Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Life Lately

Summer seems to be flying by. Though we intended to have "school" throughout the break, reality kept us so busy that we have hardly done any school work. We're tiptoeing back in now, trying to find the happy medium between the unschooling I am drawn to and the structure that both Kelly and the kids need.

My biggest challenge is math for Bonnie. Saxon is definitely too rigid for our family, but we need something a bit more organized than what I was doing at the end of the school year, which was basically rushing through a few Saxon lessons and working on word problems with her each week. We're looking at Teaching Textbooks, which may just satisfy both Kelly's desire for structure and Bonnie's desire to be more independent. (She likes math, but doesn't like being told what to do. No idea where she gets that.) She's taken their placement tests and falls somewhere between level 7 and pre-algebra, so we are probably going to start with the level 7 and see how it goes. Trying as always to find that balance of challenging without frustrating!


Speaking of balance, I have quit my part time job that I'd had since last fall. I brought the kids with me, but the novelty wore off for them, and trying to get my work done with them in tow was becoming increasingly difficult. Next time I work outside of the home, it will be without my children, or risk losing my own sanity.


And speaking of sanity, I've been consumed with sibling stresses once more, as my sister relapsed and we had to have her hospitalized against her will a couple of weeks ago. In case anyone was wondering, the mental health care system in this country is completely and totally messed up. 


Has anyone seen Mr. Deity? Though this video does not particularly address the awfulness that is schizophrenia, it shows the absurdity in thinking that an all-powerful deity could allow so many evils in this world and also be good. Watch it and enjoy!

















2 comments:

  1. So you're not working? Blog about that sometimes--the difference between working w/homeschool kids and then NOT. Would love to live through you (despite loving my jobs, I have fantasies of staying home and doing the shopping without squeezing it between errands/work).

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    1. Thanks for the suggestion! It was working that led me to unschooling. I just couldn't keep everything scheduled all neatly like I had before. So I am curious to see how much of the unschooling I keep now that I am no longer working.

      Of course soccer for all three kids is about to start up again. Even as a "stay at home mom", I feel like I spend a lot of time away from the house.

      I love staying home with my kids, but I have fantasies of working while they are in someone else's care. It's hard being around kids all freaking day, even cool, freethinking ones. Maybe especially cool, freethinking ones. :)

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