I'm trying hard to think of a post for my other blog. But what did my kids do yesterday? I know they learned something, I just can't put my finger on anything educational. Aengus wasn't really here much, though I know he did a lot on his camping trip. I can certainly come up with something for him. It's Noah I'm worried about.

What did he do yesterday? What does he do any day? All I can think of is what he doesn't do. He doesn't read, he doesn't write, he doesn't work on any math; he doesn't even watch educational TV anymore. He plays his guitar (good) and Runescape (good, but I think he's gotten about as much out of it educationally as he can). He watches videos on YouTube (I think a lot of music videos, so that's good) and emails his friends (OK, so that's socialization and writing).

I guess I've answered my own question: he actually is doing stuff. But it's what he doesn't do that has me concerned. I feel he should know more about history, should be able to express ideas on paper in a somewhat coherent and organized fashion, should be able to manipulate numbers beyond multiplication and division.

But all that will come in time, I suppose. Wait it out, Adesa. Every time I've gotten worried about academics in the past, it's always been a matter of waiting for his interest and maturity to catch up to my goals for him. And eventually, it all kicks in.

Wait it out, Adesa.

For now, what we need to work on is his work ethic. I'm very concerned that he's learned about the value of work from his mother, who never met an excuse she didn't like. I jokingly refer to him as "Half-Ass Hafford," but... well, the name fits. Not his fault, like I said: he learned it all from me. But I'm really getting worried that what was just a habit is becoming Who He Is. And no matter what he does with his life, he'll need to work hard at it. Motivation he can find on his own; determination must be cultivated.

I think that this is one of those dilemmas that all parents face, unschooling or not: to change (mold? guide?) our children or let them be who they are, despite the potential problems we see? To what extent do I try to step in and affect this path he's on? He is who he is, and I respect that. I don't want to impose my own ideas on him. And I really don't want him to get the message that he's not good enough just they way he is. I love him completely, lazy or not.

But I also don't want him to be a 30-year-old man who lives with his mom because he can't keep a job. Even worse, I don't want his future family to suffer financially (the way we have) because I didn't teach him better habits.

But how does a lazy person teach industriousness?

Beach Volleyball Bitch

The males in my house don't understand why I'm so upset. Every time I see beach volleyball, I rant and rave about the injustice of it all.

Exhibit A: The men's uniform.








Exhibit B: The Women's uniform.








Am I really the only one who can see what's wrong here?! And on top of all the blatant objectification apparently ingrained in this sport the world over, the Olympics even added "cheerleaders" to the volleyball venue:





Sheesh. Guess we haven't come such a long way, have we?

I just LOVE this kid!

My darling, innocent, wide-eyed angel has been building with Legos all morning. Why tell us this on this blog and not the family-friendly, education-oriented blog, you ask? Aren't Legos an unschooler's wet dream?

Well, yes they are. But wait 'til you hear what he was building:

A bar. A BAR! Complete with bartender, drinks, and patrons. I'll have to ask if one of those patrons is Mom... God help us if the bartender's him!

Attention, NBC

Your programming of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing SUCKS ASS. Sure, you posted the schedule of all the fencing matches on your website. You got us all psyched up to watch it live, then you proceeded to broadcast soccer, field hockey and hand-fucking-ball instead.

We didn't complain (much) when you didn't broadcast the women's sabre (even though a homeschooler took the bronze and the US swept the event for the first time ever), because we thought for sure you'd show the men's events. We woke up early because your website said the quarterfinals would take place at 7:10am -- nothin' but handball. OK, we thought, semifinals at 7:20 -- nope, field hockey. Finals at 8am? Hah.

We've given up on you, NBC. You may advertise that you have the most complete coverage ever, but it still sucks. Why can't you, in two-thousand-frickin'-eight, make the events "on demand"? Why can't we go to our TV's menu, select a sport, then watch it? Why is this so difficult? My God, teenagers can download porn right to their phones while they're sitting in class, but do you think we can watch a little fencing?!

What is particularly sad is that your programming in general, NBC, has been on the slide ever since Friends went off the air. From the looks of your fall line-up, there isn't much hope for the near future, either. Your Olympics coverage was the one bright feather left on the Peacock... til you fucked it up.

So is the Peacock now bald... or is it just dead? If the team fencing isn't broadcast, I'm declaring a DNR on the bird and never coming back to the networks.

Six Things Meme

I done been tagged, and I think this one's a good meme. It could keep me writing for hours! ;o) I won't be tagging anyone else, since I don't know too many bloggers, but feel free to jump in!

Steph says I should tell the people 6 things they don't know about me. Just six, Steph?

1) I share Steph's phone phobia. It's not a fear so much as an extreme discomfort. Much like poor money management skills, I believe this phone repulsion is a closeted characteristic with which many people suffer, and it needs to be addressed, publicly, once and for all. We who suffer from it must swallow our embarrassment, raise our keyboards, and SHOUT through the blogoshphere that we will no longer be shamed by our inexplicable avoidance of today's accoutrement of choice.

2) My mother's main goal for my upbringing was for me to graduate high school without becoming pregnant. To that end, she refused to discuss birth control ("You will NOT have sex"), and I ended up with a near miss. Whoever is in charge here knew I couldn't step up to that kind of responsibility, and I had a miscarriage. But I was so woefully undereducated about all things sexual that I had to ask my mother what was happening to me. Oy. That was NOT a fun conversation.

3) I pick. At my kids, my husband, at anyone who disagrees with me. At my nails, at my scabs, at a spot on the wall or a thread on the sofa. Can't just let anything GO.

4) I secretly yearn for an encounter with another man. I have several in mind, none of whom would hold a candle to my own husband, but still... it's my one fantasy.

Want the list? Here goes: Dan from high school (OK, he might actually make a good life partner), Mark the Marine (I'll tell you that story another time), Dan Radcliffe (but only if he's scruffy and his hair is zhoozhed, like on the Details magazine cover), Hunter Parrish (Silas on Weeds... I am LOVING the storyline with him and the neighbor boy's mom!!!), and Drake Bell (holy hell, get me away from children's programming already!).

5) As the above list testifies, I have been experiencing a bit of a mid-life crisis. How long are these things supposed to last, anyway? It's been about six years now, and I'm ready for it to be over. And by over, I mean "twenty-seven again."

6) Back when Jason and I were first living together, we were dirt poor. I know, I know: you'd think that after almost twenty years together, we'd have made some progress. Ah, but we have! Because back then, when we needed cash, we visited the priest at the Catholic church in the city. For forty bucks -- cold, hard cash, straight outta the collection plate -- all Jason had to do was take off his glasses and pretend he was watching Father John masturbate. With some other young guys, since an audience of one was not enough, I guess.

Us girls? We got to eat the cookies leftover from Sunday School. Good deal all around.

Luckily, it's been a LONG time since we've been that poor. But in case gas prices don't come down anymore... Do any of you know of any clergymen with unfulfilled needs?

No, Really!

Nothing like screaming about being "back," then disappearing for a month, eh?

Sorry, folks, just a few technical difficulties. It's called "buying a Toshiba laptop," and it can sink an internet experience faster than you can say "they even had to cut their warranties to just 6 months."

But I'm not bitter.

Luckily, I have many wonderful, generous people in my life. I had several offers for computer donations and am currently blogging from my first-ever iMac.

I'm still not sure in what ways a Mac differs from a PC. So far, I've found the differences to be pretty subtle, along the lines of what you might find when comparing different versions of the same Windows program.

But none -- NONE -- of my software is compatible with this machine. Erg. What we sacrifice for our children, eh? Because you see, we took our friend up on her offer for the Mac because Noah can now download Apple's Garage Band, the music editing software that musicians everywhere claim is da shit. Here's hoping it's all they say it is.

Cheers!