The Whole Spaghetti and Waffle Thing

Have any of you read the book, Men are Life Waffles, Women are Like Spaghetti?

I haven't read it, but I have a few friends who have and they have explained it to me......(I'm not a doctor, but I play one on T.V.  )

In case you have never heard of it and have no idea what I am talking about, here is a video clip that explains the concept by the authors, Bill and Pam Farrel.

It is true.

Rainman and I are so different.

We have trouble talking to each other....without one of us getting frustrated, or, let's be honest here....angry.

Rainman thinks of one thing at a time.  He does one thing at a time.  One little waffle square at a time.  You know?

I don't do that.

I can't do that.

I have got noodles all over the place.  (Sometimes literally with the little people I live with! )

I usually do a pretty good job multi-tasking and keeping track of all of my noodles.

Lately though, I have been longing to be a waffle....even if it is only for a little while.

My problem is that I have so many things(noodles) to think about and try to accomplish that I am not getting any of them done.

Right now, I am trying to:

• Plan for school (starting next Monday) 
• Find all the books/supplies needed for next Monday (I know they are here somewhere....)
• Support A-girl (she started a more traditional school this week with D-man)
• Get my bookkeeping work done for the company I work for
• Type up the invoice for D-man's lawn mowing business (I know....he should do it himself, huh?)
• Try to come up with a MicroBusiness or two for myself 
• Decide whether or not having a renter in our basement apartment will be a good thing or a bad thing (Anyone know of a nice little old lady looking for a new home?  Does she like kids?)
• Try to pick and settle on a paint color for my kitchen cabinets....island....various furniture pieces
• Try to commit and actually hammer a nail into the wall and hang stuff up around here
• Organize my living room in a way that doesn't have it overflowing with furniture and bookshelves, but has the things I need nearby
• Figure out how to give my bedroom a makeover without spending a ton of money.  Romantic or cute? 
• Keep things clean
• Restart past chore systems, so I am not the only one keeping things clean
• Remember to mop the bathroom floor
• Eat my new way, which has been great - but requires lots of planning and thinking ahead (Trim Healthy Mama)
• Read  Insurgent  and Fault in our Stars.....plus many, many other Non-fiction selections that are waiting for me
• Remember to pull weeds and trim bushes (or assign that to someone)
• Learn new songs for praise team
• Use products and remember to take notes for writing reviews on them
• Keep track of my review deadlines
• Wonder if my friend, Sherri, is having a great trip to see her family
• Be Samson, and get started writing a book (which I think will just be a compilation of things I have learned in life.....mistakes I have made.....stuff that works for our family.....funny stories from my blog)
• Decide if the above book makes sense and if anyone would actually read it (should I care?)
• Figure out how to update the cover picture on my blog
• Try to remember to get my kids to pose in front of our fridge at the new house
• Organize our craft/sewing room so it makes sense and we can easily find/see all our fabrics and yarn
• Remember to do laundry (before I walk into my bedroom at night and see the pile that I have meant to wash for the last 2 days)
• Not to get too tied up in my lists and my computer that I forget to just love on my kids and play a round of Old Maid when they ask me to
• Not miss my family too much(visits are bittersweet and I just got back from seeing them all)
• Tell the lady from A Love Beyond Borders that we just can't afford to adopt those 3 sweet little girls....
• To figure out a way for us to adopt those 3 sweet little girls
• Research whether A-girl's fruit sensitivity is actual an fructose allergy
• Decide whether to intervene in the current sibling fight I hear in the basement
• Try to work on all the things the financial planner told us to work on, so Rainman can actually retire someday
• Schedule eye appointments for Rainman, D-man, and A-man (who has been getting headaches)
• Get physicals for Rainman and I scheduled so we can get our reward from our HSA account....I think I have until September 1st....oh, that is almost here, isn't it?
• Figure out a way for my waffle hubby to understand me better....and vice versa.....

So, you get it now, right?

I just want to go paint my kitchen cupboards.....without thinking about the 50 other things touching my noodle.

Then.....when that is 100% completed, I want to read a book.

Then.....when that is 100% completed, I want to teach my kids.

Then.....when that is 100% completed, I want to write a book.

Who am I kidding?

That would drive me crazy.  I actually can't even imagine living like that.

It is just frustrating right now because I feel like I am thinking about so many things and trying to make decisions about so many things....that I am actually accomplishing.....nothing.

I just need to use one of these little noodle portion thingies.....

(I will take the little man sized portion, please)  Image courtesy of Reykjavik Cornerstore

.....and just try to handle those noodles on my plate before going back for seconds...or I turn into this....

College.....Boo!

We decided to take a friend's advice and start touring and thinking about colleges during the summer between D-man's sophomore and junior year.

He has been getting college flyers since 7th or 8th grade, so we figured it was about time....but didn't really know where to start.

Then, we got an actual invitation to a private touring event at a college that he was interested in, but thought was a pipe dream.

So, we went for it.

I am depressed now.

For a few reasons.

This one.......

(Can't you just see his college man strut?)

My baby is walking away from meeeeeee!

You know what I mean.....I was initially excited for him, the campus was really pretty, the tour guides looked wholesome and friendly.  Then,  I was lagging behind him on our way back to the car, because of this staircase.....

(My 2 handsome nerds.  Love them!)

 .....when I looked up and saw him....just casually walking away......sigh....

The other reason I am a tidbit depressed?

$$$$$$$$$$$$

We have never had plans to pay for our child's college education.  We have told all the kids that they will need to work hard, try to get scholarships, and be creative to pay for school.

Oh, and not to just go to college because that is what all the other kids are doing.  I firmly believe that you don't necessarily need a 4 year degree to get an amazing, fulfilling job.  Tech schools are awesome.  Other, non-traditional schooling and training options are awesome too.





I went to traditional college for nursing, but dropped out before I was done.....combination of no money....and getting a C in chemistry (which to me, a former straight A student - meant I was an idiot and shouldn't even consider being a nurse!)

While I was still in high school, I went to night school at a local community college and  received certification as a Nursing Assistant (quick program....good money).  Later, in my mid-20's I went to night school (working full-time) and received certification as a Massage Therapist (relatively quick program.....great money) It was a job I loved....and was good at, but it is also a job that is very hard (physically) to do 40 hours a week.

I  also worked, for years, as an Executive Assistant.....you know, the fancy (makes me feel a little more important) word for Secretary.  No, it doesn't have a lot of social cache or give you a sense of importance. But, I was awesome at it......if I do say so, myself.    I made good money.  It wasn't hard on me physically.  I rarely brought the stress of my day home with me.  I was necessary.

On the other hand, Rainman has his master's degree and is a fancy schmancy scientist....but, many times he has said that of the 2 of us, I have the most marketable skill set.  He may be able to find a handful of higher paying jobs......but, I have lots and lots of options for good paying jobs....if that makes any sense?!?!

Our hope for our kids when it comes to their schooling, is that we can help them out once in awhile....as a bonus.....but not be a blank check....or debit/credit card for their hopes and dreams.  You know?

This particular college kept talking about what a great deal they were and the amazing value you were getting at their school compared to others.

But, my little heart skipped a beat when I saw the actual pricing....

$23,000

Seriously?!?!?

D-man better start writing essays and entering scholarship contests now!  He is really smart, but so are a lot of other kids.  You know?

Right now, he is thinking about becoming a Pharmacist.

Anyone have any leads on scholarships or contests?  Good schools in Georgia that may be cheaper than $23,000 a year???

Please let me know in the comments section.  We have a little bit of time since, thanks to my friend, Jayne, my eyes were opened to the realities of higher education earlier, rather than later.

And, this was just our first visit....it was a big school....smaller schools will be better....right?   Right????

3P Learning - Mathletics - Review

This summer, we got to try a math program from 3P Learning, called Mathletics.



This program is meant to be used as a supplement to whatever existing math program you are using.  You can use it for any of your students ages K-12.

It is an on-line computer based program that needs.....

• Windows XP SP3 (or higher)*, Mac OS X 10.6 (or higher)
• 1GB of RAM minimum (for best experience we recommend 2GB or higher of RAM)
• Supported web browsers – Internet Explorer 8 or higher, Mozilla Firefox 12 or higher, Safari 5 or higher, Google Chrome.
• Minimum usable screen resolution of 1024 x 768 or higher
• Adobe Flash Player 11.6 or higher
• Pop-ups enabled
• JavaScript enabled
• MP3s enabled

The program uses 7 ways to help your students:

- Engage
- Target
- Diagnose
- Assess
- Report
- Fluency
- Mobile

All of those make sense to you?

The only 2 that I didn't "get" when I first looked at the list were "Fluency" and "Mobile"....so, just in case your brain works like mine, let me touch on what those words mean in Mathletics.

Fluency is similar to what it is when you learn a foreign language.....being able to speak or write another language easily.  Mathletics wants you to be fluent in math and be able to "express" themselves in math (and even gives you the ability to "race" with people all over the world.....regardless of what their spoken language is.....get it?

Now, the word, "Mobile".  I will go out on a limb and guess that lots and lots of you saw that word and knew what it meant.  I would also guess that you guys have fancy smart phones and other technology, don't you?  I don't....so I wasn't sure....exactly....what it meant.  In this case, it means that you can take everything from your program, including homework and all account settings with you.....on your mobile device.  

So, how did we use it?

Well, we got have a year long subscription for 2 students.  I signed A-man (Grade 4) and S-girl up (Grade 2) with the hopes of getting the math side of their brains fired up before our first day of school this year.

Here is a little diagram of what the program can offer.

In case you can't see it, here are some of the highlights.

Your kids were create their own personal avatar, then they earn points that they can used for awards.

Here is how the awards work.....

You can see on the right side the different areas to pick from when you are working on your math.

• Live Mathletics –  Students can compete with others from all over the world
• Activities – This is the main area, where you complete lessons to earn your gold bars
• Problem Solving – Games that students unlock as they earn their gold bars
• Concept Search – An “encyclopedia” of math terms with video explanations
• Rainforest Maths – A free play area full of different math activities (this area was a little frustrating because you didn't earn points and you never knew when you were "done"....the questions just went on and on.  In the main Activities section you always know where you are, i.e., Question 1 of 10)
• Times Tables Toons – Music videos to help students learn multiplication facts

By doing well in the activities, you can unlock games...in the Problem Solving area.

I had access to an instant printable workbooks as part of my subscription too.

You can't really tell from that graphic, but there are lots and lots of workbooks to choose from.


Some of the helpful aspects of Mathletics from a homeschooling perspective:

• A personal mastery dial that tracks daily progress
• Access to livel math challenges with students from all over the world
• Intelligent adaptiveness (questions get harder the more answers you get correct)
• Immediate feedback to answers
• Ability to work at your own pace
• Rewards and certificates, including the opportunity to appear on the American Hall of Fame
• Access at anytime, as long as you have internet
• Weekly reports on each student sent to the parents e-mail address

Mathletics is designed to be used in a consistent manner throughout the year,  specifically, they recommend working in 20 minute sessions, three times a week.

Sounds doable, doesn't it?!?

Here is where I have to admit to you that we had mixed results with Mathletics.

It was partly the fault of our schedules/lives.

We had Vacation Bible School and took an almost 2 week long road trip to visit friends and family up north.....lots of time there wasn't easy internet access (Hard to believe, but those places do still exist!)

The key word to us was that we weren't consistent when using Mathletics.  They would do it a day or two, and then not go back on until I got the weekly e-mail that told me how much (or little) they had been on Mathletics.  Or, in their defense, we would just plain not be home and they didn't go on.

This turned into one of those things that sounded great to me, the mom, but to the kids, it just wasn't something they looked forward to doing.    They thought it was hard.  They didn't think it made math fun.  (Although, really, the only real life human being that I know that actually thinks math is fun is...Rainman.  )

I sat down and tried some of A-man's stuff...and I have to agree it was sort of hard.  One of the issues was math terminology.  We haven't really been focusing on this in our schooling....we have just been focusing on the math.  They do have a Concept Search section where he could have looked stuff up....but he didn't.  So, him deciding if something as a commutative property of multiplication or an associative property of multiplication ended up being a guessing game.

Part of the problem may be that it is Common Core based and we don't "do" Common Core around here.  I am also not sure that the work was actually too hard for him, more than just him trying to rush through and check this off his list.  But if it actually was,  I could change the course level he is working on up to 6 times in a year.  I think, if I would have sat next to him and slowed him down to understand some of the concepts and terminology better, he would have done fine.  It would be helpful if there was a placement test so you knew where the best place to plug your student is when you start before they get frustrated because you guessed wrong at their level.

I am not going to give up though, because I think the idea of this program is great.  So, I will tweak the program a bit more as we move forward and see what happens.  I like the idea of repetition so things become second nature.  I like the idea of them "racing" with kids from all over the world with math.  Nerdy of me, but true.

So, while this wasn't an ideal supplement for us, this summer, I am going to write it into our weekly lesson plans, 3 times a week, just like they recommend and see if I get a different result!






You can try the site out for free, or go ahead and get a subscription for $59/student for a full 12 months.

Take a look at see what the other Mathletes thought about 3P Learning and Mathletics.