Thursday, November 19, 2009

Stuff and Nonsense

It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

We got some pix back from the agility competition and one included a pic of the score board.



The very bottom scores are the run-off times between the highest ranking dogs. And Dakota blew them out of the water (that time -- wish she'd performed that well all day!).

They also had a video of Dakota's last, best run -- BUT it's so close up you can all but see the freckles on DD's face, so I can't post.

We had fun at agility last night. DD has made friends with the instructor's granddaughter and they gabbed all night. On the way home, though, DD and I had a talk about what her responsibilities were. There were a couple of incidents that disturbed me -- once during the first class, she was holding a Yorkie (named Lucky) for one of the ladies who runs her other Yorkie. The one DD holds is a puppy mill rescue and isn't in tremendous shape, physically (he'd been confined to a cage for four years with no medical care), but his knee joints are especially bad. At one point, DD wasn't watching him and he fell off her lap.

Three times in the second class (this is the one she runs Dakota in), she wasn't paying attention, so didn't know the course and didn't know when she was up.

And, the two of them were antsy, so kept getting up and going out of the room, which is terribly distracting to both the people and the dogs. Once, they even stood there with the door wide open for a good 30 seconds. This may not seem like a crime, but we run our dogs off leash, so having an open door is a no-no.

On the way home, I told her that I didn't mind her visiting with the other girl but that she needed to keep her priorities straight. If she wants to hold Lucky, then she needs to pay attention to him and if she wants to run Dakota the second class, then she needs to pay attention. If she wants to talk and play with the girl, then they need to go out in the hallway and talk and play.

A funny from the night, though, was this: the other girl kept asking DD if she liked various kinds of candy, and DD kept saying, "I don't know what that is." Finally, when DD was running the dog, the other girl plopped down beside me and said, "Why doesn't she know what Twix and Guzzlers and ... are?"

I said, "We don't eat a lot of candy in our house."

She was shocked.

Yes folks, it's true. I abuse my DD by not allowing her to eat a lot of candy. And she doesn't know what Twix are. I'm horrible.

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DD is learning how to convert decimals to fractions and vice versa right now, as well as multiplying and diving fractions and decimals. I'm having a terrible time -- not because I can't do it, but I can't do it the way THEY want me to show her how to do it.

I can't believe how much things have changed since I went to school. You don't "carry" or "borrow" anymore. You have "logic charts" and can check your work by "casting out nines". I never learned any of that!

Yesterday, she had to figure out how many days were in 36 hours. Oy. Yes, I know we all know the answer, but telling her how to get there was more complex than I can explain here.

Homeschooling kids is a little like revisiting your own school years, the good and the bad. I have to do word problems again. Blech.... lol.

One sad thing about DD's new friend: she HATES to read. That almost broke my heart. I wanted to take her home and show her how amazing books are, how they open doors and expand horizons. How, if you can read, you can learn anything. DD was shocked. Maybe she'll rub off on this poor girl.

In any case, I have 30 minutes before I have to wake the house. Going to work on revisions for "Stiller Creek". Have an awesome day!

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You Are a Donkey



You have a reputation for being stubborn, but that's okay. Your stubbornness has served you well in life.

You know what you can and can't do, and you resent anyone trying to push you. You like make changes on your own schedule.



You are a very conscientious creature. You are willing to take responsibility for yourself and for the people you care about.

Because you have a lot of burdens, you have to be extremely careful and cautious. This explains your "look before you leap" mentality!



Oddly, this is almost completely spot on! LOL... HEE HAW!!!

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7 comments:

Maria Zannini said...

Ref: math

And long division. Whatever happened to long division?

It surprises me that the educational system changes these things. Does it really make it easier for kids to learn? I didn't have a problem and I am no math wiz.

Anonymous said...

Yeah amazing how much the math has changed since I was in school. Even being 7 yrs older than my sis I remember her learning things in a different way. Must say I do find some of the new methods too weird!

Child abuse LOL Good for you!

Dru said...

How could anyone not like to read? :::shaking head:::

You Are a Pig

Being a pig is not an insult... in fact, it's a huge complement. Pigs are amazing animals, and you're pretty darn amazing yourself.

You are intelligent and sensitive. You enjoy being around other people, and you read situations well.

You have high standards, and it takes you a while to trust others.

You prefer structure in your life, and you can't stand it when aren't able to follow your routine.

You are both mentally and physically strong. You can remain focused and determined, even under extreme pressure and duress.

Brandy said...

My kids know what candy is, but don't have it very often. Even the Halloween Candy is sitting in the pantry and hasn't been touched in over a week.
I know what you mean about Math now. Daughter is taking Pre-Algebra and it's so different! It is a good thing we chose not to use the Saxon book this year though, she's actually doing better with another math book.

I'm a Donkey. Yeahh, just what every woman wants to say. *G* But, it does sort of fit. I am stubborn. I fully admit it. *G*

I hope you're having a good day!

Tori Lennox said...

I wonder... Is casting out nines anything like casting out demons? *g*

Ceri Hebert said...

You Are a Goat
You are a very resourceful and even cunning creature. You make do with what you have, and you don't need a lot to survive.
You are a bit of a life traveler. If one place isn't suiting you well, you tend to move on until you're comfortable.

You tend to be very serious and industrious. It makes you feel bad if you're not being productive.
You guard what's yours in life, and you don't like anyone honing in on your territory. You're not naturally aggressive, but you'll strike if you need to.


Not really.

I was (and still am) a complete disaster at math. This is one reason I would never-could never homeschool my kids. Just wouldn't work out.

MJFredrick said...

I learned a new way to teach long division last year and had to have another teacher show me several times. Now it makes perfect sense, but I had to be taught before I could teach it.

Don't know what casting nines is.