Disney the MOST MAGICAL classroom EVER!!!

There is nothing that makes me feel more excited than getting to go to Disney. Almost immediately, I am transformed to eleven years old and can hardly contain myself. Now by no means am I a Disney fanatic (I don't know everything Disney. I do know some stuff, but not everything). I am what I would call a Disney Enthusiast ...(how crazy is that my Disney reminder just went off to tell me there are only four more days until our trip to the MOST MAGICAL place on earth!!!!!)

Planning trips to Disney is one of my favorite things to do. So, why wouldn't I find a way to make going to Disney a learning experience for our family? Plus, I had to make it legit so Sean would be totally on-board. Now, I know he has probably seen through my rouse just as easily as Jafar saw through Aladdin's beggar routine, but that hasn't slowed down my creative ways to make Disney a curriculum opportunity and not just a fun-filled family vacation.

Now, there are many ways to approach learning at Disney. You can go straight for the basics—reading, grammar, math, science, history, and other electives—or the topical approach based on which park you are at and what time of year you are there. I like to incorporate a little of both.

Now, just so we are clear, there is nothing to be gained by going to Disney during the summer, except for possibly a lesson in anger management and how to identify the symptoms of heat stroke. I love spring at Disney. The International Flower and Garden Festival could possibly be a whole year’s curriculum in botany, chemistry, and history (the Flower Power concert series is a musical history lesson). Besides the holidays at Disney, the Food and Wine Festival is my ultimate favorite. It is an opportunity to learn even more about different countries of the world, their cultures, and their cuisine.

I started writing this before we left, and now, I am finishing it so I will share with you our latest learning experience at Disney.

Physics: While riding the Primeval Whirl, we discussed angular motion, rotational inertia, and centrifugal force vs. Newton's First Law.

Art/Architecture: There really isn't anywhere in Disney that doesn't scream art and architecture. Every building you walk past, every ride that you walk through is oozing with the type of artistic details that boggle the mind.

Psychology: Every line you wait in at Disney is a lesson in Psychology. Why do people act the way they do and how we as normal, mentally stable adults should act in response to their selfish, childlike behavior.

Math: One of my favorite things to do is try to figure out if I am getting the best deal possible. My greatest dilemma has been trying to figure out if the Disney Dining Plan is worth it or not for our family. So, I make it known to everyone that the cost of what we are eating would be less than the meal plan; or if we try to stick to what the meal plan would offer, we would be eating way too much or wasting an obscene amount of food. I also like to see how close my estimates of spending compare to our actual spending. Needless to say, I am usually the only one who enjoys this part of the vacation. 

Sociology: We enjoy discussing the collective behavior of crowds and how different cultures act within these crowds, in addition to discussing how the Social Contagion Theory seems to cross all cultural and language barriers to affect most people.

These are just a few examples of how Disney really is the most magical learning experience of all. Now, I am faced with the cold, hard fact that the next time we go to Disney, it will be just for the fun of it.

Picking a curriculum

During our tenure as a homeschooling family we have used several different curriculums. Sometimes I felt a little like Goldilocks trying to find the best chair, the perfect porridge, or the softest place to rest. 

We took the kids out of school mid term so initially starting out we chose to stick with what they were already using. We became huge fans of Saxon math, and Abeka grammar. We still use these today. 

When it comes to choosing curriculum it really is a personal choice. Do you want a computer based curriculum that has all the assignments and tests on line, do you want a workbook based curriculum that the student can work though themselves, or do you want full involvement with a guided curriculum that gives a teachers guide that breaks it down so you can provide your children with the most well rounded education possible. 

On Facebook right now is a thing going around about numbers and how many things you don't know about me. Here's one you may not know about me. I am a little bit of a control freak (shocker, I know). I found over the years that the curriculum that gave me all I could ever want to know and more about history, science, and electives was the curriculum for me. I loved the extra material; it gave me inspiration to make sure that I approached each subject from all different angles. This may go back to my fear that people would think that my kids had a sub-standard education so I had to overcompensate. Bob Jones Press met all my type A, first-born, and short-lady syndrome needs. We used them for almost all other subjects. 

I do have to admit though one of my favorite things to do was develop my own curriculum. I would use a random subject that I thought the kids would be interested in or an idea from a parent’s magazine, book or something I had seen on the History Channel and research the mess out of it. I probably spent hundreds of hours in the library and Internet finding books, pictures, videos, and worksheets. I usually used these as our summer curriculum. I really did enjoy this most of all; it made me feel a little like a mad scientist and gave my AOADD (Adult On-set Attention Deficit Disorder) a place to work itself out.

Looking back I think I will miss this most of all…sigh.

Survivor: The most well rounded home school curriculum EVER!!!!

Out wit, Out play, Out last. At the mere mention of these words my heart races, adrenaline starts pumping through my veins, I see myself eating bugs and drinking coconut water straight from the coconut, pumping up my other team mates by using the most awe inspiring lyrics from Rush that I can think of, and competing against the most athletic of 24 year olds only to have them turn to me and look at the 40+ year old with respect!

We, as a family started watching Survivor in 2002. It was filmed in the Marquesas Islands and featured one of our favorite competitors Rob Mariano. We quickly realized that this show was more than just a reality TV series that showed the moral decay of society at it’s worst; this was a peek into civilization as a whole, and a great life lesson for the kids. We could safely show how people act under different circumstances and how their moral upbringing and their world views played a part in how they made it through a game that was designed to have them question everything they had been taught as children: do unto others, share, don’t lie, and always say you’re sorry.  It also provided a platform for exploring different cultures of the world, psychology, sociology, weather phenomenon, survival skills, logic, puzzles, physical fitness, physics, chemistry, anatomy, biology, and zoology. Like I said, the most well rounded home school curriculum EVER!!!!

At the Tower of Babel languages were confused and a group of once coherent people were now left to figure out a new life without the foundation of a common language. This is how each season of Survivor starts, and this is how our curriculum started. A group of strangers, men and women, different ages, different social classes, different cultural backgrounds, different morals and ethics that have shaped their world view are all thrown together and told to get along (but, look out for self). The goal is to out wit, out play and out last all the other contestants over the next 39 days and come out the sole survivor. The first couple of days most people realize you can’t do this alone, you have to have the whole tribe working together for the common goals of: food, shelter, water, and fire (your basic elements for survival). We love taking this time to talk to the kids about people in general. You see the personalities of the contestants and how they want to be seen by others. Every one is cordial for the most part, people don’t say what is on their minds, and opinions are usually kept on the down low, no one wants to offend the other players. This is life and this is how we all act in a new situation among strangers.

As the first couple of days go by, food and water are scarce, sleep is less than adequate and the tribes are faced with the first of many challenges, the reward is something essential for their survival and definitely worth playing for. During the challenges we often take time out to pause and discuss how each one of us would approach the challenge and why. I love seeing how the kids think through their options and then also having the opportunity to throw a little wisdom their way when we can tell they would just rush head long into danger. These challenges also give light to the fact that you can’t judge a book by its cover. Just because someone is young and muscular doesn’t necessarily mean that they have the stamina to complete a challenge, and just because someone is older doesn’t mean that they aren’t a beast at physically demanding tasks. The challenges provide the opportunity to discuss physics, biology, anatomy, logic, health and fitness, and even I get to pipe in with my nursing knowledge. I can tell you when someone is getting ready to pass out and they should call the medical team in. I am pretty sure I called Colton’s faking appendicitis and the bogus eye injury by Shamar during the filming of Survivor: Caramoan.

As the tribes are faced with these challenges if they loose they have to go to tribal council and someone will be voted out. This is another great life lesson: There is always a loser, not everyone on the field gets a trophy. Life sometimes isn’t fair and the liars and cheats sometimes get farther in life than you. Sometimes there are surprises and the bad people get exactly what they deserve, but you never know so suck it up, deal with it. Don’t let the bad stuff in life make you bitter, let it make you better. We also take this time to pause during the show (if you haven’t figured it out yet, what is an hour show on TV usually takes us about 1.5-2 hr to finish with all the pausing we do) to discuss how the tribe members act during tribal and how Jeff asks the most pointed questions to draw out the contestants true feelings. We have always wondered is it that Jeff has information being fed to him or is he after all these years just such a good read of people. We may never know but this experiment into society is always fascinating.

As the days go by, challenges are won and lost, tribe members are voted off usually due to getting rid of the weakest links first, and alliances are formed on opposing tribes just in time for a merge. As the merge happens the question remains will alliances remain true? What once was a group thing becomes a more singular thing. The challenges are now based on an individual’s performance. Seeing the shift happen here is always interesting. You see how people become much more serious about the decisions they are making and alliances they are forming, better at deception, better at avoidance to make sure that self is preserved. Here is usually were most of our discussions happen. Asking the age-old questions about right and wrong, working through ethical dilemmas and debates over all the “grey areas”.

This is life outside the protective walls of mom and dad.  You have to live in the world but not be consumed by the world. Here’s were we as parents hope we have armed our children with all the necessary skills to survive; to out wit, out play and out last, to become a “soul survivor”.

SAT Scores: A Homeschooling Mom’s Validation

One of the greatest questions in life I believe is, “How do you know that you know?” This question applies to more than just “did I do a good job in educating my kids to succeed on an academic level”, but for my purposes today in writing this blog it’s going to apply to exactly that.

I do feel like this is a question that most people ask from a place of skepticism. They ask, how do I know that my kids know?  (Usually in a way that is accusatory at best). Wow that sounds really defensive, ok I am going to try not to go there. I am sure they ask strictly to see how I come to the conclusion that my children aren’t morons but really do know their stuff. 

I have been blessed with two very smart kids; I don’t think I can take a lot of credit for this since they both have had a lust for learning since they were very little. Garrett could carry on a conversation well before Lauren was born and Lauren was able to read by the time she was four years old. Was this due to my most amazing skills as a mother and nurturer or was this just good genetics? (Sean is somewhat of a genius you know)

I will admit when we first started home schooling the kids I was worried. I was very concerned with whether or not we would be able to “teach” them everything they needed to know. In school I wasn’t what you would call “academically focused”. I did all right but colleges weren’t exactly knocking down my door. Sean on the other hand was the scholar. He was totally equipped to make sure the kids knew their stuff so we decided this would be a team effort and he would be in charge of math and grammar. These were two subjects that I will admit are not my strong suit. We worked together to provided the kids with a well-rounded academic background. The curriculum we used was also very helpful, there were numerous tests and quizzes for the kids to take along the way that reassured us that they were understanding the material and retaining the information. When we moved to San Antonio there was a home school co-op that provided testing that let us know that they were right on track. Being the unbiased mother that I am, I could look around at the other children in our neighborhood and know we were doing ok. In fact, better than ok. This reassured me that all the work, planning, organizing and testing we were doing was paying off.

As the kids started high school I became even more concerned. Sean was now very busy with his job, we had moved to Phoenix and all the schooling fell on me. I have to say it is not by my own genius that we got through grammar and physics it was thanks to the fine people at ABeka and Saxon that did most of it. They make their curriculum so user-friendly that even a phonetically challenged, no spelling, equation hater can teach her kids (yes, I am referring to myself). 

So when it came time for the college boards I was even more nervous than the kids. How well would I do? Did I know enough math? Did I give them enough time to study? Did they remember all those grammar rules?  There is no way I can keep up with all those rules, and still have only a vague understanding of the difference between APA and MLA.  That’s right it was all about me. I knew the kids were smart but were they smart enough? Did I do everything possible to make sure they were well equipped to take on this challenge all on their own?

 My greatest fears were put to rest, I could breathe. The kids did great in spite of my lack of mathematical genius or grammatical skill. Lauren is still in the process of taking her SATs. Her goal is to do better than her brother (you have to love sibling rivalry). 

Failing as a Home school Parent

That’s right I have failed. Anyone who really knows me knows I hate to fail. I hate not being good at something, I am ok with not being the “best” but I will be good! Not being the best just gives me the drive to keep getting better. Call it “Little Lady Syndrome” (I love having a syndrome because then it looks le-git!), being a defeated first-born, or a closet Type-A personality. Failing isn’t an option!

Teaching the kids to drive has been my Kobayashi Maru: a no-win situation, designed to test my character. I have found my character to be less than stellar, choosing my own survival over the psyche of my children. 

I first realized my inept skills as a driver’s ed teacher while trying to teach Garrett how to drive. We barely made it out of the cal-du-sac when I told him he was going to either kill me or damage my car and to get out and let me drive. I continued through out Garrett’s learning period to approach every intersection, every driving scenario with the phrase, “who/what is going to kill you first?” I felt this got across how scared I was. Was I either going to be killed by him pulling out into traffic? Making a left hand turn, or by his reckless desideratum for driving too close to the curb? I wasn’t sure but I did want him to know that I entered the car envisioning my ambulance ride to the nearest hospital, my need for emergency surgery to possibly amputate an appendage, and how I was going to call into work to explain why I couldn’t come in. These thoughts flooded every moment of driving.

There was yelling and screaming (mostly me), there were tears, there were things said that I could never imagine my parents saying to me. What had happened to the sweet mother I use to be?

With Lauren it wasn’t much better. It was made worse because she was a witness to everything Garrett had to go through and still wasn’t a better driver. I was dumb struck! How was I going to do this again? Needless to say I failed again, my character weighed and still found wanting. What a horrible mother. I did try to be better. I tried to channel my dad would just sit in the passenger seat and twitch his finger one way or the other to let me know if I was starting to drift out of my lane. I tried to just give into the idea that emergency surgery wouldn’t be so bad, and that work would understand.

I have run the scenario over and over in my head, attempting to redefine the problem so this test will not end with my utter failure. Was it because we let them read too much? The kids were always reading whenever we drove somewhere, they never paid attention to where we were going, decisions we were making as we drove and how the car was suppose to stay in the lane. Was it because we live in a busy city, and not the two lane, one flashing light town I grew up in that I was so nervous? Or was it societies fault? Once cell  phones came into play the kids would be busy texting their friends etc…and since you can’t text and drive why not have mom and dad drive you everywhere so you don’t miss anything?

Just as Captain Kirk said, "I don't believe in the no-win scenario." I knew I had to not give into failure, the kids must get their driver’s licenses, and I refused to drive them around while they are in college! So I changed the program, the goal was not to teach them to be good drivers it was to pass the test. Who cares if you can really drive or not, every day I am on the road with hundreds of people who can’t drive, have no idea how to use their turn signals, stay in the right hand lane so others can pass, yield to oncoming traffic, or stay in their lane. 

Suddenly my demise became less of a threat. I could look at this sistuation from a different point of view.  Despite having “cheated”, Kirk was awarded a commendation for "original thinking." My award for “original thinking”? Two kids who have their driver’s licenses, no more stomach ulcers, and insurance premiums that could fund a small country.

Failure? I think not! Kobayashi Maru passed!

The Road to College

“It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

                                                               -J.R.R. Tolkien

Life is either a great adventure or nothing.

                                                                -Helen Keller

Since I first boarded the bus to the MEPS station to enter the Air Force many years ago, I have always faced new things in my life like an adventure. Some adventures were like seeing the elves for the first time in Rivendell, filled with awe and wonder, and some were like standing on the edge of Mt. Doom contemplating my fate. I have yet to figure out if having both the kids off to college will be like hanging out with the Hobbits, or being tortured by the Uruk-hai. My fate is still dependent on my hope that this new adventure will serve us all. Ok, enough with the LOTR stuff (although I could go on for days).

This week we took Lauren to Oklahoma Christian for her first and only college tour. She has known ever since we took Garrett to school there that OC would be the place for her. It was a great visit, Lauren got to tour the campus, shadow Garrett to a couple of real college courses, tour the dorms and meet the head of the psychology department. We also got to hang out with Garrett and his friends while we were there. 

These college road trips are a blessing and a curse at the same time. When we took Garrett I remember being mostly excited for him. I was a little sad because I knew he would be leaving us to start this new adventure all on his own (mostly), I also knew we still had almost another year before sending him off! Even when he would be gone I would still have Lauren at home to keep me entertained, and tell me stories. I am excited for Lauren too, I know she's going to have a great time and succeed during her college experience (hopefully she has learned some lessons from Garrett). She will have more stories to tell but she won't be there on the patio, and the time between stories will be longer. I realize that she will have a huge adventure head of her with brand new, exciting, and unforgettable "snow globe moments". My adventure doesn't seem as exciting: The fellowship broken, the pilgrimage ended, the quest completed. (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself).

The excitement of getting Lauren off to college is more treacherous to navigate. I find myself deep in the valley of despair (that may be a little over dramatic, I know but...), teetering on the edge of the chasm of how to occupy my time now that I don't have to organize curriculum, make assignments and grade papers. Because of my AOADD (Adult On-set Attention Deficit Disorder-self diagnosed, thank you very much) I know that I won’t teeter for long. I have big plans: sewing projects, crafting projects, painting and redoing downstairs bathroom, reading, lounging, and maybe, possibly getting my masters degree-who knows?!

So the road to college is not just a road for the college student but for the parents they leave behind. I am ready for this next big adventure, mission, quest, thing.

Where it all began

I think the most common question I get asked when people find out that we home school our kids is, “What made you decide to home school your kids?”. I have tried through the years not to get defensive or read too much into why they are asking.

People have different reasons they want to know. Some are curious as whether or not homeschooling would be something they want to do and are looking for a sort of validation to their reasoning to home school or not to home school. Some are looking for the kink in your armor…Your kids couldn’t cut it in real school, they were behavior problems, they were not intellectual enough, or you as a parent are a lazy slob who doesn’t want to be responsible for the life you brought into this world, by making him/her a productive member of society. Then there’s the one I really like: Are you part of some religious cult that thinks the whole world is evil and you are trying to be an overprotective, over zealous freak of a parent. (Ok so maybe I do still get a little defensive J.)

Sean and I didn’t start out homeschooling our kids, or maybe we didn’t realize we were homeschooling our kids all along…(I may have just blown my own mind, I need a minute to ponder this)

We had move to Melrose, NM when the kids were two and four years old. Sean had just gotten out of the military and taken on a full-time preaching job there. I had been able to stay home with the kids during the early years and we were constantly reading, singing, playing (sometimes with a purpose), and learning about the world around us. It was always an adventure seeing the world through the eyes of a two and four year old.

When it came time to send Garrett to Kindergarten we felt that we had prepared him adequately for the start of his educational journey. He knew his alphabet, he could write all of his letters and numbers. He had been an early talker so communication was not a problem of his. He was great at memorizing names and facts we knew this would be a piece of cake. J I still remember sitting there at Kindergarten orientation with Mrs. Nash who informed us that the kids would be learning Denalian handwriting with their phonics. Was she speaking some foreign language? What was d’nealian? Handwriting in Kindergarten? Phonics?! My head was spinning; I had failed Garrett right off the bat. We had spent all our time teaching him block letters not handwriting and what did I know about phonics?  (Sean’s family still makes fun of me for the way I pronounce crayons). We immediately went up to Mrs. Nash afterwards to ask what we needed to get Garrett to where he needed to be, she smiled a kind smile and let us know that Garrett would be fine and we didn’t do any permanent damage.

Garrett did great in Kindergarten and here is where I am so glad that I was not responsible for teaching him phonics. While Garrett learned phonics I saw it as my opportunity to also learn something that I feel I had missed in my education, plus there was no way that we would let Lauren go off to Kindergarten so unprepared. When Garrett came home and informed me that “q” doesn’t make a sound without “u” my mind was blown. How is it that I have lived on this planet for 30 years and I never knew this?!

As Garrett started the first grade we decided to move to San Antonio, TX. Sean had been asked to take a preaching position there and it was also an opportunity to move closer to the grandparents.  The congregation Sean preached at had a Christian school attached to it, so the kids could go to school right there where Sean was. They both did great. I do have to admit I wish Mrs. Nash would have done Lauren’s kindergarten but the teachers at Randolph Christian Academy were just as devoted to teaching the kids correct handwriting and phonics.

By the time the kids were in the first and third grade they were attending Christian Heritage in San Antonio. Garrett and Lauren had been early readers (and talkers). They were both so smart, we were very proud of them but also a little frustrated that we were driving 30 miles to take them to school now and the amount of homework that they would bring home after spending a full day school was a little overwhelming. 

After the first couple of weeks of the third grade Garrett had informed me that he needed to go to the library to check out more books to read because he was getting bored in math class and needed something to do. I am sure the look on my face was priceless. “Why are you reading in math class?”, I asked.  Garrett informs me that he finishes his work in the first 10-15 minutes of class and then just sits there. This really confused me.

We were also finding that even at a “Christian” school we had to deal with confusing situations for the kids. Why was it ok for ladies to lead prayers in the auditorium when there were more than enough men teaches who could be doing it, but not ok for them to do it during worship? There were several families who had enrolled their children in a “Christian” school because they had been kicked out of all the other public school systems. Then there were the doctrinal issues that sometimes came up. We did use these situations as teaching opportunities, but sometimes we wished that we didn’t have to fight these battles.

At a parent/teacher conference before the fall break we were sitting with Garrett’s teacher and asked her about why Garrett was allowed to read in math class instead of actually doing math. His teacher informed us that Garrett is really smart and is finishing before the other students and doesn’t have anything to do. Really?!

I then asked her why she can’t let him go ahead in his assignments and she said that he hadn’t been tested yet and that as soon as the next testing cycle came up they would try to get him into the “gifted and talented” class, meanwhile it’s ok if he reads. Well that was not ok with us. I asked if I needed to supply supplementary math work for him to do and she told me that wasn’t necessary either-I am pretty sure she thought we were out of our minds J. Pushy parents.

Then it was off to Lauren’s parent/teacher conference and her sweet little teacher is telling us that Lauren is having a hard time finishing her work, and is rushing to get done and her work is a little sloppy.  I think she then realized that we didn’t take this lightly, Sean and I are both like, “oh we will get this straighten out ASAP!” She then starts to back peddle and explains that it is because Lauren is such a big help to all the other students. She is reading directions for them, cutting out their papers, telling them what they are doing incorrectly on their papers and then when the teacher says there is only 10 minutes left she realizes she hasn’t done her work and is now behind. We both look at each other and ask the teacher has she told Lauren to sit down and do her own work? She tells us that she hates to squelch that helpful spirit in children. (Are you kidding me?! )We tell her that we will talk to Lauren and to please tell Lauren to sit down and do her own work so this won’t be a problem.

All these things are building up and then the final straw is when instead of driving 30+ miles one way to take the kids to school for “movie-day” I decided that I would call the school, inform them that the kids would not be there and we were going to do our own movie day at home. The secretary at the school was very pleasant but then informed me that if the kids are not there for the school day, their attendance record could affect their grades. I explained to her that this wasn’t actually a school day that they were going to be watching movies and playing all day, why would I drive that far for just for that? She again was very pleasant when she told me that it was up to me that I was the one paying their tuition if I wanted to pull them out for the day I could, so I did.

Sean and I had a long discussion about homeschooling. It was going to have to be a team effort because we both worked full time and had obligations. Now we were going to take on the most important obligation-educating our children.  We spent the rest of the fall term researching what we needed to do, how it would best work for us, and if it was worth it to pull them out in the middle of the school year. We decided yes, and have been going strong ever since.

I do remember it took about three months to get into a really good routine. Every time the kids told me, “That’s not the way Mrs. So-n-so does it.” I wanted to scream,  “ I am not Mrs. So-n-so, I am your mother, suck it up and do it my way!” Pretty sure their teachers never spoke to them like that. J

So you see the answer to the question isn’t an easy one. There is no one reason, it was several reasons. None of the reasons are earth shattering or mind blowing; they are just “our” reasons. We have love homeschooling our kids, in spite of and despite of all the little hurtles and obstacles that have popped up from time to time.

The Beginning of the End

This will be my attempt to journal the final year of homeschooling in the Andrews household.