Bees in My Bonnet

Continued from Part 2: 9.  Harness Structuring Tools I struggle to even use tools like planners, lists, recipe schedules and the like.  But I still try and go back to them and start all over.  Especially when I lose the list I once had.  I often forget that I even have a list.  This is what it is like to have A.D.D.  Lists and planners sound like great tools, but they don't work if you don't use them - or if you forget to.  I have only had a cell phone for just over a year now and am beginning to see what a great tool it is!  Now I can put in reminders and calendar events and it will ding me when I need to know!  I'm sure this is news to no-one.  But it is exciting to me!  Maybe in time I will learn other tools that can help - but I put this in my list because someday I'll come back to this and I'll need the reminder. ('Cuz I'll forget there were tools - just call me Dorie). Some other tools are: Make a School Lunch plan - st...

In Language Arts for 5th grade today we are doing observations to build into an observation essay.  I was showing Priscilla what observations are.  So I did one on bread, and will post it here to whet your appetite :) Bread Observations Wafting fragrance of yeasty air Golden flaky crust eager to break with the serrated blade Warm and squishy, tiny sacks wait to spring on my tongue Crisp, firm, outer. Soft, moist, inner. Sweet honey-butter smoothly spread The first bite Gentle to teeth A slight crunch Then the melt Sweetly blankets tastebuds that, like sponges, Soak in the gooey goodness.

Here I am one week into doing homeschool with 9 y/o Priscilla.  We are working on grade 4 and easing our way into all the subject matter and curriculum.  I have been a bit insecure about the whole homeschool thing - always wondering if I'll get her educated enough to be proficient and to excel in not only core subjects of academia but also in the fringe benefit subjects.  Because of my self-doubts I am all  the more aware that this too, as in all things in life, is a journey  of faith.  I will need to see and know my inadequacies and rely  heavily on God for wisdom - and also rely on any and all resources  available to me to support this endeavour.  Because my goal in all  this is really NOT to be a 'do it yourself' educator.  Or to stand  independently and say, 'I don't need a village to raise/educate my  kid!'  (I'd argue that perhaps a village isn't *necessary* to  raise/educate her, but is a great benefit to...

I try to keep my blog from anything too controversial - but I feel the need to vent on this matter...so here goes. I have decided, for various reasons to homeschool Priscilla (9) next year. Last year we decided to send Caleb (10) to a Christian Classical School (Clapham School). Up until that time they had always been in the public school which offered a Dual Language program, enabling them to become mostly fluent in Spanish. I realize that doing school differently year by year strikes some as odd and a bit non-committal. For us, we figure we will evaluate the needs of each child and the benefits offered by each method and the pros and cons and adjust accordingly. It doesn't seem to me to be such a bad idea. Kids change, character issues arise and certain educational choices may not fit as they once had. I guess sometimes I sense (for probably no apparent reason) that people look on me as an oddity - choosing different methods for my kids - now even venturing into homeschooli...