Not Another Homeschool Blog

What is normally a four hour road trip to pick up my two kids from college and return home took 8 hours yesterday.  I've been home for well over 24 hours and I am still tired.  I don't relish the idea of returning them back to their dorms on Sunday.   But while they are home, I get to hug them, kiss them, style the girl's hair, and just enjoy their company, so it was definately worth the trip. 

Yes? No? It doesn't really matter.  They WILL learn... eventually. I've been trying to explain this to a nephew who is struggling with a slow learning curve.  I tell him that yes, he is behind, but the finish line WILL NOT MOVE.  He will get there.  And then, I bet he will soar. This blog here is a great example of such a journey.

I have been very, very distressed about the state of politics lately.  Feeling that it was fueled by a lot more than issues, conservatism, and liberalism, I began to feel jaded and cynical.  I still do.  In short, I'm disgusted. I had lunch with a good friend Saturday, and we went there.  We discussed politics.  He said something that helped me compartmentalize what I was feeling about the state of our nation and it's rulers. "Politics is like sports", he said.  "Everyone has a favorite team", he said.  "They don't care who's right or wrong, as long as their favorite team wins". Yes.  I think that is the crux of the problem.  There are also underlying issues that dictate which team people join, but I really think he hit the nail on the head. Do you see some truth in this? Do you think I'm full of crud? Just curious.

I don't know that I ever promoted the homeschool-hybrid program my kids attended, but now I feel I must.  You see, my kid graduated last year and right now would do anything to spend just one day back at her homeschool program. I picked daughter up from school last Friday, at 4:30 sharp.  It was the earliest she could get out of her on-campus job, and she had me high-tail it straight to the Artios Academies Hoe-down.  It is a yearly square-dance fundraiser the "school" has every fall.  Initially, she was coming home for a doctor's appointment on Monday morning, since she had a couple of days off (and a somewhat serious health issue), but as chance would have it, it was also hoe-down weekend, so that worked for her. She was so excited to go that she had worn her cowboy boots and the ugliest square-dance skirt ever all day (at college), and she jumped in my care excitedly raring to go.  So as any good mom would do, to make my kid deliriously happy, I drove her...

Sometimes things won't go your way.  How will you respond? What will your reaction say about your character? My daughter spent 6 years in a homeschool drama program.  For the program to be successful, parents needed to be on board and needed to each have a role in keeping it successful.  Some years I was the parent organizer.  Some years I was in charge of costumes.  I did the job I agreed upon regardless of the role my child received in the play, even though there were plenty of times I was less than enthused about it.  Meanwhile, from time to time, there was a parent who backed out of their responsibility usually because they did not like the role their kid received in the play.  I had little respect for such behavior. I think my daughter was in about 11 plays over the years.  In only 3 of those plays did she get a role that she sought and that we as parents thought she deserved.  There may have been one other show where she got a role ...

The Democratic process is dead. A law was passed. How does congress have the right to hold the country hostage over it.

Some people think I'm crazy, but I see no reason to have a 3000+ sq house (with a basement that is probably 1500 sf) with just my husband and myself.  We bought this house for our kids, to allow them a place to grow and enjoy and feel safe and entertain their friends, and honestly it hasn't even been used to its fullest potential.  Right now is probably the closest it has come to being utilized fully and that is because I have family members staying with me right now... So, our plan is to downsize. I not only want a smaller home, but I want to put an end to this sub-urban living.  After all, I am a city girl. I grew up in the city, and some of the best homes we have had were in the city... like our Corn Hill apartment in Rochester NY , or our warehouse apartment in New Orleans .  Those places really made us happy, and that is what we are looking for... but I know it is  not going to be easy. The good news is that house prices in our area are above what we pa...