"Stay-at-Home" Moms

I've been a "stay-at-home" mom for over 10 years, and I have to say I haven't been home much. I like to be on the go, and I drag the kids with me. The result is 4 out of my 5 kids like to be on the go also.

I've been enjoying the last week with no swimming pool to go to. I miss the warm weather and the pool, but it's nice to be homebodies for a change. I've gotten some things done that I've wanted to for a long time, like make common sense chore cards for my 3 oldest kids and work on a routine for me (like wake up, make coffee, eat something so I can take my vitamins, brush my teeth, shower). I'm also working on routines for the kids (wake up, make bed, eat, brush teeth, draw or hang out while Mommy reads to you, etc.).

I have to admit I sometimes would avoid the house and would come back from an activity even more stressed out ... I still do this! I feel guilty if I'm not taking my kids to a park or a nature center or on a playdate all the time. That is ridiculous, and it stresses me out! They don't need to be entertained every second of every day, and as homeschoolers they are socialized TOO MUCH!

Mostly I need to be working on all of us doing our chores so the house looks "decent" most of the time (this involves lots of purging!), so we can leave the house at a moment's notice if the mood strikes us or if an opportunity comes us.

I also need to be working more on my relationship with each of my kids because I want them to be good people (you know, hard-working, kind, trustworthy, not lazy, helpful to their spouse, and on and on!).

This fall well be on the go with Bible study every week (which involves a class for each of the kids), religious education class, altar server training for Joel, gymnastics, Upward Cheer for Callie, and maybe a little dance class for Eva if we can find the money. Oh, and don't forget Scouts! And weekly Mass. And playdates and grandparent visits and field trips alone and with groups.

A few lazy days spent at home will be so good for us each week. We've had time this week to play games, to read to each other, to go to the park with just us instead of with a group of other kids, hang out with Grandma Mac and more.

Staying at home more will be good for this mom ... and for her kids (and husband!!!).

Smoke Breaks ... Smoke 'Em If You Got 'Em

As if living on a busy corner didn't stink enough, now it turns out that the employees of the school across the street have a new place to take their smoke break:

On the sidewalk across from my freaking house.

Seriously?

I was wondering what this chick was doing getting into her car in the school parking lot and then walking over by some bushes by a fence of a house on the sidewalk of a busy street and standing there smoking every day. Then I saw a guy doing the same thing and heading back to the school.

REALLY?

I do so miss the 1960s ... take your dang smoke break in the dang breakroom like a dang normal person.

Oh, right. Then the second-hand smoke would kill all the kids. Not the asbestos or the BOREDOM. The smoke.

Don't get me wrong here. I feel for the smoker. My parents both smoked. Aron used to smoke. I have been known to smoke a few back in my younger days. If I didn't feel like a walking piece of crap after smoking a cig, I would probably be a smoker now, but I can feel my lungs blackening and I have no energy. I see smokers I know huffing through mowing the lawn and laying around all lazy while I jog after my kids with no problem and I know I am healthier.

Still ... we all have a crutch to cope with our stress. If your is a cig, go for it. I will probably go have a chat with the smokers as the year goes on. I'll ask them how they feel about having to go off school grounds to smoke. I mean, why can't they smoke outside the back door of school? Are they, like a bad influence if kids see them smoking? I mean, certainly, none of the PARENTS of the kids who go to school there would do something so heinous as SMOKE?! Or cuss (oops, that's me!)?!

Kids in the Hall

Here's what it takes to get a great shot of my kids (plus Alex):

Someone has to steal our air compressor from our garage.

Then we have to call a cop so we can file a police report just in case other stuff is stolen in our neighborhood, since there's a pushy roofing company coming around and you just never know.

The cop is like 10 feet tall and super sweet and it's 10 p.m. and the kids all hover in the hall to stare at the cop, and that's how this shot was taken.

*Sorry for the lame-o post and the blatant cute shot of my kids, but what do you want from me? It's kinda like back-to-homeschool week for us, and I am focusing more on teaching my kids how to love to learn than to make them do textbooks and workbooks and let me just tell you this unschooling thing (don't tell my husband; oops, I forget he gets these posts by email) is a lot harder than buying a pre-packaged curriculum. I'll also be busy this week working on writing an articly-essay about thinking about unschooling and swimming in the unschooling pond.

Miss Me?

I'm posting less these days. So if you miss seeing me today, come on over to Homeschooling Mommybot, where I posted yesterday about our first days of homeschooling this week. We're having a great time, and it's why I'm not around the blogosphere as much. Miss you all!

Male Hairdressers

Anyone heard of Chaz Dean? Yeah, my son has potential to be him someday. He likes to do hair. Most especially he likes to CUT hair. His sisters' hair. But lately he can be counted on to be my go-to guy for something like putting a quick ponytail in Eva's hair before church. You can see his mastery of the pigtail on my own hair, above. And, below, he put Eva's hair in a braid and brushes Sam's hair after a bath.

One of my best haircuts was given by a guy. Sure, he was probably gay, as most male hairdressers are, right? Not that there's anything wrong with that. Not that my son will be gay. But if he is, by God, I will still love him just the same. Sorry to go all political and social and crazy on you there, but that is where I stand as a mother and as a human being.