freedoms that homeschooling gives me. Life Without School compares a Thanksgiving school free lunch to the freedoms of homeschooling in The Free Lunch. Homeschooling also inherently gives us the freedom to not agree. Notes From A Homeschool Mom voices her opinion in Why I Won't Be HSLDA's Pansy.

I am thankful that I can exert a little control over when and how my kids are exposed to things and how I want to handle them. That is the case with Sometimes I'm Actually Coherent On the Seriousness of Children's Literature. The Educational Life's post So I Made Her Cry on Purpose is in similar vein.

I am thankful that family traditions are just as important to teach as "school" traditions. I feel that this takes the place of rallies, assemblies, parent/teacher conferences. etc. Reese's View of the World gives us a beautiful pancake tradition with A Tradition is Made. Then Chrysalis tells us to Let Grandparent Shine During the Holidays. She gives us 3 ways that they can serve as family storytellers.

I am thankful that I can take a break from our current studies to delve into a subject. Little Fun; Little Learning give us Thanksgiving unit ideas in Fun-Filled Friday. More4Kids Education also has Thanksgiving Projects for Homeschoolers. About Homeschooling gives even more Thanksgiving Activities and Studies. Our Homeschooling Expedition gives us a delightful Christmas unit in How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

I am thankful that where I am weak others are strong. The reality is that I don't have to know or enjoy everything that I want me kids to learn. I just need to find the resources to help me equip my children. That was the case for Annette at Homeschooling Journey in the area of music. She found a Music Curriculum For Music Haters. Now I hated handwriting so I am taking the help from Little Blue School who offers Handwriting Help. Life on the Road also discusses handwriting in The Importance of Handwriting.

I am thankful for math. I just love math, it makes the world go round. It is logical. So of course I enjoy Let's Play Math's How to Read a Fraction. Day by Day Homschooling gives us Great Math Resource - Math Mojo! Wild About Math! tells us How to Get Past "Stupid" Math Mistakes.

I am thankful for reading and literature. It brings life, entertainment, understanding, insight and knowledge. Life Nurturing Education reflects on their study of Pilgrim's Progress in Finding Life in Dry Lessons. Reading also help develop character. SuperAngel discussed her character development as facilitated by a poem in Desiring A Mind To Work.

I am thankful that homeschooling enables me to teach the real world to my kids as a subject all its own. Frugal Fanny voyages into the subject of money management with What You Learned from Your Allowance and Why Kids Still Need Allowance Today. Kathy at the Homeschool Buzz reviews The Lemonade Wars. It teaches the basics of the very important subject of capitalism. To balance that I believe in teaching your kids about service to others. Lunablog gives us a idea on that with Here’s a family project that can really make a difference in someone’s life.

I am thankful that I get to see all growth my kids make. It makes my heart happy that I get the time and exposure to see when my kids are in transitions both academically and socially and not just the results. Domestic Entropy says that there's a transition that happens between preschool-age thinking and school-age thinking, and her daughter is right in the middle of it in Kids Grow Up and Change.

I am thankful that I have a modicum of control over the copious amounts of crafts my kids do. Not that I don't love every art piece but I can decide what kind of crafts they do that might actually fit in around the house. Also, I can ship off all the crafts to loved one as gifts instead of having to keep them around the house (insert evil giggle here;). That is why I love Mental Mosaic's Easy Gift Idea: Make Your Own Refrigerator Magnets. It is something that everyone can find a place for and they are cheap to mail!

I am thankful for the chance to help my children develop their minds through logic, starting very young. Play-Activities.com gives us some tools to Teach young children how to think by the way we talk to our kids, one word at a time.

I extremely thankful that I am blessed to teach my children to start learning as young as birth and not just waiting for kindergarten (not that most non-homeschoolers do, it is just a learning blessing). Lionden Learning gives us tips to stimulate infant brain development with Let's Get Moving. Talk About Speech has a good piece on Early Speech Development.

I am thankful for the ability to personalize education to my children. If I find they learn a different way or need extra work in an area, I am free to change course. A Ten O'Clock Scholar offers us Helping the Older Child Learn to Read. Speaking of reading, The Thinking Mother gives a review of Schooled. It centers around a homeschooled child and is for kids.

I am thankful for church and community support. I personally am blessed by having many people in my life, and especially in my church, that support my homeschooling even if they don't homeschool themselves. Small World knows about this kind of support. In Something Nice Happened Yesterday we find out about a church that volunteered to allow her support group use of their facilities. I am also grateful that homeschoolers come together and both celebrate our victories and support us when we need help. Boy+Academy has given us 45 Days: A Review to share how teacher and student have both grown. Barbara Frank gives us the gentle reminder that Parental Pressure Can Mean Failure. Janine at Why Homeschooling alerts us to the NEA Resolutions and what they really mean.

I am thankful for technology and the ability to use it to further my kids' education. Also I just enjoy the hunt for educational materials. Frugal Panda gives us 17 Ways to Get Free Books. That includes both traditional books and the easy to store e-books. Then Jimmy over at OEDb: Online Education Database gives us 101 Web 2.0 Teaching Tools. I am in love with Principled Discovery's Saturday School: Make Your Own Simple Circuit. We will make these for all the things we need quizzing on.

I am thankful that the more that people learn about kids and education, the more vindicated I am to everyone else about homeschooling. Ragamuffin Studies give us a little more proof in The Red Herring: Social Skills and Schools Today.

I am thankful that I am giving my kids an education that will get them into college (if they choose to go). Bright Kids at Home gives us record keeping tips in Homeschooling Teens-High School Record Keeping. Percieval Blakeney Academy tells us Don't Do This regarding 10 mistakes that are common in applying for college.

I am thankful that homeschooling frees me up to do things when I want. That includes enabling me to use field trips to its fullest ability. Alasandra shares A Gem of a Field Trip. I don't have to do school on anyone else's schedule. I can't let them sleep more and now I am justified by No Fighting, No Biting! with Kids Need Sleep. We can take an afternoon to do a cool activity like the Map and Compass Exercises at Melissa's Idea Garden. Welcome to My Brain shares the fun and delight her homeschool got by doing a float for a parade when she asks an important question. Doesn't everyone have one of these in their yard? I also get to enjoy the season with my kids. Just like My Domestic Church in The Loveliness of Fall Sports.

Life homeschooling can be very crazy and sometimes stressful. That is why I am so thankful for humor. I have been blessed (or did I just choose wisely?;) with a husband with a great sense of humor and that makes my life so much better. Having a sense of humor sometimes means laughing at yourself and sometimes laughing at others. Po Moyemu—In My Opinion gives us a great chuckle with Funny School T-Shirt. Then onto the hilarity at Consent of the Governed with A Wish List from Homeschoolers To Non-Homeschoolers. The list was so nice it was submitted more completely over at Grizzly Mama. But as I said sometimes we have to laugh at ourselves. That is the case for HomeSpun Juggling with A Picture is Worth a Thousand Bricks. I also love sweet childlike humor. Seeking Rest in the Ancient Paths give us kids answers to Why Did God Make Mothers?

I am most thankful for the blessing of having my family and being entrusted with loving and teaching these little, soon to be big people. Our Family Village tells us that apparently the government thinks that is can do a better job in Yikes!. Of course having everyone around all the time emotions can run high. Personal Development gives us some ways to deal in How To Calm Down. As if to assure us that those little ones will grow into a wonderful maturity Jocelyn Dixon offers us Being Thankful Because I Am Homeschooled.

I am also thankful for all of you and the blogosphere. It gives me an opportunity to meet many more people whom I share viewpoints and can learn from. That is the point of great carnivals like this so keep submitting you articles for upcoming carnivals and make sure you join in the fun.

Now that you have come to the end of my carnival I have a couple of requests. First, comment here and tell me what you are thankful for. Second, go read all these great articles and let the authors know what you think. The only thing better for a blogger than writing a great post is getting great feedback! Have a great Thanksgiving!

Frugal Homeschooler: Music

For those who are looking for my free music resource list, don't panic. I have now started a new blog and I moved it there. That is where all new Frugal Homeschooler posts will now be (I am slowly moving over the old ones). So run over to NerdFamily Things and check it out!

WFMW: Tivo the Timesaver

So I was trying to think of a great time saver in my life and I would have to say that it is my Tivo. You can list all of your desired programs regardless of when they are on. You just program it and let it go. You can set a season pass so it gets Heroes every week. Those movies that are on in the middle of the night, Tivo's theres. Wishlist all Jane Austen movies, Tivos there. I even get Cable in the Classroom at 3 am. Then you can watch them commercial free when ever you have time. You can also hold onto them for as long as you have space on your hard drive.

Traveling and taking your laptop? Great, just install a Tivo desktop (free) and up load programs onto your computer. I took it to the hospital when I had my c-section and caught up on shows that were on summer hiatus.

I also love the fact that you can rate channels and shows for kids. Then when it sits 4 hours (or you turn it on) it kicks into KidZone and just lists the approved things. We have it set on preschool so only the preschool level shows are automatically on. Then we have added select cooking shows (NerdBug wants to be a chef). So if you want to send the kids in to watch something while you shower you don't have to worry (at least not about the tv). I also have Wiggles, DoodleBops and JoJo's Circus at my disposal. The Nerdling only watches while I cook dinner.

Then the newest thing is that there are select PodCasts so I can watch CrankyGeeks while I am cooking. Also, you can run it over your wireless network so it can play all my music stored on all my computers. The endless CD changer.

I love my Tivo because it works for me. And no, this wasn't a paid post though if you are Tivo and you want to hook me up......

Carnival Roundup

I just want to point out that the Carnival of Recipes and the Carnival of Homeschooling are up! Go check them out.

Frugal Homeschooler:Pumpkins (and JackoLanterns)

I will preface this Frugal Homeschooler with the statement that I am not a real Halloween person. Everything here is more pumpkin aimed but a little Halloween may sneak in through carving;).

First, here is a bunch of Pumpkin worksheets that I found on another blogger site. It is owned by Newsword. It even includes optional answer keys. There are everything from matting, crosswords, word searches, etc. I will be using a couple of these for my first grader this year but there are plenty to choose from for older kids.

The there is a great Hands on Activity page that was produced by Chicago Academy of Sciences. They have some great little activities but the one I like the best is their main activity on the life cycle of a pumpkin. It even includes the worksheet with the images to cut out.

Southwest Educational development Lab has a great observational project that will help with kids understanding the scientific process, not to mention pumpkins. It has a page you can print out for recording data(and to go in their science binders) along with explanations of the steps.

Diane Flynn Keith over at Universal Preschool (and who also does the Clickschooling Yahoo group where I get so many of my free finds) has a great article, Pumpkin Fun!, that links to many good educational resources also. So if you didn't find what you are looking for over here go check her out.

So that wraps up this week's Frugal Homeschooler. Go have a great Halloween. Stay safe and don't eat to much candy. Look, explore, use and if you have any great resources please share with me. As always remember homeschooling doesn't have to be hard or expensive!

It's Time

*Updated: I am posting this at the top as a reminder for anyone looking for the Affidavit link. Please scroll down for our normally scheduled program;)


For all of you who file as a Private School with the State of California the affidavit is up. I have heard that you can only file online starting with this year. This is good from now until September of 2008. They are all due by 10/15/2007. I also have been told to not expect any response from the state so if no one emails or writes I guess that is to be expected.

Frugal Homeschooler: History

For those who are looking for my free History resource list, don't panic. I have now started a new blog and I moved it there. That is where all new Frugal Homeschooler posts will now be (I am slowly moving over the old ones). So run over to NerdFamily Things and check it out!

Frugal Homeschooler: Math

For those who are looking for my free math resource list, don't panic. I have now started a new blog and I moved it there. That is where all new Frugal Homeschooler posts will now be (I am slowly moving over the old ones). So run over to NerdFamily Things and check it out!

WFMW: Schooling with Little Ones

Something I hear often after I say I homeschool is, "How do you do it with all your little ones". Well, homeschooling a 6 year old when you have a 4, 2, and newborn is a challenge but it can be done. First, take advantage of any of the newborn's naps. Then invest in some dollar big puzzles and dollar coloring books for the 2 year old. Then only let the 2 year old use those when you are schooling. Then they are his special "school" things. With the 4 year old use peer pressure and preschool work. Get some preschool workbooks and give them the choice to work on it. But if they don't choose to work on it they have to play in their room or what ever you would let the 2 year old do. And yes I have use the line, "If you aren't big enough to work on your school work you aren't big enough to play on the computer while your brother works on his work". It has worked pretty well so far for me!

Frugal Homeschooler: Free Science

For those who are looking for my free science resource list, don't panic. I have now started a new blog and I moved it there. That is where all new Frugal Homeschooler posts will now be (I am slowly moving over the old ones). So run over to NerdFamily Things and check it out!

Frugal Homeschooler: Record Keeping

Once again I am looking at homeschooling on the cheap. This time I am looking at the record keeping side. It surprises me how intimidated people are by the idea that the need to keep records. It just isn't that hard. Now granted, I am in California where we don't have a lot of rules but still. I think this is something anyone can do with out any fancy, expensive stuff.

Personally I take the calendar approach. Since this is first grade I am just getting an idea of my oldest's output. I have an overall minimum plan but not a daily plan (doesn't allow for much flexibility). I bought a calendar with a page a day. Then I just write each kid's name and what they did for the day. It is that simple. When this calendar is done I will just use the undated teacher's planner I got at the Dollar Tree. It has plenty of room and the price is great;). I prefer the paper version right now and then I will convert it to a computer file at a later date for prosperity.

There are also a couple of free sites. You can download a free version of HomeSchool Tracker. It is a software program that you can put everything in to plan and track. I haven't tried it but have heard good things, especially for multiple kids. The other tool out there is Donna Young's site. It has all the printable paper work you can imagine. She has planning pages, notebooking pages, calendars, etc. I have already used them many times.

Well, hopefully that helps someone with the bookkeeping and tracking that goes with homeschooling. If you have any other free or cheap resources for record keeping please leave them in the comments. Also, if you haven't checked out my post on reproducible books please do and add your finds too!

As always remember homeschooling doesn't have to be hard or expensive!

An invasion of civilization by little barbarians

I came across Thomas Sowell's summation of a parent's duty, "Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late," in an article about conflicting ideas about parenting. The author, Tony Woodleif, a homeschooling father of four, lays out Sowell's two competing theories:

Mr. Sowell contrasted the "unconstrained vision" of utopians, who want to radically improve humankind, with the "constrained vision" of realists, who begin with the propositio