Home + School = Homeschool?

Ever say something you didn't mean in the slightest? Didn't believe it for even a second and then it really happened? That was me and homeschooling. I remember the day I casually informed a fellow public school teacher that if I ever had kids, I'd homeschool them before I let them go to public school. Two very important facts about me back then, 1) I didn't plan on ever havin' crumb snatchers of my own - ever. And 2) I would never, ever in a kajillion years want to be around them all day, all night, 24/7 if I did accidentally have any.

... and then it happened. Both things. Had a couple crumb snatchers and I homeschool. (Home educate for all you homeschool purist terminology snobs.) Guess what?

First Ever Public Fess: I ab-so-freakin'-lute-ly love it! Homeschooling - that is. Well, I kinda like the kids too. I guess it'd be a little weird without them bitin' my ankles all the live long day.

Here's a perfect example of WHY. We stayed up late watchin' some sappy holiday special that... yyeeees (said in a sarcastic sing songy voice), made me cry. And because Big Shooter's offspring are always on the look-out for a new and improved way to not get directly in bed, they wanted to lament the whole plot backwards and forwards. Now if they went somewhere besides our kitchen to school 1) they would have been in bed long before the thing even started and 2) I wouldn't get to hear the importance of magical reindeer poop healing the poor little orphan girl who because now she's whole again gets to go live with the happily ever-after perfect family from my 7 year old. Okay. So that wasn't the plot but it might as well have been. All the stories are the same. Little kids learn from others' misfortunes and Santa saves the day.

Anyway, since they were up later than normal - they got to sleep in a little longer than normal. Then right in the middle of a stimulating math lesson on fractions, Crumb Snatcher #2 wanted to know why "the men in the marines click their heels like leprechauns..." well, of course I had to go with that one. And what better tool for this little lesson than (oh, all you homeschool naysayers get ready for this one) - YOUTUBE! After a quick search I found a great video of the changing of the guard at Arlington. And Viola! She now knew it wasn't the marines, but the army who clicked their heels and (dadgum!) they didn't do it like leprechauns either. It led to a conversation about the sacrifices our soldiers make for us daily, it instilled patriotism even deeper into two little tender hearts, and it held their attention much longer than I could ever dream.

Later in the afternoon, they called me to their room to show me their "abstract" (a recent lesson in Fine Arts).

This is the fruit of my labor?

I would now like to take the opportunity and publicly thank ABC, YouTube, and Hoover for contributing to our children's Home Education. Ain't they winners?