Category: thoughts

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Posted on by Phoebe Gleeson

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Another 12 days of blood glucose testing. I failed the 50g glucose challenge screen a few days ago, and I don't want to take the longer 100g test. The 50g test was brutal for me since that's about how much carbohydrate I have in a whole day! (50g is about a can of Coke and 100g is about a 20oz bottle.) But in 2 days of testing, so far I've been normal or low. Yesterday my morning level was 62, today 89. I wasn't expecting that much fluctuation. For the record, I don't think I have gestational diabetes, but this way I'll know.
Posted by Intagrate Lite

testing, earthly remains

Posted on by Phoebe Gleeson

Yesterday Gil and Trixie started their California Achievement Tests. They are both doing well. Trixie was convinced that she was unintelligent because she didn’t know every single answer, but seeing how she did in the percentile score cheered her up (99th percentile for spelling, her Bugga would be proud.) Gilbert was a bit dismayed that he didn’t know some grammatical terms but even though he had to educated-guess on a few questions he still managed a 98th percentile. He thought that was so funny. He said, “I guess most seventh graders speak solely in memes and emoji.”

These are kids who have had no formal language arts study. It’s all being read to when little (and big) and reading stuff themselves. And quite a few rounds of Mad Libs. Unschooling for the win.

I went to the funeral home to get Mom’s Viking remains, as the kids call them. They are surprisingly heavy. We have a family plot at an OKC cemetery and I want to get both Mom and Dad in the ground there. I’ll look into that soon. No rush.

Testing time

Posted on by Phoebe Gleeson

It’s time to tick ticky boxes! Last year, Gilbert took his first standardized test, the California Achievement Test, online version. He did fine, scoring exactly where I thought he would. At that time, he tested at or above grade 6 in everything but math, not unexpected as he was in the middle of a 5th grade text at the time (I don’t start formal math until about age 10 or 11.) In math he tested at, well, halfway through 5th grade. Since then he’s finished 5th, skipped 6th grade math, and finished 7th, so I expect this year’s test to show at or above 7th grade for everything.

There is no testing requirement in Oklahoma. I do this to have an objective, if flawed, measure of the kids’ progress that anyone can look at. We are eclectic homeschoolers, very relaxed, getting more structured as the kids get older, then easing off again. The highest-tide homeschooling we do is between ages 10-16. I have four kids in that range right now, but one of them is Bede who is a horse of a different color. So, practically speaking, that’s 10yo Gloria, rising 5th grader, 12yo Trixie, rising 7th, and 13yo Gilbert, rising 8th. Since they don’t use a curriculum in anything but math I don’t know where they are in comparison to other kids, hence a test. I want to note – this is for my comfort. I am a worrier by nature and, while I have no concern that my kids need to be in lockstep with their institutionally schooled peers, I think some nosy busybody might. So, if I can show that they are doing just as well as their public school counterparts, I rest easier. Some people say “Live like school doesn’t exist.” I can’t do that. So, tests.

Gilbert liked it, last year. It’s fun to see where you stand. This year, Trixie gets a test too, since I start at 12. Gloria’s off the hook for two more years, which is best for her anyway since she gets freaked out by tests. More time to work though that.

Next week is Test Week! Cue Rocky theme!