Ignorant to homeschooling

Quite often I read ignorant comments about homeschooling....silly things like 'people only homeschool so they can stay in bed late in the mornings'....or 'they only homeschool so they don't have to bother making school lunches'......or 'they only homeschool because they are lazy'......

.......and then days like today you read comments by these same types of people saying how they are so happy their kids are on summer holidays now because they get to do 'fun things' with them........

.....don't they see that THIS is why most people homeschool....because they LIKE being with their kids and they WANT to be the person their kids are doing these things with ALL YEAR!!!!

I hope if anything that this blog shows the few who read it what homeschooling can look like.......every homeschooling family is different but this is one way it works. I don't stay in bed all day.......I don't sit and watch Dr Phil and Oprah all day.......I'm not homeschooling because its the 'easy option'.....I homeschool because I love what it brings to us as a family. I love what it brings out in my children. I love being there to see them learn and do and watch and grow and shine. I don't want all this limited to 9 weeks in the summer.

What annoys me most is that those with these ridiculous opinions actually seem to know very little about homeschooling and don't seem to know many if any homeschoolers...so what are their opinions based on???? Jokey comments that homeschoolers have made?????? Or what?????? Because in all my years of homeschooling and mixing with homeschoolers and chatting online with homeschoolers, not ONCE have I EVER come across anyone say that they homeschool so they can stay in bed in the mornings.....or not have to make lunches......

This is a total misinterpretation. I have heard homeschoolers say that its nice that they don't have to get up and rush their kids out the door to school...I have heard them say its nice that they don't have to make lunches in the evenings when they are tired or early in the morning in the before-school rush.........but thats a 'benefit' not a reason for choosing to homeschool.
What do these comments (and others) prove to me? they prove that these women are ignorant and a littler sad because they seem to have no better argument. Are they just trying to justify their own choices??? I'm not sure.......all I know is that I have never judged their choices in that way yet they feel able to judge mine quite rudely. My opinion of these women is not very good but I'll leave my opinions about THAT to myself ;)

Comment changes

I recently changed it so anyone can leave a comment here...not just bloggers...i'll see how it goes and if I get any spam maybe I'll change it back......

...so if you read the blog please feel free to leave a comment and say hi! If you haven't fallen asleep at the keyboard from reading about my unexciting life ;)

Soccer monster

Sam loves balls...he has a huge collectiopn all different sizes and he loves to throw and kick and roll them.......he's pretty nifty at throwing a baseball too ;)

A good mail day....

Fuzzy Felt Farm

Laurie making the plane that came with his magazine.

Susie with the headband from Grandma and the card from her penpal.

Abigail in her headband from Grandma playing Fuzzy Felt Farm

Abby looking cool in her new headband.

Today was a very good mail day which made me sad that ew didn't go on that walk and collect mail on the way as I know the kids would have loved opening the box today! There was a parcel from my Mum and Dad in England......with FUZZY FELT FARM!!!!! Woohoo! I had asked her to look out for old fuzzy felts at car boot sales and charity shops but this one was one she found new at the toy store.....

I remember sitting in bed sick when I was little, with my stripey blanket I always had since birth and boxes of fuzzy felts to play with....fuzzy felt hospital, fuzzy felt circus......we had a lot of them including the farm!

Also in the parcel were two Beano's for Laurie....one with a plane to make on it.....

Susie had a Happy Canada Day card from her penpal R so she was thrilled.

I had my 'Live Free Learn Free' unschooling magazine which I can't wait to read, and a newsletter from the homeschool board (the one I'm not signing with).

Some days I wish I had a Grandma like my kids have - she sends them such cool things!!!

Much needed......

I was stressed out and feeling ill at lunchtime...we were going for a walk but Abigail couldn't find one pair of matching shoes anywhere...then she let the dogs out on purpose and was generally driving me nuts and all seemed like too much effort so I said 'forget it' and Chris babysat while I went for a drive, stopping off at the mailbox to check mail....

When I got home there was a lovely mug of coffee waiting for me on my desk and all the younger ones were 'busy' doing things so I could have peace to enjoy my coffee and calm down.

How did I get such a wonderful Son????

banana popsicles...

Laurie wanted to cook today and I didn't want the oven on as it's nice to have the house cool today especially with my sun burn keeping me hot already!

So Laurie saw a recipe for banana popsicles on a tv show this morning that didn't need 'baking' at all and asked to make them. They look yummy and are in the freezer atm. They can have them after lunch :)

Wherever you left it....

The girls are playing with their dollhouses beisde me on the floor......its funny listening to them play...reminds me a lot of me when I was their age....and some of the things they make their dolls say is hilarious....

One of the dolls has lost something and the Mom doll is shouting at the girl doll that she needs to find it NOW and it's 'wherever you left...' and the parents have gone out for dinner at Joey Tomatoes...how funny!!!! :)

The wooden dollhouse in the picture is one Lloyd made for Abby to play with while he was building the bedroom downstairs...she loves it and will often use that one more than the big plasticy Barbie house that talks......When I was little my dad made me a wardrobe for my Amanda-Jane dolls and also a balance beam and vaulting horse for my gymnastics loving Sindy doll :) So I love to see Lloyd make these simple wooden toys for the children!

One more day

One more day until Lloyd has a week off...he is sooo looking forward to it....he enjoys his job but prefers to be at home...which I take as a HUGE compliment because I know so many men who are workaholics and would rather be at work....

I'm still not sure what we are doing today...we have a few choices.......some friends invited us over, there is a homeschool 'park day' in town all afternoon......the kids wuld like to go to the library and sign on for the summer reading game that they take part in every year...and CHris has his award ceremony this evening....

But we are all tired from being out every day this week and we all seem happy to stay home and relax....the girls have their dollhouse downstairs and are playing with their dolls......Laurie is watching the world cup and flicking between other shows too....asking questions about why Martha went to jail and why people trust her again.......so no idea what he's watching!!! Chris is relaxing as he has taken allergy meds and is drowsy and not feeling great...I was in the sun too long yesterday and burnt my back.....so am not feeling my usual fab self (lol) so I am happy to take it easy.....

My Homeschooling Horizons magazine is very good this month.....a lot of articles on nature study and nature journaling.....I've been reading up on Charlotte Mason and do like the idea of keeping nature journals for the childre.....although I guess they have been doing this themselves anyway as the girls take notebooks with them on their adventures and come back with drawings and notes on the plants and animals they have seen......here is a link about nature journaling Charlotte Masons way.....


http://homeschooling.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=homeschooling&zu=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.home-school.com%2FArticles%2FNatureNotebook.html

I think I will find some nice plain paper notebooks this weekend and we can go out sketching and investigating next week.......Chris has been doing some nice sketches of our house too and maybe I will see if the others would like to join me in walking around our land and sketching what we see.......

Every week in the local paper they print an article callede 'You be the judge'. Chris loves to read this and discuss it. So this morning we were discussing the recent one. A lady was getting married but her fiance was always sick...she asked if he had AIDS and his family said no......three years later she is diagnosed with AIDS and so she sued the family because they lied about his illness.....she won a fortune that no doubt helped her pay for treatments and to be comfortable through her last days......

Chris wants to study civil laws next year......he is interested in law but says he doesn't want a career in it.....he sometimes considers politics though as a future career.......but mainly says he wants to work in the film industry....

Laurence wants to make some banana pops....stick a chopstick in a banana, roll in syrup and sprinkles and freeze.......I guess he can do that......ok so I'm off to get him the things he needs....

and still no idea what we will do today but this is how unschooling is.....no plans...but learning takes place.....lots of it.......and as a Mom its amazing to watch my children learning in this way the things THEY want to learn and are interested in.

New provincial homeschool regulations

http://www.qp.gov.ab.ca/documents/Regs/2006_145.cfm?frm_isbn=0779748387

So the new home education regulations are done....after months of concern from many many homeschoolers it seems very little if anything was changed....or maybe I am missing something.....I am sure it will be discussed in the local group for a while so I will find out any differences.....but none of the changes look as though they will effect us as a family.

Below are a list of outcomes that are expected to be reached by young adults who have been home educated traditionally, unschooled.....or in other ways than through the Alberta Curriculum:

Learning Outcomes for StudentsReceiving Home Education Programs That Do Not Follow the Alberta Programs of Study
1 A basic education must provide students with a solid core program including language arts, mathematics, science and social studies.

2 Students are expected to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will prepare them for life after high school. A basic education will allow students to

(a) read for information, understanding and enjoyment,

(b) write and speak clearly, accurately and appropriately for the context,

(c) use mathematics to solve problems in business, science and daily life situations,

(d) understand the physical world, ecology and the diversity of life,

(e) understand the scientific method, the nature of science and technology and their application to daily life,

(f) know the history and geography of Canada and have a general understanding of world history and geography,

(g) understand Canada’s political, social and economic systems within a global context,

(h) respect the cultural diversity, the religious diversity and the common values of Canada,

(i) demonstrate desirable personal characteristics such as respect, responsibility, fairness, honesty, caring, loyalty and commitment to democratic ideals,

(j) recognize the importance of personal well‑being and appreciate how family and others contribute to that well‑being,

(k) know the basic requirements of an active, healthful lifestyle,

(l) understand and appreciate literature, the arts and the creative process,

(m) research an issue thoroughly and evaluate the credibility and reliability of information sources,

(n) demonstrate critical and creative thinking skills in problem solving and decision making,

(o) demonstrate competence in using information technologies,

(p) know how to work independently and as part of a team,

(q) manage time and other resources needed to complete a task,

(r) demonstrate initiative, leadership, flexibility and persistence,

(s) evaluate their own endeavours and continually strive to improve, and

(t) have the desire and realize the need for life‑long learning.

I don't see any problem with my children reaching these outcomes.......even through unschooling ;)

Howdy partner

My stetson wearing soccer monster :)
in the world cup shirt Grandma and Grandad sent
from England

First taste of a splashpark

Today was Sams very first visit to the splashpark with us and he had a blast! He loved being in the water and just kept parading round in the little streams and puddles and touching the sprays of water. Sam doesn't smile much when he's concentrating on a new experience but it was obvious he was loving it all - he hada determined look on his face the whole time!

Afternoon on the porch

When we got home today we checked on the animals, gave them all fresh water and then relaxed on the porch with the dogs.......the porch is quite shaded until mid evening when the sun is lower, so it was nice and cool.

Stepping through the day

My day started out not so good. I had a migraine beginning late last night so had to take an Imitrex.....my wonder drug that has given me back my life for the past 4 years....but the side effects are nasty and I'm not sure how it effected my sleep....I woke up very groggy and not very happy.......maybe it's a bit of pms too...because I was taking everything personally and feeling very low. I was in half a mind to cancel going out but I knew if I did that I'd regret it.

Anyway, my day improved immensely. We had fun at the splashpark - it was nice to see some familiar faces (the two J's and their families) and meet some new faces C, C and S!!! (Hi P if you are reading this *wave*)

Its funny, Laurie ran over and said he had met a new boy his age who is homeschooled (of course Laurie was thrilled about this!!) so the first thing I want to know is 'Whats his Moms name??!!' I was hoping it was someone I had heard of on the yahoo group - and it was!!! :) It's so great to put faces to names and meet new people following the same or similar path as us!

Sam adored the water - I'm so glad - Abigail wasn't keen last year or the year before but Sam is like me and loves to be in water!

We left the waterpark just after 3pm and headed home........was thrilled that my Homeschooling Horizons magazine arrived!!! And Lloyds This Old House mag arrived too! And a card from my parents.....I couldn't figure out what for until I opened it to see Mom had made us a 'Happy Canada Day' card!!! This last year has gone so fast - a whole year ago my Mum and Dad were here to celebrate with us.

Then I came home and checked Email and found that my ex had written to say he had paid all the maintenance he owes me into my account!!!! three months worth yay :) and he's also mailed the letter giving permission for the kids to leave the country for a holiday!!!

So all in all my day got better and better :)

It shows that when things look bad you just need to keep putting one foot in front of the other........or in the words of Dory........'Just keep swimming, just keep swimming........'

Lloyd

I love you ;)

nothin' changes

So the small-mindeds at www. linking*itches .com are at it again!! This time the target of their eloquent writings are the Pronger family, blended families and homeschoolers.

It must be nice to be perfect.

Sigh!!

;)

Thank you Boot for being the ONLY person to talk sense.

Anyhoo I'm late, I'm late.....for a very important date...........