Having my baby

October 28, 2010


Oops, did you think I meant a BABY baby? Oh, mais non.

I mean we’re finally redoing our kitchen. My other baby.

Those who are home a lot may share my obsession with the kitchen, the “heart” of the house. The first day we saw it, I thought: “Not. My. Style.”

But, redoing it was “Not. In. Our. Budget.” So, I learned to overlook the wallpaper, the cabinets, the countertop, the ceiling fan. FOR OVER TEN YEARS.

Photobucket

mmmmmm. . .wallpaper border

But, I could not “overlook” the dishwasher that stopped working this spring. Or, the crappy stove whose lights stayed on even when it was off and whose oven door wouldn’t shut all the way (making baking in July SO MUCH FUN!).

Photobucket

The cursed stove. And the painted, yes painted, faux tile.


I couldn’t overlook the recessed lights that were dark and unfixable, making our north-facing kitchen even gloomier than usual in the winter.

Photobucket

Look how much light that blackened hole gives off! Don’t be fooled by the camera flash.

So we have saved and budgeted and crossed our fingers and taken the plunge.
Don’t worry: The little boy below? We’re keeping him.

Photobucket

See that smile? He knows he will be eating out a lot in the next few weeks.

Email, RSS Follow
Filed Under: Fairly Odd Me 10 Comments

When is a homeschooler not a homeschooler?

October 26, 2010

I live in Massachusetts which, in homeschooling terms, is an “approval state”. This means that the calendar year your child turns six, you must send a “Letter of Intent to Homeschool” to your local school department. I then send my Lesson Plan for the year to the school district and, at the end of the year, send a Progress Report.

We now have a “new” way of doing things which has some people shook up a bit, while others are breathing a sigh of relief. It is a “Virtual Public School” and the first one just started up in this state this school year.

By joining this Virtual School, I would sign my kids up with the Greenfield (MA) School District which is actually more than two hours away on the other side of the state. My town would send this school a check for the amount in taxes they would use if he/she was in the town’s school system (I’ve read it’s about $3,000 per child, but don’t quote me).

In exchange, I would receive a computer (don’t get too excited; I’ve heard they are a bit old and creaky) and a complete curriculum from K-12. Oh and a teacher would be assigned to my child, and I would no longer call myself teacher but “Learning Coach” (oy, schoolspeak).

The other biggie is that my kids would be required to take the MCAS which is our mandatory standardized achievement tests.

Even with the evil MCAS, I have to admit my interest has been piqued. We now pay $20 a month for one of my children to do two subjects online. I have spent countless dollars on curriculum, some of it which I never use because I don’t understand it, don’t make time for it, or forget I have it (seriously).

But the initial reports I heard about the virtual public school were full of alarming details: Teachers will check your work daily! You can never miss a day! No flexibility! Six hours of busy work a day!!!!! (subtext: Your children will hate you, you will become a frumpy nervous mess and your house will start to smell!)

So, I’ve been asking around, reading the message boards, looking at the website. It’s not like Massachusetts is doing something totally new: My very good friend does a virtual school in California and one of my fave online homeschoolers does it in Canada.

And what I’m hearing right now is pretty interesting. There seems to be some flexibility in curriculum if the school agrees that what you are using meets their standards. You can tweak your schedule around a bit so that you can take a field trip one day, or just have a needed “sanity day”. The teachers are available but not hovering and checking every last thing.

The one thing that irks me is that there seems to be some quibbling over what to call these new Virtual School students. Are they homeschoolers? Public Schoolers? Traitors to the cause?

Really? Give me a break. I don’t care if you teach your kid math by counting the chicken eggs they collect in the morning, or if they run off every Friday night to a paid Russian Math class for two hours, or if they are enrolled in a public school curriculum two hours away: A kid who does most of their work at home, is a homeschooler.

Agree? Disagree? Feel free to discuss, but if you get nasty in the comments, I’m coming after you with my metal ruler. I am still the teacher after all.
Email, RSS Follow
Filed Under: Fairly Odd Me, Homeschooling, MAVA, New England Mamas 36 Comments

#thankablogger

October 20, 2010


There is a Twitter stream going on today where people “thank a blogger”: Those people who made a difference in their lives, either online or off (and sometimes both). I’m not sure how it started, but it’s pretty cool to read the Tweets.


I’m having one of those weeks where it’d be so easy to just pass this one by with a “sorry, too busy. . .”, but I have a moment of quiet and wanted to join the chorus of voices.

First, I’d like to thank every one who has ever stopped by and left a comment (yes, even you Anonymous). I’d have a hard time doing this blog without your feedback, and I still say a silent “yay!” when I see that I have a comment to read.

And, I’d like to thank Liz, my friend and now my boss, who got me interested in blogging and then asked me to write a review. That one review snowballed and now I am part of something so much bigger than I ever expected. Thanks Liz!

I’d like to thank my homeschooling blogging friends: the hilarious Nancy (who I’d link to but I think she’s still “underground”—I first met her as Alpha Dogma and am so happy I found her new digs), the inspiring Jessica, the veteran, super helpful Karen, the compassionate Beck, the friendly Tracey, the supportive Deb. And to newbie homeschooler (though homeschooled herself) and new mom to baby #4, Kristen, thank you for your kind words and for listening to my advice!

I also want to send a hug to Summer, who I somehow lost when she changed blogs and is going through a really tough time. May things get so much better for you soon.

Thank you to Robin, who has been around for so long, always encouraging and wonderful. Same goes to Issa, my friend with the kind heart.

Thank you to the many amazing Shredheads who have supported me when I was trying to get into shape (and who will hopefully still be there when I decide to try again). Bill, you deserve a big thank you for being such a great, supportive motivator.

And, many thanks to my “Boston” blogging family who I love to see at the local events: Tania, Roxanna, Christine, Christine (we go way back!), Sarah, the power trio of Jane, Audrey & Sharon, Velma and so many others. You help me take this abstract “out there” world and bring it closer to home.

Before I go: I know I forgot you; I’m sorry! I’m getting tired! So let me send the last thank you to all of the bloggers who try to support and befriend instead of tear down and belittle. There is so much ugly in the world, I’m glad to have found people who are trying, in their own way, to make things better for us all.
Email, RSS Follow
Filed Under: Blog Love, Fairly Odd Me 17 Comments
« Previous Page
Next Page »