The Ohio Virtual Academy Invades

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Well, it’s that time of the year…..

School time!

And for the last 8 years I have been happily homeschooling my little darlings and enjoying every minute of it.

Okay, maybe not EVERY single minute…. like that failed experiment in paper mache that molded… or trying to learn how to read… or oh, fractions… shesh… okay…. well, you get the point… most of the time it was a lot of fun.

But with Jessy in her second year of college… Maggie has been feeling a little, well, left out of the world of courses and assignments and all that jazz. And she absolutely adores technology… and well, she decided over the summer that she really wanted to do the online school thing.

What?

Online? Charter School? Forms? Birth Certificates? Testing?

WHAT?????

Oh my gosh… how did I fail my child? I mean, we’re like one step away from being branded hippies! Anti-establishment and all that. I mean, we like urban homestead and make stuff and work at home and all that stuff. Now my precious little baby wants to get all structured and rigid and join the man with his achievement tests and books and all that stuff? Huh?

Hahaha… well, it’s not that bad, actually. We survived the first week kinda okay. It was a little touchy at first, a pretty steep learning curve for old mom here. I mean the forms and paperwork were a little more than I was used to…. But we got through it, got enrolled and started our week.

And then the boxes started to arrive.

First it was the computer and the monitor and the printer and the box of accessories. That was pretty fun. And I must admit, the computer is a very nice HP modern computer with a nice large flat screen and a nice Lexmark printer.

Hmmm. The man knows how to pick good computer equipment.

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And then today… MORE BOXES! Books and student books for writing in and science equipment and art materials and fine art prints and reading books and even an inflatable globe and other fun things.

Hmmmmmmmmm….. and they seem pretty good. In fact, they sent us the very same history books that we have been using in previous years… The History of US…. a really cool set of learning textbooks.

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And after talking with her teacher Miss Bridget, I began to realize that this might not be so torturous after all. In fact, it’s all driven by the student… the more the kid wants to do, the more courses and fun stuff they can have. Maggie is already into the 3rd lesson in her science course, and got 100% on a review quiz that she just had to tell her Dad about and she’s gotten all her placement tests done, even doing two extra sets just to be sure.

She even got up early and hit the computer before breakfast!!!

Oh my gosh. I have a little techy schedule geek child! She absolutely loves seeing the little computer schedule for her and the bars that show her accomplishments and all that. She wants to do this over the weekend too and get really caught up and on track.

I guess that our days of snuggling on the couch and reading all day are gone. Or just hanging out and doing fun crafts or cooking and gardening… waaaaaaaaa!

I wonder if I will survive this first step in that dreaded empty nest syndrome… my little birdies are getting their own wings ready to go out into the real world and doing their own thing!

Well, all good things must come to an end. But that doesn’t mean you can’t start a NEW NEXT good thing… so I’m excited for Maggie and I can see that I’m going to be learning a lot this year too!

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Some Kitty Photos….

I have gotten a lot of fun kitty shots lately…. I thought I would share them with you. I’m currently reading the book, The Tribe of Tiger, Cats and their Culture by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas. So I can’t help but wonder how our Moby Kitties fit into her observations… And well, they are just funny and it’s cool to take pictures of them.

So here goes nothing…. our livestock album of the week…

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Jack follows me where ever I go on the estate. He, Gypsy and Luna are always tagging along.

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The moby has these little nitches on each corner and they make perfect kitty perches… though sometimes they don’t like to share.

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Luna is telling Jack to get lost, this is her outpost.

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Jack goofing around on the driveway out front.

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Luna on her queenly perch… overlooking all her kitty ranch territory.

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Thomas talks about how cats have property… well, they think they own their own little ‘ranch’ and all that is in it. People, stuff, little mousies and moles and birdies to catch, dogs, and that kind of thing. And how if you watch, you will see them seek high places that they can watch and survey all that they own. Luna sure is the kitty ranch owner if I ever saw one. She’s always up high and watching. She has learned how to climb ladders.

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And she thinks the new windowbox is a PERFECT place to oversee her ranch holdings.

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Even Jack gets involved in it, though I’m not so sure that he thinks he’s a ranch owner… he does think he owns me, and Maggie’s fort is definately his man cave hideout….

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He gets as high as he can and then sits and watches out the little cut out in the back. It’s pretty funny to see him watching out the porthole when he’s not napping on the chair in there…

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Pretty fun little guys to keep an eye on and watch throughout their lives… I like dogs and I like cats and each for different reasons. But cats are just fun to watch and learn a little more about. Good book… I recommend it if you’re interested in the secret lives of cats…

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Fascinating Bees….

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Before you think I have bees in my bonnet…. I surely do have bees in my sunflowers! And they are very fascinating. I must admit at first I was not too happy about seeing them buzzing about, but as the year as gone on, I have become very comfortable around these little happy workers. I see now, that bees are the sign of a good healthy ecosystem here at the moby estate.

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They really love all the sunflowers around the moby… often I will see three or four on each flower head, just working away. And I’m surprised at just how close you can get to them, they really don’t seem to mind at all. Honey bees, bumble bees, some that look like wasps or hornets, so many different varieties!


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If I ever get a chance to move my moby out to a few acres, I am definately going to give a try at keeping bees. It really has changed my thoughts about the little dudes. Seeing and living with them all year so close. I’ve been around them before through various gardening times in my life, but I will admit, I was always worried a little too much about being stung.


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But after last year and getting stung AND attacked by some very nasty hornets while we were rehabbing the joint… I learned that it hurts, but it’s not like the end of the world. And I know I’m not allergic, so I suppose that’s good. And I have come to understand their place in my urban homestead.

I still don’t really like the fact that they have taken up a hive in the side of my beloved Moby… and I will have to call for some help to get them to move. I’m planning that real soon. Sorry guys!


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