Pretty Posies and other Fade-able Fancies

Despite copious drenching rains that practically beat some flowers into the ground, I managed to gather a few for my "door basket."
This is the place I occasionally hang flowers, waiting to see how long it takes Loren to comment on "the weeds."

But he can't help it, since he's partially colorblind.

So anyways...up above--besides the cobweb in the left corner--there are:
--annual black-eyed Susan
--Rubeckia (the REAL black-eyed Susan)
--pink cosmos
--tansy
--cool sedge from the ditch (which you can't see as it's in the back)
--whorled milkweed
--forget-me-nots
--pink coneflower
--white yarrow

In other news, I've completed the homeschooling forms and attached lists of subjects, texts, publishers, etc.

There was a brief interruption this morning when I realized the 3rd grade English book I was looking for might be in the dreaded toy closet...*all the children shiver collectively*....so I called Nolan and Trevor to help me paw through some stuff, since they are chiefly responsible for any mess in there.

I did find it, and the boys were forced to put away numerous small erector set pieces, as well as pick up small bits of cardboard that looked like they might have been a puzzle. Once.

They were also forced to listen to me ranting and raving, off and on, about their slovenly habits, which they quite possibly picked up from me.

But getting back to homeschooling...I've been thinking about this for several years now, and I believe I've discovered a fatal flaw in the/our system.

I mean, besides the mother having to do almost everything on top of have babies, nurse them, discipline the kids, cook meals and make odd attempts to keep house (see two paragraphs above).

It's the whole grading and accountability system.

We've never given grades in the elementary and junior high years. If someone didn't quite finish their math by the end of the school year, they just continued on for a week or two until they were done.

This isn't too bad for the younger years, but when we get to high school, there have been problems.

So what do you do when someone doesn't finish an assignment on time? Lower their grade for that paper/project?

OOooo, THAT should get them. They will be SO embarrassed when they have to tell their parents. Except, I am their parent. And teacher. And curriculum picker-outer.

I feel like I'm working against myself.

If I were a teacher at school, and the child wasn't utilizing self-discipline or budgeting their time wisely, I could talk to the parents on teacher/parent conference day and encourage them to get on their kids' case.

And if the student didn't shape up, I'd simply give them the deserved grade and wash my hands of the matter.

But when they don't put out in homeschool, whether by laxity, perfectionist standards that never allow them to finish, or the general environment that they don't have set-in-stone time periods for each subject, no one can be blamed except the parent/teacher.

Perhaps the PT assigned too rigorous of an academic schedule. Or neglected to check regularly to see if assignments were being completed in an appropriate manner.

Whatever the case, I'm getting pretty frustrated with the fact that there is no one to blame, but me.

And don't even get me STARTED on preparing high school transcripts.

I was up to this pressure for the first five kids, but frankly, it's getting very, very old.

Not that I want to pack them off to public school. And we certainly couldn't afford a private school.

It's somewhat like dieting. There are things that work well when you are younger. But as you age, as the metabolism slows and you realize that just cutting back a little isn't going to....cut it, you think to yourself, "Well, I can't stop, or I'll gain even faster.

So I can't stop homeschooling or I'll encounter a whole new set of problems (aside from the obvious admission of failure).

But cheer up, Ma! Trevor is starting 3rd grade, soon.

Only 10 more years until retirement.
 

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