Aside from finishing up craft projects and doing KONOS fun activities, we are done with seat-work, Math, and most other subjects for the month of August. We’ll still be doing chores, reading, educational videos, and the aforementioned KONOS and crafts… but technically school is out. I guess that really just means that MOM doesn’t have to do lesson plans and can catch up on grading, reading, and planning for NEXT school year. Sounds good to me.
We went on field trips today, and had a picnic in the park. Kev used some nasty Cajun turkey-breast meat in my sandwich, so I ended up just eating a cheese sandwich, chips, and a pickle. I left the turkey for the ants. We took some photos for our Field Trip Foto Friday series. It was educational. Hopefully, said photos will be available when I get around to posting my 2004-5 and 2005-6 school year posts… on which I am way behind. Sorry.
I wasn’t in the mood to blog today, so we all goofed off as a family and enjoyed ourselves instead. I did get a rather nasty email from some Swedish dude pretending to be trying to serve my better interest by saving my kids from my crazy Creationist viewpoints. He made sure to tell me that Americans have a serious history problem because we are such a young nation, and we are seriously lacking because we haven’t been “abroad” and don’t let our government tell us how to educate our kids. I probably shouldn’t have, but I emailed him back (I was somewhat nice, but firmly let him know that his insults would not be tolerated). I know, I know… I took the bait. The bible does say not to cast your pearls to swine, and arguing in circles about Christianity is no way to win souls. However, I’m really tired of people trying to be “helpful” when what they really want to do is just try and “put you in your place”. I think they could do the world a great service by keeping their opinions on their own blogs rather than just randomly attacking happy, innocent bloggers – like myself. I especially have a problem with those who think they are better than others, just because of their nationality (here in America, we call that RACISM). It isn’t just a color thing, obviously. It may seem like I’m picking on Sweden, but Honestly, I’ve never had anything against Sweden – nor it’s people and customs… I’m sure there are other nice people there…. and maybe this guy just had a bad life or something and needed someone to belittle?
Anyway, I’m sure I’ll be back to my sweet self tomorrow after I pray really hard for what’s-his-name and myself, both.
Have yourself a merry little Tuesday and I’ll be in later in the day (after more interesting field trips we are planning and some celebrating for the kids since they did such a great job this year in 3rd and 2nd Grade) to notify you that I’m hosting the carnival of homeschooling next week!
Check out this post to find out how to submit an entry.
Good night and God bless!
Buzz Words: racism, Carnivals, Kids, Blogosphere, Opinion, Creation, Comments, Christianity, Homeschooling, Homeschoolers, Homeschool, Parenting, Summer, Field Trips, Last Day of School, Family, Life, Personal, Rambling
Heather says
I’ve been there (as I suspect have most other homeschoolers.) It certainly is tempting to reply, and occasionally we do have to. In my case it came from my family members (who are all public school teachers, just as I trained to be). I finally learned to stay away from the subject and let the kids behavior and educational advances speak for themselves. (Which of course does not work in the logging comunity but works reat in my case.) It was only last year that my mom noticed that my kids were all doing everything much better at age 5 than any of her kindergarteners did. She also noticed some other things about them and even suggested that if she didn’t have to share my brother (age 14) with my dad she would probably pull him out and homeschool him, since he was having so much trouble with school. Of course they just chalk it up to my own background as a teacher but for diehard public school teachers even that is a huge change. Anyway, don’t let it get to you and trust the Lord for the right words when you must reply. (BTW your schools ouot sounds like our schools in!)
My Boaz's Ruth says
Luckily, a fellow in Sweden can not, yet, dictate what you do or do not teach your children.
despite her problems, I really do feel we live in the best country in the world when I look around and see what else is out there. Europe in general has a real problem with God. America is going that direction, yes. The growing Christian countries right now seem to be down in Africa. But they haven’t yet taken away our right to believe what we wish, and to train our children up as we wish. And in many ways, this is stronger than it once was because homeschooling is getting more popular.
as the public schools go downhill (which they inevitably will because of what they are being forced to teach, and what they no longer have time to teach enough of) this will only grow stronger.
My sister and I were both public schooled. My mother has a bad misconception of what homeschooling is all about. And yet my sister is homeschooling her kids and I intend to homeschool mine.