our homeschool world... would certainly never make a cover or even an article for a homeschool magazine. depressing, ugh? want to know what our day(s) look like? read on... (note: sarcastic and exaggerated)....

-cheerful mom tending to laundry in the basement. knowing darling pre-teen son is dutifully doing his math lessons. mom skips up the basement stairs, laundry basket on her hip... to find son has taken apart all the ink pens and playing with the parts and has not even attempted to start math. tisk-tisk tommie... back to lessons, please. "oh, sorry mom.. you're right!" i pleasingly think to myself, how nice it is that he's always telling me "i'm right."

-"how many more pages do i have to read?" is what darling pre-teen son says to mom... and it's not because he wants to read more... it's because he wants to get outside and work and take apart his lawn mower. he's into dad's grinder and electrical tools. in the barn, he blasts the country music station on the radio. well, how's that for music appreciation? i mean willie nelson was one of the best songwriters of all time. thinks i. and afterall... you can learn a lot about life when you listen to the words to country music. especially kid rock's, summertime in northern michigan. ahh, but not my son... he would instantly saunter over to the radio and turn the volume down when a song like that came on. i just know he would. (not.)

-i smile sweetly, look over at dear pre-teen hormonal son and see he is doing his math. oh, the joys of our homeschooling. wait.... he's managed to get every problem wrong. and he joyfully (always happy) complains that "gosh mom, the squirrel distracted him." i make him re-do the problems... and he really enjoys it. doesn't mind a bit. not one bit at all. "can i do more mom? you know, for practice?" he asks. ahhhh, my over-achieving son. no darling, says i.... you've done enough. (not true!!!)

-now, i run upstairs... to put laundry away. with his list of daily academic achievements all listed out for him... i just know my self-directed child will continue checking lessons off his list. i smile knowing how in control my parenting skills are and what a spectacular homeschool mom i am. trying not to let my ego inflate... i hear the grind of the electric pencil sharpener... and nod knowingly. the grind runs on and on and on.... how many pencils is he going to sharpen? thinks i. quickly, i redirect my thoughts and smile to myself thinking.... ahhh, it's just like him to be prepared and plan ahead is all. i skip down the steps to find he has taken apart the pencil sharpener and enjoying learning how the motor works. that boy just loves the sound of the motor. no pencils were sharpened. now or ever.

-hunger pangs strike in my hormonal, eating machine pre-teen and he asks for lunch. it's 11. okay 11:30... and we're still working through math. my jaw begins to tighten. my neck is breaking out in an itchy rash.

-i try not to compare myself with other homeschool families. those i know. and those i've never met. i envision a houseful of complying children. all who are overflowing with the love of learning. i think i am the only one on the planet who has ever encountered a day like this. (okay...many days). my enthusiasm fades. i get grumpy. i compare some more.

-i'll stop my story now. except, i should mention that my moody, hormonal pre-teen son... decided it would be really cool to wear this watermelon on top of his head during spelling. and, yes.... he thought it would be cool to cut off the sleeves of his new camo shirt and make it sleevless.

if i was really creative and flexible... i could justify all this as: home-ec (t-shirt designing), creative arts/ self expression (watermelon on head), music appreciation and shop or vocational training (ink pens, pencil sharpener)....

but, that's just between us. smile, wink, nod.