Nah, I'm not busy. I'm a homeschooling mom!

Most people assume that because I have chosen to home educate my children, my days are blissfully unencumbered by the mundane aspects of life.  I've had people look me in the eye with genuine shock when I explain to them the multiple 'hats' that I wear throughout the day.  For those that give a damn, let me give you a snippet of one of my average days;  a day that isn't compounded with a surprise doctor visit, vet visit or dental visit or a husband out of town.

Everyday we begin school at 8:30AM.  It's really more for me than the kids, but I find that if I don't begin school work with the kids by 8:30 the rest of the day is thrown out of whack.  But before we can begin school, there are 5 dogs that need to go out, go potty and be fed.  Marc most often feeds the 10 horses before he heads to work and often squeezes in a stall mucking or two.  So once the animals are fed and pottied, I make sure the kids have eaten, clean up the kitchen, put the puppy in his playpen so he doesn't electrocute himself and we sit down to begin school.

If everyone stays focused, school moves along nicely and then we head to our assorted afternoon activities.  Today for example we were supposed to head to the swimming pool at 1:30, but the horse shoer called to say he could do Madison's dressage horse and our mini with bad feet today at 12:30.  Scratch the swimming and insert farrier.  Thomas couldn't stay inside and finish science or literature knowing the farrier was here so we still have work to finish.  But before I try to refocus his energy, I have to throw something together for dinner.  Madison has Algebra tutoring tonight and the boys have Tae Kwon Do.  In addition to that the same 5 dogs and 10 horses  need to eat again, now it's time to feed the 2 bunnies, 2 guinea pigs and 10 cats. 

But after leaving the algebra tutor tonight, I'll have to stop at the store and pick up some supplies for the world health kits the ELCA Lutheran churches are putting together.  Then I can come home, do some laundry, clean up from the mad dash of a thrown together dinner, take the dogs out again, get boys to take a shower...WITH SOAP AND SHAMPOO....usher them off to bed and then prepare for tomorrow's lessons.

Tomorrow may just be even busier with the addition of Madison's riding lessons, Lenten dinner at church and service at 7:30.  Fortunately I do not have church council tomorrow night as that would just be one more thing to juggle. 

I'm not complaining.  I'm really not.  What I am doing is trying to let the world know that although I am home with my children all day and have chosen to do so, I am not sitting around watching t.v with my thumb in my butt.  I am making lesson plans and/or adapting them to individual needs, maintaining a household in the same fashion that I used to when the kids were in school 8+ hours a day, shuttling kids to activities, trailering a horse and kid to riding lessons 2-3 times a week, feeding animals, cleaning up after them, paying bills, grocery shopping, schlepping kids to friends' houses, picking them up, and squeezing in whatever else may pop up.  My life is busy.  Yes, it's busy by my choice, but why do people feel they have the right to put me down if I try to correct their assumption that my life is not as busy as theirs is because they work?

If this ain't work, I don't want to know what hard work is!!  Let me say it again.  I have chosen this life and I wouldn't have it any other way, but it sure would be nice if people would give credence to the fact that my days are busy because I am invested in my family.  Respect people....it's just about the simple courtesy of respect.  I don't put you down for choosing your lifestyle, so please respect that I am just as busy or busier than you may be.

Now it's time to put my soapbox away until some butthead offends me again....and trust me, it will happen!

Pick up lines

Our dear friends, the Watkins family, have the funniest kids alive.  Seriously, naturally funny kids.  I know they get it from their seriously funny parents, but as of last night, we feel one of our kids just might be able to match the Watkins in the humor department.

Madison went to the neighbors and rode with the 16 year old girl that works there.  Then they both came here to play with Angus, the new puppy.  I'll get to Angus McDog later on.  Anyhow I've been telling people for a year or so that Thomas is a walking hormone these days.  Let's just say he has a sincere interest in girls; older, blond, blue-eyed girls.  So in walks Libby with very long blond hair, tight jeans, boots and spurs.  Totally his kind of girl.

Jerome loves girls but for different reasons than Thomas or Richnigthder.  Jerome itemizes girls and likes to tell me how he would like to look like them.  He too likes blond hair and long legs, but he WANTS them as in he wants to be a girl.  That's another whole story altogether, but it doesn't bother us.  Just so you know if our little Jerome wants to be a girl when he reaches adulthood, we would help him achieve that and love him just the same.  It's his soul we love and it's one of the best souls God ever made.  But I digress somewhat.

So last night Libby and Madison were in the family room just talking until about 2AM.  Marc and I had long since gone to bed and when Angus woke us up to go out and go potty, Madison asked if we could keep Thomas and Richnightder away from them so they could have some girl time.  Sure no problem.  We sent them each to bed and the girls were happy.

Fast forward to this morning when Madison is explaining to us how Thomas was trying out some pick up lines he learned from some movie.  Let's just say it leaves a lot of room to be fine tuned and finessed.  Seems he wrote on an index card 'boner' and handed it to Libby.  Yep, we are proud parents.  I suppose this means we have some work to do with Thomas on explaining the fine points of sweet-talking girls!  Boner, is not going to get him a date.  A kick in the crotch maybe, but definitely not a date.  Besides, he's too young to date, but not too young for a kick in the raisins.

Which brings us back to Jerome's antics.  While Marc and I are still up and the kids were in the family room, Jerome handed Libby a note.  Now it must be noted that Jerome is still learning English phonetics and sometimes spells things the way HE hears them, not necessarily the way the rest of us hear the words.  So he hands Libby a detailed list of her body parts: eyes, ears, butt, hands, leg...yes just one leg was noted, and last but not least, muff.  Yes, muff.  Of course she didn't know quite how to take that notation, but after some deciphering, it appears Jerome was trying to write 'mouth' which of course translates to him hearing, muff. 

So between Thomas' Rico Suave pick up lines and Jerome's inventory of body parts, I doubt we'll be seeing Libby back here anytime soon.  Actually she'll be back tomorrow to take a jumping lesson from Madison, but it's a safe bet, we will be keeping the boys....all 3 boys....far away from Madison and Libby.  This family cannot take anymore mortification.