A Cup of Homeschool Hatred!

via facebook.  Used w/ permission of Dawne Shelton

I thought this pic was sweet when I first saw it.  You know.  Grandma cooks in the kitchen, the kids have a nourishing and very special meal made just as they like it.  A professional chef can (of course!) do a wonderful job, but his food is just not made just for you like Grandma's.  It just isn't.

Well.  A homeschool curriculum provider posted this little picture on facebook and almost every teacher in the world blew up.  How dare you say that teachers don't love their kids??!  "I have heard this kind of thing so often over the last 24 years that it has actually worn away at my self confidence regarding my profession," wrote one disgruntled old hag.

"I too take offence at this," snapped some lady whose avatar pic appeared to have been taken in 1982. "It implies that having a teaching degree appears to negate my ability to love the students in my class."

Some other teachers were a bit more balanced in their approach, stating that this in no way is "downing" a professional chef or the work they do.  What's everyone's problem today?

I really couldn't tell you.  

It is rather akin to Folgers getting all butthurt because some family decided to grow beans and drink their own coffee or something.  The artisinal coffee, you know, could totally suck.  I've had "artisinal" crap before and about half the time it's marvellous and the other half?  Well?  Let's just say they'll never have to scale up their product for the mass market, ok?

What's with all the hate?  I mean, personally?  I don't want public school teachers "loving" my kids anyway.  Be nice to them.  Care for them.  But no thanks on all the love and stuff.  Ya weirdo.



 

What It's Like at School During a Bomb Threat

Emperor has been studying Latin for a bit and will go on to begin his freshman year as a Latin II student.  He'll be able to skip ahead because we are working very hard on our Latin and meeting monthly with the district's Latin instructor.

We met her today at (City Name) High School.  When we went to sign in at the front office, we saw it was CRAWLING with cops, just CRAWLING. People in plain shirts but you KNOW somehow they are cops wandering about.  We explained who we were and attendance lady said, "Oh YEAH, I know they're here for the Latin teacher!" to the suspicious cop hulking just over her shoulder with a huuuge badge on a lanyard.   So we were sent on in and told to wait on a couch near the entrance.

Not allowed to walk through the school to her room?  hmm. 

A dog was brought in.  

"Oh, lookit the cute puppy!"  Emperor was overjoyed.  I felt a little nervous...

This isn't the high school Emperor would be going to next year.  So maybe, I reasoned, they have a discipline problem here and need lots of cops.  Maybe some kid lost his cool because it's finals week. You know.  Every school has one of those kids.  But why there would be six visible in the principal's office alone for one upset kid was a bit beyond me.  

Emperor's backpack.

The teacher came to meet us and brought us back to her room.  I later learned that there was a bomb threat at this particular school and at several schools in other districts but it wasn't a credible one.  (Copycats from the LA thing maybe?)  No credible evidence of threat but they are not taking chances.

At one point during our meeting we both (foolishly) let Emperor out of our sight to go to the car to get his backpack for materials and the teacher gave him a note.  So he shows the note to the office clerk on the way out, gets the bag from the car, and then comes running in past the officers with this big ol' overstuffed backpack... sheesh.

Then the officer detained him and Emperor (being himself) demanded to know what was going on, the officer said nothing is going on, please sit here.  Smartie Pants Emperor says obviously the cop is lying to him, else why could he not go upstairs?  And what's all this he heard about a "situation?"

Would you believe it never occurred to him to show the officer the note? 

Eventually, we began to miss him and went back to the office and cleared all this up.  But we're going to have to go over, just do what the officer says then and ask questions later rule.  I'm hearing from other friends in other localities around the nation that they also are dealing with threats at school.  If you're interested, here is a local story about several schools in the metro area that were threatened via email lately.

Sesame Credit

I couldn't believe this when my son Patrick brought it to my attention.  But it seems to be a real thing.  Wow.

Christmas Tree!

We bought one of those pre-lit trees from Wal-Mart two years ago.  Only the top lit up when I assembled it this year.  D ran out to get some lights which I reasoned don't need to go all the way up the tree because the top still works.  Well.  Now look at it.  I don't want to crack open a whole 'nother box of Christmas lights.  D says I should open the other box of lights, but then?  I would have to go DOWN the tree with the extra and I'd be unable to light the star with the end of the plug.  Oh, these decisions. 

PS.  Yes, those are tag numbers 1, 2 and 3 so I know which order to assemble the tree.  Yeah. 

Holiday Gifts for the Homeschool Teacher!

Merrymaking hint:  leave this post up on your phone/ computer for your family to "accidentally" find!  Let the magic begin!

 All teachers love a little appreciation every now and then, including homeschoolers.   I don't know about you, though, but I don't want any apple crap.  So first rule:  no apple crap! 

Otherwise I'm pretty open.  I love getting gifts, even if it's just something small or simple.  One thing I love is when my children want to help out and make lunch or clean up or put their laundry away.  Or just behave themselves and get their math done.  This is a really big thing when you think about it.  

And from the adults in my life, the gift of coffee always shows love - or rather, someone not wanting an "I need coffee" emergency in the middle of winter after a big snowstorm.  Somehow, I always have a lot of coffee in my pantry during the winter months.  (Guess why.) Thanks, D! 

My gallery of homeschool appreciation pics:

Helping with lunch.

You could also get your favourite homeschool teacher some Polish pottery.  It is a scientifically proven fact that you can never have too much of this stuff. 

For those of you who are great at recon missions and stealth and the like, you could figure out which curriculum your homeschool teacher has been thinking about for ages, but hasn't gotten yet b/c it's too expensive.  And then buy it.  *Caveat:  check first if you're even the teensiest bit unsure... but I promise... this is really a super-nice gift that will be appreciated.  Even if it will be used on the children.  That's just how homeschool moms (and a few great dads!) are wired.

This is awesome.  There's nothing a I love more than a note like this.  Lookit this writing assignment from Woodjie.  His fave thing is to hang out with meee! 

Egg-Tastic Egg Cooker!

Woodjie can crack eggs!  Just not always neatly.

Woodjie is going to demonstrate the Egg-Tastic Egg Cooker for you today!  Because he wanted a cheese and egg sandwich.  Woodjie discovered he loves egg sandwiches after I began eating more eggs on my low-carb diet and I bought this thing on a whim.

Here's how he fixed his eggs:  he cracked eggs into the cooker.  We use two eggs and scramble them with a fork.  Next?  Plunk a slice of cheese into the egg (break it into pieces first).  Put the lid on and microwave according to Egg-Tastic instructions.  For two eggs in our microwave, it meant a minute and 20 seconds of waiting. 

Adding cheese.

The only thing I wish were different about the Egg-Tastic is that it has no handles (it gets HOT in the microwave) and that the lid and bottom come apart in pieces, meaning there are more items to clean.  On the whole, though?  Highly recommended, especially if you are doing low-carb.

PS.  Tell Woodjie "happy birthday" in the comments, will you?  He's nine this weekend.  :)

Yummers!  We are using paper plates because my dishwasher is broken.  The new one should arrive in a couple of weeks or so.