A Sociable Sue trying to be a Perfect Paula teaching a Competent Carl

For those of you who have NO clue what I'm saying, allow me to elaborate. :)

My mother is the most wonderful person on earth. Really. She's fantastic. She was so organized as a child my grandmother used to take her friends into my mother's room and show them how perfect it was. She even earned the nickname "Peggy Perfect" from friends and family as a school-aged child.

So you can understand that her perfectly organized, extremely type A, beautifully wonderful person is, in Cathy Duffy's terms, a Perfect Paula.

I spent my whole childhood knowing I wasn't like the other kids. I didn't learn like them. I didn't look at the world the way they did. Music was background noise to them. It was what moved my soul. My entire being focused around my music because it was a way I could please the people around me using my gifts. I am a Sociable Sue.

People often think chatty people are Sociable Sues. That's not really what it's about. Sociable Sue's are the textbook people pleaser. We don't come second, or third. We put ourselves at the bottom of the list and devote 100% of our energy to pleasing other people. We're often artists and musicians. Our entire and total language is making other people happy. It's truly where we find our bliss. It's our every happiness.

Being the daughter of a Perfect Paula, I tried to be like my mother. Always having it together. Always being perfect. Always trying to do it all, have it all, be it all. Because, in my heart, I wanted to BE like my mother. It would make her happy. It would make the people around me happy. People LIKE Perfect Paula's.

It's kind of the ultimate irony.

So, up until a few weeks ago, I was a Sociable Sue trying to be a Perfect Paula teaching a Competent Carl.

Perfect Paula's make great homeschool moms. They're the ones who have it all together and have the perfect curriculum and perfect little smiles on their 6 perfect children's faces.

Reading Cathy Duffy's 100 Top Picks for Homeschooling Curriculum opened my eyes. To me this book was SO very much more than about homeschool curriculum. It showed me, in simple black and white terms, why I couldn't possibly be happy with what I've been doing.

Because I can't be a Perfect Paula any more than I could be those kids on the school ground. I can't learn the way they learn. I can't do things the way they do them. Because I'm not a Perfect Paula. I'm just not.

I'm a Sociable Sue.

I'm vibrant with piles of energy. I love people and I love to be surrounded by them. I'm a free wheeling, fun loving, crazy to the point of almost being insane person.

And somewhere in the middle of trying to be the perfect mom, the perfect wife, the perfect person, I forgot I needed to be me too.

I forgot to embrace that side of me. To be happy and free. To be that person with a crazy love for life. I forgot what it was like to dance in the rain..yes, literally dance in the rain. I dragged a bunch of my college classmates out of the building one day in the middle of a class and we went out and danced in the rain.

That's who I was.

That's who I AM.

And now that I've found it again, I'm not letting it go. I'm not going to try and be something I'm not anymore to try and make the people around me happier. I'm going to be me. Crazy, fun loving, emotional, borderline psychotic but so much fun to be with you just can't put me down. I'm that wild book you always wanted to read, that crazy woman in the movie that, secretly, you wonder what it would be to be like. I'm a lounge singer, a church cantor, and I sing lullabies to the most beautiful, wonderful little boy on this earth.

I AM ME.

And I'm not hiding anymore.

The Homeschool Handbook Review

I'll freely admit I'm not a big blogger, but it was easier to write down my thoughts here and organize them.

I just received a free copy of the current issue of The Homeschool Handbook. First off, I'm blown away and amazed at both the content and variety. I'm always on the lookout for new "Mommy" resources that are helpful, uplifting, and cover a wide variety of issues.

Some homeschool magazines are very narrowly dedicated to primarily one thing. They seem to pick one area to focus on in homeschooling such as curriculum reviews, teaching methods, working with younger children, etc. The thing that surprised me most is there really was something for EVERYONE in this magazine...and that's quite a feat when you consider how vastly different homeschooling families can be.

I found articles on everything from teaching primary colors to educating ADD kids. There was a plethora of information presented in a fun, engaging format that was both easy to read and simple to use.

My FAVORITE feature of this particular magazine is in the back. There's a HUGE list of all the advertisements and discussed curriculum indexed by page number with website listings. No more digging through trying to figure out what on earth this or that was. It's a HUGE asset to this magazine and a wonderful addition for moms like me who are always searching and forgetting where they found a certain resource. Simply Fantastic!!!

I can definitely say I would recommend this magazine to any homeschooling mom. There is valuable information there for every parent to find.

Congrats to our Illinois Friends

Friends and Families in Illinois, thank you for standing up for your freedoms!!! I couldn't be prouder of each and every one of you.

Here is a link to a video of the 4000 homeschoolers who gathered to have their voices heard. JOB WELL DONE!!!!

Seuss-Schooling

I'm often quoted as saying I "Seuss-School". On a boat, on a train, in a car, on a plane.

:)

Many Moms ask how we keep going "on the go" so often and don't miss a beat when it comes to DS's outstanding education. I'm often asked when I pack for a trip "Where are you going NOW!?!?!?!" lol It cracks me up but truth is we both like being on the go and relish our chances to explore the world.

Here's how we make it happen.

When we're on the road, we use an expandable file folder with 13 pockets. Those pockets include EVERYTHING that needs to be accomplished for the day. He can do them in any order he wants, I don't care. I just want it accomplished before bed, the end of the car trip, whatever. In those pockets are everything from a worksheet or two, to a science experiment that can be performed at a stopping location, to a history lesson involving another stopping location for the day, to directions to complete a computerized lesson, to a deck of cards for a game of Rummy.

These "activities" serve two purposes.

1. I survive the trip without needing to use duct tape. :)

2. He schools on the go with VERY little help from me. He can keep himself busy and occupied. He also has the added ability to physically SHOW others that homeschooling WORKS.


About a year ago, we were taking Amtrak to visit family. We like to hang out in the lounge car. Lots to see and do and we usually get into conversations with all KINDS of entertaining humans. DS curled up in a seat and since there weren't any kids around settled down playing his Leapster while a talked with an elderly lady and a college student.

The older woman looked over and said, "What's that game thing he's playing with?" DS hopped over and showed her his Leapster, explaining the features and letting her see what it did. After he went back to playing on his own she turned to me and said, "I had NO idea things like that existed! Why, kids don't even need school anymore! They can teach themselves!!!"

I could have burst with pride.

YES, he can teach himself. I'm THRILLED he can do it. I'm ECSTATIC he WANTS to do it.

And I'm very happy that he's keen on doing it on the go.

Now I'm off to create another Seuss-School plan for this week when we take another 2 day train ride. Not sure we'll be doing much off board with the weather but I think a unit study on the Mississippi River might be fun.... :)

Children Will Learn When They're Ready To Learn

How many times have you heard that thrown around a Homeschooling board???

Quite by accident, we have proven that right.

Our little student struggles with math. He's 7, ahead in everything but math and writing.

In November when my family was visiting, they were well meaning, but very concerned about his math. He was struggling with basic addition....greatly.

In Dec, I threw my hands up at schooling and took that month off because J2 was home from work. J3 spent his "schooltime" playing JumpStart and Leapster Explorer.

We just ran through a set of addition flash cards - 0+0 thorough 12+12 - 55 random problems. Guess who got 54 out of 55?

Yup

MY SON

Say it with me:

CHILDREN WILL LEARN WHEN THEY'RE READY TO LEARN