Reading! Libraries are awesome.

Good librarians make a huge difference. Over the years I have relied on the children's librarian to be a big help to me. She has always been willing to pull books for us, give us suggestions, and really has been helpful.

Recently, I asked her again for her help. Superstar needed more books to read. I everyday as part of their schooling make them read at least one hour. This one hour is in addition to what needs to be read for course work and can be whatever they want. (That way it's more enjoyable for them). Superstar was stumped on what to get next and I was at a lost of what to suggest to him. So I did what I always do, I went to the Children's librarian! She told me, nicely, that I needed to start talking to the young adult librarian. -- Well he has been crossing back and forth between both sections, but it was clear that as awesome as the Children's librarian has been to us, it was time to graduate to the next librarian.

So this morning we just did that and can I just say I am thankful that the Young Adult Librarian is just helpful. She pulled many books for Superstar. She had him read the first couple of pages, asked him questions, and within 10 minutes we didn't have one, but we had two books the boy wanted to bring home and read more!

Are your librarians awesome? What books are your teens reading?

When sickness has you down

Everyone in the house has been sick this week. Superstar, 13 now, and Web-Princess, 12, have been dealing with a nasty cough and fevers at night. They wake in the morning fever free and still coughing, but as the day goes on their fevers come back and the coughing gets worst. Hubby has been sick and so have I. It makes for a long week.

It is hard when they are sick not to get into that "oh, no we will be behind" mind set. You would think after 7 years of homeschooling I would be over that. Nope, I'm not! I think as they get older it gets harder to fight that. Especially, seeing Superstar will be high school next year. Yes, I'm just one year away from having a high schooler. As I look back at my older posting here I wonder where the heck did the time go.

How do you fight the "Oh, no I'm behind" thinking?

Go Fund Me

It's the height of summer, softball games, swimming, picnics, and hot lazy days are here.  I'm starting to plan out my next school year and waiting for IHM conference in a few weeks. I plan on buying several of the items I need at the used book sale. I hope I'm able to get what I want.

This time of year brings up money!!  It takes money for curriculum, money for supplies, money to homeschool.  Everyone it seems is in the same boat: limited funds to go around.   It seems that for some it's tighter then it has been in the passed or a new trend is popping up and I'm just out of the loop.

I have noticed this week at least 3 different homeschooling families started a Go Fund Me page and are asking for money to buy school supplies, buy groceries, build a school house, or whatever else they need. I'm taken back by these fundraiser pages.  I never would have thought to start a page asking for money for school supplies, money for groceries, or anything else.

Some will argue that it's no different then public schools doing fundraisers, but to me it seems different. I don't know; something about it just is not sitting right with me.  What do you think?

Blogging Mojo!

It seems I have lost a bit of blogging mojo. I know for a period of time I was wrapped up in promoting and doing things for the local homeschool co-op I started. Doing that entered me into the facebook realm. Prior to that I didn't have facebook. I found myself doing more and more of micro blogging on facebook. Sharing links, sharing info about the kids, homeschooling, that I didn't feel the need to come here and blog about it.

The group I started is going strong and growing and I have stepped down as a leader. I needed to step down for personal reasons.  I'm glad where the group has gone, I'm glad it's growing, and I can't wait to see what's in store for it.

So what of homeschooling? Well we at the beginning of May we called it the end of the school year so the kids have been hanging out around the house on the computer and tablets a bit more then I would like. Of course I could step up and say hey no more computer time for today and pull the plug on them or at least limit them.

I have started to plan for next school year. At the end of July I'm going to a homeschool conference. I can't wait it will be my first conference ever.   It's Catholic based so that's making me looking forward to it even more.  I don't know what I'm looking forward to the most: the speakers or the used book sale!

So that's a yet another quick blogging post? For my long time readers and fellow bloggers what do you do to prevent blogging block? Or drying up? And if you have hit a dry spell what do you do to come out of it? I look back at this blog history and I would hate for it to go totally dead. Sometimes I think about starting over and starting with a fresh blog, but I'm not sure I truly want that too.

Trades Job

I took the kids to a trades expo today. It was a simple expo with a few booths that had trade workers there to explain their jobs, what they do, and what education you need for those jobs. Over all the kids were not impressed. I think they are perhaps still a little young, but I thought I would give it a try. Some of the booths shared what you make to per hour starting out. Knowing this caused my kids to ask what would a video game designer or cartoon animator would make to start. We researched it and the kids were surprise to see that a game designer starting out after several years of college would be making about the same as a plumber that could go to school at night and work at his trade during the day. Of course with these trade jobs we are talking about union jobs. I know some are pro unions and others are not. Personally, I'm on the fence. I think for some things like trade jobs, factory jobs, and other jobs along that vain they are a good thing. For teachers, schools, doctors, hospitals and other jobs along that vain they are a bad thing. Of course that is a post for another day. In the end I'm glad we went to the expo. It open my kids up to the idea of other jobs that are out there. Jobs that still require you to have a good education and be good at things like math, but not necessary a college degree. I wanted them to be aware that there are other avenues for higher education.