The other day we met John and Donna in Issaquah. While Donna and Tom took Jason to see 'Shrek 3', John and Xander and I walked, explored the bookstore then headed back to the elder Deans' house. On the way I told John about Xander's one-upping his brother in a math problem. John, of course, had to test this so he asked Xander 'Is 4+3 the same as 5+2?' Xander gave his Grandfather quite a look and said firmly 'NO! And I am RIGHT!' Thereafter he answered every question his Poppa asked him with his favorite number (2). When I told Tom the story, Tom's response was 'Well, of course he was right. 4+3 is not the same as 5+2. Now if my father had asked him 'Is the SUM of 4+3 the same as the SUM of 5+2?' The answer would've been 'Yes."....
Boys...
Last night Jason came bouncing out from the bathroom (post bath) and announced to me 'I have been making and bottling stinky water.' I had to ask, of course. It is required. So I asked 'Stinky water? What is that? How do you make it?' Jason grinned. 'You fart really stinky farts into the water and then you bottle it -- but you don't want to smell it. It will knock you out... I have been experimenting!' I looked at Tom. He rolled his eyes and said 'I didn't do it!'
Monday, June 25, 2007
Hogwarts Summer Correspondence School
Sigh.... I haven't posted in awhile, I know. We have all of us been sick -- we are, in fact, still recovering. I have a sinus infection, a cold, and allergies. The boys appear to have some nasty virus and Tom thinks he has a cold. Blah... but we are getting better slowly. I went to the doctor on Thursday and have been on antibiotics since then.
But though we have been ill, things have continued to happen -- of course:> Jason and Xander have been 'accepted' in to Hogwarts Summer Correspondence school. We made an owl mail bag and letters have been passing back and forth since. The boys are convinced that our local pygmy owl is the one carrying the bag and they are concerned that the bag may be too heavy -- as indicated by the varying locations that the bag appears in the Maple Tree. Jason has also been assigned a mentor -- Harry Potter -- and a house -- Gryffindor. Xander, because he is in pre-school, will be in the same house as his brother. I have uploaded pictures of the mail bag and the letters that the boys have received to the family website. Amazing how busy this has kept us. But the boys are both looking forward to this greatly -- Xander was so excited about it that he carried his 'acceptance' letter around with him for about 1/2 a day after he received it. He has also taken to wearing 'Harry Potter' glasses and carrying a wand. He is really cute. I will have to upload those pictures as well.
I will admit, my memory of things that have happened in the past couple of weeks is somewhat shakey -- the headache and congestion, not to mention the continual low grade fever, has played havoc with my memory. I do know, however, that I am recovering as I actually got quite a bit done this morning (Dropped off bags/peanuts to the mail store, grocery shopped, bought fabric for Xander's robe, swept and mopped the kitchen, vacuumed the dining room, sorted out the ball box, washed clothes, went through Xander's clothes and selected a load to donate, read several books to the boys...) Now we just have to get everyone else healthy as well!!
But though we have been ill, things have continued to happen -- of course:> Jason and Xander have been 'accepted' in to Hogwarts Summer Correspondence school. We made an owl mail bag and letters have been passing back and forth since. The boys are convinced that our local pygmy owl is the one carrying the bag and they are concerned that the bag may be too heavy -- as indicated by the varying locations that the bag appears in the Maple Tree. Jason has also been assigned a mentor -- Harry Potter -- and a house -- Gryffindor. Xander, because he is in pre-school, will be in the same house as his brother. I have uploaded pictures of the mail bag and the letters that the boys have received to the family website. Amazing how busy this has kept us. But the boys are both looking forward to this greatly -- Xander was so excited about it that he carried his 'acceptance' letter around with him for about 1/2 a day after he received it. He has also taken to wearing 'Harry Potter' glasses and carrying a wand. He is really cute. I will have to upload those pictures as well.
I will admit, my memory of things that have happened in the past couple of weeks is somewhat shakey -- the headache and congestion, not to mention the continual low grade fever, has played havoc with my memory. I do know, however, that I am recovering as I actually got quite a bit done this morning (Dropped off bags/peanuts to the mail store, grocery shopped, bought fabric for Xander's robe, swept and mopped the kitchen, vacuumed the dining room, sorted out the ball box, washed clothes, went through Xander's clothes and selected a load to donate, read several books to the boys...) Now we just have to get everyone else healthy as well!!
Thursday, June 07, 2007
Home schooling in the news: Amazing what a lot of arrogance and ignorance masquerade as 'insightful' journalism these days. Below are two links: The first is to an article by a man who didn't bother to do any research and decided to blast the concept of homeschooling. His arguments seem to me to be a better indication of why one SHOULD homeschool -- after all, he is a prime example of the results of a public school education... The second article is by a young man who was homeschooled all the way. He is responding to a different attack on home schooling though from the sound of it, the articles have quite a bit in common.
1)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-shaw/lets-restrict-home-schoo_b_49013.html
2)http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/debate/a/guestmbass.htm
S0, if you are reading this and have an opinion, tell me what you think?
1)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russell-shaw/lets-restrict-home-schoo_b_49013.html
2)http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/debate/a/guestmbass.htm
S0, if you are reading this and have an opinion, tell me what you think?
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