I was told this morning, that the reason Pop Warner is requiring mid-season progress reports from homeschoolers is that they had some otherwise ineligible players say they were homeschoolers when they really weren't.
A. how many documented cases of this do they have? enough to warrant punishing legitimate homeschoolers? Punish the cheaters!
B. If a parent is going to go to the trouble of creating a fake homeschool report card in the first place, what's to keep them from creating a fake mid-season progress report?
C. Aren't there team moms, coaches, other players who would actually be IN school with these people? Sounds like a conspiracy on the part of the entire team to keep an ineligible player on the team. Punish the team and if necessary punish the league
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Saturday Stream, It's Been a While
I don't even remember the last time I did Saturday Stream. I've been gone several Saturdays in a row, possibly a month.
Sam and the boys had a Scout camping thing to do last night. I was home alone :-) I love being home alone. It's so quiet. I can watch what I want and eat what. They are at the campground down the road, literally. I could have gone down there and had fun, family time around the campfire. But why ruin a good night at home, alone?
Yesterday, I went and picked up a big ol' box of curriculum from my friend. I asked to borrow her copy of Tapestry of Grace, Year 2, so I could see what the Rhetoric book list is supposed to be for next year. The younger boys and I are just not keeping up with this year's TOG reading. So, I also borrowed Volumes One and Two of The Mystery of History. Most importantly, I borrowed her set of Teaching Writing; Style and Structure from Institute for Excellence in Writing. It's 8 DVDs of Andrew Pudewa teaching you how to teach writing. I watched the first two yesterday. I am so happy and even excited. We can do this! When I've been working with the boys a while using these methods, I will blog about it. One of the things that I love about TOG, is that all the subjects are integrated. I like their writing program, Writing Aids. Something was lacking, though, and I still can't quite put my finger on it. We could not get over the hump of getting thoughts out on paper, even with writing assignments in the TOG week lesson. Andrew Pudewa gives some great insight into a child's mind, especially boys.
I already have two months worth of writing lessons for the younger boys and after the football game this afternoon, I will watch the next video and write out lessons for Noah.
This week, it seemed that everything was breaking. The toilet had been leaking all over behind it. We have wood floor in our bathroom, now the boards behind the toilet are slightly warped. Sam fixed it without spending any money. One of our half dozen cars wouldn't start. I said sell it for junk. But no, we must have a half dozen cars. He fixed it, without spending any money. The freezer stated making this bone rattling noise. I kept walking by and kicking it. (It stopped the first time that I kicked it.) He finally was driven insane by the noise and pulled all the food out, and the panel that covers the fan and some other mechanical stuff. There was a sheet of ice about an inch thick. The ice maker had been dripping water down the back of the freezer for, who knows how long, and was encroaching on the fan. He fixed that with no money. Which is good, because we screwed up our checking account very badly and the only money we have until payday is Noah's.
One more football game after today. Today would have been the last, but a team that we forfeited to wants to give us another chance. So...joy...we have one. more. game. It has been a mixed season. The coach is very very nice. Too nice for football. Seems there is nothing in between. The coaches we had the last two seasons cursed all the time. Quinton has been the starting quarterback. It was his dream job. He now realizes that receivers and running backs are where it's at. Noah told him yesterday, "Your ego is two inches taller than you are." They've only scored twice all season. There's no tackling and no blocking. The mixed part is that Q, personally is having a great season, the team not so much.
Of course, you've read my letter to Pop Warner regarding progress reports. Our league president has taken up my cause and even spoke with a person at the national level regarding the double standard for homeschooled students. I haven't been able to talk with him, yet. So I don't know exactly what they said. In his message he said that the national level person wanted me to call them. That makes me nervous. I know my stuff, but I am no good on the phone. And as I keep saying, "how far do I want too take this?" This is our last year with this organization. Do I want to make it fair for all homeschoolers, or just mine? I am fine just warning homeschoolers away from PW forever. If I thought it would be a simple discussion and I caused the entire national PW Little Scholars board to see the light and wave a wand and they change their policy, I'd do it. But I don't think that will happen. They are operating out of a state that has some of the most stringent homeschool regulations. And I'm sure they want to do their part in making sure that homeschoolers do the job "right" by keeping us accountable. (eyeroll)
Alright! I have coffee to drink, showers to take and football uniforms to prep. Have a blessed weekend.
Sam and the boys had a Scout camping thing to do last night. I was home alone :-) I love being home alone. It's so quiet. I can watch what I want and eat what. They are at the campground down the road, literally. I could have gone down there and had fun, family time around the campfire. But why ruin a good night at home, alone?
Yesterday, I went and picked up a big ol' box of curriculum from my friend. I asked to borrow her copy of Tapestry of Grace, Year 2, so I could see what the Rhetoric book list is supposed to be for next year. The younger boys and I are just not keeping up with this year's TOG reading. So, I also borrowed Volumes One and Two of The Mystery of History. Most importantly, I borrowed her set of Teaching Writing; Style and Structure from Institute for Excellence in Writing. It's 8 DVDs of Andrew Pudewa teaching you how to teach writing. I watched the first two yesterday. I am so happy and even excited. We can do this! When I've been working with the boys a while using these methods, I will blog about it. One of the things that I love about TOG, is that all the subjects are integrated. I like their writing program, Writing Aids. Something was lacking, though, and I still can't quite put my finger on it. We could not get over the hump of getting thoughts out on paper, even with writing assignments in the TOG week lesson. Andrew Pudewa gives some great insight into a child's mind, especially boys.
I already have two months worth of writing lessons for the younger boys and after the football game this afternoon, I will watch the next video and write out lessons for Noah.
This week, it seemed that everything was breaking. The toilet had been leaking all over behind it. We have wood floor in our bathroom, now the boards behind the toilet are slightly warped. Sam fixed it without spending any money. One of our half dozen cars wouldn't start. I said sell it for junk. But no, we must have a half dozen cars. He fixed it, without spending any money. The freezer stated making this bone rattling noise. I kept walking by and kicking it. (It stopped the first time that I kicked it.) He finally was driven insane by the noise and pulled all the food out, and the panel that covers the fan and some other mechanical stuff. There was a sheet of ice about an inch thick. The ice maker had been dripping water down the back of the freezer for, who knows how long, and was encroaching on the fan. He fixed that with no money. Which is good, because we screwed up our checking account very badly and the only money we have until payday is Noah's.
(This is just a picture to break up this long post)
One more football game after today. Today would have been the last, but a team that we forfeited to wants to give us another chance. So...joy...we have one. more. game. It has been a mixed season. The coach is very very nice. Too nice for football. Seems there is nothing in between. The coaches we had the last two seasons cursed all the time. Quinton has been the starting quarterback. It was his dream job. He now realizes that receivers and running backs are where it's at. Noah told him yesterday, "Your ego is two inches taller than you are." They've only scored twice all season. There's no tackling and no blocking. The mixed part is that Q, personally is having a great season, the team not so much.
Of course, you've read my letter to Pop Warner regarding progress reports. Our league president has taken up my cause and even spoke with a person at the national level regarding the double standard for homeschooled students. I haven't been able to talk with him, yet. So I don't know exactly what they said. In his message he said that the national level person wanted me to call them. That makes me nervous. I know my stuff, but I am no good on the phone. And as I keep saying, "how far do I want too take this?" This is our last year with this organization. Do I want to make it fair for all homeschoolers, or just mine? I am fine just warning homeschoolers away from PW forever. If I thought it would be a simple discussion and I caused the entire national PW Little Scholars board to see the light and wave a wand and they change their policy, I'd do it. But I don't think that will happen. They are operating out of a state that has some of the most stringent homeschool regulations. And I'm sure they want to do their part in making sure that homeschoolers do the job "right" by keeping us accountable. (eyeroll)
Alright! I have coffee to drink, showers to take and football uniforms to prep. Have a blessed weekend.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Bittersweet
We had a memorial service for my Papa on Friday. I am still a bit confused. The obituary said he was going to be buried in Pennsylvania. But there was an urn on a stand and people kept talking to it. Later this week, I'll give my mom a call and ask.
My parents' new (as in they've only been attending this church for 3 weeks) pastor "did" the service. He did a fair job, considering he never met my Papa. He'd asked my mom for my Papa's Bible. He said sometimes you can tell a lot about people by the notes in their Bible. The only thing he found was a handwritten testimony by my Papa. In it he talked about riding a wagon or walking three miles to church. He was thankful that his parents took and did not send him to church. He stated that it was his own parents' example that led his choice to do the same with his own children.
I have for years, given my Gramma and Papa credit for the Christian heritage that has been passed to me. I know that God does not have grandchildren. I know that every person must make their own choice, but without a heritage, that choice is made more difficult.
Then my dad got up to speak. I hadn't cried since Monday night. I have been so thankful in my Papa's passing. The Lord did not allow him to suffer for a prolonged period of time. The people who loved him did not hang on and hang on, begging him (and God) to stay. It was time. My Uncle, his only son, was with him the whole week. That was a pure miracle of God, because when I spoke with him on the phone he was reconsidering flying in from California.
So, my Dad got up to speak and I started crying immediately. He talked about his father-in-law as a father. He was my dad's Sunday school teacher as a teen and it was then, that my dad accepted Christ. He had my dad come over often to do odd jobs. My dad believed it was to nurture a relationship between he and my mom. So my Papa saw something in my dad. My dad talked about all the help and guidance my Papa had given him over the last 41 years. And my dad, who is normally a very quiet man was so eloquent. I was very proud of him by the time he was done. And nothing more needed to be said about my Papa.
The rest of the weekend was filled with sweet family time. I saw my beautiful cousin for the first time in 21 years. The last time I saw her, I was borrowing $50 so we could drive back to Texas from California. Gosh...I wonder if I ever paid her back?
I had a couple of glasses of wine with my Grandmother (my dad's mom). That is always interesting.
My brother and his beautiful family were able to fly in from Georgia. I have a year and a half old niece that I saw for the first time. They did have to take her to the emergency room, she was having trouble breathing./ They discovered she had the beginning of pneumonia. I spoke with him last night and she is doing wonderfully. they caught it very early.
The boys got to play with their cousins. We don't get together often enough with my sister's family. They are not far away.
I came home realizing how I have distanced myself from my family. Family is weird. But when everything else falls away, it's all that is left (except for a couple of dear dear friends who have been around almost as long, if not longer than some family.)
I went through Facebook (it is sometimes a wonderful tool) and wrote birthdays on calendars. I am going to pencil in visits to the sister and to the parents/grandparents. Bonus! that is a one stop shop now. They all live in the same park, now :) In fact, I was scheming on how to get Sam's mom there, should anything happen with her sister's park before Sam retires.
My parents' new (as in they've only been attending this church for 3 weeks) pastor "did" the service. He did a fair job, considering he never met my Papa. He'd asked my mom for my Papa's Bible. He said sometimes you can tell a lot about people by the notes in their Bible. The only thing he found was a handwritten testimony by my Papa. In it he talked about riding a wagon or walking three miles to church. He was thankful that his parents took and did not send him to church. He stated that it was his own parents' example that led his choice to do the same with his own children.
I have for years, given my Gramma and Papa credit for the Christian heritage that has been passed to me. I know that God does not have grandchildren. I know that every person must make their own choice, but without a heritage, that choice is made more difficult.
Then my dad got up to speak. I hadn't cried since Monday night. I have been so thankful in my Papa's passing. The Lord did not allow him to suffer for a prolonged period of time. The people who loved him did not hang on and hang on, begging him (and God) to stay. It was time. My Uncle, his only son, was with him the whole week. That was a pure miracle of God, because when I spoke with him on the phone he was reconsidering flying in from California.
So, my Dad got up to speak and I started crying immediately. He talked about his father-in-law as a father. He was my dad's Sunday school teacher as a teen and it was then, that my dad accepted Christ. He had my dad come over often to do odd jobs. My dad believed it was to nurture a relationship between he and my mom. So my Papa saw something in my dad. My dad talked about all the help and guidance my Papa had given him over the last 41 years. And my dad, who is normally a very quiet man was so eloquent. I was very proud of him by the time he was done. And nothing more needed to be said about my Papa.
The rest of the weekend was filled with sweet family time. I saw my beautiful cousin for the first time in 21 years. The last time I saw her, I was borrowing $50 so we could drive back to Texas from California. Gosh...I wonder if I ever paid her back?
I had a couple of glasses of wine with my Grandmother (my dad's mom). That is always interesting.
My brother and his beautiful family were able to fly in from Georgia. I have a year and a half old niece that I saw for the first time. They did have to take her to the emergency room, she was having trouble breathing./ They discovered she had the beginning of pneumonia. I spoke with him last night and she is doing wonderfully. they caught it very early.
The boys got to play with their cousins. We don't get together often enough with my sister's family. They are not far away.
I came home realizing how I have distanced myself from my family. Family is weird. But when everything else falls away, it's all that is left (except for a couple of dear dear friends who have been around almost as long, if not longer than some family.)
I went through Facebook (it is sometimes a wonderful tool) and wrote birthdays on calendars. I am going to pencil in visits to the sister and to the parents/grandparents. Bonus! that is a one stop shop now. They all live in the same park, now :) In fact, I was scheming on how to get Sam's mom there, should anything happen with her sister's park before Sam retires.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Response from Central Texas Pop Warner
Thanks for the contact.
Yes, I am the Administrator for Central Texas and I am the one that reminded Ed in our meeting about the need for the forms.
For clarification the request I gave was for any Association that had a player with a 70 or below average and those in home schools to provide a progress report, dated between Sept 16 and Oct 16. There are two separate forms and they both can be obtained on the Pop Warner webiste under ADMIN and then Scholastic forms.
If I have missed something or interpreted something wrong, I apologize in advance. If you have been in Pop Warner for 5 years, you are well aware that we are concerned about the whole child and not just the football player or cheer leader. I will forward your email up the chain of command and ask for better clarification if I read the forms wrong.
Please do not feel that your child is being picked on unfairly, it surely is not the intent and again, if I am wrong in my interpretation I will be the first to apologize.
Thanks
Well, I do feel that the request that is being made is unfair. It is unfair to paint homeschooled kids with the same brush that kids who are not making acceptable grades. I told the man so, in my reply. I still do not expect to hear from National Pop Warner. We are only one family. What do they care? They pride themselves on being around for more than 75 years. They claim to be concerned about the whole child and that is why they created Little Scholars, their sub-organization which gives away scholarships to kids who make good grades.
For many years homeschoolers have been looked on with suspicion. Colleges don't trust our transcripts.. The United States military forces used to enlist homeschooled students on the same tier as high school drop outs. This kind of ignorance must be rectified.
Mr. Brown doesn't seem to think it is a big deal for us to just fill out the form and turn in a progress report. the actual action is not a big deal. The big deal is that my kids, and other homeschooled kids, and their parents, are being viewed with suspicion that they are not making grades that qualify them to play youth league football. How ridiculous.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Letter to Pop Warner
(I have deleted certain information to protect our privacy)
I'm not even sure that I am contacting the correct person regarding this issue. But I am contacting as many people as I can about it. It must be rectified.
This is our family's 5th year to play Pop Warner football in ---- (my oldest son did play one season for ---.) It is our family's 10th year to homeschool. I am a leader in the local homeschool community as well as a member of The Texas Homeschool Association.
Two years ago, Pop Warner created a new homeschool scholarship eligibility form. I thought this was commendable because previously, homeschoolers had been "lumped in" with otherwise ineligible players. The problem was that Pop Warner was asking for a form that simply does not exist in Texas, or many other states. I can only assume that they created a homeschooled student policy based on the homeschool laws of the state that Pop Warner is based in.
A little education on states and homeschooling. Every state has different laws. In Texas, homeschools are considered private and therefore not subject to outside requirements or verification to a "governing body." So, when Pop Warner asked for a "report card from an accredited governing body," I had to go out of my way to explain the above to the national organization as well as our league president. Such an agency does not exist in Texas.
This evening, Mr. T., our league president, sent me an email with an attachment, saying I needed to fill out the form by tomorrow. It is a short, simple form. Not a big deal to fill out and get to him asap. In reading the fine print of this form, I see that Pop Warner has changed their homeschool policy, yet again. The form is now asking me to submit a "progressing progress report or a report card from an accredited governing body." I will submit a progress report, because as I have already stated there is no such agency from which to obtain an accredited report card from in Texas. We have a very small team and without our two boys, our team would have to forfeit our last two games. It would break my 11 year old's heart to be ineligible to play.
I am writing because I want to you know that I am protesting the principle of this. I have not seen any emails to the rest of the team regarding other players submitting progressing progress reports for the current school year. Mr. B., I feel that this extra requirement is discriminatory. I have contacted the National Pop Warner Association, I just received the same automated email that they received my email. I do not expect to hear back from them. Please feel free to send this email, in it's entirety to anyone who may be interested.
Thank You for your time,
I'm not even sure that I am contacting the correct person regarding this issue. But I am contacting as many people as I can about it. It must be rectified.
This is our family's 5th year to play Pop Warner football in ---- (my oldest son did play one season for ---.) It is our family's 10th year to homeschool. I am a leader in the local homeschool community as well as a member of The Texas Homeschool Association.
Two years ago, Pop Warner created a new homeschool scholarship eligibility form. I thought this was commendable because previously, homeschoolers had been "lumped in" with otherwise ineligible players. The problem was that Pop Warner was asking for a form that simply does not exist in Texas, or many other states. I can only assume that they created a homeschooled student policy based on the homeschool laws of the state that Pop Warner is based in.
A little education on states and homeschooling. Every state has different laws. In Texas, homeschools are considered private and therefore not subject to outside requirements or verification to a "governing body." So, when Pop Warner asked for a "report card from an accredited governing body," I had to go out of my way to explain the above to the national organization as well as our league president. Such an agency does not exist in Texas.
This evening, Mr. T., our league president, sent me an email with an attachment, saying I needed to fill out the form by tomorrow. It is a short, simple form. Not a big deal to fill out and get to him asap. In reading the fine print of this form, I see that Pop Warner has changed their homeschool policy, yet again. The form is now asking me to submit a "progressing progress report or a report card from an accredited governing body." I will submit a progress report, because as I have already stated there is no such agency from which to obtain an accredited report card from in Texas. We have a very small team and without our two boys, our team would have to forfeit our last two games. It would break my 11 year old's heart to be ineligible to play.
I am writing because I want to you know that I am protesting the principle of this. I have not seen any emails to the rest of the team regarding other players submitting progressing progress reports for the current school year. Mr. B., I feel that this extra requirement is discriminatory. I have contacted the National Pop Warner Association, I just received the same automated email that they received my email. I do not expect to hear back from them. Please feel free to send this email, in it's entirety to anyone who may be interested.
Thank You for your time,
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Bye Papa
I can hear his humming and his unique laugh.
For the last 9 years, I kept saying, "The healthiest 80 something year-old that I know."
Now, he's gone.
I remember when I was about 8. They sold their house. A house I spent many nights in. I was afraid of the front bedroom at night. The bushes in front made a shadow that looked like a wolf. They moved into an Airstream and had plans to travel all over North America. They did too, until he was 85-ish.
Every year, since I turned 28, I would thank them for the heritage of faith and service that they passed on.
Friday, we stopped by Kerrville to visit him again. I wanted to know if he had gone to work for the CCC. I knew he would have been young. During the Depression, boys became men much sooner than they do now. He didn't, his brother did. Gramma shared about his working life. He made a knife to take to Case Cutlery, as a kind of application, when he was 17. In 1943, he came home from work and announced that he was joining the Navy. He was a SeaBee. He ran the machine shop, as an enlisted man.
In 2001, he decided that they boys needed a zip line. So, he made one for them. It is an amazing piece of craftsmanship. He was 81. He went out in the cold and wet on Christmas morning, with my dad to assemble the swing set that my parents gave to the boys.
I am so thankful that the Lord did not allow him to suffer for a long time. I am so thankful that his son spent his last week with him. I am so thankful for his life and his legacy.
For the last 9 years, I kept saying, "The healthiest 80 something year-old that I know."
Now, he's gone.
I remember when I was about 8. They sold their house. A house I spent many nights in. I was afraid of the front bedroom at night. The bushes in front made a shadow that looked like a wolf. They moved into an Airstream and had plans to travel all over North America. They did too, until he was 85-ish.
Every year, since I turned 28, I would thank them for the heritage of faith and service that they passed on.
Friday, we stopped by Kerrville to visit him again. I wanted to know if he had gone to work for the CCC. I knew he would have been young. During the Depression, boys became men much sooner than they do now. He didn't, his brother did. Gramma shared about his working life. He made a knife to take to Case Cutlery, as a kind of application, when he was 17. In 1943, he came home from work and announced that he was joining the Navy. He was a SeaBee. He ran the machine shop, as an enlisted man.
In 2001, he decided that they boys needed a zip line. So, he made one for them. It is an amazing piece of craftsmanship. He was 81. He went out in the cold and wet on Christmas morning, with my dad to assemble the swing set that my parents gave to the boys.
I am so thankful that the Lord did not allow him to suffer for a long time. I am so thankful that his son spent his last week with him. I am so thankful for his life and his legacy.
Monday, October 12, 2009
20th Anniversary Trip
For our 20th anniversary, we decided to go camping in West Texas, Davis Mountains State Park, to be exact. West Texas is truly one of the most beautiful areas I've ever seen. It's amazing.
Indian Lodge at Fort Davis State Park, built by the CCC in 1934.
The itinerary was this; Monday - travel day, Tuesday - observatory star party, Wednesday - Fort Davis, Thursday - hiking and Friday - travel day.
This is how it really went. Monday we made a pit stop in Kerrville to see my 89 year old Papa. He's always been the healthiest, youngest senior citizen I have known. They've lived in an Airstream since I was 8. They traveled all over North America in it. He woke up one morning a month ago and his legs wouldn't work. We found out this week that he has cancer in his entire body. How does this happen? He was so healthy, now he has 6 months to live. The visit was sad. He gripped my hand for 30 minutes, while I held back tears and tried to make small talk (not something I enjoy in good times, much less bad.) BUT...know what? He's 89, he has lived a long, FULL life. He has served the Lord faithfully and loved his family and all who came in contact with him. I just pray that when it is time, it is easy and I pray for my Gramma's peace. I don't think she's been without him since WWII.
Tuesday morning we woke up (shoot! I forgot to get a picture of the VW Vanagon that we camped in. We are moving up in the camping world) and went to the office to check in. We found out there is a hike from the state park to the national park. Since star parties happen at night, we had nothing else to do. So we drove to the top of a mountain and hiked 1.5 miles to Fort Davis National Park. Fort Davis is famous for being one of the homes of the Buffalo soldiers.
Davis Mtns. take 1
Davis Mtns. Take 2
Historic Fort Davis as seen from above
Trying to get the fort in the frame. When we got to the office, the man said, "You must have hiked in." Really? What gave it away? The red face, or the sweat?
An old Buffalo Soldier and his see through horse
That night we went to the star party, which was amazing. It was so dark at night, there. When is the last time you saw the Milky Way?
Observatory seen from the state park
That left Wednesday and Thursday with nothing on the agenda. We did it all on Tuesday. So we went "into town" and walked around the gift shops. Rather, we walked around every shop in town, including Ace hardware and the grocery store. We ate our anniversary dinner at Hotel Limpia. Sam ate a huge ribeye. I was going to have their famous burgundy pot roast, but they failed to make it that day :( So I had the chicken.
Thursday night, the circus came to town. Sam and I were the only people without kids. It was fun. Don't know if you've ever attended one of these small, family circuses? We've had one come into our town a couple of times. The Luna Bros. do everything, ticket taking, juggling fire, dog training. And it appears that their wives run the concession (pronounced with a long e) and their children are the clowns and multi purpose "Fabulous Leslie." Fabulous Leslie is probably 14. She does the trapeze, hula hooping and is the knife thrower's lovely assistant.
Luna Bros. Circus' petting zoo (I'm not kidding)
There were nightly visits from a pack of javelina and one stubborn skunk. No pictures of those either. They prevented me from enjoying the campfire (praise the Lord for the rain, the burn ban was lifted) and I would scurry into the VW nightly.
Yesterday, my pastor asked me if Sam and I fell in love all over again. You know what? No. While over the last 20 years there have been times that I have wanted to stab Sam in his sleep, I have never fallen out of love with him. I read The Shack while we were gone. And the one thing that I gleaned from it was God's overwhelming love. Love truly is a verb, it is not an emotion. We make choices every day to serve one another in love, even when we're totally ticked at the other one. While there weren't huge displays of gushy, mushy lovey dovey, it was a time of re-bonding. We did not have the deep discussions I was hoping for. But the Lord spoke to my heart and with the help of Holy Spirit, I resolved to do love to my family every chance I get.
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