Academy Caritas

And I don’t even know for sure if there’ll be a separation!

Katie may go to high school this year. We’ll know for sure very soon. I’ve done a transcript for her, all official and everything.

Just the thought makes me jealous of the time I have with her now, though. I’ve enjoyed these years together, and I don’t want them to end. I don’t want to clip her wings, of course, and I know my qualms are selfish.

It isn’t as if I’ll have trouble finding things to do. It’s that Katie won’t be with me to do them.

Cyn

So, for the past week or so, I’ve been taking driving lessons. First I had 30 hours (spread out over a week, of course) of in-class study, most of which was about the law. Then, yesterday I started on my 10 hours of behind-the-wheel lessons.

Both of my teachers (one in classroom, one in the car) have been very good. I think I’ve learned a lot already. I’ve finished all of my in-class hours, and 3 of my behind-the-wheel hours. Yesterday I went on the expressway! I was nervous when I started driving, but then by the time I’d gotten there I was calm, so it wasn’t that scary. I felt all zoomy afterwards.

Katie spent last week in school – an actual classroom. She was taking a week-long driver’s education course, partially to satisfy state requirements and improve our insurance rates, partially because we just thought it a good idea. This week she’s actually behind the wheel each day, on the road. She loves that part.

The instructor did love homework, though, so we didn’t have much time for our regular studies. Then I was in the hospital for a few days, and we’re not really back to “normal” yet from that.

She got some very good news, too, but I’ll let you read about that from her.

Today was the rescheduled date for Katie’s writing group, so off we went to one of our favorite bookstores.

Unfortunately – due to the rescheduling, I think – Katie was the only “member” who showed up. The group is just for high school “womyn,” and the only other person to attend was the facilitator. As it turns out, other people (not high schoolers) wandered in and out throughout the scheduled time. I think the girl got a lot of attention, which isn’t a bad thing at all. She missed seeing her sister writers, though.

I hung out in the front of the store, stitching. I was insanely early for a Stitch ‘n Bitch session scheduled there for 7, but I got a good two hours of time in on the Fairy Tale Sampler, along with some good conversation.

The official SnB was the first they’ve hosted. I was a little uncertain about going, as the focus was clearly on knitting. I needn’t have worried, as people were doing a variety of needlework.

Katie wrapped up the little test piece she was knitting, but she ran out of yarn. She picked out her next piece, though, which will require a trip to Nease’s. Oh no! The horrors!

We got to educate at least four different people about homeschooling, too, which was a bonus. Meeting Katie is the best answer there is to the “S question,” as she’s clearly not lacking in social skills. We definitely left people with good impressions.

I think I’ll go to their next adult women’s writer’s group, as well. It’s been so long since I’ve written anything but non-fiction that I feel a bit odd, but Katie is a good influence.

I’m not worried about Katie being “too sheltered,” although that’s one of the “dangers of homeschooling” according to its opponents. This study is something to remember the next time someone brings up that old argument.

People who have suffered life’s hard knocks while growing up tend to be more gullible than those who have been more sheltered, startling new findings from the University of Leicester reveal.

A six-month study in the University’s School of Psychology found that rather than ‘toughening up’ individuals, adverse experiences in childhood and adolescence meant that these people were vulnerable to being mislead.

The research analysing results from 60 participants suggest that such people could, for example, be more open to suggestion in police interrogations or to be influenced by the media or advertising campaigns.

The study found that while some people may indeed become more ‘hard-nosed’ through adversity, the majority become less trusting of their own judgement.

From Science Daily via OmniBrain.