Oh, how glorious! My children have rediscovered the library!
We've had long afternoons and evenings here since school's started - tons of homework, then hours of video games. Some nights we even watch a movie. It turns out they thought National Velvet was dumb (Elizabeth Taylor really did play it up a little too much, but the relationship between her parents was fascinating), but they liked Boys Town. One child even cried when Whitey was leaving, then sobbed when PeeWee stumbled out into the road and was struck by a car. Mae loved the Spencer Tracy version of Father of the Bride, and they all seemed to enjoy Sound of Music (they're learning to like musicals, but they forward through the love songs). Miracle on 34th Street was a hit, but It's a Wonderful Life, not so much. And Hitchcock's Vertigo - even I thought that was stupid.
So we've been hideously busy. In case any of you are wondering why I've been such a poor correspondent. And homework has been a tiger we've barely had by the tail till this last week. I put a limit on the video games - only Fridays and weekends. Oliver thought he'd just DIE when I suggested he go outside when he was done with his homework. And if you knew how absolutely GORGEOUS the weather is here now in Tulsa, you'd know that I made the right decision about games.
Today, though, my children began thinking. I guess school really is good for something. Mae and Oliver came home and suggested that I let them ride bikes to the library to do their homework. I couldn't think of a good reason why not, so I made sure I understood what homework needed to be done, then let them go. They came home to eat dinner, then the boys left again to finish homework there. Oliver actually took the book he's reading for school. They tell me it's quiet and easier to work there.
Now I know what some of you may be thinking - surely they're on the library's computer, talking to other kids there, doing anything but homework. Y'know what? If that's the case then they won't have homework to turn in. And their grades will drop. And they'll have to explain why. But I trust them. Mostly. And if the day comes that I find out they've been sneaky and are failing, well, I'll have had a few days of weeks of peace. Sure, there'll be hell to pay. But they'll have learned a few things in the process.
Until I write again ...
Flea
8 comments:
Ahhhh, I love the library! And classic movies, too. Reilly LOVES The Sound of Music!
I'm not doing the Thursday Bible study. We joined a homeschooling co-op that meets on Friday mornings, so I figured having to be up and out of the house one day a week was enough.
I'd love to get together some afternoon. Maybe at the park? My kids can cavort and we can catch up!
Sounds good! We'll have to pick an afternoon and a park. And this was my first time to see Sound of Music. I chose it because Mae's reading The Diary of Anne Frank. I requested Corrie Ten Boom's The Hiding Place for the same reason.
*gasp* YOU HAD NEVER SEEN "THE SOUND OF MUSIC"?! I practically grew UP on that movie! My mom has always played the guitar and I remember, as a kid, we'd be walking into a prayer meeting where she was going to play and carrying her guitar and spinning around with it like Maria does when she's going to the VonTrapp house for the first time!
(I'm sure my mom had visions of the guitar flying out of my hand. Luckily that never happened)
LOL!!! No, I never saw it. Probably because my mom saw it a million times after it was released. Does it count that I watched The Wizard of Oz and It's a Wonderful Life once a year? My kids just saw the latter for the first time because I'd seen it a million times.
Ah-ha! THAT'S the reasoning, huh? OK, I understand that. To this day I cannot STAND to watch TopGun or hear that love song on the radio because of the summer you and Matthew watched it every single day for months. Does Mae know you drooled over Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer? :D
I watched Top Gun all summer? I remember going to the theater with Mike to see it, but not watching it repeatedly. Are you sure it wasn't you and Matthew who watched it? I think it was... And Val Kilmer's cuter. :P
Y'know, come to think of it,I think I was watching it for Matthew's sake ... yeah, that's it. For Matthew! So see, it wasn't for me at ALL!
I think it's great. I wish we lived closer to the library, especially Hardesty. I love that place. I'll bet your children's grades go up!
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