Christmas stream of consciousness
I published the Five Frugal Things post yesterday instead of today. Whoops.
So, hows about some miscellany/stream of consciousness for today?
(random photo of a dried-up hydrangea, to go with a random post)
Let's see. What's newsworthy and not-yet-blogged-about in my life lately?
Welp.
I got Joshua signed up for college classes, starting next semester. He's a junior, but he can take college classes at the community college for half price while he's in high school.
Can I brag on him for a sec?
(This is a thing moms with blogs can occasionally do. Heh.)
To start off, he had to take a placement test that all new students need for English and math. The guy administering the test told us 90% of high school students test into remedial math first and he suggested not taking it. (??)
(Joshua can math better than Math Dinosaur.)
But Joshua and I thought he should go for it, and he did, and I'm pleased to say that he tested into the highest math and the highest English.
(All the administrators who saw his test scores were very impressed.)
I know my kids are not the sum of their test scores or anything, but I'm still pleased that Joshua did so well.
Even though I'm not really big on tests, it's sort of nice, as a homeschool mom, to get some positive standardized feedback. And it's delightful to be reminded that it's not necessary to experience years of standardized tests in order to do well on one.
Also, I am very proud of Joshua (ok, and me too) for hanging in there and working really hard on math even though neither of us love it.
The English part of the test...well, that I am less proud about because words come way more naturally to us than numbers!
I always think that hard work on things that don't come naturally deserves way more credit than hard work on things that are fun/come naturally.
Incidentally, when I was standing in line at the college cafeteria, a young student asked me how many finals I had left. Considering I'm 2 years shy of 40, I feel like that was a serious compliment.
Or maybe she is just really bad at judging age.
Or she thought I was a really old college student.
I'm gonna go with compliment. 😉
Think positive, I say.
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This December, I am remembering the Month of Pneumonia that we had last year at this time (everyone but me got pneumonia!), and I am super grateful that no one at my house is sick.
Honestly, I feel grateful mostly for their sakes but also for mine. It's hard to be sick, but it's also kind of hard to be the only healthy one in a houseful of sick people.
However, it's not as hard as trying to take care of people while being sick myself, so yay, immune system. Thanks for coming thru for me.
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I'm doing pretty great with my Christmas shopping this year. I'm done shopping for almost everyone, and I've helped the kids get all of their shopping for each other done too.
Yay me!
Unfortunately, I have not made my annual photo calendar for Mr. FG's grandma yet. Must get that done.
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There are some non-negotiable Christmas traditions that I feel like we need to do each year or it's not Christmas, and we did most of 'em already.
(Amazing what happens when no one has pneumonia.)
We got a Christmas tree, decorated it together, made Christmas cookies together, shopped for presents, and put up outdoor Christmas lights.
Basically, I just need to make Pfeffernusse and bake some goodies for our neighbors and I am good to go.
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We are enjoying week one of our annual 3-week Christmas vacation from school.
We've taken a long Christmas break for many years, and I feel 100% not-guilty about that because we go at it pretty hard the rest of the year, and we always finish our work in early to mid May.
So I feel like a 3 week Christmas break is quite justifiable.
It is also quite marvelous.
Related: Isn't it interesting that the last 3 weeks of summer break seem so short (ACK! Summer is almost over!!! The sky is falling!!), but when you have 3 weeks off in December, it seems like a vast expanse of time? Or is that just me??
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How's holiday prep going at your house? And if you've got school-age kids in the house, when does your break start?
Wow that is awesome. Joshua is going to do so well with his classes. Definitely gives me motivation to continue homeschooling although we are just in the kindergarten stage. Well done Kristen! IN germany we always had a 3 week Christmas break...summers were only 6 weeks though 🙂
I just noticed I am the first commenter...ha I should get a priz
e for that right?!
Good job to both the teacher and student! I'm not bad (not great either) at math but the way math is taught in schools now makes me feel like I'm learning it all over again with my sons. I'm not a big complainer of it though, I know many people are.
My kids have two weeks 2 days off and so does my husband. Christmas is a weird subject for me. We don't celebrate even though we are Christians. That is a story all to its self. For years I was determined to forgo anything Christmas-y. The last couple of years, now that my kids are out of toddler-hood, I'm feeling myself relax a bit. When they were little we spent the time off just being together. We'll do that too but, we're adding a few traditions in. Seeing a local light fest and a few gifts at new years. We may start some new ones this year. We spend a bit more on birthday gifts on our children than we would if we did a lot in December. It occurred to me this year that I should explain that to the kids!
Huge congratulations to Joshua! What wonderful validation for him, the student, and you, his teacher! And congrats on being Christmas-ready. I was doing pretty good, but stressing about a few things, until I put it into perspective: at 12:01 am this morning, our sixth grand baby was born, a baby girl, by emergency C-section; my daughter was in early labor and she and her husband went on to the hospital, so I went and sat at their house while the other 2 kids were sleeping, and Violet was born a little after midnight...I could care less about anything left undone for Christmas. My daughter lost blood and is getting a unit right now, but is ok, and the baby is perfect, 6 lbs 6.8 oz. Thank you, Lord.
Congrats to you and your family. So glad to hear everyone is OK. It sure does put a lot of things in perspective.
Christmas shopping is one of those things that I'm actually very organized with! I keep a spreadsheet and shop throughout the year when I see great deals pop up. We keep a strict Christmas budget for gifts for friends and family because we have a very large brood - so making the most of that budget is vital!
Our daughter is 2 and so far the only Christmas-y tradition we've started is getting a live Christmas tree. We always had them when I was growing up on the farm, and I just love the smell!
I have found that taking a summer break for us doesn't work-we all go nuts! So instead I take off between Thanksgiving and New Years and then we take August off to recharge our batteries before September. I adore this arrangement.
Way to go, Josh!
Your hard work (and that if your awesome mom) has paid off!
This is the first year (in many, many years) that I'm both not working right now, nor do I have an ill elderly relative to care for. It's given me perspective on how insane my pace (holiday or otherwise) has been in recent history. This from someone who loves quiet, simple, and low key.
So all my shopping is done (I don't do that much), some stuff is wrapped, I've started some holiday baking, we got a tree (not yet decorated)
The biggest joy this year, however, is the gift of time. I've made time to volunteer weekly at my church, I'm regularly visiting my elderly uncle who lives out of the area, hosting an extended relative and her kids who are going through a rough financial and emotional time right now.
I'm making dinner every night, and spending a lot of quiet time at home with my son and husband.
Time is better than any material "gift" in my book. I know things will get busier in February when I return to work, but I'm so appreciative of my chance to really "slow" a busy time of the year! Much thanks for your blog as an inspiration!
Way to go, Joshua! (and mom!) My 3rd grader will have to take the standardized tests at the public school this year. He does well in school, but I'm unsure of how he will do in a new situation.
I'm trying to figure out if we will take a 2 week break from school. It's so hard to get back into the swing of things after a break, plus the structure works well for us. My boys would be on board though!
Enjoy your break and Merry Christmas to all of you!
VERY impressive work Joshua (and Mom!). Does this mean Joshua will be driving himself to college starting January?! How can the time have gone by so quickly?!
Nope, he's got a learner's permit right now but not a full-fledged license.
WTG Joshua! and mom too! What classes will he be taking ? Best of luck to him!
He's doing algebra and a music class. So, something hard and something easy. 😉
So awesome for Josh (and you!) Validation of all your hard work and such a validation of home-schooling!! These are exactly the concerns that we all hear about homeschooling -- as a public school teacher I hear 'em all 😉 -- and just look at the fabulous results. You guys hit it out of the ball park and must be so proud. Congrats to Josh (and your!)
And I think it WAS a compliment -- you do look young in your pictures!
I teach preschool so I have to work right through Christmas Eve this year. 🙁 but, our numbers will drop significantly next week since as of Friday the local school districts are out so that will be nice. Looking forward to light numbers, relaxed schedule and lots of crafts for the next 2 weeks.
I'm having a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit this year because we have health things going on (not a house of pneumonia thank goodness) that are bumming me out. Hopefully next week will be better.
I work in higher ed and there are so many ages at community colleges! It's a compliment for sure, but also really common to see non-traditionally aged students at college 🙂
Yep, I thought of that too...she might have just thought I was a non-traditionally-aged student in the cafeteria. 😉
Way to go, Josh! I had a homeschool high-school student back when I was teaching remedial English at community college. She was very pleasant. Although I did wonder why she would pay for remedial instead of just working harder at home!
Still doing some scrambling. Cookies have to wait until my best friend flies in from the East Coast--we have baked cookies together every year for 20 years. Twenty! And she wasn't going to let a little thing like me moving 1700 miles away stop us.
My friend's mom died several years ago. When I told her to make sure to bring her Christmas stocking, she told me no one has filled her stocking since her mother died. I almost cried!
The boys and I have not finished making our reindeer photo frame ornaments yet, but at least we got all the popsicle sticks painted brown. They should come out really cute. We already baked cinnamon applesauce ornaments for gifts and they smell soooo good!
Given that my kids a sort of homeschool experience early in their careers, I can tell you that it is probably good your kids don't experience the ridiculousness of the standardized testing. One gets so one doesn't care and then one doesn't do as well. So Josh knew it was important and probably gave it his all. And you are to be commended for him doing so well. As should Josh.
And definitely you should take the question as a compliment. Take all you can get!!
And thank you for including "us" in your Christmas celebrations. My kids are gone and my family really isn't "into" Christmas, so anything that gets done is done by and for me. I miss old Christmases. So thanks for sharing yours. A little bit of joy in my life.
Sounds like you're doing a good job with the home schooling. Does Joshua know what kind of a career he wants to get into?
Right now, he's thinking a major in biology with a minor in music. But we'll see...he's still got lots of time to change his mind.
Oh, we just finished (it better be over!) a month of hell : twice (twice!) lice, 4 gastro, 2 ear infections and a cold. Enough already!! So we are more than ready for a Holiday Break. Hubby and the kids are leaving town this Saturday to join the extended family 6 hours away. I'm working until next Wednesday, then joining them from the 24th to the 28th (my time off. Already lucky I got the 24th off!). Then back to work for 3 days and off for 10 days. Looking forward to it!
Hope you guys have a great Christmas!
Ps : it's more than ok to brag about your son results!!! It shows that you (and him) are doing an excellent job! I could/would never homeschool, way too hard. Hat's off to you!
Ohh, you poor mama! The double dose of lice alone is a lot to deal with.
I hope that your month gets better from here on out.
Yay for Joshua!
Yay for Kristen!
And Kristen, THE bag, the velvety bag! I deliberate each year as to what extra special present goes inside it. 🙂
I thought you might notice your bag making an appearance!
Atta-Mom! And WAY TO GO JOSH!
Yay for Early College programs through the Comm. College. My daughter (homeschooled all through) took a bunch of online college classes last year (called eStart here in NH) and this year as a senior is dual-enrolled (double-yay for cheap classes for high school kids!) and doing all of her coursework at the local community college. She's had a blast and even the not-so-fun classes have been good experience.
She's been accepted to her first choice 4-year school with an awesome scholarship for next fall and they will transfer in all her comm. college credits (between 40-50 total) when she starts!
Break starts here tomorrow officially - Merry Christmas!
Yes, the cheap high school kid tuition for college is marvelous!
Congratulations to Joshusa and you!
One more exam has to be taken tomorrow... Biology It's not her favorite. All the shopping and wrapping is done. All the kids will be home this year for 5 days!!! That includes 4 kids plus 2 spouses.
You inspire me!!! Thank you and Merry Christmas!!
Just fyi, the average age at our local community college is 36 😉
Ooh! Well, that takes the wind out of my sails. 😉