Friday, March 14, 2008

Remember the Alamo

Just because. Well, because I'm in San Antonio edumacating my home schooled children about hubris whose name is Santa Ana. It's beautiful here. Hot and sunny enough to thoroughly roast ourselves at SeaWorld. Why not? It's spring break and spring break isn't complete without the requisite sunburn. Just remember the Alamo. Never mind.


I'm irritated at the moment because the public access WiFi sucks and I refuse to pay $20 to have DSL. When you pay for a hotel room, internet access should be included. Period. So sayeth Melissa. So let it be written. Because I'm a cheap-ass and I am married to a cheaper ass, I'm sitting on the porch rotating in my chair pointing my computer toward what seems like a better signal. It keeps blanking out on me. Just plain frustrating.

There has been more talk about how home schooled children are weird and dumb. That presupposes that public school educated children are normal and intelligent. I went to public school my whole life and if you did, too, you know darn well that that is hardly the truth. Right now, public school kids are getting  zippo done because it's the last day before spring break. So whatever. There's pros and cons to both. Can't we all just get along?

Wow, some lady is braving the out door pool. What is it about going on vacation that makes a person think that a seventy degree pool here is warmer than a seventy degree pool at home? Interesting phenomena, that. Now some old dude is getting in with no squeal of discontent. Hmmm... maybe it's warmer than I think. He seems comfortable and he has no body fat. Shall we mess up the quiet happy people's day and bring our urchins down? I think we shall. Snort. What is it with people? Were they never children? Did they magically explode into tight-assed adulthood?

Going through the lobby, I received bemused looks as I had the three in tow. There is talk that the world is this child-centric kid love-fest, but I don't see evidence of it. I do see evidence of mirthless scorn. 

Anyway, off to be with the family. Watching the lovebirds in the pool and generally enjoying NOT being at home. Someone is going to make my bed tomorrow!  

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Of course no one is saying that home-schooled kids are dumb. You know very well what the concern was and we discussed it in a previous post. It was shared here because we just heard the same thing again about how this particular parent choses to home-school her kids. Which is not.

We know some terrific home-schoolers who are ahead of the ball game.

Yes, we all certainly can get along!!! However, when you post something...it should not be of surprise that various comments and observations will be discussed.

Have a fun time! Sea World is fun!

Anonymous said...

I have always believed that if the pupil wants to learn then regardless of it being at home or at school he/she will excel.

Anonymous said...

Reading the comments on your March 12th post, there is no mention that someone is accusing home-schoolers to be "weird" or "dumb."

You said in your March 6th post...in the comment section, "I can see the concerns people have about weirdly socialized kids. Hell, I've posted about it myself. Not to mention, I've been alarmed at under-education,too."

The concerns that I voiced only echoed your sentiments here.

I agree with you, there are pros and cons as with everything else in life. I will not say another thing about it though. I did not mean to offend anyone.

David Foster said...

Have you read "Gates of the Alamo?" I thought it was quite good.

Chalmers said...

As a home school alum I must say Kacy is right. An intelligent student, willing to work, will get the job done regardless. This is a subject covered in the very interesting book Freakanomics. The specific circumstance in the book related to students that applied to transfer to another (in theory better) school in their public school system. The author found students that apply for another school excel, regardless of whether their application was accepted. In other words, it was the intention and desire to excel that drove the application and that same mentality drove their performance in school.

By the way, weird kids come from weird parents. Whether those kids get schooled at home, in public schools or private schools. Now there may be some meaningful statistics on whether weird parents are more likely to home school... I know my sister is crazy as bat shit!

-Little Bro

Anonymous said...

chlamers, I'll check into this book. Thanks for your comment here! :-)

Melissa Clouthier said...

David,

I haven't read the book. Thanks for the suggestion.

Rotten Little Brother,

That's Batshit Crazy to you.

Chalmers said...

:-)

LB

eda said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
eda said...
This comment has been removed by the author.