Daydreaming while waiting impatiently!

[sumi]

How did you get on with selling succulents? They were on my list of plants to propagate, but mine went leggy over winter. I don't think they'll do well in my house.

I did very well. I got as many different ones as I could and looked for unusual or rarer ones EVERYWHERE. I bought plants from other nurseries and garden centres further away and begged cuttings from everyone that had different plants from what I had. I ended up selling to collectors, which was pretty cool. They need only a tiny bit of water, lots of sun and grow well in decent soil. I made a mix of sand and compost for mine, but in S.A. people had this thing about growing them in old milk jugs, pots, etc. Sort of a rustic planter. It sounds strange, but it looked lovely!

 

[Mini Horses]

Not sure chemically why willow works but my first thought is the aspirin effect from the tree.

Some people drop an aspirin into transplant hole. With tomato often manure/compost and Epsom salt, etc. Some of these things assist the plant with growing &/or staving off issues they may have, even keeping development of other things in the soil to a +/- that is more conducive to that plant.

It's like companion planting, in a way. Attract or discourage whatever element or bug --

 

[baymule]

Willow has a natural rooting hormone. Ever stick a willow stick in the ground? Walk away and come back a month or so later, it is growing! Willow water has that same rooting hormone, and will help your plants grow roots. Make up a fresh batch of willow water and change the water out once a week. The young twigs that are green on the ends have the most growth hormone, but any part of the branches will do.

 

[Mini Horses]

There ya go! Thanks Bay.

 

[tortoise]

DH finished adding a strand of electric to the sheep rotational grazing pasture fence. We started that last year with 2 strands and they learned to walk under the fence quickly. So far this year, with the third strand, they're staying in.

DS3 is finally making progress on potty training by eliminating pull-ups (TOLD YOU SO, DH! ) and eliminating TV time. ... and by bribing him to sit on the toilet longer with ipad and new PBS Kids apps/games for him.

I'm scheming to homeschool DS11 again next year. I don't want to deal with him, but he has found all the cracks to fall into in middle school and is exploiting them. And I'm upset with the principal. The school is pro-acceleration but doesn't understand "2E" "twice exceptional" students. (Gifted plus a learning disability). The principal has pegged my son as a behavior problem and has refused to schedule a 504 Plan meeting - DS11 had a 504 plan already. I know it's illegal but in a small community, I can't fight the attitude. I may need to bite the bullet here and enroll him in community college. He needs more intellectual challenge with less busywork. He's getting a hella-lotta busywork and little (if any) intellectual challenge. He's getting into trouble for refusing to do work he already knows. And honestly, I can't blame him for that at all. Algebra for the 3rd time? Heck yes you can expect he can get A's on the test without doing homework. He gets into trouble for a literature assignment where he is supposed to identify vocabulary words... but he knows them all. And the principal is patting himself on the back for "creating a challenging environment" for DS11. Uhhhhhh.... I'm speechless. Principal also said that DS11 can't have slow processing speed because he finished a 6th grade standardized English test faster than classmates. Never mind that on that type of English test he tests at college level. I am so frustrated and annoyed with the school. They're not following through on their part and they're blaming DS11 for behavior problems. Uh, yeah, the kid is bored and overtaxed with busywork, and he has slow processing speed. So..... I could fight it, but I can't risk burning bridges for DS3.

 

[NH Homesteader]

Oh, sigh. What a mess. I'm learning about 2e kiddos now, never heard the term before recently. Schools do not know what to do with these kids! I know my daughter would have the same issues in school, so happy for homeschooling. I hope you're able to find something that works for him.

 

[baymule]

My daughter was in private school most of her school years. She graduated at 16, went to college and graduated with her bachelors at 19. At 23 she had 2 masters degrees.

I remember 2nd grade. The teacher passed out reading books. She said to read a story by the next day. I read the story, the next one and the next one. My mom picked me up from school and as she drove into the driveway, I finished the entire book. I laid it on the teachers desk the next morning and asked for another book. I'll never forget the look on her face. She told me I couldn't have another book, it was supposed to last ALL YEAR. I'm not brilliant, but I sure was bored in school.

Get your son out of that disaster of a public school.

 

[tortoise]

@baymule Love your story and so thankful to find people who understand that smarter is not easier, or happier, or even more successful. It's just hard - at any age. But probably hardest on the young ones and those who were never identified due to racial or socioceconomic disparities in identification.

In 2nd grade, we got to come up in front of the class and pick a folder off the chalkboard rail for reading 100 books. I read my 100 books easily and quickly. And then another hundred. And then another hundred. The teacher stopped giving me folders. They were my prize possessions. My family lived in poverty, so a shiny folder with a picture of gray fluffy kittens in a basket was a really big deal to me. I don't remember being particularly motivated by the reward though. I don't remember tracking how many books I'd read - my mom must have done that for me. I was unaware I'd read 100 books, and was surprised and delighted to win the folder. That was probably the highlight of my schooling years. I was unidentified and it was a terrible experience - I barely lived through my education.

I didn't learn anything in English past 3rd grade or so. Still haven't. I took a college English course and was so stressed out because I wasn't being taught anything, got 100% in the course. My son is working on a similar paper, so I had him read mine aloud. My husband couldn't believe I wrote it. (The topic was his suggestion.).

It's tough. Being unidentified, then belittled, bullied, stuck in lock-step education and not learning anything (except 3rd-4th grade English, Algebra 1, Art classes, and Psychology). Then coming up disabled in young adulthood and being undable to express or use my abilities. And now married to someone who had no problem using his abilities, has opposite strengths of mine, and forgets I'm kinda brilliant (when my brain has enough oxygen). I haven't completely come to acceptance. Getting close. But moments where my husband forgets my English ability is as strong as his math/science ability (And that my math/science ability is stronger than his English ability.... just sayin') still rub me the wrong way.

I don't really know what to do with DS11, but I learned from what my parents did wrong that doing nothing is not equivalent to doing no harm. So I have to do something. I just wish I could find something that worked. Public school was great for a couple weeks while DS11 was learning study and organizational skills. Once he learned those skills, the pace of presenting new material was too slow (and the pace of busywork homework and deadlines too fast).

 

[NH Homesteader]

Ah I so get it. I got in a lot of trouble at college because I was bored! My favorite professors told me I needed to go for my PhD. Because a PhD in English is going to get me.... Where? Lol

I remember being bored in school, and socially awkward. I was always the first one done with tests and spent a lot of time spacing out. I don't want my daughter to have to deal with that. I remember in chemistry class one day the teacher told everyone they weren't paying attention and they should be like me... Wait what? I wasn't listening... I had mastered the fake attention face! Lol!

Public school mantra-they are there to provide an adequate education to everyone. Which means they are providing an excellent education to no one.

 

[tortoise]

I would like to know how the subject material can be so accelerated yet students still aren't learning?

DS11's 7th grade science class (biology) covers more material in greater depth than my high school biology and botany classes combined. It's the only class that doesn't have him bored out of his mind. If students are learning so much, how are they still doing so poorly?

DS11's 8th grade math class is equivalent to my high school Algebra 1 class. Then again his high school Algebra 1 class last year was equivalent to Saxon (gold standard) Algebra 1/2 (prealgebra). Even with Common Core (which I appreciate), the classes are all over the place.