Etiquette and stuff

I am loving the cooler weather, and being able to have my windows open.

Especially after seeing last month’s electric bill. Yikes!

I enrolled the kids in a once a month etiquette class (some of you may be thinking "it's about time!), which started last week. They had to dress up so Fatso wore a suit, and all 3 girls wore skirts (first time they’ve worn them at the same time), Hoodie Girl did NOT wear her ever-present High School Musical Hoodie, and I forgot to take a picture! Well, there is always next month.

The young men had to be “gentlemen” and escort the ladies. Fatso was an excellent escort, but at home complained that he would never use any of this in real life. “Mom, they act like girls are idiots who can’t decide on their own where to sit. I don’t know any girls that stupid!”

Czarina and Hoodie Girl particularly enjoyed learning the Fox Trot and Jitterbug, and had fun talking everything over once they got home.

One of the young men who escorted one of them was quite good looking, and as they talked about him they dubbed him “Prince Charming”. I asked what Prince Charming’s real name was, and Czarina said they didn’t know. When I pointed out that everyone was wearing name tags, they looked at each other and laughed. Well, there is always next month.

Our Homeschool co-op started September 8. We are there from 8:30-3:45 on Mondays. Then they have homework to do the rest of the week. Fatso & Space Cadet are taking US History and Spanish II, respectively. During the rest of the time they go to study hall or the nearby library and work on their other subjects. Czarina and Hoodie Girl (both 8th grade) have General Science, Art, Literature (which I teach, and is tied into History), History, and Hoodie Girl also has Writing.

The homework has been a pretty heavy load, especially when we add our other subjects, like Math and Bible Quizzing for both of them, and helping Czarina to learn to read and write English. I am thankful that this year Hoodie Girl has been almost entirely independent and very diligent in getting her work done. I have been working with Czarina from the time we get up in the morning until about 4:00 each day, and we are both wearing out. I have to read all the 8th grade work to her and then explain what everything means in 2nd grade English. She flunked her first science test, but I have figured out a way to help her study for the next test. In Literature, it took us forever to get through The Witch of Blackbird Pond. She enjoyed the basic storyline, but there was a LOT she didn’t understand. The next book is Johnny Tremain, and I have decided that Czarina gets to watch the movie so she understands the class discussions, but we will read instead the Felicity series from American Girl. She should be able to read most of that herself with a little help.

In History we started with an overview of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance/Reformation period, as a prelude to the discovery and founding of America. She remembers Martin Luther as “The man who started Halloween.”* Actually she is doing pretty well in History. . . on her first quiz, she actually found a mistake the teacher made. The multiple choice question was “Who started the Reformation,” and Martin Luther was not listed as a choice.

Okay, I guess it's time to get back to planning for my next Lit class. . .


*For those of you who are not history geeks, Martin Luther is credited with starting the Reformation when he nailed his 95 theses on the Wittenberg Church door on October 31, 1517. As I keep reminding Czarina, he really had nothing to do with Halloween.

Dear Mr. Obama

Fun with English

First of all, I’d like to make clear that I think Czarina is doing an amazing job of learning English. I am amazed at how well she reads at times. However, there is still a lot she doesn’t know. . .

When you need to find someone to relay a message for you, it is not necessarily a good idea to ask the person who is just learning English to do it.

Czarina will get off the phone with her friend Masha, also from Russia, and tell me something that Masha’s mom wants me to know. It usually makes no sense to me whatsoever.

So, I will call Masha’s mom and what she tells me is NOTHING like what Czarina was saying.

A few weeks ago, Prince Charming decided that he and I would drive separately to church Sunday night, because he needed to stay late to help count the collection money.

He forgot to tell me this until it was time to go. I was in the bathroom and Prince Charming told Czarina, “Go tell Mom that Fatso & I are leaving for church.”

Czarina called through the bathroom door, “It’s time to go!” As far as she was concerned, she had relayed Prince Charming’s message.

Well, I knew it was time to go. I grabbed my purse and Bible and ran out the door, locking it behind me.

And realized Prince Charming’s car wasn’t there.

And my car keys were locked in the house. Because I didn’t need them, because Prince Charming always drives the family to church.

Only Prince Charming had already left. Did I mention my house keys were also locked in the house?

I sat down with my cell phone and attempted to call Prince Charming while Hoodie Girl ran around the house trying to find a way in. First call, wrong number. Second call, right number, no answer. Of course Prince Charming is going to turn his Blackberry off before he goes into church. Hoodie Girl ran back around the house and said all the doors are locked, all windows closed.

Czarina asked, “Doesn’t Space Cadet have key?”

Duh. Of course Space Cadet has a key to the house. So Space Cadet let me in, and I got my keys, and we were only a few minutes late for church.

~~~~~


I had neglected to put the sun shades up in the car while we were at the pool.

I said, “Wow, the steering wheel is hot.”

Czarina asked, “WHAT didge ya say?”

I said, “The steering wheel is hot.”

“What didge that?”

I pointed to the steering wheel. “This is a steering wheel.”

Czarina whispers something to Hoodie Girl, and they both laugh.

Hoodie Girl said, “Mom, Czarina thought you said `Mr. Will is hot!'” (Mr. Will being a friend from church). More peals of laughter.

And yes, I am trying to teach Czarina that didge is not a word.


~~~~~

So what did you do at the library?

I on the computer.

What did you do on the computer?

I went to that web-site, you know with the brown guy. The brown guy with the Underdog. Remember?

Umm, not really.

Singing the song. With the raven. The brown guy. Oh, never mind.

I later figured out that the "brown guy" she was talking about was Kyle Massey, who is in "That's So Raven" and sings a song at the end of the "Underdog" movie. I still don't know what website she was talking about.