My Top Ten Reasons to Use k12 Continues

This last spring, I began, through the inspiration of our off-campus enrollment, a ten part series on why I love using the k12 program. Somewhere along the line, I fell off my own bandwagon. I can go into further detail about that later. It feels good to be back on my own track.

My #4 top reason for enjoying the presence of k12 in my life...

On-line lesson planning.

Every morning, I log into k12.com check our daily lesson schedule, and attempt to set two kids into gear for the day.

Lesson planning isn't entirely done for me. I have to participate in the planning process just as much as the program does. I have to pay attention to everything Bigfoot and Beadgirl are doing.

If they need more work to do, I can add to their day. If they need to spend more time on certain material, I can adjust the daily lesson plan to meet their needs.

All of this on-line convenience sure beats writing out lesson material for everything. Before our discovery of k12, I was hand planning everything. That meant going through each textbook, deciding how much of what to cover, assigning it, and hoping nothing distracted the plan.

Like that never happened.

Wordless Wednesday: Being Themselves, Week 2

Wordless Wednesday: Being Themselves, Week 1

For more Wordless Wednesday, visitfiveminutesformom

I've resigned to being techologically impaired

By request, I'm bringing this post over from Yahoo. the original post was written October 5, 2007 on my Yahoo 360 page. I realize I am severely technologically challenged in the cell phone world. However, I do need to inform you that I have to date kept my Fire MotoKRZR for a period of one full year. And guess what! It still WORKS!!! I can't be more proud of myself.

In less than seven years, I have figured out I've owned or borrowed a total of ten cell phones. Yes, ten in less than seven years. It might be less than six years, I really don't know. I've had so many phones, I can't remember when I got my first one. I ordered number eleven today from Verizon.

I really didn't want to quit using the old Samsung thing I was borrowing from my father-in-law. I really did try to make it to my free upgrade period in January. Somehow, that just didn't work. The dropping of the phone into the toilet today didn't help. Now the screen doesn't work at all. I didn't try to drop it in the toilet. It just kind of flew into the wonderful porcelain princess.

I've only had one phone for a full twelve months and that was a Motorola V60i. That was six phones ago. I couldn't charge it. Why? I'm not an engineer. Paper clips, duct tape and rubber bands aren't in my language of creative uses. Rubber bands are for holding together groups of things so they can stay together in a junk drawer or school supply box. Duct tape is for temporary patches that are actually permanent. Paper clips are for keeping groups of paper together. Non of these are for charging cell phones unless you are an engineer. I literally would have had to rig it with the engineering tools of life in order to keep it working. I really did try to keep that phone for a full two year period; but couldn't make it past twelve. That phone was the easy insurance claim.

This latest phone was a borrowed Samsung. Borrowed only because my Motorola E815 (which I loved) fried before the warranty period was up form the insurance. The thing keeled over dead and they won't take it back without filing another claim. They sent me a refurbished phone, they should take it back. We decided if we were going to pay $50 for a replacement this time, we'd pay for a new phone instead of risking another piece of junk.

That phone came from the insurance because I decided it would be a good thing to throw my phone into the sofa. The sofa was supposed to prevent it from breaking on the laminate flooring. Did it? NO! It had to rebound off the edge of the sofa and fly into four pieces in four different locations. Unfortunately, the argument I was having was partially my fault.

Now that my new phone and all necessary gadgets are on the way from Verizon, I'll be on phone number eleven. Lets see how long i can keep this one. I will be good to this phone. I will not download ring tones until I have paid off the bill for the phone itself. I will not put on games so my kids think they can snatch it for idle boredom. I will not rack up the monthly bill with anything unnecessary such as sending photos to friends. I can email photos I take from the phone. I will be good. I will keep this phone until the full two year contract is up.

The Toothfariy Letter

As transcribed from the original letter, written by Beadgirl:

Dear Toothfairy,

You have given me money when I lose a tooth so I wood like to give you something. I hope you like it.

Katie

Along with the tooth awaiting departure into the land of child lost teeth, were two pieces of dark chocolate acquired from Tillamook, OR. Mmmmmmm.

Following the original note, was written the following follow-up note:

Katie,

Thank you for the treat. You are a very special girl. Enjoy your money.

Thootfariy

Yes, the toothfairy signed her half of the letter as Thootfairy. Maybe she was tired and wanting to go to bed. I;m sure she has a busy life chasing down the teeth of kids every night. I can imagine she'd be quite exhausted by the time she gets to our house. I'm not to sure I'd be able to

I saw this letter from Beadgirl and almost cried on my way to job #1. My trip to job #2 didn't fair much better.

Just How Much Did She Miss Him?

According to the world of Douglas Adams and Beadgirl: None at all.

None at all is exactly just how much she claimed to have missed him.

Conversations in the house during Bigfoot's week at summer camp sounded something like this:

"I'm waiting for the ice cream truck to come by today."

"Oh, okay. Just who is buying this ice cream?"

"I am, with the money I made from Dad washing cars."

"Okay. I thought you wanted to save for an ipod." As if she'll ever get to the ipod. She's too busy buying ice cream.

"Mom, if I want ice cream, I have to buy it today."

"Why do you have to buy it today?" Remember, buying ice cream today is more important than the ipod of tomorrow.

"So I can eat it before Bigfoot comes home."

"Oh, okay." Watch out Miley Cyrus, my daughter's future album download from iTunes just got replaced by a Choco Taco.

Ice cream truck comes through the neighborhood. Beadgirl makes her purchase, and proceeds to consume the ever so important ice cream. Life depends upon buying and eating as much ice cream as possible before the older brother comes home from summer camp.

She swore up and down all week that she didn't miss her brother all week. In fact, she claimed to be glad he was gone. Everyday, she would mention his name and declare she didn't miss him in the slightest.

Author's note:
I considered posting this in early August. However, due to the coming of DeMolay Leadership Conference and the Weekend of Friendship and Brotherhood, time delay was given. After summer camp, we spent the following two events in similar manner.

How much did she miss him?

None at All.

The k12 Top 10 Continues... Finally, We Come to Part 6

It's about time I found my notebook. Somewhere in the disaster zone at home, I left my notebook. Where it went, I had no clue until today. For the sake of this blog,and a few other whatnots, this notebook holds essential value. This notebook is life. It is the first source of on-the-road notes for the blog. This blog will survive without my laptop. However, without that notebook, all is lost.

With the notebook found, and the starting of a new school year, I'm setting out on a great mission. My self-imposed mission is, should I choose to accept it:

Complete my Top Ten reasons for using k12 series. I've spend way too much time not getting to the punch line.

Well, without further adieu, The Number 5 Reason I have for using k12...

All proprietary equipment is provided by the k12 corporation. If the science program calls for equipment, they send it. I don't have to spend my time and money hunting down scientific equipment. Most of this kind of stuff isn't easy to come across in the general public.

After all, do you really want to hunt down stuff like test tubes, beakers, and microscopes? No thank you. Not on our budget.

I appreciate the sending me of supplies well needed.