Road School/ Homeschool

What is the down-side of  3 months of vacation and a warm welcome from friends and family everywhere we go?  The three months don't coincide with the summer break from school.  This trip would not have even been conceivable without the great example of other homeschooling moms: Kelli, who is a pastor's wife from Houston; Kristina, who takes school on the road to a different country every time the tourist visa runs out; and Robin, Marine wife who now has 4 kids in an international American school.

Did you know that your phone can act as a wireless hotspot so that you can work over the internet on the iPad?  You have to have cellular service and it is limited by your data plan.  Winston took the opportunity to download The LEGO Movie until we ran out of data.  He is working on writing in this photo.  It was taken on Central Expressway in Dallas, which is like driving a motor-boat across a bay with light waves.  Everyone was carsick.

I had lots of fantasies about homeschooling, such as that every project would be a learning opportunity.  Here Troy is installing an up-to-date console in our 2006 truck.  He added a back-up camera and bluetooth so as to be able to talk on the phone hands-free.  Tristan did learn a lot, while the rest of us were still on summer vacation.

Sorry about my finger!  I was still getting used to a new phone.  A second fantasy was that the kids would be self-motivated.  The fact is that Teresa paid them to do yard work at a generous $10 an hour.  

A visit to the Oklahoma City bombing memorial was a good history lesson, plus civic values and a good dose of explosive blast science thrown in courtesy of Troy.

Final fantasy:  I would be such a good teacher that my kids would love asking for help.  The bottom line is that the fun stuff is fun, but we still have to buckle down and do math and science and reading writing and grammar.  We are now three weeks into it and my kids were actually raising their voices and arguing with me about every little thing.  They are not motivated by lectures about their future best interest or fear of being ignorant.  They are not motivated by praising their lazy efforts before insisting on a good effort.  They were not even motivated by threats of taking them back to Austin or Odessa to enroll in public school.  It was not an idle threat.  I can't live with 4 hours of arguing on two fronts every day (not counting Tristan, who is self-motivated).  Winston was motivated by having to do school until 4 pm and not getting to do anything fun while we are in Taos.  Wyatt has finally given in and is making corrections with the big dramatic display of how unjust we are to criticize him.  Yesterday was a dramatic turn-around and today there is no more talk of aborting the trip. 

   Note to my coffee-loving friends:  our math curriculum is internet-based, meaning that we have to stop at Starbucks whenever possible for the wi-fi.  Here we are at the enchanting Wired Cafe in Taos.  The hot chocolate may be the real reason for every buddy's improved attitudes.  I would encourage any traveling family to go for it if you find school to be in the way of your dreams.

   PS  'Every buddy' is a charming typo from Troy's Omani investigator in Oman.