Beware the unsocialized homeskoollers!
You know how sometimes you hear someone express an opinion which demonstrates clearly that they actually have no idea what they are talking about? Like that poor girl from the Miss Teen USA contest whose answer to the question, “why do you think so many Americans can’t find the USA on a map?” became the stuff of youtube legend. That’s generally how I feel about people who express any of the following “objections” to homeschooling:
They won’t know how to function in the real world.
They won’t get the experience of dealing with people with different religious beliefs.
They won’t have to learn to deal with people of different races.
They won’t know people who are poor.
They will be exposed to only one way of thinking.
Anyone who has homeschooled, has already had to deal with this sort of ignorance posing as “concern”. Unfortunately, 9 times out of 10, what one finds is that the person isn’t really concerned at all, and nothing you say, no amount of reason or reality will shake them from their preconceived ideas. It is precisely for these sort of people that a variety of pro-homeschooling t-shirts have started to be made. I’m broke, so I won’t be getting any myself anytime soon (I do take paypal if anyone would like to help out with this situation), but I found them amusing and thought I’d pass them on. Continue reading “Beware the unsocialized homeskoollers!”
Ricki Lake did something I won’t do . . .
Normally I trend a little towards the crunchy end of life. I make bread from scratch. I garden. I breast fed all four of my children, including my youngest who is still nursing. I wore them in slings around town. I homeschool. But there are just some places I won’t go. I don’t own a pair of sweats and only wear comfortable shoes when I’m … Continue reading Ricki Lake did something I won’t do . . .
Spilled Kool-aid and Montessori Education
Many moons back, we had our oldest son, and for one year, our younger son enrolled in Montessori schools. When I began homeschooling, the first books I bought were the Teaching Montessori at Home books by Elizabeth Hainstock and Lee Davis. (There is one for preschool and another for grade school. I think I lent my preschool one to someone, but I have no idea who. If I lent it to you, could you let me know? Thanks 🙂 )
Anyhow, as I went through the preschool edition, I was struck by some of the activities. In particular, the ones involving pouring activities hit me as very odd. Continue reading “Spilled Kool-aid and Montessori Education”
The Carnival of Homeschooling Is Up!
This week’s Carnival of Homeschooling is up over at The Voice of Experience. Grab a cup of coffee and head on over to see what’s going on with us unsocialized, withdrawn from the world and weak of faith homeschoolers 😛 Kidding. Kidding. Thanks to Eric for putting it together. Continue reading The Carnival of Homeschooling Is Up!
Jesus, Virtuous Vanilla Lip Balm, and a Prostitute
I wrote an article recently for a magazine about “The Jesus Brand”. It basically revolved around our relationship as Christians with Christian retailing, but if I had seen this doozy of a product line before writing it, I may well have gone in a different direction with it: The tagline on the webpage says “Look your Sunday best! Guaranteed to help you be worthy and … Continue reading Jesus, Virtuous Vanilla Lip Balm, and a Prostitute
“RAM” Voters
Doug Shoen wrote a column in today’s Washington Post warning politicians to beware of what he is calling RAMs or “restless and anxious voters”. Aside from his nauseating fawning over his current employer, Bill Clinton, I think Shoen nails something important about the current state of the American voter – we’ve had it.
From the article:
Voters today aren’t just fed up with the status quo; they’re furious. In a Gallup poll last month, only 24 percent of Americans said they were satisfied with the state of the country — one of the lowest readings ever recorded. And it’s not just George W. Bush they’re mad at. Public approval ratings for the Democratic-controlled Congress are even lower than the president’s. According to a 2006 poll taken by my former firm, Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates, 61 percent of voters say the two major parties are failing, and a survey last year by the Republican pollster Frank Luntz showed that 81 percent of voters would consider voting for an independent this year.
Yep, that sounds about right. Continue reading ““RAM” Voters”
Yankee French Bread
And now for something completely different. . . I’m going to share my family’s secret recipe for Yankee French Bread. Actually, I found this recipe in GQ, of all places years ago and have used it ever since. It’s super easy and gives you a wonderful, dense, slightly sour loaf that keeps well in a grocery store plastic bag. Mmmmmmm. . . 7 Cups Flour … Continue reading Yankee French Bread
“My yoke is easy and my burden is light . . .”
Come to me all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. Matthew 11:28-30
This is one of these verses which sounds nice and for a while you can take comfort in it. Until things really just get pushed too far and you realize that you have no idea what the blazes it’s supposed to mean and it doesn’t even seem to be true as far as you can see. What is Jesus’ yoke anyways? Continue reading ““My yoke is easy and my burden is light . . .””
Prayer Request
I’m taking this down because I’m never real comfortable having something this personal up. It’s a personal quirk, not anything dogmatic about blogging personal things. I’m just generally a private person who was having a very trying day. Thank you so much to anyone who said a prayer for my family. And any continued prayers for us are very much appreciated as well. Continue reading Prayer Request
NT Wright
N.T. Wright is a wonderful Episcopalian bishop (yes there is such a thing). I don’t have time to comment on it now, but he’s just written a book called Surprised by Hope which Scot McKnight over at Jesus Creed has been discussing. Someone there linked to this wonderful interview with Rev. Wright in Time magazine. In his book Wright is looking at how over time, … Continue reading NT Wright
The Upside Down World 