I’ve committed to post for all thirty-one days of October. So what should I write about now?

This post is part of a series showing the realness of homeschooling---the ugly, frustrating, and wonderfulness of it all. 

E-R and I-E were excited to have two sessions of free writing this week.   I can’t remember the last time I’ve had a free writing session, but here goes—and you the reader are under no obligation to continue reading.  

I am helping a friend enter this strange realm of homeschooling.   I was a bit embarrassed when they asked me about my organizational system.   My disorganized bookshelves and desk organizer did not speak of organization.   So today was get organized day.   My bookshelves are neat and organized and while doing so, I realized I had everything I needed on that shelf for the next two periods of history that I’ve been stressing about.
  
Why do I make things so hard?   Why am I always trying to make things perfect?   When asked how something is I often answer—perfect.   Thank-you, that’s perfect is another answer that often escapes my lips.   Things aren’t always perfect and that needs to be okay. 

That needs to pertain to our homeschool as well.   I’ve been working on this homeschooling thing for over thirteen years now—and I still don’t have it down.   I look back and see things I would have changed, things I could have done better, and yet at some point I need to say it might not have been perfect, but it was enough.   I did the best I could with who I was at the time.  
And that’s what I’m working on right now.   It’s never too late to grow in this homeschooling journey!    

The Things Kids Write

Recently my daughter discovered the much anticipated fight scene for Winter’s Tale would involve combs.  Yes, COMBS!    The play is set in the 1950s, so the director decided the greasers would pull the combs out of their back pockets for the fight scene.   Each year the kids look forward to learning the fight scene as it usually involves swords or pikes or some such exciting weapon.   Utter disbelief is the only way I can describe E-R’s reaction to this announcement.   On the walk home from Shakespeare, E-R orally put together her argument,   and once home she quickly sat down and wrote out this speech to share with the director.  

KNIVES

I was raised by the Filipinos (the knife people).  Knives are not useless.  We use knives for everything: opening cereal boxes, opening gifts, hunting, opening bags, and self-dense.  Like the “The Outsiders” Johnny saved his friend Ponyboy with his knife ( But he killed him but that is not the point).  We bring it everywhere: to the super market, to a movie, to the park, and to go bowling.  The knife will never go out of style;  my Grandpa still carries one.  The knife is part of your family.  You might think that it is funny to fight with a comb, but knives are the real weapons.You should never use a comb to fight and call your-self a man.  I will never surrender to the comb.  It is against my rule and the knife people’s rule to use a comb when fighting.  BECAUSE WE ARE MEN WE USE KNIVES.  And because, combs are for sissies; knives are for men.
And that is why we should use knives in our fight for Shakespeare not combs

My daughter started out the school year writing four sentence paragraphs.  Each sentence consisted of a subject, verb, and direct object with an occasional adjective thrown in for good measure.  It is exciting to be her mom and teacher and see the progress that is occurring in this arena.       

What progress has you excited?

  

Be sure to check out what others are learning about at

  

and