Oh hey, I got tagged!

Debbie, over at Debbie's Digest tagged me in this meme last week and I totally didn't even notice it until today.  In my defense, I haven't been feeling well, and even when I AM feeling well I forget to check my comments.

At any rate, she asked 8 questions, which she would like all of her tagged people to answer, and then I get to tag 8 people, and pick 8 other questions.  The hard part is going to be picking 8 people ;)

1.  Have you started your Christmas shopping yet? If so, how close to being finished are you? Are you making any Christmas gifts? Have you started them? I’d like to know your Christmas shopping personality. 

No, I have not started Christmas shopping yet.  I am already getting asked what people should get for Thing 1 and Thing 2 and my brain just stops because I don't even know what WE are getting them.  I have found one thing for Thing 1, but it's a maybe and all that.  I am making a few Christmas gifts.  I have started on the largest of them, and it is kicking my tail!  I am about a tenth of the way through it (it's a crochet blanket) and it has a total of almost 35 THOUSAND crochet stitches on the pattern.  My poor hands are ready to fall off some days.  I also found patterns for a few other things I'd like to make, it's just a matter of getting the materials and getting them made and then shipped.  (considering my sister's birthday was at the beginning of this month and I still haven't sent her birthday card, it will probably be in the box going over to her... I really need to invest in some international stamps)

2.  Sweet or salty ... your favorite snack?

Right now, sweet.  And sour.  I have a thing for the sour gummy candies right now (you know, all the one that start of sour and end up sweet?)  And ice cream.

3.  Last date you were on with just your spouse?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!  Uhm... last time Link and I went out just the two of us for dinner was my birthday in 2008.  It's been almost 2 years now.  We prefer to go out as a whole little family unit.

4.  Do you dye your hair and if you do what is your natural color? 

I dye my hair every once in a great while when I want to pull out a different color. Naturally my hair has little bits of pretty much every natural hair color.  I have red, I have blonde, I have brown (the dominant color) and black, and since I married Link, more and more gray/white hairs have been showing up.

5.  What is one of your favorite “guilty pleasures”?

Role-playing games.  I love games like Final Fantasy, World of Warcraft, the Zelda series, and the Tales series (Tales of Symphonia, Tales of Legendia, et cetera)  I am just a dork through and through ;)

6.  What makes you human (i.e. less then perfect)?

My procrastinating on EVERYTHING, my temper, my anxiety... stuff like that.

7.  Do you decorate your house for the seasons? If so, do you have a specific treasured ornament or decoration? 

We put up a Christmas tree for Christmas and that's about it.  We've only had a couple Christmases living together so we haven't acquired a ton of holiday stuff yet.

8.  When your kids all leave the nest what is one job you would like to try in all your free time?

I'd love to teach younger kids.  Like, 2nd grade tops.  It's funny, because I wanted to be a teacher for a LONG time, then wanted to be an architect, then wanted to be a psychologist, and have no come full circle back to teacher ;)  (although I still love psychology oh so much)



And now my 8 tags!

Alison @Wayzley Academy
Elizabeth @Creative Learning Fun
Jenn~ @Our Many Beautiful Blessings
Mama Duk Heather @The Duklings at Camian Academy
Sadie @It's a Boy's Life
Retro @Homeschool Madness
Kristine @Our Little Corner
Donette @The Journey

Aaaand because I'm boring and my brain is fried (stupid cold!) I'm going to ask relatively boring homeschooling questions :-P  Which I will then answer myself.  Because that seems to be "the thing to do" with this meme ;)

1. What made you decide to homeschool?
2. Did you have to work to convince family and close friends (spouses included here!) that it would be what was best for your children?
3. How far ahead to you plan your curriculum (of course knowing that everything can change in a matter of days for what works and what doesn't)?  Do you have everything from Kindergarten to senior year of high school planned, or do you just take it one year at a time?
4. What has been your biggest challenge in choosing curricula?  Subject, learning style, worldview?
5. If you could go back to the first year and tell yourself then something you know now, what would you say and why?
6. If you have a day where your children are driving you INSANE, how do you handle it?
7. Have you ever homeschooled older kids with a brand new baby in the house?  How on earth did you manage?
8. What is the most fascinating thing you have learned since you began homeschooling?

Aaaaaand now to answer them myself :)

1.  What made you decide to homeschool?

I decided to homschool because Thing 1 is ahead in some subjects and behind in others.  I was already considering it because the schools around here are bound by standardized tests, and because I was one of those kids who basically slipped through the cracks (didn't do my homework, passed, and they didn't really seem to mind too much, although my parents sure did).

2.  Did you have to work to convince family and close friends (spouses included here!) that it would be what was best for your children?

Not really.  Link was pretty onboard as soon as I mentioned it, and the only obstacle I have run into with family is the social aspect.  But then, they all know that Link and I would be hermits if we could get away with it, so I guess in our case it just might be a valid concern of our families'.

3.  How far ahead to you plan your curriculum (of course knowing that everything can change in a matter of days for what works and what doesn't)?  Do you have everything from Kindergarten to senior year of high school planned, or do you just take it one year at a time?

I have very tentatively planned at this point until 4th grade.  I had originally pretty much had all the way through high school planned, and then a certain Thing 1 decided to show he already knew how to read and that threw a massive wrench into EVERYTHING.  Plus I change my mind regularly, so I figure maybe if I just plan until 4th grade (the end of the grammar stage in the Classical model) then I have less work to redo when I change my mind again ;)

4.  What has been your biggest challenge in choosing curricula?  Subject, learning style, worldview?

My biggest challenge at first was finding science.  Link and I have different views on things, so finding something that fit was nearly impossible.  Then I found something that fit, and reading is now the thorn in my side.  It's always gotta be something ;)  At this point I've pretty much thrown in the towel and reading will be mostly for pleasure for a while.

5.  If you could go back to the first year and tell yourself then something you know now, what would you say and why?

Well, I'm still in my first year ;)  But if I could go back to the beginning of our schooling I'd tell myself to chill out and not worry so much about things.  I worry about not getting enough done, but we do each subject rather sporadically.  Which reminds me, I would also tell myself not to let Thing 1 take too long of a break in math.  He forgets a lot of stuff when there's too much of a break.

6.  If you have a day where your children are driving you INSANE, how do you handle it?

I send Thing 1 to go play and count down the minutes until Thing 2's naptime and then just spend some time by myself in the quiet.  I am trying to break my yelling habits.

7.  Have you ever homeschooled older kids with a brand new baby in the house?  How on earth did you manage?

Thing 2 was like 6 months old when I started teaching Thing 1, so not a new baby, but still juuuuuuuuuuust mobile enough that I had to pay a lot of attention to him to make sure he didn't get hurt.  That is another reason for our very relaxed homeschooling style so far.  It's more like "nap school"  ;)

8.  What is the most fascinating thing you have learned since you began homeschooling?

I had no idea there was a 13th astronomical zodiac sign!  I can't for the life of me remember the name, but there is one!  That's just the first one that comes to mind right now.  My brain kinda died when I just pulled a couple pieces of dog food out of Thing 2's mouth.  YUCK!