An Unexpected 2 hours

K's cake with the sugared violets she made — K’s cake with the sugared violets she made

Ben worked out a ride to the Marching Band Diner, so after I dropped him off at his (last ever) flute lesson, I was done driving people places today, my Mom is picking up the pot pie to bring to our friend who is home from the hospital, and Dan arranged to come home on the train. So I have 2 hours I wasn’t expecting.

M's still life of a pile of dishes waiting to be washed - which meant I couldn't wash them during art time. — M’s still life of a pile of dishes waiting to be washed – which meant I couldn’t wash them during art time.

I plan to grade the last few calculus tests, work out Ben’s grade and upload his finished transcript to the common app – the last interaction I’ll have with that site until M starts applying to college. I rather wish I’d made more notes about the interface, but hopefully it will be better in 5 years. If I get all that done and have time, I’ll make the mac and cheese I promised M so Ben won’t have to eat it. If it takes me both hours, I’ll just warm up the other chicken pot pie I made since it’s just as easy to make two pies as it is to make one. I over estimated on the chicken stew, so I have that as well. Three meals at once!

K playing Ocarina - I hoped she'd understand what I meant by cover the holes fully and completely if she saw a photo but then her form got better - maybe I had standardized testing on the brain. — K playing Ocarina – I hoped she’d understand what I meant by cover the holes fully and completely if she saw a photo but then her form got better – maybe I had standardized testing on the brain.

A month ago I wrote a post called “Someone around here has Senioritis and it’s not Ben.” but I didn’t post it because it’s whiny…want to read it now?

Are we done yet? I don’t know what else I want to do, but between feeling like, “what do you mean you still can’t read fluently, I’ve taught two other people intensive explicit phonics, you mean I still need to drill you?” and “Oh boy, those college bills are huge, I need to get a job,” I’m one fuzzy headed lady. Just because I’ve homeschooled one person almost all the way through, doesn’t mean I’m done with the other two (13/23 is better than half though).

We have a scant month left in Ben’s year, then I need to finish grading up, and file the completed transcript with the common app. High School was definitely not as fun as the rest of homeschool – mostly because I had to grade things. Friends who teach actual school, I salute you for regular grading. M and K still have lots more school to go- we are only half way through the history book, and (bummer!) the second half is the one with the fun collateral reading.

OK, I am looking forward to the collateral reading.

This month we have the standardized testing coop (I’m co-coordinating it with Sue the marvelous). That’s mostly pre-loaded with organizing angst, but it gets nicer as it goes on and becomes an interact with people job – until I get exhausted having fun with people. We also need to figure out a guest list, and get those invitations out for Ben’s graduation/picnic. He has said the only speech he wants is the blessing for the food, but Dan wants to get him a diploma and motor-board for fun. I’m nervous about hosting a big party, what if we forget to invite someone who wants to come? What if no one wants to come? What if we put off organizing it so long that no one can come?

And, I want the attention. I’m the one who filed the grades and other paperwork.

Still with me?

I realized that when I’m done with homeschool, my last kid will have moved out. And decided that if that’s all the more time I have with them living here full time – drilling is a privilege.

But fluent literacy will be a welcome thing.

And, I really do need to get those tests graded, so I’m going to upload some recent but un-related photos, and find my red pencil.