To Homeschool or Not

Last year, when I decided to homeschool, I said "it's what's right for our family right now." This turned out to be more true than I could have imagined... with Frank getting sick, needing surgery, and our March vacation extending to help with the death of my Grandmother. Simply stated, Frank likely would have failed Kindergarten just because of the number of days he would have missed being sick. Not to mention we couldn't have helped my Aunt so much or for as long as we did, if we'd had to return for Traditional, Public School.

With all the (necessary) focus on Frank this year, I've seen some behavioral issues shooting up with Jack. Nothing out-of-control, but something I'm aware of and feel like I need to focus more on.

Additionally, when Tom recently hurt his back and possibly needed major back surgery, I was spurred into thinking about returning to school to finish a degree. For myself and for the welfare of my family.

I know I could homeschool Frank and go to college myself, but simply put, I think it will be easier to allow him to go to Public School while I focus on my schooling and time with Jack. In addition, the local College has a great Children's Center. I know Jack will get a lot out of attending it. It has great rates for college students' children. Our town is a Boom Town, which means, in part, that preschool's here have a one year, plus, waiting list. The only way (I've found) for Jack to be able to participate in a preschool program is for me to go back to college.

As I've been researching college, I could go back as a full-time student for one semester and be done with it. Of course, I'd be stressed out beyond belief and the family would suffer. I'm hoping, that by spreading it out over a year, just one or two classes at a time, I can enjoy what I'm doing and learn more. I'll also be setting a good example for the boys of completing a goal and also enjoying learning.

Am I excited about the idea of Frank going to Public School? No.

Frank and Tom are excited though.

Am I excited about the idea of completing my degree? Yes.

Am I excited about spending more time alone with Jack? Yes.

Am I excited about Jack participating in some structured schooling? Yes.

So. This year, for right now, full "Homeschooling" is being shelved. In my mind though, I think of it as "when I Homeschool again", not "if." I have enjoyed homeschooling tremendously. I am sorry not to be doing it again this year. But, I also feel that this will be best for the most people.

As Marie reminded me, I "have choices, it's all about choices." Right now I can choose to send Frank to Public School. In a year, or a month, or a semester, I can change my mind and do something different. For the moment though, I'm thinking he'll go to school and we'll continue to supplement at home.

As another homeschooling Mom told me, it's not like I'm "choosing between Public School and a Concentration Camp; it's just school." He won't be hurt forever by one year in Public School. And who knows, we may find that we all like it tremendously.

Coming to this choice, to enroll Frank in Public School has been a very hard one for me. I've been fretting over it for over three months now. Now that I've turned in the paperwork, I'm feeling better about it, not because of Frank himself, but because what Frank's going there will allow me to accomplish for myself and Jack.

I'm learning that oftentimes there isn't just one "right" choice, there are simply choices in life. We have to commit to one and then go with it. In the end, many paths can lead to the same destination. We must choose the one that feels right at the time and trust our instincts. That's what I'm learning.

Wyoming Life - Friday Playgroups

On Friday Morning's I continue to coordinate a Playgroup. The last three weeks, we've been meeting outside at parks and playgrounds. I'm making a point to explore each park in our town AT LEAST once this season.


Today we went to a park we'd never been to before. It has big, gorgeous, old trees; lots of shade and grass too! Today there were all sorts of bushes with purple booms and Cottonwood Fluff floating in the breeze.

There is also a Gazebo and a small Amphitheater. This site has a lot of Free Concerts in the Park.


I enjoyed the photo op presented by the lush greens, the gazebo and a happy, smiling boy. I'm just wishing I'd gotten the close-up photo in focus! Perhaps we'll go back and try again...

Wyoming Life - The Great Outdoors

We've been living in the Least Densely Populated State in the Nation for two years now.


Last weekend we FINALLY went out for our first Exploratory Playtime.


It rained off and on all weekend.


We went out Saturday, and again Sunday.


We fished both days... and caught three nice Rainbow Trout.


We had SO.MUCH.FUN!!!


We're already making plans for this weekend's excursion.

We're also shopping around for a tent four our family of four. Tom's 75" tall and would like to be able to stand in our tent.

Any suggestions? What size footprint do you use? Would you recommend your particular brand and model? If so, why? What do you like/hate about your camping set-up?

School Forms

I'm busy getting forms and applications and such done for me to start back to college and to get the boys enrolled at the College Children's Center (Preschool/Daycare) and Elementary School.

I'm going to enroll Frank in the Public School for first grade. Then Jack and I will have more time together AND Jack will be able to go to Pre-K at the college while I'm taking classes.

I had a meeting yesterday with an Academic Adviser. I already have 59 college units. I need 64 for an Associates, and 14 need to be from this school... which just about is perfect for the classes I need to complete the Associates (English, WY History, Science Lab, PE, and one other). The credits I need line up just right with what I have left to take.

With those few classes, it should be pretty simple for me to get it done within a year, just taking one or two things at a time. :D

I think I'm going to take a Summer Course (probably Online English) just to start getting back in the groove.

Summer Flies

Summer is rapidly approaching and anyone with pets knows this means one thing...

...shedding!

This is the fur from less than 10 minutes spent brushing our two year old cat. The one year old cat ventured over to see what we were up to, but was more interested in licking the brush than being brushed. Plus, she still has kitten fur, so her little tuft of black is small.

To borrow an idea from Marie, I have a Nifty Thrifty Idea for you...

My Dad use to Fly Fish. My Mom use to tie him custom flies. The best flies she ever made included fur from our Siamese, much like this big pile of fluff I've got. Whenever she made a fly with fur from Dusty, it only lasted a cast or two before being gobbled up.

Now, whenever I brush my cat I feel GUILTY about throwing away all that Great Fur! I've even thought of selling the fluff online, but always talk myself out of it.

Today, I saved all that fur in a container.

Here's my proposal to you... if you fly fish and would like to try some flies made with cat fur.... go brush your cat / neighbor's cat / etc. BUT! If you don't have access to a cat, PayPal me $0.82 (to pay postage and PayPal Fees) and I'll drop some fur in an envelope and send it to you. Then, you'll have to let us know if cat fur on your flies works as well for you as it always did on the flies my Mom made.

If you'd like some Free Cat Fur for Fly Fishing Flies, PayPal eighty-two cents to me at me at leavemealone {at} yours {dot} com, along with your address, and I'll send some right over to you!

Terry Goodkind The Sword of Truth Quote

To all those I've interested in Terry Goodkind's "Sword of Truth" Books and or "Legends of the Seeker" TV Series-

Here's a little quote from the book series I recently enjoyed.

"Cara, you and Raina stay here, along with Egan. Ulic, I'm sorry I yelled at you. ... Bernadine, ... you can come with me.

Nadine, rather than looking impressed, appeared dumbfounded... Nadine finally turned a haughty look on Richard. She folded her arms across her breasts.

"And are you going to boss me around, too? Are you going to tell me what to do, like you seem to enjoy doing to everyone else?"

Richard, rather than getting angry... looked more disinterested than ever.

"There are a lot of people fighting for our freedom. I lead those willing to fight for their own freedom and on behalf of innocent people who would otherwise be enslaved. I lead because circumstances have placed me in command. I don't do it for power or because I enjoy it. I do it because I must.

"To my enemies, or potential enemies, I deliver demands. To those loyal to me, I issue orders.

"You are neither, Nadine. Do as you wish.

-pg 60, Temple of the Winds (book 4, The Sword of Truth series) by Terry Goodkind

The last two paragraphs were the main ones I was looking for, the other gives you an idea of what's happening.

Yesterday I let something happen... I ran out of books! I normally request the next book when I start one, but Saturday night, with only 150 pages left in book 5 (Soul of the Fire) I realized I'd forgotten to request book 6 (Faith of the Fallen). I finished 150 pages by mid-afternoon. In the evening, I made up for it by watching this weeks' episode, 21 of Legend of the Seeker... but was disappointed because the story line strayed SO FAR from book 4 (Temple of the Winds), upon which it was based. Oh well! I still like the books, I guess I'll have to suffer the shows inadequacies!

Speaking of which, we looked it up, and Legend of the Seeker has been renewed for a second season... I only hope Hulu will continue to carry it next season!

Some of My Ear History

I recently received a comment from Colin about Frank's brush with ototoxicity as a result of Mycin Drugs. As a result of Colin's comment, I wound up writing a very brief bit of my ear history.

It's not exactly the entertaining stuff you've come to expect from me (or perhaps it is), but all the same I thought to document it here. My ongoing Battle with the World of Sound affects me every day.

Everyday I think about my ability to hear (or not) as well as the frequent tinnitus I experience (even now, as I type).

In any case, here's a bit about what's happened/ing with me and my ears:

I myself am very aware of hearing troubles since I've experienced partial hearing loss as the result of a bicycle accident when I was 8.

The hearing loss was the result of the my incus (which is the second smallest bone in your body, not quite 1/4" across) becoming dislocated as a result of my impact with the ground. I also became a "Crack Head" - that is, I fractured in my skull in the accident.


At 25, I had my first surgery to restore hearing. It was more successful than they expected... until a sinus infection caused a rupture which dislocated the titanium prosthetic in my middle ear. I was 30.

Due to other people in my household having more urgent needs of surgery and care, I had to wait two months after the rupture (with the prosthetic through the ear drum the whole time) before having another prosthetic, as well as the ear drum repaired.

Then, some (oh, I'm forgetting the technical name of it) but my body didn't like the "new" ear drum and was growing skin over the ear drum. That's right, it's called cholesteatoma. The doctor ripped it off (during an office visit), and caused pain, as well as a lot of bleeding and a clot.

This was when I was 32.

Oh... I'm going on and on here. The long and short of it is, I need to have YET ANOTHER surgery to replace the prosthetic (with a third one). Every surgery I have gives me an 80% chance of hearing... or a 1 in 5 chance of coming out of it deaf. There's no guarantee that the hearing will be better than it was before the surgery.

Gratefully, I still have a "good", natural ear. I fear that having chosen that first surgery (in my 20's) has led me to a lifetime of ear surgeries.

I have a lot of environmental allergies and every time one leads to a sinus infection, it risks the integrity of my prosthetic. I am grateful I have options, but I hate having to have the surgeries.

I'm always intrigued by how much such a "simple little surgery" on such a small area of our body affects our lives... ie: no lifting of more than 10 pounds for a whole month, and how dizzy and sick you can feel from ear surgery. Yuck!

Also, my surgeon (who now is more 800 miles from me, because I moved) is a leading specialist of cochlear implants in Southwestern America. I've read quite a bit about it at his office.

Because he's so highly regarded (and I like him so much), I'll go back to see him for my next surgery... traveling (as you know) adds more elements to planning a surgery than when the office and hospital are "just down the road from you".

I'm now 35 and havn't been able to schedule the new surgery. As soon as we can gather the finances, I'll be going back again... currently, if I'm laying in bed with my good ear down, I can't hear my husband, right next to me speaking, but I can feel the vibration of his voice.

Thanks for listening to a part of my story!