Curriculum Woes.

I am not the most organized person I know. It takes me time to get my head round mundane but necessary things like ordering curriculum. Firstly I've usually finished a curriculum before it occurs to me I need to order some more. Well, Duh! Hello, jeannie! Secondly we never seem to finish at the specified times. Science & LLATL were both suppossed to last 2 years & we are finished both more than 6 months early. Science is a nightmare. My 11 year old has expressed an interest in marine biology. The only textbooks are for grade 12 with a biology prequisite. At present we are doing our own but while this is fascinating it is less science than an extended art class. We are drawing everything. I have the left hand side of a tidal pool at present. At some point the exotic concoctions that decorate the page will be labeled but whether or not this is actually science is arguable. I have a visual/spatial learner so no prizes for guessing why we are drawing everything.

However as I have been unhappy with the LLATL (both Cass & I are bored silly by it) I have actually done my homework & ordering early. I have opted for Sonlight for all those lovely books. Expensive but I hope worth it. The catalogue is a nightmare. I couldn't make head or tail of it. In desperation I rang the suppliers. That took days just to get through so I could leave a message on their answering machine. When they rang back it was after I was in bed for the night & I was half asleep when I was called to the phone. Lovely, lovely man!!! Sooo patient. Explained everything. I doubt I have everything sorted out ~ when did I ever? ~ but I am actually ok with that. Loverly, loverly man understood my consternation when I realised the catalogue prices were in US dollars, not Oz ones! (ouch!!!) & said I didn't have to order everything at once, just 5 or so books at a time. Big sigh of relief. My budget will cope much better this way, though my organizational skills are a hazard. Cass not impressed.

Mother not impressed either, though for different reasons. Band yesterday. We have extended waiting periods so during lunch Cass asked permission to try out the drums. She's had her eye on the drums for some time & while she hasn't seemed to have paid any attention while we've sat through the beginner's drum classes while waiting for the flutes to arrive she must have. The child sat down & began rapping out a beat. Her sense of timming & co~co-odination were really good. How good was highlighted when the next lot of students tried. I am NOT buying a drum kit! Where would I put it? To say nothing of the noise. However there is a spare alto sax around at present & Cass is planning on hitting on the teacher for that. Massive sigh. I am already climbing over instrument cases, music stands & spending wasted time looking for music that is never where it should be. Oh man. Another instrument I do not think we need & I am already worrying about how I am going to afford to buy the child a flute for next year when we will no longer be able to hire an instrument from the school. $6oo~Oz, maybe a bit less if we can find a decent 2nd hand one. Sax's cost even more. As music is an important & major part of Cass' curriculum I am starting to get a little wild around the eyes.

Dear Lord, you know our need; Help!