Knowing how many thousands of kids are on medication is already disheartening; knowing that many of these meds aren’t even tested for children is even scarier.
Medical Book Club
Were Your Child’s Meds Tested for Children?
Religious Voters League
Fringe Christian Warriors Killing for God
History Talk
Sex with Neanderthals Made Us Stronger
Denver Music
Song of the Day: “Rock of Ages”
Song of the Day: “Photograph”
This layoff is taking its toll on our family. I think the financial stress is the main barrier to my otherwise usually positive outlook, especially in times right now when so many traditional schoolers are surrounding us and hurling accusatory questions and assumptions in our direction. Why is it okay for them to do this, again, when it’s apparently not for me to do it quid pro quo, or over their spanking or smoking or whatever else? I’ve been on the “fringe” receiving end of such vitriolic spewage, whether it was for my weight or my religion or whatever, but for some reason when it comes to parenting, it feels the most personal, the most hurtful.
I was definitely better at handling this stuff when I wasn’t the sole breadwinner, we weren’t so behind on bills, and we had an extra $1,200 or so a month! Please keep your fingers crossed that my husband will get a job soon, and be sure to send any leads you might know of our way.
With that out of the way, here are a few things I’m loving this week…
~ The Hunger Games footage to be shown during the VMAs this weekend
~ Family Game Night coming up
~ A dizzying number of field trips and playgroups to attend; we’re having to choose which ones to go to and which to skip because there are literally things every day (and the main concern people seem to have is over the socialization?)
~ Gobstoppers while I’m up late working
~ A new babysitter and a date next weekend!
~ Guillermo del Toro’s newest, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark
~ Wood Sprite’s love of Sly and the Family Stone and Journey
~ My husband’s homemade fries
~ Having gas in the car, when we have it
~ Letting things go, when we can…
~ The few nights of sleep without nightmares
~ The brighter days
~ Fall is coming!
many worry over what’s at stake when schools can only operate four days a week, I think it could be the biggest blessing that many families receive this year.
School Fest
No Friday School for Schools in South Dakota
Hydrocodone Zone
Google: America’s Most Notorious Drug Dealer
360 Blog
Make a Blessing Bag
Morpheme Addict
Word of the Week: Rubbernecker
Horror Book Club
Do We Really Need Another Movie That Glorifies Rape?
So far, for this week we’ve had…
Denver Music
Song of the Day: “Miss You”
Song of the Day: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”
Song of the Day: “Hate Me”
Song of the Day: “Don’t Stop Believing”
Song of the Day: “Time After Time”
Wood Sprite and I have loved reading these books recently.
Picture Book Club
The Paper Bag Princess
Gay Book Club
Molly’s Family
Japanese Book Club
One Leaf Rides the Wind
Denver Music
Song of the Day: “Stay”
Song of the Day: “God Bless the Broken Road”
Even the ones that are marketed toward women paint us in a negative light, with limited capabilities. Really, Hollywood?
Female Talk
No Strings Attached: The Movie for the Woman Who Can’t Have It All!
Scifi Book Club
I Am Number Four is a Lukewarm Sci-Fi Flick
Cageliner
Morning Glory is Worth the Watch
Romance Book Club
Beastly Vastly Differs From Book
Single Mother Talk
Whatever Happened to the Trust?
This story is just too tragic to even think about. I wish parents could see how much harm is in spanking, whether the immediate results are this harmful or not.
Spirituality in the 21st Century
Father Spanks Daughter to Death
Parenting Report
Using Your Parents As an Excuse Just Doesn’t Work
Romantic Report
Love and Other Drugs is Neither Very Lovey Nor Druggie
Objectors US
West Memphis Three Set Free by Weird Law
Single Woman Talk
Why Do Men Name Objects After Women?
Denver Music
Song of the Day: “Evil Ways”
Song of the Day: “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”
Sometimes, I wish I lived in a world where living with authenticity and nonconformity could be embraced just a teensy bit more… Forgive the bitterness that is sure to be in this post; it’s just that all summer long, our homeschooling lifestyle was filled with other HSers and support.
I sort of forgot what it was like to be around people who don’t understand us–or who don’t try to, or want to, at least. Now that the school season is upon us, it’s back to the criticism, questions, and accusatory statements that put us on the defense once again. And we’re just starting! We’re going to have to defend our entire lives forever.
How I used to love fall…
Of course, if you have to ask if it’s worth it, you definitely don’t know us. 🙂
IDEA: Institute for Democratic Education in America
What Back to School is Like for For An Unschooler
I have a new planner for next year that I am DYING to fill out but I have to wait until I have a good, full day off. I got it for a measly four bucks during all of these crazy back to school sales! Other than that new treasure, this week I am loving…
Mild weather! I’m really hoping those 90s and 100s are on their way out for the year    Impromptu park trips after errands Â
   Wood Sprite being lovey-dovey and silly when it gets close to bedtime Â
  Free field trips! I’ve scheduled 4 homeschool trips to the MO History Museum for families who are interested Â
  Sweet love notes from my husband in our shared Sudoku book Â
   making enough money to pay back (some) people I owe! It’s making enough to pay the rest that’s tricky…  Â
 laughing hard over the dumbest stuff; when I say I don’t need drugs to be high, I am not kidding Â
   sleeping 8 hours THREE nights this week! I’m on a roll… Â
  Teaching WS to say “fecal matter” instead of “s***” so she’ll feel important with a new “big word,” then hearing her scream, “Fecal Matter Forever!” in the store parking lot over and over again… Â
  playdates with BFFs (for both of us) Â
  waking up from really bad dreams and realizing that they weren’t real Â
   half-price video store specials! It seems as if we’ve seen more movies this month than we’ve seen all year Â
 power-washed decks (thanks for letting us borrow it, Dad!) Â
  River attacking my hand every time I itch a mosquito bite Â
  making a dozen silly face pencil toppers with WS at the library (it was a team effort; all three of us got crafty that afternoon) Â
  playing old 80s Nintendo with my guy over the weekend Â
   Jack Johnson Â
   movies that are truly kid-appropriate, like Ramona & Beezus Â
   My guy’s amazing homemade french fries Â
  “Not Back to School” celebrations: I heard about this great idea from another homeschooling mom and decided we need to do it, too! We’ll probably hit Mary’s Sweet Shop as soon as we get a chance Â
   smudging with Wood Sprite; she knows the blessing by heart and can do the whole thing by herself now Â
   WS bringing home nuts, weird rocks, and whatever else she finds “for her collection” that I didn’t even know existed 😉 Â
   an ants-less house for two weeks now, since we found the nests! Â
  WS mixing her own paint colors without my help–when did this happen? Â
   WS’s obsession with nutrition; I’ve never seen anything like it! What other kid asks how much “fiver” is in a food? Â
  playing with Aqua Sand, though it was difficult to clean Â
   blessings in disguise Â
   new friends & fall playdates
Sara J. Schmidt 