Schoolwork issues

[zak frost]

Ok....they are doing construction behind our house (building a subdivision that I am sooo sooo thrilled about---read that with sarcasm dripping off it please). I haven't been having the boys do any schoolwork at all. We haven't done any over the summer really because of the noise.

So....we are pretty lax as is, but this is getting ridiculous. We couldn't do our normal outside stuff this summer. We can't do anything now because of the noise. I am about ready to make their machines not work!! (I can unhook wires....it wouldn't damage anything....just delay them.)

So....how do I go over there and throw a big fit and get what I want (no noise)? I need suggestions! I realize that it is construction and they need to make a living, but they are disturbing my kids. They have been at it all summer long!! My only thought so far is: what would a principal say to them if it was next to a school and they were disturbing the students in the school.

[Smidget]

omg that's a tough one. i don't even know how to touch that. but i hope that you figure it out!

[zak frost]

Do you think a double barrel shot gun would help? We might have one...... Well.... somewhere around here....

Maybe.....

[gypsymom]

A shotgun and some hand grenades ought to do it. :lol

Wow, Zak that sucks big time. It makes me think of the beginning of the movie "The Ballad of Jack and Rose". Stupid f***ing subdivisions.

Maybe you could take them to the library to get some work done? You could designate a couple hours a day for it or something. :shrug

[zak frost]

Well, we have a sucky library. I don't know if they are open for a few hours. And, since school started, I don't think they are open during the day.

[gypsymom]

:( While the weather is nice maybe you could try going to a state park or something where there's picnic tables under a pavillion. They could do their bookwork and play outside. You probably only have a couple more weeks weather-wise, though. :shrug

[zak frost]

Well, we rarely do bookwork. Most of our learning is "doing".

[gypsymom]

:hmm I guess I'm fresh out of ideas except to maybe kill the mutha fu@#as.

OR you could take your kids over there and say, "Excuse me, we use a hands-on method of homeschooling and I was wondering, since you are constantly interrupting their efforts at learning, if you could teach my boys about your jobs."

[zak frost]

Yeah.....I should do that. That is actually a good idea!!

[gypsymom]

:blush You inspired it, really.

[Iggy]

:lol They'd probably love that.

Other than a park or the library, I'm not sure what I'd do. If you have relatives nearby, maybe you can invade them? :shrug

[zak frost]

My relatives don't "approve" of homeschooling. **snort** Though....my kids are way better behaved than my sister's kids. But, you know, they need to go to school to learn how to stand in line and be socialized and stuff.... **snort**

My kids stand in line just fine at the grocery store several times a week. Sometimes, several times in one day even. I think they have passed that "test". And, as for socialization....well....Ring has seen my boys recently. Do they seem unsocialized? :teehee I am sure they totally seem like they are locked in the closet and beaten repeatedly to assure their blind obedience.

[Iggy]

Hey you don't have to argue pro-homeschooling to me, remember I was homeschooled :lol And I'm a functional adult :para

[zak frost]

Well, my sister told me that they weren't going to learn to stand in line. And, both Grandma and Sis brought up stuff about the socialization.

[Iggy]

Yeah a lot of my mom's family was concerned too, but we all turned out better behaved than my cousins who went to public school.

[Free Bird]

Gee, that's a tough one Zak. The only other thing I can suggest other than what's been said already is to maybe do school work in the evenings when they are done working. That really stinks for both you and the boys. :hug

[Duck]

Wow, lots of great ideas. I don't really have anything to add. I do think taking the kids over to the construction is a really great idea. Otherwise, like Freebird said, you might have to move learning to the evenings. There is always moving (though it sucks that you moved there to get away from all of that and now would be forced to do it again.) Good luck!

[TEF]

I wish I had an idea for you! You received some good ones so far and hope something works out!

[zak frost]

Well, most of the stuff that we would look at is sleeping in the evening.

We would:

-watch birds and look them up in the bird book, discuss them flying, what they eat, what they might be looking for as they hop along the ground, what their nests might look like, identify the young/teenage birds, etc. We are still trying to identify the hawk/falcon that swoops down on our crow's nest. You should see the crows attack it!!

-We walk around the yard and identify plants.

-We watch the clouds and discuss pollution, the "cycle" of water, the different types of clouds, the wind patterns in the different layers, and how our weather is slightly different because of elevation and our closeness to a river.

It is pretty laid back and you just can't go and do that to the same degree somewhere else.

[Free Bird]

Wow, that's pretty cool. Wanna homeschool my kids for me? :teehee
Is there a nature preserve or zoo near by, where you guys can do that?

[zak frost]

You know, the zoo out here sucks big ones. It is really expensive to get into and it is a crappy zoo. I am also rather spoiled because I grew up near the St. Louis zoo. It was great. And...it is free!

There is a sort of nature preserve, but it just isn't convenient. We would go lay out in the yard and talk for a few hours in the afternoon. If we go somewhere, we have to shower, dress, gather stuff up (water bottles, snacks, books, other activities), and then drive there (and spend the money for the gas, rural living can suck big ones at times). It also isn't convenient because if we find a bug that want to identify we can't just run into the house and start searching the internet. Part of the reason we bought the property we did was because we have our own "park".

They are all good ideas. I am just rather bitter about civilization creeping up on me.

[WendyDixie]

Wow really good ideas, basically they said everything i wouldv'e suggested. The prk might be good during the day to get some stuff done.

They jsut recently finished a huge condo building right next to ym daughters school but i am not sure how they handled it