Jan 24, 2008

thought this was good!

What Non Homeschoolers shouldn't say!

1. Please stop asking us if it's legal. If it is — and it is — it's insulting to imply that we're criminals. And if we were criminals, would we admit it?

2. Learn what the words "socialize" and "socialization" mean, and use the one you really mean instead of mixing them up the way you do now. Socializing means hanging out with other people for fun. Socialization means having acquired the skills necessary to do so successfully and pleasantly. If you're talking to me and my kids, that means that we do in fact go outside now and then to visit the other human beings on the planet, and you can safely assume that we've got a decent grasp of both concepts.

3. Quit interrupting my kid at her dance lesson, scout meeting, choir practice, baseball game, art class, field trip, park day, music class, 4H club, or soccer lesson to ask her if as a homeschooler she ever gets to socialize.


4. Don't assume that every homeschooler you meet is homeschooling for the same reasons and in the same way as that one homeschooler you know.

5. If that homeschooler you know is actually someone you saw on TV, either on the news or on a "reality" show, the above goes double.

6. Please stop telling us horror stories about the homeschoolers you know, know of, or think you might know who ruined their lives by homeschooling. You're probably the same little bluebird of happiness whose hobby is running up to pregnant women and inducing premature labor by telling them every ghastly birth story you've ever heard. We all hate you, so please go away.

7. We don't look horrified and start quizzing your kids when we hear they're in public school. Please stop drilling our children like potential oil fields to see if we're doing what you consider an adequate job of homeschooling.

8. Stop assuming all homeschoolers are religious.

9. Stop assuming that if we're religious, we must be homeschooling for religious reasons.

10. We didn't go through all the reading, learning, thinking, weighing of options, experimenting, and worrying that goes into homeschooling just to annoy you. Really. This was a deeply personal decision, tailored to the specifics of our family. Stop taking the bare fact of our being homeschoolers as either an affront or a judgment about your own educational decisions.

11. Please stop questioning my competency and demanding to see my credentials. I didn't have to complete a course in catering to successfully cook dinner for my family; I don't need a degree in teaching to educate my children. If spending at least twelve years in the kind of chew-it-up-and-spit-it-out educational facility we call public school left me with so little information in my memory banks that I can't teach the basics of an elementary education to my nearest and dearest, maybe there's a reason I'm so reluctant to send my child to school.

12. If my kid's only six and you ask me with a straight face how I can possibly teach him what he'd learn in school, please understand that you're calling me an idiot. Don't act shocked if I decide to respond in kind.

13. Stop assuming that because the word "home" is right there in "homeschool," we never leave the house. We're the ones who go to the amusement parks, museums, and zoos in the middle of the week and in the off-season and laugh at you because you have to go on weekends and holidays when it's crowded and icky.

14. Stop assuming that because the word "school" is right there in homeschool, we must sit around at a desk for six or eight hours every day, just like your kid does. Even if we're into the "school" side of education — and many of us prefer a more organic approach — we can burn through a lot of material a lot more efficiently, because we don't have to gear our lessons to the lowest common denominator.

15. Stop asking, "But what about the Prom?" Even if the idea that my kid might not be able to indulge in a night of over-hyped, over-priced revelry was enough to break my heart, plenty of kids who do go to school don't get to go to the Prom. For all you know, I'm one of them. I might still be bitter about it. So go be shallow somewhere else.

16. Don't ask my kid if she wouldn't rather go to school unless you don't mind if I ask your kid if he wouldn't rather stay home and get some sleep now and then.

17. Stop saying, "Oh, I could never homeschool!" Even if you think it's some kind of compliment, it sounds more like you're horrified. One of these days, I won't bother disagreeing with you any more.

18. If you can remember anything from chemistry or calculus class, you're allowed to ask how we'll teach these subjects to our kids. If you can't, thank you for the reassurance that we couldn't possibly do a worse job than your teachers did, and might even do a better one.

19. Stop asking about how hard it must be to be my child's teacher as well as her parent. I don't see much difference between bossing my kid around academically and bossing him around the way I do about everything else.

20. Stop saying that my kid is shy, outgoing, aggressive, anxious, quiet, boisterous, argumentative, pouty, fidgety, chatty, whiny, or loud because he's homeschooled. It's not fair that all the kids who go to school can be as annoying as they want to without being branded as representative of anything but childhood.

21. Quit assuming that my kid must be some kind of prodigy because she's homeschooled.

22. Quit assuming that I must be some kind of prodigy because I homeschool my kids.

23. Quit assuming that I must be some kind of saint because I homeschool my kids.

24. Stop talking about all the great childhood memories my kids won't get because they don't go to school, unless you want me to start asking about all the not-so-great childhood memories you have because you went to school.

25. Here's a thought: If you can't say something nice about homeschooling, shut up

links about Paul...

transpont.blogspot.com/2008/01/remembering-paul-hendrich.html


hutnyk.blogspot.com/2008/01/paul-hendrich.html


www.bignewsday.com/story.asp?code=XT2345871O&news=lorry_driver_held_after_cyclist_hit_in_fatal_collision

And Pauls Friends Reunited page:

After much consideration I don't suppose it could hurt to let you know what I'm up to...

I have been trying to work in every possible sphere since I was was released...I have variously been A'level tutor, Chef(Mexican is my thing), civil servant, record label fumbler (flycasual), English teacher in Japan, Sub editor (if you read Hello-that's my handy work), lighting designer and VJ. I currently have a few bees in my bonnet about the treatment of asylum seekers and so do volunteer work (with the view to making some short films) in Lambeth, where I live with my lovely new wife Sasha (yes, we're all hitting 30 so it's either kids, houses or marriage).

I'm contactable as my alter ego, , at both or . Please feel free to drop me a line if this babble hasn't scared you off!

P.S Where is Graham Holland? - Preston folk let me know!

Paul hasn't written anything about "What I'm doing now". Why don't you send a free "Comment on this page" to give them a prod!

The day continues...

So the school didn't phone and I waited for the bus but it didn't stop - so I drove to the school and Susie was in the sports hall watching Chris playing basketball.

Now we are home and the weekend plans are being made.

Chris leaves tomorrow for Vegreville where he is taking part ina basketball tournament. He will be back late tomorrow night and is there again on Saturday.

Susie will go to her friends house on the bus after school tomorrow and is sleeping over there and will be going to a hockey match at Rexall Place on Saturday night.....then they will drop her home after the match as they have to drive past our place.

So now Laurie is hoping the twins call and invite him over for a sleepover like they often do...that leaves just Lloyd and I with Abby and Sam for Saturday! a teeny tiny family of four! Weird!

Susie was invited to sleepover on Saturday night but she didn't want to miss being here when I wake up on my birthday :) Sweetheart!

Lloyd is on his way home. I have a headache. I have to think about something for dinner.

After my fun and quiet morning, the afternoon kind of went crazy. After dinner I plan to soak in the bath for a while with my fabby book. But all I can think about is Paul and his family :(

Worried for a while...

Laurie is home sick today and Chris has basketball [practice...so I went to meet Susie from the bus stop as I worry about her walking on her own - especially out on these quiet country lanes. The bus dind't show up but I had been a few minutes late so I panicked! Got home and called the school and THANKFULLY the bus had broken down in the school parking lot! They are waiting on a replacement bus. Unfortunately now I don't know what time to go and meet her...so I am hoping they get the message to her and she waits with Chris in the sports hall for me to collect them a little later!

Thankfully she is safe though and thats what matters!

Paul....



I went through my pictures and apart from my year picture when we left school, these are the only two pictures I can find of Paul. After seeing his picture online on the front page of the newspaper, it looks like he hadn't changed much at all :)

He was such a nice guy....same kind of guy as Lloyd - very similar actually. My heart breaks for his Wife - I keep imagining what she must have gone through last week....the phone call or the knock at the door......

www.thisiswesterngazette.co.uk/ and click on 'tribute to a loving, caring Son'.

Paul on the far right in the top picture in one of the 'hut' classrooms at our school....and second from the right in the bottom picture - during our trip to Herblay, France.

So sad.

I just had an email from Louise and its left me a bit stunned. Thank you for writing Louise - I'll reply soon!

Louise told me that a boy I went to school with died last week. It is on the front page of the local newspaper back home.

Paul Hendrich was in our class for the 5 years we were at Preston School. He was really nice even back then (when so many teenaged boys aren't lol) He wasn't one of the cool boys but friendly and clever and just 'nice'....he hung around with Paul Mysiak and a few of the other clever kind of non cool boys..I remember going to France with Paul and his brother Stuart.

For the last couple of years we were in school, Paul was the boyfriend of a really pretty and lovely girl called Lorraine. Lorraine and I got to know each other during a holiday at Kilve Court. She was so nice - she told me that she had always felt intimidated by me because Paul had a soft spot for me and had always liked me - I had NO idea!!! He had NEVER said anything!!!

I always wondered what he was up to these days. Sounds like he was still a really great guy - working at a college in London and married with a one year old baby.

Sadly he was bicycling home from work last Wednesday when a truck hit his bike :(

Just so very sad. Paul - you are in my thoughts - as are your Wife and the baby who will never know how great her Daddy was.

The day so far...

My day so far:

We went to breakfast and met Val - we were late because Sam was a sleepyhead and still snoring at 9:30am so I had to wake him up! It seemed like forever since we did breakfast so it was good to catch up with Val - see her little guy again and see Grace...

Sad news - Grace leaves next week for a month in Hong Kong! We will really miss her - she is so wonderful. She is going back for the Chinese New Year and to see her elderly parents. As we were leaving she gav Abby a big 2 litre bottle of 7 Up!!!!!! OMG - and Sam had endless suckers and kitkats! She spoils them and they love it - and so do Val and I because it just makes breakfast soooo much easier!

Anyway Grace will be leaving us for a month - so next week we think we will head to Ikea for breakfast instead :)

After breakfast we ran into Canadian Tire for a few things and then drove to see our new house (ie the one we're going to win in the summer....) and then we drove home.

Sam pooped in his underwear (how lovely) so he is now in the bath being supervised by Laurie. Laurie stayed home today and came to breakfast with us lol.....Grace was surprised to hear I have 5 children! Lol!

She was also surprised we have a pet pig :) I asked her to box up all the leftovers for Charlie-barley.

Now I am off to watch Sam in the bath while I read my book...this book is soooooo good - I LOVE Gail Anderson Dargatz...I get lost in her novels and I love that this one is based around Edmonton!

I've thrown some laundry in the machine...thrown the cats outside for some exercise....make the most of it while it isn't too cold. Not thought about dinner yet...have several emails to reply to....hope to get tot hat later - and I STILL haven't finished the birthday party invites sigh.....

Tomorrow I think I'm going to head to Lets Play for a while.....Val - wnat to come with your little guy? Anyone else want to come with us? Otherwise I plan to let the kids run around like headless chickens while I read my book over coffee - yes I'm going to be one of those awful Mothers who doesn't follow their child constantly. It's a week day - should be empty anyway ;)

Ask me a question - Rhonda..

So my first question was asked by Rhonda:

Where were you born and how many places have you lived?

I was born in Yeovil Maternity Hospital, Yeovil, Somerset, England. Its a big market town in the South West of England.

I grew up in the village of West Coker - just outside of Yeovil. I lived there until I was about 13 when my parents FORCED me to move away from Lloyd and my friend Natasha and we moved about 2 miles away to the village of East Coker :) My parents still live there in the same house.

When I was 17 I moved to Epsom, Surrey to train as a psychiatric nurse. Epsom is just outside of London. I lived in a mental hospital there for two years. My first husband and I then rented a flat in Epsom up near the race course.

When I was 21 and expecting Christopher, we moved to Blackburn, lancashire, in the North West of England. We rented one house for a few weeks but it was just horrible, so we moved to another one and lived there until the day Chris was born! He was born and then Nigel raced home to move house THAT DAY!.

We lived in that house for 4 years and then moved to the village of Bramhall near Stockport in Cheshire (near Manchester/ Coronation St land lol). We lived in Bramhall for about four years in a total of 3 houses.

In 2001 I moved to Edinburgh to stay with Lloyd. We lived in the most gorgeous apartment - a converted brewery!!! Right near the city centre of Edinburgh...it was called Roseburn Maltings and I loved it there! We stayed there fort several months while we had a house built. We then moved to our new house in Murieston - a small village near Livingston which is halfway between Edinburgh and Glasgow. Lynne still lives close to there!

I really really loved Scotland.

In 2002 we moved to Edmonton. We lived in the Edmonton House Suite Hotel (now the Coastal hotel or something) downtown for six weeks. Then we found a bungalow in Glen Allen to rent for a year and during that time we had our house in Clarkdale Meadows built. October 2003 we moved to that house. I hated living there HATED it :( and we spent every weekend looking for an acreage. We finally found this one in July 2005 and moved in in October 2005.

So this is my 15th home - not including the hotel.

PHEW.......lol! Bet you wish you'd never asked ;)

Ok who's next to ask me something??????
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