Random Recipe Monday - American Pie

Well, it is here. Finally. After the longest election cycle I can remember, election day is tomorrow and the choice will be made. I'm so nervous right now. Even back in the 2000 race I wasn't this engaged in the outcome, this worried about the future.

NR and I are having a civics lesson about it tomorrow. He will be coming with me to the polls, watching the process. We've been talking about voting already - he has filled out ballots for his dinner selection to see democracy in action - but he is still fuzzy as to what the heck the United States is all about. (So am I sometimes) I hope he'll get a better idea when he sees the big map for the election returns and we talk about which states voted for Obama and which for McCain.

So, rather than post a real recipe, I thought a little nostalgic pie would settle my stomach. A slice of Don McLean anyone?

Reading, Righting and Arithmatic

Big decisions always seem to happen on weekends. Go figure. Over the weekend, I decided that the home schooling idea I've been considering finally needs to happen. NR, who has Asperger's Syndrome (a form of autism), has been really struggling at school and it just isn't getting any better. But since he was starting a new (and better) school, I put the home school idea on hold and agreed to give them until October 20th (our conference date) to see if school could make it work. Unfortunately, it just isn't happening.

So, a new adventure begins - for all of us. I feel pretty comfortable with 3rd grade material but the trickier part will be getting his focus and keeping it. We're going to try some new ideas and abandon the school model of sitting in one place for hours at at time; it doesn't work there so why would it work at home? I think our day will be broken up into short segments and "teachable" moments as they come up. I'll have to learn all about documenting our work and quantifying what we are doing so we measure up to the state's standards, but I think this is something that we can do - at least for now.

Yep, a big adventure - as NR always says each morning "So, what kind of adventure are we going to have today?" Indeed, I hope this adventure will be righting some wrongs and helping him get back his sweet and loving disposition. Wish us luck; we'll be posting some stories from along the road.