Summer's out for the school year

Zero weeks until school starts.





















Today is in fact the day. It seems odd to start school 2 whole weeks before Labor day. Amy's school started classes last Monday so I guess I shouldn't complain.


I have been promising to post about our recent vacation. That doesn't look like it will happen.

Starting today, I will be including some vacations pics in the next few posts. That will have to do.

I'll be back tomorrow with the Carnival of Homeschooling. Right now I have actual homeschooling to attend to.

Next Time: A Panorama of Homeschooling

Overheard

Yesterday's post wasn't the warmest fuzziest post on the block. I decided to lighten things up a little to tell you two of the funniest things I've ever overheard.

1) A few years ago I passed by my manager's office space while she was in a meeting with another of her employees. The only thing I heard was the employee say, "I haven't fallen asleep at my desk again." He said it nonchalantly and so matter of fact, and I got the idea it was a
non sequitir.


2) Prior to the November 2008 general election, I was at a restaurant with my kids and an older married couple. They basically ignored us and had a conversation about a proposal on the Illinois ballot to have a constitutional convention. The wife was talking the ear off the husband and after he responded, she dismissed him by saying, "You don't understand politics. You've never even watched The West Wing!"

What's the funniest thing you ever overheard ?

Next Time: Summer's out for the school year.

Six Word Saturday

http://www.showmyface.com/ hosts an extravaganza called Six Word Saturday.

My Six: Swimming against the dead pool current.

A couple of my relatives are participating in a dead pool this year. A dead pool is basically like any office pool but instead of best actor or super bowl halftime scores you pick celebrities who you think will croak first (Kermit the frog excluded).

One of said relatives likes to talk about it all the time and preface it with "I know you don't like me to talk about this, but ..." I'm in many ways drawn to death. I used to have a page of my now defunct geocities site where I posted recent obituaries of the famous. I didn't have any qualms against calling the page, Currently Dead. But Death Pools? No Way!
I think there are just a few main reasons why I'm against death pools:

1) On some basis you are rooting for the death of someone else for your benefit. (Note: My relatives have no money at stake in their pool. Just bragging rights.) One of my relatives likes to tell me proudly who she picked correctly. The other is "jokingly" mad that someone on her list has been twice hospitalized but has not paid off for her.

2) I think it is insensitive to the families of these famous people to speculate on the demise of their beloved. Sometimes this speculation is on perfectly healthy famous people. Many dead pools give more points the younger the deceased. This point ties in and overlaps with my first. My relatives and I all lost a dear family member (my brother) in the past 18 months. I questioned one of my relatives about this asking her what would you say if I said "cool! I had Keith in my dead pool."? The reply was that He wasn't famous. But these famous people have relatives too. Where is the empathy?

3)The greatest reason I am against Death Pools is that it is counter to my entire philosophy of life: A)We were made by a creator for the ultimate purpose of eternal fellowship with Him. B) In life we have the opportunity to follow Him reject Him. C) Those who follow will have eternal fellowship, Those who reject eternal torment. D) As long as life continues there is opportunity to follow.

Many of you may not hold to the same philosophies as I do. That's not the point. The point is I would never want to hope in any way for the eternal torment of anyone. For me, participating in death pools or tolerating them would in my mind, be a way of doing so.

So thanks for visiting the Illinois Suburb of Downer's Grove today. You can participate in Six Word Saturday by clicking here.

Next Time: Overheard

Carnival of Homeschooling

This week's carnival of homeschooling is at NotesFrom a Homeschooling Mom. Please head there and check out the back to school edition.

I am hosting next week's carnival. My theme will be the panorama of home schooling. If you home school and you blog, you should think about participating. Here is some information about how to submit an article.

Next Time: A Family Playcation.

The writing on the wall.

One week until school starts.

This is the year that I attempt to teach all 3 kids at the table, at virtually the same time.


So here is what I did: I set out all the school work and made a plan of attack.

I then wrote out all the classes that each child would be working on on some index cards.

After a while the table looked like this . . .

Then with the help of my lovely and talented wife we pieced together a tenative schedule that looks like this . . .

Next Time: A playcation