She likes textbooks

It's something I fought tooth and nail; but my child is a textbook learner. She doesn't want to learn through fun experiments and living books. She's a "give me a textbook and leave me alone" type of gal. Seton, here we come!

QOTD

April 9, 2011

"In order for an act to be a crime - there must be a victim. Anything that is voluntary and honest should be tolerated regardless of whether we agree with it. Part of the price of freedom is allowing others to be free"
- Scott Banister

Much to the disappointment of my father, I am not a Republican. Don't fret Daddy - I'm not a Dem either. Lol. I'm a Libertarian. I know, I know. You're rolling your eyes at me right now. Libertarian sounds much like "liberal" to you.
It took me years to find my place in the world of politics and parties. I did the Republican dance for a long time. It suited me much better than the Democratic ideals. When I started college and found myself enamored with my poli-sci classes, I remember being confused with it came to the history of political parties. Our textbooks claimed that the modern day Repub party was founded on a basic principle of "personal freedom" and "individual rights".
Whhhaaaat? I remember my jaw dropping. My entire life (up to that point) had been filled with "do's" and "don'ts"... related to the political arena. What personal freedoms are they speaking of?
Republicans (not to offend my Repub friends) do indeed believe in personal freedom and individual rights, so long as those you take advantage of fall in line with their conservative agenda.
I remember a saying... although I can't remember who said it... "Republicans want to be your daddy and tell you what to do, Democrats want to be your mommy and hold your hand through everything".

Can't there be a middle ground? Can't we hold people accountable for their own lives, their own actions, their own decisions... affording them the right to make those decisions (whatever they may be) regardless of damage done to them personally, not stepping in until their decision infringes directly on the rights of another?

"Your arm can only extend until it touches my nose"

So I came to my conclusion a couple of years ago.
I am a Libertarian.
Personally conservative in many things, but politically Libertarian.
In other words, while I enjoy being a traditional wife, a stay at home mother, a practicing Roman Catholic, anti spanking, anti cry-it-out, vaccinating, everything is okay in moderation Nut Job... I have none of the arrogance that would be required to successfully insinuate that anybody should be happy with the same. I have absolutely no desire for everyone to be like me. I have no delusions that my way of living is the *right way* for everyone. It's right for me... and that's good enough.

Tough Lessons in Life

So we did it. We finalized our enrollment in an accountability association so we can home school our oldest. We are pulling her out of school next Friday.
It's nerve wracking. I hope I can do it. I hope I don't disappoint her. She wanted so badly for her first year in public school to go well. The things she hoped to gain from it were so... innocent. She wanted to eat in a cafeteria, wear "regular" clothes, go to school with her neighborhood friends etc. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. The year started with bullying of a racial nature and is ending with bullying of an academic nature. She is dyslexic. Not a curse. By far not the worst thing that could happen. We (my husband and I) refuse to approach this "dyslexia" as an enemy to be worked against. I hope to approach as simply something that *is*... something to be worked *with*, not something to be overcome.
Autumn just wants to be "normal". She wants to read "normally". She wants to learn "normally". Explaining to a 9 year old that "normal" is an incredibly subjective and misused term to use towards a person's aptitude and learning style... is difficult, to say the least. She thinks that just because she doesn't learn the same way her classmates do, that somehow makes her "abnormal". I love how society preaches tolerance of "differences", but calls it a "disability" in a child if it presents the least bit of challenge for the accountable adults.
She hasn't a disability. What idiot decided to coin children that walked a different path as "disabled" or even "different"? I thought it stood to reason that since we (as humans) love differently, laugh differently, talk differently, aspire to different things... we may act differently and learn differently too. Apparently I was mistaken. APPARENTLY, if a child exhibits any sign of not fitting in completely (academically and/or socially) there MUST be something "wrong".
Poppy cock.
So next weeks begins our home school journey. We have picked out the curriculum, spent hours reviewing resources, tips, co-ops, support groups, teaching/learning methods etc. We are going with a Catholic base, a Classical approach.
Should be interesting with a toddler in the house too. Lol.

March 15, 2011

Figuring out this blog (and how it works) is more difficult than I thought it would be! Lol.

Dinner tonight!

Chicken and Asparagus with Pesto Sauce, penne pasta
Definite family favorite. Autumn always asks for more!
Recipe under "Recipes" tab!

QOTD - March 14, 2011

He that would make his own liberty secure, must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he violates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself.

                       Thomas Paine

US patriot & political philosopher (1737 - 1809)

This quote is an ideal that America first attempted to define Herself with. We were (supposed to be) a Nation within which personal rights and liberties took precedence over "the greater good". It was assumed that if every person's individual rights were protected, it would lend to that "greater good".

It is my firm belief that so long as a person's decisions, rights and liberties do not directly infringe on the rights of another, those liberties and decisions should be protected, tolerated and respected - regardless of whether you agree or disagree. Thomas Paine was so undeniably CORRECT in this sentiment. You get what you give in life - and if you neglect in protecting the rights of your neighbor, you can expect the same in return. Eventually you WILL make a decision that seems right for you and your family, hold a belief strongly or take advantage of an individual right that seems of the utmost importance to YOU... but that others will disagree with. Unless you live your life as a programmed robot, changing tide to suit others, you will need the support of others to continue on with the things that YOU consider important in life.

Personal beliefs, ideals, values and morals are completely subjective. The next time you want the government to pass laws denying gays the right to marry, your neighbor from buying cigarettes or your best friend from having an abortion, please remember that the choices you make today, you have to live with tomorrow... before speaking out against a choice that another makes, ask yourself if you would want the same courtesy extended to you.