How Your Child is Smart--A Life-Changing Approach to Learning by Dawna Markova Ph.D.

How Your Child is Smart is probably one of the top reasons I still homeschool Zane.

A few years ago, I was having non-stop problems teaching him. I'm fairly certain he'd have issues in public school. He's Phil's little clone and he's not far away from my brother as far as learning goes.

Phil and my brother, Johnny, both got horrible grades. Johnny quit school. Phil joined the Army. Both of them, however, are mechanical geniuses.

I got straight A's, made honor roll and honor society, all that nerdy, smart-kid stuff. But can I fix any-freaking-thing? NO!

The differences became glaringly obvious when I was trying to make Zane love letters, words, sentences, reading and all he wanted to do (at 3) was tell me how three three's make nine or four two's make eight. He was counting money and doing mathematical things I have trouble with, yet he wouldn't say the alphabet or spell c-a-t.

So I did what all Horrible Homeschooler do.

I gave up.

But then, someone told me to get this book.
God bless that person, I have no clue who it was, but it saved me. Saved us. Saved our little homeschooling gig.

(and as an added bonus, it helped me with the arguments Phil and I have. Had. Since reading the book, the issue has been put to rest.)

Check it out, it might just save your sanity!

On a Whim

Making rash decisions is sometimes my style. Personality tests can't figure out whether I'm a thinker or a risk taker. That's because I'm both. If I get a wild hair up my bum, I'll do something stupid like decide to start a blog that chronicles my failure as a Homeschooling mother.

I was writing an essay for my other blog when I decided that I liked the pretty blue and brown background from The Cutest Blog on the Block enough to start another blog. About homeschooling. Which I usually don't talk about. Because I suck.

And y'know everyone else has it all together and they have all their lessons planned for the year and their kids are perfect and all get stellar grades and make fabulous projects and do all sorts of charity events and volunteer their time and are in ministry and---screw that, okay?

I'm barely treading water. I'm choking, gagging, swallowing boatloads of water and no one's throwing me the lifesaver.

So there.

On most days I want to quit and I'm The Horrible Homeschooler.

Or the Ogre as my husband, Phil, calls me.


You'll see a post at least every Thursday.

Because Mondays suck
Tuesdays are Tackle it Tuesday
Wednesdays are Wordless Wednesday
Thursday are open
and by Friday I don't care.
I refuse to do this on Saturday or Sunday.

Maybe I'll post more than once a week. Maybe I won't. That's my prerogative (singing Bobby Brown style.)