http://mamamusings.net/ elizabeth lane lawley's thoughts on technology, academia, family, and tangential topics Thanks, Liz! http://mamamusings.net/archives/2008/05/05/minitex_conference_keynote.php#c080348 Very interesting; I'd have loved to hear the talk to go along with it. I especially like the whole timeline idea; very cool to see where it's come from (ahh, nostalgia...) and what's emerging. http://mamamusings.net/archives/2008/05/05/minitex_conference_keynote.php#c080347 The criticism came from elsewhere, I believe, not so much from commenters on her site. If you do a Google News search on "Heather Armstrong", you'll see some of what she's responding to. She talks about the hate mail she gets in this WSJ piece. http://mamamusings.net/archives/2008/05/03/you_go_girlfriend.php#c080346 The reality is we don't know another person's family unless we're in it day by day. (Out of over two hundred posts... only a couple were critical? And these people were labeled the "haters"?) Not saying any more about that... but lived through it. http://mamamusings.net/archives/2008/05/03/you_go_girlfriend.php#c080345 I think that intensity is there whether your kids are spending 8 hours a day in a formal school environment or not. The difference is that now he (and we) have a lot more say about the social and educational contexts he's in. http://mamamusings.net/archives/2008/03/25/homeschooling_lane.php#c080344 wow, I get the part about not having to "watch" teenagers 24 hours a day like you would a young child, but you are still both parent and teacher. In my experience of working with, and raising teens, the challenges they face are enormous because of the arenas they deal with: cultural, political, sexual, identity, career, college, and on and on. I'm not saying homeschooling is a bad idea. My sister homeschools her six kids. I am saying don't underestimate how intense it is to raise teenagers who are trying to find themselves, who fall in love, who are tested by our culture, never mind teaching them calculus, political theory, chemistry.... http://mamamusings.net/archives/2008/03/25/homeschooling_lane.php#c080343 Happy Birthday, Liz! http://mamamusings.net/archives/2008/04/19/spring_has_sprung.php#c080342 Articles like that are one of my responses when people ask "But what about socialization?" when they ask me about our decision to Homeschool. Anyways, Welcome aboard the homeschooling "bus", and I hope it works well for Lane! http://mamamusings.net/archives/2008/03/25/homeschooling_lane.php#c080341 Good luck with that big change! I was home schooled from 8th grade on, I've seen the benefits first hand. Lane is very lucky to have parents willing to take this task on. http://mamamusings.net/archives/2008/03/25/homeschooling_lane.php#c080340 I hope you blog about the homeschooling some time. My partner and I were just talking about it again today. (She was homeschooled after middle school, and it was a great experience that we hope to pass on to our own child.) Enjoy your rest. Sounds like you've earned it. http://mamamusings.net/archives/2008/03/21/firing_on_all_cylinders.php#c080339 Probably won't see this until you come back, but have fun and have a nice trip. Enjoy the non-snow! *looks out the window at the snowstorm and wishes HE was somewhere warm and sunny...* http://mamamusings.net/archives/2008/02/29/gone_cruisin.php#c080338 I had an uneventful [which equates to good I guess] travel experience just yesterday. The shuttles were on time. The power cord was reachable from my seat at the gate while I waited. Funny how 'uneventful' can be viewed as OK. While waiting to board my final flight home to Syracuse, a man was going absolutely insane with rage at a US Airways attendant. When he finally walked away in disgust she yelled at him, "you don't know what you're talking about." It was on. Unfortunately, I had to leave before it was over so I never saw how it all played out. He probably had a situation like yours where one thing after another goes wrong. Hope your flight home sucked less. http://mamamusings.net/archives/2008/02/24/wishing_for_ruby_slippers.php#c080337 Sounds like a story for the Consumerist... Hope you have a good flight back at least! http://mamamusings.net/archives/2008/02/24/wishing_for_ruby_slippers.php#c080336 Yes, my doctor called me in SF. :) My doctor is wonderful. http://mamamusings.net/archives/2008/02/20/worst_trip_ever.php#c080335 Your doctor called you in San Francisco????????????!!!!!!! http://mamamusings.net/archives/2008/02/20/worst_trip_ever.php#c080334