Back to School

It's that time of year again - little children, dressed in freshly bought clothes, sporting new backpacks, some even wearing uniforms like good little soldiers trucking off to school buildings everywhere. Their generally underpaid teachers having reported back a week earlier are already burned out from sitting through droll meetings that readdress the same old issues, the enthusiasm already sapped out of their poor souls during yet another mandatory and utterly useless professional development seminar held in some auditorium. I feel for them. I really do.

And, I am so freaking happy that my kids aren't there! I didn't have to fight the "back-to-school" crowds. I don't have to drag the kids out to open house night. I don't have to waste our time in front of the school waiting to drop them off/pick them up. I don't have to check over homework. I don't have to fool with rip off fundraisers. I don't have to schmooze someone I really don't like so my kids will be treated well. We'll shop when we feel like it, thank you. We'll learn what we want to and not what some dingbat bunch of bureaucrats decide. My children will be treated well, loved by their teachers (E and I), and allowed to learn what truly interests them; and, I don't have to kiss anybody's butt to see that it happens! Yay for me. Yay for my kids. Life is good. (Sometimes I just need to remind myself.)

Read

Each and every time a new book in the Harry Potter series has come into my home I have had to fight my husband and sometimes the children to read it first. This time E won. I sat anxiously awaiting my turn as E took his sweet time reading it (3 long, agonizing days.) I hovered over him urging him to hurry up and finish the book while simultaneously grilling him on what was happening. It drove me nuts when he kept saying, "You need to read it." Yeah, I knew I needed to read it. He needed to hurry the heck up before I lost control and wrestled the book from his hands as I had done with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Based on E's reactions while he was reading, saying he didn't want to read anymore over and over, telling me what happened to Dobby but not explaining how it happened, exclamations over what he considered unnecessary deaths, I found my eagerness for the chance to read it morphing into reluctance to pick up the thing I had coveted for three long days. When he handed me the book I asked the burning question, "Did she kill Harry?" I didn't ask if Voldemort killed him I asked if J. K. Rowling had killed him, after all, it was her hands that Harry's life was in, not Voldemort's. Of course, E's reply consisted of "read it and find out" as he hung his head, perhaps to hide from me the truth I would be able to read in his eyes. With a great deal of dread that I would discover that she had murdered one of my favorite characters of all time I picked up the book and began reading. Many times I put it down, each time a beloved character died, each time Harry came ever closer to Voldemort's clutches, and swore I would not finish it. I did not want to know for certain that he was going to die.

I've always been able to predict the ending of most any book I've picked up. And, I was certain the book was going in the direction I did not want it to. The hero isn't supposed to die. It's just not o.k. for that to happen. Good must always win. I wondered if J. K. Rowling knew that.

E urged me to finish the book, even placing it in my hands at one point and simply stating, "Read." Well, I finally finished it this morning after another round of "I'm not going to read another page. Why did she have to kill them? She didn't have to do that!" I truly understood why E had said the same things himself a few days prior. But, it was too late for me to stop. I had already wandered too far in and could not quit, not in the middle of the climax. My eyes marched slowly across the words of those last pages as I learned for certain, as I had suspected all along, that Harry's death was inevitable.

Very few books have stirred me to such emotion as the Harry Potter books have. Very few books have had endings woven so intricately that they surprised me; and, those are all by a single author, J. K. Rowling. In a few days my son will finish Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. He's entrenched in the last chapters as I write this. In a few days I will place the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in his hands and utter a single word, "Read."

Mastery? I Think Not!

Yet another reason I choose to homeschool...

My husband is a high school math teacher. Every year he administers the NC End of Course exams to his students. The state requires the teachers to remove or cover all information that may be hanging on the walls of the classroom. They also require test instructions be read verbatim from a script. The teachers must walk around the classroom during the tests (which no longer has a time limit) throughout the entire time students are testing. Basically, they require the teachers to jump through hoops to ensure the tests are an accurate measure of how much the students learned in a given subject as well as to ensure uniformity in the testing environment. Sounds good, doesn't it? One might even think the state sets high standards for the tests.

In previous years the EOC exam simply counted for 25% of a student's final grade. This year, it still counts as 25% of the final grade with the added requirement that 9th graders attain level 3, equivalent to a score of 80% on a 100 point scale (according to the state of NC) on the test to receive credit for the class. A student who has passing grades in class but fails to achieve level 3 on the EOC is retested. If he fails the second test he attends two weeks of remediation and tests a third time. If the student fails the third test the teacher has the option of presenting a portfolio of the students work to a school committee which then determines whether or not to recommend the student receive credit for the class. Therefore, the kid who spent the whole semester not getting caught while cheating off his buddy gets 3 tries at the test and likely ends up getting credit for the course. One must wonder, "What did he learn?"

The scale runs from 118 to 181. A score of 118 would indicate the student got 1 question correct. A score of 181 means the student got all 64 questions correct. According to the test reports a scale score of 148 is equivalent to a score of 80% on a 100 pt. scale. That translates to the student having gotten 31 out of 64 questions correct. For a student to be considered on grade level (level 3 or higher) he must get less than half of the questions correct! The funny thing is if the scale was converted to a 100 pt. score one would expect the student who got 31 questions correct to receive a 48%. Of course, one could argue that the questions are weighted. But, that isn't the case. Here's the proof...if the questions were weighted the scale would indicate it. Look at the numbers and do the math. The questions aren't weighted. Furthermore, the state describes level 3 as follows: "Students performing at this level consistently demonstrate mastery of this subject matter and skills and are well prepared for the next grade level (EOG) or for a more advanced level in this subject area (EOC)."

Think about that for a moment. NC considers a student who gets less than half the questions correct on the Algebra I EOC test as demonstrating mastery. WTF? That's just plain unacceptable.

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How long will it take us, if we continue diluting the quality of education in this country, before we truly become a nation of idiots?

Grandpa and the Rocket Boys

We're in the midst of formulating a plan. It all started when the World's Greatest Grandpa suggested a trip to West Virginia, to his hometown, with E and T. He got the idea from a conversation with E about the movie, October Skies. It turns out that the guys the movie is about grew up in the same area as WGGP. Since E is into model rocketry & currently fascinated with the history of it WGGP suggested they go and visit the sites where the story is set, as well as his old stomping grounds. They were leaning towards making the trip a sort of "guy thing."

Originally they planned to go this summer; but, E learned about some commemorative festival, or something, that's held there in October. So, they started talking about waiting until then so they could attend the festival. Then, I got wind of their plans & started thinking that K would like to go, because she is way more interested in rockets than T. Then I thought I would like to see where WGGP grew up 'cause I love him, too; and, I'd like to know more about my children's ancestors & stuff like that. But of course, if K and I were going R would have to come along. So, I sort of told WGGP that we were all coming with them. So much for "just us men."

E thinks it's a great idea. This weekend we picked up a copy of Rocket Boys by Homer H. Hickman, Jr., the book that the movie was based on. On the drive home we started discussing how the trip to WV could be turned into a field trip for the kids. We got to talking and figured out how we could incorporate all their subjects into the theme of the trip. We both started getting really excited thinking about all the learning opportunities. However, the most important part is the special memories we all will have of going on a field trip with Grandpa.

What Was the Purpose?

You Really Know Your State Capitols

You Got 20 State Capitols Correct You're either a geography buff... or you have an excellent memory.

Do You Know Your State Capitols?

It's the memory; because, I'm not a geography buff. I remember the whole "memorize your state capitals" thing all too clearly. It was horrible. We were forced to recite them in front of the class. The teacher drilled us for days ( forever to a little kid) circulating the room calling on each of us in turn. My innocent, young brain couldn't fathom a purpose to memorizing the capitals of all 50 states. Couldn't I simply look a capital up on a list, perhaps the one my teacher had given me, if I needed to know it? Without a good reason to learn I struggled to memorize them in the allotted time; but, somehow, I managed to do it. Three decades later, my much older, more worldly brain still can't understand why it was so imperative that I clog my brain cells with that particular knowledge. I've never truly needed to know the capital of any state; yet, useless knowledge clutters my mind, deeply etched there to this day. My time was wasted memorizing facts that were easily retrievable even back in the days before home computers. What idiot decided it was necessary for school children to memorize the capitals of every state in the country?

I haven't required my kids to memorize the state capitals. Before today, I was thinking that maybe I should; because, that's what the public/private school kids are doing at their age. I remember some of my college classmates couldn't recall certain state capitals, and it didn't stop them from earning a college degree. I can think of no career field in which it would be absolutely necessary to have the state capitals memorized. The only instance in which it might pay to know them is, perhaps, if one were a contestant on the game show, Jeopardy. (E came up with that one.) Therefore, I have concluded that memorizing state capitals, much like memorizing state birds/flowers, is a waste of my children's time. I'd much rather teach them the meaning of the word "pedantry."

And, of course, I'll make sure they know the meanings of the homophones: capitol (see Blogthing above) and capital. This one drives me crazy. For the record: a capitol is a building in which a legislature meets, while a capital is a city that serves as the seat of government.

Off to a Great Start

We're cranking right along after having moved on into "5th Grade." So far, they're doing well. Of course, the talk E had with them about changing attitudes or losing the privilege of being homeschooled may have a little something to do with their being quite motivated to do their schoolwork these days. In addition, I've tried to make things more interesting overall.

We're going to stick with the Spectrum Language Arts workbooks (unless I find something better.) I've seen the kids (especially K)incorporate what was covered in the 4th grade book into their writing. We're keeping up the literature studies with one minor change,less worksheets and more discussion (to avoid detracting from the enjoyment of a good book.) We've had some good conversations kicked back under the willow tree in the back yard lately. I envision us having many more discussions under that tree throughout the summer.

Writing is still a pain in the neck. We won't continue with the Spectrum Writing workbooks. Currently, we're doing journal writing twice a week. I'm still searching for a good writing curriculum. For now, I'm winging it. The Spectrum Spelling book was dropped midway through 4th grade. It was a bit redundant, mostly busywork, and much too simple. I'm building their spelling lists from the literature and Dr. Frye's books. The only spelling work I'll require from them are definitions, sentences, and tests. They're downright tickled about that.

Math has been going great since I ended 4th grade explaining to them that all the math they were doing all these years was really just addition in different forms. At first, they didn't want to believe it & informed me that I had lost my mind. I persisted furiously writing example after example on my portable whiteboard. I watched as gears turned, lights came on, and brains fried. After what I was saying finally clicked for them they both exclaimed, "That's so cool!" (Oh, how I wish someone had guided me to such an epiphany when I was their age. I might not have cut math class so much had I known how simple it all was.) Anyhow, I decided early last Fall that we wouldn't spend 4th - 8th grades doing the same old math problems. I never did understand the logic behind beating the four basic operations to death while simultaneously drumming the love of mathematics out of children. Therefore, I gave them the choice: Algebra I or Geometry. T chose algebra & K chose geometry. I thought we'd have to proceed slowly giving them time to absorb the material. It's been a pleasant surprise seeing how quickly they're learning and with such enthusiasm, too!

The Year in Review

Ah, 4th grade...it's almost over. I didn't much care for it the first time around and liked it even less this go-around. What is it about 4th grade that turns people off? Apparently, it's not just me. There's a phenomenon referred to as the 4th Grade Slump wherein test scores start going down after 4th grade. It's a nationwide occurrence. What causes the drastic drop in test scores? I have a theory - long division kills brain cells. (Yes, I'm being sarcastic.) But, seriously...

I think the first year of homeschooling went better than the second. Strangely, last year, characterized by pell-mell lessons put together at the last minute, was much more fun than the meticulously planned 4th grade year we're just finishing up. I think the missing ingredient was creativity. I became so engrossed in lesson planning that I forgot the importance of throwing in a little creativity. Without even realizing I was doing so I planned it right out of our curriculum (not just once but twice this year.) Lessons focused too much on teaching facts & didn't allow any room for original thought or self expression. School became a chore for everyone at times.

In October of 3rd grade I pulled them out of public school. Homeschooling wasn't something I planned to do; circumstances kind of forced it to happen. So, there I was, saying to myself "O.k., what do I do now?" I fumbled my way along and we came through the year with flying colors. After that first year, I was confident I could do an even better job teaching them if I planned out the year ahead of time. The trouble came when I overdid it. Overplanning was a knee-jerk response to the crazy, mixed up, disorganized year we had just completed. I disliked having to scramble all year long to stay one step ahead.

I'm the kind of person who prefers to have a plan. So... after much introspection I have a new plan for the upcoming 5th grade year...find a balance.

Nifty Stuff That Happened Lately

Last week, before this wretched, hard freeze occured, the kids got the opportunity to watch a ladybug larva devour an aphid. It was primal. The kids were fascinated. Me, too.

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We discovered the little Green Lynx spiderlings that hatched out in the azalea bush next to our front door last Fall are still around. The downside to the discovery lies in the circumstances in which we learned that they're still around: I keep finding them crawling up my arm! Of course, to the kids that's a bonus considering how much they enjoy seeing me scream and jump around like a lunatic.

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K cleaned her room...all by herself...changed her sheets even...within 2 hours...and there was nothing shoved under the bed. Wow! (Now, if I could get T to do the same to his room I'd be a happy woman. Unfortunately, he insists it's an impossibility.)

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Yesterday, I found the time to search around the net & learned how to make this blog look more like I want it to. I even discovered how to make the nifty horizontal reference line above. Wow, I can change it's size and color, too. (I'm not finished with the blog yet. It's not quite looking like I envision it looking. There's more changes to be made, alot more changes, as soon as I figure out how to bring them about. (Yes, I'm incredibly behind the times when it comes to computers. When I graduated high school they were teaching Basic. Since then, I only bothered to learn rudimentary word processing & spread sheets. Better late than never, right?))

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Lastly, tonight, after a long day of CAT testing, my most wonderful husband made dinner for us just so I could have a little "me-time."

CAT Time

The CAT5 came in yesterday. E is off work for Easter break this coming week; so I asked him if he wanted to give the test. Being a teacher, he feels it's necessary to review for a couple of days before giving them the test. I say "What's the point? They either know it or they don't." I'd prefer the test was an accurate measure of what they actually know rather than how well their short term memory works. We're not quite finished with all the subjects anyway. There should be items on the test that we haven't covered yet. What good is reviewing going to do when the scores are adjusted based on the time of year that the test is taken?

Night School

It's spring! Well, close enough to count anyway. I have lots of work to do and I'm already falling behind (as usual.) Therefore, the kids will primarily be having night school for the next few months while I deal with the spring rush.

I have it all planned out. They'll do some of their schoolwork, like reading, in the mornings leaving most topics for the evenings. In between, they get to play and receive impromptu lessons in botany, horticulture, entomology, mycology, marketing, small business management and whatever else I can come up with whenever I manage to corner one of them. Sounds impressive doesn't it?

In reality, we're somewhat cutting back on the intensity of their studies. It's not going to hurt to do so since we've decided to eliminate summer vacation and go with year round school. That's one of the reasons I like homeschooling so much - the flexibility is wonderful.

Grading Papers & Doing the Math

I am tired of 4th grade. I am sick of grading piles of papers. Why do I feel the need to keep grades for everything they do? When they're working diligently, cranking out assignment after assignment, the pile of papers and workbooks is overwhelming.

My friend has a son who is one year younger than T, attends public school, and only brings home about 6 completed worksheets per week. When she called me concerned that her son wasn't getting much of an education and mentioned the piddling amount of work brought home each week I thought "Goodness, K & T can do that much in an hour!" The conversation had me wondering if I might be overloading the kids with schoolwork. I know homeschoolers don't have to spend half their school time waiting on 20 - 30 children to get down to business; but, six worksheets for an entire week's worth of classwork is about one per day! That's not much by any standard. Apparently, she isn't the only parent of a child in that class who is worried about the lack of schoolwork. She asked around and learned that the teacher has a reputation for being lazy. What's sad is that it isn't just that teacher who assigns so little. My own children brought home roughly the same quantities when they were in public school. K's second grade teacher was the exception.

I did the math & was shocked at the result. If the above mentioned teacher had 25 students (actually it's more like 18) and assigned 6 worksheets per week to each of those students she would be grading 150 papers per week. If my kids do 12 pages (usually more) per day per child the result is 120 pages per week. Now, if one were to consider that I spend just as much time on lessons in front of the white board as one would assume that teacher does (the rumor is she stays behind her desk much of the day) one could easily reach the conclusion that I am doing the same amount of work as a school teacher. It's pretty amazing to think about it. What is even more incredible is the realization that my children are doing the equivalent of 20 of that teacher's public school students! Remember, that teacher actually has 18 students in her class. It would be accurate to say my children do more schoolwork each week than her entire class.

That little piece of information got me to wondering if I was overwhelming the kids. They don't seem overwhelmed, bored perhaps, but not overwhelmed. They still have time to play, go to karate, do their chores, and veg out. No, the kids aren't overwhelmed. I'm the one who's overwhelmed, buried under piles of not yet graded papers. Yeah, I definitely need to give up on the notion of grading every single one.

Lame Excuses

I've heard/read alot of homeschoolers wondering why so many parents complain fiercely about public schools then turn around and say they couldn't homeschool because: 1) their kids would drive them crazy, 2) they don't believe they could teach, 3) they couldn't make the commitment, 4) blah, blah, blah. To a homeschooler who has tasted the freedom homeschooling permits and the closeness that develops within families those type of responses seem ridiculous. However, the possibility that those parents are being truthful should be considered.

Perhaps, just maybe, those parents really don't believe in themselves. Maybe they scraped by in public school barely pulling a C average or worse and resultantly have no confidence in their ability to teach their children. Maybe their children would be better served by a public school teacher. Another possibility to consider is the person one is talking to could be one of those people who expertly criticizes everyone they meet yet seems unwilling or unable to do the job themselves. In other words, they're "just b*tching."

Furthermore, it is entirely possible that they actually would feel as if their children are driving them nuts. Maybe, they mean it when those mothers say they would go crazy if they had to stay with their kids all day. Maybe they really don't like who their children are. I can think of several people I simply don't like. After all, they were somebody's children for the first 18 years of their lives. In fact, I know some kids who aren't all that nice. Perhaps, those parents are raising children who aren't nice people. I'm not saying those parents don't love their children; but, they just might be being truthful, perhaps regretfully so, when they say their kids would drive them crazy. I know parents that don't speak to their children. How could they homeschool their kids when they don't even talk to each other? We don't know what goes on in their homes. Maybe their kids are better off getting out of the house five days a week. Maybe the parents are better off as well.

Sure, it's aggravating when someone comes at you with "I don't see how you do it. I couldn't. Blah, blah, blah." It always sounds like some selfish, lame excuse no matter who, friend or stranger, is saying it. Looking back, to those of us who climbed over the proverbial schoolyard fence homeschooling seems like such an easy thing to do; and, I haven't regretted it even on a bad day. But, I remember having those same thoughts as I, somewhat in desperation, mailed off my Letter of Intent. Could I do it? What if they drove me up the wall? It's such a big commitment. What am I giving up to do this? Can I really teach them? They seem like such silly, lame questions two years later. Never-the-less, back then they were burning issues I spent sleepless nights pondering. If I had crossed paths with a homeschooler back then I would have raised those same annoyingly lame questions. They weren't complaints but legitimate issues of utmost importance to me at the time. A little reassurance would have done me much good. The next time one is confronted with lame questions/excuses perhaps it would be best to remember the questioning parent is either telling the truth or may be trying to work through self doubts before committing to homeschooling. Either person deserves a little compassion.

Homeschooling With the Flu

It's late. I'm awake because I've slept all day. It turns out that the terrible "cold" we've all got is actually the flu. I feel like crap. E took care of us today. They closed the schools anticipating the "snowstorm" we were supposed to get. It turned out to be about 5 minutes of snow, 5 minutes of sleet, and mostly rain. What a disappointment! Anyway, I was glad he was home. I wasn't sure how I was going to survive another day with a house full of sick kids and myself in the same shape. I really needed the rest.

We've spent the week watching educational programming that had been clogging the DVR. There was no way I was going to sit through hours of mind numbing cartoons. So, the kids learned: that Abraham Lincoln was president during the Civil War and was shot by John Wilkes Booth; the elements of a short story; Gregor Mendel was a monk who bred pea plants; and a whole bunch of other stuff too numerous to list. It wasn't what I had planned for the week; but, it worked.

Homeschool Sick Day: a Few Feverish Thoughts

No school occurred in our house today. We're all sick with this mega-cold & sore throat. Usually we manage to do something educational on sick days; but, not this day. Today we languished on the couch, watched mindless cartoons, and whined about how bad we all felt. Oh, and we ate tomato soup and napped.

It wasn't much different than it would have been had they been in public school; except, I don't have to write a note begging some stranger to forgive me for not sending my sick child to school; and, there are no hours of make up work coming home tomorrow. I never realized how much I resented the fallacious demands public schools made of children and their parents. Think about it. In the real world you simply call in sick and return to work when you feel better. And, a boss that requires his employees to make up the missed work at home would quickly find himself with a personnel deficit. Tonight while discussing an unrelated topic, E told me he was glad we were homeschooling our kids. Me too.

I consider us lucky to live in a country where we have the freedom to choose homeschooling. I'm also glad we live in a state where the homeschooling laws are fairly sensible. The only thing they require that I don't see much use in is the attendance records. I mean, technically homeschooled kids live in their schoolhouses. Of course they're in attendance. Furthermore, attendance doesn't guarantee learning. It would be interesting to know the history behind the NC homeschooling law particularly the part about attendance. Was it done to appease someone or some group? Was it a compromise of some sort? Was it arbitrary? Nevertheless, I can live with the attendance record law. It's a whole lot easier to swallow than a mound of make up work.

The day wasn't a complete washout. K figured out how to swallow a cold capsule without gagging. Trust me, that was a major accomplishment.

If I Ever Consider Quitting

This is a note to myself in the unlikely event that I might one day suffer from an impulse to quit homeschooling & send my children back to public school...

Dear Me,

Do you remember that time when you googled "teacher blogs" & "education blogs?" Remember what you found. You can't remember? Quick, go google it again. Try not to vomit. Perhaps you should go get a bucket just in case.

No matter how inadequate, frustrated, or overwhelmed you feel you will never be that horrible. Put public school out of your mind. Shake it off. Now, go hug your children.


Love,
Me

Test Anxiety

I have test anxiety. I really shouldn't. I know that; but, I do anyway. I remember taking the test every year in grade school. It never stressed me out. It was a piece of cake. I actually thought it was fun! Now my anxiety level is incredibly high even though I am not the one taking the test. Why?

Well, I have more to lose now that my self confidence is on the line. See, the CAT is a tool for measuring how I did this year at homeschooling my kids. It's not a complete picture of what the kids know. It's not even a measure of their intelligence. What it really reveals is how well I covered the material & where my weaknesses are. The kids can't be blamed for not knowing something on the test, not if I didn't teach it to them. It's not K & T's weaknesses that are exposed; but mine. Who likes having their weaknesses exposed? I'd rather not believe I have any weaknesses. I certainly don't want them quantified on paper.

Last year, I had no test anxiety. In fact, I anticipated seeing where the weak spots were. It was our first year homeschooling. They had different teachers before me. T skipped 2nd grade. I expected weak spots & I wasn't disappointed. Although their percentile scores were at the top, there were weak spots clearly illustrated on the bottom half of the report. They both needed work in grammar. T could use a little more phonics instruction. A couple of areas in math needed to be gone over. I appreciated the data. It verified what I already knew from observing them all that year. It let me know what I needed to fix. I looked forward to getting the test scores back.

So, why am I so anxious this year? The answer is somewhat complicated and basically boils down to "I can't blame anyone but me if they do poorly." I don't really expect them to actually do poorly; but, anything less than the scores they got last year would be considered a failure (on my part.)

I was completely unprepared when we pulled them out of school last year. I didn't have any books ordered or anything really. My plan was to simply get them out of the school environment before irreparable damage was done. (K, who had previously loved to read, had quit reading.) They were smart kids. We were desperate. We'd find a way, somehow. I planned the curriculum one week at a time. I searched the internet, trucked to the library, & basically pulled lessons out of thin air. I laid awake at night worrying, but, not at standardized test time. I didn't care if they scored 1% on the CAT. (Well, I'd probably have fainted.) K was reading for fun again & T had his enthusiasm back. I considered that a success. We could catch up the following year if needed.

This year it's a different situation. I have the workbooks. I have the curriculum planned. I have delivered lessons as scheduled. I have the support network in place. I have no excuses. This year the CAT measures whether or not I am a competent homeschooler. This year there is no one but me to blame for those weak spots. I hope there aren't too many of them.

Unbelievably Incredible Hyperbole

Last week, K & T learned what hyperbole is. Since then, their writing assignments have been absolutely loaded with it. I distinctly remember teaching them to avoid overusing it in fictional writing and to never use it in nonfiction writing. However, they have taken a shine to it & have incorporated it wherever possible. On the positive side, their writing has become a great deal more interesting to read. Then again, I don't want them writing like so many of today's journalists - much hyperbole & few facts. Oh, I think we're going to have to spend a little more time on this one. I'm thinking a trip to the library for a book of tall tales to compare with Zoobooks or something. Perhaps they'll get the message this time around - try to avoid using hyperbole unless you're writing a tall tale.

The Bribe

It's official. The bribe has been offered and the kids accepted it. Today, E told them that we'd spend a week at Disneyworld/Seaworld if they pulled 99% on the CAT-5 again this year. He gave them the "Work Hard & Study" speech. It's amazing how we can say the exact same thing to them; but, it has way more impact coming from him. Is it a Daddy thing?

Fuzzy Antennae

A moth got in the house last night. R spotted it & unsure whether to be afraid or not asked, "What's that, what's that?" So, I told him it was a moth. "What's a moth, he queried apprehensively. "A moth is just a butterfly that flies at night," I replied. I thought that was an appropriate, feel-good explanation for a butterfly-loving three year old who should have already gone to bed. T, however, felt it was necessary to correct me and piped up with "No, it's not, Mom. Moths and butterflies, although related, are not the same." "Shh, they are the same," I replied desperately hoping T would get the hint. It was bedtime; and, I just wanted R to go to bed! T looked at me as if I were out of my mind and reiterated his statement followed by a list of physical differences as R chimed in with "they not the same" & " moths got fuzzy antenna!" "I know, I know. Alright, they're not the same," I cried in defeat. R, pitying me (with my being so ignorant and all,) took it upon himself to enlighten me as to the differences among the species found within the order Lepidoptera. I spent the next twenty minutes looking at pictures of moths and butterflies with R while he repeatedly reminded me that moths have fuzzy antennae. So, I sat there while he insisted on closely inspecting each photograph for the presence of those infernal fuzzy antennae & identifying each one as either moth or butterfly. He made certain I fully understood which was which before moving on to the next picture. Only after he was satisfied that I was no longer ignorant of the difference between a moth and a butterfly did he grant me a nod of approval and kiss me goodnight.

I stomped off to bed resenting T for getting me into that mess. But, then again, it was I who had emphasized the difference to T back when we were studying insects and while trying to impress upon the kids the magnitude of nature's diversity. Why shouldn't T have looked at me like I was crazy? I had taught him one thing; but there I was telling R something opposite.

Yup, Them Musta Been Aliens

Those wonderfully studious aliens left after 3 days. Oh...I sure miss them. I should have known it was too good to last.

What was it that caused them to buckle down those few days? I simply must know. They wouldn't tell me when I asked them. In fact, they both smiled that "we got one over on mom" smile and didn't say a word. What's up with that? I'm starting to suspect they did something they are going to be in big trouble for (once I figure out what they did)and were trying to be super good to lessen the consequences. When I was a kid my mom always knew when I had done something wrong; because, I would pick flowers and take them to her. She liked flowers. I wanted her to be happy when she discovered what I'd done. Yes, schoolwork would be flowers to me; but,...three days of schoolwork? It must be something major!

Nothing is broken or missing. R is in one piece. What could it be?