As many of you are aware, I started home schooling Princess Der this year. She is in 7th grade. No big deal, right? I’ve been through 7th grade. Heck, I even graduated high school early. And I graduated from college a few years ago. I should know it all!

We started home schooling with review to detemine where she’s at in math, grammer, etc….Once I figured out the math myself reminded her how to do stuff, she is ok. So yesterday we started working on Integers. Her bestest friend (also in 7th grade) is working on Integers. So it made sense to do them.



I am proud to say I remembered how to do them. Princess Der didn’t seem to remember doing them before. Yesterday I had a bunch of the greater than/less than (remember the < and > signs?) problems for her to do. She only missed one.

So today we get into adding them. I explain that a positive number plus a positive number is always positive, negative plus negative is always a negative. She got that ok. Mixing the two is a different story. She couldn’t quite get what I was saying when I tried to explain that (+73) + (-55) would = +18. You have to SUBTRACT even though there is a plus sign.

To the rescue- Ron’s oldest son, who is visiting for a few days, and Golden Child. They both said like one sentence to her and she got it…..and thinks it’s great fun. Of course, I haven’t corrected the paper yet.

I’m a bit worried when it gets to higher math. I’m ok with Algebra. I have done it a few times showing the kids before. But trig and other stuff like that? I don’t think so, Charley! Praise the Lord for my home schooling co-op and online school. Of course, I’ll learn Trig & stuff when The Princess does, I’m sure J

On to Grammar… It was the shocker for me to realize how much I don’t know! I mean, I was an excellent reading/English student. In grade school, I would correct the teacher! When my high school teachers assigned essays or compositions…the whole class would moan. Except me of course. Ideas would flood my brain. I would write and rewrite. I would get A’s. One teacher even entered a poem of mine in a magazine.

In recent years, I’ve been published several times in a local parenting magazine, I have written online articles (www.buzzle.com) and have a couple of blogs and websites. I teach journal writing to adults, and I own a home biz….

How in the world did I get away with all of this with my limited knowledge?

I do not remember learning about Pronoun Genders in either high school or college. You know, Masculine, Feminine or Neuter? Guess it is common sense, but never heard of it, and who cares?

I also don’t remember the words preposition, conjunction and dangling modifiers.


As you can tell from reading my writing……

Did I sleep through school or didn't they teach that stuff  30 years ago back then?

But honestly, when it comes time to “clean it up” and write a clear, concise piece in 300 words or less for a magazine, I can easily do it. My blog is my time when I can use those (Oh so necessary!) parenthesis, all those…….’s, and etc, etc, etc’s ! Oh yeah, and the !!!!!!!!!!!!!’s

So really, did I miss out on all that much! Then again, think where I can go if I REALLY learn grammar and how to write….

….hmmmm…..(need to stop typing all those….., etc)