I have been waiting around for the final results from the election, but it seems as though Missouri may never be called! So I just wanted to post the predictions that Big Daddy and the Monkey Man made and compare with the actual results. They really did pretty well, only one state off as far as I can tell (depending on what Missouri does). I tried to upload the map, but blogger isn't recognizing the format, so I'll just post the electoral votes they predicted vs. the actual.
Prediction was: 353-Obama, 185-McCain
Actual (at this time): 364-Obama, 162-McCain
The boys had given Indiana to John McCain and Missouri too. And I still think Missouri will eventually be called for McCain and if that's the case, the results will be: Obama-364, McCain-173, so they weren't too far off! I still just think it was cool as hell watching my son take in this process! Get him informed and excited while he's young so hopefully he'll fully understand and appreciate his right to vote in the 2020 Presidential Election!
Showing posts with label homeschooling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label homeschooling. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Still waiting...
I had promised that I would post Big Daddy and the Monkey Man's results from the election, but unfortunately as of this morning, we are still waiting to hear about North Carolina and Missouri. As soon as those results are posted, we'll be able to see how close the boys were.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Democracy, Politics, and my 6 year-old...
With the impending Presidential election, now seems to be a prime time to delve into the realm of democracy and political philosophy with my son. With all of the ads, the news headlines, the constant chatter of the adults in his life, it is becoming quite apparent to him that this is something important and possibly exciting. I have spent the last few weeks looking at the climate of politics in this country and racking my brain to figure out how to approach these concepts with him, mostly when my idea of democracy seems to be quite a bit different than what I’m seeing. So, I’ve decided to start with the basics. What exactly is democracy?
Democracy, from what I can see, means different things to different people but the New Oxford American Dictionary definition is as follows:
Democracy: (n.)
Middle French democratie, from Late Latin democratia, from Greek demokratia (demos-the people, kratia-power, rule, strength)
- a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
- a state governed in such a way
- control of an organization or group by the majority of its members
- the practice or principles of social equality
I’m sure we can all agree that these concepts may be a little beyond the comprehension of a 6 year-old. I mean he understands that the United States has a President and a Vice-President and that we have a government that is made up of elected officials. He is beginning to understand that those of us 18 and over have the right to vote for those officials (after all, he’s been to the voting center twice this year). And although I think it’s imperative that he understands the basic concepts of voting and governmental structure, there is so much more to it than that!
Obviously a citizen should utilize their right to vote, however, each person should take the time to actually do some research before casting that vote. Voting is a HUGE responsibility! And this is where I begin to see problems. In this country it has become so easy to just become affiliated with one party or another and vote along those lines no matter what, check that “straight ticket” box and be done, a one-size fits all plan. I firmly believe this is not how a true democracy is intended to work. A true democracy requires that each individual actually take responsibility to become educated on the issues and use one’s mind and voice and take appropriate actions. We have all but lost the ability to think for ourselves as we’re being spoon-fed our ideals by two distinct platforms. Whatever happened to voting for issues and policies? Do we not owe it to ourselves to be educated on a candidate’s policies? And I’m not talking about “educating” yourself on Fox News or MSNBC.
So what is it that I would want my 6 year-old to take from this? First and foremost, when the time comes for him to vote, I would want him to use his greatest gift… his mind. I would want him to go into each election with no pre-determined notions about either candidate. I would want him to actually LISTEN and pay attention to debates. I would want him to do independent research that wasn’t handed to him via the television or radio by sharp-tongued reporters and correspondents. I would want him to look at all sides of the issues objectively then use those wonderful skills that we have all been blessed with, critical reasoning and divergent thinking. Hopefully by looking at issues from every angle he would be able to make an informed and educated decision. And once he follows through and makes an informed, educated choice then he has something called integrity and no matter whether someone agrees or disagrees with his choice, he will be confident that he made the best decision he could based on all the information available.
Now would I want him to think that his decision is the only viable decision, or the “right” decision for everyone? Of course not, that would be ludicrous. We live in a country of over 300 million people, there is no possible way for one ideology to work for everyone and this is where things get messy! Democracy is not a “my way or the highway” kind of philosophy. If I could impart any wisdom about democracy and politics to my son it would be this… Practice tolerance and respect for others. As Americans we may not all agree how our country should be run, but that doesn’t mean anyone of us is less of an American than anyone else. If I walked out my door right now, I guarantee every person I met would say they wanted the best for our country, but I also guarantee that they would all have different ideas of how to accomplish things. We all have different lives, different ideals, and different backgrounds that affect how we see the issues and how we vote. I would hope that our democratic community is diverse enough and strong enough to accept these differences and embrace them. It’s what makes our country so amazing! It is also our responsibility to work together through our differences to find common ground without the use of intimidation and disrespect. We can all agree to disagree, but work hard TOGETHER to find common ground for the common good, something that I think we have lost sight of.
I also want my son to know that our government is supposed to work just as hard for me, a housewife who makes no money, as they would a CEO who makes $1,000,000 a year. According to the definition, democracy is practicing social equality. Therefore my vote is equal to Bill Gates’ vote, which is equal to my dentist’s vote and we each have the right to exercise that vote, pretty cool, right? My son’s vote WILL matter and he WILL have the power to make a difference! I never want him to underestimate himself. He has the power to make a difference in his own life, in his family, in his community, in his state, in his nation and in the world!
The last bit of wisdom I would like to pass on to my son is the ability to look to the future and hope for better. I would never ever tell him that he is naïve to dream and to hope! I have told him since the day he was born that the sky is the limit and anything is possible! And just as that holds true for every individual, it also holds true for our nation! The United States of America is not perfect and we should never be so conceited as to think so. It is a wonderful country, full of opportunity, but just like each individual, the nation could and should strive to be better! Our government and our nation are evolving, just like everything else on the planet. Change is inevitable. Change is wonderful! And this is where democracy shines! Each eligible citizen has the ability to make a difference and affect change. There is something incredibly empowering about that!
In 6 days our country will elect its next President. People will cast their votes, the votes will be counted, the electors will cast their votes representing their state and the course of history will forever be changed with either administration. Now whether the candidate of my choice wins or not, I will be comforted in the fact that I did my research, I listened to all the debates, I used my mind, I cast my ballot and I respected the rights of everyone else who did the same thing. And that is what I want my 6 year-old to learn from this election! We all have a vote, we all have a voice and we have no grounds to complain if we don’t actively participate in the democratic process.
Democracy, from what I can see, means different things to different people but the New Oxford American Dictionary definition is as follows:
Democracy: (n.)
Middle French democratie, from Late Latin democratia, from Greek demokratia (demos-the people, kratia-power, rule, strength)
- a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, typically through elected representatives.
- a state governed in such a way
- control of an organization or group by the majority of its members
- the practice or principles of social equality
I’m sure we can all agree that these concepts may be a little beyond the comprehension of a 6 year-old. I mean he understands that the United States has a President and a Vice-President and that we have a government that is made up of elected officials. He is beginning to understand that those of us 18 and over have the right to vote for those officials (after all, he’s been to the voting center twice this year). And although I think it’s imperative that he understands the basic concepts of voting and governmental structure, there is so much more to it than that!
Obviously a citizen should utilize their right to vote, however, each person should take the time to actually do some research before casting that vote. Voting is a HUGE responsibility! And this is where I begin to see problems. In this country it has become so easy to just become affiliated with one party or another and vote along those lines no matter what, check that “straight ticket” box and be done, a one-size fits all plan. I firmly believe this is not how a true democracy is intended to work. A true democracy requires that each individual actually take responsibility to become educated on the issues and use one’s mind and voice and take appropriate actions. We have all but lost the ability to think for ourselves as we’re being spoon-fed our ideals by two distinct platforms. Whatever happened to voting for issues and policies? Do we not owe it to ourselves to be educated on a candidate’s policies? And I’m not talking about “educating” yourself on Fox News or MSNBC.
So what is it that I would want my 6 year-old to take from this? First and foremost, when the time comes for him to vote, I would want him to use his greatest gift… his mind. I would want him to go into each election with no pre-determined notions about either candidate. I would want him to actually LISTEN and pay attention to debates. I would want him to do independent research that wasn’t handed to him via the television or radio by sharp-tongued reporters and correspondents. I would want him to look at all sides of the issues objectively then use those wonderful skills that we have all been blessed with, critical reasoning and divergent thinking. Hopefully by looking at issues from every angle he would be able to make an informed and educated decision. And once he follows through and makes an informed, educated choice then he has something called integrity and no matter whether someone agrees or disagrees with his choice, he will be confident that he made the best decision he could based on all the information available.
Now would I want him to think that his decision is the only viable decision, or the “right” decision for everyone? Of course not, that would be ludicrous. We live in a country of over 300 million people, there is no possible way for one ideology to work for everyone and this is where things get messy! Democracy is not a “my way or the highway” kind of philosophy. If I could impart any wisdom about democracy and politics to my son it would be this… Practice tolerance and respect for others. As Americans we may not all agree how our country should be run, but that doesn’t mean anyone of us is less of an American than anyone else. If I walked out my door right now, I guarantee every person I met would say they wanted the best for our country, but I also guarantee that they would all have different ideas of how to accomplish things. We all have different lives, different ideals, and different backgrounds that affect how we see the issues and how we vote. I would hope that our democratic community is diverse enough and strong enough to accept these differences and embrace them. It’s what makes our country so amazing! It is also our responsibility to work together through our differences to find common ground without the use of intimidation and disrespect. We can all agree to disagree, but work hard TOGETHER to find common ground for the common good, something that I think we have lost sight of.
I also want my son to know that our government is supposed to work just as hard for me, a housewife who makes no money, as they would a CEO who makes $1,000,000 a year. According to the definition, democracy is practicing social equality. Therefore my vote is equal to Bill Gates’ vote, which is equal to my dentist’s vote and we each have the right to exercise that vote, pretty cool, right? My son’s vote WILL matter and he WILL have the power to make a difference! I never want him to underestimate himself. He has the power to make a difference in his own life, in his family, in his community, in his state, in his nation and in the world!
The last bit of wisdom I would like to pass on to my son is the ability to look to the future and hope for better. I would never ever tell him that he is naïve to dream and to hope! I have told him since the day he was born that the sky is the limit and anything is possible! And just as that holds true for every individual, it also holds true for our nation! The United States of America is not perfect and we should never be so conceited as to think so. It is a wonderful country, full of opportunity, but just like each individual, the nation could and should strive to be better! Our government and our nation are evolving, just like everything else on the planet. Change is inevitable. Change is wonderful! And this is where democracy shines! Each eligible citizen has the ability to make a difference and affect change. There is something incredibly empowering about that!
In 6 days our country will elect its next President. People will cast their votes, the votes will be counted, the electors will cast their votes representing their state and the course of history will forever be changed with either administration. Now whether the candidate of my choice wins or not, I will be comforted in the fact that I did my research, I listened to all the debates, I used my mind, I cast my ballot and I respected the rights of everyone else who did the same thing. And that is what I want my 6 year-old to learn from this election! We all have a vote, we all have a voice and we have no grounds to complain if we don’t actively participate in the democratic process.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
A dream come true!
For a long time now, I have been dreaming of a designated space for the kids to do school. I have been struggling for 2 years doing school either in the floor or at the kitchen table. Granted, sometimes the floor is the perfect place to do work, but the kitchen table sucked! I would always have to clear off school stuff in order to feed these little twerpos! I have been trying to convince Big Daddy for some time now that we should turn our "formal living" room into a library / school room. He has been very resistant to this, not wanting the first room that you see when you walk into our house to look like a preschool. I can get that to a certain extent, but at this point, I am more interested in function than anything. This is a room that is rarely used, wasted space really. And I wasn't planning to have chalkboards and tiny little desks with plastic chairs, I wanted some nice bookshelves and a couple of desks and still keep our couch and end tables, more of a home office / library feel.
Anyway, my dreams came true last weekend, Big Daddy finally caved to my pestering and since the bookshelves I wanted were $30 off, it was time to move forward! He built 3 bookshelves and fastened them to the wall to keep the Piggle from pulling them down on her head. Then we went back a couple of days later and purchased two desks, one for each side of the bookshelf. Now the Monkey Man will have a workspace and the other desk will house the computer. It is looking great and we did school for the first time yesterday in our new room and it was AWESOME!! His school books are now stored right next to his desk, he has plenty of room to spread out and I didn't have to clear everything off for lunch! Woohoo!
I just figured since we are probably going to be in this house for at least the next 2-3 years (or maybe forever with this economy) that I better take advantage of any space we have available! And besides, it's not like we are entertaining diplomats here on a weekly basis, the only people that come in are family and friends and most of our friends are homeschoolers as well, so they totally get it. I am feeling such a sense of relief, this space feels warm and inviting, like I want to spend more time in here, it's so nice! The only downside is the Piggle deciding she wants to take every book off the shelf everyday! I am hoping that the newness wears off soon and she won't be so apt to do that! We'll see.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Testing, testing...
I have been trying to post some photos on my other blog for the past two days and not having any luck. So I thought I would try this blog and see if it works. If it does, you will be seeing the lovely mammoth that I painted while my children and I explored our inner cave-people last week. Now that we have finished with the death of the dinosaurs, it is off to the Ice Ages and the Stone Age and the dawn of mankind. FUN!
Mama's mammoth
OK, it worked... weird!
Mama's mammoth
OK, it worked... weird!
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The Emergence of Ernie!
We came home yesterday afternoon after running some errands to find something marvelous in our kitchen. Ernie the caterpillar, who became Ernie the naked pupa, was now Ernie the 5-spotted Hawkmoth! He was on the side of his tupperware enclosure resting and drying his wings. He is GORGEOUS! I took a couple of quick pictures, then decided to leave him be, they tend to be very delicate right after emergence and I didn't want to stress him. When we got up this morning, his wings were dry and he was moving about some. I took a couple of photos then took him upstairs to the Monkey Man's room. We shut the door (so if he escaped he be more easily recaptured) and I got Ernie out of the enclosure. He was still very mellow and crawled around on my hand. Both kids were mesmerized by him! I took some photos and allowed the Monkey Man to hold him for a minute. This moth has very drab wings, but his body is amazing, black and gray and white with bright orange spots (5 on each side of course). I had hoped to be able to keep him to show my science co-op on Wed. But my expert from Canada, Mr. Oehlke says that he will need to nectar and trying to do that artificially is very hard. So we can keep Ernie for the rest of today, but we must release him tomorrow night at the latest, which is pretty ironic being that tomorrow night it the full moon. Crazy how living things are so in tune with the world around them. His pupation and emergence were perfectly coincided with the full moon. Wow!
This has been a wonderful experience for the entire family. Watching something go from a big fat, bright-green caterpillar, then change into this weird, brown alien-looking thing, then into a gorgeous 2-1/2 inch moth was so amazing! I think what impressed me the most was the actual chrysalid. I examined it when I removed it from the enclosure. It was so light and delicate! It was hard, yet very, very thin and it's almost impossible for me to explain what it felt like, maybe like Celophane but not as flexible. How completely incredible that such a HUGE transformation happens inside something so completely fragile! Anyway, here are some photos of Ernie the 5-spotted Hawkmoth! And any of you out there that doubted my reasons for keeping him can now look at the amazing creature he turned into. Pest or not, he is something to behold!
This has been a wonderful experience for the entire family. Watching something go from a big fat, bright-green caterpillar, then change into this weird, brown alien-looking thing, then into a gorgeous 2-1/2 inch moth was so amazing! I think what impressed me the most was the actual chrysalid. I examined it when I removed it from the enclosure. It was so light and delicate! It was hard, yet very, very thin and it's almost impossible for me to explain what it felt like, maybe like Celophane but not as flexible. How completely incredible that such a HUGE transformation happens inside something so completely fragile! Anyway, here are some photos of Ernie the 5-spotted Hawkmoth! And any of you out there that doubted my reasons for keeping him can now look at the amazing creature he turned into. Pest or not, he is something to behold!
Monday, September 08, 2008
Ernie makes some changes
As you all probably remember, I took in a LARGE tomato horntail caterpillar after finding him raping and pillaging through my tomato vine. And I'm sure you all wondered why in the world I would take in such a hideous, destructive beast and the answer was... good science! As a homeschooling mother you have to take any opportunity you get to teach your child something! And what a wonderful opportunity to have a science project pretty much dropped in my lap!
I did alot of research and came across an amazing man in Canada who raises silkmoths and has one of the most comprehensive sites on Sphingidae and Saturnidae moths. Please see: http://www.silkmoths.bizland.com/danjansphinx.htm if you are interested in learning more about these amazing creatures. Anyway, after contacting Bill, I was told to put the caterpillar in an airtight container with foliage for him to eat. I was to change out the foliage every other day. The first couple of days, Ernie ate like a beast, and pooped like a beast, then one morning I opened the container and there was this stiff, slightly brown, dehydrated looking thing. Well, Ernie was obviously a goner! I contacted Bill and he said to poke it to make sure. Well, I was pulling out the tomato leaves and one brushed up against Ernie and that thing flailed around the cookie tin like it was possessed by the devil! I almost crapped myself! I'm not really squeamish when it comes to bugs, but when you're pretty sure something is dead and it flips out, it has a tendency to unnerve you a bit! At that point, I removed all the foliage, put in a clean paper towel and closed his lid. We checked on him once a day and within two days he had fully pupated into what is called a "naked" pupa and left a big wad of dry shedded skin, much like a snake. I left him alone for a few days, then I transferred him per Bill into a deep Tupperware container layered with damp paper towels, bubble wrap and dry paper towels. We are hoping he emerges within the next 4-5 weeks, otherwise, I will have to make special preparation for him to "overwinter" in my refrigerator! Ugh! That damn thing better emerge! Last thing I need is a pupated caterpillar in my fridge all winter!
Oh well... I just have to keep telling myself, "Great science, great science, great science!"
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Please excuse my neglect...
Greetings from the center of Texas, and judging from the scorching heat, possibly the center of hell! I have not had a lot of time to dedicate to my blogging lately and I apologize. With the school year getting close, I have been gearing up, ordering curriculum, organizing co-ops, buying "school" supplies (hey, just because the Monkey Man doesn't go to public school doesn't mean he shouldn't get to go "Back-to-school" shopping, right?), cleaning and organizing the downstairs closet to give me more flexibility with storage of supplies. All I can say is, "Thank goodness for IKEA!" Thanks to them I now have a wonderful shelving unit in the closet to store school and art supplies. It has removable bins, so I can just go in, grab the appropriate bin and take it to the table. I think it will really help! I have also been trying to spend more time with kids, less time on the computer and doing housework, henceforth my absence from the blogger world. But I figured I was pretty caught up, I have children in the living room enjoying a National Geographic movie, and therefore have a little time to devote to my blogging. That and the fact that I started a new work-out regime yesterday (Industrial PT, it's a Navy Seals workout) and I am so sore today I can hardly lift my arms above my shoulders, so typing is one activity that doesn't hurt! Push-ups suck! Anyway... off we go, catching up on the last couple of weeks!
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
A few more Dino Valley pics!
A front footprint of a large sauropod, most likely the 30-50 ft. long Pleurocoelus.
This photo contains two prints, the larger being a back footprint and the smaller print is probably a front foot of the Pleurocoelus. Both of these photos were taken in an area where there was believed to be a chase involving the slow-moving Pleurocoelus and the faster and very hungry Acrocanthosaurus. Exciting stuff!
This is just an awesome old, dead tree. I love shape and form of old trees and couldn't resist taking the photo of what must have been a majestic tree in its day.
More Dino Valley Pics!
A basking turtle. This was a big 'ol dude!
Another shot of the beautiful Paluxy River.
Therapod footprint on one of the rock shelves. SOOO COOL! They have determined these are most likely the prints from a 2-legged carnosaur called Acrocanthosaurus.
Another theropod footprint. They say there are a third category of prints that are much rarer, probably belonging to Iguanodon, but I never found any of those. :-(
Here is the Monkey Man's foot in a theropod print!
Camping at Dinosaur Valley
Here is our little campsite, aaaawww!
This is our RAGING campfire, it was damn near a bonfire, we had to REALLY keep an eye on the kids! But that is what happens when you get two grown men, large amounts of wood and fire accelerant together!
Here is the apatosaurus sculpture, granted, apatosaurus did not roam this area, but what the hell, he was donated to the park in the 70's, I think.
This is T-Rex, he also was not present in this area, but yet again was donated to the park in 1970. However historically inaccurate, the kids thought they were cool!
The beautiful Paluxy River. You can see the rock shelf in the shallows, it is these shelves that you are able to find most of the dinosaur footprints!
Back from camping... we survived!
I guess I would have to say for our very first camping trip, we did a pretty good job! I never in a million years would have guessed how hard camping is. It is definitely something that has a learning curve! And honestly, trying to keep track of a toddler in the woods is a chore even for an hour hike much less a three day excursion! We managed to pitch the tent with very little effort, my two kiddos went to the campsite next to us and visited while we set up camp so that was extremely helpful. I did all of the main cooking at home before we left, so other than grilling a tenderloin, making sausage and eggs for breakfast and roasting some brats over the open fire, food was easy and the S'mores were great! We shared our campsite with another family who have 2 children the same ages as ours and the other site next to us also had a toddler, so we were able to keep all the littles fairly contained and we knew that at least 3 pairs of eyes were on them at all times.
We were able to have great campfires both nights, which was especially necessary the first night and first morning as it was COLD! I am SO glad we opted for the 25* F sleeping bags! I did sleep like shit though because I spent the entire night worrying whether or not the kids were warm enough. They say it got down to something like 38* F the first night, BRRRRRR! But Saturday was gorgeous and we ran around taking in the sights of Dinosaur Valley. There is just something quite awe-inspiring to actually be walking along a site that has the dino footprints, thinking here you are MILLIONS of years later walking in the same spot that they did! So cool! I did get a little chuckle as we were driving on the road to the actual park because we passed the Creation Evidence Museum. We didn't have the opportunity to stop in for a looksy, but to be honest, I didn't want to take the chance of being exposed to some weird mind-warping ray that might have wiped away all of our sensibilities of the world around us! I did read about it when I came home though and from what I understand their main research is to prove that man and dinosaurs co-existed thus proving the creationist viewpoint, I'm a little confused on the particulars, but by all means check out their site if you're at all interested in that type of stuff: www.creationevidence.org
Anyhoo... the dino footprints were amazing, the scenery was beautiful, the company was great, the food was awesome (like I had any doubt there, I so rock!) and we had a great time. The only downside was when the Monkey Man woke up at 1am Sunday morning puking his guts out in the tent from eating too much shit at everyone's campsites! I think he may need to learn how to tell people "No thank you." But how can I fault him, I mean seriously, when you're 6 and someone is offering you chips and marshmallows and cookies and crackers and granola bars and candy and watermelon, how can you possibly resist? Especially when the junkier stuff he very rarely gets at home! I just hope he learned his lesson and will keep his eating habits in check the next time we group camp somewhere.
Well, that is the highlights of our trip. I will have pics in the next post so I can label them and whatnot. We had a blast though, but I am still in the midst of dealing with stinky, campfire-smelling laundry! UGH!
We were able to have great campfires both nights, which was especially necessary the first night and first morning as it was COLD! I am SO glad we opted for the 25* F sleeping bags! I did sleep like shit though because I spent the entire night worrying whether or not the kids were warm enough. They say it got down to something like 38* F the first night, BRRRRRR! But Saturday was gorgeous and we ran around taking in the sights of Dinosaur Valley. There is just something quite awe-inspiring to actually be walking along a site that has the dino footprints, thinking here you are MILLIONS of years later walking in the same spot that they did! So cool! I did get a little chuckle as we were driving on the road to the actual park because we passed the Creation Evidence Museum. We didn't have the opportunity to stop in for a looksy, but to be honest, I didn't want to take the chance of being exposed to some weird mind-warping ray that might have wiped away all of our sensibilities of the world around us! I did read about it when I came home though and from what I understand their main research is to prove that man and dinosaurs co-existed thus proving the creationist viewpoint, I'm a little confused on the particulars, but by all means check out their site if you're at all interested in that type of stuff: www.creationevidence.org
Anyhoo... the dino footprints were amazing, the scenery was beautiful, the company was great, the food was awesome (like I had any doubt there, I so rock!) and we had a great time. The only downside was when the Monkey Man woke up at 1am Sunday morning puking his guts out in the tent from eating too much shit at everyone's campsites! I think he may need to learn how to tell people "No thank you." But how can I fault him, I mean seriously, when you're 6 and someone is offering you chips and marshmallows and cookies and crackers and granola bars and candy and watermelon, how can you possibly resist? Especially when the junkier stuff he very rarely gets at home! I just hope he learned his lesson and will keep his eating habits in check the next time we group camp somewhere.
Well, that is the highlights of our trip. I will have pics in the next post so I can label them and whatnot. We had a blast though, but I am still in the midst of dealing with stinky, campfire-smelling laundry! UGH!
It's that buggy time of year again!
I have come to love the spring and summer in Central Texas. There are so many interesting critters, even in my own little suburban yard. I have found many sweet, little anole lizards over the last couple of weeks, one of which has two tails! I don't know if he is an actual mutant, or if he lost part of his tail at one time and it grew back two, I tend to think the latter. Either way, I see him frequently and am fond of him! My neighbor kids were out last week and came across this wonderful moth. It was very lethargic, so I don't know if it was recently out of the cocoon or if it was close to dying, but it let me pic it up to get a better look at it and take some photos. My son said the markings looked like that of a snow leopard, what a great observation! After a little bit of research, I have discovered that this is called a Giant Leopard Moth. Now I don't know if you remember, and this was probably from the now defunct "Living, Surviving, Seeking" blog, I had captured a fuzzy, black caterpillar last year, I think we called him Fuzzy Wuzzy. Anyway, that caterpillar is what turns into this beautiful moth, I have included a pic of Fuzzy from last year. Who knows, maybe this moth was Fuzzy himself! How cool would that be? So we are kicking off what will hopefully be a wonderful season of discovery in my own little yard!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Calculating your footprint
I came across these sites while perusing my Austin Monthly magazine. One site calculates your "ecological footprint" and the other your "carbon footprint". Now granted, there is only so much a website can calculate as a tool for the general public, there are obviously other factors that would effect both of these things on an individual basis, whether for good or bad, but still, I thought it would be interesting to see where I landed in comparison to the national average and such. I was pleased to see that I ranked lower than most, but definitely not where I would hope to be as a good citizen of Mother Earth. For the past couple of years I HAVE been making an effort to reduce my use in many areas. I try to run all of my errands on one day and not during peak hours, I have been the recycling QUEEN for years, we have been replacing incandescent bulbs with the compact flourescents, and I always try to plant native plants in my garden so I don't have to water as much. I still have a long way to go, but I figure at least I am trying and I am trying to teach my children good habits as well. I want to leave them a healthy planet and I have to admit with this consumer crazy, disposable world it is HARD! Anyway, here are links to the sites, in case any of you are interested. Like I said, not the most accurate tools, but it gives you an idea of where you stand and maybe where you could improve!
www.myfootprint.org
www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator
www.myfootprint.org
www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator
Monday, March 24, 2008
The State of Homeschooling in the State of California.
There has been much hubbub about the February 28th ruling of the California Appellate Court of the Second District on homeschooling. They have determined that Californians don't have a constitutional right to school their own children. The only way it would be permissible is if the parent had teaching credentials for the specific year they are schooling for. So therefore a person with 4th Grade credentials couldn't teach a 6th grader at home. They also quoted a statement from a 1961 court case which is as follows:
"A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in
good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means
of protecting the public welfare."
Now I don't know about you, but that sounds kind of fishy to me! OK, granted, I'm all for teaching a child good citizenship, we have WAY too little of that in the US! But patriotism and loyalty to the state and nation? I would have to agree with Adam Schaeffer of the Cato Institute who notes, "they are training children to be loyal subjects of the state, not free citizens of a republic." As far as I'm concerned, patriotism isn't something that's taught, it is something that grows in the heart of an individual when they see that their country is something to be proud of. Just because you are born someplace does not mean you HAVE to be patriotic. I can think of plenty of things that I'm embarrassed about my country and my government, however, I also see that our country has done great things and offered valuable contributions to the world, so therefore I have a certain degree of patriotism. Did I learn this in school? No. Did I expect someone to "teach" me to be a patriot? No. That is my own personal journey. My reasons for being patriotic are likely very different from my neighbor's or the guy's at the grocery store.
I also take huge offense to the fact that this court states that parents do NOT have a constitutional right to school their children at home. Technically, if you read the constitution, you will also find that we don't have the constitutional right to a tax-payer funded education either. In fact, education is not mentioned in the United States Constitution. The creators of this document most likely felt that matters such as education should be handled at a level closer to home via family, local government, etc... So... if a tax-payer funded education is just one of those "perks" that we've gained over the years, that's great! I'm glad that it is available to those who want to take advantage of this perk, BUT I sure as hell should have the right to "opt out" of said benefit if I see fit.
Now all that being said, it is quite obvious that the attack on homeschooling has absolutely NOTHING to do with constitutional rights, and EVERYTHING to do with MONEY. The more of us that yank our kids out of school, the less funding they have. And homeschooling is becoming the scapegoat for all the problems. We have "abandoned" the school system and therefore are getting them less funding which is causing all sorts of problems. Um, hello? If I'm not mistaken, even though I homeschool, I still pay taxes, therefore I STILL support the public school system! I mean seriously, did I miss a little box on my tax stuff saying I can just not pay taxes for schools?
This whole thing has just been scary to watch. You always think of California as the state with an abundance of open-minded individuals! Obviously I was wrong on that one. And although I think Texas is back-asswards on many occasions, I am thrilled that this state is one of the front-runners in homeschool rights. We have a lovely little Supreme Court ruling called "Leeper vs. Arlington, ISD" which was finalized in 1994 protecting the rights of homeschooling families in this state. Guess I won't be planning a move to Cali anytime soon! I just hope this isn't a sign of things to come and a whole bunch of other states jump on this asinine bandwagon. I also hope that the California Supreme Court overrules this decision and allows the families of California to continue with their homeschooling as they see fit. It looks as though "The Governator" is on their side, but really what can he do? He can speak out against the stupidity, but that's about all. I guess we just wait and see.
"A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in
good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state and the nation as a means
of protecting the public welfare."
Now I don't know about you, but that sounds kind of fishy to me! OK, granted, I'm all for teaching a child good citizenship, we have WAY too little of that in the US! But patriotism and loyalty to the state and nation? I would have to agree with Adam Schaeffer of the Cato Institute who notes, "they are training children to be loyal subjects of the state, not free citizens of a republic." As far as I'm concerned, patriotism isn't something that's taught, it is something that grows in the heart of an individual when they see that their country is something to be proud of. Just because you are born someplace does not mean you HAVE to be patriotic. I can think of plenty of things that I'm embarrassed about my country and my government, however, I also see that our country has done great things and offered valuable contributions to the world, so therefore I have a certain degree of patriotism. Did I learn this in school? No. Did I expect someone to "teach" me to be a patriot? No. That is my own personal journey. My reasons for being patriotic are likely very different from my neighbor's or the guy's at the grocery store.
I also take huge offense to the fact that this court states that parents do NOT have a constitutional right to school their children at home. Technically, if you read the constitution, you will also find that we don't have the constitutional right to a tax-payer funded education either. In fact, education is not mentioned in the United States Constitution. The creators of this document most likely felt that matters such as education should be handled at a level closer to home via family, local government, etc... So... if a tax-payer funded education is just one of those "perks" that we've gained over the years, that's great! I'm glad that it is available to those who want to take advantage of this perk, BUT I sure as hell should have the right to "opt out" of said benefit if I see fit.
Now all that being said, it is quite obvious that the attack on homeschooling has absolutely NOTHING to do with constitutional rights, and EVERYTHING to do with MONEY. The more of us that yank our kids out of school, the less funding they have. And homeschooling is becoming the scapegoat for all the problems. We have "abandoned" the school system and therefore are getting them less funding which is causing all sorts of problems. Um, hello? If I'm not mistaken, even though I homeschool, I still pay taxes, therefore I STILL support the public school system! I mean seriously, did I miss a little box on my tax stuff saying I can just not pay taxes for schools?
This whole thing has just been scary to watch. You always think of California as the state with an abundance of open-minded individuals! Obviously I was wrong on that one. And although I think Texas is back-asswards on many occasions, I am thrilled that this state is one of the front-runners in homeschool rights. We have a lovely little Supreme Court ruling called "Leeper vs. Arlington, ISD" which was finalized in 1994 protecting the rights of homeschooling families in this state. Guess I won't be planning a move to Cali anytime soon! I just hope this isn't a sign of things to come and a whole bunch of other states jump on this asinine bandwagon. I also hope that the California Supreme Court overrules this decision and allows the families of California to continue with their homeschooling as they see fit. It looks as though "The Governator" is on their side, but really what can he do? He can speak out against the stupidity, but that's about all. I guess we just wait and see.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
I've run into a slump... again!
It's weird, there have recently been many things that I have wanted to blog about, HOWEVER, I just can't seem to get off my duff and do it! I was greatly amused by the announcement of the 7 NEW deadly sins (as if the first 7 weren't enough) and I am greatly disturbed by the state of California and the measures they are taking to keep parents from homeschooling unless they have teaching credentials. So both are good, meaty subjects, but I just have a block! I don't know if I'm just unmotivated, plain lazy or overwhelmed by a crabby baby and the whole rigamarole that I'm dealing with in regards to insurance policies and whatnot. It kind of seems like when it rains it pours! I feel like I have spent the entire week gathering quotes and crunching numbers. Insurance pisses me off! I think I finally have my ducks in a row as far as auto and homeowner's, but we decided to FINALLY get our shit together and get some life insurance, and of course dealing with the phone interviews to discuss health and the setting up of paramedics to come by and draw blood and take pee samples is just such a complete pain in the ass! But I guess I can't expect them to cover us for that kind of money without making sure we're not in tip-top shape. Still, what a pain! So, I promise at some point, I will have an entry worthy of viewing, but for now, I have to go get a squawking baby up from her nap!
Monday, November 05, 2007
From the mouths of babes... (cont.)
Here are some photos of art my son painted today. He is very much into the solar system and the planets lately. Well, for some reason he decided to merge his love of planets with his love of fruit. So here is his collection. Picture number one, Mars With A Red Bell Pepper. Picture number two, Earth With A Green Apple Falling Onto Mars. And picture number three, (you're gonna love this, and I shit you not, this is what he said) "This is a picture of a banana falling out of Uranus!" Yeah, try to keep a straight face with that one!
Friday, August 10, 2007
I guess it's for real now!
So it dawns on me this morning that homeschooling is a reality now. My son is 5 1/2 and technically should be enrolling in kindergarten this year. But if that were my choice, I would have enrolled him yesterday and he would be starting school in two weeks. Enrollment did not happen, shopping for school supplies is not on my to-do list and we blissfully continue our daily lives, which will include his reading lesson in a bit and his math work. I have really buckled down in the last couple of weeks. We took a break from things to celebrate his baby sister's birthday and to travel to NM to visit family, but when we got back, we jumped right back into it. I am more focused and more organized. I have him in a little science co-op (messy science experiments and fun stuff like that) and we are diligently taking one day a week to go to the library for him to pick out new readers. He seems to like this.
Now, am I confident in my decision? ABSOLUTELY! Am I scared shitless as well? You better believe it! I would be an idiot to say that the task before me isn't daunting. I have committed, for at least this next year, to school my child, to take FULL responsibility of his education. The great thing is how much we have already accomplished, he is well beyond kindergarten curriculum. In fact, I in a sense created a monster this past year, and if I enrolled him, he would be a bored, fidgety, annoying little twerp. I can already hear the calls from the school and the labels (ADD, ADHD) all because he is just too far beyond what they could offer. I'm not saying I have an overly gifted or brilliant child, but he has had the opportunity to explore anything and everything that he can think of. If he has a question, we look up the answer, if he wants to read, I will find a book to feed that need, if he wants to learn sign language, we get the book out or check out "Signing Time" from the library. No question is stupid and all questions are researched and answered. He is truly learning without limits.
I am lucky, I have a huge support system. My husband backs me 100%, my mom and my in-laws are very supportive, I have an aunt who is so supportive she actually helps me buy curriculum and I have a wonderful homeschooler group that I am involved with. It helps to have a network of veteran homeschoolers that have been in your shoes. They understand the challenges, they know about curriculum and best of all, they listen and can sympathize and encourage. Not to mention all the wonderful children that my son has access to play with!
I know I'm making the right decision for my child, and I am thrilled to be doing it. But there is that strange feeling when you know that this isn't for shits and giggles anymore, it's for real. Decisions have been made, plans are put into action and Pflugerville ISD will be minus one child this fall. Onward and upward I suppose!
Now, am I confident in my decision? ABSOLUTELY! Am I scared shitless as well? You better believe it! I would be an idiot to say that the task before me isn't daunting. I have committed, for at least this next year, to school my child, to take FULL responsibility of his education. The great thing is how much we have already accomplished, he is well beyond kindergarten curriculum. In fact, I in a sense created a monster this past year, and if I enrolled him, he would be a bored, fidgety, annoying little twerp. I can already hear the calls from the school and the labels (ADD, ADHD) all because he is just too far beyond what they could offer. I'm not saying I have an overly gifted or brilliant child, but he has had the opportunity to explore anything and everything that he can think of. If he has a question, we look up the answer, if he wants to read, I will find a book to feed that need, if he wants to learn sign language, we get the book out or check out "Signing Time" from the library. No question is stupid and all questions are researched and answered. He is truly learning without limits.
I am lucky, I have a huge support system. My husband backs me 100%, my mom and my in-laws are very supportive, I have an aunt who is so supportive she actually helps me buy curriculum and I have a wonderful homeschooler group that I am involved with. It helps to have a network of veteran homeschoolers that have been in your shoes. They understand the challenges, they know about curriculum and best of all, they listen and can sympathize and encourage. Not to mention all the wonderful children that my son has access to play with!
I know I'm making the right decision for my child, and I am thrilled to be doing it. But there is that strange feeling when you know that this isn't for shits and giggles anymore, it's for real. Decisions have been made, plans are put into action and Pflugerville ISD will be minus one child this fall. Onward and upward I suppose!
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Creationism and Dinosaurs
As I have stated, I am a homeschooler. I am involved in a very active, very diverse homeschooler group and I love it. For a long time, the majority of families in this group were pretty liberal and mellow, but there has been a more recent influx of religious, conservatives. OK, that's fine, I'm cool with someone believing what they want as long as they don't try to sell it to me. I am one of those girls that lives in the blissful area where I don't know what the hell there is. Maybe there's a god, maybe not, maybe there's reincarnation, maybe not, maybe there's nothing. Basically, I won't know what the ultimate truth is until I die. So I don't really bother with it. Anyway, I was reading my posts from my yahoo group this morning and came across a woman who was looking for history materials, mainly in regards to dinosaurs. OK this doesn't sound off the wall, but then the kicker, she wanted curriculum that discussed the dinosaurs in a creationist view. Really?!? I didn't realize that creationism took dinosaurs into account. So I surfed the web, because I'm not all that well-versed in creationism. Seems as though there are many different views, some believe dinos never existed, some cruel joke being played on us by Satan (or time-traveling Athiest scientists--I LOVE that idea by the way!) Then there are some that believe dinos existed, but I guess caught a ride on the Ark with everyone else, but shortly became extinct after the flood. Shit, if dinos were on that boat, I highly doubt it would have floated AND I'm pretty sure, no other animals would have arrived at the said destination due to being ingested by velociraptors and T-Rex's! It really does kind of freak me out how people can manipulate the facts in order to fit any scenario. "We don't believe in evolution, but those damn dinosaurs and prehistoric hominids really screw shit up, better come up with a story quick to cover our asses!" Anyway, I just thought the idea of discussing dinosaurs from a creationist viewpoint was just asinine! If you happen to be a creationist, by all means, enlighten me! I am interested to hear your side of things. Anyone else is welcome to chime in as well! Ciao!
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