Which has become increasingly aggravating as I find blog posts that I want to comment on that only allow google account or blogger account posts. 

So-If i had a google account i would comment on this blog post: 
http://thethinkingmother.blogspot.com/2009/11/thoughts-after-helping-my-niece-with.html

What I would love to say is...that whole experience she had with her neice is on my list of reasons why I decided to homeschool.  The frustrations that i mentioned in the last post....my oldest would bring home "projects" all of the time that required "parental assistance" and really just turned into me doing a lot of work-her not understanding anything and me screaming internally "WHAT ARE THE TEACHERS DOING AT HER SCHOOL???"    She had one project that involved writing a news story about the book they were reading.  I guided her through it and thought she did (cough...we) did a good job.  I love writing, it's one of my favorite things, and I really liked how this turned out.  The teacher sent it back-apparently she sent everyone's back-and her only note said "No one did this the way it was assigned."  That made me tear at least half of my hair out of my head. That was all she said.  She didn't stop and think "If no one did it right, could it possibly mean that no one understood the assignment?" 

So-that would be what I would put in her comments...if I had a google account...but I don't.

If i were to make lame excuses for not posting number one on the list would be not liking to log into this site because it's kind of slow on my computer.  That would be number one only because it's someone else's fault. 


I don't feel like going into all of the reasons why we haven't updated so I'll just jump straight to my post.

Reasons Why I Suck at Homeschooling:

1.  We use workbooks and worksheets.  From the blogs I read I see that the cool homeschoolers are doing things way differently.  Notebooking, journaling, unschooling-whatever. 

2.  I put off record keeping as long as possible.  Last night I played games on the computer for hours instead of updating Homeschool Tracker.  The worlds easiest (and free-est) program to update.  it wasn't that I had anything else to do-I just didn't do it.

3.  The library?  They are after me like the mafia.  I owe them...I owe them money and I can't afford to pay them and I really need to be able to have my children walk into a library without fear of waking up with a horse's head in their beds the next day. 

4.  My children don't read anymore than they did when they went to public school.  Other homeschooled children probably think they are illiterate. 

5.  I don't belong to support groups, co-ops, web boards or anything.  I have a friend that I email occasionally for questions.  We can call her my support group.

Now for the good news...

Reasons why I don't suck at it:

1.  We are really enjoying the process.

2.  We are improving each and every day as we figure out what we are doing. 

3.  The kids actually enjoy the workbooks! 

4.  My mom has a library card.

5.  This is truly what we believe is best for our children and no one can suck at doing what is best for their children! 

all-in-all...I love it.  For the past five years 180 out of 365 days of my year have been spent with me being stressed about one thing or the other that involved school.  Making it on time, other people being mean to my children, the inane rules that school boards come up with,  my daughter's growing ulcer (or fear of her getting an ulcer) because of grades and utter silliness....fighting with children to get them to get up and get dressed, being late for work, lunches, lunch money, clean clothes.   All of those stress factors are gone. My children are developing, they are growing and learning, and we are becoming a closer family because of it! 

I love it. 

Lots. 

D