Math woes

Math has been a consistent problem in this homeschool. Yakov hates it, which seems a bit surprising from a musician. Shoshie doesn't like it either but she keeps pushing along. I am really trying to do something different with Noach. He is working in Keys to... now and we are reading Murderous Maths everyday, which he loves. The most disturbing thing is that they are ALL quite capable in math. So somewhere I screwed up. I like math so I don't think I passed on math phobia.

Shoshie and Yakov have been doing ALEKS this year. Shoshie will finish Algebra 1 in the next week or so and will start Geometry with Life of Fred and ALEKS as a supplement.

What to do for Yakov is really on my mind. He has a very good shot at an 800 on each of the verbal and writing portions of the SAT but his math score will not be good. We are looking for a math tutor. The two of us walked into a new business here, Mathnasium, earlier in the week. I think it would be a good place for SAT prep, working at least 2 hours per week until May.

BUT, sitting at a table helping another child was one of his least favorite members of the local homeschooling community, a woman who has attempted to spread all kinds of bs about my children in the past. Not solely my children. There have been numerous victims of her venom. I realized a few months ago that whenever one of her children gets in trouble, her defense is a strong offense and Yakov, and less so Shoshie, have been targeted several times.

He does not want to work with this woman in any way and we don't know whether he would have to if he started that program. I don't know what to do. I think I will call the owner and discuss more specifically how the program works. I really don't want to, and will not, badmouth this woman, not a courtesy she would extend to me, of course. PRM

Marshmallow making

While we waited for friends to come over this morning, Noach and I made marshmallows. I used the recipe from Farm School, one of my favorite homeschooling blogs. We rolled them in crushed candy canes when we finished. It is about 42 degrees outside and should fall to about 25 tonight. I think that is cold enough for hot chocolate. When our friend arrived, she told us she had made them with peppermint flavoring in them. I think I may try that next. Maybe a little red coloring?

With our friends, we played our new game from Hannukah, Apples to Apples. There were six of us playing and it was really fun. It would be even more fun with even more people. I'm trying to talk Shoshie into having a homeschool teen party here to play music and games. They probably won't let me play but it still sounds like fun. And I can use that event as the impetus to get the rest of the family moving to make the remodeled basement into a usable space. PRM

First night

Pictures pending.

We had fun. The first dinner was rushed because Yakov had a band practice. While he was gone, we played a rousing game of dreidel. Then we had gifts when he returned. After that, everyone watched old, lousy cartoons.

This week we are limiting screen time to one hour per day. The teens are bitching. It is too late to transform their interests. They do lots of other things and don't need to have computer time limited. Just because Noach should develop more interests, they shouldn't be punished. Etc, etc. I'm not buying it.

PRM

You know you're not swimming in the mainstream when

your teen's favorite ipod downloads are Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me and This American Life.

Come on in. The water's fine. PRM

Crisis time

It was crazy around here last night.

Yakov and his sister are headed to a YJ convention today and Y had not completed all his pre-convention work. This became an issue about 9pm. Not one to take care of things too early, he was in a state by 10pm. And of course, the older computer would not cooperate. And then he gets an email about his participation in the swing band and how they don't think he has been reliable enough.

He does need to develop some better organization skills. And I think the band, largely made up of middle-aged and older men, do not appreciate that Yakov, as a teenager, is not in complete control of his own schedule. When his parents make travel plans, he really doesn't have the choice to opt out and stay home. He loves that band. It is the only one he is in. We have made expensive arrangements for him to be at the next gig. So he is committed. But he is not the most organized.

And sadly, Yakov is nearly impossible to help with issues like this. PRM