Why?

Why do schools now seem to feel it is necessary to assign homework over long holidays? Is this a thing in the states too, or just overseas? I don't remember ever having homework over Spring Break or Christmas Holidays, not once, not ever. As an adult I would work overtime before vacation to make sure I didn't have to work while on vacation. I would strangle David if he brought work with him in vacation. So why should our kid's vacations be ruined by homework? What kind of lesson is it supposed to teach? That it is bad to take time off to relax? I know darned well those teachers aren't carting papers to grade when they go on safari, so why do they expect the kids to do it?

Today is the last day of Spring Break*. I am sitting here forcing the boy in Year Four (3rd grade) to read Charlotte's Web. The whole book, in one day. He dutifully carried the book with him to Zambia but instead of curling up and reading, he chased lizards, befriended donkeys, swam, went on Safari, got drenched at Victoria Falls, sat around campfires and generally enjoyed himself. He didn't get around to even starting Charlotte's Web.

While the older boy is sulking, but at least holding the book, even if he isn't reading it, I am in the kitchen with the boy in Year One (kindergarten). He is filling out his "My Animal Spotting Book." Said book didn't make the trip with us because mom was more worried about making sure we had swim suits, bug spray, sunscreen, malaria meds, and food. I wasn't even remotely thinking about homework over the holidays. So we are getting it all done today. Each page has a space for an animal's name, where it was spotted, and then it is to be classified as wild or domestic, herbivore carnivore or omnivore, and finally fur feathers skin or scales. I can't tell you how much fun it is get a 6 year old to write "I saw a BABOON at VICTORIA FALLS, it is an OMNIVORE, it is WILD and it has FUR," when all he wants to do is go swimming. Then we get to to do this for 4 more animals. He is supposed to draw a picture for each one too, but I am just printing the pictures and he can cut and glue, or we would be here all day.

The homeschool boy is running around outside because I didn't realize I was supposed to assign homework. Bad Mommy! Whatever was I thinking? No school work over vacation? The very idea of actually having time off! Sheez!

Dave had to run into town for a few things. As soon as he gets back we are going to head to the Tamarind Club and go swimming. Homework be damned. Whatever isn't done will just have to wait. The sun is shining, it is still spring break and we are going to enjoy it. It is already fall and I have been told that by mid-May it will be too cold to swim so we are going to enjoy these last days of summer.

*It is probably called Easter Break or something, since it is in fact the very end of summer here not spring, and the days are already starting to turn cooler. Yes the kids go to school all summer then get a month off during winter, which be summer if we were north of the equator, but since we are south of the equator it is winter and will be too clod to swim when they are off from school. Confused?

Spring Break Rant

I am outnumbered, the kids are winning, the house is loosing! Lordy what a mess!

This will come as no surprise to many of you, but running errands and grocery shopping with kids blows chunks! It feels something like this:



And a bit like this:



Yeah, a lot like that except I took three kids shopping not just one! One would have been heavenly. Is it too early for a glass of wine? Sigh, yeah I thought so.

The kids probably think that the shopping was more like this:



So if "No Means no, no is always no, when they say no it means a thousand times no" WHY DO THEY KEEP ASKING??????? Jeesh!

Also husbands who call and tell their wives that they fell down the stairs at work, broke their leg and are on the way to the hospital are not nearly as funny as they think they are! It was definitely a man who came up with April Fool's Day.

Weather Woes

Spring Break starts today at 3:30.
Here is the weather forcast for the next week:























Fabulous! Just fabulous!
*sigh*

Botanical Gardens

The boys are off from school this week for spring break. David took this week off as well. This year we are foregoing the sailing club and checking out some of the sights closer to home. Today we went to the botanical gardens in Bogor.

David and I went there before Christmas without the kids. We got lucky and one of the gardeners showed us around and pointed out cool trees like cinnamon, rubber, and nutmeg. It was really interesting. Today with kids in tow it was more like "Wow that's a lot of trees. Where are the bats?" Yep folks we go to the Indonesian national botanical gardens to see freaking BATS! It's that inner Corwin thing again! *Sigh* Yes, Mom, I know you told me to have a little girl instead of all these boys, but they do keep life interesting, besides was I really any better??



These are flying foxes. Are they as big as they look? No, they are way bigger! They are HUGE with wingspans up to 6 feet. The boys were awed. We got right under the trees and spent a good 15 minutes staring up at them as they moved around the tree tops. They not only fly to get to a new roost but can scramble along the branches amazingly quick, like an upside down monkey. Totally Cool!

Colin saw a weird caterpillar in the orchid exhibit. "Yeah those are orchids. Hey check out this caterpillar! It looks like a snake!" I was left alone to admire the orchids while the Corwin wanna-be's admired the bug. I will really miss orchids when we leave here. I will not miss the bugs.


While looking at the aquatic collection Cody made a cool discovery, a baby water monitor swimming between the plants. Watching this little one zip about the pond I suddenly understood how the big monitors could swim between islands.


Even at a place dedicated to plants my men can find enough creepy animals to keep themselves happy. Only one thing marred the fun, as we were eating lunch Grayson grabbed the paper towels when I asked for one and ran as fast as he could in the opposite direction hoping I would chase him. Instead karma caught up with him and he tripped and fell head first into a bench. He has a big "owwie" but is otherwise OK. Tomorrow off to the zoo.