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.

Why can't my house be plumbed with laughing gas?

Two out of the four kids are crabby.  I'm crabby too and since I'm home with them all day long, maybe I'm rubbing off on them, or vice versa.  Who knows.  As usual, Jerome is his usual, happy self.

Today Jerome had to go and have a baby tooth pulled since it refused even my intensive efforts to remove it 'naturally' and the permanent tooth was half way in behind it.  While they had his mouth open they decided to fill two small cavities he's had since coming home.  I was a LOT concerned about home Jerome would handle the 'gwo piki' which is 'big needle' in Creole.  He's not a stoic little guy when it comes to blood, needles or any kind of pain.  How he survived 4 or 5 years of his life in an orphanage is beyond comprehension given his kind, sensitive nature. 

Before I blather on about his teeth, last week he went for a cleaning and the dentist did confirm that based on his teeth he does appear to be at least a year to year and a half behind what his birth certificate says.  Our orphanage had to randomly make up a birthdate and birth year when they found him at about 2 years of age so instead of Jerome turning 9 next month as his birth certificate states, we tell everyone he's turning 8.  I guess it would be closer to tell everyone he's just a good solid 7 year old give or take a couple months.  Confused, yeah, him too.

The peds dentist also confirmed that he has Hutchinson teeth.  If you don't know what that means, lucky you.  Hutchinson teeth is what develops in a fetus when the birth mother has Syphilis.  That particular venereal disease affects a developing fetus in lots of ways, but the most visible are the teeth.  Fortunately Jerome doesn't have any heart, brain or bone diseases, he just has the yucky teeth.  Once he gets all his permanent teeth, we'll probably have to have some significant dental work which would include crowns, veneers, implants and braces.  Oh golly, good times ahead!

Since the moment we read Jerome's bio in 2007 we knew he had been found by our creche with active Syphilis and it didn't deter us from loving his sweet little soul.  He was treated with 30 days of antibiotics and the Syphilis was cured.  However we always wondered if he had contracted the disease in utero from his birthmom or if he had been molested by some sick bastard.  That thought always left us feeling violently disgusted and murderous so it came as a great relief to find out that he had congenital syphilis. 

We wonder if his birthmom even knew she had Syphilis.  It's a funny disease.  After the initial exposure and sore goes away, the person remains asymptomatic for years and years.  It's likely she'll live for sometime before the disease that's been lying dormant rears its ugly head and begins to shrink her life span. 

But boy oh boy, did I go way off track here.  All I know is that if I had the house plumbed with laughing gas, I would be one happy momma and have 4 happy kids.  When they hooked Jerome up to the Nitrous Oxide, he must have felt like he was floating because I kept having to push his legs down.  It was so weird.  He just kind of bent in half from his hips and kept his  feet pointing at the ceiling.  He also looked a little like Stevie Wonder with the head bob thing going on while watching the Disney Channel.  I really didn't care since he was dealing with it so well.

I bet if I went into the custom home building business and plumbed each house with laughing gas, I'd be the wealthiest person on earth.  Seriously, who wouldn't want their household of kids...especially teenagers...in a state of perpetual happiness and mellowness?  I must be the smartest person alive!

I'd like to take the credit, but I can't

Madison is smart.  Darn-tootin' smart!  She is enrolled in 10th grade at the age of 14 and is doing well.  She is using the University of Nebraska's online high school curriculum and I like it since it will provide her with a high school transcript from an institution and she is held accountable for all of her work.  She takes tests thru a proctor here to ensure no cheating and must be self-motivated and diligent in her work. 

I would like to take credit for her innate smarts, but I can't.  In that area I must acknowledge that she gets her ample brain from her birth parents, Angela and Darryl.  Now each of them will argue that her smarts came from them, but either way, she's a smart cookie.  However, I digress.

All this means she'll graduate a year early.  While we have a plan for her gap year which includes traveling abroad and visiting friends in New Zealand, it really brings to light that the kid will be heading to college sooner than later.  HOW IN THE HELL DID THAT HAPPEN?  I've been looking at colleges on line and almost made a rosebud in my panties.  Hello?  The tuition's are hideous. 

Madison has always told me she wants to go Ivy League.  Harvard to be specific.  I honestly don't know if that will play out, but I've learned in regards to my children to never say never.  If she can get admitted, i suppose we'd do everything in our power to get her there.  She would like to be a veterinarian in addition to a Gran Prix dressage/ jumper equestrian.  Add all those words together and it equals........2 bazilliion, gazaillion, majillion dollars.

For all the days I've belly ached about my kids and homeschooling and my expanding waist line...or lack of a distinguishable one anymore...I'd reverse time and go backwards if I could.  Now I've got a kid who's actually earning high school credit (after skipping 9th grade altogether) and is beginning to look at colleges.  Whoever said that brilliant nugget of wisdom about having little kids=little problems and big kids=big problems....was a flippin' genius.  Thinking of my kid leaving home gets me giddy, and yet leaves me sick to think about her leaving the nest.  I also throw up in my mouth a little thinking about trying to pay for college for her, and the damn horse she wants to haul with her. 

How in the hell did I get to be old enough to have a kid old enough to be a sophomore, let alone the mother of a kid surfing the web for universities?  Dear God, I don't think I could wear one of those dippy shirts that says "Proud mom of a fill-in-the-blank college student!"  Hell, I still picture myself wearing my sorority sweatshirt, passing on food and choosing 'liquid' nourishment, and trying desperately to not get caught doing the walk of shame.  No, this can't be happening.  I refuse to be old enough to have a daughter in high school.  This is wrong.....all wrong.

My new blog

I invite everyone to hop on over and check out my new blog.  The new blog  http://paradiselostinturbinewind.blogspot.com  will exclusively deal with the impending wind turbines and the effect they will have upon our way of life.

Conquering the mental fears

Physical therapy was brutal last Wednesday.  Since my leg felt tight, which means it is scarring down as expected, they had me side stepping over cones.  Just so you know, it's the sideways motion that puts all the stress on the MCL and side stepping was definitely physically painful, but even more so, it was mentally painful.

I've been experiencing some pain in my knee around the medial line, or joint between the tibia and femur.  The therapist thinks it's most likely cartilage scarring that I am feeling and not my damaged meniscus.  All I know is that I actually did work through the pain of it at therapy and was able to push ahead and complete all the exercises.

I left therapy, donning a pair of jeans and strapping on my leg brace, Marc and I ventured into Walmart.  Never in my life did I think I would celebrate walking into Walmart.  For me, yesterday was a physical and mental achievement.  It's been 7 and a half weeks since I wrecked my knee and I have reached my goal of going shopping in a store by Christmas.

To prove to  myself that Wednesday's achievement wasn't a fluke, I headed into town with 3 of the 4 kids today.  I drove as it had snowed about 2 inches and the roads were a smidge icy, otherwise I would have let Madison drive.  Anyhow, I managed to get out of the car and into the store on the icy, snowy pavement without falling and commenced with shopping.  I felt like Sheena, Queen of the Jungle after conquering this battle. 

You know, I still walk with a pronounced limp and a gimpy kind of gait, but I'm grateful for being able to ease some of the load from Marc.  He's been a Super Trooper these last 7 weeks.  Not only has he taken almost everyday off these last 49 days, but he's picked up all of the household duties.  Today when he called from work to see how things were going, he said that his work day is MUCH easier than my days and he isn't nearly as wiped out as he was doing my chores at home.  It's good to know that he now has a full appreciation for everything I do here to keep us living life as picture perfect as a Home and Garden magazine.  Sheesh, about time he lived my chaotic days!

I sure hope Marc picks something up for dinner on his way home.  I'm whipped from shopping!  I love being back to 'almost' normal!

Milestone

Well, hobbled into a store today and pushed a shopping cart.  One milestone down a gazillion more to go.  I can now walk about 50 steps without using a crutch at all.  It's not pretty, but I.CAN.DO.IT!

I tend to move very slowly and must consciously think about the mechanics of walking with the right leg, all the while holding my right arm out at my side in some freakish wing-like display.  BUT. I. CAN. DO. IT!

I might get to Wally World tomorrow, but today I ventured into Tractor Supply.  It was a small enough store for me to make it across the parking lot and the store is small enough to maneuver, so although it wasn't the store of my choosing, I've still done it. 

Just had to share that at 6 and a half weeks, I am putting 100% weight on my injured knee/leg.  YES!!!  And for any cradle Catholics that may follow this blog, I have something to share soon regarding novena's and saints!!  What can I say?  I'm a practicing Lutheran with a devout belief in asking for the intercession of saints.  HUGE believer!