Caz

(note to Todd: totally stole that from you lol)

Today we'll be getting up to a little math, some grammar for Frodo, some Headsprout for Sam (who is pumped to be nearing lesson 40, the half way point!) , a bit of handwriting maybe... and we'll be making our ancient China postcards & 'puppets' to finish off our History Pockets.   Yesterday we did the chinese dragons and they turned out cute.  (camera was awol, imagine accordion folded paper with a zigzag tail, and little cut outs about Chinese new year glued onto the flat parts of the fold.  Complete with popsicle sticks to 'dance' the dragon and Voila!)  

The boys are also going to help me with the prep work for fried rice for dinner.  We have an every other friday tradition of having fried rice & yum cha and they love it.  Neither of them really has the coordination for cutting.. and both are horribly accident prone lol, so I'll do that bit.   But I figure they can measure the rice & water, and gather the other ingredients for me ;)    We are also making some delightful lemon bars  later on... best plan good distractions for the couple of hours they require to cool/set or I'll have 2 boys staring at them longingly the entire time!  Oh... best add DH to that because he devours these as well ;)

We do NOT have our Friday outing today, thank goodness!  and I have really enjoyed the 'break' from traveling around.  It seems like the last 3 weeks have been go go go! and it's worn me out.  

There's also been a fair bit of emotional stress thrown into this week though, so I really need a weekend of relaxed family time to recover.   This past Monday, it hit the news that at a 'local' (in quotes as this is a huge city so it's IN the greater metro area, but not particularly close to me) school had a 12yr old boy stabbed to death on school grounds.  At 815am. By a 13yr old.  I'm sure those parents went about their morning under the assumption that their son was safely in the care of the school... not being killed by another student.   There may, or may not have been, bullying involved...not enough information has been released yet.  In one of the news articles it was mentioned that this is the THIRD stabbing incident in a school in this city since the year began.  Um... the school year is like 3weeks old.  Then I read this morning that another teen was found on a schoolyard with a knife quite near where we live.   WOW.  I have been deeply affected by these incidents.

Why?  Well, I had actually been considering temporary school for the boys in the future, as the plan was for me to go back to Uni and get my degree so that as the boys got older I would have something for ME and not feel lost.  Now... well there is no way in Hades my kids are setting foot in a school if the Government cannot even provide for their basic safety.  I was willing to accept the fact that we'd have to do a bit extra with the boys since the schools' standards are pretty slack.. but risking their lives?  Not.gonna.happen!    DH & I came to the agreement that no way are any of our boys going to school.  Which means I'll have 3 homeschoolers in a couple of years.  (I don't think Merry will be ready for prep next year so I'm going to stick with preschool fun for him)   Can you see me having a mini panic over here?? lol   

SO... the plan at the moment is I may look into distance ed/ external programs and see if anything tickles my fancy.  Then the kids & I can study together ;)  I really DO feel the need for something fullfilling for myself only... and while home educating the kids is wonderful for them... and usually for me ;), in the end it is something I do totally for their benefit.  And it's hard work!

Remember me mentioning somewhere in a previous post that I REALLY want to move?  Well, now I really REALLY want to move.  Day before yesterday, as I drank my morning coffee even, the peace of the boys arguing over the wii game was broken by all hell breaking loose next door. In the end, I had no choice but to call the cops, as I was scared to death by angry male neighbors voice, and terrified female neighbors very loud crying.  I don't know what was going on... and dont' want to, but I could not let my kids hear that kind of thing and think it's ok to 'do nothing'. The cops rocked up and were there a little while, and all quieted down.  Now I'm incredibly fearful that angry neighbor man will work out who 'dobbed' him in and show up on my doorstep. I even had nightmares the night it happened about it.  YIKES.    We're a door locking family anyway, and If I do not know you're coming... I don't open the door (unless I know you of course, then I put the kettle on ;)  but I hate the idea of living where I'm afraid of my neighbors!

Ok.. ramble over *sheepish*  Baking will take my mind of it all... and no, sorry, you can't have any lemon bars.  They're all mine. 

3 Responses
  1. Kylie Says:

    I know how you feel about school....it was always something that we thought was an option, especially as teh kids got older, but now I really don't think so.


  2. Kez Says:

    That stabbing was dreadful, wasn't it? I cannot imagine how the poor family feels.

    I hope your neighbours keep away. Scary!

    I think it does kids good to see Mum or Dad learning things to. Go for it!


  3. Caz Says:

    Thanks ladies... it's good to know that at least someone in the world doesn't think I'm overreacting to the violent state of schools these days.

    I feel so awful not only for the families of the victim and the perpetrator... but also for the families who either have no option but to send their kids to school. And for those that don't KNOW there IS an option!