Snapshots
September 20, 2009
Heading out to the bus stop in the morning. In the dark.
My 13 yr old son playing in his first football game.
Miles picking out his donut. I don’t even want to admit how many donuts he eats each week. Everytime we go out somewhere he is all, “I need a donut, Mom.”
Having only him home has led to one very spoiled little boy. I just rarely see a reason to say no to his requests for things like: playing the wii, having a happy meal, eating donuts, or doing shots of tequila. I do stop short of letting him snort lines off of a naked stripper, lest you get the impression that it is a free-for-all here. But if he whined enough I’d probably give in.
He isn’t tired. He is engaging in that long held male tradition of resting his eyes.
Oh how the kids love these stupid machines at the grocery store. Hurray another little plastic ball with a sticker inside! We don’t already have 500 of these littering the floor of my van.
The bright spot in house filled with testosterone. And dirt. Everyone needs some sparkling shoes in their life.
Pencils waiting for the kids to break out their homework. At which time I will stab myself repeatedly with one of these, because that is more enjoyable than helping my son with high school algebra.
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Yes, what is it with math homework these days? My kids easily grasp the concepts, but only after I sit and puzzle with them through the directions on the worksheets. Last week there were a few problems that ended with, “In complete sentences, describe how you reached your answer.” What happened to showing your work instead of making it into an essay? (Talking middle school, here, algebra, specifically.) The one day that my son had no math homework I considered going back into the school and kissing the teacher.
Chris says: YES, we had an identical assignment. And I was wondering too about showing your work being the way you reached your answer…
September 20th, 2009 at 4:50 pmThe bright side.. you don’t have to teach him the high school algebra… right?
Chris says: No, actually I still do.
September 20th, 2009 at 5:16 pmThanks to NCLB students now have to write out on state tests how they derived their answer. The work and answer no longer speak for themselves. Sad but true…
September 20th, 2009 at 5:41 pmI like sparkly shoes.
September 20th, 2009 at 5:44 pmYou’re cracking me up with the shots and lines of coke….:)
September 20th, 2009 at 5:57 pmA great many families come to home schooling because they are spending more time instructing their children via homework then they would if they were “simply” home schooling. We put one of my children into school in the fourth grade only to pull him out two weeks later due to extensive homework.
How are the kids holding up? Are they loving school? How about you?
By the way, there is nothing wrong with a doughnut every day. Isn’t there a rhyme that says a doughnut a day keeps the doctor away?
September 20th, 2009 at 6:04 pmOur grocery store here has a Dunkin Donuts inside and they give all the little kids a free donut hole on every trip. I make more trips to the grocery store than I care to admit. My kid has eaten a lot of donut holes.
September 20th, 2009 at 6:07 pmMiles wil be the one who lives the longest so he’ll be in charge of the nursing home so keep spoiling him, it will pay off when your old!
September 20th, 2009 at 6:25 pmWhen I saw how you organize your pencils and markers, I just had to chuckle. I’ve got my kids stuff in plastic coffee cans.
Has it felt strange to have such a quiet house after all those years of having all the kids at home during the day? But I’m sure the volume increases dramatically when they all pile home with their stories to tell of their day.
September 20th, 2009 at 6:59 pmJust wait, next year you can use that pointy compass thing for geometry. Much more efficient than pencils.
September 20th, 2009 at 7:15 pmChris, please do another post with your photo tips! You did one a couple of years ago, I think not long after you got your camera.I’ve been searching for it with no luck. Do you do any post-processing or is everything you post directly from the camera? You’ve really inspired me over the years and I’m trying to learn a little bit so I can take great photos of my kids and family too.
September 20th, 2009 at 7:22 pmHow is the evening homeschooling after school all day and sports practice, dinner, baths and rushing to get in bed so that they can walk to the busstop in the dark going?
That is what I have been doing for the last 11 years but have never made the jump to full time homeschooling for fear of my lack of discipline ruining our children:)
September 20th, 2009 at 7:23 pmMy mom and sister-in-law are both retired teachers, SIL still subs and only retired two years ago and they don’t always understand what the workbook books want, ours have been Houghton Mifflin K-3, so far.
September 20th, 2009 at 7:40 pmI might just fail third grade math, I just barely passed second grade math but my son passed with a A average.
I do not believe that a child can eat too many donuts in one lifetime when they are quite physically active! (or cute for that matter!)
As a teacher, we hate correcting the math as much as you hate doing it! Thank the lovely state tests and their open ended questions that require children to EXPLAIN everything.
September 20th, 2009 at 7:59 pmBlame NCLB and a perversion of education theory — most state tests are made so it isn’t enough that kids could do a more complicated question and get a correct answer, nooooooo, experts say they must be able to write about the process of getting the answer too, to really get the full score. @@
Bad enough in high school, but at least you can explain the concept. Worst in elementary school where the answer is always “I got that answer because I did the math!”
September 20th, 2009 at 8:05 pmI love reading your blog, it cracks me up! The pictures are really cute!!
September 20th, 2009 at 8:31 pmIt’s INSANE that they have to go to the bus stop in the dark. What are schools doing these days?!! Hmmm. Shots of tequila. Can I come be your child please??
September 20th, 2009 at 9:18 pmSAME situation at my house..I was helping my eighth grader with algebra…well I was checking it..OMW did my head hurt after that one problem..And what is up with the essay question…stupid stupid stupid..
September 20th, 2009 at 9:30 pmi can’t even do the 4th grade math my son brings home. it seems too stupid and inane. kind of like a question on one of his reading assignments…what more did you want from the story… i mean how the heck does a 9 yr old boy answer that? what he wanted was to not have to think up some lie to write since he didn’t want anything else from the stinking story but for it to end!
September 20th, 2009 at 9:51 pmLuckily I am married to an engineer, so he can deal with all the comlicated math homework. I will deal with the rest.
September 20th, 2009 at 9:53 pmLooks like the fall is coming along in your house.
A donut or ten never hurt anyone.
I still don’t miss algebra. Gah torture.
September 20th, 2009 at 9:54 pmMath is the devil. But your pictures capture every ordinary thing perfectly.
September 20th, 2009 at 10:10 pmThe “write in complete sentences to explain how you reached your answer” thing is really annoying. I finished my Master’s in math a couple of years ago, and they implemented “writing” assignments like that in the Calculus courses I TA’d. My conclusion was that freshman can’t do calculus, OR write literate sentences, either. Math is hard enough without complicating it with English prose!
September 20th, 2009 at 10:43 pmAs a former high school algebra teacher (now college math teacher), the whole “sentence” in algebra thing is due to this “integrated curriculum” crap that makes me (a math person) have to grade English. As you can tell from my creative use of “crap” and “quotation marks,” this goes over well. Also, I don’t want to grade essays…I chose math for a reason–right or wrong answers.
September 20th, 2009 at 10:54 pmThose questions are supposedly so that kids can illustrate their critical thinking skills. I miss memorization.
September 20th, 2009 at 11:10 pm(responding to second comment)
September 20th, 2009 at 11:21 pmHa! Only now you get to teach it to him after a long day at school (him) and of Miles all alone and strung out on donuts (you) - fun times, high school algebra!
I definitely could use some of those sparkly shoes at my house!
Chris says: Yes you do! You should get yourself a pair!
September 21st, 2009 at 2:14 amthe whole math homework problem was solved by my parents sending me to a very expensive private tutor twice a week. (and i went to a private school to boot.) i would not have passed math or biology without my tutors.
September 21st, 2009 at 2:29 amand it’s funny you mention the students having to explain their answers in sentences - that was the only way i could do equations back in high school: writing out the instructions in words. i’m an english major now. coincidence?
September 21st, 2009 at 2:31 amgreat photos love the sparkle shoes
how is football in the great state of texas
we are 3-1 we crushed simsbury 30-0 yesterday
lov
September 21st, 2009 at 7:01 amThe pencil picture is very pretty. I like it a lot.
September 21st, 2009 at 8:20 amI have a 14YO stepson, a 12YO stepdaughter and my daughter is 6 - I have found that I max out a 6th grade Math. Good for you for being an over-achiever!
September 21st, 2009 at 8:28 amI wish I had eaten a lot more donuts when I had the metabolism to do it without seeing them in the mirror later. Eat ‘em while you can, Miles! (They help soak up all that tequila too.)
September 21st, 2009 at 8:30 amBahahahahahahahahah~!!!!
September 21st, 2009 at 8:34 amAs a retired second grade teacher the only math program I ever thought was worth anything was Excel Math by Ansmar Publishing. Straight to the point, and concepts were constantly revisited, a few word problems and a brief amount of homework. Of course my school district didn’t like it and went for the touchy-feely crap.
September 21st, 2009 at 10:44 amHow did I not know they had donuts at Target?
September 21st, 2009 at 11:08 amWhen my favorite second-oldest nephew (now almost 31!) was in kindergarten, the teacher mentioned an upcoming activity that would cost $4.50 per person. So my nephew said that if he, his parents and brother attended it would cost $18. The teacher asked him how he knew that - he didn’t have an answer for her. I guess he would have flunked out in TX.
September 21st, 2009 at 12:06 pmWhere is the snapshot of YOU, alone in the house (’cept for Miles, of course), spinning with happiness a la Maria from The Sound of Music - or sleeping on the couch a la the real world.
Ask Miles to get on that snapshot assignment, would you?
September 21st, 2009 at 1:42 pmHeading to the bus stop in the dark makes me a little sad. Couldn’t the sun rise a little earlier so the kids had some natural light on the way to the bus stop? On the other hand the sparkly shoes next to the dirtys are precious.
I read your post re the underbelly too. What is wrong with some people? Wonder where her kids get the bullying from?
September 21st, 2009 at 1:49 pmSo that’s where those stupid “explain how you got your answers” questions come from. My 8th grade daughter had one on her homework that she is finally letting me check and I was shocked. I have to agree that it is the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen, Math is supposed to be absolute, right or wrong.
September 21st, 2009 at 1:50 pmyour boys have the BEST hair
September 21st, 2009 at 2:07 pmGreat post. I remember walking to the bus stop in the dark when I was a kid. My son leaves the house at 7:00 and it’s light here. Weird.
Chris says: This was at 6:50 and it is dark here, getting light but still dark. By 7:00 it is fairly light.
September 21st, 2009 at 2:23 pmalso requesting photo tips…
lol, loved the line about shots of tequila.
September 21st, 2009 at 2:55 pmI majored in math and taught high school math. My kids also come home with “explain how you got the answer” even the second grader. He gets mad and just writes “I just added the numbers” How much explaining is needed for 2nd grade problems??
September 21st, 2009 at 4:32 pm6:50am? holy moly… I’m just waking up the kids at 6:50am! Our school doesn’t even have bus service or I’d make my kids take the bus. Maybe.
September 21st, 2009 at 4:35 pmLove the photos.
Great shots!!! Thank the lord that my kids are good in math (they get that from their father). My 7th grader is taking Algebra 1 in AIG math this year ( I haven’t checked his homework since the 4th grade). I am barely hanging on with my 5th graders math homework. LCM, GCF, Prime, Composite, Squared, AAAHHHHHH! I was actually relieved when they started the decimals chapter, lol.
September 21st, 2009 at 4:35 pmYou’re beyond me….my husband is helping our 8th grader with her Algebra…and I’m certified to teach it up to 8th grade. But maybe if I had the teacher’s manual with all the answers…nope, will stick to primary where I should be.
BTW, I hate Buddy the grocery store mascot. I’ve stood over that damn claw machine more times than I could count. That, and for a while, they had those damn little grocery carts….still have the scars on my heels. Now I go to my HEB Plus in Kyle….alone….no more stickers, no more bleeding ankles…just me lost and eating my dark chocolate toffee almonds from bulk foods (yes, I do pay for the empty bag with the little sticker on it each and every time).
September 21st, 2009 at 6:48 pmThe math! Oh it will kill me yet. Third graders have no business doing algebra. Luckily I have Facebook friends who were math majors to help. Whatever happened to just memorizing the times tables?
September 21st, 2009 at 7:14 pmI have heard that they will be getting rid of the TAKS test in 2 years, so here’s hoping the rest goes with it. I would rather my kids learn cursive, then spending the day learning how to fill in bubbles.
September 21st, 2009 at 8:14 pmOh boy, I have a problem with the “explain your answer in a complete sentence” business. I’d probably explain MY answer in a complete sentence to the school board. But I’m a rabble-rouser like that.
September 21st, 2009 at 11:41 pmThe sparkly pink shoes brought a little tear to my eye. I have 3 boys, no girls, so can’t QUITE relate as well as you can, but it definitely hit me.
September 21st, 2009 at 11:50 pmHaha. I would stab me too, if I had to crack open another math textbook in my life again. Or chuck it out the window. Fact!
September 22nd, 2009 at 12:11 amSince this school year began, I’ve discovered a direct link between helping The Minion with his 6th grade math and my desire to drink wine at homework time. I should start right before the bus drops him off.
September 22nd, 2009 at 7:52 amThey sell adult sized sparkly shoes. I know because my 17 year old is the only one with them in our house. I wear them just to tick her off. Definitely a bright spot.
And I had to teach my daughter algebra at home after she went to a class to learn it. And she’s taking it again this fall, along with geometry. fail.
September 22nd, 2009 at 7:55 amGood God! What time do they start school in Texas? 3 a.m.?
September 22nd, 2009 at 11:22 amYour posts always make me smile however bad my day has been!
September 22nd, 2009 at 1:49 pmI find homework is dealt with a lot better when there is wine involved. The wine obviously for me;)
My first grade daughter brought home a worksheet titled “Two-Fisted Penny Addition”. I thought it sounded like a college drinking game, one of my naughtier friends thought perhaps it was better suited as a porn title. What happened to math worksheets with actual addition problems?
September 22nd, 2009 at 5:11 pmI’ve nominated you for a Kreativ Blog Award at my blog. I have to tell you this because it’s one of the “rules” and I am a rule follower to a fault! I can see you doing cartwheels now
But seriously I enjoy your blog and so I gave you the award even though I know you could care less. Thanks for sharing!
September 22nd, 2009 at 6:20 pmChris, you mention young Miles being spoiled now he is the only one in the house through the week now. I have a question for you. Do you miss Home Schooling the rest of them and having them all at home everyday? Have any of them said anything yet as to whether or not they prefer School or Home Schooling?
You must be so very proud of the fact that all your kids play some sort of sport all year round and from all accounts sound to do quite well as well. It is a credit to you that they are so active, there are so many kids out there these days who do next to nothing that involves physical activity.
I also read your entry ‘Underbelly’, I read it twice, I can never understand how a child can take home with them what is very obviously an expensive bike (or whatever item for that matter) and the parents letting them away with it no questions asked. I just don’t get it, heavens, my Dad would have had me for breakfast if I so much as took home someone elses pencils or book home from school, he would have marched me to that kids place to explain to the parents why I had whatever item it was I had, ( mind you this never actually happened to me but my sister had an eraser that didn’t belong to her and a novel, well the fireworks exploded).
Take Care Super Mum, you are Great.
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:27 amLots of Love to you ALL and a big HUG for Miles.xxxx
The only math I want to know is how much something on sale will cost if it is 50% off the lowest marked price…..
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:22 pmWhat’s a few lines off a naked stripper if they promise to go to bed on time????
Chris says: EXACTLY.
September 24th, 2009 at 8:52 pmWhen I had hypermesis while prego donuts were the only thing I could stomach for months!
September 26th, 2009 at 7:57 pmThat and chocolate milk.
And anything red.
Bizarre, I know…..
Thankfully my kids are not required to write the essay answers. But wait till Geometry next year - we got a nice little compass with a sharp pointy end - it’s easier for self mutilation purposes.
“But mom you took three years of calculus in college?”
“Child, it counts not because I took the same class THREE times.”
September 29th, 2009 at 10:13 pm