I'm officially a short-timer

Yesterday I gave my formal letter of resignation to my manager, and today I gave a copy to his boss, the director.

My manager has actually known for several weeks. Last week we told the director but didn't give a specific date. Today I talked to him and gave him a letter that had my resignation, effective August 4. I also told the administrative assistant at daycare that they boys won't be coming back in the fall. Knowing now will help them with planning and allow parents on the waiting list to know they have spots for the fall. A few people know of my intent to homeschool, but since the boys are not school age yet, my reason is that I am going to stay home with them.

I'm really excited (and a little nervous).

Memories about school

Some random memories about my school years

• having the lead female speaking part in the K play (Mrs. Claus), presumably because I could memorize the lines
  
• "teaching" the 2nd graders how to make a 6 pointed snowflake (when in 3rd grade) instead of a 4 pointed snowflake, even though I did not want to stand up in front of the class and talk
  
• being told that I made things too hard
  
  a science experiment, hot water, cold water, and food coloring; being asked what we learned; not knowing what to answer; the teacher being surprised I couldn't figure it out; being told "heat rises"; I already knew that and was trying to come up with something that I learned from it and couldn't come up with anything
  
• driver's license eye exam (not really in school)... answering the question that was asked and being thought a smart mouth
  being asked, "can you read the third line"; answering, "yes;" silence from the examiner; "well, read it to me then;" I was so excited about getting my driver's license and was concentrating so much that I just answered the question asked
  
• college computer class... answering the question that was asked and being thought a smart mouth
  being asked, "why did you do a, b, and c"; answering, "because you told us to;" being told by the GTA (whom I'd known for several years), "if that came from anyone but you I'd flunk you on this assignment; I had a killer headache and felt awful, I had no idea why we were doing anything in the assignment except that the end result was to get the lights to light up; I wasn't trying to be a smart mouth, I was just being honest
  

I'm not sure why these things came to mind tonight. The K memory is fairly neutral, but I suspect that I was happy or proud to have a speaking part. The others are situations or reactions that I hope my boys do not have to encounter.

DH and I were talking about the boys' memories earlier this evening. Maybe that's why I had some disjointed memories come to the surface. Earlier today DS1 told me out of the blue, "Austin's daddy told us about rocks yesterday. Yesterday a long time ago. It was March." Those statements are accurate. My son understands that yesterday means the past. The thing he was telling me about happened in the past, not "yesterday" as in the standard one-day-ago definition, but in the past 2 months ago.

Connections ezine of unschooling and mindful parenting

I hear about Connections ezine of unschooling and mindful parenting on the unschoolingbasics yahoo group. I'd like to read the articles, but don't want to take the time right now.

Michele's World: Literary Math Resource List

Michele's World: Literary Math Resource List -- a list of books with the mom's comments on how her gifted, but not math whiz, kids reacted and used them.

TPA Used Book Sale

When I entered the room last Saturday, I was almost as overwhelmed as I was when I first entered the exhibit area at the homeschool convention last year.

I primarily bought puzzles. One was a world puzzle with shapes approximating countries, another was Kansas with all the counties identified, and my favorite was 9 cubes with 6 puzzles on the sides. I also got a few books (some for church), 2 slates (for HWT if we use that), a "travel" set of MUS blocks, and a blow up globe. I was pleased to have spent less than $16 for so much stuff that it took two trips to bring it all in from the car.

Markboards and Chalkboards

Here are some Markboards and Chalkboards that could be handy for practicing writing or math. Some are lined; some are not. Some are one-sided; some are two-sided. Some have chalkboards on the back.

More than just Math

Talks from the founder of Math-U-See Foundation.