Summer School...

So much for a long, lazy summer. :)

Not that I'm upset in the least, but I think its interesting that my stepson, Danny, arrived from Florida 3 weeks ago with a request for me to teach him Algebra II (okay, you can stop laughing now) and help him complete American History after failing it the first time... I'd like to think my homeschooling prowess has reached a wide audience, but I know in reality that it's simply because my practical stepson merely wants to get a headstart on next year (and avoid the American History teacher, whom he professes to dislike intensely) and he knows I'm homeschooling Kennedy -- thus, instant summer school options!

In typical teenage fashion, however, Daniel has been less than enthusiastic about opening his Algebra II book (which I so magnanimously drove to North Raleigh to buy for him after he indicated his interest in completing a whole course over the summer!). Neither is he very excited about reading, even though his book is ironically titled "My Brother Sam is Dead." :)

I spent all this week trying to figure out what I can do to inspire him to stick to his goal, and I realized today that I don't have to do anything! :) His task is simple: 1) complete the Algebra II textbook, and 2) read 6 novels that cover a specific period of American History and write a one-page report about what he learned -- all by August 15th. So far, after 3 weeks, he's read two chapters of his novel, and completed 3 out of 12 chapters of Algebra. So, in a renewed spirit of "it's not my problem," I reminded him this morning that he has 5 weeks left to finish both courses, and that I will remind him gently every day, but if he doesn't complete, he just has to take those courses at school in the Fall! The bottom line is he'll be stuck in school all day -- something he is trying to avoid.

Well, if he wants to avoid that enough, he'll get the job done... if not, he'll have wasted an opportunity, but all it cost me was $20 for the Algebra textbook (and a few moments of sorrow for all that wasted opportunity).

Did I tell you that my oldest daughter is entering a PhD program this Fall??! :)