It's like Tuesdays with Morrie without all the wisdom
I homeschool
Things I’ve Smiled About Today
7July 10, 2008
by Abby
in I homeschool
1. It’s Thursday. Park, peeps and potluck day.
1(a). Homeschooling. Lots of times it’s stressful and worrisome for me, and I don’t like to recommend it to people, but I really, really like it. And it’s not just because I get high on homeschooling when it’s Thursday, either. Even in my darkest times of homeschool doubt, I like it and I know it’s all going to turn out just fine. There, I said it.
2. Seeing Lena and Liberty type with their fingers on the right keys. I don’t know why it tickles me so. Just watching Liberty, I think she can type, like, 50 wpm. Lena ain’t no slouch, but she doesn’t like to have to go back to fix mistakes, so she types extra very carefully. Liberty just types the shit, hits spell-check and deals with it. No surprises there.
3. Our new kitty. She’s sweet and cuddly and she poops in the right spot. And she hardly ever jumps on my head when I’m sleeping. And when she does, it’s very cute because she’s just a sweet little baby kitty. And when she lounges on Maya, it makes my heart bleed with ooey-gooey lovey juice.
4. Bryan’s new-to-us old lady car. I call her Mrs. Merriweather because she’s a Buick and she is silvery blue. We don’t do the new-car thing and we drive our cars until they’re almost dead. In fact, this purchase marks the first time ever we’ve owned a car that was made in the same decade as we were living. It’s a 2000. In the late 90s, our newest cars were 1989 models. We bought our minivan (the only car we have ever financed, which we’ll never do again) in 2003, but it was a 1999 model. The car Bryan just got rid of was a 1991 Bonneville, which was given to us in 2001 by a lady who was either a) my mentor or b) somebody who had an affair with my dad in the 70s and never got over him. It depends on who you ask, but either way, that worked out really well for us.
5. The fact that I still have beer leftover from 4th of July.
6. The fact that all that beer will be gone tonight. Because it’s Thursday. And we homeschool. And have potlucks. THURSDAY!
Ugly, Precious Afghans and Youtube
4May 29, 2008
You would think the abundant sunshine would allow me extra time to get everything done, but all it does is allow extra time for goofing around. It’s a seductress, that sun. It’s a tease, too. Did I get to have my iced java chip at Java Central on Tuesday? No, I didn’t because it was cold and rainy at the coffee shop, so I had to have my same ol’ chai because me old bones can’t handle the cold outside of me combined with some cold inside of me. Cold and rainy calls for hot drinks with an afghan. Preferably an afghan made lovingly by Bryan’s grandmother. She makes the warmest, cuddliest afghans and, to this day, Bryan’s favorite cuddle-up blanket is one that was made by her more than 30 years ago, with all of the colors that defined the 70s: Orange, brown, green, and gold. It’s a beauty. We have other ones that aren’t so offensive to the eyes, but there is something special about that hideous blanket. It’s the best.
Anyway, Lena and Liberty have been hogging up the computer because they figured out that they could make me upload videos to Youtube for them. They’re bossy. I’m working on teaching them how to do it on their own because, well, I’m lazy and easily frustrated. Plus, the laundry doesn’t wash itself, much to my dismay.
So even though we’ve been enjoying some nice weather, Lena and Liberty have been inside making movies and watching other people’s movies to steal ideas get inspiration. I know some of you might think I should feel bad about that, but I don’t. I do have a very unschooly side, even though I’m not creative and they do math papers. (The secret to the math, though, is that I want them to be good at it is so they can be good at gambling.) It’s hard to see the value in something like this Youtube thing, especially when it goes on for days, but it’s there. (This vid is from Lena’s Youtube channel. If your kids know my kids and you want links to the rest of their videos, just ask.)
Big Sigh
2May 27, 2008
Today is Liberty’s last homeschool art class until fall. And since gas costs a billion dollars and the class is not within walking distance, I have to say goodbye to Java Central. *sigh* It really is the most beautiful coffee shop in the world. And now that they’re carrying AmyD stuff, they’re even beautifuller. If you’re local, and so rich that you can afford to put gas in your mini-van, you should go there and buy stuff. While I’m there today, I will be weeping into my iced java chip and drying my eyes with one of AmyD’s gorgeous aprons. *sniffle* I’ll buy it if I get it too snotty.
Sizzle.
5April 30, 2008
Liberty still has a fever. She usually lingers quite a while, but she hasn’t had this kind of episode in over 2 years. There was a time when every little cold sent her into the hospital with bacterial pneumonia. Mucous settles in her lungs like carnies in a public park during state fair time. And even when the hospitalizations stopped, there was always, always the high, long fever and the nebulizer. And the cough. Holy shit, the cough. On a normal day, if Liberty so much as clears her throat in the grocery store, old women will come from far and wide to diagnose her with croup and shame me for bringing her out into daylight. Or at least give me a dirty look. But when she has a little mucous to contend with? She sounds like a werewolf choking on a femur. You know, kind of barky in a supernatural, murderous way.
Everybody else is all better and I was hoping Liberty would be better by today so we could go to the homeschool park day tomorrow, but it’s not looking good. If I accidentally stab myself in the eye with a citrus peeler, don’t be surprised.
Sick. Need Peach Hi-C.
6April 25, 2008
I haven’t been this sick in a very long time. I can’t remember the last time I had a fever, but it must have been in the 80s because, darn it, this fever has set off such a hankering for peach Hi-C. A hankering that is destined to go unsatisfied. Unless somebody out there has a bomb shelter set up with all kinds of Hi-C and Spam and whatnot. That would be awesome.
My mom didn’t usually buy Hi-C or anything fun like that when I was growing up, but when I was sick, she would buy me a giant can of my favorite peach drink. That, and a can of Planters cheese balls. Or cheese curls, depending on which texture I was after. I can still remember the smell of those cheese balls when I peeled the foil back. Yum.
I’ve been dreaming about peach Hi-C in a can, opened on 2 sides (to avoid the glugging when it’s poured) with that little thing that used to put triangular holes in the many varied tin cans that held our liquids in the 70s and 80s, and popsicles for my sore, sore throat. I called Bryan at work this morning at about 7:00 and tried to communicate to him with my nearly non-existent voice that I would need him to bring me some popsicles on his way home or else he shouldn’t bother coming home. Only I couldn’t really talk that much, so I didn’t get to threaten him and be all dramatic. So I just used my scary voice to say, “Redrum” over and over and he got the hint. Then I staggered back to bed and dreamed that he couldn’t find any popsicles anywhere because they stopped making them when they stopped making peach Hi-C. After waking up from that nightmare about 23 times, he finally came home with my precious yum yums.
So sad that I’ll be missing the Chair is Art show at Gallery 202 tonight. Bryan will be there with the girls because Liberty worked on a couple of chairs with her art class. Some of our friends also have chairs in the show. It will be fun and I hate to miss the fun. Boo.
