Unschooling NYC

Punxsatawney Phil and Staten Island Chuck both agreed today that Spring will come early.  They did this by not seeing their shadows.   Normally I don’t pay too much attention to the prognostications of these heralded groundhogs (well, I don’t really know how heralded ‘Chuck’ is – seems like he’s kind of riding on Phil’s coattails), but this year we are all hoping they know something we don’t.  Because when I look out the windows, what I see is 15 foot piles of snow and ice and streets running with slush and meltwater, most of which cannot go into the sewers … Read more

Maya and Ben both take art from Debbe Heller, at her “For Arts Sake” studio.    She is an amazing teacher and they both love the class.  It’s the one thing they never want to give up, and Maya is in her 3rd year there, Ben his 2nd.   This week they worked on light and shading, as you can see from the pictures.  The top one is Ben’s, the bottom Maya’s.    I’ve always wondered how artists manage to make it look like light is shining on their subject.    I still don’t know the answer, but Maya and Ben do.

Debbe told … Read more

In about 11 days we’ll be flying to San Jose, Costa Rica.   Joshua has several friends there, and they’ve been trying to get us to come and visit for years.   Of course we are all looking forward to the warm weather and the hospitality, but apparently our idea of a great vacation is violating everyone else’s ideas of what we should do while we’re there.   Because what we really want to do is hang out at the hotel pool, wander around San Jose, eat dinner with our friends and maybe, if it doesn’t mean too much hassle, take a day … Read more

Tomorrow I will be mailing in the quarterly reports for my kids to the Dept. of Education’s Central Office of Homeschooling.   For the first time, writing up the reports has been a difficult task, because although my kids are learning every day, from everything they do, I feel one of the biggest lessons they have been learning over the past month is about life choices.    I mentioned in a past post about a friend who has gotten herself into a difficult relationship;  she is separated but not yet divorced from her husband of 21 years,  has two grown daughters, is … Read more

On Saturdays Joshua and I try to make a date of it in the evening, going to dinner and sometimes a movie.   We used to hire a sitter for these hours, but lately we’ve been letting Maya and Ben stay at home on their own, and usually Maya’s friend Greta is with them.   Since her Dad lives in our building, we know they have someone nearby should they need anything.  (which they never have to date).    This evening we gave them permission to walk out to the Buttercup Bakery for cupcakes and donuts, and Maya texted me when they got … Read more

The front page of the Times yesterday ran an article about the fact that college Freshmen are showing record levels of stress.  This from a survey of 200,000 incoming Freshmen that has been done every year for the past 25 years.   “Campus counselors say the survey results are the latest evidence of what they see every day in their offices – students who are depressed, under stress and using psychiatric medication, prescribed even before they came to college.”

The article says the downturn in the economy is a factor, because college grads are no longer guaranteed good jobs, and so … Read more

Last night we had a blizzard.   A real, honest to god, Laura Ingalls Wilder ‘I’d be lost on the plains if I lived in the Dakotas’ type of blizzard;  except we live in NYC, so getting lost is not really a possibility.

The first photo was taken last night at about 12:30am.   Taxi’s were getting stuck as they came down 66th St. in front of our building, and I spent some time watching the drivers get out and try to dig themselves out…

The next photo was taken out the same window at about 9:30am.   Still not great on the … Read more

So our cat – let’s call him Big Orange to protect his privacy – may be suffering from acute anxiety.   The symptoms are all there .   For instance, after we go to bed he begins yowling in such a fashion that anyone passing by in the hallway might believe someone is being tortured in our apartment.   Then when I call out his name, he answers with a questioning “Meow?” as though he’d forgotten we were there.  Separation Anxiety Disorder?   Maybe coupled with short term memory loss?  When he comes into my room I do my best to allay his fears, … Read more

I’ve been sitting here watching the State of the Union address.   My favorite part is when the President walks in – it’s kind of cool to hear the Sergeant at Arms introduce him.   The rest of it only catches my ear now and then.   It’s no secret that I am a big supporter of our current President.  But when he begins to talk about education in this country, I begin to yawn.   It’s always the same, no matter who is doing the talking.   No Child Left Behind becomes Race to the Top.  Standards are being raised!  Teachers are being held … Read more

Sandra Dodd is coming to New York City!   And I will miss it.   I spent much of yesterday evening trying to will the date on her speaking event to change.   It didn’t work.  She is still coming to speak to NYCHEA members on February 18th,  which is the day we fly back from Costa Rica.   Several of my friends have pointed out that it’s not like I’m missing it due to jury duty or root canal or something;  I will be returning from a week in Costa Rica, after all, but I am still dismayed that I will miss … Read more