Just LOVE this!

Check out this AWESOME site! I love the idea behind it, and I love the content she has found!

REAL school

I find it humorous that when I told my dad I was giving up on the (!@#$%^) online school, and he asked "are you going back to real schooling"?--He meant real homeschooling! It is pretty cool to me that in his mind, REAL school is a family, reading a lot of books and sharing information together.

The basic problem with online schools (and this is the third one that I have personal experience with) is that they still expect you to do the stupid, unnecessary busywork, on their schedule, but mom is the bad guy. While this might be the best solution for some people, it is not the best solution for my children.

We are excited for our next phase (it won't really be a "school year" since it will start whenever we want it too). We are using several exciting tools.

Khan Academy--Whee! This is what the internet is perfect for! Unlimited, enjoyable learning at your own pace--for free!

Clickschooling--The best of the internet! Each day they send a link on that day’s subject: Monday: Math, Tuesday: Science, Wednesday: Language Arts, Thursday: Social Sciences, Friday: Virtual Fieldtrip, Saturday: Music, Art and Foreign Languages. PLUS—they have 12+ years of ARCHIVES!

And, for those who have smaller children, they also have Preschool Help!

You could give your child (or yourself for that matter) a dang good--and interesting--education using only this resource!--and it's free!

Instructables--How to do almost anything! (with instructions and step by step pictures). (I'm serious!--a small sampling of headings, just from the LIVING section includes "Art, Beauty, Cake Decorating, Cleaning, Fashion, Furnishing...") and... it's free!

YouTube--besides the cute kitty videos and the funny memes, there are also TONS of instructions on everything from making your own spa products to making pizza. Don't discount the music lessons (and knitting, and spinning, and chemistry, and...) Also free!

Do we see a theme here?


Right at our very fingertips, we have all the learning in the world...for free. Anything you are interested in, or simply want to know more about, it's ALL there (and I LOVE good quality FREE stuff)!

AND NOW, for your edification and enjoyment, I am going to share two of my favorite videos!

First, a humorous look at an all too familiar scene in the life of the parent of a Special Needs Child

This is not true of every school, (for example, I had a great IEP meeting with SmallDaughter's team yesterday), but I have seen it too often, for too many children.


And, one of the most brilliant and mind opening talks I have ever been privileged to hear!


If you haven't had the opportunity to become acquainted with "TED.com", you should!

Trick AND Treat

I sewed SmallDaughter's halloween costume today--and, may I humbly state that I am a costume genius! It really turned out super cute! It's Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc. which is her favorite movie (Mike is her second favorite character, but I can't figure out how to sew Roz!).


In early September, I was called in for a meeting at her school, because, basically the fact that she is taped into all of her clothes was freaking them out. Now, I have been trying to deal with "CSP" (Compulsive Skin Picking) for years now. When I say I have tried everything, I am very serious--everything. Trust me when I say gloves and tape are the most livable solution. Anyway. I told them that they could untape her during school--sometimes she doesn't pick when she is busy and having fun. However, when she is bored or frustrated--oh my!

Last Friday, I got a note home from her teacher. She has informed the nurse that the tape is truly important to SmallGirl's health and safety. They have tried velcro. They have tried sweat bands. They have tried other stuff. They give up.

Huh. Told you so!

So Sorry

I have lots of blog entries composed in my head, but my computer is in the shop AGAIN. Our computer guy is checking out all of the hardware this time, as well as looking for viruses. It seems to crash every week--with exactly the same symptoms, so I think it is something beyond just getting viruses.

We are very busy, but it is in a nice, "getting back into a rythm" way. SmallDaughter has started school in a different school, with a different teacher. I was not happy about the way the administration handled the change, but the new situation seems to be working well.

I have started teaching early morning Seminary again--after a slow start. Last Monday, I set my alarm for 5 pm, so I completely slept through class! Ah, well!

BigGirl and LargeBoy are both doing an online school this year--their choice. Best Friend K is far, far away, helping out her mom (lucky thing to have a mom to help!). So things are pretty quiet. I have LOTS of computer things I want to be doing--working on my new blog and radio show, working on the business plan for the business I am thinking about starting, finishing my novel(s). However, in a house with oodles of computers around, I can't really use any of them, so all of those projects, as well as the lovely entries I have planned for this blog, will just have to wait.


HOWEVER--just so you have something to wish for:

I absolutely ADORE Georgette Heyer's wonderful novels. What could be better? Well, reading them while eating good chocolate! What could be better than that? Listening to the delicious Richard Armitage read them in Audiobook form, while eating good chocolate!!! You doubt me? Give it a try!

Update

The IEP went well. And, it was really good that we were there. The school officials could see how truly awesome the WonderDog is in action, and we answered a lot of their questions. WHEW! They are not as scared to face a new situation, and I think that lessening their fear will make the transition smoother for everyone. YAY! So, the fightin' boots are back in the closet--until the next time!

The WonderDog!

SmallDaughter just finished her first week of the school year. She has attended a self contained Multiple Disability class for the past two years, and the WonderDog has attended with her. I have been very pleased with her teacher and the classroom assistants. They genuinely love her, and have her long-term best interests at heart, and have helped her achieve many physical and academic goals.

The week before school began, SmallDaughter's teacher called me. For the first time since SmallDaughter started in this class, they were getting new students, and one of them was scared of dogs. Teacher wanted to know if there was a 4 Paws protocol for introducing a child who was scared of dogs to a service dog.

I called Jeremy the head trainer at 4 Paws for Ability, and he gave me good advice, which I passed on to Teacher. On Saturday, she called me to report on how the week had gone (and having the teacher call me still makes me nervous that there are major problems!). She said “I want to thank you for letting us have the WonderDog. One of our new students has lots of emotional issues, and from the information in his file, we expected him to have between 3 and 6 major meltdowns every day, lasting up to half an hour each. This is the student who is scared of dogs, so I was really nervous for the first day of class.

SmallDaughter and WonderDog came into class and took their places (SD at the table, WD on his “place”) and the new student looked pretty alarmed, but then he went over and inspected every inch of WD—including opening his mouth to look inside it! I was a bit concerned, but WD was totally mellow. Whenever the student was getting ready to melt down, he told me ‘I pet dog’, and went over to WD and petted him three times—one, two, three, then said ‘I better now’, and returned to his place. We have not had one meltdown, and I know it is because of having the WonderDog in our classroom.”

“Also when we had a Police Officer come in to visit our classroom, he asked who had the Service Dog, BOTH of our new students claimed WD was theirs! When we walk down the hall, SD holds onto her handles and the boy who used to be afraid of dogs walks on WD's other side, holding onto his harness, while the other new student holds onto WonderDog's tail like a rudder! WD just loves all the attention!”

SD has settled into her classroom routine perfectly, and the only time she has had any issues at all, was when Teacher corrected one of the new students, and SD thought she had done something wrong!

Also, the new Superintendent stopped by their classroom, and WD behaved so perfectly that he totally won him over! Yay for 4 Paws and for the WonderDog who has made our lives SO MUCH BETTER!