Caz

As pretty much everyone who has visited my blog in the last month knows, I'm sick... and I feel like I'm going to be that way forever!  And before *I* was sick, one child or another was.   I've been thinking a lot about what would have happened if I was a typical mum with 2 kids in school at a time like this.  I can imagine lots of calls from principals over missed days because mum couldn't breathe to get the kids to school, nor could she find someone else that could take them.   Or me ending up in hospital because I tried to be supermum and take them anyway... or worse, us having an accident (as it's hard to drive when one is coughing up a lung!)   

Needless to say, these thoughts have me greatly appreciating the freedoms that we have because we homeschool!   For these last few weeks, we've been doing little bits of schoolwork here & there... more or less as I feel up to it.   There have been a few days where there was absolutely nothing done, and even one or two where I managed to sit with the boys and do almost everything I had planned (before I got sick I might add lol).  Granted, I required a nap immediately upon hubby's arrival home on those days!

Getting around to the conversations mentioned in the title...  Last week I had a 'good day' and we had to pick up a few groceries and ran across a reptile show.  Somehow standing amongst all those school children (it was holidays) and their parents... I managed to find a lone parent who had homeschooled her children for their high school years!   A lovely chat was had about all the odd looks, and sometimes rude comments, that you get as a homeschooling parent if you dare enter the shops during those sacred school hours.  

Yesterday afternoon I had my docs appt (4th round of antibiotics *sigh*)  I again had to pop into the supermarket & newsagent for a few things.   The lines were long and I had to get a replacement on the ice cream sandwiches that had melted significantly while I waited to check out.   I commented that the young man who came to get my melty treats didn't look thrilled to be at work.  The lady in line behind me (who had the most excellent Irish accent btw!) commented that she'd been a sahm for 15yrs and couldn't handle having a boss, so she'd have looked grumpy if that was her lol.  

So, I of course shared that I was a sahm & a home educating parent as well so I totally agreed.  She was so jealous!  She had wanted to home shool her kids but was always told she couldn't, that it wasn't 'allowed' etc.   It took several minutes for the kid to come back with my ice cream sammiches so we had a reasonable chat while we waited... I'm sure the young girl working the check out (who I'm sure is still a high school student) was not real sure what to make of it.  Either we were weird, or she was jealous ;)

And just this morning we had a real estate inspection.  Madelyn, our agent, is a nice young lady and as far as real estate agents go.. is super!   She's understanding of smudges on walls, not so clean floors and such.  When I was taking her through the house  pointing out wall cracks etc, she happened to stop to watch Sam practicing his writing on our whiteboard.  I picked up some neat crayola coloured whiteboard pens, so it's like having a box of crayons to write with on it ... Sam approved and has been at it for 40minutes or more!   He was practicing the number 2 and the letter C.    On the way out she asked if I hs'ed them and when I said yes she shared that another tennant in the neighborhood homeschools as well.

I feel the need to add here, that inside of about 10minutes of practicing on this whiteboard, Sam can now write his name (which is obviously not Sam, but is 6 letters long) pretty darn well!   I think I have found an answer to penmanship woes ;)

She also commented how cool it is that every time she is here for an inspection, my kids are studiously working on something worthwhile all on their own, without even having to be asked to do it.   THAT is what homeschooling is all about.     

Now...  I need to find a couple of smaller personal sized whiteboards this weekend!!

2 Responses
  1. Wendy Says:

    I can't believe you're still sick. Sheesh. Your poor body. As soon as you are better, I can imagine you burning sheets and scrubbing down the house with bleach!

    It is always nice to have a positive response from people with regard to homeschooling. Even though we don't need approval from others, we certainly don't need their snarky or negative comments either.

    So, yay for positive reactions!


  2. Caz Says:

    lol yeah it'll be something like that Wendy. And I'll be all over the local naturopath getting ideas to boost my immune system!

    And with the random negative reactions, it IS really nice to hear to get an occasional kind word!