NASA Humor?
According to a story I read today, they have discovered snow on Mars.
“NASA’s Phoenix spacecraft
has discovered evidence of past water at its Martian landing site and
spotted falling snow for the first time, scientists reported Monday.
But exactly how that happened remains a mystery.
“It’s really kind of all up in the air,” said William Boynton, a mission scientist at the University of Arizona at Tucson.”
Oy. What does it say about me that it did make me laugh?
Sneezy Saturday
Several of you have asked how the children are adjusting to public school. Perhaps too well? They seem to be doing fine in all their classes, except the homeschool leftover classes, which are mostly an afterthought. Hunter has a straight A+ across the board, and the other kids have good scores too. What has been the biggest “Um…” for me is the level of “So and So is going out with So and So” that is rampant in the middle school. Yes, I’d expect it among the high schoolers, but the sixth graders? And that is the ONLY topic of conversation? Yikes. Lord, may my children see the folly of their peers and with “going out” before an appropriate age.
My allergies have been wretched of late. How are yours? Or are you one of those amazing people so blessed as not to have a box of Puffs Plus strapped to your hip at all times? I just hope it isn’t the critters. Then I’ll be miserable year-round.
Today, it is rainy and slow-feeling. TGD and the children cleaned the house totally this morning. It’s such a delight. I try to keep up with things throughout the week, but it is a blessing to have a full tidy on Saturday. You should SEE the mountain of laundry I have, though. It’s laughable for only four days since I did all the laundry.
The guys are all collapsed on various soft furniture watching football. The girls are watching a DVD in their room (laptop–no TV in there!) and keeping the kitten out of the way of Max the cat, who decided he might like to be part of our family again and is snoozing on the rocking chair. I took Gockle out this morning to find leaves for a school project (which has been hanging over MY head more than over his. Must. Get. It. Done. Arrrgh!) I am hoping to drag Wit away from the leisure of the day to take him shopping as he has a number of things he needs, and I don’t have that much free time to take him shopping.
Is your Saturday shaping up to be a blessing, too? I certainly hope so!
Really Dull Bits–But with Headings!
Doesn’t that title entice you to want to read further? I had an English professor in school who was convinced that a good title was the key to the whole essay. I think he was wrong. He also had a deep love for Melville, and really, Melville is boring.
Lucy Retraction
Okay, I made Lucy sound worse than she was, maybe. She’s really okay. Yes, we have a soggy bit of carpet every other day. Yes, I have a bruise with bits of broken skin on my leg from where she leaped and bit me while playing instead of going for her chew rope. Yes, we have a slobbery kitten from her gnawing, but in general, she’s pretty good. Well, she’ll turn out pretty good! (bad grammar intentional) TGD, wise man that he is, moved her crate into the garage. I am sure she still yips and whines, but we don’t hear her. Sleep–amen!
Mike
We had a friend from Australia who was visiting for the month. He stayed with us one weekend, and the rest of the time was at a bed and breakfast (that didn’t serve breakfast). Mike was here to do research with James, but he came over most nights for dinner, unless he took TGD and me or our whole family out. One of the most relaxing times I had lately was last Friday when he took us all out to Olive Garden. Before he left, he took James and me to the Down Under Steakhouse, which was very appropriately named.
Here you can see the crowd I’ve been hanging out with of late. Quite a disreputable bunch, eh? We have three practice nights a week and a game on Saturday or Sunday.
One Funny Story
I’ve been collecting novels by Patricia Veryan, an adventure/historical romance author who is good with non-lascivious stories (not so easy to find these days). Her books are all out of print, but you can usually find them on Ebay or half.com. I had all but one of them, and this one sold for $50 used in paperback and $90 or more in hardback.
Last week, a paperback went for auction on Ebay. I watched it all week and planned to make my move on Saturday morning. The bid was only up to $10.50. I was elated. With 15 seconds to go, I hit “submit. Immediately, the screen said, “Auction over.” WHAT! It wasn’t over! And the book only went for $12. I was so disappointed, but I decided it wasn’t worth whining over.
Well, Monday, I went on half.com to just check (as I do every day or so). And someone had listed a hardback copy of the book for only $7.97! I was more than thrilled, ordered it, and now my collection is complete. (Or it will be once the book arrives.)
Have you had any found success stories?
Wishing Well (or poorly)
Perhaps you noticed I’ve rarely posted this past month. Perhaps you haven’t. But, here I am again for the moment.
You know what I dislike with intensity? It’s the word “busy.” I don’t like what it means. I don’t like what it means in my life. It’s really annoying. So, I shan’t say that dratted word as any sort of reason why I’ve not been posting. Instead, I shall give you a wish list.
I wish that puppies went happily to sleep in their crates at 10:00 and didn’t wake up until the rest of the family did. And that this puppy loved her crate and didn’t whimper like we were beating her when she got in.
I wish kittens weren’t so obnoxiously LOUD.
I wish that our older cat just loved the new pets and we didn’t have to segregate and play “flip the cat” when one is in or out.
I wish that puppies didn’t chew on body parts, couch cushions, dead chipmunk heads, kittens, and leashes. Also, I wish this puppy didn’t find it so imperative to bark at all people who walk or jog by on the street. And that this puppy would figure out to whine at the door when she needs to “do her thing.”
I wish that I had the sleep schedule of a homeschool family but the side benefits of public school, especially when wretched colds strike.
Is wishing whining? I somehow feel mine is.
What are you wishing for?
Meet Jasper. 
We got him on Sunday from PAWS, a rescue organization which fosters out critters. He’s 11 weeks old.
He’s not very big, but I’ve never heard a kitten meow so much and so loudly. When we first saw him at 8 weeks, he had bright blue eyes. A friend said, “Well, the blue eyes means he is part Siamese. No wonder he’s so loud!”
He’s a typical kitten, inquisitive and hyper. We’ve had many laughs over his antics with a purple hair bow. Although he didn’t seem to like the remnants of my tea. 
And even though he’s really cute, getting a puppy and a kitten in less than a week has left me feeling a bit pressed for time. But it’s mostly the dog that’s the issue, not the kitty.
Don’t you just want to scoop him up, hide him inside your jacket, and replay that scene from Alien? Or is that just me?
(in)Competent
Yesterday, I took Hunter, Wit, and Gockle to Wal-Mart to get their pictures taken. Wit was fiddling with the beach ball prompt and read aloud the warning on the side.
“Use only with co–some big word–supervision.”
“Parental?” I queried.
“No, com-pet-ent,” he answered.
“Competent? That’s not a big word. You know what that means.”
“Not really.”
And neither did the college-aged photographer.
We continued this conversation as we went into Long John Silver’s for supper.
“Can I take your order?” Guy Behind the Counter asked.
“Before you do,” I interjected, “do you know what the word ‘competent’ means?”
He looked a bit befuddled, his eyes as dull as hush puppies, and slowly said, “Uuuuhhh, no. Not really.”
“HA!” cried Wit! “Majority rules!”
(Which prompted Hunter, who is taking Discrete Math in high school to give a mini-lecture on voting theory and how majority doesn’t always rule.)
So now I know what is wrong with this country. Not only are people incompetent, they don’t even know the meaning of competent.
Dog Days of September
No, it’s not the weather, but, it was a dog day. Yes, indeed, the long-awaited day arrived.
School Memories
Sending my kids to school has me thinking back to those idyllic days behind the yellow-brick walls of Curwensville Elementary and High School. You see, I went to one school–one building, actually–from pre-school to high school. Both my parents were teachers at the school, too. Would you like to wander through the mazy memories in my mind? No? Okay, go read somoene else’s blog.
Pre-school
I don’t remember much of anything from childhood, so this period is pretty foggy. I only recall one event. I had taken a balloon with me to class. I have no idea why or why my parents let me. (My guess is because I was an obnoxious brat and whined, but these are happy memories!)
In the midst of a romping frolic, my balloon popped. I was hysterical and disconsolate. In an attempt to cheer me up, one of the teachers said, “Would you like me to make it into a baby balloon for you?”
“NOOOOOOoooooo!” I howled. Fool. I have wondered all these years what a baby balloon would have been. I have been guessing ever since.
Kindergarten
As I aged, I guess I got a few more memories. Actually, when I do think of my early school years, I remember a lot of barking and sitting under tables. What was with that? My teachers let me do that? (Well, yes. They pretty much let me do whatever as I was smart and known and both my parents were teachers.)
My most vivid kindergarten memory is coming back after missing a day of school due to illness. The class had done the workbook page for the letter K. But, I didn’t know what to do for it as it was one of those teacher-read direction things (color the cloud chartreuse). It was a traumatic time for me.
First Grade
I don’t have any clear memories of this time, but my mom reminds me that I got put out into the hall (a common form of Curwensville punishment) for being bossy and talking too much. The time in the hall apparently did not help much as I am still bossy and talk too much. I also had to leave the class to go into the advanced reading group. Apparently Pig Can Jig was too simple a tome for this girl, and she had to move to Hen in a Fox’s Den.
Second Grade
My friend Tracy Yeager and I wore matching, floor-length blue dresses for our school pictures that year. Also, we were all amazed to learn that our teacher had a first name. (It was Kathy. It still is.)
Third Grade
This is the first year I remember with any clarity. Mr. O’Donnell was my teacher. He was cool! He one time told me, “For a girl, you have horrible handwriting.” (Some things never change.) Also, he did something incredibly pedagogically sound which I am sure must have vexed my smarty-pants soul to its very core.
He would often have us break into teams to play math fact relay games. We were learning the times tables, and I knew those things. When it was my turn to face off, Richie Larson was the opponent. “No problem,” I must have thought in my smug, eight year old brain. Mr. O’Donnell gave me a shrewd glance. “What’s 3 + 2?” In the few seconds it took for my brain to process that I was being asked an addition question, not a multiplication one, Richie blurted out “Five!”
Also, I recall Sonya, a girl in class, trying to buy friendship with packs of gum and drawing endowed women’s side profiles so that the boys would pay attention to her.
And, I had my first crush on a red-headed, freckled fellow with a razor-sharp wit. (Who was also in third grade and my teacher’s son)
Later, I shall tell you of my fourth grade cheating and humiliation and more. But first, tell me some of your school memories. I’d like to hear your tales!
Confessions of a Homeschool Dropout
My mention that my children were getting on the school bus may have left some of you with puzzled frown lines between your eyes. “Wait, doesn’t teacherperson homeschool? Isn’t that WHY she’s called ‘teacherperson’?”
Let me tell you my tale…
I’ve been homeschooling since 1995 and have loved it. Over the past few years, though, I have felt increasingly burnt out. Instead of joyfully reading Sonlight books and blowing things up with baking soda and vinegar, I was getting short with the kids and feeling like a constant nag. I thought this problem would resolve itself in England as we had nothing better to do than to homeschool, but I felt even more burnt out.
It had been the plan in the past that Hunter and Wit would take classes at the high school this year–whatever classes they wanted (plus one or two Mom wanted). Wit has a full day, but he scheduled so many computer and architecture electives that he is being homeschooled for English and History. Hunter is also homeschooling those two subjects, but his day at the high school is much less full.
It had not always been the plan that LibbyK and Gockle would hop a school bus to the middle school. As I mentioned, weariness and dread of homeschool seemed to be overwhelming me. As the summer wore on, I expected these feelings to fade. Instead, they increased. After much praying and talking with TGD, I felt it would be best if Gockle had classes at the local middle school for half a day. LibbyK at first did not want to go, and I was fine with that, but then she changed her mind.
So, as it stands, Gockle has advanced math, science, German, woodshop, geography, and lunch at the school. LibbyK has regular math, science, French, Home Ec., advanced English, and lunch at the school. I pick them up at 1:00.
So, what do I do from 7:30 to 12:45 (when I leave to get them). I homeschool Little Miss. Granted, it has only been two days, but our homeschool time has gone really well. She enjoys the one-on-one with me, we have time for crafts and cooking, and I can focus on a third grade level for read aloud books and activities. It’s been nice.
Will we continue down the path of public school? I think it would be hard to get my kids to leave, now. They seem to love it. And why not? I loved everything about school as a kid and teen. Yes, even tests and homework and all those other things you might toss at me to say that surely I couldn’t have liked such and such.
Do I feel a bit like I’ve sold out to the world? Yes, in some ways. But, I have to remind myself that homeschooling is not “more Godly.” Public schooling will not make my children turn into gun-toting liberals**. Instead, I have to keep doing what I have done in the past–commit my children to their faithful creator!
**Yes, I realize that liberals ban guns. That Republicans are all NRA. I do get that. It was a bit of a joke. Really. The whole mixed-up thing? Perhaps I’d be better off rewording…
