Education – Page 4 – Home's Cool!

'Tis the Season, Connect, Inspiring, Play

Where Is Your Favorite Vacation?

Posted on June 4, 2014May 22, 2015 by Katharine

I live about an hour from the loveliest little spot for a vacation. Seriously, it has EVERYTHING!

Let me count the ways:

Antiquing. Lots of antique stores for your viewing/shopping pleasure. One huge mall and many small near-museums with absolutely everything. Seriously, I almost hate to share this part of it. I want it all for myself…
Horse racing. If you’re into that. I’m not.
Art. Galleries galore, including such well-knowns as Kinkade and Chihuly, and several with geological finds that have been made into art, such as geodes. It’s been judged the fourth art-friendliest city in the nation.
Riverboat ride with dinner and live music.
Al fresco dining in a below ground restaurant–always cool by dinnertime.
Real museums, including a Tussaud wax museum.
Amazing architecture. Totally astonishing architecture, at every turn.
Breath-taking vistas
Impeccable groundskeeping
History, history, history–built with government moneys, yes, by your great-grandfather’s hands to keep your great-grandmother alive, before we paid people to do nothing.
Food. Oh my. And prices that make you want to live there. One whole restaurant devoted to the breakfast of your dreams. On fun place decorated all over with pennies glued to the walls. Another, gourmet and pristine, a sanctuary for its guests and for its workers, who are legal immigrants, escaped from Romania, who wait on you perfectly and cheerily, with charming accents.
Hotels. We’re talking, here, of totally expensive, but enchantingly historic, insanely beautiful, antique hotels…
And–tada–fountains. Fountains full of water so hot, you can use it to make your tea; so pure, it’s piped to the public straight from the ground, to drink. Famously healing hot waters…

And now you know where it is: Hot Springs, Arkansas.

So impressive, the first time I went there, I was five, and even then, I knew I had to go there someday when I could see the whole thing.

Been there so many times, and haven’t seen it all, yet. Talking about it (to my history-loving heart) is never overdone.

Our Grandfathers' Handwork — Our Grandfathers’ Handwork

For more photos, view here.

For more about Hot Springs, view here, and here.

So…Where is YOUR favorite staycation?

'Tis the Season, Light show, Science

STORMS for Friday!

Posted on May 21, 2014 by Katharine

Meteor Storm, That Is!

The prediction of a possible 15-20 meteors every minute for late Friday night, May 23, and early Saturday morning, May 24, excites everyone who’s ever stayed up to watch the night sky. DO let it inspire you to stay up, for the first time, if you never have before.

To find the storm in the night sky, just look at Polaris, the North Star, which you may find by tracing a line straight “up” from the front two stars of the Big Dipper–the two stars that form the front of the dipper. Or just face north and look up. You won’t be able to miss it.

Scientists predict the best time to be at the hour that is midnight in California or 4 a.m. in New York. Do your own math, there.

The fact that most excites me is the prediction of many fireballs and bolides. Check out this Website for cool graphics and information about those.

Won’t you join us!

For ideas on how best to make this happen, try this routine:

Select, in advance, an unlit place to view this glorious sight. An open field away from civilization would be good. Your own house, with a couple of street lights blaring, not so good.
Explain the plan to your children before you put them to bed. Go over a few pieces of child-appropriate science on the topic and answer questions. A globe might help. Don’t let them be scared; let your excitement sparkle as you explain the beauty and awesomeness of the event.
Put them to bed in outdoor-friendly clothing, just this once.
SET YOUR ALARM for 1/2 hour early. It takes awhile to get everything all around. Why miss a single event?
Rise on time, fix plenty of hot cocoa, or whatever warm drink you’d like them to have. Gather flashlights, sweaters, blankets, lawn chairs, bug spray, etc. and load into car if you have to drive to an unlit place.
Wake the children and bumble them outdoors or into the car. Set up your night-sky-watching station and begin the fun. It should be every bit as much fun as watching a fireworks display on July 4, but not as convenient an hour.
Be sure to explain to your children that most of the world will not get to view this because it will be daylight everywhere else when it arrives.

Have a wonderful time! I cannot wait!

Inspiring, Who's the mom here?, Wisdom

You’re Teaching Adults, Did You Know?

Posted on May 19, 2014August 1, 2016 by Katharine

Greuze, Jean-Baptiste - The Spoiled Child - lo... — Greuze, Jean-Baptiste – The Spoiled Child (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

“Did you notice?”

I asked my husband that question recently, and he just nodded.

We were watching an adult who acted just like a little spoiled child.

Ever seen that?

And how it’s harming us all?

Sure you have!

And there’s a remedy for it, an easy remedy.

And you can play your part.

We see so many adult-sized children floating around and directionless, these days because someone forgot to train them for their jobs.

(You know how immature you feel when you arrive unprepared–like a little bad girl…)

So where are the trainers for the adults who act like little rotten kids?

Look in the mirror.

You see, the training for the job of being an adult comes during childhood, don’t you think? And we adults must do the training.

There is no other really effective and efficient way.

I wanted my children to learn, during their childhoods, how to be great adults. Not greatly over-sized children.

I wanted them to arrive prepared.

I know you want the same thing for your children.

Let’s raise our children to maturity while we can; the day comes when they will rule us.

Let’s all think more about home schooling next year.

'Tis the Season, Home School, P.S. Fail., Wisdom

Not another dead child…

Posted on April 26, 2014April 27, 2014 by Katharine

At just after 7:00 a.m., at Jonathan Law school, a 16-year-old Connecticut honor student was stabbed to death (no guns in Conn.) because she did the honorable thing:

She told a boy who asked her out, “no”. She did not want to go out with him.

Do we wonder why? Did she know he was bad news? Did she not feel safe? Did she know his reputation?

Did she not even date? My daughter would have said, “no” because she was too young to date…

“The greatest concern we have is for students who are hurting will keep it inside,” Feser said. “We want them to know we are here for them.”

State Sen. Gayle Slossberg, D-Milford, said she has spoken with Gov. Dannel P. Malloy and he said the state is ready to provide whatever services it can.
Police were still on the scene investigating Friday afternoon. Mello said they expect the school to be open for classes Monday.

Really. Their main concern is that the kids won’t talk about their pain after a state-enforced exposure to murder.

Really. the governor is ready to do whatever. Right.

And school will continue, business-as-usual, as in murder-is-the-usual-and-we’ve-already-had-too-many-snow-days-so-please-get-over-it-this-weekend is the usual, in collective schools.

My heart is breaking and it’s not even my daughter, my child, my district, my state, or even my problem. It’s just a sweet little girl-woman murdered by a . . .

Meanwhile, local to me, law enforcement workers recently announced that in light of school violence leading to death, first-aid kits will be provided for every classroom.

Right.

Oh, also, instructions will be provided to every staff, as to how to apply band-aids and antiseptic ointment.

Right.

PEOPLE! Please, please, please homeschool.

_____________

Photo credit: A Call to Repeal ‘Citizens United’ (Photo credit: CT Senate Democrats)

“Particularly powerful testimony”

Once in a while, a story comes along that raises hope and silences critics.

Enjoy this true tale of Peace on Earth in the life of a teen.

New Path to Home Schooling!

English: Great Wall of China — Great Wall of China (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Look who is following along the home school trail!

Quite a story!

So, after you follow this link, come back and tell me this:

If any of these new homeschooling citizens run afoul of their government,

and turn to the US for assistance,

will THEY be ostracized, here, as the German families have been?

Hmm?

Survey: 18,000 kids in China are homeschooled (educationviews.org)
More Chinese parents opting for home schooling (wantchinatimes.com)
Homeschooling rare but growing in China (nzweek.com)

Connect, Home School, Pre-schoolers, Wisdom

Does your toddler know enough? Do you know how to tell?

Posted on September 18, 2013September 2, 2014 by Katharine

“Most of the answers left me not only saddened, but pretty soundly annoyed. One mom posted a laundry list of all of the things her son knew. Counting to 100, planets, how to write his first and last name and on and on. Others chimed in with how much more their children already knew, some who were only 3. A few posted URL’s to lists of what each age should know. The fewest yet said that each child develops at his own pace and not to worry.”

So began a tale that ends much more peacefully, and begins here. Read and enjoy.