On line School - The Wave of the Future?

The count down begins for my eldest to start home school... I am not sure if we could really call it "home school"... I'm not teaching her - there's no way I could... I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the concepts she is learning now... What I mean by home school is that she will be taking her classes on line through an on line high school that is accredited with all the UC and State colleges.

Tomorrow - her and I will participate in the Master's agreement on line seminar.. This will explain how everything works... I have checked out the site and it's pretty cool.. It's paperless, very detailed, and organized... The organized part is exactly what my "day dreamer" needs... At the end of the month she will participate in a 3 day seminar and then the following Monday - school is in session....

Most of the tests are on line via a web cam... The software is state of the art in technology.. no way for cheating... which is a good thing... Because she will be on the UC/CS track - her finals will need to be at their headquarters.. all other tests will be on line.

Today - I started getting everything ready... Optimized one of the desk tops and added a web cam and mic.. Geek squad will be by soon to connect her desktop with the printers in my office. She will also have the capability to do her classes on her laptop... but for the time being though - she'll do it at a proper desk in the office....

What I like about this opportunity for my kid is that - she can study and learn mostly at her own pace. She is a brilliant girl and can succeed in anything she chooses to do.. The online school makes it possible for her do more... in a less stressful environment... If she wants to do a class in the evening - she can do that too... The stress of getting to school on time will no longer be a problem.. The wasted time between classes... the teacher taking attendance or helping other kids - will no longer exist... All her time in class will be "productive" time... and this is a good thing.

The school is like any other school... It has a newspaper... a yearbook.... community service groups... This is a very exciting for my creative one... She was on yearbook in junior high and loved it... Her talent for the written word is incredible.... Another cool thing is that she can now play more tennis with her coach... She can also take a few cooking classes for fun... Volunteer in the church sports program... take belly dancing classes... The possibilities are endless... In case you were getting concerned... No, not all opportunities will occur in the same time frame... My point is that she will have more time to enjoy herself as a kid... Get the education she needs for her future college dreams.. AND socialize in the right situations...

I have done my research and I believe that on line school is the wave of the future... With our state's deficits and less monies going to public education - it makes sense for on line school.. The overhead is so much lower.... The expense of books is gone - buildings to buy/rent - utilities to pay for.. The teachers work out of their homes... the classes are paperless (good for the environment). I also believe that this will be a good thing for the students.. Smaller class rooms and more individual attention....

I will let you know how it goes...

What are Your thoughts On Home/online school?

I love My 'Pooping' Dog...

I have to tell you that I love my Dog... She is the badge for my Kelly's Ideas blog.. She is adorable and cracks me up.... It must be nice to be her... She sleeps... She eats... She cuddles.. and occasionally she'll poop in the house..... She is very strange in this bad habit of hers... She likes us to watch her? I don't know... The door would be wide open and still she'll go for all to see - Not all the time but enough for us to call her our 'Loving Pooping Dog'..... This is not one of her finer qualities... But she is loved..... Right now I can hear her snoring... Evidence below....





One of her favorite spots is hanging out on top of my desk....

She loves boogie boarding in the pool but hates swimming... Whenever we are in the pool she looks for the boogie board and when she finds it - she walks onto it by herself.... and goes for a ride...


She is a total lap dog... King Charles Cavaliers were breed for this purpose.They are well known for being the dog of choice for the King of England... They are the largest "toy" size dog...




I have to say that she is by far the most loving and easy going dog I have ever owned... Not a mean bone in her body... She loves without reservation... I could learn a lot of that from her....

Sometimes You Gotta Piss Off Teach Them A Lesson

On the last day of school before Christmas vacation - I allowed my high schooler to skip her last class... The only activity in that class that day was a movie to pass the period - so I thought "why not?"

When school started up on Monday - I gave her the absence excuse letter to turn into the office... Tuesday evening comes and the school calls me advising me that my daughter was marked as truant and if her absence was not a truant to please be sure to have a signed note from the parent sent in no later than Thursday morning..... On Wednesday morning - I told her to go straight to the office and turn the note in.... I said to mark her hand to remind her.....

This morning on the way to school - I asked her if she turned the note in... And again she forgot... Soooooooo - I told her that I will walk with her to the office to turn the note in to make sure that it gets done...

Daughter: "No, Mom!!!!"

Me: "Yep - I've been telling you to turn it in since Monday."

Daughter: (I wish I could have taken her picture.. hee hee) "No, Mom - Please - I'll bring it to the office......"

Me: "No, I'm walking you to the office because next time I ask you to do something - you will remember..."

Daughter: (Gets out of car and starts walking very fast ahead of me)

Me: "Nik, if you continue to storm ahead me and show attitude with me - I will embarrass you more...."

Daughter: (She slows down)

We walk into the school office - they advise her to put the note in a box and to make sure her student ID number is on it..

Daughter: (she tosses the note in the basket)

Me: "Is your ID number on it?"

Daughter: (very loudly and disrespectfully) "I don't know, you wrote it!"

Me: "Well, they just told you to make sure your ID number is on it - so don't you think the best thing to do would be to check?"

Daughter: (smoke is coming out of her ears) "I didn't know..."

Me: (thinking "huh?" - picks up note "What is your ID number"

Daughter: (she tells me too fast... again too fast.... again I can't understand her.. Her attitude is beyond respectful and she is starting to cause a scene and many of the workers are looking at her...)

Me: "Nik, If you don't want this to happen again - be sure to turn your note in on time."

Daughter: (turns her back on me and storms out into the quad)

One of the things that I have learned about this particular daughter is that her appearance is more important than anything else to her.... And I knew that my walking with her to the office (sans make up - hair in a ponytail - and very uncool clothes) would embarrass her... It doesn't matter that no one is paying attention.... I think at this age - they assume everyone is watching them.... I have a pretty good idea that she will do her best for this to not happen again..

What have you done to Piss off teach your kid a lesson?

The Obligation Present.. The Obligation Anything...

One of my favorite things about Christmas is giving gifts... I love that much more than receiving... Crazy - I know... There are people in my life that I love and I will spend weeks.. months.. looking for the perfect gift.... There are also people in my life that are not into the gift giving thing and that's okay... Sometimes it's best not to give a gift because the other person may feel obligated to reciprocate and that's a gift that I so do not want..... The OBLIGATION Present.... I hate those!

I have to say - When I receive a present that is obviously an "obligation" gift it does hurt my feelings... I know some might say "suck it up" or "get over it".... Hurt feelings may be viewed as greed but it's not the item I am hurt over but the lack of thought that was put into it... I hope I don't sound like the kid who got clothes for Christmas rather than the IPOD touch with 1000 applications to play with.... Because that is not my intention... The best way I can describe this is that: The obligation gift could be a snow hat and gloves for someone that lives in Hawaii.. There's a gift... yep... But did the giver give any thought? I may be sensitive but I see that as a shout of "I don't care enough about you to think about you... but I have to get you something... so here goes....."

Obligation gifts are much like obligation "Let's get together"... A friend may say let's go to the movies... or lunch.. or whatever.. and you try several times to connect and the friend is not available or "doesn't know if they are available and will get back to you".... You never hear back but you find out that friend went out with someone else that particular time... It's the "I will do something with you ONLY if there is nothing else to do.." People can be careless and in that carelessness they are hurting others and they probably do not have a clue they are doing so...

This year I am going to try to be more aware of what I do and say... The gifts I give.. The casual promises and comments I make... I do not want to make anyone feel they are an Obligation to me...

Copying Other Parents....

One of the things I remember most about high school is trying to fit in.. Wanting my friends and others to accept me.. I was shy and unsure in many ways... And now that I am the mother of two teen girls - I have learned that the feelings I had were very normal... Self -esteem in teens can come in highs and lows... I think as parents it is critically important to praise our children often... and when we have to discipline or correct - it must be specific not general... I have not done a great job on this... Many times in my frustration - I will say things like "You always keep messing up" or "I just don't know if I can trust you".... Looking back on those comments - I realize how harsh they sound... They sound as if I had given up on my own child... But that is so very far from the truth...

Instant wisdom and the right words did not come along just because I become a parent.. And unfortunately, I know that I will continue to screw up time to time.... I pray that the screws ups won't cause harm to my kids... I pray that as the years continue to go by - I will gain the knowledge to say and do the right things...

I think to be a better parent... a better person... We can copy from those that do it right... I remember years ago listening to Tony Robbins speak - he said that the way he became successful was copying successful people.... Copying the things that work... As parents - we can copy traits and actions from others that we believe are getting the job down... Creating long lasting loving relationships with their kids...

I am currently reading a wonderful book called How to Keep Your Teenager Out of Trouble and What to Do if You Can't by Dr. Neil I. Bernstein. I am not done with the book but I have to say that the advise I am reading makes sense to me and I believe I can put much of it into action... The most important people in my life are my girls and I want it all for them.. I want them to be blessed with long, happy, and healthy lives...

How do you parent?