I'm Still Here

It's been well over a month since I was able to blog anything.  Well, that's not entirely true.  I have a couple of things in the drafts folder that I have yet to finish.  That said, there's just too much on my plate and my mind to even start.  So, in 500 words or less (or more maybe.  I'm not actually going to count), here's my life lately.

A Book, a Cake and a Sunday Morning. aka, I Need a Nap!

April's shaping up to be a busy month.  To start the month, I wrote a book review.  It's awesome (the book, I mean.  The review is probably mediocre at best.).  You should check it out.

On Saturday we hosted an Army themed birthday party for my son (who will tell you that today he is three and a half years old, but will be "six" tomorrow.  So much for homeschool kids being math whizzes!).  For the party, I made a cake.

Book Review: A Lamb Named Ewe by Kevin Jones

This is my first real attempt at a book review.  If it goes well, I may start doing more of this.

Flashcard Jeopardy

Last week, when I was making dinner, E needed to work on his math facts.  We'd been a little remiss on this lately, and he was having a hard time with his 8x and 6x facts.

Farewell to Fishy

This is Fishy, our first ever betta fish. 

He was a gift from Ms Kelly, EZ's VBS teacher a couple summers ago.

Some Days I Feel Like It's All I Do

Some days I feel like all I do is make the food, 

feed the children, 

and clean up the mess the children make with the food.

Make the food,

feed the children, 

and clean up the mess the children make with the food.

Make the food,

feed the children, 

and clean up the mess the children make with the food.

Okay, it could be worse, much, much worse.

The Agony of Defeat

My oldest son just completed his second wrestling season.  This year he was seven years old in an eight and under division.  Since he's a summer birthday, he was almost two full years younger than some of his competition.  They were, at least, all about the same size, within three pounds of each other.

E worked his booty off and won...

I am Not That Homeschool Mom

Close your eyes.  Now, quick, what pops into your head when I say "homeschool mom?"

Whatever it was, I am pretty certain I am not that homeschool mom.

I wear jeans, put on make-up (if I'm leaving the house), and swim in mixed company.  My dyed hair has not been in a bun since my second grade ballet recital.  Said ballet recital was probably the last time I wore hose, too.

I hate to cook, clean and do most other things that are traditionally considered what a "good mom" likes to do.  My family does not garden or eat only organic/raw/gluten-free/sugar-free foods. Our meals are only sometimes homemade, and if I had it my way, we would eat Pizza Hut at least eight times a week.  That, or have a personal, on-demand chef.

My floors are not swept twice a day and the laundry pile is often taller than the children.  Sometimes, it's taller than the children's father!  Dusting has become a quarterly chore and my backyard will never get landscaped.

I'm not crafty.  I can't sew on buttons that last more than a week.  Sewing machines make me more nervous than a rat in a snake cage.  I've never made anything more complicated than the pillows Mrs. Wallace insisted I put together in seventh grade home economics.  I've dabbled in scrapbooking, but even that has become too daunting a task for me lately.  My 2009 birthday gift certificate to our local scrapping store is still in my wallet, unused.

Our lives are not run on a color-coded three-ring binder schedule.  We don't get up before dawn and milk cows or feed chickens.  We watch too many movies and play a lot of video games.   My kids are often up until way past traditional bedtimes and don't always remember to say "please" and "thank you."

My kids don't play the cello, violin or even piano.  They don't speak Latin, Spanish or anything other than our Midwest version of English.  They don't study quantum physics or underwater basket weaving.

It's not that I think any of the above things are bad.  Heck, I'd love to be crafty and have an immaculate house.  There are a ton of skirt and bun wearing women out there who are amazing.  I wish we ate healthier and that I could make my own curtains.  But I will never make my own curtains.  I am not that homeschool mom.  It's just not who I am.

But I am the homeschool mom that spends hours choosing just the right projects for her kids.  I read them Scripture.  I taxi them from one activity to the other and make sure they are well-rounded, social people.  Four times a year, I make the most rockin' birthday cakes imaginable.  I facilitate an environment where they can learn, not just academics, but to get along with each other, to be home-builders, and to be followers of Christ.  I am that homeschool mom.  And I'm perfectly okay with that.

An Attitude of Gratitude

I'm gonna be honest here.  Yesterday was a crappy day.

Things I Wish I had Known Earlier

Last week at Dollar General I picked up some new hairclips.  For whatever reason, I opted to buy the $2 version instead of the $1 version.  This is out of character for me, as I'm incredibly cheap.  But the old ones just weren't doing it for me.  I've got thickish hair so after about 10 minutes, the old clips would be turned sideways and my hair would look ridiculous.  Also, they would fall out very easily.  Thus, I spent the extra and tried a new kind.  These are AWESOME!  My hair stays in, even if I'm jumping around or running (okay, I haven't actually tried the "running."  I'm  not really a runner.)