I went to PA for a few days for one of three annual canning pilgrimages. My sister offered to keep my kids at her house for the 3 days so my mom and I could get everything done without interruption. I got to my sister's on a Sunday afternoon, spent the day there, then went up to my mom's that evening.
In 2 1/2 days my mom and I managed to put up 2 dozen pints of peach jam, 6 pints of pickled vegetables, 10 quarts of bread and butter pickles, a dozen quarts of banana pickles and 29 pints of apricot jam...holy nellie, it was a whirlwind of activity!
On Wednsday morning I left my mom's and went to my sister's to pick up the kids. They had a blast with my sister. They went to the pool during the day and to the Goshen Fair at night. My nephew's won 1st and 2nd place in the Lego competition and my oldest nephew won first prize in the Hershey's cocoa bake off. Not only did he win a cash prize and a big ribbon, he now gets to go to the PA Farm Show and compete with all the other winners across the state!!! What a great time!
Anyway, when I got to my sister's house my yongest child (just shy of 5 at that time) told me she wasn't coming, she was staying with Aunt Dawnie. Well, I nearly fell off my chair let me tell you.
So, i left her there and fretted for several days that she would change her mind and my sister would be left with a whiny child. Turns out she had such a great time she didn't even want to stop playing to talk to me half the time! She went shopping, out to eat, had a sleepover and Grandma's (with more shopping and dining out) and loved playing with her cousins all day.
She is back home now, thanks to a 4 days visit with my sister and another of our friends and all the associated children. Now we start preparing for 10 days without our oldes daughter...but that is a post for another time.
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Showing posts with label children. Show all posts
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The School Threat
My husband is a wonderful man, he is kind, hard working, thoughtful...and a complete idiot sometimes!!!!
Today we had some of our homeschool group to our house for a music class. We were anticipating approximately 20 kids and a half dozen or so adults. So I decided today was as good a day as any to clean the first floor and catch up on some laundry. At breakfast I asked the girls to please remove all of their things from the kitchen and put them where they belong. 15 minutes later I am alone in the kitchen with tons of stuff that does not belong to me or the kitchen. Silly me decided to complain to dear 'ol Dad that his children weren't listening to me and I was frustated before I had my coffe (never a good sign). His response? "Put them in school."
Now you tell me in what perverted universe will putting my children into school improve their behavior? And who is going to drag them out of bed in the morning, dress them, pack lunches and backpacks and have them on a bus before 8:00? And who is going to get them off the bus and feed them a snack and do their homework and put supper on the table? And if they decide they don't want a bath on a given night who is going to fight with them to take one anyway so they don't go to school dirty? Who is going to shop for and construct the 8000 stupid projects that the kids hate? Who is going to explain to them why we don't believe we came from monkeys and that the world just blew up into exsistence? Who is going to comfort the child who got bullied, or picked last for dodgeball?
Now, I fully recognize that many of the above annoyances are important, character building experiences. But the whole reason we have chosen to homeschool is so we can control the circumstances surrounding these events, and make adjustments as necessary. If my 10 year old wants to skip a bath and read a book till midnight, she would be unable to wake up for school and be smelly to boot. If my 4 year old decides to be a bully, we can pull her aside and explain right then and there why that behavior is unacceptable and guide her into a more appropriate method. If my 6 year old wants to learn how to build a birdhouse before he learns how to tie his shoes, I can be there to tie his shoes for him (and hold the nails!).
Homeschooling is a challenge; it isn't always pretty and we sometimes don't all like each other very much. But we get through it, together, and that is a lesson that cannot be taught in school.
Today we had some of our homeschool group to our house for a music class. We were anticipating approximately 20 kids and a half dozen or so adults. So I decided today was as good a day as any to clean the first floor and catch up on some laundry. At breakfast I asked the girls to please remove all of their things from the kitchen and put them where they belong. 15 minutes later I am alone in the kitchen with tons of stuff that does not belong to me or the kitchen. Silly me decided to complain to dear 'ol Dad that his children weren't listening to me and I was frustated before I had my coffe (never a good sign). His response? "Put them in school."
Now you tell me in what perverted universe will putting my children into school improve their behavior? And who is going to drag them out of bed in the morning, dress them, pack lunches and backpacks and have them on a bus before 8:00? And who is going to get them off the bus and feed them a snack and do their homework and put supper on the table? And if they decide they don't want a bath on a given night who is going to fight with them to take one anyway so they don't go to school dirty? Who is going to shop for and construct the 8000 stupid projects that the kids hate? Who is going to explain to them why we don't believe we came from monkeys and that the world just blew up into exsistence? Who is going to comfort the child who got bullied, or picked last for dodgeball?
Now, I fully recognize that many of the above annoyances are important, character building experiences. But the whole reason we have chosen to homeschool is so we can control the circumstances surrounding these events, and make adjustments as necessary. If my 10 year old wants to skip a bath and read a book till midnight, she would be unable to wake up for school and be smelly to boot. If my 4 year old decides to be a bully, we can pull her aside and explain right then and there why that behavior is unacceptable and guide her into a more appropriate method. If my 6 year old wants to learn how to build a birdhouse before he learns how to tie his shoes, I can be there to tie his shoes for him (and hold the nails!).
Homeschooling is a challenge; it isn't always pretty and we sometimes don't all like each other very much. But we get through it, together, and that is a lesson that cannot be taught in school.
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