too many open tabs yet again…

 

Why do I do this to myself?  I have too many open tabs again.  What is open waiting for to go back and read?

1.  On Graduation - http://www.wholefamily.com/aboutteensnow/school/graduation1.html –

“Newsflash: There is no such thing as Graduation, only a series of small graduations, continually.”

“We are always graduating from something, and moving on to something else. It's just that we don't always celebrate accordingly; we don't always recognize the magnitude of what has just transpired, of what we've finished.   Or of what we're about to start.”

“But there is never a party afterwards, never a ceremony.

Because real life, unlike school, is too fluid for that. In fact, so fluid that people often miss these advances in awareness entirely. Our job, I think, is to recognize them for what they are: the real deal.

Whatever it is we decide to do, I think our real work is to keep on becoming, in thoughtful, proactive strokes. To keep moving through the water, even as we try to figure out the undercurrents.”

2.  Creating a path through your twenties -- http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2007/03/16/coachology-creating-a-path-to-through-your-twenties/

3.  101 Science.com - http://101science.com/

4.  Create a practice stock market portfolio for free - http://www.freelyeducate.com/2011/01/create-a-practice-stock-market-portfolio-for-free.html

5.  I didn’t know something was missing - http://www.alanknox.net/2011/01/i-didnt-know-something-was-missing/

“Our experience with crab rangoon illustrates something that I’ve learned about Christians and the church, especially when it comes to fellowship, discipleship, edification, community, service, etc.

Often, it turns out, Christians have never really experienced these things before. But, they don’t realized that they’re missing something until they begin experiencing it for the first time.”

“When people move away from “fellowship” as a covered dish meal, and their eyes are opened to how they can experience the community of the Holy Spirit with one another, they begin to see what they’ve been missing. When those who are following Jesus Christ step away from “discipleship classes” and truly begin to share life with one another, they also start to understand what they’ve been missing.”

6.    Could you pass the Canadian Citizenship test?  - http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/publications/discover/index.asp

7.  Free bible study software - http://hearts-in-training.blogspot.com/2011/01/free-bible-study-software

8.  I think I am going to download SKYPE so I can chat with Stephanie.  :o)   http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/prices/

9.  Fusefly – a social network for homeschoolers -- http://www.fusefly.com/pg/static_content/parent_information/

“What makes FuseFly different from other social networks?
This innovative site was created by homeschoolers for homeschoolers. FuseFly allows both teens ages thirteen and up and their parents to share information, meet new homeschoolers and organize group activities all over the world.

FuseFly will help you make homeschooling connections globally, not just locally.

Like many of the homeschool gatherings that you attend locally, parents and teens are in the same location, yet each have own area to socialize. FuseFly can be used to reach any mix of the homeschooling community, but is also divided into parent and student sections, giving both groups the opportunity to reach out to their peers. The entire site is family-friendly though, so we have built-in resources for reporting abuse, blocking offensive language and maintaining a positive atmosphere for everyone involved. “

10.  Jordan is looking into learning about survival training.  Here is a course he may consider - http://boreal.net/

11.  “We all want to get more done in less time. If you look at magazine covers and article headlines, they all promise you ways to do more stuff. At the same time, we all feel the pressure of our to-do lists, our calendars, our phone, our email.  Is it possible that the answer to doing more is to actually reduce our responsibilities? To do less?

Let Me Tell You a Story…”  -  http://productivity.yourway.net/are-you-packing-too-heavy/

12.  Keeping a one sentence journal -- http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2007/08/why-i-started-k.html

13.  Secrets of adulthood - http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/secrets-of-adulthood.html

14.  15 STEPS TO CULTIVATE LIFE  LONG LEARNING - http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/15-steps-to-cultivate-lifelong-learning.html

15.  I need to include our SPELLING WISDOM program in our schedule next week.

venting

 

You know sometimes I am just so DONE with the whole parenting and educating thing!  I wish it was over and that they had moved on with their own lives.  This mood usually hits when the kids are challenging me and being difficult, when I am in a bad mood or I am not feeling well due to lack of sleep or headache.  Well yesterday was one of those days.  All of those aspects I mentioned happened all at one time yesterday.  But we survived it and today is a new day.  Here is hoping it all goes well.  :o)

Yesterday was day 2 of being “back to school”.  Jordan wanted a list of things to do, he has one, and then he fights me on what I have given him.  I tried to choose things that were pertinent to his life and applicable now, but he doesn’t seem to think so.  Grrrr!  So we have cancelled out one of the math assignments and he is trying to just get by in the other one.  Today he is complaining about the science book I picked.  So I pulled out two other choices and had him look over them and he chose a new one. 

All this struggle with my kids is making me go back and think about my own teen years and try to see how I handled things, what things I had to do, and how I survived my own teen years.  I am constantly trying to figure out my kids futures (which I did not do for my own future when I was a teen) and I wonder if all parents spend this much time agonizing over their kids futures, preparing them for their life, feeling like you are failing them and so on.  Or maybe that is just me.  Is this stage of parenting suppose to be this hard?  Is it hard because of the way we have chosen to parent our kids and how we are educating them?  We are not following the usual prescribed path, so I feel alone in what we are doing.  So many questions and worries rolling around in my brain.  Sigh.

Yesterday was not all bad.  Deanna went to the thrift store to volunteer for a few hours.  Jordan went and spent time with his Papa.  I did some errands and got my hair cut (yay! it was way overdue).  My severe headache subsided by evening.  Wes and I enjoyed a glass of wine before bed and discussed the kids and my worries. 

Today has been going okay.  Jordan has been plugging away at his assignments.  (He just wants to get them out of the way and will not do anything else until they are done.  He won’t even take time to eat.  What is up with him?).  Deanna has spent the morning working with her animals (Ripple got moved outside again today, hopefully he doesn’t escape again) and checking her email and such.  Now that she has had lunch she is starting on getting some of her assignments done.

Gotta go.  Jordan needs me to read his dictation sentences to him for spelling. 

____

Stephanie and Me, Deanna and Sarah

 

Stephanie and I are 9 years apart.  And our daughters our 9 years apart.  I often wonder if they will be the best of friends when they are older like Stephanie and I are? 

Old, old picture…. Me, Trevor, Stephanie and Stephen

 

Sarah and Deanna