C-3PO: ”His high exaltedness, the Great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediately.”
Han Solo: ”Good, I hate long waits.”
C-3PO: ”You will therefore be taken to the Dune Sea, and cast into the pit of Carkoon, the nesting place of the all-powerful Sarlaac.”
Han Solo: ”Doesn’t sound so bad.”
C-3PO: ”In his belly you will find a new definition of pain and suffering as you are slowly digested over a thousand years.”
Han Solo: ”On second thought, let’s pass on that, huh?”
Star Wars VI: Return of the Jedi
Waiting is painful to me. Waiting for homeschooling to start each year is doubly painful. Toss in a new style of homeschooling – math, writing and history/science lessons in the morning and revolving topical lessons in the afternoons – and you’ve got a recipe for waiting disaster.
This is because I’m a planner by nature, no doubt I was born with a schedule book in one hand and a freshly sharpened #2 Ticonderoga pencil in the other. (My mother must have been in agony.) If given too much free time, I begin to “tweak” the homeschool lesson plan ad nauseum.
- Oh, this looks good. Add that in.
- Really can’t ignore that, it’s so interesting. Add that in.
- I never knew the library had so much on this topic. Add that in.
- Well, this exhibit just sounds fabulous. Add that in.
You get the idea. Before too long, I’ve got so much scheduled that Dad Windu and I would have to tag team lessons just to get any sleep. As for Padawan Learner, he’d get no sleep at all – let alone time for eating, playing, or taking a crap. On the flip side, his room would no doubt stay much neater.
I noticed early last week that I was moving into crazy over planning mode, so I took drastic measures. I walked to the library and checked out every last Agatha Christie mystery that I hadn’t read yet. I have a goodly stack (arranged by order of publication because, yes, I am that tightly wound thank.you.very.much) and have been working my way through them at a pretty good clip.
PL expressed concern at first about me reading so much, so feverishly, until I explained my reasoning. He has been almost throwing books at me now whenever I get within 20 pages of a book ending. “Keep reading, Mom.”
“PL expressed concern at first about me reading so much, so feverishly, until I explained my reasoning. He has been almost throwing books at me now whenever I get within 20 pages of a book ending. “Keep reading, Mom.”
That’s really funny. It IS. And I get it, too.
I have a HUGE stack of books that Tami loaned to me. And I haven’t even read one of them because I am too busy OBSESSING.
Heh. Yeah, I get that way at the start of the homeschooling year and at various times throughout. I think, “Ohhh, he’s capable of this, and this looks fun, and etc.” This year, I forced myself to take a Chill Pill at the beginning of the year! So far, so good.
Just keep reading.
OMG! If I had my way . . . we’d learn EVERYTHING. Rest is for the weak. WHO NEED IT?!
I have scared my entire house with my madness. The other day I decided we HAD TO take the boys to China. For a week to study. I didn’t care that we can’t afford it, or that Ian has a pesky job.
I am out of storage space for books, and projects yet I still find stuff that we MUST DO! Keeping in mind my kids go to school (for part of each day) and Ian thinks I am NUTS. But, it all just looks so fun.
My question to you is this: do you find the PLANNING much more fun than the DOING? I always do. This interest-led learning experiment is probably going to send me to the funny farm because I hardly get to plan ANYTHING. But the boys are certainly enjoying themselves. Sigh.
I’m glad I’m not the only one. I have file folders filled with enough lessons for 3 years of work. Every time my son shows any interest in anything, I go bonkers finding projects and lessons to go with it. I do enjoy the planning though!