The Not-So-Secret Confessions of a Homeschooler

I came across this graphic on Facebook, and when I started to write out my status in sharing it, I realized that I actually had quite a lot to say on the subject, and it would be more appropriately presented as a blog post.

Homeschooling isn't for all families - there are many reasons why other education options may be better for them. Still, I have to say, this one has a lot in its favor. My family decided to homeschool after I lost my hearing, for which I am incredibly grateful. We all did very well academically, and please don't even mention social issues... we never lacked friends (okay, other than me during my awkward 11-13 period), and consistently impressed adults with our maturity. My sister is currently living on campus at a local college, doing dual highschool/college credits. My brother, just 21, is a residence hall director and working on his Master's degree. (I won't talk about me, but I think bragging on my siblings is okay... right?)

Sure, there are some rare homeschooled families that hit the other side of this, but honestly, state oversight is so thorough that it's hard for families not to get caught if they're not actually trying to educate and raise their homeschooled kids properly. In my state, we had to take tests every year (as opposed to the every other year mandated for our public school counterparts) and we are one of the looser regulated states. (My cousins in Pennsylvania have a pretty unfair level of reporting they have to do, since that is one of the strictest states).

For those who say "my mom and I don't  get along - she could never teach me!" Well... my mom and I had just as many (and probably more) problems than any mother and daughter, but that never interfered with my schooling - it just motivated me to become more independent with my academics! My mom was educated as a nurse - not a teacher. She was a fantastic homeschooling mother because of her love and dedication, not because of any degree. Her secret? She read to us for at least an hour every day. Of course when we were in elementary and middle school she spent more time working on math, science, spelling, etc, with us, but that's not a fearsome job - I did it with two different families when I was just 20.

There are so many more resources for homeschoolers today then there were even ten years ago. Many cities have homeschool centers that offer specialized classes or "tutor sessions" for the high school subjects that parents don't feel confident overseeing, such as the sciences, math, foreign language, and writing. There are also many homeschool sport leagues, bands and drama groups, plus laws are changing to allow homeschoolers to participate in extra-curricular activities at their local public schools.

I could go on and on, but I'm afraid I'll start sounding rather pompous on this soapbox... feel free to ask any questions if there's an aspect of homeschooling you've always wondered about.

The most important thing I hope comes across here is that I'm adamantly in support of a family's right to choose how to educate their children, and homeschooling should not be seen as a 'scary' option, even if it ends up not being the right one for your family. (Yes, I very much hope to homeschool my own future children, but I'm aware that there might be a scenario where they would need some other form of education for a time, and if so, we'll make it work).

No Silmarillion in Theaters?

There's been an article making the rounds on Facebook, exploring Christopher Tolkien's decision not to allow further licensing of his father's creative property. It's an interesting position - I knew there had been issues, but I hadn't heard that he had completely decided to forswear any future opportunities.

Read the Full Article here.

First of all, I want to be clear that I'm not going to bash Christopher Tolkien. He has done a phenomenal job of managing his father's estate, and has made so much material available to us. Truly he has been a good steward and deserves immeasurable commendation for that.

I also think it's telling that he was so dissatisfied with the films that he's putting a stopper on any other material being transferred to screen. Tolkien purists have had issues with the movies for years - which honestly I have always felt were rather harsh, since any adaptation needs to take liberties when translating to film.

Still, let's be honest. There are some really important thematic elements that did not make the transition well at all - the corrupting of Faramir is, I think, the most important, with the elimination of "The Scouring of the Shire" and the subtle altering of the situation at "Helm's Deep" also standing as major problematic changes. I've not yet seen "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" so I honestly can't comment on that, although most of the strong fans I've heard from have been pleased with it.

Whatever. Seriously. We're past the age of 'one film for all time.' Remakes happen as the technology changes, and I have no doubt that someday we'll see another version of LOTR hit the big screen. Those rights are still out there.

The truth is, no film is ever going to be perfect. Purists of any franchise are always going to be dissatisfied with something. I think LOTR did better than we could have hoped, given the film industry of the time. What Jackson pulled off was just short of a miracle and he also deserves commendation for his efforts. That he missed the point on some crucial elements is lamentable, but considering the scope of the book and the amount that he did get right, still sets him above much of the film industry. It was also a major achievement for the country of New Zealand, and I think that alone makes the films worth doing. And yes, the Hobbit as well.

All this is to say, if Christopher Tolkien wasn't happy with Jackson's work, then no, he likely wouldn't be satisfied with anyone else's, whether it's a future adaptation of the licensed properties, or the hoped for but now demolished dream of "The Silmarillion" or "The Unfinished Tales" coming to the screen. So therefore his decision is probably the right one, and I can't blame him for making it, especially as he is in his 80's and can't get involved in a production at the hands-on level that Douglas Gresham (C.S. Lewis's step-son and literary executor) did for the Narnia movies.

I'm not certain, however, that we'll never, ever see any of the other properties retold for film. The estate will come under new management at some point, and I think eventually we'll see a younger executor partner with a film company (or perhaps in a TV series format) to adapt the other stories. It may not be for fifty years, but I do think it will eventually happen. At some point, at least, all the rights are going to relapse and then it'll be fair game. Although with a property as lucrative and precious as LOTR, I'm sure it will be tied up as tightly as it can for the time being.

Once Upon a Time 2.10 - "The Cricket Game"

Here there be spoilers! But if you haven't seen the episode yet, you can watch it either at ABC.com or hulu.com, so no excuses!

I'll admit, I missed the first minute or so because I was caught up in a skype conversation. However, I caught the gist of the sequence in a tumblr gif set, which clearly pointed out the parallel's between Hook's opening and Captain Jack's from "The Pirates of the Caribbean." Clever. Only Captain Hook isn't Jack, he's a fairy murdering--- ah, you're all tired of that rant by now, I'm sure.

Anyhow, I loved the entire opening. Cora, the disappearing ship, Snow+Charming = oblivious Henry and traumatized Emma... cute stuff.

But really, the strongest part of the episode was the party sequence, where we see Regina genuinely trying to fit in. No one really trusts her, but for Henry's sake they're trying... and c'mon, the woman is a fabulous cook. The scene between her and Emma was very telling, showing clearly how both women have grown more mature and are genuinely trying to be the women they need to in order to give Henry the right kind of parents.

Unfortunately for Regina, she's still saddled with an overly-controlling mother who will literally stop at nothing to stay in charge of her daughter's life. We thought Regina was bad last season? She's nothing compared to Cora now. And OUAT has once more killed off a cute bachelor. OR HAVE THEY? Turns out, Archie's not dead, but someone else is. Not any of the principles, apparently, since they all appeared after discovering the 'body', but do we seriously think it's no one important at all? (if it is, OUAT really dropped the ball.)

One of my favorite bits of the episode was the interaction with Pongo. I'm a long time fan of "101 Dalmations" (the book!) and love that they have subtly worked Pongo into the show. In this episode they used him quite cleverly, tying in Ruby's wolf powers, and extracting Pongo's memory of the scene with Rumple's dreamcatcher. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the first instance of a Native American story/myth coming into the show, right?)

Seriously, Regina's acting was phenomenal this episode, between crying, threatening, and her complete shock at Archie's death, there wasn't a sour line in the whole thing. I love that Emma was able to tell that Regina was telling the truth, although I hope at some point we learn more about why Emma has this "superpower." Is it knowledge of people and body language (aka "Lie to Me") or something to do with her inner magic?

Also, random aside. What did Rumple mean by his "sheepdog" reference? Am I missing something, or is there another story here we'll be seeing eventually?

On the Fairy Tale Flashback end of things, we also got some really interesting stuff. Once again, fantastic acting by Regina as a truly evil woman... and she looked fabulously tragic in her execution costume. Also, another appearance from Regina's father, whom I sincerely hope we get more backstory on at some point.

Anyhow, I like how OUAT deals with the idea of the death penalty in this episode, and especially how Snow pleads for Regina. We've seen so much of kick-ass Snow, it's nice to see the sweet, kind side of her that we generally associate with the character.

Also, it was nice work setting up why Regina wanted a curse to take them to another land. We already knew Rumple's motive in needing such a complicated scenario... great to know Regina had one too.

Random observation... Snow and Charming are married by this point, but they're obviously keeping that a secret, referring to each other as 'fiance.' Why is this? What's the big deal about keeping it a secret? I hope they elaborate...

Anyone else catch Rumple's "Twoo Love" Princess Bride reference?

Overall I thought this was a pretty solid episode, and I'm glad that the show is starting to cover some new territory. Can't wait for next week - looks like it could be fairly traumatizing for us Rumbelle shippers!

Downton Abbey 3.2

(Originally published in September 2012. Although it is the second episode of the season, it was shown at the same time as the first episode for the American debut.)

SPOILER ALERTTTTT

...

...

Ahem.

I love Mary and Matthew. I mean I just adore them. So much. And I don't think that's going to change because they're married - it will still be a dynamic and engaging pairing. I love how even with this money drama Matthew still makes a point to tell Mary that he loves her.

Last week I didn't believe for a moment that they would lose Downton. But now? After this episode? The whole "changing world" thing seems to be pretty real and final. As in, Downton could actually go. Except if it goes, then there's no show called "Downton Abbey" so what happens? I'm perplexed. I do love how Cora is handling it, although I'm feeling really sorry for Mary. She's worked so hard for this and now it's being taken away.

Mrs. Hugh's cancer storyline would have been more moving if it hadn't just been revealed to be a big storyline on another show I watch. I'm curious to see how it plays out in a historical context though.

No Sybil and Branson! :( How often are we going to get to see them this season? They weren't in the promos for next week. But we know they'll be back and we'll get to see the baby.

Edith and Strallen... I don't know. On the one hand they are so adorable, on the other part of me wonders if Editih is just settling... and yet I know she's not. She does really care for him, but I think she is also desperate to be loved and adored and he is the one person in her life who will give her that. I don't know if that's good or bad at this point. But they're engaged, so...

Not so much a review this week as thoughts. Downton is special because even though it's a show with multiple seasons, it also functions like a miniseries in that it is really about the ongoing story and not one episode plots.

Downton Abbey Season 3 Premiere

(originally posted in September, 2012)

Issuing the required SPOILER WARNING...

DOWNTON IS BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCK

Who else wanted to cheer when the camera rounded the bend and we saw our beautiful old estate in all its glory? Of course, the episode started on a rather more abrupt and personal note - in the church, at the rehearsal for Matthew and Mary's wedding. This was a bit jarring for me, but then, Downton has always plunged right into the story from minute one of nearly every episode. Once you start watching, you can't pull yourself away, which is one reason why I think it has continued to be so successful.

So we're promised early on that the wedding is seriously on this time, and we'll hopefully get to see it by the end of the episode. Hopefully. I mean, this is Mary and Matthew we're talking about so anything could happen...

Anna faithfully visits Bates in jail, although little happens other than Anna finding a possible lead for proving him innocent. I did however appreciate the scene in which Bates encouraged Anna to go with Mary as her maid on the honeymoon and "live for both of us."

Thomas is just as much a jerk as ever (and here I was softening towards him in season 2!). After all that O'Brian has done to support him, he couldn't spare a minute of his concern to help out her poor nephew. Grrrr.

Edith, remember how much I disliked Edith at the beginning of last season? And now I'm delighted to see her, delighted she has a second chance with Sir Anthony, delighted that she seems so happy.

And Sybil is just radiant - as we get to see on screen thanks to Grandmama Violet arranging for her and Tom to attend the wedding. Tom of course is bound and determined to stand his ground, but Matthew talks sense into him, asks him to be his best man (who else loved that?) and when things looked bleak for the wedding, it was Tom who saved the day. Go Tom!

Mary and Matthew are always going to argue over things. We know that. Matthew finally knows it. Mary probably will have to take more time to learn the lesson. Of course their argument isn't such a petty one, because it relates to a very real danger to Downton.

Oh Lord Grantham. What is going to happen to him if he loses Downton? We know everyone else will be all right (although, no show! So it must be saved!), but Grantham would have a complete breakdown and become utterly depressed and... oh I couldn't bear it.

On the upside, Grandmama Violet is in high form, with a perfect and equal verbal sparring partner in the form of Cora's mother, recently arrived from America.

It wasn't an explosive or shocking episode, but it was a very good one, showing us everything we love about Downton before the sky (inevitably) turns black.

(Episodes 1 and 2 were combined for the American broadcast, read my original review for episode 2 here)

Intro to Classic X-Men

"I want to start reading the X-Men comic books... where do I start?"

This is a question I hear a lot, addressed either to myself or others. It's kind of an involved answer, so I figured it was about time I wrote up a comprehensive blog post on the subject.

Obviously I am one fan, and this is going to be a biased post, but I think it'll be pretty comprehensive so hopefully fans of differing opinions won't be too upset with me. ;)

First of all, if you want to jump into a current story without wading through all the history of the X-Men, I would recommend you to catch up on the "Wolverine and the X-Men" comic book. It came out last year and has been extremely well written. At this point you would have a manageable amount of catching up to do, and then you'd be caught up with everyone else. All you have to know going in is that Wolverine and Cyclops had a big fight, the X-Men split up over it, and Wolverine 'got custody' of half the kids and started a school. Yep. Wolverine is headmaster. Check it out.

If you want to really dive in and read everything, but don't know where to begin... here's a suggested road map.

#0. Forget everything from the Fox movies. Except Professor X. Very little of it is comic canon, and although a few of them were good 'movies' they are horribly misleading about the X-Men in general.

#1. Watch "Wolverine and the X-Men" - the TV show. It has nothing to do with the comic book by the same name, nor does it follow any comic book title, but it does a wonderful job of showing the characters, themes and pivotal storylines that have populated the X-Men side of the Marvel universe for the past fifty years. It's either that, or do a heck of a lot of Wikipedia reading. (For that matter, I recommend Comicvine instead, as it's kept up to date and contains more information).

#2. Read "X-Men: First Class." It has nothing to do with the movie (which was excellent, but inaccurate) and everything to do with the canon first class - Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Angel and Iceman. Why not start with the very first comic? Because honestly those early comics get boring fast. Comics were written differently in those days, and X-Men was an example of the not so great side (it didn't really take off until Clairmont's run). In fact, for a time it was actually canceled. While I will recommend some old school stories (see #3!), do yourself a favor and start with First Class, which tells the stories that took place between the original issues, but has sharper writing and the benefit of modern art and printing technology.

#3. Read "Giant-Size X-Men #1". This tells the story of how iconic favorites like Wolverine, Storm and Nightcrawler joined the team, and their very first adventure with the original five (plus two of my favorites, Havok and Polaris!). It's an important story in that it strongly shaped the future of the X-Men, and ties into many future stories (such as Deadly Genesis, which we'll get to later.)

#4. Get your hands on Uncanny X-Men #129 and the ensuing story arc. Not only does this introduce you to Kitty Pryde (who is one of the most awesome X-Men ever), but it also gives you a good look at the origins of Emma Frost and the Hellfire Club.

#5. Read "The Dark Phoenix Saga." This is sold in a single volume trade edition, or you can track down issues #129-#138 of "The X-Men" (not to be confused with the "Uncanny X-Men" issues of the same numbers I referenced in the previous step. Complicated, huh?). This is Jean Grey's story, and remains one of the most iconic X-Men stories ever. Even if you skip everything previous to this, you really don't want to miss this one!

#6. Read "Wolverine: First Class." After the Phoenix Saga you'll be ready for something more light-hearted, and this follow up to "X-Men: First Class" is one of the funniest pieces I've ever read. It's also got tons of Wolverine and Kitty.

#6.5. Speaking of which... if you liked that duo, you might want to read their original pairing, in the miniseries "Kitty Pryde and Wolverine." It involves ninjas and samurai and lots of swordfighting.

#7. This isn't a vital story, but "The Days of Future Past" is worth reading, especially as it is going to be the basis of the next First Class series. Might as well know the source before Fox messes up again... right? Also, more Kitty!

After that, it gets complicated. You could literally continue on after Kitty's entrance or the Dark Phoenix Saga and read both titles to their conclusions. Which is hundreds of issues, and although there are some really good stories, there are also some really confusing ones, so if you want to catch up to the current state of comic affairs, you can, at this point, skip ahead to my next batch of suggestions (Intro to Modern X-Men, coming soon!). Or read both side by side.

At this point, you do have a solid knowledge of the important facts of Classic X-Men, so you can skip around, find out when your favorite characters have important arcs or introductions by checking the Wiki information. For instance, Rogue first appeared in the "Avengers Annual #10" and Gambit debuted in "Uncanny X-Men Annual #14." Kitty meets her dragon/alien Lockheed during the first Brood story (Uncanny X-Men #155). A vital growth period for Storm was her change in appearance and depowering, a story which starts during Uncanny X-Men #173.

However...
There is one story that covers a lot of titles and issues that I can't just give you a handy reference to. It's an important story that you really should have some knowledge of, so I'm going to give you a quick summery here. (If you plan to read all of Classic X-Men yourself, then skip this so you don't get spoiled!)

After Jean dies (for the first time, see "Dark Phoenix Saga"), Scott grieves, then finds new love with Madelyn Pryor, who looks suspiciously like Jean. They have a son, Nathan, but when Jean's resurrection is revealed, Scott leaves Madelyn and Nathan for Jean. (Ouch.) Nathan is kidnapped by Mr. Sinister (who, as you know from "Wolverine and the X-Men" has a serious obsession with Scott and Jean), and Madelyn goes incognito with 8 other X-Men to live secretly in Australia and save the world without anyone knowing. (That's a fun arc, and introduces Jubilee. I highly recommend it, actually, but you don't have to read it to continue on to Modern X-Men.)

Anyhow, the 9 Aussie X-Men come back to the US, and Maddy finds out that she's actually a clone of Jean, created by Mr. Sinister. She kind of goes crazy and evil and has to be destroyed. Baby Nathan is recovered, however, but he is stricken with a virus that can only be treated in the future.

Scott and Jean get married and take Nathan into the future, where they spend nine years raising him before returning to the present day. Nathan stays there, until eventually he returns as a full-grown (white-haired!) man named Cable.

Oh, yeah, Scott and Jean have other kids from the future that show up, but Rachel is the only one you need to worry about. Rachel's cool. We'll get to her in the next post.

Anyhow, Madelyn+Scott=Nathan/Cable. Keep that in mind.

Here, have some random LEGOs

This summer I learned that Legos are not just for kids. I also came home from my east coast adventures with a suitcase full of little plastic bricks... but work has been so insane that I haven't managed to do much with them since setting up the sets.

Since I'm recovering from the flu and tired of drawing and watching Netflix, I decided to pull out the two sets I hadn't completed yet and finish them. I also created something new...

So, yeah, my level of the house includes the fireplace with the mantel. I've had my Legos up since September and my parental units have not uttered a word of protest. I'm impressed. Maybe they secretly accept the coolness? (It also makes a perfect conversation piece any time someone comes over with a kid. Or, well, not a kid, but someone who loves Legos... Seriously. I walked up to breakfast one day and was ordered to show a friend my Legos immediately. They're popular.)

Matt and I split the now-out-of-print Gringrott's set. I also got the (also now-out-of-print) Hagrid/Fire Tree set, which includes Narcissa Malfoy, probably one of the most obscure female characters ever to become a Lego.

The Trio faces off against the Malfoys! And a Snake!

I've also got a PotC set-up...

Here's the medieval village (another surprise gift from Matt), with a Scottish Bagpiper who is probably the coolest minifig so far, and Little Red Riding Hood.

More medieval, including Braveheart and Viking Opera lady.

Marvel's set-up! It's woefully small... Quick, Lego! Make some more X-Men!

So once you're done being distracted by the shiny gold, take a look at the black and red house in Singapore. Er, the background. That's not a set, that's a piece I created from my meger supply of left-over pieces. It turned out pretty cool, considering I didn't have a set design when I went in.

So... yes. Random Legos. And now I need a bigger mantel...