We are still plugging away here at the Boogie Abode. Our homeschool experiment is in full swing and as things stand now, I am pretty sure they are going to be staying as an experiment. I know that unless it comes to a point where nothing else is an option, I will definitely not homeschool A. While I think she is learning a lot and I have become readily aware of the glaring holes in the Florida public school system, I can not take the full time interaction. Every time I correct a paper and there are wrong answers, there are tears and arguments and pleads for mercy. She is getting good grades at her regular public school and I know teachers have fallen prey to manipulativeness, but I just can’t continue on with this, as we mostly have reviewed over stuff she was SUPPOSED to have learned this past year. I can’t even fathom what it would be like to teach her a new way to solve a math problem. Actually, yes I can and it would involve a lot of frustration and tears. I can’t do it. Our normal family life issues with her is enough for me to deal with so not to add anymore issues.

The main book I have been using with her this summer is the Summer Bridge Activities 4 - 5 book. I like the book, as it teaches a variety of things and comes from a not so obvious approach about “boring things” like pronouns and stuff. There is one part that A has had the most problems with - geography. She knows nothing about any of it and there is quite a bit in this book. While I am perplexed how a fourth grader isn’t familiar with the equator and other things surrounding this topic, this book just assumes that they do and gives no explanation for kids like A who have absolutely no clue. I am a bit upset that she hasn’t been exposed more to this stuff in school, as according to this book, nationally, most fourth graders have been, but I happy that we caught it here and I can teach it at home. She also has had a lot of problems with the different parts of sentences and I have sought out worksheets online to help her practice.

The Summer Bridge has a reading list that A flew right through. Most of the books are ok, a few a little young, a few a little boring, so she thought. She also is reading through the Newbery Medal books and has quite a few of those under her belt. Overall, she has been doing wonderfully with the reading thing and we have not had any tears or issues with that.

The last major thing we are doing this summer is learning about the 50 states. I signed up for this course and use the printables and ideas I get from there to shape A’s learning of our states. I also have been getting short books on each state to supplement the other material we are doing. While at the end of the summer, I am not sure she will be able to list all the states and capitals or largest rivers or whatever, I do believe her general awareness and curiosity will have been peaked to get her in a better direction. She seems happy enough with this part of our schooling.

I am happy I decided to try this out with the kids, although, with A it hasn’t been so much teaching new concepts, unless states or geography is involved. The review on the other items has brought to my awareness that even though her grades reflect appropriate mastery of skills, this is not always so. I think in the next year we will need to take a more proactive approach with her public school work to reinforce and review at home, regardless of what her grades reflect. The biggest obstacle I see with this, is lack of time. If last year is any predictor of the coming year, she will have little time for any extra kind of learning.

Well, a little over one month down, 2 more to go. Things could greatly change in that time- stay tuned… Tomorrow I will write about what I have been doing with the boys’ schooling.

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I’m a killa’ of weeds, that is… Conventional weed killer is expensive, highly toxic, and in my opinion really stinky. (I know- here we go with the smells again) When my hubby used to spray that stuff around our yard, I would be worried about sending the kids out to play for the next week or so, especially if it hadn’t rained. I had pictures of the stuff rotting a hole in their foot from stepping on it or something. Now, I am sure this isn’t possible, but I had a teacher that Agent Orange rotted a hole in his mouth and ultimately into his brain. So I am sure my experience with this makes me a little over the top with worry.

Then, a year ago, I bought You Grow Girl and found a much cheaper and safer solution using one of my newly favorite substances- vinegar. The smell is still less than to be desired. I mean vinegar baking under the hot sun obviously won’t be pleasant, but in my experience, the smell doesn’t last that long, as opposed to the store bought killers which seemed to last for days. The reaction is so quick, too. I go spray the the weeds and by the time I get to the last of them, the first batches are already completely brown. (Yeah, I seem to have a lot of weeds these days- they are the only thing surviving in this drought)

I urge everyone to give this concoction a try. The other great benefit to using this non-toxic stuff is your kids can help you pull up the dead weeds without you being worried! So here is the recipe:

Fill a spray bottle with vinegar, mix in a tablespoon of salt and spray directly on weeds.

Note: this should only be used on places where you don’t plan to have anything growing in the near future.

Easy, cheap, and you can add your kids as laborers to your weed patrol-and if you don’t have weeds in your yard, than well, I don’t want to hear about it.  Really, I don’t.  Unless its you volunteering to come help me with mine!

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