links for 2009-12-18
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Research points out the obvious, that our cancer is environmental: "I asked these doctors what they do in their own homes to reduce risks. They said that they avoid microwaving food in plastic or putting plastics in the dishwasher, because heat may cause chemicals to leach out." I'm not a purist or food nazi, but there are things we should avoid. If we know better, we should do it.
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Homeschooling seems to be vindicated once again as new studies following graduated students indicate that homeschooled students outperform their counterparts as adults. I wonder, however, if it isn't involved, caring parents that contribute more to that success than the actual act of homeschooling. (Homeschooling is great, but it is not a magic bullet.) Whatever the case, naysayers don't have much to stand on anymore. As a homeschool graduate myself, I love it when people confide in me that homeschoolers lack social skills. You have to know I love saying, "You know I was homeschooled, right?….No, I'm not kidding."
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December 18th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Amy, you said, “You have to know I love saying, “You know I was homeschooled, right?….No, I’m not kidding.”"
I can just picture the delight on your face as you watch the lightbulb click on in the eyes of the one who just told you that homeschoolers lack social skills.
Anyone who thinks that homeschoolers lack social skills should spend a day with MY family. Even the ones who are naturally shy and would rather be in the background of any social event are friendly, helpful, kind, and articulate. Then there’s the ones who LOVE people and delight in being the center of attention. With 12 kids and 18 grandkids, all homeschooled, I’ve had a lot of opportunity to observe them in social situations. Take a look at my granddaughter Emma at a recent dance recital. Notice how she stays right in the middle of the mat? She loves people. She lives out in the country with only two brothers and a sister to play with, far from any friends, and only goes to dance once a week. It hasn’t affected her social skills at all.
Becky (aka Dimples), the other one of my granddaughters in this post, is a bit shy. But that didn’t stop her from being on top of a tower of people!!
http://creeksidefamily.blogspot.com/2009/12/works-in-progress-show.html
Sorry for going on and on, Amy, but one thing I *hate* is when people dare to say to me that homeschooled kids are not socialized.
What’s new on the housing front?
December 18th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Janet,
Things are slow on the housing front. We’ve put out the immediate fire (with rearranging things, flying home the husband of the other family after he unloads his truck at our house tomorrow) and bought some time.
We’ve exhausted every single furnished housing option in the area, and so now we are moving onto unfurnished housing. This is an obstacle/hassle for us, of course, as the time frame is so short with it now down to 7 months’ stay. (Who wants to move 2 adults, 6 kids twice out of state within the same year?) But we’re working on creative options on how to fix that and work with it. It is actually cheaper to buy furniture than to rent it for that time frame, so I’m trying to piece together options for that. The first thing, of course, is to just secure a house. We’re currently working on a lease with someone whose property is an actual rental property (as opposed to his personal residence), so I have more hope that this will go through. It is easier to deal business with someone than having to deal with people and their emotions about their personal house (which I can understand, even if their discrimination is illegal).
Greg and I went out for dinner the night before last. There was a family that sat behind us with two terrors. They ruined dinner for us, and believe-you- me, I have a very high tolerance level.
I have offered references on our children, but nobody is open to that. I am also willing to send pictures of my personal residence, which in almost every case, is in far better condition than the house I’m trying to rent. (So that is frustrating.)
Everyone who has been in our house and sat with our children can’t understand why this is happening, but I also understand that it is not personal, since the homeowners have no idea who they are discriminating against. They are just very unwilling to have the conversation. Knowing that the Fair Housing Act prohibits them from saying so, they try to find another reason to reject us. Credit score is 800 and Greg has 2 jobs, but they make us jump through all these hoops, looking for a reason to say “no”. When they can’t find anything (except the kids, but can’t say that as a reason), they change the dates, refuse to take calls, etc. So it is a long process; it’d be better to just hear “no” at the beginning.
As a landlord myself and familiar with the business, I just didn’t foresee us having this much trouble…. I’d give anything to have a tenant with a real J-O-B and a credit score that had the word “hundred” in it.
Done venting. :)
December 18th, 2009 at 10:00 pm
I can’t believe they aren’t even open to reading references on the children.
This is a time of squeezing for you, you do realize. God is squeezing you like a sponge, to see what comes out. In other words, it is in the trials and frustrations of life that our faith is revealed for what it is.
Do you believe God owns the cattle on a thousand hills? (And the rental units in Florida!) Do you believe that He loves you, and that He is the Provider, and that He never leaves or forsakes His own? I know when it comes down to the wire and you have the family to consider, it’s hard to live by faith and trust God to provide… but that’s exactly what you have to do.
((((hugs)))) and prayers, too.
Love,
Janet
December 19th, 2009 at 8:44 am
That’s too bad that it’s hard to find someone willing to rent to your family. We had to find our own temporary housing for four months in California due to my husband’s job.
He works in Space Operations for the Air Force so I’m always interested to read about what rockets your husband has been involved in launching as I think some of them carry payloads my husband then deals with.
We ended up renting an unfurnished 3-bedroom apartment. We loaded as much of our stuff as we could fit in our
van and small car and bought the minimal amount we could.
The four kids slept on air mattresses and Dave and I slept on a thick foam mattress we bought at Walmart.
Our dining room table was a card table. Our sofa was a cheapo futon we bought at Walmart. Our “entertainment center” was a cardboard box. My “nightstand” was a plastic tote. Our “TV” was our laptop computer.
We used our suitcases as “dressers” for the minimal clothes we brought. Our kids had only a few toys that we bought once we were down there.
When it was time to move I sold three or four of the larger items (like the foam mattress) on Craigslist.
I did miss having real furniture but it was a great learning experience. I could’ve lived like that for quite a while longer.
December 19th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Oh, Amy. Do you have to tell them about the kids? Is that a legal responsibility? Do they ask on the application how many people will be living in the house?
I fully believe there is a person out there with a place for you. Why it has to be such a wild goose—or in your case, a cow chase—I have no idea.
Regarding homeschooling: My new SIL came from a large, homeschooled family. In many ways, she was very sheltered. They never celebrated Christmas, for example, so she isn’t 100% “American-culturalized”—which is what I think some people mean when they use “socialization” as a rip against homeschooling.
They are suspicious that homeschooled kids don’t know all the lyrics to Katy Perry songs.
My SIL is very socially savvy, though. She’s warm, bright, extroverted, delightful. I think this is the rule, more than the exception.
December 19th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Thanks for the encouragement, Janet. We’re under less pressure now that we’ve dealt with the immediate issues.
Anne, We did an even more basic form of what you did once. It is the reason I started a blog. It was 2005 and I was in a tiny 800 sf apartment in California with all my kids and cardboard boxes posing as tables for 7 months, air mattresses for sleeping, a $25 couch from a garage sale. (No, the couch wasn’t a deal; it was pretty much worth $25.) Anyway, as a diversion, I started a blog since there was nothing to do inside my “house” once I finished a ten minute cleaning.
Fun times! The furniture, or lack thereof, wasn’t an issue; it was that there was no yard for the kids to play (and no room in the apartment). We’ll make do, doing what we have to do to make an unfurnished situation work. I preferred to exhaust every single furnished house in the county first. Now we have some breathing room and time (since finding an arrangment for the people who were supposed to be moving in our house yesterday). Greg will leave without us to begin working, but we are used to him traveling all the time and can manage a few weeks.
Gretchen, Almost every application has “# and ages of occupants” living in the house, and that is a legal thing to ask (so long as that is not the reason you reject them…I know, right?).
December 19th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
800 square feet is small! How many kids did you have at that time?
“once I finished a ten minute cleaning.” That’s one thing I loved about the small apartment and not much stuff- I could clean and organize every closet and cabinet, fix dinner and do laundry in the morning. At least your blog came out of your time there!
I can understand you for wanting to find a furnished situation. LOL- I’ve seen some of those 25 dollar couches- not pretty! We didn’t have a yard either, but lived within walking distance of 5 playgrounds and right next to a giant beautiful park. That’s probably why I didn’t go crazy without a yard.
I’m sure you’ll figure out a situation you can live with but I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with this extra stress before Christmas!
December 19th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
Anne,
I had four children at the time, but it felt like 10 children before 8 a.m. everyday.
December 20th, 2009 at 6:08 pm
Amy, I just asked about your circumstances down the page aways….never mind. I’m caught up now. At least I think so. Praying for the best for you.
(())
December 20th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
A comment from this humble reader who knows nothing about life in FL. Seems a motor home would be a timely investment with tons of flexibility. If ya’ll need to travel with DH in the future you’d be good to go.
December 24th, 2009 at 8:38 am
(I just wanted to slip back here and whisper that I’ve been praying for all the Scotts and this time of transition… Hangeth thou in there!
He goes before you….
Merriest of Christmases…
All’s grace,
Ann)
January 6th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Talking about motor homes. I’ve got a friend on my car seat board who has 6 children and has been living in a motor home for a year now…
She’s got a public blog at: http://sixmaybemore.blogspot.com/