Breathing Just a Little
September 10, 2009
I am sick again. I told Susan this morning that I thought I had consumption, which she said was very romantic and Victorian of me. Then she recommended that I get myself some opium. Try as I might I could only get my doctor to prescribe some heavy duty antibiotic that I have never heard of. And my hacking up a lung is not at all romantic. Trust me. Unless coughing until you vomit is romantic. Who knows what the kids are into these days.
Seriously, this whole being sick constantly thing is enough to make me want to take my little family and live on a deserted tropical island somewhere. After I coat us all in Purell. Then we will spend our days lying on the white sandy beaches, swimming in the ocean, having our skin taste like salty potato chips. Yes we would have sunscreen. And life vests. And protective helmets, those falling coconuts can be dangerous you know.
Come closer internet and I will tell you a little secret.
Last night Rob and I did one of our son’s homework. Oh yes, we did. As in we each did a different homework assignment while the child did other homework and studied for a test. It was either that or he wasn’t going to sleep last night. As it was he ended up only getting about 4 hours of sleep.
Isn’t this cheating?
Well, yes, I suppose some people might see it that way?
Do you?
No, I choose to see it as delegating. That is a very important life skill you know.
What if my teacher asks me about it?
Well, we will think of something.
Like LIE?
Well, some people might think of it like that…
Do you?
No, I think of it as FINISHING THIS MINDLESS BULLSHIT SO I CAN GET TO BED!
This reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where George and Jerry decide that the two of the together could be the perfect boyfriend… together we are the perfect [intentionally left blank] grader.
It reminds me of college. Minus the beer.
And the bong.
What are you guys talking about?
I told him to text me after his test today. I am dying to know how we, errrr he did.
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Wow, wonder if there is a connection to the prolonged lung hacking & co. has to do with sending the kids to the germ-infested public schools?
Wishing you peaceful, white-sand-dreams-filled days of recoup.
And homework sucks — er — is so important for your kids to be ready to work at McDonalds… (oops, was it not from you that I first heard of the book “Chew on This”? I have it on my bookshelf right next to “Dumbing Us Down”…)
Strength and power to you!
September 10th, 2009 at 3:25 pmI hope you get better soon. They must have giant germs in Texas. Can others join you on the island. I also would love to get away from all the demands.
Sending good health your way
September 10th, 2009 at 3:32 pmAh yes. I know how that homework thing goes… And I wonder if the teacher really thinks that a word search of 47 terms from the Ancient Greece unit is really the best way for the kids to learn them. I mean they already did vocab cards and a crossword. Instead my husband and I have no life so we made a copy of it and raced. Mindless work is something I never feel bad about “helping” with.
September 10th, 2009 at 3:35 pmSorry you are still sick. I hope this new antibiotic works for you!
I think I love you just a little more after this post. : )
September 10th, 2009 at 3:35 pmMy husband still says he should have gotten the 5th grade math award - he did all the work.
September 10th, 2009 at 3:37 pmHere’s a teacher who thinks homework is highly overrated by far too many teachers…
September 10th, 2009 at 3:44 pmAfter all, what grown-up wants to bring home sh*tloads of work from work every day - and be expected to have it finished the following day so he/she can get another load to bring home???
Oh, don’t think you are the only parent who does this. Last year me and the teenager did a whole project together. It was completely busy work. The amount of busy work that is assigned is ridiculous. I can never think of a time when he will NEED to know what the people of Crete wear every day. Or what songs they sing. If he ever visits Crete I think he will be fine in his blue jeans and t-shirt. And he can eat whatever is on their menu.
September 10th, 2009 at 3:49 pmWe made a 90.
I hope you did well.
September 10th, 2009 at 3:50 pmAh, there’s something you homeschooling mama haven’t had to deal with - BS busywork.
Sadly, I was smart enough in HS to see BS work as BS work, but not intelligent enough to realize I had to DO the BS work in order to get a grade on it in order to get in to fabulous colleges.
My husband and I were cleaning out my childhood closet a few years ago and I realized I would’ve gotten an A in AP Physics in HS, if I’d finished my homework. Fool.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:06 pmI know this is going to sound really snarky, but have ya thought you guys might be a “tad” overscheduled???? I know the sports everyday, eating dinner at 9pm and bed at midnight worked when you homeschooled, but I know that with just two kids in school…well, school kicks my butt! I say this with love because I too have “helped” with a science project or two in my day (got an “A” by the way), but you and the kids are going to burn out on this public school thing before Winter break if you don’t find a middle ground.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:07 pmHa ha ha! LOVE the safety gear in the opening. I think, now that your kids are older, you should change your tagline to: “Where we wear safety helmets every day, if only to protect ourselves from each other.”
September 10th, 2009 at 4:07 pmNew school, new school year = all the colds you can get. Sorry you are suffering.
I remember doing all the coloring for my middle school son. There was no way he was going to do it and since coloring got a grade I would do it for him. Talk about mindless work but I did get good marks for staying inside the lines. LOL
September 10th, 2009 at 4:08 pmWe’ve been “helping out” for years.. the amount of homework with all the extra activities is insane.. You are not the only one.. maybe the only one to admit it but we all help.. Of course that’s how I found out that I really DID suck at math when I was a kid!!!..lol
September 10th, 2009 at 4:10 pmThat’s funny!!! Not that I would ever admit to helping with homework in any way, shape or form for my _____ grade children. I have never finished coloring a pointless assignment to earn extra credit or corrected grammar to get to a practice sooner or typed his/her work because I am faster at typing. I must tell you my/their grades are much better than mine were in school.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:11 pmNo judgment from me.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:16 pmYou are soooo not the only parents that resort to this. I’m homeschooling my dyslexic son again this year. A friend proclaimed to me today that they could never homeschool, because of the time invovled. My response was, “Yes, it’s time consuming, but I was teaching just as much, only at a different time of day, when he was in public school.”
September 10th, 2009 at 4:26 pmhaha, I do find that funny actually….eerrr…ummm…I mean how irresponsible
Seriously though I do think the amount of school work they require the kids to do in one night is a bit rediculous, sleep is necessary too.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:27 pmI love this post! I love that you just admit that you do your sons homework! I’m assuming most parents must do that to one degree or another!
September 10th, 2009 at 4:27 pm7th grade? My sons had the most homework in 7th grade- the teacher was “preparing them for high school.” My high schoolers have never had that much homework. My college freshman doesn’t have that much homework either (I asked). I never straight out did the homework, but I did type, edit and supply answers.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:29 pmFucking homework, I know it is trying to kill us all!!!
September 10th, 2009 at 4:33 pmP.S. I hope you get better.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:34 pmI really do hope whatever you have passes soon. It scares everyone now days when someone is sick for a long period of time.
Two of my three kids have homework due on Thursdays. This means everything must be done by Wed night. Of course we don’t do homework Fri-Sun so this leaves 3 days to get it done. Sometimes I’ll put the name of an imaginary book that I was supossedly read to the kids - this happens about 1-2 times a week. My 3rd grader (who is very intelligent)need help with a math worksheet. This had her father and I in a little feud determining the best way to go about the problems. The fact that she NEEDED help at all worried me - she never needs help with her homework and her father has always been really good at math and he was a little taken by how hard these problems were. So we pretty much did them for her and TRIED to explain the best we could on how we came up with the answers. I think the teacher just threw that math page in her folder to mess with us - so sad!
September 10th, 2009 at 4:40 pmSheesh, I wish my parents would have done that! Then again, I’m not maiking the transition from home schooling either. Hope his test went well and you’re feeling a bit less “romantic” soon.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:42 pmHey…I kicked ass in 7th grade last year…just ask me to name the bones of the body!!! I can diagram a heart like a surgeon too. I wonder how I’ll do in 8th grade this year…thank GOD my 10th grader is on the ball because I don’t remember anything from Geometry…
September 10th, 2009 at 4:48 pm**Like LIE?
Well, some people might think of it like that…
Do you?
No, I think of it as FINISHING THIS MINDLESS BULLSHIT SO I CAN GET TO BED!**
you are my favorite mommy besides myself!
September 10th, 2009 at 4:49 pmThere is not a parent out there that at some point in their childs school career that did not do this. We all do homework at some point for some reason, they vary all the time. It never ends but it does lessen the higher up the kids get into school. Fact is some teachers send ridiculous amounts of work home and all of us have LIVES!
Props to you and your husband.
and lots of healing vibes!
September 10th, 2009 at 4:57 pmThis has been up for two hours and no outraged comments yet?!?!
September 10th, 2009 at 5:16 pmSo sorry you’re still not feeling well. I wonder if all of the stress of moving twice in such a short time, the kids’ activities, and a new school year isn’t wreaking havoc on your immune system. At any rate, I hope you’re on the mend soon!
Rest assured, you are not the only parents who have done their childrens’ homework. It just gets to be ridiculous, in my opinion. I have spent many a night completing my son’s homework so he could finally go to bed. I once built a 3 foot castle out of cardboard, paper towel tubes, and foil at 3AM for a 2nd grade project.
When I was teaching elementary school, I would sometimes get in trouble with my principal for not assigning enough homework. I knew a lot of times the parents were doing the homework anyway, and I couldn’t blame them. Grading was often interesting.
Hope you all got a good grade!
September 10th, 2009 at 5:22 pmOh yes…late night homework. My child has had more homework in just over 8 years of school then I did in all 13 plus college! I think it’s very pathetic and annoying. I co-wrote 85% of my roommate’s papers and the 15% I didn’t do, she was in MT and I was in NM (long before internet) so I understand that co-homework thing.
Allergies are horrible in TX. We were up in Wichita Falls and our daughter had never been on an antibotic until she was 5 and we were there. Once we moved, she hasn’t been back on one. She had allergy induced pneumonia which my nurse sister-in-law said doesn’t exist. It sure does in TX. We had more sick kids in our squadron and we had the Zyrtek network. If someone ran out, we knew who to call.
Feel better soon!
Hugs,
September 10th, 2009 at 5:26 pmConnie F-G
Uuhhhhh, been there done that. Chris sometimes you just have to help them out. My 14 year old has 7 subjects that can have homework and sometimes they all have homework due at the same time. I have sat and typed for him while he reads out his answers, I do a little editing while I type. I’m sure thousands of others Mums and Dads are doing it too.
September 10th, 2009 at 5:30 pmhi-lar-ious. And for the record (whoever is keeping one) I agree whole hearted-ly delegating is a necessary life skill!!!!
September 10th, 2009 at 5:30 pmI work in education and have raised and graduated 3 kids in the public school system. I have been told homework shouldn’t take more in minutes than the grade x 10….4th grade….4 x 10 = 40 minutes….get it? Not sure where studying for tests falls in there. I can’t imagine throwing sports in there…mine didn’t do sports until junior high. (My lazy bad.)
Good luck on the grade. Wait til you get an aswer wrong! Your son will probably fire you.
September 10th, 2009 at 5:38 pmWhen our daughter was in 5th grade, they had “packets” to do of needless, brainless, busy-work. When children are involved in scouts, sports, music, and God forbid church activites, they don’t have time for this. So I did the packet. I got called on it. I also teach in the school, so it was a little strange. I would do it again tomorrow. I don’t think I changed that teacher’s mind, but I sure felt good after I told her what I thought of her “packets.”
September 10th, 2009 at 5:45 pmThat is why we homeschool. Are you missing it yet?
September 10th, 2009 at 5:51 pmBeen there, done that - really should make some t-shirts!! Glad to hear that someone else has done this too. I wonder what they do in class all day that the teacher’s feel it necessary to send them home with “busy work” (funny how busy has four letters like another more appropriate word!). I bet you are busier now than when you home schooled everyone.
Feel better soon - I am in West Texas and the crud is going around here too - yuck.
September 10th, 2009 at 5:53 pmHahahahahaha that is awesome!!! I absolutely love it
September 10th, 2009 at 6:17 pmI’m laughing at the “doing your son’s assignment” bit.
About the being sick, I am so sorry. I seriously had that kind of year 2 years ago; A myriad of ear infections, sinus infections and losing my hearing in one ear over 6 months, I topped it all off with coughing up my lungs for 3 months, and being on a myriad of steroids for asthma (which I’ve never had in my life). My doctor finally concluded that, “I think you’ve got whooping cough!”. Whatever…you just get tired of feeling like crap!
September 10th, 2009 at 6:23 pmHey,desperate times call for desperate measures. Do you know how many poems I’ve written for my kids? For assignments, I mean. I don’t write odes to the kiddies. I’ve only gotten A’s so far. I’m secretly thrilled.
September 10th, 2009 at 6:25 pmTHAT much homework, huh?
Has your doctor given you any Xeopenx or any Albuteral….or another inhaled steroid?
(Yup, I realize that I have spelled these incorrectly. But it is canning season here and after quarts of salsa, tomatoes, as well as all the cutting and chopping of fruit to stock the freezer with……spelling is last on my list of priorities. ;D)
Tammy and Parker
September 10th, 2009 at 6:26 pmhttp://www.prayingforparker.com
http://www.5minutesforspecialneeds.com
@ParkerMama on Twitter
Hey-Feel your pain about the homework, but how are the teachers going to know that the amount of homework they are assigned is ridiculous if all the “kids” finish it? It needs to be brought to their attention that it is unreasonable. Lord, I hate homework but not enough to homeschool
September 10th, 2009 at 6:28 pmWelcome to the world of endless bogus homework assignments. I too have *ahem* aided my children on various tasks.
But only if, as in your case, it was to allow the child some modicum of sleep.
September 10th, 2009 at 6:29 pmGoodness me, I did the exact same thing two nights ago…my daughter had been ill for some time with Mono & then a broken foot and needed to catch up. She was so overwhelmed with work including a math test that was 60% of her total assessment for the school year and a 1000 word essay…(we are rapidly approaching the end of the school year in Australia).
We had a huge meltdown, she had so much going on in her head that she just couldn’t sort out her priorities.
Soooooo…rightly or wrongly…
I helped her get the essay started at least…it was an analytical piece discussing how outside influences shaped the views, beliefs and attitudes of a 16 year old young woman living in Afghanistan at the time it was taken by the Taliban. It had to be finished to second draft.
Just like you, I sent her to school with strict instructions to text me after her English class.
The message I received…
“Ms. G**** loved it, I only had to make a few minor changes. UR the best Mum eva…love U”
It seems I still have it.
Hope you do as well with your essay…let us know how it goes.
September 10th, 2009 at 6:41 pmI have been lurking for the past couple of months and I really enjoy your take on life. However, as a teacher, why did you “do” the homework for him? My opinion (which is worth nothing here and I know that) would be just to have him arrive at school sans homework and depending on the age a note that said the student was unable to complete the homework and ask for a grace day. I receive notes like these at various times of the year (due to spring sports, fall sports, ballet recitals etc) and totally understand. I think to send in a note says to your child that your family has priorities (sleep) that dont always match with school but you handle it directly. To “do” the homework to me sends a completely different message.
September 10th, 2009 at 6:48 pmOh my god, the HOMEWORK, Tayanita is 7 and she has reading, spelling and maths EVERY night of the week, plus all the other projects. Wait until the parent/teacher night! I was told that she had trouble focussing, I mean she is 7 for gods sake. I’m with you and your frustration every step of the way!
September 10th, 2009 at 6:50 pmI hear you. Down with homework. I spent a half hour last night doing a word search puzzle for my daughter so she could study for a quiz. There were about 30 freakin’ words to search for and it would have taken her 3 hours and ruined an entire evening (what with the whining and the crying). I did it for the greater good.
September 10th, 2009 at 7:01 pmWe won’t tell. I’m sure every mother has “helped” at least once.
September 10th, 2009 at 7:02 pmBeen there. Done that.
September 10th, 2009 at 7:05 pmScandalous!!
September 10th, 2009 at 7:20 pmoohh Chris - you opened up a can of worms with this one!!!
And, no we NEVER did our kids homework. Nope - never. Ah crap - can’t lie. Ask me about pioneers, about making that erupting damn volcano, Shakespeare (my favorite!), algebra (my hubby’s strength) and oh yeah, those funky, moldy, bad smelling science experiments - guess who got to monitor all the yucky stuff growing in the fridge??
Sometimes the students just need their sleep (and a break from all the “mindless bullshit”). I truly never minded doing this. We did, however, always have a quick review so that the kids had some idea of what they “accomplished” with their homework. And, sometimes I was not happy with the final grade that we got - thought we should have gotten better marks!!
September 10th, 2009 at 7:51 pmAll just part of getting the kids through school so that they can get a job and support you in the style in which you have become accustomed.
September 10th, 2009 at 8:00 pmYou are hysterical, even when you are sick. I understand the homework dilemma. Do they stay up all night doing homework and go to school the next day running on empty, or do you give them a little hand every now and then? As a parent of three now grown students and working at an elementary school I have seen and/or done it all. Hope you recover soon.
September 10th, 2009 at 8:07 pmI did one of my daughters homework assignments last year.
She was only in 2nd grade, but the assignment was to write some sort of poetic biography (there’s a name for it but I can’t think of it right now).I didn’t even know over half of the people on the list so I knew it was going to be tough. We decided to do the paper of Florence Nightengale since my daughter wants to be a nurse.
I looked her up on Wikipideia and printed out a six page report about her. I then spent the next four hours writing this poetic biography. If it took me - a 40 year old woman - four hours to write this, I can only imagine how long it would have taken a seven year old.
I took it home and she rewrote it in her own handwriting. We never did get a grade for that project.
September 10th, 2009 at 8:18 pmWell first welcome to public school and the massive amount of homework they give the kids!!! I started helping my daughter too just so I could get some sleep. I always thought does every teacher think they are the only ones giving out homework? In 5th grade she had more homework then I did in high school. Good for you and hope you got a “A” otherwise he won’t let you help him next time. haha
September 10th, 2009 at 8:26 pmChris–I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be for you all to transition into the inefficient “learning” that is public school in Texas (can’t speak for anywhere else). That kinda sounds sarcastic, but it’s not. I have a friend who homeschools her four kids, and I am blown away by how much more quickly and thoroughly she teaches her kids–without hours of homework after each school day. Plus, when you’re teaching them, the math makes sense. The math my 7-year old brings home looks like the math I know, but she has to know it in a completely crazy way. All of which is to say I don’t blame you and Rob at all for pitching in on son’s homework. How else will he (and you) sleep, indeed?
September 10th, 2009 at 8:44 pmYou should talk to the teacher. Let him/her know that the homework is overwhelming and that your child won’t sleep unless it’s done. Hopefully, the teacher will be responsive and work with you.
September 10th, 2009 at 8:52 pmYou know you could have developed new allergies. The fall is a terrible time for allergies around here. Take care.
September 10th, 2009 at 9:08 pmYou’re not the first parents to do homework and you won’t be the last. I totally agree with you- things like sleep are pretty important. Homework for homework’s sake is in my opinion - busy work.
September 10th, 2009 at 9:15 pmBeen there…done that!
Hope you feel better!
September 10th, 2009 at 9:17 pmChris,
September 10th, 2009 at 9:26 pmMy children bring home an absurd amount of homework ALL THE TIME. I have explained to my children that the importance of homework is to reinforce the lessons. I require them to make a good faith effort, but I limit the amount they do. I highlight what I expect them to finish and require no more. I have explained my philosophy to their teachers so the children will not have to deal with negative consequences to not completing the assignments. They need time to be kids.
I know exactly how you feel, after school all day and then football, we have no time! My son had an essay the other night, welp you can guess who wrote it, ME! He worked on one thing, I worked on the essay. Just to be honest here I could hardly wait to see what the teacher had to say about it….I scored 100%, and this made me proud! Maybe I should sign up for more college classes or something, hee!
September 10th, 2009 at 9:27 pmI have no words. Funniest.Shit.Ever.
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.
September 10th, 2009 at 9:29 pmI frequently feel like I’m doing homework - but it’s just “helping”. I’m a teacher, but good god, make sure they know how to do the work before you send it home!
September 10th, 2009 at 9:29 pmI understand complete, teacher assign stupid bullshit. That is nothing but busywork (isn’t that for the classroom). If you can’t fit the busy work into class don’t send it home. what makes you think parents and kids have time for it at home?
September 10th, 2009 at 9:43 pmI have assisted my oldest child with homework issues as well. Is it cheating? I don’t think so; as long as it is not a recurring event. There are times when there is not enough time after school for a kid to do all of the assignments that they are responsible for in one evening. Kids need to unwind, eat and sleep as well as do homework and study. Delegating is VERY important sometimes. Hopefully he did well on the test.
September 10th, 2009 at 10:15 pmI am a middle school teacher. I teach 6-8th grade English/history. Right or wrong I find this hilarious. I totally get it.
Unfortunately not all teachers confer and thus do not realize how much homework can end up piled on one student…
September 10th, 2009 at 10:38 pmI hope you are feeling better, soon.
September 10th, 2009 at 10:40 pmI remember a doll made from a 2 L bottle that I created with “help” from my kid while she was typing the paper so I could go to bed!!! Must be the 10 year old!
Oh Chris, so sorry you can’t recover. That sucks!
September 10th, 2009 at 10:46 pmAnd your secret is safe with me. Okay, I’m going to tell my husband because he needs a good laugh right now. I am starting to relate as our son in 3rd grade is showing tendencies of pulling some all-nighters for homework down the road. And I agree, mindless bullshit is not as important as sleep.
Love the Seinfeld reference!!
i see nothing wrong with a little parental help when needed. sometimes the amount of bull shit homework is so overwhelming that you have no choice. i think homework should be outlawed. generally it is just shit that is pointless and stupid. god forbid your family actually have a life other than school. don’t think you are the only ones who did or will do that.
September 10th, 2009 at 11:08 pmWelcome to the life of school with lots of kids. It is whipping my butt! I can’t help my 1st grader keep up for all of the others who need my help with homework. My kids will never learn responsibility at home because THEY HAVE NO TIME to do a load of wash, or even make their bed. It is all sick. Please world, make it stop!!!!
September 10th, 2009 at 11:11 pmHave any idea how many times I have said, “Just let me do that while you _____” to my 7th grader so far? And we’re only a month into school. So much busy work!
September 10th, 2009 at 11:14 pmI was just doing that same thing tonight! Except my son is in 4th grade.
September 11th, 2009 at 12:12 amHomework madness finally broke me, and I took my kids out of their very rigorous Catholic school and put them into our neighborhood charter school which is very progressive and doesn’t “believe” in homework, or, at least, the mind-numbing kind. Maybe your kids’ school has a homework guide in the school handbook — you can have him do it for whatever is the “suggested” time and then forget the rest. But, then again, I’d just continue to lie, too. Good luck!
September 11th, 2009 at 12:39 amOur house rules - Mom does ALL word search puzzles (what a bunch of bull****)and any coloring that the child wants her to do. I can now proudly say that I can complete a word search for grades K-12 (yes 12!) in English, French, Spanish, science and math. We also completely fudged any reading logs. My kids loved to read and it was much too painful to try to count the minutes or pages.
September 11th, 2009 at 12:40 amHope you feel better soon, Chris! Being sick SUCKS.
I totally agree with you about the bullshit homework. Makes me wonder sometimes whether our kids are actually learning.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:50 amFor your illness I would suggest purchasing some essential oils. Dana Young is an essential oils expert and he sells his oils through a company called Forevergreen. You need Spice Trader’s, I’m not sure that’s the name, and eucalyptus and peppermint. At least. Oils are awesome and if you get 100% pure oils they really work. If you want to know more email me. I couldn’t live without my oils.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:58 amThis is years down the road from me and already I am scared. My friends with older kids say the amount of memorization is completely overwhelming and parents are REQUIRED to monitor homework, since Italian schools don’t have enough funds to pay teachers to work more than full-time. (Kids get out before lunch unless you pay for an “after-school” program.)
Jack is in a charter-type school now and we will probably end up keeping him there through elementary. After that, who knows. But at least the homework is kept at reasonable levels, or so they claim.
September 11th, 2009 at 5:51 amgod……i am amazed at the amount of homework my children get…..i don’t remember doing half as much in elementary school!!! last night my son had to copy out an english passage x4!!! i did 3 and he did 1!!!!!! otherwise we would have up until all hours……….
September 11th, 2009 at 5:56 amMy mother’s mother died of consumption in 1931 (Mom was 9). Mom always tested positive for TB because she was exposed to it for such a long time - she always had to have a chest x-ray in addition to the skin test to prove that she wasn’t infected.
I’m sorry to tell you that most of the sanitariums are gone now. But maybe you can create your own private sanitarium in your home - nail a QUARANTINE sign on the front door and spend the next 6 months in bed.
September 11th, 2009 at 6:22 amI was a terrible student. I used to ask the teachers in front of the entire class things like “Will this word search REALLY make a difference in the grand scheme of life?” and other things to that effect. I HATED the busy work, and called them on it ALL the time. I had one teacher that would just stand by me as she gave the assignment and mutter under her breath “Just shut up and do it Amanda.” LOL I got the biggest kick out of that. My 8yo questions authority all the time, so I think we’re going to have the same issue with him as he progresses through school. It ought to be fun!
September 11th, 2009 at 6:52 amHonestly that’s why I started homeschooling my older kid this year. I was spending just as much time teaching him, only at a different time of day. I’m really not sure WHAT they were teaching him IN school, even though I was a volunteer there. Seems like all the work got done at night!
September 11th, 2009 at 8:05 amSystem is broken and not teaching kids to have any life skills or even really to love learning. You’re a good mom to have let them choose to go to public school. Maybe they’ll appreciate you more now…
Hope you feel better. Pretty amazing about the homework, since TX rates as one of the very worst states for education quality, no matter what district you’re in. As long as he passes his TEKS, tho, they won’t care.
September 11th, 2009 at 8:09 amIs it wrong that I, ever so softly, say “do you need help with your homework?” And I’m damn near running away from the child and she shouts her answer to me?
I can’t believe how much homework these kids have….and dammit, how is my teenager supposed to mow the freakin lawn if he’s doing algebra homework. WTH.
September 11th, 2009 at 8:14 amDo your other children know about this? Will there be a long line of homework requests tonight? I wish you health, rest, and a strong cocktail.
September 11th, 2009 at 8:17 amSome of the homework that my kids bring home makes me want to cry. For example on my 4th grade daughter’s assignment she had the problem, 5 X 9, she was instructed to show her work. 45, I memorized multiplication tables in 3rd grade, was not the right answer. Next year they will have math essay answers on our state’s standardized test and knowing the right answer will no longer be good enough.
I did my son’s homework in the fourth grade for him once. It was spelling and he had to write his spelling words in bubble letters. His teacher called my husband to tell him that she suspected I had done the homework because it was too neat and she wanted him to “look into and address the situation.”
September 11th, 2009 at 8:17 amBeen there and done that! Night before last as a matter of fact. Then emailed the teacher the next day with a ‘wtf is up with the homework that NONE of us can figure out’ sheesh!
September 11th, 2009 at 8:19 amYES YES YES - I am totally kicking some tail on my second stint in jr. high.
Hope you feel better soon!
September 11th, 2009 at 8:47 amHope you feel better soon, Chris.
I totally understand about the homework. I hate that my kids are in school all day long and bring home busy work. I don’t mind them studying for tests, but bringing home stupid worksheets is just BS. Kids need to be kids after school and do activities that they enjoy and spend time with family, not do schoolwork all day/night. My kids are in 8th, 5th and 2nd and I never had the amount of homework that they bring home. I help them when I can and I am not ashamed to admit it.
September 11th, 2009 at 8:49 amI am struggling with attempting to figure out what is okay with homework expectations, as I seem to be the ONLY parent that thinks our 4th grader(s) have much to much. WHAT are they doing in school ALL day that he needs to bring home more work? It’s refreshing to see your husband agrees and chea… er - helps finish your son’s work
- ’cause mine just tells us it is good for him, that it is the only way to toughen him up, to teach him how it is and will be forever, AMEN. ::sigh:: (oh - they don’t have homework on weekends — eyeroll!)
I so hope you get to feeling better, having ALL that homework on your collective shoulders can’t be making it any easier to recover!
September 11th, 2009 at 8:53 amI know of someone who had similar symptoms and it turned out to be the newfangled SUPER whooping cough (I guess even if you’ve been inoculated against the regular kind, you can get it?). Look into it, anyway.
My kid is only in Kindergarten, but I’ve already had the talk with myself in my head, that if I feel she’s getting utterly stupid quantities of homework, I’m doing some of it for her. What’s the point of doing extra after they’ve already proven they grasp a concept? Just to deprive them of necessary down-time, physical play and sleep?
September 11th, 2009 at 9:08 amI’m not a fan of homework at all, but I have never known parents do their kids homework for them as a previous poster seemed to think happens in every family at some point. Or do they keep it a secret?
I would think that either they were set too much which the school should be made aware of, or the child didn’t time manage appropriately. Time management is a key life skill. I suppose by helping out (once) he could learn this lesson without suffering any negative consequences. If this happens a lot, generally speaking, it makes homework an utter farce.
You are very kind parents as I’m sure your son knows.
September 11th, 2009 at 9:28 amBrigitte - if you ever feel that your daughter is getting too much homework, I encourage you to discuss it with their teacher and/or simply make it clear to the school that she will not be doing it instead of doing it for her. Or consider homeschooling. I don’t understand why you would do it for her, at such a young age.
September 11th, 2009 at 9:32 amSchool is such a pain sometimes!
Whooping cough is going around our school, so keep an eye on that cough!
(They treat with antibiotics.) Don’t know if you guys are having it in Texas, but we are having a mini-epidemic here, apparently. I guess there is a “window” where the vaccine wears off and the kids haven’t gotten the booster shot yet, so we have it going around the 5th grade. And parents can get it, ’cause they have lost the shot’s immunity already. You probably just have a regular annoying cough, though.
September 11th, 2009 at 10:16 amI do my son’s homework sometimes. I did last night,actually, and then I laid in bed worrying over whether I was teaching him anything by doing this. And when I asked my husband what he thought he said “well, clearly the school isn’t teaching him anything either, so don’t worry about it.” So I felt better.
September 11th, 2009 at 10:39 amYou could have asthma. I have it, and without my daily inhaler I cough like crazy. Been there, done that with the homework!!
September 11th, 2009 at 10:39 amI haven’t done their homework - yet - I feel like you should never say never. I hear you and I believe they get too much homework - when I’d rather be reading with them - or heaven forbid - playing. BUT on the other hand - it is frustrating to see the project displays where there is a very clear line between the projects that heavy parental involvement and those that have a lot of work done by the kid but aren’t nearly as polished or pretty as the others.
Hope you feel better soon!
September 11th, 2009 at 10:51 amWhy did I not think of this idea long ago? I hate homework with the white hot heat of a thousand suns. My last child is a senior in high school now, and I have post traumatic stress from all the worry about homework through the years. My son takes really hard classes with lots of hw, so some nights he’s up till the wee hours trying to get it done. HATE IT SO MUCH.
September 11th, 2009 at 11:09 amre carmen says
homeschooling chris did you EVER think of that
hope today you are feeling better
September 11th, 2009 at 11:25 amI have never posted a comment before, but I love the way you lay everything out there so honestly. I only have one child(14 y/o boy) but can so relate to a lot of the things you say and do. I have “helped” many a times with my sons homework esp. projects. My friend has said she doesn’t keep the projects he made at school as keepsakes because she is the one that did them anyway. Welcome to Texas!! I have horrible allergies and this Texas weather does not help at all. Hope you start feeling better. Try Zyrtec-D and get your doctor to prescribe some kind of inhaler, that seems to help when mine get really bad and it hurts to breathe. Well just had to drop a line and say how much I Love reading your site.
September 11th, 2009 at 11:49 amLOL, LOL, LOL, I love your blog!! If your family was anymore like mine!!! And yes, we have done our kid’s homework. Then, we went and told the teacher how ridiculous all the homework is.. No kid should sit from 3:30pm until 10pm at night doing homework!!! And the response?.. yeah, I guess we get busy doing too many “extra-curricular” things in school to have time to do some of their work.
September 11th, 2009 at 12:05 pmAnd yes.. it is exciting to see “how er.. how they did” on the assignment!!
P.S. Your blog on the “barfin’” episode had my rolling on the floor.
I once did an 8 page music theory set of worksheets for my then 10 year old daughter. She had recieved the work as the “alternate assignment” to attending a concert at the local county fair on a holiday. I opted not to take her to the concert so I felt it was MY homework.
September 11th, 2009 at 12:07 pmMy son’s elementary history has shown that quite often teachers who give out ALOT of homework have no children of their own. They have NO IDEA what a downer too much homework is, what a downer having no time to play is, what a negative return on their investment they often get. Older grades need more homework because the teacher teaches and then they have to prove they get it.
I don’t think you should do his homework though - but send a note that says “I kept my kid from finishing” - then you’ll be the bad guy - and the kid won’t appear stupid (I use that term loosely) when he can’t answer the questions in class.
I agree though you should get that new innoculation. Did you even get your voice back in between being almost better and getting sick again?
September 11th, 2009 at 12:17 pmI call the elementary school the deathbed of germs, or germ festival. The first year my son was in school we ALL got a terrible diarrhea and vomit virus for 6 weeks. I do agree with the over scheduling, we don’t do allot of sports here. I don’t have time to run four boys to and from practice and games and still get homework and supper done. It is too much. Been there, done that. The odds of someone making a middle school team here aren’t good. 95 boys tried out for the seventh grade baseball team…. they kept 13.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:03 pmP.S. I have done my kids homework. Anyone who says they haven’t is either lying or only has one child. Probably a girl, lol.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:05 pmI’ve done both - helped get it done and written a note saying “(son) did an hour and a half of homework last night and was unable to complete x,y,z. An hour and a half was long enough (quoted their guidelines about how much was appropriate per grade) so I had him stop and go to bed.”
Carmen, there are multiple problems with talking to the teacher. If you are the only parent complaining, they just think you are THAT parent, the difficult/whiny/demanding one. They may hold it against your kid (has happened to me more than once). They may not care and mark your kid down anyway (particularly in junior high).
When I help, I try to leave the real work to the kid - coming up with their own answers/drafting their own story/etc., while I do the typing/editing/cutting/pasting etc. And I agree - they have more homework in elementary/junior high than I had until high school or college.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:07 pmI “help” with homework, too.
Hope you feel better.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:11 pmIt was homework that sent us screaming towards homeschooling. If I am going to spend hours a day teaching my kids I’m doing it on my schedule, with lessons I pick, and without the crappy busy work. Good luck! Feel better.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:15 pmOur daughter was in a magnet school for grades three through six. The majority of the students had educators for parents. I suspect that many of them “helped ” with homework, as we did. The amount of homework was excessive and the projects were nothing short of ridiculous. Once our daughter was asked to chart the position of the moon over several weeks, including observations at 2 am! My favorite project was when a music teacher assigned her students to make a paper mache mask of their favorite opera character over the Thanksgiving weekend. You can be assured that she had parental assistance on that one!
I taught elementary school for 35 years, and tried to be considerate of family schedules, ie no more than 10 minutes (per grade) of homework per night, and no homework over weekends or holidays. The homework was assigned on Mondays, and was due on Fridays. It usually consisted of reading, studying spelling words,and learning math facts.If a parent complained about the amount of homework or type of assignment, we collaborated, and made adjustments as needed.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:17 pmI Love it. From homeschooling to homework doing. Love it.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:20 pmI will come clean then and admit that I looked up my son’s vocab words in the dictionary for him. I made him copy the definitions, but I found them for him. There are only so many tears and whines about words not being in the dictionary I could handle.
Besides, who actually uses dictionaries anymore?
Yes..We have many times.. One time my husband did my daughter’s paper and in turn she got a very bad grade..The other times though it was for a good cause and they got a good grade!
September 11th, 2009 at 1:40 pmp.s. When we moved from Texas to Minnesota with one school-age kid and two pre-schoolers, that first fall I thought we were NEVER going to be well - it was just one new germ after another. Hope you feel better soon.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:42 pmI was terrified of the amount of homework my 7th grader was going to come home with last year until we went to back to school night and her teachers informed us that if your child spends more than fifteen minutes on homework for their class, they can quit and you just have to sign the paper saying they worked on it. I loved it. Luckily she always managed to complete homework in a relatively short amount of time last year. Now this year she has learned that Mom really does know Algebra, so I end up checking all her work after she completes. However, there have been years when she has had so much homework, I have sent her to school with a note saying she didn’t have time to finish it. And that is when she wasn’t involved in sports. It is worse now that the younger ones are getting involved in things, plus her activities.
September 11th, 2009 at 1:48 pmI can’t believe I just read every comment, but I find this discussion curious. I can honestly say I have never done an entire assignment for either of my children, though I have helped when it was needed. My children just don’t have that much homework though. They attend a Montessori school and the younger one’s teacher doesn’t believe in homework as kids need to be kids. The older child only has homework if she doesn’t prioritize in school (or spends too much time chatting) and must finish her week’s assignments on the weekend. She also has to write 4 essays throughout the school year. I would be a VERY unhappy mother if my children were sent home word searches (they were referenced a lot)and other busy work all week long.
September 11th, 2009 at 3:03 pmI’m so thankful it’s not just me! I was half expecting some flame comments on “how dare you do your kid’s homework!” and am very pleasantly surprised to see it wasn’t like that at all. Seriously, why so much homework? I think it’s ridiculous. 9 year olds should be out playing after school and running off energy, not sitting at the kitchen table doing an hour of homework. Ya ya ya - you have to have some, but seriously, an hour each night for grade schoolers is way too much - and mindless. I remember my mom doing one of my art assignments for me . . . she scraped a duck out of that goofy black paper with the white underneath . . . boy was she mad when “I” got a C
September 11th, 2009 at 3:33 pmThis is why I LOVE my son’s school! Homework- 10 minutes per grade level. So a 5th grader will have 50 minutes, an 8th grader will have an hour and 20 minutes (this includes study time for tests). Here is the kicker though……..
…
….
…..If the work isn’t done when the time is up you turn it in with a parents signature on the bottom and tada done! This helps the teachers TRULY gauge how the kids are learning, how long the test should take and if the class is even ready for the test.
For the kids who whine and complain about homework, well the school suggests only timing when the child is actively working on the assignment.
As for being sick! I fell your pain! I had strep, 1 good week then a cold that lasted 3 days, then 5 nice days and now I have another cold and it’s moving into my chest!
September 11th, 2009 at 3:52 pmReally wishing you to feel better. Hacking and homework…sounds like a fabulous day! LOL!
September 11th, 2009 at 4:00 pmI never would be where I am today if my parents hadn’t helped me with my homework. I remember many times my mom helping me color in stupid Eqytian gods for a project. I’m sure your kids appreciate it as much as my brother and I did!
September 11th, 2009 at 4:33 pmOkay, I’m a parent and now, a teacher. When I was student teaching in first grade, I came across a teacher getting a homework packet together for the grade for the two days before Thanksgiving. I said we shouldn’t even send it home for the 3-day week. She assured me that parents would be upset…but that maybe we could take a week off. @@
How is it that teachers get grief from parents if there isn’t homework and parents hate piles of homework? This system is broken!
September 11th, 2009 at 6:33 pmDelegating IS an important life skill! Go Mom…now get to bed and rest.
September 11th, 2009 at 7:10 pmThis new school year has come with all sorts of fungus for me to catch and just almost die from. I wish, but no…I am living through it. The boys must be immune carriers or something, but this is how every school year starts…with mommy on her death bed. In the interest of sleep I would do just about anything…homework is a minor offense from my addled point of view (hee hee).
September 11th, 2009 at 7:39 pmYes I do believe having TB meant hacking up a lung. And its great in opera. And your story about the homework makes me terrified for my future (my son just started K this week). Kids need sleep. They need that more than piles of homework. Period. The priorities of our school system right now is all out of wack.
September 11th, 2009 at 8:17 pmI totally empathize with you. I was up at 6:30am helping my daughter finish her homework that my husband was unable to help her finish last night. She was doing a story board for an essay using her imagination as much as possible. Neither one of us had much “imagination” at 6:30am. I basically told her, “Write this.”, she did… and off we went. We’re averaging about 1-2 hours a night. She’s in 3rd grade. When afterschool activities hit, we’re toast. With my 5 children, we have activities 6 out of 7 days a week.
Last year, I took a lot of heat for doing her Diorama, report and all. She copied it in her own writing. I just didn’t really care about Birds of the Tropical Rain Forest and neither did she.
September 11th, 2009 at 10:00 pmHomework. Bah. Here are two amazing articles which I recommend even to those who already know it sucks:
September 11th, 2009 at 10:52 pmhttp://bit.ly/1kupqZ
http://bit.ly/3VEkWl
If only for ammunition and possible solutions to the homework issue (like, for example, did you know that there is ZERO proven benefit for elementary age kids doing homework? ARGH).
As a homeschooler who is debating public school, the homework issue is one of my biggest beefs.
So sorry about being sick. Have they checked for pertussis? As for the homework, just one question–ever considered homeschooling?
I know I could never keep up with the government school schedules for mine–and I only have 4!
September 11th, 2009 at 11:04 pmJust noticed Brigette’s “super whooping cough”–i.e. pertussis. That’s what I was talking about. Been there. Got the T-shirt. Not worth the T-shirt.
September 11th, 2009 at 11:06 pmI don’t know. Judging from the number of comments here in which people don’t know the difference between then and than, or plural and possessive words (ie. teachers — plural — does not need an apostrophe to be plural. Putting one in makes it possessive) — and other egregious writing errors, I’d say maybe some of you could use a little more “busy work.”
Just sayin’ …. that said, I can absolutely see why doing some homework is necessary from time to time.
September 11th, 2009 at 11:24 pmSometimes it is mindless, I agree. Especially when it’s not graded or even reviewed and just checked off that it was “done”.
September 12th, 2009 at 12:40 amCarmen- lighten up. I’m sure after years of homeschooling Chris is well aware of what is mindless bs and what her child really needs to do on his own.
September 12th, 2009 at 12:43 amI’m soooo happy my friend sent me this website.
So happy. My kids keep asking me why I’m laughing out loud.
September 12th, 2009 at 11:44 amWorking as a Periodical Librarian in another life brought me in contact with many, many, parents working on research papers/science fair projects for their children. If it was 30 min. before closing and a confused and slightly crazy-eyed parent approached my desk lugging poster board or markers, I knew they were doing homework not their own.
September 12th, 2009 at 12:03 pmWhen my son was in the 8th grade his science teacher required the students to write science fiction stories. The day before it was due he hadn’t started it yet. I sat down and wrote a story, start to finish. The teacher loved it. It was the only assignment I ever did entirely by myself. I did a LOT of heavy editing, though. When my son was in 7th grade I edited everything he wrote for his english class. The best grade I could get was an A-, because, apparently, I, use, too, many, commas.
By the way, my last comment was moderated out of existence. I was just trying to be funny, but I guess without a smiley face it came across as too snarky. Sorry if I offended you; I didn’t mean to.
September 12th, 2009 at 2:45 pmWe have totally done this too. I have just never admitted it to the internet. Feel better.
September 12th, 2009 at 4:19 pmI have been known to do an assignment or two or more in my parenting career. There’s an interesting book on the subject called “The Homework Myth: Why Our Kids Get Too Much
of a Bad Thing” by Alfie Kohn. Actually talks about how research shows that the supposed goals of homework aren’t actually achieved i.e. promoting higher achievement, reinforcing learning, teaching study skills and responsibility.
And I agree with allmycke - I don’t want to bring home a crapload of work every night after working all day long. What’s the point of going home then?
I hope you feel better Chris.
September 12th, 2009 at 4:48 pmOh so tempting here, I have just came off of a already shortened school week where my ADHD third grader had his second round of pink eye, which means two days out of school each time, and trying to make up the work when the teacher didn’t send home the requested work on the first day but sent it all 10 pages plus reading on day two, and of course we are trying to change his meds…boy did I think about it but I just can’t be sloppy enough of a writer to pull it off.
My husband won’t even contenplate doing it and he is the one who took the history class by mail so his little brother could graduate 20 years ago, 10 years after he graduated from HS. Thankfully the child is a A/A+ student when his meds are close to right so soon I hope we will be done with our pink eye outbreak and the meds are right all will be right with the world
September 12th, 2009 at 8:05 pmMy baby just graduated high school so no more homework for me. Good luck!
September 12th, 2009 at 10:58 pmEmpathy on the mysterious coughing illness. I thought mine was tuberculosis, because I’m good at catching diseases that get the attention of the CDC, but it ended up being acid reflux disease. No lie: http://greenroomthoughts.blogspot.com/2009/04/of-chest-x-rays-weaponized-bio-agents.html
The whole homework situation is completely out of control in our household, too. Insane. I don’t even remember having homework before high school, but my grade school kids spend hours doing theirs.
Sometimes I “help” a little more than I probably should. Like you did. You do what you gotta do.
September 13th, 2009 at 2:24 amSo, what I’m gathering is that the only way students actually get done with the BS work is for parents to pitch in and sometimes actually do it (I’m including myself in both these categories, by the way). As a teacher who began teaching after having and suffering through homework with two children, I refuse to assign it. Here is what I propose: a homework strike. EVERYONE send their children to school without it. Entire classes of children showing up with notes saying there is no way humanly possible to get this finished and still sleep. Maybe the schools would get the damned message that homework isn’t accomplishing ANYTHING other than making the teacher feel “oh so efficient” because she not only taught it three times, but sent it home as well.
September 13th, 2009 at 7:49 amJust wait until they’re in high school and the teachers don’t care that they have four tests in one day. Its really nuts what kids are expected to do in school before they go off to college. I remember getting out of school, doing my extra-curriculars, immediately starting on homework and I still went to bed later than my parents because I was still getting stuff done. The only good thing all of that busy work does is make sure that you learn good time management.
September 13th, 2009 at 4:21 pmChris, so very sorry that you are unwell, I certainly hope that you start to improve real soon. I’m not all surprised that you have become run down, you do so much for everyone, you are the most amazing Mother I have ever met.
As for helping your son out with his homework, I see no problem with that, after all studying for a test in order to pass it is very important to him. Getting snowed under with loads of homework that will take all night thus depriving them of precious sleep is not very smart of his teachers.
Please look after yourself as well as everyone else, you are number one as without you everyones world would appear to fall apart, (well at least that is the way they see it)
I have just been in Hospital for a week so have just caught up on your Journal, there is absolutely nothing wrong remembering and maybe embelishing all the good stuff that happens through life, that is they way they will get to have amazingly wonderful memories later in life.
Smile and remember Chris as I have said to you so very many times YOU ARE A TOTALLY AMAZING PERSON AND MOTHER. If I didn’t live so far away I would love to be able to meet you.
Take Care.
September 14th, 2009 at 2:13 amLove to you ALL Carolynn xxxx
As a (former) teacher, I would 100% want to know if I was assigning too much homework. I would definitely write a note or e-mail the teachers who make a common practice of piling it on. Hope you start feeling better soon!
September 14th, 2009 at 7:44 amRegular homework is bad enough, but the projects are torture. At a parent/teacher open house the 5th grade teacher was going on and on about an upcoming project and how it was a “really fun project the whole family would enjoy” !!! I raised my hand and mentioned that I thought family projects were yardwork and kitchen cleanup…it was a tough year
September 14th, 2009 at 9:38 amNot only have I done my child’s homework, I have done my friend’s son’s homework. I was a straight A student in high school and college and never, ever had the same amount that students in high school now have. Yes, there have been times I have sent in a note asking for an extension when I know the child has worked as hard as s/he can, but if in looking ahead there was no chance of catching up then I just do it.
September 14th, 2009 at 11:39 amYes, you are preaching to the choir on the homework thing. My kids get too much of it as well. Trying to get homework, projects and studying done in the midst of sports and other commitments….well, let’s just say, it’s tough. I get it, homework sucks. However, you really are not doing your son any favors by completing his homework. Helping is one thing, but doing (the whole assignment) is another.
September 14th, 2009 at 4:24 pmThe first fall I lived in Round Rock I was so sick I ended up on an inhaler. Had chest xrays, several bouts of antibiotics, it was awful. I had never ooughed so much, so hard in my life. Turns out it was allergies. It’s very common for newcomers to the Austin area to experience this. The good news is I never had it again. Sorry you’re sick!
September 14th, 2009 at 6:10 pmOne of the attorneys at my office came right out and told the school that her twin girls (who were in 9th grade at the time) would do 2 hours of homework a night and they would work hard during those 2 hours. After that they were done. She told the school it was THEIR job to educate her children during the hours they were there and she would not allow them to do more than 2 hrs of homework a night. Sometimes people forget that the parents are actually in charge - even though school tries to tell everyone differently.
September 14th, 2009 at 7:33 pmI have NEVER done my kids’ homework! And it’s not because I’m above it–it’s because I already put in my time in school DAMNIT and I am done with that stuff! Let them fail, I say!
If that isn’t superb parenting for you, I don’t know what is.
September 15th, 2009 at 1:47 amA million yrs ago before the INTERNETS people….my niece had an obscure topic for a research project. Local library: zilch. My hubby and I travel 60 miles to college campus to locate material, all the time wondering should we be doing the research. Walking into the library, but who should we bump into from our little itty bitty town 60 miles away? Parents of two of her classmates…..all 6 adults researched away the evening. The memories you’ve stirred….
September 16th, 2009 at 12:17 am