Home Spun Juggling

Home Spun comic strip #704

2012-02-01T00:01:00.001-05:00

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Path-ology

2012-01-31T00:01:00.013-05:00

With the unusually mild weather we have had lately, I've been able to hike and walk a lot this January. Which is good, because I threw out my right shoulder and my doctor told me I should try to rest it for a couple of weeks so that it has time to heal. That means no push-ups, no plank position when practicing yoga, and no weight training on that arm. Who wants to have one muscular arm anyway?

Walking is the easiest on my shoulder. I keep my hands in my pockets most of the time. Hiking has been more of a challenge. I like to use my arms to balance on uneven trails. When the ground shifts suddenly, my hands shoot out to counterbalance. That isn't a problem under normal conditions, but the shoulder pain is not helped when I reach out to try to avoid slipping into mud.

Yesterday, I hiked with the kids. I had to. The weather was gorgeous, and it hasn't rained for a few days. So off we went to my favorite hiking area, Cranberry Lake. And amazingly, we did not get lost. I have some history with getting lost there, ever since I walked us off the purple trail and we had to walk through brambles and scale down a cliff to reach a marked path. It's little things like that that the kids never let you forget.

To pass the time, I tried to be funny by making up puns. I guess I wasn't. They smiled politely, but didn't laugh too much. I explained that pathology was the study of trails and trail markers. Empathy is feeling the path beneath your feet. An obstruction in the road, like the squishy, five inch deep mud that requires you to walk in the bushes, was a pathogen. Pathological has to do with knowing you are going the right way on the path. I'm so glad I didn't lose the trail this time. That would have been pathetic.

Aren't you glad you don't have to hike with me?

Home Spun comic strip #703

2012-01-30T00:01:00.002-05:00

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Home Spun comic strip #702

2012-01-27T00:01:00.001-05:00

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Home Spun comic strip #701

2012-01-25T00:01:00.001-05:00

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Carnival at Janice Campbell

2012-01-24T15:20:00.000-05:00

The latest Carnival of Homeschooling: Wintry Mix edition is happening at Janice Campbell's blog. Please take some time to check out this week's selection of articles!

The Top and Bottom

2012-01-23T12:29:00.000-05:00

In acrobatics and other forms of two person gymnastics, there are two types of people, the top person and the bottom person. The top person, as the name suggests, is the guy on top, the flyer. They are the ones who catch our attention. They balance precariously on their partner. They perform somersaults or contortions. They perch gracefully on top of their partner's hands or feet. They are, quite literally, raised up on a pedestal.

The bottom person is the base. They are the support system of the two-high. Everything that the top person does is possible because the bottom person is fully supporting them. It's almost better if the bottom person is hardly noticed. You might see them tap the top person before a tricky move or bobble slightly as they help bring the top person back into balance, but other than that, they are in the background.

I tried both positions when I was into circus arts. I always preferred the bottom. It's not as glamorous, but it is so important to a good performance. Also, I have trust issues. I'm always afraid I will be too heavy for my partner, or that they might drop me. Standing on top means you can fall, and I have. In fact, one of my highest falls happened when I was trying to learn how to stand on my husband's shoulders. I wasn't hurt, but it did add a certain amount of worry when I found out the following week that I was pregnant with Chase. That was the end of my stint learning how to stand on shoulders.

That is not to say that I shouldn't try to fly every now and then. I'm simply more wary of the position. I have never been comfortable with the spotlight on me. I tend to waver and not trust that my support will be ready if I need help or if I will have to figure out how to fall gracefully. I feel much safer on the ground, supporting others and able to see where I am needed. If I were ever to try the feet to shoulders again, I would definitely want a spotter. A spotter is an extra support person. They usually stand off to one side and keep an eye on everything, stepping in to help give an extra push or lift to a weak somersault, or steadying the flyer when he falls.

Performing acrobatics requires a lot of trust and the ability to communicate effectively. The bottom person needs to know when to help the top person recover balance and when to decide it's time to let them go so they can land safely on their own two feet. Top or bottom, hold on too long and you might cause your partner and yourself injury.

This holds true for life and raising children. All parents are bottom people. I'm comfortable with that. I shift support as they need it and try to remember not to hold on too tightly. After all, falling is another way to learn. I want my kids to always be able to land on their feet.

And if they can't land on their feet, it's good to have another family member or friend nearby to act as the spotter.

Home Spun comic strip #700

2012-01-23T00:01:00.001-05:00

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Crafts: Holiday Knittings and New Year Sculpting

2012-01-21T00:01:00.002-05:00

I have been forgetful! I never put up pictures of the knitting Marina did for Sierra and Chase. This year she made Sierra a pair of comfy socks using the yarn her little sister picked out. Sierra hates socks with seams, so these handmade socks are a favorite. Marina used a simple pattern from the Harry Potter inspired book "Charmed Knits."

For Chase, she created a knitted action figure, Marvel's Deadpool. (This is Deadpool from the comics, not from the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie. They were really annoyed with what the movie did to the character.) She made everything, including the accessories. The buckle and swords are Sculpey clay. The blades are covered in duct tape to give them a shine. I tried to zoom in on the hand a bit, so you can see the amazing work she did. Every finger is posable! She tried simplifying the hand but didn't like how it came out, so she frogged it and redid them individually. All of this was made up as she went along. She is amazing at knitting sculpture.

Speaking of sculpture, I've started teaching a sculpture class for Sierra and two of her friends. It's been a lot of fun! I started with wire sculpture to explain the simplest sculpting forms and to teach armature. The second week they made armatures that we screwed to a base before building on them with clay. Sierra came up with this sculpture on her own. Then she built the plant, which is free standing. I really loved the way they came out!

Home Spun comic strip #699

2012-01-20T00:01:00.001-05:00

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Home Spun comic strip #698

2012-01-19T00:01:00.009-05:00

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Home Spun comic strip #697

2012-01-16T22:49:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: Results vary by state and season. Story is exaggerated for comic effect. No parents were harmed as a result of this experiment.

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Home Spun comic strip #696

2012-01-13T00:01:00.002-05:00

Home Spun comic strip #695

2012-01-11T00:01:00.016-05:00

Sierra was born old. Maybe it was because she had siblings who were so much older than her. She always rushed forward, and so she missed a lot of stages, like picture books and easy readers. I could understand her distaste for easy readers (even though I do have my favorites, like Mr. Putter and Tabby), but it hurt that she didn't want to share my love of picture books.

The first picture books we can remember her being interested in were Dr. Seuss. Not just any Dr. Seuss, mind you, she would drag out our Dr. Seuss collections. Each volume holds six stories. I think the fact that it was big and heavy appealed to her. After all, Marina read big, heavy books. Obviously, she should too.

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If you enjoy my comics, the first collection, No School Today? is available from these sellers:

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Carnival at Alasandra's Homeschool Blog

2012-01-10T11:09:00.000-05:00

The latest Carnival of Homeschooling: The Gemstone edition is now up at Alasandra's Homeschool Blog. Please take a moment to find some beautiful gems among the pictures and this week's contributions!

Home Spun comic strip #694

2012-01-09T00:01:00.001-05:00

Too often we watch what our homeschooling friends are doing with their children and we wonder, are we doing enough? When we ask this, we need to consider why. Are we wondering because our children have an interest that we hope to help them pursue, or do we have an interest we want them to pursue? There are many things I would love my children to try, but I have to remind myself that there are only so many hours in the day. There just isn't enough time for them to follow their dreams and mine.

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Weighing In

2012-01-07T17:07:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning, I took Marina to the doctor. She was not sick. I was asked to schedule the follow-up after her last check-up. Marina had lost five pounds, and the doctor was worried and wanted to make sure she didn't lose any more. I wasn't worried. Marina has always been a sensible eater. It's just that she tends to forget to eat when she is caught up in her work, and she has had a lot of work to do during the fall term. It was her first full time semester at the college. She was taking art history, two honors classes and a rigorous online math course.

I have to say, this experience was new for me. Usually the doctor has worried because she felt one of my children was gaining too much weight. This time, Chase and Sierra's weights were acceptable. This is mainly because they both had growth spurts. Chase is now taller than Marina and only an inch or two shorter than me. He might be my height, but he slouches, so it's hard to tell. Sierra also stretched up. I knew they would, but being warned visit after visit that I needed to watch what they ate took its toll on me.

I've had my own weight issues since I was ten or eleven. These issues started with side effects from having my asthma treated with the steroid, Prednisone, for over a year and it continued throughout my life. Even though I was dealing with these side effects, I was continually told I needed to watch what I ate by doctors, family members and teachers. The message I got was that if I was overweight, it was my fault. It has been a lifelong struggle to keep control of my weight.

Now, over thirty years later, I am told I am also responsible for my children's weight. I suppose I should be happy no one is blaming them. In spite of observing that all of my children gained weight around the same age before they shot up, being constantly reminded that I needed to watch their weight made me start questioning myself. Maybe it was my fault they were putting on weight. Maybe I had some strange power that caused them to gain weight. Maybe I should stop baking. Maybe I should stop buying juice. Maybe I shouldn't try to stock up on cereal. Oh wait, cereal is my addiction, not theirs.

And that's the problem with blaming myself. They are not me. They don't have the love-hate relationship with food that took me forty-three years to develop. They have never had my experiences. They simply have a doctor who has, unfortunately, dealt with enough eating disorders to be hyper-concerned about any deviation from the norm.

So I continue doing what I have always done. I talk about eating right and exercising regularly. In fact, I try to demonstrate good habits by taking them on hikes and walks or by reading nutrition labels with them at the grocery store. And I try not to worry.

Marina's weight was stable. I'm not surprised. She's on winter break. Maybe I'll keep some chocolate on hand for the spring semester.

Home Spun comic strip #693

2012-01-06T00:01:00.002-05:00

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Home Spun comic strip #692

2012-01-04T00:01:00.002-05:00

I should point out that I recently caught my husband tossing out a cardboard tube while collecting the trash. Luckily, I did not need it. This time.

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If you enjoy my comics, the first collection, No School Today? is available from these sellers:

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Carnival at Why Homeschool

2012-01-03T10:46:00.000-05:00

The 6th anniversary of the Carnival of Homeschool: Starting the New Year edition, is now up at Why Homeschool. Congratulations to the Cates on their sixth anniversary connecting the online homeschooling community!

Home Spun comic strip #691

2012-01-02T09:07:00.000-05:00

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If It Were the End, Would You Live it the Same?

2012-01-01T14:49:00.000-05:00

The year is now 2012. The end of the world, according to some doomsayers. I find this amusing. There are some who will perpetually look for signs that the world is ending, and I always feel like they seem to be missing the point. To spend time wondering when the world will end seems to be a poor use of our time. It's like waiting for the doctor to tell you you have an incurable disease and twelve months to live. Isn't it more important that we spend each moment as if it is our last?

Now please understand, I'm not saying we should ditch all of our responsibilities and focus only on pleasure. That too would be a poor use of time, and rather selfish and self-destructive. What I'm talking about is using the time we have on this Earth to make a difference with your life, rather than sit around thinking about it. On January 6th I will celebrate seventeen years of my own second chance. Had I lost my life that day, only Marina would be alive. Most likely she would have followed a more traditional educational model, since I would not have decided on homeschooling for two more years. I don't say these things to be morbid, merely to supply the facts.

My brush with death was a gift. It helped me see things differently. I was not as focused on the material as I once was. I believed in my choices more firmly, especially things like attachment parenting and extended breastfeeding. Believe me, these were not easy choices for me. Neither was homeschooling. I feel I am at heart a free spirit. I really don't like to feel tied down or depended on, but I would eventually have three young children who would each spend three years at my breast and almost as long in my bed. I would be tied by the regulations of my state as I sought to homeschool. I would hold my tongue except among other homeschoolers who understood my angst and anxiety. Outside of those circles I faced the confusion of well-meaning family and acquaintances who thought I should simply send my kids to school if it was so hard.

Choices are freedom, but they are not guarantees of an easy road. Life is hard, whether you choose the life you lead or allow your road to be chosen for you. I've chosen my paths. Whether it was homeschooling, unschooling, or, more recently, deciding to self-publish, I know I am walking a path of my own making. Sometimes I'm even trailblazing, cutting through brambles and climbing cliffs to reach my goals. But at the end of the day--the end of the world--I can look back over what I've created and know I chose the right road.

Crafting Christmas the Guy's Way

2011-12-27T16:03:00.001-05:00

Christmas was nice this year. A lot of handmade gifts were passed around our family. Sierra made a Grinch worthy Who feast out of Sculpey. Marina was knitting socks for her sister and superhero Deadpool for her brother. These things I will post later in the week. Today I wanted to focus on Chase's crafts.

Chase is more reserved and quiet than his sisters. Most of his art is done in the wee hours of the night. Sometimes he is sketching ideas or pictures, but usually his artwork involves duct tape. We can usually hear the tape being pulled and ripped in the dark of night. His crafts blew me away this year. He used the tape to make sculptures! Who knew how endless the possibilities were with this simple tape?

Chase made Sierra her very own dragon.

Marina got a model of her League of Legends character, with an extra pair of glasses she could wear!

He made a beautiful lotus flower for me.

For his father, he made another video game character based on the Egyptian God Anubis. Click on any of the pictures to see a larger image.

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Home Spun comic strip #690

2011-12-23T10:11:00.000-05:00

The song Aña is singing is based on Sierra's toddler rendition of "Deck the Halls."

I will be taking a short break and will have more new comics in 2012. Thank you all for your well wishes, I am feeling a little better this morning. Hopefully, a day in will nip this cold in the bud!

May you have a wonderful Christmas weekend, Happy Chanukah to my readers in the middle of their celebrations, and may the New Year be filled with peace and laughter!

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Of Coughs, Storytelling, and Putting Up the Tree

2011-12-22T15:37:00.000-05:00

The tree is finally up. It's still undecorated, but it is up, thanks to Sierra putting it together. I was only able to muster up enough energy to pull the box down from the attic. I'm afraid I'm coming down with a cold. I fought the good fight, but I am pretty certain I was doomed. My husband has been coughing for over a week now. Sierra is on the mend after several days with the same illness. In fact, I ended up leaving her home with Marina yesterday and only brought Chase to storytelling.

The last storytelling of the year was not what we expected. Chase was the only one of our core storytellers present. He wasn't to happy about this. He has never been comfortable with leading the group, and he's never had to do it all by himself. I did my best to help him out by starting everything. I also let other adults read, since the average age of the children who came yesterday was four or five. I don't expect children this young to want to read at storytime. Only one of the three was brave enough to get up in front of the group, the others asked their grown-ups to read.

Chase started storytellling with The Contest Between the Sun and the Wind and ended with Twas the Night Before Christmas. Afterward, our librarian friend told him that a patron had complimented his reading and how clear his deep voice sounded. I think he was embarrassed by the attention, but I could not be prouder of him. He has a powerful voice that he hasn't always known how to use. It must be odd for boys when they start to change their voice. He went from being mistaken for his sister on the phone to being mistaken for his dad. Maybe this is why teenage boys mumble so much. While their voice transitions, they don't know what will come out.

Now I am finally winding down from all of the activities. Marina had her last final exam yesterday. Nature classes are over until next year. Things haven't gone smoothly at times this December, but somehow we muddled through and made it to the holidays again. I'm sure I have no idea how this all comes together every year, I'm just happy to have a moment to stop and contemplate how grateful I am to have this beautiful family.

And cough drops.

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Home Spun comic strip #689

2011-12-21T00:01:00.007-05:00

FYI- The tree still isn't up. I suppose I should take care of that soon...

Carnival at Holy Spirit Led Homeschooling

2011-12-20T10:40:00.000-05:00

This week's Carnival of Homeschooling is at Holy Spirit-Led Homeschooling! Please stop by and read some of the posts submitted!

A Quick eCard for You

2011-12-20T00:01:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas to all of my readers, and may the New Year be full of Peace and Laughter!

Home Spun comic strip #688

2011-12-19T00:01:00.003-05:00

I know I say this a lot, and really, I say it to remind myself. As parents and homeschoolers, we tend to be a self-sacrificing bunch. We don't like to slow down, especially if an educational or social opportunity appears. Decembers seem to be the worst. End of the year activities, get-togethers with family and friends, and general holiday preparations all combine to create a perfect storm for burnout. As much as I enjoy this time of year, I know I need to be cautious, especially since my asthma can be stress induced, and my worst attack ever happened in early January of 1995 as the holidays were winding down.

Of course, even with extra caution, I couldn't predict how stressful this December would be. With one sick cat that required several hundred dollars' worth of vet care, releasing a book, and several family issues, I've struggled to keep well this month. As a result, I haven't done nearly as much as I would have this year. No cards were sent. I missed my favorite homeschooling caroling party due to illness. The tree is not up yet. Any decorating was done by my husband and children. I only started baking cookies over the past few days. And I'm trying to be OK with all of this. I have said before that I'm no Wonder Woman. It's important to know my limits so that I can be there when my family needs me the most.

My wish for my readers is that you take time for yourselves this season. Whether you celebrate several holidays or simply welcome in the new year, remember to honor yourself and respect your limitations. You are worth so much to your family and yourself. Try not to overdo it.

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Home Spun comic strip #687

2011-12-16T00:01:00.002-05:00

Home Spun comic strip #686

2011-12-14T00:01:00.001-05:00

My memories were stirred when I recently signed Sierra up for a special homeschooling day at Sunnyside, Washington Irving's home. My older two did events at a local Washington's headquarters site that has since closed. They did several activities that day, including satchets and snickerdoodles. Any event that involves cookies has to be good.

Sierra and I had a good time at Sunnyside, learning about how the Irving family celebrated the holidays and touring the family cottage. It is such a beautiful place, like something out of a fairy tale. I would love to visit it again, maybe in warmer weather when the gardens are in bloom. We didn't get to make snickerdoodles this time, but there were cookies and cider after three hours of activities including the tour.

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Home Spun comic strip #685

2011-12-12T00:01:00.004-05:00

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This Week in Perspective...

2011-12-10T15:33:00.004-05:00

On Sunday, I published my book. I also dealt with one daughter's crisis when she took an online math quiz without her calculator (we later found the calculator under her book-bag) and the other daughter's Santa crisis. Oh. It was my birthday too.
On Monday, I spent most of the day traveling back and forth to the vet's office because Dusty was severely dehydrated in spite of the liquid diet we've been feeding her for months. She was also having adverse reactions to steroidal medications. I also took Marina to her class and did some grocery shopping and stopped at the pet store for cat litter and live crickets (the latter was for the anole, not the cats).
On Tuesday, I took Marina to class and later to work. After I dropped her off at work, the rest of us went to a rally to save funding for our county nature centers. In the pouring rain. We also went into the budget public hearing, so we got to see our local government in action. We lasted a half hour. The budget is still in talks, but we are cautiously optimistic that the funding has been restored.
On Wednesday, I drove Marina to class, took the other two to a homeschooling meet up at the library, stopped at the store because I was without a list on Monday and forgot things, started dinner, picked up Marina for dinner then took her back for another class, took Chase to taekwondo, then picked up Marina.
On Thursday, I took Marina to class, took the other two to church, picked up Marina, drove us all to nature class, took Marina to work, and picked her up.
On Friday, I took the cat back to the vet for oral surgery, went to the post office, realized the car was low on gas (seriously?), went to the gas station and picked up the cat.
Today I will be at a volunteer training session at the library and working on my comics. It's a slow day.

I hope your week has been less productive than mine!

Home Spun comic strip #684

2011-12-09T00:36:00.000-05:00

Home Spun comic strip #683

2011-12-07T00:01:00.001-05:00

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Now available!
No School Today? A Home Spun Comic Strip Collection

Order from CreateSpace or Amazon!

Sometimes You Just Gotta Believe

2011-12-06T14:54:00.002-05:00

I have decided to delete the original post. I accidentally broke one of my oft-repeated reminders to my children: Being on the internet is like undressing in the middle of a mall, you never know who might be looking. I assumed that the people who bother to read my little blog are my friends, that they are sensitive to me and the unique issues my family faces as we go against the mainstream.

In the words of Felix Unger of the Odd Couple, "When you assume, you make an "ass" out of "u" and "me."

In spite of my pleas to treat the incident with sensitivity, my daughter ended up facing many people who were inadvertently or intentionally insensitive to her and to her family. This is sad, since the original post was exactly about this type of adult.

Belief is an interesting concept. From the FreeDictionary online:

be·lief (b-lf)
n.
1. The mental act, condition, or habit of placing trust or confidence in another: My belief in you is as strong as ever.
2. Mental acceptance of and conviction in the truth, actuality, or validity of something: His explanation of what happened defies belief.
3. Something believed or accepted as true, especially a particular tenet or a body of tenets accepted by a group of persons.
[Middle English bileve, alteration (influenced by bileven, to believe) of Old English gelafa; see leubh- in Indo-European roots.]
Synonyms: belief, credence, credit, faith
These nouns denote mental acceptance of the truth, actuality, or validity of something: a statement unworthy of belief; an idea steadily gaining credence; testimony meriting credit; has no faith in a liar's assertions. See Also Synonyms at opinion.
Antonym: disbelief
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Does anyone notice anything about this definition? At no point does it mention that proof is required. That would turn it into a supported fact.

Did you know that most people once thought the story of Troy was made up? It took a little boy, who believed in the tale so much, he decided to devote his life to finding the mythical city and in the process changed the course of archeology. Belief can do that. But you need to be open to the possibilities.

Historic note: Heinrich Schliemann was a bit of a character, and the documentary we watched showed that he was quite reckless in his zeal to uncover the ancient city of Troy. But without that excitement, archeologists would never have considered that the Homeric stories were anything but stories.

Home Spun comic strip #682

2011-12-05T00:01:00.001-05:00

Now available on Amazon.com:

(At some point I'll figure out how to make a button for my sidebar. We'll see how busy this week gets! Until then, I will post links beneath my new comics. Please let me know if it's annoying and I'll stop.)

The Release

2011-12-04T00:01:00.001-05:00

So this is it. My birthday present to myself. I am releasing my first comic collection into the world. Like any new parent, I worry about what I have created. Can it stand on its own two feet? Will it need me to defend it? Will others love it as I do? I hope so.

Click on the book cover to go to my CreateSpace eStore. It should also be available on Amazon. If you like it, please tell your friends.

Editor's note: I don't know how long it will take to appear on Amazon. I will let you know when I have a link for it.

Home Spun comic strip #681

2011-12-02T00:01:00.000-05:00

About Ready to "Push"

2011-11-29T10:21:00.006-05:00

The book is almost ready. I plan to give it the green light on my birthday, December 4th. I think that will work out nicely. So there you have it. The first--and hopefully not the last--collection goes on sale this coming Sunday. I will put up a link for anyone interested on Sunday.

Of course, this has not happened without some sacrifices. I don't think I will have time to design, print out, and mail Christmas cards the way I usually do. I'm hoping to at least put together an e-card, but that won't help with friends and relatives that haven't given me an email address. I feel bad about this, but I had to let some things go in order to get this project done. Thanksgiving was also tricky since I was hosting it and at the same time trying to finish some last minute editing. Everything came together in the end. Things were just a lot more hectic than I had anticipated.

The project itself has taken me most of this year to accomplish. I'm thankful for having a supportive family through all of this. They are my editing and technical staff. Nothing you read in my book hasn't been proofread and approved by them. There was one final error on the back cover that my mom noticed this week. I should have shown her the book sooner. Everyone else missed it until it was pointed out. Then it was glaringly obvious. It was a misplaced "the." The "the" has been dealt with.

My husband and children have also been there for moral support. I have had many crying spells, fits of anxiety, and fears of inadequacy through all of this. These aren't simply comics and essays for me, they are a reflection of our early homeschooling life and my educational philosophy. Putting them all together into a book has been like going through a prolonged labor. I'm at the stage where I just want to push the baby out, but the actual birth is scaring me. I don't want anyone to tell me my "baby" is ugly, or that I should have done something different because it isn't what they expected. Fear of criticism isn't just a bump in the road for me, it's a bed of hot coals and I'm bare-footed.* That's when my family encloses me with hugs and reassurance that it will all be fine. I can do this.

And I can do this. Because I have a great family and friends who believe in me. Thank you all for that. I'm truly blessed to have you in my life.

*The analogy is for my dad, who has actually walked across hot coals. I wanted to use something that is scary, but possible. If he can do it for real, I guess I can cross my virtual hot coals!

Home Spun comic strip #680

2011-11-28T00:01:00.001-05:00

Home Spun comic strip #679

2011-11-23T00:01:00.002-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

Carnival at momSCHOOL

2011-11-22T12:40:00.003-05:00

The latest edition of the Carnival of Homeschooling is up at momSCHOOL. Please take some time to look at the submissions this week. I'm very grateful that Jamie at momSCHOOL took time out of this very busy week to set up the carnival!

Excuse me While I Have Some Whine

2011-11-20T17:41:00.007-05:00

I'm sorry I'm not terribly funny lately.

My computer has decided to be wonky lately. It takes forever for me to load websites and blogs. And of course, the problems started right before I had my revised manuscript ready to upload to CreateSpace. Two days before I tried to upload it, CreateSpace decided to put up a new feature, an automated reviewer. This is supposed to catch issues before you send your manuscript in for review. But since my computer is working slowly, it couldn't load the automated reviewer. My computer kept freezing up. My husband finally uploaded it on his computer, but the automated reviewer seemed to think there were issues where nothing was wrong.

All this was happening while I was dealing with decluttering and cleaning my house (well...the kitchen and living room) in preparation for family on Thanksgiving. I have also been running around more than usual this week, with our homeschooling storytelling group and Chase's book group falling in the same week. Then I found out the county wants to close all of the nature centers in the area at the end of the year. As usual, community-building, affordable recreation is the first on the chopping block. This called for action, so I composed a letter to the editor. The annual Audubon sponsored raptor show was also this week. And did I mention I've had to deal with a cat with gum disease? A cat with gum disease that can only eat extremely mushy watered down food? And I'm the only one that can coax her to eat?

Then Sierra got sick. It seemed to be a 24 hour virus. I'm thankful it was only 24 hours.

Needless to say, I've felt a bit overwhelmed. When I get overwhelmed, I get panicky. I start wondering if I'm doing the right thing by publishing my book. I start wondering if it's better to just leave all of this until after the holidays. Of course, I've been sticking this on the back burner for years. I want to be a good example to my kids, but weeks like this one do test my resolve. I'm thankful I have a loving family to lean on when I feel this way. Frankly, their love and support has been carrying me through the past two days. If I get this book together before the end of the year, you have them to thank for it. I don't know what I would do without them. There wouldn't even be a comic strip if not for them.

So I'm taking deep breaths and submitting the revised manuscript. Fingers crossed.

Spelling is Correct

2011-11-19T08:53:00.009-05:00

People have trouble spelling my name. It's the phonetic Spanish form of a very common English name, so many people often assume there is an extra silent H in it. When I was a kid, I got to correct lots of adults about it. There was a point in my life when I really hated the name Christine, because that was what the grown-ups usually wrote. It was mainstream. It was how everyone spelled it. It also was not my name. It reminds me of a line from the first episode of the second season of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The new doctor mispronounces the android Data's name. She is amused that it bothers him. Data tells her, "One is my name, the other is not." Names are important.

I learned it was easier to spell it out after I gave my name rather than have to watch the grown-ups erase their mistake or worse, scribble out the misspelling. Scratching out the H left my name with this odd gap between the C and the other letters. Sometimes the A at the end of my name was a transformed E. I turned this into a game. I could tell who was actually listening to me by watching whether they carefully followed my spelling or just quickly wrote down their own assumption. This is not simply about listening, but about being sensitive to a fellow human being.

This is something that bothers me when I see articles about homeschooling written by journalists and other writers outside the homeschooling community. They can't seem to believe that the word "homeschooling" is correct. In fact, I read one article in a local paper (I apologize, this was a while ago and I misplaced the clipping) where the reporter placed the [sic] symbol after each spelling of homeschooling in a quote he used from a homeschooler's email. The email was written to decline an interview request. The symbol was not used to inform readers, but rather to mock the homeschooler's spelling. It was also used for two words that were mispelled in the email.

I don't deny that there are many of us who are very elitist about spelling. Recent comments to a NY Times magazine article about homeschooling caused many in the homeschooling blog community to throw grammatical stones at the poorly written responses by unenlightened teenagers. Many of those letters were so alike that it was clear they were written as part of a class project. I feel worse that none of these students seemed to take the time to research homeschooling or read other comments from actual homeschoolers instead of simply parroting their class discussion. It is important to understand the opposing view to effectively argue your perspective. I had a hard time believing that many of the students who commented had an opinion. They were simply writing what they thought their teacher wanted to hear.

If I read any article that spells homeschooling as "home schooling" or "home-schooling", I take a deep breath and prepare myself for what will follow. I know the reporter would rather rely on spell-check than pick up an up-to-date dictionary. You don't even need a physical dictionary handy. Here are links online:

The Free Dictionary: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/homeschooling
Dictionary.com: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/homeschooling
Oxford Dictionaries: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/homeschooling?region=us

Misspelling something as important as the name tells me that little research was done within the homeschooling community. It tells me an opinion was formed from the onset and the reporter would rather tell readers what he or she thinks they want to hear. And believe me, I understand! It's hard to learn about homeschooling. Homeschoolers are individuals. No two are educating their children in the same way. There is no standard way to do it. It's that freedom that attracted me to it. But try explaining that to a reporter.

I don't mind the misspellings of my name anymore. Now I look to see who can figure it out without me noting the error. Having homeschooled for a while, I know that pointing out mistakes doesn't really teach as much as recognizing and fixing your own mistakes. I'm still waiting for the journalists to learn that.

Home Spun comic strip #678

2011-11-18T01:13:00.001-05:00

Home Spun comic strip #677

2011-11-16T00:01:00.000-05:00

I complained to Marina that I made Jess' friend look too much like Coral. She didn't think it was a problem. I still felt I should point it out. Maybe someday I'll redo this strip. After I finish redoing the six hundred plus that came before it. I'm kidding!

Maybe just a tweak...

Carnival at Home School Dad

2011-11-15T23:43:00.003-05:00

The latest Carnival of Homeschooling: Tweeting the Carnival is now up at Home School Dad after some technical difficulties. Please stop by and read some of this week's submissions!

Liebster Blog and HSBA nominations

2011-11-15T10:30:00.000-05:00

I have been so wrapped up in my project lately, I've neglected to mention some honors I've received lately. Consider this the catch up post!

I was recently honored to notice this post from my blogger friend at Once Upon a Family

Here is what the award is about: The Liebster Blog Award started (sometime in the recent past) in Germany to encourage traffic to hidden gems of blogs with 300 followers or less. So it is an award you receive, but also an award you give (share the love kinda thing). If you receive a Liebster Blog Award you are asked to choose 3-5 other bloggers and link back to the blogger that gave you the award.

The blogs I am passing the award on to are:

Home School Dad: I've been reading Home School Dad's blog for a while. I come for the jokes and stay for the thoughts. He will be running the Carnival of Homeschooling this week.
Homeschooling on Hudson: It's funny, we live near each other, but this homeschooler is always on the go, so I haven't seen her for a while! She has wonderful photos and awesome links on her blog. She also covers news regarding homeschooling. This month she and her son are working on NaNoWriMo, which she has provided links for.
Lost Persons Homeschool: This creative homeschooler's recent posts cover her daughter's project on renewable energy, a topic near and dear to my heart. Be sure to look at the excellent poster her daughter made using Power Point!

I'm going to have to stop at three, but only because it is so hard to choose. I follow so many blogs, and I think all of them nourish me in some way--spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, or some combination of the three.

I have also been honored with nominations in three categories at the Homeschool Blog Awards. I'm listed for Favorite Homeschool Mom Blog, Funniest Homeschool Blog, and Best Nitty-Gritty Homeschool Blog. Honestly, I am deeply grateful to my readers who took the time to nominate me. I do what I do for you, and I appreciate that you feel the need to reward me when your comments and visits here are reward enough! I recently had my 100th follower, Beth at Living Life Intentionally. To hit that milestone is so impressive to me. I'm humbled that so many of you want to read what's happening in my little corner of the blogosphere! Thank you all for the inspiration! It keeps me focused on my goal to get this book together for you and to keep cranking out new comics for you to enjoy!

Home Spun comic strip #676

2011-11-14T00:01:00.002-05:00

Removing Smudges isn't like Adding Dinosaurs

2011-11-12T19:19:00.005-05:00

I started working on some revisions to my book.

When I began my comics long ago, I didn't think very hard about publishing. I just did them. That is what you are supposed to do when you begin a project. I always tell my kids to just do it, don't worry about making mistakes. It's the doing that encourages learning and growing. I'm still learning, but I've also come a long way from where I began.

For one thing, when I first uploaded my comics to my very first blog, it didn't occur to me that I might publish them someday. I didn't think about things like resolution and dpi. And it is a good thing I didn't, or I might not be here today with as many comics as I've done. It's intimidating to consider every technical detail. You learn that as you go along. I found out about resolution when I first published comics in a homeschooling magazine, Secular Homeschooling. When I wrote comics for that publication, I learned how to up the dpi. Of course, I didn't go back to fix the old comics. I liked moving forward. Those comics had been written, and new ones beckoned.

When I submitted my manuscript for review at CreateSpace, I discovered that those older strips were a low resolution. This meant that when published, they might appear blurry or pixelated. I realized that part of my problem may have been copy and pasting as I gradually increased the size of my template to accommodate our PDF program. This all makes me sound very tech savvy. Think of it like trying to stretch pantyhose over a piece of cardboard. The more you try to stretch it, the more sheer the fabric becomes. The publisher could print it, since I am within their guidelines, but that would mean the comics might be hard to read. And since the comics are the whole point of this experiment, I think it would be unfair of me to publish comics that no one can read.

So I'm fixing the problem. And rescanning the earliest strips. And doing my best to stay faithful to the originals, even though my inner George Lucas would like to improve them. Marina kidded that if I were allowed to do what I want, I might start redoing frames and adding dinosaurs. I promised her I won't. But I might remove some smudges that I didn't get the first time. Those are mistakes I would have fixed if I had known how to use my paint program. That doesn't count, does it?

Sneak Peek: Cover Art

2011-11-09T10:01:00.004-05:00

You can click on the image to see a bigger view. As you may have noticed, this has been taking up a large chunk of my free time, so I don't have any more comics ready. On the plus side, the sooner I finish all of this, the faster I can get it to publication. This has been a very emotional journey for me. I find I'm having frequent anxiety attacks about the whole thing. I'm afraid I'm going to submit everything and be told I did it wrong. I'm afraid I'll discover the formatting is off when I get my review copy. I'm afraid my readers won't like it. These are the earliest comics, after all. But as the saying goes, "A life lived in fear is a life half-lived," so I am continuing forward, inching over the peak and bracing myself for the plunge. This is how I want my children to live their lives, so it only makes sense that I set an example and face my own fears.

You may have noticed, I did not put the caption into the speech bubble. The caption happens to be the title. I'm sure you can figure out the title, but just to make this fun, I've decided not to tell you. What do you think is being said here? Tell me in the comments!

Home Spun comic strip #675

2011-11-07T00:12:00.000-05:00

Posts and Pagination

2011-11-04T09:11:00.005-04:00

I have read some fascinating blog articles lately. The first, at Laura Grace Weldon's site, is entitled Emphasis on Testing Cheats Everyone and it discusses the numerous studies that have been done regarding the purported purpose of testing and whether testing actually accomplishes what it is said to do. Regular readers of my blog know I'm no fan of testing. It's nice to see some concrete proof for what I've observed, that testing only helps us predict how well a subject will do on future tests. I recommend reading it.

The second article is from Camp Creek Blog. It Takes Time to Really Learn discusses how we hurt learning by moving too quickly from one idea to the next. I love this quote from Lori:

Adult life is like this, too. We’re bombarded with new ideas and inspirations and possibilities. Like excited children in a toy store, we see something that fascinates us, but before we really sit own to play with it, we see something new and the “old” thing (even if it’s just minutes old) is dropped by the wayside and forgotten.

This reminds me of a book I read years ago, The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz. Having an abundance of anything, including ideas, can cause us to freeze up and not make any choice, for fear of choosing the wrong thing.

Lori's article really started me thinking. Our society seems to reward short attention spans. Employees who are better at multitasking have an easier time keeping their jobs since they can take on more responsibilities. A well-written television show has little chance of survival if it can't drum up viewership in its very first season. Programmers prefer lower-cost, mind-numbing reality shows that appeal to the audience the same way a traffic accident attracts rubberneckers. And schools that can show high marks on tests full of isolated facts learned by rote are rewarded with better funding. How often do you hear people laugh about how they could never pass the same tests they once excelled at? Every time I talk about testing I hear one of these "jokes."

I learned fairly early that if I wanted to do well at something, I needed to focus on it exclusively. I think my parents encouraged this attitude in me. They supplied me with reams of paper for drawing throughout my childhood. When I learned to juggle, I could spend the whole day doing nothing else. Circus arts was put to one side for yoga. And homeschooling. This is not to say that I abandoned past interests. One of the benefits of taking your time to learn a new skill is that it stays with you. You can always get back on that bike. You may be a little shaky at first, but the skill stays forever.

Which leads me to my latest project, learning how to publish my work. This has been on the back burner for a long time as homeschooling has been my priority, and then my writing and comics. Now that I have well over six hundred comic strips, the time has come to gather some into a collection. I've decided to do this as an experiment, using only the first two hundred comic strips as I learn the self-publishing process. I've been reading all about gutter margins and layouts and thinking about how to design the cover. Taking the time to learn and understand the final part of this process will probably cause me to slow down on making new strips, but I hope it will be worth it to the homeschooling community. I started putting everything together the beginning of this year, intending to have it ready in time for Christmas, but I'm having some problems with figuring out the formatting. My poor husband was helping me with my document for two hours last night, trying to get the footers to do what they are supposed to do. He plans to work on it again tonight. You wouldn't think that page numbers would be one of the most difficult parts of the process. That's something you learn along the way.

Home Spun reprints #287- Vote!

2011-11-04T00:01:00.002-04:00

It seems to me that many people opt not to vote during off-years. That is, years when there are only local elections. I've tried to instill in my children that these local elections can be the most important, since they are most likely to have a direct effect on our lives.

There is no presidential election next Tuesday. Our U.S. senators and representatives are not running for re-election. There are only local candidates this year, and some are even running unchallenged because of the lack of interest in these positions. But for me, this is a significant election year. This year, Marina will be voting for the first time.

Would it be silly if I brought a camera to the polls?

Home Spun comic strip #674

2011-11-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure whether I will have a strip ready for Friday. I've been busy, as usual, and driving around a bit more than usual. I also have a project in the works that I'm hoping to complete before the end of the year. It involves learning how to do lots of new things and it can be intimidating at times, so I need to focus on it. See? I'm unschooling myself. As things develop, I'll give more information about it. And yes, I've bitten off more than I can chew with this. Then again, I'm sure you expect this from me!

Carnival at HomeschoolBuzz

2011-11-01T10:09:00.002-04:00

The latest Carnival of Homeschooling: Saintly edition is happening at HomeschoolBuzz. Please take a moment to enjoy the latest offerings from the homeschool blogging community!

I'm no Wonder Woman

2011-10-31T10:25:00.003-04:00

I don't want to be Wonder Woman. I just want to look good in the costume. And I want a lasso of truth. I think I already possess super strength (see my profile picture if you don't believe me.)

Wonder Woman was probably one of the first superheroes I was interested in. My family watched Lynda Carter fight for truth, justice and the American way, all while keeping her hair and makeup perfect and looking really good in a leotard. I even had my own Wonder Woman action figure, which was probably the only female action figure back then. I probably should have held on to it. I'll bet it's worth a lot of money now.

Today I did some thinking about this iconic superhero. Something important occurred to me. Wonder Woman never had kids. Sure, she took care of her kid sister from time to time, but she never experienced the joys of pregnancy, birth and a two year old in the toy department. Her name, Diana, comes from the Roman goddess of the hunt who, along with Athena, proudly defended her virginity. Wonder Woman's Amazon powers are tied to her virginity. Which is silly when you think about it. Because some of the strongest women I know are moms. This might be part of the reason why I ended up favoring the Marvel heroes. I distinctly remember reading an issue of the Fantastic Four where the Invisible Woman fought supervillains while she was pregnant. That's a woman I can identify with. If only she wasn't an "invisible" woman.

Marina reminded me of the best mom hero I've seen, Mrs. Incredible. Super flexibility. That's an important requirement for a mom. There are a lot of demands for her time and attention, so she needs to be flexible to manage it all. And elasticity helps as she's pulled in all directions by her family's needs. I could definitely see myself as Mrs. Incredible.

But today, I will simply dress as Wonder Woman, because I have the t-shirt. That reminds me of another neat talent Wonder Woman had. She simply spins to change into costume. That would be useful.

Home Spun comic strip #673

2011-10-31T00:00:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween!

Beyonders: A Review of Book 1

2011-10-28T22:11:00.004-04:00

I just finished the book Beyonders: A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull, author of Fablehaven. This first installment of a trilogy is an action-packed adventure, full of gripping suspense, intrigue and enough funny scenes to keep the story moving. The plot revolves around two teens, Jason and Rachel, who find themselves transported to the world of Lyrian where they meet and become caught up in a rebellion against the evil wizard Maldor.

Among the many reasons I enjoyed the story is that the author offered the most realistic depiction of a homeschooler I've ever read in Juvenile Fiction. I hope other homeschoolers consider reading this book. It was pressed upon me by my own two homeschooled teenagers, Marina and Chase. Marina had discovered it at the library and picked it up because she "liked the cover." Which shows that sometimes it is a good idea to judge books by their covers. It is well written and full of interesting parts that appeal to my geekiness. I highly recommend this book. The only problem with it is that we will have to wait until Spring 2012 for the second installment. Gah!

Home Spun comic strip #672

2011-10-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

College after Homeschooling, Part 2

2011-10-27T00:01:00.001-04:00

Part 1 can be found here.

Whether they are full or part-time, handling several classes or only one, living at home or staying in a dorm, college is a new situation for teenagers. They are beginning to be treated as adults. Responsibilities appear. They are now expected to keep track of their schedule, learn time-management, know when it is appropriate to drop a class, how to complain about unfair grading, and how to find help when problems arise. Some kids handle these changes well, but some become stressed and overwhelmed.

Marina's first college semester was one class, English 101. Readers of my blog might remember me talking about it last year. My serious young student looked at her syllabus for the class and was already overwhelmed. How would she get everything done? We spent a lot of time calming her, reminding her that these were guidelines, and explaining that she should take the work one assignment at a time. But every assignment began with tears and fears before she could set to work. A lot of her worries reminded me of my own beginnings at college. I was extremely studious, entered the honors program, and worked very hard at my classes. But unlike my experience, Marina was younger and coming from a nontraditional schooling experience. She felt like she needed to prove that she belonged there. Because she only had one class, she believed she had to be perfect in it. I didn't realize it right away, but she also felt she had to show that she was well educated. She was representing the homeschooling world. This was not a problem I was familiar with.

Of course, she did very well in the class. She received high marks on her essays. She did well during class discussions. The professor was so impressed by her, she suggested Marina apply for the honors program. Marina would tell me about students that barely showed up for classes, handed in assignments late, and never participated in class. Before one class, she commiserated with other students about the amount of classwork. At one point, the class successfully managed to push back a deadline on an assignment. You might think all of this would have put things in perspective for her, but we still had many breakdowns before the final class in December. She got her "A" for the class.

The following semester, Marina would take three courses. And there would be meltdowns again as she adapted to a bigger schedule. But since she opted for two classes she actually wanted and only one required course (the dreaded algebra), she had a much better time. Essays still intimidated her, but she seemed to enjoy her classes much more. This term has been more rigorous, with four classes--honors English 102, honors Psychology, Nature of Mathematics, and Art History. Marina is adjusting again, and we are doing what we can to help by listening, advising, and cheerleading.

This is the one piece of advice I would give to any parents or relatives of a homeschooler beginning college: be supportive and listen. How?

Instead of saying you're sure they'll do fine, tell them they will get through this. It takes emphasis off of any grades. I don't want my daughter to think I would love her any less because of a grade.
Let them know you are there for them, whether they need you to read through their paper or just to offer a shoulder to cry on. Hug often.
Empathize. If you have a degree and remember your own college days, share your own struggles and how you overcame them.
Offer advice and support, but let them handle the calls, the emails and problem-solving. This is hard. I can't tell you how often I wanted to talk to the professor or make the calls, but this is an opportunity for her to learn to deal with issues and stand up for herself. I may stand in the background and help her figure out what to say and how to say it, but that is where my contribution ends.
If they are living at home, make sure they eat properly. When Marina is caught up in her work, she can forget to eat. This isn't good if she is 5'2 and only 115 lbs. Especially if she was 120 at her last checkup (why yes, this just happened). Poor nutrition can exacerbate problems like depression and increase susceptibility to illness.
Praise their successes, like when they do well on a test they were worried about.
And please, please don't tell them you had it harder in school. That makes them feel more inadequate with their own struggles. In retrospect, it is easy to see how unimportant it was to worry over classes I can barely remember now. Luckily, I also remember how important those classes were to me at the time and how eager I was to do well. This is my daughter's world right now, and I hope I can help her have as good an experience as possible. It's the journey, after all, and this is just another chapter in the adventure of her life.

Home Spun comic strip #671

2011-10-26T00:01:00.003-04:00

College after Homeschooling, Part 1

2011-10-25T01:00:00.001-04:00

Some of you may have seen the article, A Homeschooler Goes to College. I found a link to it at The Homeschool Apologist. The article itself was an account of some of the author's first experiences with going to a community college. While it was not at all like my daughter's experience--the author had issues with a professor who treated her unfairly because she was homeschooled--it was definitely interesting to read. I also read through several pages of comments. These comments ranged from helpful advice to mockery and mean-spiritedness. It's funny how complaining about something you've chosen to do causes some people to act like the head of a fraternity during Hell Week. We are not very forgiving about our rites of passage. Starting college is hard. It was hard for me and I didn't homeschool. In fact, the only valid complaint I read in the comments was that the the commenter was hoping for something more informative, along the lines of what to expect as a homeschooler going to college. So I thought I should address that. Full disclosure: I'm writing from my observations and what my daughter has told me about her experiences. Hopefully I can convince her to eventually add some of her own thoughts, but she has a paper due this week and a midterm she's worried about, so I didn't want to stir the emotional pot right now.

Beginnings
My daughter's experience started just before she turned seventeen. Our homeschooling group had arranged a talk and tour at the local community college that was supposed to be geared toward homeschoolers, except this was all new for the admissions counselor, so she couldn't really answer all of our questions, such as earning credits when the child is still high school age. Since Marina was going to be over sixteen, those issues didn't apply to us. We simply took an application to fill out.

The Application
This was the first hurdle. The application asked for all sorts of information, like date of graduation and grade point average. We were stumped. I don't align with grades, and I'm not going to write down an "A" just because it looks nice. So we left a lot of it blank or wrote "homeschooled" on the application. We were told to direct it to the admissions counselor who gave us the tour, so we hoped she would understand. I also pulled out quarterlies I had done during her high school years and wrote up a transcript. Finally, years of following state regulations paid off. After adding work and volunteer experience, it looked more like a job resume, but it was acceptable.

Placement Tests
The next step was placement tests. Like me, Marina has test anxiety (and she never even went to school!) Needless to say, this wasn't her favorite part of the enrollment process. Tests in writing, language skills, and math came one after the other over a three hour period. She was panicked about the essay because she doesn't write fast. That's my fault. From my own school experience I knew writing was painful. I didn't like writing until I started learning to type (thanks for all the typewriter ribbon, Dad). Since actual writing was more important to me than handwriting skills, I encouraged Marina to use the computer. Silly me. Essay tests are still hand written, at least at our community college.

In spite of her complaints that she "got sloppy" at the end of the essay hour, she did awesome. Math however... That was the last section of the test. She was panicked about running out of time and rushed several answers. She failed. A second try at the math portion got her within points of passing, but she still failed. We decided we should consider it a sign that she should take the non credit algebra class. It had been several years since she had studied algebra and that had been the beginning of a lot of her math phobia, so maybe a professor could clarify it for her.

I should point out that she did not take the SAT. Not every college needs this test. I never took it when I went to college, although I did take placements and passed the math section simply because it was all still fresh in my mind. The SAT was originally intended to predict college success, but all that has happened is that an entire industry has been created for the sole purpose of getting high marks on the test. I'm hoping some day all colleges will scrap it as a requirement since all of the test prep skews the results for it.

Through the entire application process, Marina was a mess. She was anxious and uncertain if she was making the right decision. Her main reason for going was that she was tired of being asked what college she was going to. Not really the best reason, but when you are at the end of your homeschooling or high school career, that question often comes up in conversation. Like many teens, she felt that college was expected of her, even if I told her she had other options. She felt directionless, exactly how I felt toward the end of my own high school career. She wanted to go, but at the same time it intimidated her. Since she had never been in school, I suggested she take one class, to ease her way in and see what college was all about.

I'll talk about her first class in Part 2 on Thursday.

Home Spun comic strip #670

2011-10-24T00:03:00.002-04:00

This year is fast dwindling. I need to start working on my first quarterlies this week, all the while getting everyone to their activities and classes and jobs on time. Which is why it's nice to know that the when the rare free day appears, I can plan a field trip at the spur of the moment. We did manage to go apple picking this year, although it was a bit too early for buying pumpkins. I'm sure I'll regret that decision later this week.

Home Spun comic strip #669

2011-10-21T00:01:00.002-04:00

Just in case you missed the theme for this week, it's stealth learning. And it still works best in this house. Plus there's the added bonus that I learn a few things. Just the other day, I learned how the Babylonians operated their indoor plumbing. Pretty sophisticated! You had a pitcher of water that you poured down a hole in the floor to "flush" the waste away. For other historic bath and toilet anecdotes, check out What You Never Knew About Tubs, Toilets, & Showers by Patricia Lauber.

Home Spun comic strip #668

2011-10-19T00:01:00.001-04:00

Carnival at SmallWorld at Home

2011-10-18T10:16:00.001-04:00

The latest Carnival of Homeschooling: #303 is up at SmallWorld at Home! Please take a few moments to read some of this weeks posts!

Home Spun comic strip #667

2011-10-17T00:01:00.000-04:00

Home Spun comic strip #665+1

2011-10-14T00:01:00.001-04:00

Sometimes you just don't know what direction the conversation will take. Suddenly a talk about superheroes changes course and becomes a talk about which supervillains are truly bad (like Batman's Joker) and which are simply misguided or misunderstood (like the X-Men's Magneto). Personally, I think DC was always better at creating characters who were absolutes. Marvel liked to explore the gray area of human nature, that is, we are all good and evil, and our choices tip us one way or the other. Did I mention we were going to the New York Comic Con this weekend?

Home Spun comic strip #665

2011-10-12T00:16:00.000-04:00

Home Spun comic strip #664

2011-10-10T00:01:00.001-04:00

I've seen commercials from time to time about getting the family together for dinner as a way to keep your children out of trouble. Mine have been eating dinner together for as long as I can remember. Sometimes we even eat together for breakfast and lunch. And while we eat, we talk. The table often is the site of our deepest philosophical discussions or historical debates. We draw on the news of the day, favorite books, movies, or comics, and sometimes conversation spontaneously erupts over the most random things. We don't do this every day or at every meal, but I do like to encourage these talks. I want my kids to think about everything. So I might throw out a question just to get things started. What was Columbus really like? Who was worse, Sweeney Todd or Mrs. Lovett? Why can't the politicians get along? Why doesn't anyone recognize Superman when he wears glasses? I try not to influence their responses, and if they pick a side, I try to offer alternative views. It keeps them on their toes. And it keeps me thinking and wondering as well.

Home Spun comic strip #663

2011-10-07T00:01:00.002-04:00

Home Spun comic strip #662

2011-10-05T00:01:00.000-04:00

Whoops. Must have Missed a Tag

2011-10-03T00:11:00.002-04:00

I got tagged by my good friend at Confessions of an Erratic Homeschooling Mom. And because I'm only catching up in my blog reading, I have to apologize to her for taking so long! I also needed to think a lot about this. As the years have gone by, I have used many resources, some good, some not so good. This takes a lot of memory...

1. One homeschooling book you have enjoyed - Hmm...Here's the thing. I have only really read one homeschooling book all the way through. The Well-Trained Mind. And I did enjoy it twelve years ago, but I would say I'm a much different homeschooler now. Most of my homeschooling inspiration now comes from online resources, like the Freedom to Learn blog.

2. One resource you wouldn't be without - Our library system. It's awesome. I can reserve anything I need and even use the online library to download eBooks and audiobooks. They even have several homeschooling titles and textbooks in their collection.

3. One resource you wish you had never bought - I bought a couple of teacher resources with historic plays, thinking they were actually historic plays. Instead they were skits of pretend moments in history that mentioned some facts about the time period. Snooze-fest. Aside from the fact that they needed at least ten children per play, I didn't think they were very interesting, so we never used them.

4. One resource you enjoyed last year - A Wicked History series published by Scholastic. We read a lot of biographies and these were good for looking at the less than stellar characters in history. Great for discussions about these people. Were they truly evil? Misguided? Did any regret their attitudes in later years?

5. One resource you will be using next year - Is next year this year? I tend to play it by ear. If something grabs me, I grab it. Helping at the library book sale, I almost squealed with delight when I came across a copy of the Teenage Liberation Handbook by Grace Llewellyn. It's in Chase's reading pile. I'm also hoping to use Shmoop more often. They have great study guides for teens in various subjects.

6. One resource you would like to buy - Secrets of a Buccaneer Scholar by James Marcus Bach. I had borrowed it from the library a couple of years ago. Good for teens who want to take control of their education. I've been waiting for the paperback edition.

7. One resource you wish existed - I don't know if this counts, but I would love a book of collected essays by homeschooling "graduates" talking about their adult life. Not just a book of success stories, mind you. I want to know their fears during transition from homeschooler to college student/independent living, how they see their life now and in the future. I think that would be useful, especially having a college student who worries about not cutting it and thinks she needs to prove she can handle classes. (She can, but some weeks are hard.)

8. One homeschool catalog you enjoy reading - I don't really read many catalogs since I usually can't afford anything in them, but I do like seeing the offerings from The Teaching Company. Luckily, our library system carries many of their DVDs.

9. One homeschool website you use regularly - Use how? I read homeschooling blogs and I'm on my local homeschooling email loop.

10. Tag six ... O.K. four ... other homeschoolers -I'm leaving this one off. If any of you feels like doing it, please let me know so I can see your list, which will probably be a lot more useful than mine!

Home Spun comic strip #661

2011-10-03T00:01:00.000-04:00

Whether it's a headache, illness, or general fatigue, we have all had days when it is hard to get up. Days when you would really like a quiet house or, at the very least, less screaming. Children never seem to learn quietly. These are the days when you hope you've instilled enough self-reliance in your children that they will let you rest. Maybe even make you a cup of tea and bring a cool rag for your head. That's what's nice about teaching your own. They might actually think to do that.

This week's comics were not easy to make. My life decided to imitate art and I ended up with a killer headache on the day I had set aside to work on this set. I hope that painful coincidence added more realism to the scenes.

I'm Here, There, and Everywhere

2011-09-30T00:45:00.000-04:00

Still here. Been one of those weeks, so thanks for bearing with me. I have at least one comic strip in my head, and as long as it stays there until I can get it on paper, there will be new strips next week.

So what have I been up to? Well, the library held their annual book sale last weekend. I've been volunteering since the summer, sorting book donations. For some reason, the Library Friends thought I was very good at sorting children's books. I can't imagine why. They decided to put me in charge of the children's section for the sale. And of course, my inner voice screamed, "Tell them no!" in its teeny tiny voice that is so easy to miss when I feel appreciated. So I spent Friday and Saturday running the children's section, helping people find books they wanted, and organizing. Constantly organizing. Because when someone decides they don't want a book, they simply drop it where they stand, even if that means a raunchy teen title ends up in the picture books. And as much fun as it was, I am glad the sale is over now. It gives me more time to pick up after my family.

Marina started her second year at college. This is the first year she is full time, with four courses. I have to say, this whole college experiment seems to be two steps forward, one step back. I know she likes it. I am sure of it. But she is not a fan of homework, and she has had a lot of homework lately. The thing is, she is a perfectionist. I've always known this about her. So we are working on her time management skills. I've also given her a lot of pep talks. For example, I pointed out that she didn't think she could cut it her first year when she tried to keep up with the homework for one course. Now she is handling assignments for four courses. Granted, she is still upset about having so much work, but it's getting done. And after this semester, she only needs to take one more required course. Then it will all be courses she likes! I know that fulfilling the GED requirements is a major part of the problem because those are the only courses she complains about. It's annoying, but that is the way it is in our crazy state. You want a college degree, you need the high school diploma or equivalent. At least the credits for the GED count toward the associate degree.

In between volunteering and cheerleading Marina, I've done my best to jump back into a new term of homeschooling/unschooling life. Which means keeping a record of what Chase and Sierra are doing each day, getting them to their activities, and hoping I don't forget anything. Like paying bills. Or buying groceries. Or putting gas in the car.

Gas. I knew there was something I forgot.

Carnival at Consent of the Governed

2011-09-27T10:23:00.002-04:00

The latest Carnival of Homeschooling: 300th edition is happening this week at Consent of the Governed! Please head over and celebrate this momentous occasion by reading a few of this week's submissions!

Home Spun reprints #349-350: Clutter

2011-09-26T00:01:00.000-04:00

Home Spun comic strip #660

2011-09-23T00:01:00.000-04:00

I know there are some who would disagree with me, but I really believe in the importance of pets in the home. Even if you have one goldfish in bowl, caring for this creature can be an enriching experience. Right now we have five cats, one lizard, and about fifty or sixty Vietnamese stick bugs. That has taught us a lot. For instance, we learned that you only need to start with four or five stick bugs to have a second generation of fifty or sixty bugs. And the second generation is fast, especially if you open the cage after you spritz them with water. We had at least two stampedes where I had to carefully recover each and every rogue stick bug while protecting them from curious cats. Not an easy feat.

I will be taking a break next week and posting reprints. If anyone has a particular comic they would like me to run again, please comment and I'll try to find it. Have a nice weekend!

Home Spun comic strip #659

2011-09-21T00:01:00.000-04:00

Finding Our Way in the Dark

2011-09-20T16:51:00.002-04:00

On Friday I took Sierra for an overnight class at the nature center. "Overnight" as in "sleeping in a tent." She had been asking to sleep outside for at least half of the summer. I was hesitant because, well, I have never slept outside in a tent. It was unknown territory for me. When you know your backyard is home to raccoons and skunks, you tend to be hesitant about the whole sleep outdoors thing. Add to that all the what ifs, like what if it rains, what if she suddenly starts sleep walking, what if a stranger enters my yard and kidnaps her. You know, basic mom worries.

So when an opportunity arose to camp with our homeschooling group at Cranberry Lake, I decided to take her. And aside from the chilly overnight temperature of 45 degrees, it was fun. My first time outside, sleeping in a tent, cooking over a campfire, and night hiking with the park ranger.

For those of you who have never done it, night hiking is an adventure in itself. The point of it is to hike in the dark without the aid of flashlights so that you can truly experience the surroundings at night. We followed our park ranger in single file as he passed back vital information: "Rock." "Root here!" "Big log, step over." You get the idea. And I still stumbled over rocks and roots and there was one really squishy muddy section, but we all managed to find our way as our eyes learned to see in a different way.

In the dark, everything takes on shades of grey. You rely on your feet more, feeling for changes in the terrain. At two points, we were given the opportunity to experience a solo night hike. One was a simple straightaway, but the second was trickier, with curves in the trail. Twice during that second hike, I found myself wandering off the path, but I immediately realized it because the ground changed to a softer texture, or there were more leaves and brambles. I won't deny it was scary, but you really felt like you had accomplished something when you reached the bridge over the lake without relying on your flashlight.

Which, of course, makes me think of the decision to homeschool, or deciding to switch homeschooling styles. It's a lot like walking in the dark. The familiar becomes unknown territory, possibly even frightening. There are times when we shuffle along, afraid we might fall on our faces and look like failures. We might even feel the need to turn on a light, and that is perfectly OK, because we know we don't have to depend on it. We can shut it off again and readjust our eyes to the darkness at any time. Light is now an option, not a crutch.

And the shadows hold their own treasures, because sometimes they reveal their own special light. Light we would never have seen otherwise. Like the tiny mushrooms we found that twinkled in the dark. We also experimented and found that if you pull apart a bandage wrapper in the dark, it sparks! We end up seeing things in a completely new way.

At the end of the hike, when the nature center came in view, it seemed so much brighter after the grey gloom of our hike. I felt a wonderful sense of accomplishment and a desire to try this again sometime. It's a great feeling.

Of course, if it's cold outside, I'll be sleeping in my own bed, thank you.

Home Spun comic strip #658

2011-09-19T00:01:00.001-04:00

I cannot say enough good things about the library. We get most of our books and movies there. We could get CD's as well, but I'm more afraid of misplacing a CD. Because I have. And we can use the virtual library to download books and audiobooks. Chase participates in the Guys Read book group. And I've been volunteering there along with Sierra while Marina works. I'm helping sort books for the big annual book sale at the end of this week. This satisfies my need for organizing, gives me permission to throw things out that are unusable (except for the old textbooks I've been rescuing), and exposes me to all of the wonderful books people are getting rid of. Really, how can I pass up a fifty cent book? I can't. Which might not be a good thing if you consider how many books already line my shelves, waiting to be read.

Home Spun comic strip #657

2011-09-16T00:01:00.001-04:00

Home Spun comic strip #656

2011-09-14T00:01:00.000-04:00

Carnival at Notes From A Homeschooling Mom

2011-09-13T11:45:00.001-04:00

This week's Carnival of Homeschooling is now up at Notes from a Homeschooling Mom. Enjoy!

Notes From A Homeschooling Mom: Carnival of homeschooling - September 13, 2011

Our Hand Crafted Birthday Gifts

2011-09-12T12:43:00.007-04:00

There are three important birthdays to celebrate in September. My aunt's birthday was earlier this month, my sister's birthday was yesterday, and my mother's is today. Marina and I made the jewelry below for my mom and aunt, respectively. I made the pendants, and she ~~hid my mistakes~~ added chains and did the wire wrap on my aunt's pendant.

My mom is celebrating her 70th.

I just thought this picture was cute. Sierra in front of the crapemyrtle.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Home Spun comic strip #655

2011-09-12T00:01:00.001-04:00

A Memory

2011-09-11T00:01:00.001-04:00

Today ten years ago
My sister's birthday
New life within me
Me on the couch
Teaching my kids

Today ten years ago
Phone rings, my husband
Tells of planes crashing
Me on the couch
Shushing my kids

Today ten years ago
Squint at blurred towers
Scrawled television
Me on the couch
Holding my kids

Today ten years ago
Towers crashing down
Phoning family
Me on the couch
Hugging my kids

Today ten years ago
Tears in stunned silence
Fear for the future
Me on the couch
Telling my kids

Today ten years ago
New life within me
My hope in turmoil
Me on the couch
Loving my kids
-------------------
It is so hard for me to express my sadness over what happened, such overwhelming grief that it can still bring tears to my eyes ten years later. My thoughts and my prayers are with all who lost family and friends ten years ago today. I haven't forgotten.

Perpetual Motion

2011-09-09T13:41:00.004-04:00

There is a small loose tile, about one inch square, on the floor in our bathroom. It has always been loose, ever since we moved into this house over ten years ago. Bare feet, still damp from the shower, tend to lift it up out of place. We just stick it back where it belongs. The thought was that some day we would redo the bathroom anyway, so we never fixed it. Usually it stays in its place.

And if you read my comics this week, you know that it is not typical for us to have something that stays in its place. That is because my family rarely stays in one place. The front door gets a lot of action over the course of a day. Shoes are a constant jumble by the kitchen door because they simply don't stay off for very long. There is always somewhere someone needs to be. Marina usually wins for most required trips between work and college classes, but I've also been making a lot of trips because of volunteer work I'm doing for the library book sale. This week, nature classes started at Cranberry Lake, so that added another few trips, since the class is snugged between Marina's art history course and her Thursday work schedule at the library. Let's not forget the weekly (lately it has been bi-weekly) trips to the grocery store. I'm sure I've worn ruts in the driveway from pulling in and out.

But that tile stays in its place. Usually. Sometimes it pops out, as if to remind me it is still there. I fit the small tile back in its place, and then I might try to clear a path to the front door, or pick up the clutter from tables and couches. I sweep the endless trail of dirt from the front door to the living room. How does that happen when they take off their shoes? I remind myself that this is what living is about. It's good to be doing things and going places. It's good that the kids are taking out the books and toys and using them, rather than have them sitting on the shelves collecting dust. And I'm thankful I have the energy to keep this homeschooling machine in motion. But I'm also glad to see that some things stay in their place, even if it is only one small tile.

Home Spun comic strip #654

2011-09-09T09:21:00.001-04:00

Home Spun comic strip #653

2011-09-07T00:16:00.004-04:00

Yes, I do this. I have probably counted them more than my children ever did. And no, I never found all ten of each color. I'm sure that some day I will find the hidden gap in the floor that will be full of counting bears in a nest of pens, marker caps and pencil erasers. By then I will probably have gotten rid of the other counters. Murphy's Law of missing objects from a set.

Home Spun comic strip #652

2011-09-05T00:01:00.001-04:00

Much thanks to Comfy Denim for giving me inspiration for this week's strips. She commented on one of my comics last week about buying counting bears along with her coffee and pencils. Which made me think about the various manipulatives we've used around here. And the many ways they've been misused.

Home Spun comic strip #651

2011-09-02T00:01:00.001-04:00

Redirecting Misdirection

2011-09-01T10:47:00.004-04:00

Yesterday afternoon was interesting. I turned on my computer, opened Firefox and my blog wasn't on its usual tab. So I clicked the button on my handy bookmarks toolbar to correct the situation.

And my blog was redirected.

I clicked again and again in disbelief. Where was my blog? Why couldn't I keep it open? And why didn't I bookmark my dashboard so I could actually take a look at my account? Panic rose in me as I pictured my readers dropping off and giving up on me. I had to fix this!

Luckily, I also manage my daughter's blog, Pictureka! Her blog did not seem to be experiencing the same problem, so I went through it to get to my dashboard. From there I checked Blogger for recent issues, and not finding anything related to it, I went to the Help forums.

Sometimes you need to look for help, because as much as we would like to do things for ourselves, it's important to remember that we don't know everything. I have always stressed that with my children. We don't have to know everything, we just have to learn how to find answers.

I found my answer after I posted to the help forum. Several people had their blogs redirected thanks to a hack of some third-party widgets. If anyone else is experiencing this problem, send me an email or comment here and I will tell you what to look for in the HTML. I don't want to put the information on this post since I think the hackers had enough fun redirecting my readers. I don't think they deserve any more free publicity. But I will thank them for teaching this blogger a new lesson about widgets and HTML. There is always something new to learn if we always keep ourselves open to learning. My children taught me that.

And I apologize to anyone who came to my blog yesterday afternoon only to be redirected.

Carnival at No Fighting, No Biting!

2011-08-31T10:52:00.001-04:00

This week's Carnival of Homeschooling: Logistics of a Homeschooling Family edition is happening at No Fighting, No Biting! Please stop in to the carnival and check out some of this week's submissions!

Home Spun comic strip #650

2011-08-31T00:01:00.000-04:00

Ay-yi-yIrene

2011-08-29T09:45:00.008-04:00

Irene decided to visit us. Luckily, she was downgraded to a tropical storm right before she decided to plow through our county, north of New York City. I didn't sleep much, since she arrived in the evening and slowly meandered through overnight. It wasn't until the next day that we were able to see the result of a flash flood that went through the lot near our yard. The lot covers a catch-basin that was built to prevent erosion from a small stream that runs along the side and back of our property. I have only seen a flash flood once here, in the 10+ years we've lived in this house. When there is too much rain, flood waters can jump the roadway, dumping the water at the corner of my neighbor's fence. This is the result.

If you look closely, you can see the tomatoes still tied to the fence with their roots dangling where the dirt used to be. The dirt and rocks went that-a-way...

...into the tall grass. At least, it was tall grass. Now it's flattened grass. I imagine the force of water that can move cinder blocks and large stones and I'm just very thankful this was where the water went, rather than under our house. This was as bad as the storm got for us, except for the wind scaring the bejeebers out of me by swaying the tall trees surrounding our house. There was some incredible flooding in low lying areas the next town over. Family of our neighbors had to evacuate because of flooding, and they had raised their house five feet after damage from Hurricane Floyd several years ago. The flood waters came with a foot of their house. I'm very thankful that we came out of Irene without any major damage, and I hope all of my readers who weathered this storm are okay as well.

Home Spun comic strip #649

2011-08-29T00:03:00.001-04:00

What I've Learned This Summer

2011-08-26T21:10:00.003-04:00

It has been a long summer.
At times, it has been a bit too long.
But all things come to an end, even action-packed--activity-packed--summers. And I'm starting to realize that this is not the exception for us, it's the norm. That is one of the many things I've learned this summer. Because learning isn't just for kids. I plan to keep on learning--and relearning--until the end. So allow me a moment to muse over the a few things I've learned over the summer months. And feel free to tell me about something you learned in the comments!

~Volunteering can be a double edged sword. Even triple edged. I'm helping out the friends of the library sorting donated books for the upcoming book sale. I've learned that volunteering can feel a lot like having a job, without the money. I'm probably partly to blame for this. I have an overdeveloped sense of responsibility, so if I say I'm coming in, I come in, even if it means coming in after I've spent the morning at an emergency veterinarian appointment. Which leads to another learning moment...
~Take the vacation when you can. You may not think you can afford the money or the time to give up two or three days to celebrate your twentieth anniversary, but do it! Because you might come home and find yourself in one crisis after another. I never knew how much I needed that break until I came home to a cat who was wasting away because she developed gum disease and it hurt to eat. Then Sierra got a bean stuck in her ear. Not as easy to get out as the first time. This time it took a doctor, a specialist and then a hospital visit for anesthetic. We took care of that and my car's check engine light went on. Our credit cards have been heating up this August, and not because of the weather! So rest when you can. Sometimes you need to recharge first, before you get thrust into the fray. I no longer feel guilty about taking a couple of days to be alone with the man I love.
~Do what you love every day, even if you can only give yourself a few minutes. I have spent August giving myself fifteen minutes a day or more for writing. It isn't always the same writing. I'm not that focused. I've got two projects going, one that I hope I can take to the next stage soon, and the other just for fun, because sometimes stories tug at your shirt like a child and ask for attention. I hope that doesn't sound too cryptic. I'll be sure to let you know if I get either to a stage where I want to try to share it!
~LEGOs work with Duplo blocks! I'm shocked! I never knew this. (Yes, yes, it's right there in the instructions, but when was the last time you needed instructions to use LEGOs?) We found out this fun fact on a trip to the Bronx Zoo, where they have had master LEGO builders creating animal sculptures this summer. The master builder we met complimented my son's small LEGO build. This was a thrill for me, since Chase tends to belittle his talents. I like having a non-mom opinion of his skill whenever possible.
~My kids are growing up! When did that happen? Even though I've always homeschooled, I feel these precious days slipping away. We are dealing with college headaches of canceled classes. We are teaching Marina to drive. She registered to vote. And yet I can still see her as my little curious girl, demanding every sign to be read to her, afraid she might miss something important. As cliche as it sounds, I blinked and she grew up. Not to be outdone, Chase had his first job this summer, helping some kids make costumes. With the money he earned, he was finally able to buy the iPod he's been saving for since last Christmas. Sierra has been helping me with book sorting at the library, impressing many adults with her ability to assemble, label and pack a box. And when we left them in charge of the house for our anniversary getaway, all three did a great job of taking care of the house and pets. It's good to know we can depend on them to keep it all together.