School Dilemma

Ok, you may be thinking..."What's the big deal? Just put your kids in a real school like everyone else and be done with it. Let the professionals teach your kids." Oh, don't go there or get me started. I have plenty of ammo for this kind of argument and I can rumble with the best. No, I won't get on "ye old soap box" right now, but I will say this, its not easy.

For the last 3 years, my meager wages that I make part time have been going to pay for the childrens schooling. $200.00 a month for the books, regular testings, tutoring and record keeping is not bad, for private/homeschooling four children. It was good for us, for a time. It taught the children the importance of having deadlines, the pressures of real life, ie. tests etc. It was also becoming drudgery, lifeless and all facts and data for them. School had become no fun at all for them. We had no time for the extras that we use to do before. It was all they could do to finish the workbooks a day and meet the contious deadlines, lest we recieve the ever dreaded "nasty gram" from the school. The rules kept changing to put pressure on the sudden flood of public school kids that the school system would no longer tolerate. They were told upon suspension or expulsion, "Go to Gateway." It's a Christian private/extension school for homeschooling families not a place for juvenile delinquents. Don't get me wrong, this is probably the first time in some of these kids lives that they had ever heard God or Jesus NOT used in a derogatory way, but the kids who are good, timely students are suffering. Mine were. My almost 12 year old daughter looked at me just the other day and asked, "Isn't there a dress code? That guy's pants are down past his butt and all I see are his boxers. EWWWW. What about that girl, I thought we weren't allowed to wear sleeveless shirts or shirts that expose the midriff?" While sitting in the testing center, I could over hear kids using some nasty language and the subject matter was not good either. There have been drug busts in the parking lot and a bomb threat. Dumb kid, called the threat in on his cell phone. DUH! The rules kept changing too. Any test that scored under a 75 had to be retaken. They could opt for a new book and take the test over with a clean slate or just study the old book and average the two test scores. Then they told me last week, "If they get done before May 19 they have to take any pack over that was an 84 or less." Well, my kids probably won't get done before then but I'll be hanged if I make my kids take a test over that was done last semester, I mean come on. I averaged up all the grades for the whole year to this point and my oldest has an A average and the 3 younger ones have B averages. That is pretty great if you ask me, so I am not worried. I told them, if you have to wait for a week to finish the very last book, fine with me. My youngest daughter absolutely hates it. She is literally in tears sometimes. The school has become so militant about how many pages a day you have to do and blah, blah, blah, it's getting to be worrisome. All 4 kids are super stressed out.

Well, no more. I am taking back the school work. I use to be the one to teach, plan, set the deadlines, turn in the certificate of enrollments to the Board of Education. I guess maybe I had gotten lazy and relegated the responsibility, in part, to the private school. We did it for 3 years, now its time for a change.

I started "shopping" for curriculum 2 months ago and the catalogs have been coming in slowly. OMGosh was I out of the loop on that! I use to do Bob Jones University and they have become outrageously exspensive and the books I have (teachers books etc.) are now obsolete. Then, I looked for the same curriculum that the school used, Accelerated Christian Education and that was exspensive too. The school won't sell the curriculum, harumph! I also looked at Sonlight Curriculum Ltd. and that was very complicated to me, as well as exspensive. I was beginning to think I was going to have to start going to the used homeschool bookstore and try to figure out our own school curriculum.

This morning, after weeks of prayer and trying to talk to hubby about it, I saw a white envelope on my desk. I picked it up and turned it over to look at it. "Oh, I remember this, we got it the other day and I never looked at it." I was thinking, "Great, I bet this will be a bust too." Boy, was I wrong! It is a simple little catalog from Christian Liberty Press but it was like it was made just for us. It isn't all books from just their school, there are some A Beka (which is exspensive but challenging) for science and grammar. They use Saxon math and Steck - Vaughn as well. There is a lot of literature, history, Bible study, etc. I can break it down into manageable pieces and keep it stimulating. It's not all book work, but there is quite a bit and lots of reading. My son looked at the catalog and asked if I could get him the Creative Writing book too! Everyone is excited and asking when I will order their school work! They aren't dreading it! Another great thing is the science is very hands on, projects and experiments! There will be art too. So, I think I will plan the week like so:

Math / Mon-Thur (all)
English / Mon-Thur (all)
Phonics & Reading/ Mon-Thurs (all)
Spelling/ Mon-Thurs (all)
Writing/ Fri (oldest son)
Biographies/ Fri (all)
Bible Study/ Mon-Fri (all)
History/ Mon-Thurs (all)
Government/ Fri (oldest son)
Science/ Mon-Thurs (all) and Fridays for projects & experiments
Art/ Friday

Looks like a plan, we'll see as I get the books in etc. All of the curriculum will cost me $653.90 + shipping & handling. So, here's the better thing; I can order the schoolwork for the kids, using my paycheck over the next 3-4 months and then for 9 months we'll have that extra $200 a month for gas, lunches and field trips out and of course household bills, instead of paying the school. How cool is that?

Oh well, I have to feed the kidos and hubby is going to actually be home early for a change tonight. Ya'll have a great evening!
katcha

Migraines

I think that I am suffering from Migraines. I have had headaches before but these bad boys are beyond what I am use to. I am usually the kind who gets a headache, pops a couple of Tylenol and I am good to go. But here of late...these have been downright evil.

Ok, so now here are the wonderful (and I say this loosely) words of wisdom from my ever-so-encouraging friends and family.

1. "Go to the chiropracter, you need an alignment."
Yeah, so does my van. I went to a chiropracter years ago. The first time I went, I came home feeling like I had been hit by a van. That is not all of it. They supposedly took xrays, which showed me as looking like the elephant woman from my lower back and into my hips. I mean, after looking at them I thought, "GOOD LORD! HOW am I even able to WALK?!" Well, it was too exspensive to get "treated" every week for the rest of my life (and my insurance would not cover it). I then was referred to a reputable clinic in Memphis, by the family doc. They took xrays and one of 2 things had happened. (1.) I was miraculously healed by the chiropracter of my affirmity OR (2.) The chiropracter LIED! Turns out I had one leg just a tad shorter than the other and the early stages of osteoarthritis in my lower back. hmmmmmmmmm....

2. " You are almost 40, maybe you are going perimenopausel or menopause is setting in."
Geeee.... thanks! Pass the estrogen please and lets watch my boobs slide down to my knees. Oh and keep me away from all deadly weapons...HA HA HA HA HA! (diabolical laughter here)

3. "Oh, I get those too! The doctor gave me this prescription that works great! But it knocks you out."
Hmmmmm...I already have to stay on top of my 4 kids to keep on top of their school work, chores, etc. and keep them from killing each other or destroying our home. (ok, they are not that bad but give them an oppurtunity, they will take it). I think being asleep for hours would not be a good thing here.

4. "My wife has those too. She has had all sorts of medication, tests, and they still can't help her."
Wow, that gives me so much hope, thank you!

5. " Have you tried X brand herbal supplement? You can get it at such and such store in Memphis."
Ok, so I would have to drive at least an hour just to get to said store and an hour back home for a surprisingly small bottle of herbs that costs a very large amount of money, that may or may not help. I don't know?

I am sure there are many more I will hear before its over. The bottom line for me is, I don't have time. I do not have time for Migraines to plague me. I have 4 young children who need me, I have a job that requires my attention, I have people counting on me. This is not fun. So, I have asked for everyone to pray for me. Prayer is probably the best thing at this point. Prayer for wisdom and healing. I know ya'll will do that for me, won't you?

Well, I can't handle much more computer time, I need to go lie down for a while. God Bless...
katcha

A Time to Knit

We have been one busy family for the past 2 days.

Monday night was Court of Honor for my son and his scout troop. So that usually is a potluck, awards and a late night.
Then last night, we went to the Putt-Putt Golf Haven for a special Church Night. Because my husband and I teach sunday school and he is a deacon, we got in free. They gave us each wrist bands so we could ride on the go carts, water bumper rides, kiddie rides & play putt-putt free. We also got a ticket for 8 free tokens. Oh, and a huge slice of pizza and a coke free as well. I drank my coke but my oldest son ate my pizza. One of the men in our church group paid for us whole group to play lazer tag. Yikes, that was hard but fun!
The only thing was, it was an hour away in Memphis, so we had a long drive there (during rush hour) and an hour drive back home. We were totally wiped out.

Tonight, we will be learning and participating in an Easter Sader. The Messiahnic Jewish church will be teaching us that. I am excited because we did that about 4 years ago and we learned so much. This year the children are all old enough to participate.

Which leads me into my knitting. It will be so good to be able to sit down and knit! *sigh* I had a total bomb happen last friday night. One of the socks I was making for my husband got "joustled" in my knitting bag and oh mercy, stitches had slipped off and it was beyond what I could repair. I wanted to cry (and did) while frogging the whole sock. So, I will have to work one sock at a time from here on out. On the other hand, my daughters socks are coming along splendidly. In fact, I will be doing the heels today. Then it will be super easy from there on. A friend of mine sent me great directions for binding off the socks so they are nice and stretchy.

I am also working on a wrap for myself out of a novelty yarn. It is very loosely knit and a bright apricot/coral color. I absolutely love it for my summer color. It really compliments my skin when I have a tan. I had to go and by 2 more balls of it yesterday. I bought it from the clearance bin and it was $1 a ball. I thought, "dummy, you should have gotten more", so I went back to get whatever was left and thank goodness there was some left. I will try and post pics later, right now my camera is charging up.

So much going on lately I can scarcely breathe. LOL, I am going to try and take it easy for today (in between loads of laundry) and I need to get some more work done here for the Neighborhood Assoc. Alsways something.
Have a great day everyone!
katcha