Guest Post today by my beautiful bride: Terri Lisenby
Let me start by saying, I am not a homeschooling Mom. I am not a teacher by profession and even as a little girl never played teacher. It just isn’t in my blood. So it is pretty bizarre that my two kids are now being taught at home. But I have to say the best part is, I am not really their teacher.
Dean and I decided to try SCCA (South Carolina Connections Academy) for both of our kids this school year. There were many factors that lead to this decision:
1. Of course, money. Breanna has been at a private Christian school since 5K and Tripp has been at a church preschool since 3K. So tuition costs for us were only going up. The cost of Breanna’s monthly tuition was increasing and more importantly more fees were being added that where really going to increase our monthly costs.
2. More important than money was an accelerated education. Tripp went into kindergarten reading on a 2nd grade level and understanding math well beyond his age. He just seemed to grasp new concepts quickly. And we both knew that if he got bored in a traditional school there was a chance that he would find other things to fill his time. We also knew that Breanna was a bright student as well and wanted to give her the option of some sort of Gifted and Talented program.
3. And just as important as the first two reasons, we love our kids. They are growing up at the speed of light and I feel like I am missing so much of it. Even with being a stay at home Mom, the school day takes up so much of their time. This is really my chance to get some of that time back while I still can.
So we started Virtual Online School today. We all woke up at 7:30. I baked Cinnamon Rolls and they logged into their computers to see what they would be learning today. We had breakfast and started our school day at 8 am.
I have to say the first hour or so was pretty hectic, getting them both settled into the process, figuring out what book and/or workbook they needed, finding any manipulatives the lesson called for, and just generally maneuvering through the computer lessons. Several times today I would literally walk out of one of their rooms to check on the other child and they would call me right back. Normally it would have irritated me, but I had a peace about it this morning and actually enjoyed the time. My kids and I were exploring this new territory together and they needed me, just like when they were little. It was a great feeling!
Well, just as we thought Tripp was whipping through his first grade work. Today alone, he completed 5 Language Arts Lessons, 4 Math Lessons, 2 Social Studies Lessons, 1 Science Lesson, a Computer Lesson and an Art Lesson. If he had been in a traditional school he would have been bored to pieces. He did two and a half days of scheduled school work today in less than 5 hours. Wow…I can’t wait to see what God has in store for him.
And our precious Breanna, tested for Gifted and Talented. She was able to start in GT Language Arts and Science, something she would not be able to do in her other school until at least middle school. Her curriculum is awesome and is already challenging her. That’s what I like to see.
So to sum it up, the first day went really well and we are all still excited about what is still to come.
I can’t tell you how disappointed it’s been the last 8 months dealing with my electric bill. I just can’t figure out what’s going on in a way that makes SENSE! I’ve spent several thousand dollars over the last few years implementing what should be cost saving measures on my energy usage. Three big purchases for us were simply Solar Shades to keep the sun’s heat out of the house, upgrading to Gas Logs to keep the heat pump from working overtime in the cold winter months, and upgrading our washer and dryer to useless water and less power. I’ve felt so good about all these items. So why am I disappointed?
In 2006, We consumed 21,922 KWH and spent $2188 YTD for an average of 9.98 cents/KWH
In 2007, We consumed 23,395 KWH and spent $2300 YTD for an average of 9.83 cents/KWH.
In 2008, We consumed 19,134 KWH and spent $1973 YTD for an average of 10.31 cents/KWH. BTW, this was the year I got serious about this energy consumption issue.
In 2009, We consumed 20,527 KWH and spent $2649 YTD for an average of 12.9 cents/KWH.
In 2010, We consumed 19,996 KWH and spent $2321 in electricity and $462.60 in propane (gas logs). Total spent was actually $2783 but the electricity portion was 11.6 cents/KWH.
One thing to note on the 2009 and 2010 bills, is that I am part of an electric co-op. Because of this, when the actual wholesale energy costs are less that projected we get a reduced bill, hence the fluctuating rate. I believe our rate is actually like 12.6 cents per KWH. The reduction helps but fluctuates month to month.
This summer has been brutal and I’ve put up with the A/C not keeping up during the hottest part of the day. I finally called a repair guy only to find out that both of my units are low on gas AND that the downstairs unit has no less than 6 detectable leaks. ARGHH!!!
So, clearly, all this effort hasn’t really helped UNTIL you factor in that the cost of the energy went up. If I were having to pay the 2007 usage at the 2010 full (no wholesale credit) rates, my costs would be $626.77 MORE than I’ve paid already. The formula I’m using would be ((23395 *.126) – 2321). This is a little skewed since I added propane this year so it’s not apples to apples.
Anyway… thought I’d update you. Plus I needed to update this thing I call a blog! Any questions, just ask
Recent Comments