Thursday, July 28, 2011

Homeschool Prep 102- In which we do NO prep whatsoever

So pretty much we're homeschooling next year?  Is that right? 'Cause at the rate I'm "preparing" it seems unlikely to actually work out.

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not sending them to school.  We just probably won't be ready to do any actual "school" until, say, May of 2017.  That's cool, right?  I mean, like, they could just graduate from high school when they're in their 40s can't they?

Seriously you guys.  This is not good.  Well, it's been good and fun, but not good and productive.  Okay fine, productive but not, you know, productive.

Like this, for example:
See, we're "teaching" the baby how to smell the wild carrots to make sure they're edible.  No matter that she's smelling the wrong end.  And that she just fell into the dog's water trough.  And that she has no molars and so can't eat them yet anyway.  Fun!  Productive!  But not productive.

Or this:
Wherein the older girls make their own popsicles using the wild black raspberries and lemonade.  And then use umbrellas to eat them outside because I won't let them eat them inside because, um, hellooooo, have you SEEN the kind of mess my children make when they eat those dang delicious berries?  It is the opposite of awesome, I assure you.  And it was raining.  Can that be counted as curriculum prep?  Yeah, I didn't think so.

And the making of the bread in the $6 bread machine from Goodwill...
whilst wearing the $0.99 apron from Goodwill, emblazoned with a charming Limoncello recipe written in Italian (could we just count that as Italian class someday?).
Which, p.s., totally turned out even though we have no instruction manual.  Yay for www.allrecipes.com!  It's my fave.

And you know that den we started painting, like, 9 years ago?  Yeah, still not done.  Instead, we made pillowcase shirts from 99 cent pillowcases from Goodwill!  What?  That's a totally reasonable way to prep for our first year of homeschool....isn't it? 


Sans leggings for summer

Or with leggings for fall.

Or this totally different jumper style

gathered in the back (note the Pantene commercial hair.  She was whipping her head around to stick her nose in someone else's business.)

And then, as usual things got out of hand...



...until I told them to pretend to like each other.
They're such good actresses!

Hey, wait a second.  Maybe I could just teach an acting class and call it school!  See, now we're gettin' somewhere....

post signature

21 comments :

  1. I want to know how to make those shirts/dresses!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey, most of that is more useful than things learned in class at school! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Um, sounds like science to me. And home economics. You are all set!

    Plus you will be amazed how fast they can breeze through their work when they don't have the added busy work. So you could probably start in May 2017 and still finish in time. They would have to work nonstop and it wouldn't be that much fun. Not that I know that from experience or anything . . . (Did I mention that I technically graduated from high school after my first semester of college?) ;)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Those are things they'll probably use later anyway! Not like algebra... They'll never need that! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. home ec a la making shirts..check. biology via gardening..check...chemistry in the bread making.. for sure... and math by shopping at goodwill. seems like a pretty stinkin awesome school day to me.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Speaking as a former public school teacher and a current homeschool teacher, you'd be amazed by how much time in a conventional school setting is spent on administrative/housekeeping tasks, and not on academics.

    The fantastic homeschool pioneers have blazed such a clear trail for us that anyone with a calling to homeschool is going to be spoiled for choices, resources, and support.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I agree w/ what Cari said...

    For perspective - we started 6 weeks AFTER conventional schools...took off a week for Thanksgiving, 2 for Christmas, had FOUR day weeks of 'actual' school (i.e. - we had 3 day weekends!)...and still got done before everyone else in mid-May (they went until early June).

    You can start as soon as you get your books and go 'full steam' ahead until you need a break - and STILL finish "on time".

    ReplyDelete
  8. As far as I'm concerned, they are learning so much more than "what's in the books"...which is totally important and all...but, seriously! Look at the awesome things you're doing with them, and the life skills they're learning.
    YOU ARE AWESOME!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Sounds like pretty good learning to me!

    That bread looks DELICIOUS! And the girls' dresses are just adorable.

    ReplyDelete
  10. That's an A+ for creativity and insight, A+ for participating in recycling and applying it to real life, A+ for home-economics and budgeting (making breads from a $6 breadmaker from Goodwill! Oh yeah!), and A+ for learning from mistakes (now at least the baby knows it's the other end).

    You and the kids are well on your way to the next level, I say!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I think you are doing exactly what you are SUPPOSED to be doing in summer. Homeschooled kids still get summer, right??

    ReplyDelete
  12. Sounds like a doctoral program to me!:) Have fun!

    ReplyDelete
  13. You're off to a GREAT start! I'm looking forward to reading more of your blog to find what you plan on using to teach this year. Although, after reading this post, maybe that hasn't been determined yet!?? That's ok. My first year was simple and it was great. We needed that year. :)

    ReplyDelete
  14. Ever hear of UNschooling? My niece did that and just got into Mt Holyoke. You might check it out :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Um, that ALL counts as school. Home ec, science, FFA... :-)

    ReplyDelete
  16. So your girls are ADORABLE! And all of those activities sound totally educational to me!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I haven't thought about school at all--remember, I teach school.

    And, I had those rainbow sheets. For real.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm telling ya - I have GOT to go visit Goodwill. You have have some killer deals! Cute post - and I think your curriculum is just fine ;) lol

    ReplyDelete
  19. Life lessons are worth much more than anything they could learn from a book anyway :) I say job well done, friend! Job well done.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Oh my this post added so many giggles to my night! Comedy is only funny when there is an element of truth to it! But I must say I read it to some of my non-homeschooling friends who were hilariously a bit horrified. They were seriously questioning "what kind of standards do you have to follow" HA! Made my night! You are now in my sidebar and I am looking forward to more laughs!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...