I'm grateful for: a yummy supper full of cheese - nachos and a baked potato w/cheese and butter among other things; good signs of life being more sane and less painful; not having to pay for regular dr.s appointments.

I'm sick, I'm tired and, oh yes, I'm sick. *sigh*

Can I remember anything really quickly to write about? I spent too much of today on the phone with M (mom who was here to visit over shabbos), MS (homeschooling friend w/fibromyalgia), S1, D2, D1, RS and FB. AND TH and quite possibly other people I've completely forgotten.

We finished the stupid school plan and sent it to the lawyer who says it is wonderful. So, thank goodness for that, and for the lawyer, too. BTW I refer to it as the 'stupid' school plan because they insist we list everything the children will learn, what materials will be used, who will teach every little thing &tc., &tc., for the whole year, in advance, which is completely impossible. It cannot be done. We do child-led learning here, which means that I cannot begin to guess if this year will be heavy on algebra-trig or designing decorative masks. Or both, or neither, or when we might be doing any of these things. The kids learn at their own pace. HOW can I possibly chart that in advance? Obviously, I can't. But I have to, to keep the ministry of education happy. That's just stupid.

Mind you, I completely understand that there is a valid interest on the part of the state (in the body of misrad hachinuch, the ministry of education) in ensuring that my children are actually receiving an education. I totally support keeping track of homeschooled children to make sure that the 'homeschooling' is not being used to cover up abuse, or using children as child labour, or just general neglect.

I understand that people who have not seen it work have a valid concern that 'child led learning' doesn't turn out adults who can't read, do basic math, or comprehend the workings of society.

I do NOT understand why, having met my children, seen how successful they are (the adults are fully functioning and mostly self-supporting, the younger ones way ahead of 'grade level' in almost all measurable aspects of elementary education), and discussed with us how we intend to meet the needs of our children's education in the forseeable future, we have to make up LIES (for that is what that stupid school plan is).

It is not as if we are the only people who do not do 'school at home' among homeschoolers, or in this country. According to a friend of mine, more homeschoolers here are unschoolers than otherwise. They deal, regularly, with people who are far more 'out there' than we are, people who deny the state's right to be concerned about their children's education and people who believe that any sort of guidance or suggestion somehow interferes with the child's 'natural' learning.

I suppose the real point is that they DON'T deal with them. They take all this paperwork and shove it under a rock hoping that those of us whom they cannot intimidate into putting our children into schools will somehow vanish, so they don't have to figure out how to deal with us.

So, ranting aside, we wrote the stupid school plan, and are set now to request an 'issur' which is permission to homeschool from the misrad hachinuch. This is despite the fact that the ministry has no legal authority to GRANT an issur. Life in Israel is so hard to explain to anyone who doesn't live here. Well, anyway, we are good. We submit our request, and then they have to respond sometime, or not. I know plenty of people who, having submitted the request for an issur, then never heard from the misrad hachinuch again. I can but hope.

That is one of the three options. Options two and three are that they grant the issur, or that they refuse it. If they grant us an issur, we at least are supposed to be free of being hassled for the next school year. If it is refused, then it becomes our lawyer's problem. Have I mentioned that I love our lawyer? Apparently she's been being hassled by the kabas (truant officer) and we knew nothing about it. I take that very kindly. This lawyer is doing what lawyers should (but very rarely) do. Taking care of the worries we can't handle ourselves.

Mind you, I am talking about solicitors.

I can't finish the thought.

I did some laundry, and picked up one or two things (literally) around the house. One or two things is more than I've managed for a while, it's a good sign. I got out to feed the chickens and goats, and we moved the white hen and her eggs into the nursery lul as well. It could be quite crowded in there if all the chicks survive and grow up. I stayed out there too long, but really enjoyed watching the chicks and hens. We also got our first egg (for eating) since they began setting. Another good sign.

I got on the exercise bike for the first time in three days. I think. It could be two or four, but I think it's three. I did well. Only twenty minutes but a third of it at a higher resistance, and I wasn't completely blown at the end of it.

I hope we are coming out of the super crazy time again, back to something quieter and more normal.

Must sleep now.

I'm listening to U2: Mysterious

:: Yesterdays : Tomorrows ::

~~~Last Five Entries~~~
Hi and goodbye - 2010-10-15
I'll be moving on - 2010-10-10
Gold membership and stuff - 2010-10-10
Decisions, decisions - 2010-10-07
Days to go - 2010-10-06