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1. After studying non-stop since June, (and before that, nonstop from January!) Sam passed the CLEP biology test and has earned another 6 college credits. He now has 12 college credits. Although it has been slow going for Sam (we started trying CLEP since before mom died in 2009!) he is still ahead of the new college freshman who chose the regular college/university route. Anyone who says this isn’t a real education has never actually looked at the CLEP test or the test prep materials. Sam said that about 50% of this 90 minute test was focused on the cell, cell structure and function. A good portion was also on genetics. He wasn’t even sure that he passed it but he made it with points to spare. Good Job Sam!
2. Sam will be taking the weekend off for a well-deserved break – then he is going to start earning college credit in pre-calc with ALEKS and going back to re-take Analyzing Literature. Goal is to get one or both done before the holidays.
3. Scenes from our All Saints Day Party
4. Someone at church has purchased the Insanity workouts and is sharing them with the parish every weekday at 5:45 a.m. starting this past Monday. Sam and Gabe heard about it and decided that this was their chance to get those “six pack abs.” With that goal in sight, they over slept on Monday. They made it there on Tuesday, but Sam had to throw up after the warm up! Gabe made it half way through but Noah kept right on going. They left before it was over because Sam wasn’t feeling well. They over slept again on Wednesday but were very sore in their legs and arms. They made it for the “Recovery” workout on Thursday which emphasized ab work, but then they missed today. I don’t think they’ll be getting that sculpted abdomen they’ve been wanting any time soon at this rate!
5. Some of my last fall soccer pictures.
6. Elizabeth Foss has an excellent post today about older Homeschool kids. I found myself nodding through most of it. The children of some very devout and holy famlies – families that I respect and looked up to, have been very blatant in tossing out the values they were raised with.
There was the picture on Facebook of one homeschooled girl standing in a string bikini, in a pool, kissing a bottle of rum. Another homeschooled young lady that I remember holding hands with at a homeschool field trip when she was little, put up various pictures of her cleavage and abdomen. A few of the homeschooled boys started drinking and sleeping around – and I’m sure none of their parents expected any of that when they were homeschooling them.
I’ve had my own humbling experiences including a son who has for purposes, moved in with his girlfriend (and her mom and dad, but still) and another who sneaked out of the house and didn’t come back until 4:00 a.m. What I think we parents have to hold onto is that at some point, when their brains are finally matured and they get a heaping helping of sense, they’ll come back to the ways they were taught. For me, that happened during my first experience with childbirth and labor. For others, the mileage may vary, but we have faith that at some point the good faith training will take hold.
7. We were not alone on the homeschool hike this week! Lots of camaraderie and good conversation, as well as a very steep hill and two miles of hiking. I was pretty proud of myself that all the walking I did this fall paid off – I wasn’t tired, winded or intimidated in the least! I actually think I might like to walk that one again by myself as it was just enough of a workout to be challenging, but not overwhelming.
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