Monday, October 13, 2008

A frustrating day and The Big Escape. (Oh, and a little politics!)

Ever have one of those homeschooling days where the kid just sits in front of his handwriting and spelling list and stares at them -- for what feels like hours?! Now, I'm usually one of those "logical consequence" disciplinarians. "If you don't do your handwriting and spelling, you can't get to your journal, math, or reading. Then we all have to do science and history. And until you finish it all, there's no TV or computer. Any time you're ready. Your choice."

This, of course, implies that I can stand ignoring him for that long. Part of the problem is that he disrupts our science and history, which the three of us do together. And do I feed lunch him if he doesn't finish his math? And is it legal to just whack him over the head? 'Cause I think that might work best. I resorted to the yelling method of discipline today, which I'm sure isn't endorsed by the NEA. *sigh*

Well, we're packing up to go to Auntie's house in the mountains on Wednesday. The kids now have enough long pants, and I've mostly finished making their fleece jackets. (Gotta get on that.) I don't have anything washed or packed, and I have food co-op meeting tomorrow night. Scary. Every time I go on vacation or to a cocktail party, I always reach the "no wanna go" stage. I think I'm almost there by now. No wanna go!

But Auntie's husband has been griping for years that we never come to visit them, so now that they're within a day's drive, I have to go. The kids have never seen leaves change (not that they remember anyway), and we've finished our tree and leaf unit, so it's now or never. I'm just not sure I'm crazy enough to do this. I mean REALLY. What was I thinking when I agreed to this?!

And Uncle may be there. Eew. My pedantic, conservative, republican brother. The one who called me "an America hater" on the phone last week for being a democrat. I was floored. I have personally never hung up on someone -- until last week. I always assumed that 99% of republicans are nice reasonable people, but apparently not. That, or my brother is on the fringe. I don't think he's going to those McCain rallies where people scream "kill Obama," but maybe. I can't tell you how sad I am that John McCain's campaign has come to this. And then the crowd boos him when he asks them to be more respectful.

A year ago, I really thought that John McCain was an honorable man whom, if his economic policies were more liberal, I could actually vote for. He's lost all that in the last month or two. He traded his soul for a chance to become president, and it may not have been a good trade. It's really sad. ("No, no, don't hold back; tell us what you really think!" LOL!)

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